10. Lutheran Campus Ministry couples, plus a single student (Part 1)

12/1, 2p
Conference Room
Randy led, Dawn helped, Amy took notes

KH - female, married to PH, graduated spring 2000, technical writer for MN elevator
PH - male, married to KH, 3rd year, grad with flight aviation, works here as a flight instructor
TF - female, 2nd year from ND, major social work, graduating in 13 days
TH - male, married to EH, graduated from MSU in 2000, degree in mechanical engineering, at law school at U of M
EH - female, married to TH, 2nd year, will graduate in May in Chemistry, start Chiropractic school in
RH - female, married to DH, haven't attended MSU, been a loan officer for co-bank, married 5 years, attending here since they got married.
DH - male, married to RH, 5th year graduate, civil engineer in Faribault

FF: Tell us your history of coming, being involved here?

TF- I started going to FCA like 3 years ago - and Fred would talk once in awhile. I liked him. In the last year I started coming here for Bible Study because I got done with track.

TH - I was introduced to Fred through FCA started coming to church here because of that. He did our premarital counseling, and I consider him a good friend over the past 4 years. Got to know him through fellowship times before and after church, bible studies - he's the guy I go to if I have spiritual questions, and he's always answered them.

EH - I went to church because someone invited me when I lived in the dorms. I was raised RCC and was going to the RCC - but Tom and I started dating and I would come here - but I really liked Pastor Fred. Now I go to weekly Bible studies too.

FF: Were you looking for something different from RCC?

EH - Yeah, and I came here

DH - I was introduced to Fred through the yellow pages. I'm RCC - my wife is Dutch Reformed. I was raised catholic - went to catholic school.

RH - I went with him a couple times and I didn't get it, up down up down.

DH - They don't stop the services for anything, even a heart attack - I was an EMT - I know! But we attended a lot of churches and usually I was making a top 10 list of why I wouldn't come back again. Finally we looked in the yellow pages and ended up here. I really like Fred - I remember just about every sermon he's ever given - he's the Paul Harvey of the church. A little different, always interesting, always up to date he incorporates current events - like Diana on p1 and Mother Teresa on p13 - he applies the message of the Bible to today's times.

FF: So you were attending classes?

DH - I was attending classes at night. People were here who were our age. He made a point of making us feel welcome.

RH - He even visited us in our home, which really seemed like going the extra mile.

DH - Fred really welcomed us to the community because we were new to the community. The service was so good I didn't even draw on the bulletin.

RH - The other churches we went to there weren't any people our age - either teenagers or older people. We didn't have kids, so we didn't feel like we fit. Here there's a lot of people our age.

PH - I was raised Baptist until the age of 12 or 13 - then they started asking questions I really wasn't comfortable with. So I went to confirmation with a Lutheran friend, and ended up getting baptized into the Lutheran church and have been ever since. Went through high school and college, transferred to MSU my sophomore year. When I came here I was a little disconnected and could have slipped away from the church - got involved with intervarsity and then wandered in here on Sunday morning because I thought I could either do that or party and I wanted to stick on to the right one - because I had fallen into the right crowd. Fred found out that I was a computer geek, so I did a lot of work with computers around here, then lived here for two summers and the year in between.

KH - I was going to church occasionally around town, intervarsity was my regular activity on campus. Then I came here and there was a lot to get used to since I grew up Baptist. The first time I came in here I thought wow it's so clean in here - it smells fresh, they really take care of it. And Fred makes eye contact with you in the sermon, and it's really great the way he cares about everyone. I've seen how hard he works to keep the ministry running and caring for people, he's very accepting, he puts his whole heart into the ministry here.

FF: So how'd you get here from FCA?

KH - Phill told me what all Fred had done for him and they really made a difference. I wanted to come here.

PH - Intervarsity would really charge me up, lots of energy, fun fellowship, it kind of cracked my shell - I'm kind of an introvert. So I'd have all that energy and never use it for anything. Once I came here then I had a place to use that energy - serving others through food for friends, etc.

FF: How about FCA?

TH - Also a fellowship thing, more social. Coming here on Sundays would feed me a little bit more. I was a leader in FCA so I was helping out others, then when I came over here I could be helped.

FF: What impact do you think this ministry has on you personally?

KH- Makes me more interested in serving for others. When we do food for friends it's not just serving them food it's about fellowship, but also serving communion in services. It has encouraged my overall interest in helping people. Like I offered to help a co-worker plan our company party the other day and she had a lot of stuff for me to do which I wouldn't have known about if I hadn't asked.

PH - If it wasn't for the residency program I wouldn't have been able to finish the last couple ratings I had to do. It was cheap - pay utilities and work 50 hours a month. I could afford the rest of my flight training. Also I think Fred is really good at developing people's critical thinking skills. Like I come in and ask about current events and Fred would offer some other point of view that I didn't know about or think of before. Could be political, biblical.

TH - His sermons put a different spin on it - makes you think

RH - This has become a second home for me. Growing up church was always the center of our social life. I would feel like something big was missing if we didn't go to church. And since we're not graduating and moving on I feel like we can contribute some stability to the community by being around, and being friendly.

DH - We've also talked about how it might evolve into something different, something bigger like when we have kids the possibility of Sunday school. When we first attended there weren't babies in the crowd, but now there are. It could evolve into something with a variety of different ages.

FF: How has this ministry had an impact?

DH - Fred has had a huge impact. I was at a café in a little town in Kasson, MN and these two ladies were looking for directions for Elmore, so I gave them directions. We got to chatting and they new Fred. Somebody I met in Chicago knew Fred…

RH - The door to door salesman who came to our house knew Fred.

DH - He really gets his name out on behalf of the ministry. People know who he is and he uses that to get resources and other things for the ministry here. Seems like all the little churches know Fred.

RH - Seems like he goes to visit, gets support from them financially, lets them know that if their kids are coming to MSU this is a good place to be.

KH - Fred meets people. He doesn't stick to his own group of friends

RH - The residents too are very kind, accommodating and hospitable. That's unique.

DH - Like after worship in the summers we have a cookout and it's like the second half of church. It's fun to sit around and talk with fellow Christians and share views - not that you always agree, but the conversations are interesting.

FF: How do you think this ministry is perceived by the community?

Continue to Part 2