From an Interview with Pastor Sue Leibnitz by Naomi Meints, NVP Fellow, ’25

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10

I recently had the opportunity to interview Pastor Sue Leibnitz of Trondhjem Lutheran Church in Lonsdale, Minnesota. She was the first pastor I interviewed as part of a story gathering project, where we engage with the experiences of different congregations regarding their involvement with the Nourishing Vocation Project! This is a way for us to understand how congregations are using the resources and concepts of the Nourishing Vocation Project in real, impactful ways. As the Nourishing Vocation Project was created to help people connect with each other, and dig deeper in their understanding of a meaningful calling, it was also created to evolve and adapt with the different people it serves. This is why I am enthusiastic about hearing from leaders about what is going well and spiritually resonating with people! 

What intrigued me about the talk with Pastor Sue and the NVP experiences at Trondhjem Lutheran was the involvement of creativity. Pastor Sue talked about the many ways the church is using art and creative expression to engage with different members of the community. Particularly, the connections between creative activities and children have been very meaningful. Trondhjem Lutheran does not have a traditional Sunday school program, which Pastor Sue believes is beneficial for connecting congregants of different ages. The children participate in curated, engaging activities for their age that connect them to the other church members, and the wider community. The children learned VOCARE for kids, especially the special VOCARE musical programs. The musical events help them express themselves through worship and break down the principles behind the acronym in a way they feel excited by!

Trondhjem Lutheran does not have a traditional Sunday school program, which Pastor Sue believes is beneficial for connecting congregants of different ages.

Another activity that stood out to me was a card making event the confirmation class was involved with. The students worked on creating unique paper marbling designs, and using them as a base for cards along with other additions, like sheet music clippings. They wrote on the back that the person receiving the card was loved, valued, and seen, and gave them out to people in the community. Pastor Sue commented on how excited the students were to participate, in both experiencing the fun creative expression and contributing to positive outreach in the community. This is an excellent example of how art can guide people and get them excited about engaging in the gospel and spreading love in the community. Art is one of the best ways to meet kids on their levels and explain concepts in a way they understand: fun! Pastor Sue commented on how even stubborn teenage students were excited to engage with the church community here, and a group of girls even worked extra to make thank you cards for all of their teachers. The church youth also had several projects connecting with a local senior living home, including making homemade Christmas decorations and Valentine’s cards and distributing them to local residents in the home. 

Art is one of the best ways to meet kids on their levels and explain concepts in a way they understand: fun!

I believe creativity really is a key part of connecting community members together. Community engagement was at the core of our discussion around vocation and connection. Pastor Sue included stories of how the church used NVP resources to highlight women and children’s projects specifically. The women’s programs were particularly well received, with her speaking highly of their women’s summer Bible study. This was a popular gathering focused on a Near and Now Bible study, focused around discussing vocation and sharing the good news! In addition to the success of having consistent participation during the summer, one part of what made this Bible study special is that it was held at a local coffee shop. This allowed the church to make a strong connection with a local business. Another example is how the church hosted an intergenerational Near and Now Bible study for Lent. This was a way for older congregants to engage with young adults. This is not only important for young people to be connected to the older community members, but more importantly, allows older members to hear from the young adults and think critically about what can be learned from youth in the church. 

When asked about vocation and how it’s talked about at Trondhjem Lutheran, Pastor Sue said this regarding NVP: “I’ve always had an emphasis on vocation, using different words, you know, and every sermon I preach I try to. You know, what’s the good news? How does it matter to our life, and what does it call us to do? Those are kind of the 3 things I always try to hit to some level in a sermon, so what is it? What does it call us to do? Peace has always been there, and that sense of being called has always been there, I think, in my leadership. So this just came in and gave us more language or ways to talk about it”. 

What’s the good news? How does it matter to our life, and what does it call us to do?

Pastor Sue Leibnitz

I really enjoyed hearing the ways that Trondhjem Lutheran was able to continue to thrive and try new things as a congregation. Specifically, I loved hearing about the focus on creativity and community at this small church. I found it really comforting to hear the experiences of a church similar to the one I grew up with, and that the young people there feel connected with their congregation and beyond. Also, as someone who considers themselves to be an artist, I am so happy to hear about people connecting with the church and greater good through artistic expression! I personally connect well with art and it helps me understand big ideas around me, and I’m glad to see a church that embraces different ways of spreading the good word. I look forward to hearing what is next from this and other thriving congregations!