Update on Members in Discernment

Clare Gromoll is a Member in Discernment from our church and the Southwest Wisconsin Association, UCC. She is a first year student at United Theological Seminary in New Brighton, Minnesota, outside of the twin cities. Susan Shands is a Member in Discernment from our church and the Southwest Wisconsin Association, UCC. She is a first year student at Yale Theological Seminary in New Haven, Connecticut. Clare and Susan will be sending occasional updates to us about how their studies are going and how they are thinking and feeling about their preparation for ministry.

Clare:

During the fall and winter terms at UTS I studied Foundations of Christian Education, Orientation to the Older Testament, Historical Theology, New Testament Greek, and Theological Interpretation: God, Community, and Transformation. I enjoyed the mix of church history, biblical interpretation, and practical ministry applications that those classes offered. I live close enough to campus to arrive by bicycle in good weather and I have found a welcoming and engaging worshipping community at UCC of New Brighton.

This week, I dove into a new semester and four new classes: New Testament Texts in Context, Introduction to Pastoral Care, American Religious Histories, and Integration of Ministry and Local Theologies. I have eagerly anticipated Introduction to Pastoral Care as I lean toward a concentration in pastoral care and counseling within the Master of Divinity degree; this will be my first opportunity to engage in this area of study. During the spring and summer terms, several classes will help me explore how my bilingualism might play a role in my call to ministry. Thank you for your continued prayers and notes of encouragement!

--Clare

Susan:

My first semester at Yale Divinity School (YDS) was a whirlwind of activity. My biggest challenge was simply settling into my new city, but getting back into the routine of being a full-time student again proved difficult in its own right. The amount of reading assigned seems more than humanly possible to complete. I took four classes last semester (Old Testament Interpretation; Transitional Moments in Western Christian History through the Reformation; Intro to Pastoral Care; and In the Face of Death: Ritual, Music and Art). Faculty must find a balance between teaching practical tools for those going into the ministry alongside theory and scholarship designed to help students get into PhD programs--and often, the balance tips in favor of theory. 

One way students gain practical experience outside of the classroom is through daily worship in the YDS Chapel. Chapel is very well-attended and the ecumenical liturgy is consistently superb, being primarily student planned and led. I helped plan a UCC-related service, assisted with the annual LGBTQ service, and wrote and led a pastoral prayer in another service. While I haven’t yet found a church home in New Haven (I’m incredibly homesick for First Congregational!), these daily worship experiences help feed me spiritually as I immerse myself in the heady academic world of seminary. My strength is sustained in knowing that I am surrounded by the prayers and support of all of you back home, and I am so grateful to God for that.

--Susan