Fill… Spill… Thrill…

Julie Petersen
Secretary, Nebraska Synod Council
Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, Lincoln

How are you filled spiritually?

A balance of “inside/out” is the most helpful for me. Looking outward, I’m inspired and excited by all the deep faith and good works around us - in my congregation, my community, our synod, and churchwide. The best way to avoid “turning in on oneself” is to look around and see how God is working in our world! That goes beyond our own faith as well - I always find Jesus when working side-by-side with our other Christian sisters and brothers.

Looking inward, I use prayer, study and reflection to help me stay focused and on the right path. I try to read books or articles from a variety of Christian
perspectives to stimulate my thinking. The challenge is to make time for these quiet moments in an otherwise hectic life!

How do you spill… and live out your faith?

There’s no end of opportunities for that, of course! In my congregation, I currently serve on the church council as treasurer and sing with Spirit Calls, one of our worship teams. In the past, I’ve led and served on a variety of committees and have taught in our Sunday School. At the synodical level, I’ve served on our strategic planning teams and am currently council secretary.

Church activities take up only a small part of each week, however. I believe it’s even more important to “walk the talk” in my work (in a large corporation) and at home. That can be a harder task! Acting with Christian integrity, treating others with care and concern, thinking beyond my own needs…if I can do that, I hope that others will see a glimpse of my faith.

What is the thrill for you in this ministry?

As the council secretary, it’s my job to capture the work of the council on paper. I get the opportunity to see the seeds of ideas turn into ministries and initiatives that have a real impact in our synod! Our Synod Council is a group of folks with active faith who are not afraid to wrestle with the challenges that our world gives us… and it’s fascinating to see the Holy Spirit guide our work and take it in directions that none of us would have predicted! I receive so much more than I give - it is a real joy to be a part of this group.

Are you available to share this ministry with other congregations?

Hmmm, sharing secretarial skills is not something that’s normally very useful! However, the one commonality in all my experiences has been the focus on mission and my efforts to use leadership to turn good ideas into reality. My current passion as a congregational treasurer is to speed up the transformation of dollars into ministries and to fi nd ways to create “possibility thinking” in the management of our congregational budget. If you’d like to chat about this aspect of stewardship, I’m more than happy to join in the conversation!