July 26, 2010

WOO HOO!!!

I heard back from LSTC today and this is an excerpt from the email:

Hi Jen,

Congratulations! On behalf of the admissions committee at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago I am pleased to let you know that you have been accepted to the Master of Divinity program beginning fall 2011. An acceptance letter will be sent shortly.

July 6, 2010

Heard back that my final paperwork is in the mail. Now I just have to wait to hear from Pr. Gafkjen about when my Entrance Panel will be. Should be before the Candidacy Committee meeting in August. When I have this panel, I will meet with at least three members of the Candidacy Committee. They will ask me questions and discuss some of the entry paperwork I have already completed. They will make a recommendation to the entire Committee who will then decide if I receive a Positive Entrance Decision. This would mean that I have been accepted into the candidacy process and can begin seminary studies.

June 30, 2010

I emailed the Synod office today, making sure that my file is complete and ready for Entrance Panel once they receive that psych report (which should be in the mail). Was told that when they receive the report, everything is in except one form. So I need to do some investigating and make sure it gets sent in.

June 28, 2010

Received an email from LSTC that my application is now complete and the admissions committee will be reviewing it soon. Hopefully will hear back from them in the next 2 weeks or so.

I met with Dr. VanTatenhove today. It was a good meeting, once I finally got there. Mapquest sent me on some tiny country highway and when I got to my destination, I didn't realize that there was an Asbury University as well as Asbury Seminary. So when I saw signs for Asbury, I just assumed it was the seminary. So I drove around for longer than I needed to and had to call him a few times before we finally found each other.

He took me on a short tour and history of the campus before we went to an office in the library. He handed me my report and the first thing I did was start laughing. My middle name is Marie. They had it as Mane. (I know I have bad hand writing, but not that bad!) Also, on the cover page, it indicated that I worked for Empire Taxi. He asked if I drove a cab. I laughed and said "That's supposed to be Empire TAX!" So, by this time, with these two errors on the first page, I was getting a little concerned about the rest of the report. But there were no other errors like that. It basically said that I need to work on self-confidence and assertiveness (REALLY??) but that I could handle seminary and the ministry. So, that's good. However, in one place it says that I lack the ability to quickly bounce back from hurts. The very next page it says I rebound quickly from hurts. I guess that means I can be inconsistent?? I'll read it closer when I get my copy.

June 25, 2010

He sent me an email, saying the reference was in the mail.

June 24, 2010

Dr. VanTatenhove called and said he was in town until Wednesday. We decided to meet on Monday to discuss my psych report. I'm kind of excited, but also nervous. What is it going to say?

I also decided I should check on my LSTC application. I sent it in Mid-May and got a response that they received it and were waiting on my Sullivan transcript and three references. I emailed the admissions department today and was told that the only thing missing was one of my references. So I emailed him and he promised to get it out by tomorrow.

June 6, 2010

June 4-6 was the Annual Assembly for the INKY Synod. It was held in Covington, KY. I went as a volunteer. It was a good learning experience. Friday night I counted votes for the first ballot for Bishop. Saturday I was a plenary session Page. Got to hand out papers and answer questions. In the afternoon, I sat at the voter registration desk and registered voters for the General Election. Saturday evening we elected a new Bishop - Pr. Gafkjen! Saturday night was a reception and banquet for Bishop Stuck, who retired after 12 years as Bishop. Sunday morning I met with Pr. Santoro. He's my contact person on the Candidacy Committee. We had breakfast and chatted for about an hour. Also chatted briefly with Pr. Wood. He is the chair of the Candidacy Committee, and he's also the pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Seymour, IN. I grew up in Seymour. However, I grew up Missouri Synod, so that is NOT the church I grew up in.

I enjoyed being a volunteer. 1) It allowed me to be there for free. 2) I didn't feel like I HAD to be there. When I wasn't actually doing volunteer things, I just hung out in the background, listening and observing. 3) I got to see a lot of people I knew and meet many new people. 4) I learned a lot about what NOT to do as a pastor by observing other pastors and what they were doing. Don't be rude. Don't be arrogant. Don't stand directly in front of someone who is clearly trying to listen to the speaker and talk loudly. Unfortunately, I observed all of these characteristics in FEMALE pastors. I think many of them feel that they have to prove something because they aren't men, but come on!

Synod Assembly also gave me a chance to hang out and talk with a few members of St. John outside of the church setting.

June 3, 2010

Dr. VanTatenhove called me and told me he was going to be back in Kentucky for just a few days at the end of the month and asked if I wanted to do the interview then. GREAT! He will call me when he gets into town and we'll set up a time then.

May 20, 2010

Yesterday I received a letter from Clergy Assessment Service telling me that my report was ready and it had been sent to Dr. VanTatenhove in Danville, KY and that I was to call him ASAP to set up a time to meet with him to discuss it. So I did. When he called back, he asked me "Do you know where I am?" I responded "Tthe letter says you're in Danville, KY." He responds "Well, I'm in California until August."

