How Lovely For You! TLS_President_Rick_Barger Last week I was at the Hampton Inn in Rochester, Minnesota. When I came down for their buffet breakfast and a cup of coffee in the morning, a woman who was also getting her breakfast asked me about the shuttle to the Mayo Clinic. I told her that I knew nothing about it. When she discovered that I did not have an appointment at the Mayo Clinic - perhaps the only person in the hotel who did not - she asked what brought me to Rochester. In the course of our conversation, I told her I was Trinitys president. She looked directly at me and said, How lovely for you! We talked some more, and she was simply fascinated that I was so privileged to be leading a theological seminary. She was right. It is a tremendous privilege and a blessing to lead Trinity Lutheran Seminary. Our mission is compelling. The faculty is world class and united in their love for and belief in Trinity. The staff embraces the mission and is simply outstanding. The community life at Trinity can sometimes be electric. The best aspect of my job, however, is our students. God continues to send us outstanding men and women who have heard a call from God. As I get to know the students and experience their passion, I discover some telling things. They did not come to Trinity because they found the trappings of being a pastor or youth leader attractive. To the best of my knowledge, no one came to Trinity out of a deep desire to play church. The students are here because the Holy Spirit grasped their hearts and minds. They want to change the world. They know that the gospel of the crucified and risen Lord can do that. They want to live lives that deeply matter. They want to be formed to lead, equipped to serve, and inspired by the One who emptied the tomb that held Jesus and has called them to Trinity. Make no mistake about it. The students whom God sends to us are the most important people at Trinity. They are why we exist. I often ask them to remind me of this important value if they sense that we have forgotten that. We must never forget. It is the covenant with those whom God sends to us, our students, that is the motivation for an unfolding vision at Trinity. This vision has been in the making for several months. It has emerged from conversations with our stakeholders - faculty, staff, students, and alumni. It has been wrought with prayer, discernment, and a keen awareness of the changing culture and the immense challenge the church faces in these days. This vision has one objective - for Trinity to be excellent in how it forms, equips, and inspires students for Gods mission in the world. The vision is captured around Five Pillars of Excellence: Formation, Enrollment, Ecumenism, Impact in the World, and Viability. Tomorrow and Friday, our Board of Directors will gather for their annual fall meeting. There are three big rocks that will demand the boards attention. One of those is the vision. Look for more detail about what God is doing through Trinity with next weeks blast. In the abiding hope of the empty tomb, Rick Barger, 89 President Trinity Lutheran Seminary
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 15:35:33 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015