The Retirement of Pastor Scot Sorensen

July 22, 2025

Written by Gregory Favre

Doctor or Pastor? What will it be?

A young Scot Sorensen tangled with that decision for several years. His father Vern served on church councils and call committees and his mother Patsy headed the altar guild for 20 years. The family, including Scot and his older brother Marc, was in church every Sunday (read more about Scot's family here). And the Lutheran pastor was a close family friend.

But so was the family’s doctor.

One way to decide was to have a small, but effective, experience of both professions. Scot as a high school junior joined an occupational program where after school you could work in a hospital. His assignment was in the emergency room where he could see up close and personal the relationships between doctors and nurses, and patients in need of immediate care.

Then he spent the summer in a Lutheran camp in Idaho and spent time with pastors.

Doctor or Pastor? What would it be? Help heal the body or help heal the soul?

He had completed his personal homework, and he felt “my skillset was a right fit to be a pastor.” And then later on, “I felt the call.” After graduating high school, he enrolled in California Lutheran University, majoring in history, graduating cum laude. He also played varsity volleyball and served as student body vice president.

He kept his desire to be a pastor to himself during his four years there because he didn’t want people “to put me in a box, as they often tend to do.” But those years at Cal Lutheran helped spark his passion about wanting to help congregations move from an inward focus to an outward one where members would live God’s love in actions outside of the sanctuary.

That was the beginning of a journey starting 45 years ago that took him to the Lutheran Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota and then on to an internship at a church in Davenport, Washington.

“It was farm community,” he recalls. “There was one flashing red light in the county and five or six churches, each a different denomination. Just about everyone in town attended one or the other. I really liked the Northwest. I learned many things during that internship, which lasted an extra two months, 14 in all.

“One thing I learned was to carry work clothes at all times. Often, you would have to go out with the farmer to help him, such as feeding the cows in the winter.”

He was ready for his first call, and it came from a church in a location as different from the farmlands of Washington as possible, to Mount Carmel Church in San Luis Obispo, California. He was brought on as an associate pastor assigned to the youth of the church and to the campus ministry at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

“It was a great first call that lasted from 1984 to 1989,” he recalls with a smile. “I learned a ton, especially from all of the mistakes I made.”

But there was also another reason why that call was so memorable.

In 1988, Scot went to the Lutheran Youth Gathering in San Antonio. There, he met a woman named Kathy Hassell.

“Scot and I were both working the 1988 Gathering in San Antonio as staff. He was a hotel pastor at the Travelodge on the River and I was a Youth Coordinator at the Hyatt,” Kathy recalls. “At the training for the hotel staff, we sat across from each other and I thought he was pretty cute. My hotel pastor knew him, and when I asked about Scot, he said, ‘Scot Sorensen is a flaming heterosexual.’ It took me a moment, then I realized, hey that totally works for me! We had our first date at a restaurant on the river as well as our first kiss.”

Scot and Kathy became engaged and Scot moved to Dallas without a call. “I don’t advise that,” he says now. But it worked out just fine. He and Kathy were married in Dallas in 1990 and Scot was called to be a pastor on the staff of King of Glory Church as Director of Family Ministries. “It was a message from God,” he labels it now. Three years later, he joined the staff of Zion Lutheran Church of Helotes in San Antonio, and Kathy continued her work toward a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin.

After six years at Zion and 10 years in Texas, he was open for a new call, and St. John’s Lutheran Church in Sacramento was searching for a new senior pastor. After interviewing him, seven members of the call committee flew to San Antonio to hear him preach.

“It was pretty obvious that Sunday,” he said. “They sat in groups of 2, 2 and 3. None of them looked like locals. We went to lunch together after service and they said they would like to call me.” After 15 years as a staff pastor, he moved into a senior pastor position. It was April 1999.

He arrived in June with knowledge of various worship styles from “High Mass” to contemporary, and with a love for music at services. A few years later an ideal partner, Steven Johnson, became St. John’s music director.

In his first St. John’s sermon (read the full sermon here) based on Roman 5, verses 1-8, how we are justified by faith, Pastor Sorensen devoted just three paragraphs near the beginning to speak about being there:

“Wow! It is good to be here. I am humbled, I am excited, I am honored to be called to share in ministry with you.

Over the coming years and decades, you will come to learn more about me, and I will learn your life stories and faith stories. Ahead of us I know God is preparing a glorious future for St. John’s. Just as God has been faithfully leading this congregation in bold acts of witness and ministry, God will continue to guide us.