Well, that creates a small problem. I cannot have an Entrance Panel with the Committee until I've done this interview. So I contact the Committee and ask if it's ok for me to wait until August or do I need to get the Service to send it to someone else? Since I’m not attending seminary until next fall, I can wait until August and then the Committee will review my application at their November meeting. Not exactly what I wanted to hear, since I would like to know before then if I can go in this direction (I like to plan ahead!) but it will work.

April 21, 2010

April 20-21 was Visit Trinity at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, OH. It's a very nice campus. We sat in on classes, had some discussions, even watched a kickball game between classes. Tuesday night we met with current students and got to ask and talk about whatever we wanted. We then went and got free ice cream at Graeters!

It was a really good visit. The area of Columbus we were in really reminds me of Louisville, and the campus itself reminds me of Hanover College, where I got my undergrad. I really like it, but I think because it is so familiar, it isn't the best place for me. I want to grow when I go to seminary, and I want to stretch myself in ways that I've never been able to before. The only way I feel I can do that is by immersing myself somewhere completely new.

April 19, 2010

Today I had my Initial Interview with Pr. Geison. We met at St. John and had the interview in the office. Basically it consisted of her asking me questions and me answering them. About my life growing up. About my church life. About my life now. About my plans. A little bit of everything. She will now write her report and send it to the Synod office where it will become part of my file.

March 25, 2010

Today I spent about 4 hours in Pastor Young's office. Completing sentences. Filling in bubbles. Psychological testing for candidacy. He had Martin get us lunch from Jimmy John's (YUMMY!) and we sat and talked while we ate. It was a good conversation. Made me think about some things in new ways.

March 16, 2010

March 14-16 was Seminary Sampler at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. It was a really good visit. Met some really awesome people. Sat in on a class. Talked about many different things. But it also brought up some issues that I had never even thought of before. I can't do this alone. Mentally, physically, emotionally, or financially. It's a long process. It's a draining process. It's an expensive process. When I go to seminary, I will be leaving everything behind. My jobs. My house. My friends. My family. My dogs. My church family. Yes, I know I'll meet new friends and I will have fun along with all the studying, but it just hadn't hit me until this trip how much I will be alone. I know I've done it before (when I moved to Louisville, I knew NO ONE), but my life is different now.

I will probably choose to attend LSTC (assuming they let me in). There are just so many options and opportunities in Chicago that I won't be able to find anywhere else. And I have family in Chicago. Michelle, my cousin, is about 2 1/2 years younger than me. We used to be best friends, and used to be pen pals - like actual get a pen, paper, stamp and envelope out - pen pals.

November 11, 2009

I went to Indy yesterday and met with Pastor Gafkjen. We had lunch at a restaurant just down the street from the Synod office. We talked for about two hours! We talked about my life, life in general, why I'm thinking of going in this direction, the candidacy process; just a whole bunch of stuff.

Afterwards, I took a detour and went shopping for a few hours. Gotta love $4 jeans!!

Liz and I had made plans to meet after my meeting with Pr. Gafkjen. She called as I was leaving the mall and gave me directions to her house. I drove to her house and finally got to meet her and her husband (and her daughter's dog, Boulder!). We then went downtown and walked along the canal, just talking about life and candidacy. Stopped for a drink at the Creation Cafe. Then went back to her house and had dinner. YUMMY! Watched TV, talked some more, finally went to bed.

Woke up this morning and ate a yummy bagel at a bagel shop in Broad Ripple. Chatted some more with Liz then finally had to go back home.

October 20, 2009

Pr. Gafkjen emailed me back and asked if I would like to meet sometime in November. He will also be in Louisville tonight for the CWA forum with Bishop Stuck.

So, we went to the forum tonight and met Pr. Gafkjen. Talked to him for a bit and we decided that I would come to Indy and have lunch with him and talk about the process and such on November 10. I'm very excited!!

October 15, 2009

Just got a fb message from Liz. She told me she'd been talking about me to Pr. Gafkjen, who handles candidacy for the INKY Synod. Gave me his contact information and I sent him an email!!

September 17, 2009

Turns out that Liz is friends with the parents of one of my college friends. Also turns out that she is the VP of the INKY Synod! She was messaging people, trying to connect with INKY/ELCA folks in the area! Could that be any better timing??? We've been messaging back and forth, she's told me about herself, I've told her my story. She says I have to come visit - will definitely do that!!

September 16, 2009

I've been going back and forth in my mind for weeks now about seminary and ministry. I'm being further encouraged by all of the discussions I've been having on the ELCA Lutherans fb page. I love the lively discussions. I love explaining to people what I believe and why I believe the way I do. It's strengthening my beliefs and nudging me further along. But the question still remains: Do I do it? Do I not do it? Do I do it? Do I not do it?

It finally occured to me on the drive to work that I'm not asking the right question. The question is NOT "Do I do it or not?" But rather: "Where am I going to go to school?" A huge wave of relief comes to me when I finally accept that I'm going in this direction.

Later on today, I received a Facebook message from Liz Michael. I do not know who Liz is or why she is messaging me. But we have two mutual friends.