Greetings again to First Congregational Church! Last fall I had the privilege to serve as your Seminary Intern. I hated to leave, but knew I needed to return to Indiana to provide additional care for my father with Alzheimer’s. It was truly an honor during the last five months of his life to reaffirm the unbreakable bond of love with one another and with our God. God was present each day and God was present on May 4th when Dad passed away. God continues to be present today.
This past summer as I was planning the remainder of my seminary journey I had a conversation with Pastor Chris about the possibility of returning to First Congregational for my required seminary placement. After meeting with the appropriate boards Chris invited me to once again be your Seminary Intern. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am to be back with you all. Even in this time of COVID-19 I look forward to journeying with you as we continue to be the church and also discover what church looks like in the midst of social distancing. How can we be the church while we “keep a ski between you and me?”
Two common questions I am often asked are, “Where are you going to seminary?” and “How much longer do you have?” I attend Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, KY. It is a hybrid program that requires one-third of the course work to be on-campus, while the other two-thirds is online. I travel to Lexington in January and June to meet the on-campus requirement. If everything goes as I plan, I should complete all of my course work in December of 2021 and graduate in May of 2022.
Chris and I will be meeting to determine my responsibilities as I work 12-15 hours per week at First Congregational while also completing my seminary classes. Thank you for allowing me to be part of the First Congregational Family. I can’t wait to see what God does in and through us.
Linda