In time, we will learn plenty about each other, and there will be plenty of opportunities for sharing. But today I would rather speak about something else. Something much more interesting than me. Today, and for years to come, I will have the privilege to speak to you about my first love, our Savior Jesus Christ.”

It was in his second sermon titled “No Fear” that he spoke of his vision for St. John’s, a vision based on three bold words that appeared then in the church’s mission statement: Worship, Grow and Serve. He spoke of his vision of “a thriving downtown ministry, in the heart of Sacramento, with a heart for Sacramento.”

And he closed with these words:

“It is a journey before us that is fraught with fear. Naysayers from within and without will try to say that thriving, Gospel-driven, purpose-filled downtown congregations are as extinct as dinosaurs. But that is fear talking, not the love and power of the gospel.

Let us boldly claim the future God has in store. Remember what Jesus says, "Have no fear."

There are only two feelings: love and fear.

There are only two languages: love and fear.

There are only two activities: love and fear, only two motives, two procedures, two frameworks, two results: love and fear.

And the choice before us is which shall we choose.”

Now, Pastor Sorensen says that sermon laid out where he believed St. John’s was at that moment in its history, afraid and nervous, and a little cheerleading is sometimes needed.

One thing for sure, the call committee had found a pastor who could preach. And that was recognized every Sunday he stood in the pulpit. But that gift to hold an audience, hundreds in the pews or 35,000 at an ELCA Youth Gathering, took work and dedication and preparation.

At Cal Lutheran, Scot had taken some journalism courses and learned that writing in journalism style was very helpful. Not long prose, but shorter sentences and paragraphs, the way most people talk to each other.

“The gospels were meant to be told, not to be read. They need to be live conversations,” he says. “Preaching is both arts and science.” And he attended speech camps in Colorado twice to learn more about how to do it as well as he possibly could. He also happened to be the only Lutheran there.

“You have to do homework,” is his advice to his colleagues. “Sundays come every week, so don’t put it off. You know what text you will need for the next three years. Many pastors find excuses as to why they haven’t been working on their sermons. My sermon writing work starts weeks and weeks ahead because I never knew when an illustration would cross my desk and will fit in one of the six or seven sermons I was working on at the same time.

“But you also have to be in charge of your own time management because there will always be emergencies.”

For many St. John’s members, it was his sermons on special days in the year, such as Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday, that remain in their book of memories.

A deeply dedicated student of the bible, Pastor Sorensen would memorize the text and tell it to the people in each character’s voice as he walked around the altar, bringing to life what happened all those hundreds of years ago. Those of us in the pew could imagine for a handful of moments that we were there in their presence.

But obviously, there are many other things on a pastor’s plate, some that can challenge the stability of the congregation if not handled in a sensitive and wise manner.

For example, in 2009 the Churchwide Assembly passed the ELCA Social Statement, Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust. It didn’t cause as much anxiety at St. John’s as it did as a number of other congregations.

“I felt that while there was a majority of the congregation at that time who was fully in favor of full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ as clergy persons and staff, as well as same gender marriage,” Pastor Sorensen said when asked to comment on how he imagined St. John’s members would react to the statement. “Our theologically conservative members also felt like St. John's was their home, too. Openly gay active members made the issue personal and kept anyone from using pejorative stereotypes and generalizations.”

But to make sure that everyone had the opportunity to fully understand what the Assembly had done, he conducted a series of gatherings to explain and to answer any questions regarding it.

Meanwhile, St. John’s continued to grow and to be acutely involved in the community, members helping to build homes with Habitat for Humanity, raising money to build dormitories for school children in Rwanda, providing critically needed overnight housing in Goethe Hall (now known as The Gathering Place) for the homeless on bitterly cold or hot nights, providing food for the hungry and in other areas where support was needed.

Scot joined the Downtown Rotary Club, and years later served a term as its president, as well as being associated with interfaith activities throughout the Sacramento area. He and Kathy welcomed a son, Kai, in July 2003.

As the years passed there were staff changes. In 2007, a new associate pastor was needed and the call committee selected Pastor Frank Espegren, a Sacramento native who was a practicing attorney before entering the seminary. He was quite familiar with St. John’s going back to his high school days. And during his first year in the seminary, St. John’s was his Teaching Parish.

Pastor Espegren would go on to become senior pastor and serve in that capacity for 13 years before announcing his retirement. In a letter to the congregation, he wrote, “St. John’s has blessed my life; serving as one of your Pastors continues to be my greatest vocation call.”

Together, the two friends led St. John’s for 25 years.

Then, the Bethel Lutheran Church in Madison, Wisconsin, was seeking a new senior pastor and Pastor Sorensen was on its call committee’s list of candidates.

