Naomi Meints’ 25 reflects on an Interview with Pastor Jeannette McCormick

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

Matthew 25:35-40

What is a church’s role in a wider community? I recently talked with Pastor Jeanette Clark McCormick of First Lutheran Church in Worthington, Minnesota, about her congregation’s involvement in the Nourishing Vocation Project. This quickly became an inspiring conversation about community, justice, and connecting with others. Pastor Jeanette explained where her church exists in the diverse Worthington community, the importance of reaching out to others, and what vocation means to her. 

Pastor Jeanette highlighted how the resources of the Nourishing Vocation Project were used to bring together people and discern values. Specifically, the use of Vocare in Wednesday summer worship services resonated most with people. These Wednesday services that happened during the summer of 2023 were described as quite successful, as not only were they a chance for people to share their stories, but they became a community event that reached beyond the church. The church hosted people for ice cream after worship on the patio, which is a simple but effective way to extend a welcome to everyone in the neighborhood, regardless of if they belong to the church or not. 

Pastor Jeanette mentioned how much she values the diversity in Worthington, and discusses what that means for this church. The community has many immigrants and families from all backgrounds, and that informs First Lutheran’s ministries. The church has recently had a primary focus on community outreach, working hard to sustain a focus on serving their neighbors and rebuilding ministry after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Nourishing Vocation Project has been providing the church with theological ideas and inspiration that helps keep the programs alive and interesting. A specific success that she named is growth in the church’s after-school program, where she is proud to see children of many cultures playing together. Additionally, there are food ministries that help get enough meals to families and vulnerable populations in the area, where hunger is often a tragic but unaddressed truth. 

First Lutheran also hosts a prominent winter clothing ministry that provides recent arrivals to town with proper supplies to stay safe in the often brutal Minnesota winters. This is not only an act of charity, but Pr. Jeanette also described it as a rewarding way to meet and connect with our new neighbors face to face. The ways the church helps the community often connect to the other programs, with people being more involved in the community if they feel trust and acceptance in their church. 

It’s really provided an opportunity to be welcoming and to have people come into our building. That’s a hurdle that a lot of churches have, which is why would anyone come into our space?

Pastor Jeanette McCormick

“It’s really provided an opportunity to be welcoming and to have people come into our building. That’s a hurdle that a lot of churches have, which is why would anyone come into our space? We automatically address that. And that actually was a huge reason why our youth program through this year was that way. We especially had an influx of people come from Haiti this year. They came in for coats, and then their family said, ‘How do we sign them up for the after school program?’ And so it kind of all snowballed from there. I think it is about how do we welcome people? How do we meet people? How do we get to know people and provide them with some items so that they are prepared for success in town?”.

Pastor Jeanette also told about the connection First Lutheran had with a local Ethiopian Orthodox church, sharing the space in the church with them so they have a safe place to worship. Even after the Orthodox church moved to their own building, the two churches stayed in a close relationship, and the children stayed connected through the same after school program. 

Throughout our conversation,  I became curious about what values First Lutheran taught most and held close. “What motivates us to reach out to the community? How do we live well for the Lord? Justice and tolerance have been key for understanding the teachings highlighted here at First Lutheran,” Pastor McCormick said. One particular area of intersection between values and ministry that we discussed was how the church engages with LGBTQ issues. Pastor Jeanette opened up about how it is not only an increasingly important topic in the community, but within the congregation as well. With the plans to have more discussions around this topic, she stated that people are not only looking for different lenses for understanding, but seek after a just Biblical understanding. Not only would this be important to discuss as a “hot topic,” but it is a crucial conversation to meet the goal of understanding how to love our neighbors and discern our own faith. 

Finally, we discussed what vocation looks like in the context of seeking justice and serving clothes. On the topic of vocation, Pastor Jeanette said this:  “I would hope that people would have clear sense, that is, they know God’s calling for them in their life, and there are many callings. All of their different callings, from being caregivers, to being family members, to being neighbors, to being employees, that these are all part of their vocations. I think that that concept of being called by God to do different things in our lives should be fairly clear as a congregation.”

All of their different callings, from being caregivers to being family members, to being neighbors, to being employees, that these are all part of their vocations

Pastor Jeanette McCormick

I hope these examples are inspiring to you, as I was certainly inspired by them! Whether you are a church leader, a congregant, or simply curious about these projects, I encourage you to think about how we love our neighbors in everyday life and serve others. I will be thinking about the questions brought up here. 

• How do we meet people? 
• Why would they come to our space? 
• How can we meet them where they’re at? 

If you’re curious about discussing these and other topics regarding Lutheranism and justice, sign up for the 2024 Conference for Worship, Theology, and the Arts: Nourishing Vocation happening at St. Olaf College July 29-31!