Encouraging future called workers
To help encourage young people to consider the public ministry, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary created a part-time position in 2015 for a seminary senior—student recruiter.
“Who better to communicate the joys of ministerial education than someone who has recently been through it? Who better to encourage young men to consider pastoral ministry than someone on the verge of becoming a pastor?” says Matthew Rothe, last year’s student recruiter.
The student recruiter travels to area grade schools and high schools and meets with the students to discuss serving in the public ministry. “I hope to get them to see themselves as pastors or teachers for the few minutes I am presenting,” says Paul Spaude, WLS senior and this year’s student recruiter. He also organizes a special grade school chapel service at the seminary in the fall and a 5K run in the spring to get people on campus.
Besides encouraging students, Spaude also has the opportunity to speak with parents and teachers. “I stress that I can only be a recruiter for a few hours, but they can be recruiters in children’s lives for years,” he says.
Spaude recognizes from personal experience the importance of that continued encouragement. He says that in his early high school years, being a called worker was the last thing on his list of careers. But his attitude changed. “My parents never pushed me to go to Martin Luther College or the seminary but allowed me to discover that the ministry is a wonderful job by the service opportunities they put in front of me,” he says.
Now he has the chance to encourage others: “In some small way, God will use the work I do as seminary student recruiter to encourage some for the ministry, and those future ministers will win hearts for Christ.”
Do you know a student you want to encourage to consider the ministry? Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary offers promotional items for individual or congregational use. Contact [email protected] for these materials. This year’s special grade school chapel service is on Dec. 9. Contact Prof. Bill Tackmier, 262-242-8169 for more information.
Learn more about the importance of recruiting pastors and teachers in this month’s edition of WELS Connection.
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Volume 103, Number 11
Issue: November 2016
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