Why would he entertain a call to Bethel? “There were only two congregations I knew I would ever consider,” he replied. “Bethel was one of them. A downtown church with a passion for social justice, a tradition of worship, and anchored in the community. So, when the phone call came and I was asked if I would be open to talk, I asked myself, what would God expect me to do?”

The initial conversation with the Bethel folks grew into a call to leave St. John’s and Sacramento, where his family had become entrenched, Kathy as a teacher and leader at the American River Community College and Kai as an elementary school student and active youth at St. John’s.

The Bethel committee came, heard him preach, took him to lunch and eventually offered him the post, and he said yes. It was in November of 2011, a dozen years and six months after coming to St. John’s.

“It wasn’t easy,” he recalls. “It was a truly difficult decision. But I believed that what we had built and achieved through the years that the congregation would be able to do new things and continue to grow without me in the picture. I knew St. John’s would continue to thrive, and thrilled that it has happened.”

Madison became the Sorensen’s home. Kathy worked as Coordinator of Part-Time Faculty and as Associate Dean of the Business and Applied Arts for almost four years at the Madison Area Technical College. Kai attended an elementary school.

But Pastor Sorensen learned that Bethel was not St. John’s in some important ways, and in his words, “I wasn’t able to do at Bethel what we were able to do at St. John’s.”

After four years, Kathy had a job opportunity at Consumnes River College.

So, it was time to return to the city they loved.

Scot was offered and accepted a five-year contract to direct a brand new venture at the established Saint John’s Program for Real Change. It was created to assist women offenders in acquiring a path back into society. “I opened it and served as director for five years and then secured another five-year contract for it to continue,” he said. “It was more of a 24-7 job than being a senior pastor.”

Kathy returned as Dean of Science, Math and Engineering at Cosumnes. Three years later, she moved to American River College and for years held various Interim Dean and Dean positions. Now, she is Vice President of Instruction at Woodland Community College. In that role she supports the president in visioning for the future for the college and its students.

“Our goal is to end poverty,” she explained. “To that end, my primary duties are working with faculty and staff to support students in the classroom portion of their college experience and help them reach their educational goals. This is concentrated on hiring, scheduling of classes, and evaluations of faculty.”

Kathy serves as the Accreditation Liaison Officer as the college goes through accreditation this fall and works with faculty on a number of initiatives touching instruction.

When asked what advice, if any, she would pass on to other spouses of pastors, she replied, “So, the advice I was given prior to our marriage was, support Scot in whatever he wants to do as a pastor. Clearly, that person didn't know me very well. I think my advice would be the same for anyone deciding to get married - recognize that marriage is a constant re-negotiation of terms. You will not be the same person in five years (or 10 years or 20 years or 35 years), neither will your partner. You have to be intentional about moving into the future together, or you won't. So, be honest. Don't play games. And start from a place of love...even when you're really ticked off.”

Or as Scot says, “Kathy doesn’t like to fit into the image of what others think a pastor’s wife should be. She has her own ministry outside of the church.”

Kai returned in the middle of his 7th grade year and enrolled at California Middle School. From there, it was on to McClatchy High School where he excelled as a long distance runner on the track team for three years. He is now in his fourth year at Pacific Lutheran University.

“I am studying business with a concentration in accounting,” he explained. “I will be pursuing graduate school next year, but as to which specific degree I will pursue, I am unsure. My hope going forward is to run with my last year of track eligibility while getting my master's degree at whichever school I decide to go to. Long term, I hope to be a CFO.”

“This year will be my last year of cross country competition,” he continued, “but I will not compete for PLU during the track season to save that eligibility for next year. I was on the McClatchy High School team from sophomore through senior year. I have a partial scholarship, all of it is under the academic aid umbrella, due to the fact that Division 3 schools aren't allowed to offer athletic scholarships. What I have learned the most is that the people will truly make or break your experience wherever you go. Outside of a select few universities, the name on your diploma won't matter all that much, but 30 years down the line, you will remember your experiences and how the people you surrounded yourself with made you feel.”

And what would he tell other pastors’ children?

“I would say try to do your best to keep church politics out of your life as much as you can. There will always be people who disagree with what your parent is doing from the pulpit, and that isn't your problem. Live your life as a youth in the church, just like all of your peers, and enjoy each day in the light of the Lord.”

Scot, after his time serving Saint John’s Program for Real Change, chose to work as an interim pastor, serving at three different California churches - Shepherd of the Hills in Vacaville, Christ Lutheran in Visalia, and Our Savior’s Lutheran in Lafayette.

