A new face will soon be walking the halls of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. Lauren Petersen joins the Holy Trinity staff on February 22 as Director of Children, Youth & Family (CYF) Ministry.
Lauren comes with a Therapeutic Recreation background, but Pastor Alicia Hilding encouraged her to apply for the position. The Holy Trinity CYF Hiring Team was not solely looking for qualified candidates with a degree in Youth Ministry. NPAS Human Resource Specialist, Cassie Olson, lent her expertise and encouraged the team to widen their search to include applicants with a variety of life experiences and backgrounds. It paid off.
Lauren states, “The opportunity came out of the blue for me and immediately I felt connected and pulled to the position and everything it has to offer. What called me to be a part of this team and community was the idea of being able to use my degree and personal experiences of growing up and finding out what my faith meant to me. I am passionate about creating an environment for everyone where they can come and just be. A place where they want to be and choose to be. I am really looking forward to simply connecting with people. Whether that is through programs, chit chat in the hallways, or out and about in the community. I love connecting with others and building new relationships.”
Dennis Jasperson, CYF Hiring Team member, was impressed with Lauren from the start. “She is young, energetic and has some excellent experiences working with young people. A believer in our “All are Welcome” philosophy, she will bring a fresh perspective to our youth program!”
Olson adds, “Lauren’s parents came from different faith backgrounds and as a family, they found a church that worked for all of them. Being involved with her own church as a youth helped Lauren to grow in self-confidence. I loved learning that about Lauren’s story!”
Pastor Alicia & Pastor Ben serving at Bethel Lutheran in Hudson, WI (2013).
Lauren grew up attending Bethel Lutheran in Hudson, WI where Pastors Ben and Alicia Hilding were serving in their first call after completing seminary. Lauren recalls, “Pastor Ben and Pastor Alicia were my Pastors when I was in High School and my family has stayed in touch with them throughout the years. Fun fact: I also had Mr. Hilding (Pastor Ben’s Dad) as my math teacher in High School!”
Pastor Ben Hilding summarizes the excitement of Lauren’s arrival. “Our vision at Holy Trinity is to share God’s love for all people from one generation to the next. It’s surreal to think that Lauren, who we first met about 10 years ago when she was in high school, will now be passing on the Christian faith to our children. She’s exactly who we want for the job. We’re so honored and overjoyed to welcome Lauren to this community and to the mission we share.”
Now that we understand how Lauren came to Holy Trinity, let’s get to know Lauren a little better!
Give us a brief introduction to you, your family and your background – “Hello Everyone! My name is Lauren and I am beyond excited to start at Holy Trinity. I am a part of a wonderful family of four (mom, dad, and an older sister). I was blessed with my first niece this past August. We have two dogs, Tootsi and Avenna. Tootsi is 15 and Avenna is 2, both are Westies. I have been in a relationship with someone for almost 5 years now, I am sure some of you will meet him and the rest of my family someday. I am originally from Hudson, WI, and currently living in White Bear Lake, MN. I went to UW Eau Claire for my first two years of college and transferred to UW LaCrosse where I received my Bachelors in Therapeutic Recreation.”
Describe your faith journey – “My faith journey has definitely had its ups and downs with many questions along the way. I have realized I may not have all the answers to the questions I have, but in asking those questions I have grown stronger and more comfortable in my faith over the years. I truly think this position came to me at the perfect time. Before this year, I didn’t think this was an option in my career.”
If I were to take a food bribe – “It would for sure be for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, ramen, or potatoes (classic mashed potatoes).”
Any hidden talents you can’t wait to share with the children, youth & families of HTLC – “I love anything to do with music, so I play a couple instruments and sing a bit for fun. I like to think of myself as a crafty person, I crochet at a very basic level and like to do art projects that sometimes turn out pretty neat!”
What did you do to “survive” the lockdown during the early days of the pandemic? “When I was stuck inside I played a lot of guitar and did many craft projects. I also binge watched a lot of TV shows on Netflix. When I could be outside with the warmer weather, I’d take the dogs for walks and kayak as often as I could.”
Tell us your favorite games to play – “Boggle and Cribbage”
Do you follow any sports team? “My partner is a HUGE football fan and we always watch the Vikings play. I don’t quite understand everything that happens throughout the game, but I’m working on it!”
Written by Karen Taylor, Web Manager
February 17, 2022
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