Student Interviews of Churches that are Using
Peer Ministry
Interview #3 AUG, 2001
Incarnation Lutheran Church, Shoreview, MN
Interview with LeeAnne King
By: Greg Campbell
LeeAnne King is a Lay Minister at Incarnation Lutheran Church,
located in Shoreview, MN. Greg Campbell, a student at Augsburg
College in Minneapolis, MN, interviewed her via phone on Friday,
August 17, 2001
Greg: What type of Community is your church in? Rural, Urban,
etc.?
LeeAnne: Suburban.
Greg: What is the approximate size of your congregation?
LeeAnne: 3,000 confirmed members
Greg: How many pastors are at your church? How many are on your
youth staff?
LeeAnne: There are three pastors. There is one part time junior
high youth staff and one full time senior high youth staff.
Greg: About how many youth do you have per grade level?
LeeAnne: Since I am not on staff, I really don't know that, but
I do know that there are over 300 kids in confirmation.
Greg: Why is Peer Ministry needed in your church and/or community?
LeeAnne: It's a vehicle for youth to have a faith base and put
it into service. Peer ministry gives youth the opportunity and
the skills to put their faith into service.
Greg: What excites you most about Peer Ministry?
LeeAnne: The potential to really impact a lot of kids in many
different ways. It's very flexible and can reach kids in a variety
of different ways. Even for kids who aren't ready to put their
faith into service, it can help them just in their daily lives.
Also, some really good relationships can come out of it.
Greg: Describe some of the logistics of Peer Ministry at your
church?
LeeAnne: There is a core group that started a year ago and meets
once a month. There is now a retreat coming up with old group
and a new group. The new group will meet once a month, but the
old group is expanding and will mentor the new group.
Greg: How do you invite involvement in Peer Ministry?
LeeAnne: We advertise the program in fliers so that everybody
has a chance to get involved. However, most of our recruiting
involves aggressively contacting youth who we think will make
good peer ministers. The youth must be in grades 10-12 to participate.
Greg: What does your Peer Ministry program look like now?
LeeAnne: Definitely in it's infancy. The core group is all of
it right now, but it's constantly growing and developing. It's
kind of like a seedling just starting to take off.
Greg: How did you get it that way?
LeeAnne: We recruited a strong core group and they've been very
dedicated and excited. They did recruiting for the second group.
Greg: What do you hope happens in the future?
LeeAnne: I am very open-minded about the future. I just want it
to continue to grow and make a difference. I want it to make a
difference in the youth's lives and equip them to make a difference
in the lives of others.
Greg: What stories best illustrate Peer Ministry?
LeeAnne: The Peer Ministry group volunteered to organize and coordinate
the thirty-hour famine for our church. They raised the money and
everything.
Greg: What helpful information would you pass on to a church
wanting to get started?
LeeAnne: Be prepared and organized. Have a plan in place before
you start. You have to have a general idea of what you want to
do or you're going to have a strong start and then it will fizzle
out. We had the youth sign a covenant committing to one year or
they can't participate.