“Congregations love their interim pastors,” he observes. “I had a wonderful experience in all of them. An interim can be a calming presence in a time of anxiety, a time of change, of ensuring the members that there is a future.”

Now, 45 years after entering seminary, 40 years as a serving pastor, Scot is really retiring. He can look back at that long-ago struggle - doctor or pastor - knowing it was the correct one.

Obviously, he has accumulated a list of high points and low points. No one in any profession could serve people as he has done without them.

Here are just a few from the St. John’s years:

The entire process of upgrading the sanctuary, including the generosity of the members, the gatherings in Goethe Hall, now known as The Gathering Place, for Sunday services, sitting in folding chairs and getting to know each other better than before and some for the first time.
Working with members to create a new Mission Statement, “To Live God’s Love in the World,” as well as new Vision and Value statements.
Getting to know Pastor Robert Romeis, who led St. John’s for 40 years, and his children and grandchildren. “Pastor Romeis and I had a great relationship,” he said. “He and his family would have us over for Christmas dinner. He was a great Lutheran and a really good preacher. I used to kid him about the 8 o’clock service. He did it without music. I added music and I would tell him attendance didn’t change with music. I wish he would have lived much longer.”

In his last sermon before leaving for Bethel, he included a memory of Pastor Romeis:

“I remember an October Sunday in 2003 when Kathy and I stood right there, in front of that font and Kai was baptized “There were years when Kathy and I never thought such a day would come….but it did. I almost made it through that baptism without crying…almost.

I remember other baptisms, too. There was Bobby Cloninger’s baptism. Bobby’s full name is Robert Sebastian. He is named after his Great Grandfather, Robert Sebastian Romeis. Pastor Romeis was senior pastor here at St. John’s from 1943 to1983. And after that time, he served as Pastor Emeritus.

It was my great joy to know Pastor Romeis, a great sadness when he died. But since Pastor Romeis’ death, it has fallen to me the privilege to baptize his great grandchildren. I remember holding little Bobby in my arms walking him down the aisle. And the tears started streaming.

Those were tears neither of joy or sorrow, rather I was overwhelmed, simply overwhelmed by the power and Presence of God. There in my arms was the legacy of faith that is handed down generation to generation, and we got a front row seat to watch God at work. I had hope that day, just as I have had hope at every other baptism.”

Being able to spend more time with the lay leadership of the church, invest in them, and then serve with them.
Working with St. John’s members to build homes for Habitat for Humanity and providing shelter and food for the unhoused.
Raising the money in the congregation to build a dormitory for children in Rwanda and being there with three members for its dedication.
High on the list, the congeniality of colleagues through the decades and the lasting friendships in the cities where he has served.
Beyond St. John’s, there was the special memory of the 2000 ELCA Youth Gathering, thousands of young people to hear him tell the gospel.
Telling the gospel to the people in the pews or in the chairs.
The two Easter services at the Memorial Auditorium, especially the one in 2008. It was eight days after Pastor Sorensen’s mother, Patsy, had died. But let Pastor Sorensen tell it as he did in his farewell sermon at St. John’s (full sermon available here):

“I remember my sermon quoting a children’s book by Walt Wangerin which was a favorite bedtime book I read to Kai.

“Listen, before the hoot owl cries

Before the monsters roll their eyes

Before you fly above the skies,

Or robbers bother with alibis,

I’ll sing you the bestest lullaby

Of all!

Faster that I am, and higher than the stars

Stronger than you are in both of your arms,

Here in your room all night while you’re sleeping

Kinder and wiser and best for safekeeping is God.

That’s the name My Baby true!

That’s the one. Oh, God loves you.

From the brown of the ground to the blue of the sky,

From the golden dawns to the grey of goodbye,

From ear to ear a million years,

And butterflies both your eyes

God loves you; God loves you, even better than I.”

Now, Pastor Sorensen is retiring and he does so with a cathedral of memories collected 45 years after he made his decision - doctor or pastor - memories of baptisms and confirmations and marriages, of deaths and funerals, of preaching and counseling. Memories that will be retained by Scot and the many who interacted with him.

Speaking of which, just days ago, he received a call from a friend who had a message for him. Someone in a conversation had mentioned an illustration Scot had used in their wedding 32 years ago.

Who knows? Perhaps he will create some new memories with his guitar as he becomes a full-time member of St. John’s.

“I will just be a regular member,” he says. “I will be part of the band at 11:30 a.m. when it plays. I will not attend congregational meetings and any comments I may have will be shared only with the Senior Pastor, just as Pastor Romeis did with me.”

He has returned to his old church, which brings back the closing paragraphs of his sermon celebrating the church’s 150th anniversary.

“I know that St. John’s has its imperfections over 150 years. Yet, for all her struggles, she, the church, has a lot going for her. Let’s never forget that. She - we - are still something for which we might very well stand in awe. Not because of what we bring to the table, no. But because of what God has done to us through us in Christ.

I give thanks to my God always for you because the grace of God has been given to you in Christ Jesus.

May God’s grace, God’s gifts in abundance and God’s guarantee for our future continue to guide St. John’s through the next 150 years.”

It’s been a long journey since that first day in the seminary.

But there’s no question now, an older Scot Sorensen can whisper to a young Scot Sorensen, “you made the right choice.”

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A Letter about St. John's Legacy Gifts

By Catherine Slabaugh • July 8, 2025

Dear St. John’s Members and Friends, As my time as your Senior Pastor draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the many seeds we’ve planted together in this community of faith. Before I go, I’d like to plant one more— an invitation to consider making a Legacy Gift to St. John’s . A Legacy Gift is a one-time current or future gift offered in addition to your annual pledge - the “life-blood” giving to the General Fund that sustains our ministry yearly. While a Legacy Gift can be made right now, many choose to include a gift in their Estate Plan. Rhonda and I did this last month, revising our Trust to benefit St. John’s when we pass away. It was simple to do, and it gave us joy knowing we could continue to support this church we love, even after we’re gone. Legacy Giving to St. John’s can take many forms. Rhonda and I chose to make our gift unrestricted, entrusting the leadership of St. John’s in any era to utilize our gift in the most impactful way. It was quite easy to revise our estate documents, and I hope that is true for you too. If you feel called to direct your gift toward a specific area, please know that the St. John’s Church Council has approved (or blessed continuance of) several restricted funds to target your Legacy Gift. These allow you to support particular aspects of our ministry and mission, and are:

June Congregation Matters Meeting Recap

By Catherine Slabaugh • June 17, 2025

This past Sunday, June 15, the St. John’s Church Council and St. John’s Senior Pastor Call Committee held a Congregation Matters meeting. The meeting began with Associate Pastor Jon Haug reading the letter announcing his departure from St. John’s and new call to Chaplaincy , coupled with responding to clarifying questions from the congregation. If you continue to have questions regarding Pastor Jon’s departure, please reach out to Pastor Jon directly at jon.haug@stjohnslc.org - he would love to talk with you! Andrew Ford, Council President, discussed the timing of the pastoral transitions and confirmed the Council’s desire for Pastor Jon to remain in his current position until a new Senior Pastor starts. After a new Senior Pastor begins, a new Call Committee will be formed to seek a new Associate Pastor. From there, St. John’s Senior Pastor Call Committee Chair, Chris Dawson, shared an update on behalf of the Call Committee. After Listening Sessions with the Congregation and interviews of staff, the Call Committee collaboratively drafted the Ministry Site Profile (MSP), which describes our Congregation and the candidates we seek. The MSP was reviewed and approved by the Congregation Council at its May meeting. The MSP is now live on the ELCA Mobility Database and visible to rostered ELCA ministers who are seeking a Call. Now that the MSP is live, our Synod Liaison (Pastor Charlane Lines, Assistant to the Bishop) will receive inquiries from interested pastors, do an initial vetting, and provide a slate of candidates to the Call Committee after the July 4 holiday. The Call Committee expects to conduct interviews over the summer months, with possible site visits later in the summer or fall. The Call Committee feels like they are still on track to have a candidate to present to the St. John’s Church Council in the fall, around the time of Pastor Frank's retirement. They have put St. John’s in the best position to do so, but remind everyone that we need to have the grace and patience to understand that our next Senior Pastor may not be revealed in the first group of candidates. Upon Pastor Frank’s Retirement on September 7, a Bridge Pastor will walk with the St. John’s congregation from September through Advent, and into 2026 until we welcome our newly-called Senior Pastor. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to the St. John’s Church Council or St. John’s Senior Pastor Call Committee. If you would like to connect with the Church Council, you can email Andrew Ford, Council President, at thecouncil@stjohnslc.org. If you would like to connect with the Call Committee, you can email them at callcommittee@stjohnslc.org.

A Letter from Pastor Jon Haug

By Catherine Slabaugh • June 10, 2025

It’s hard to believe that this August marks 10 years since I was called as your Associate Pastor here at St. John’s. When I arrived in 2015 as the Director of Congregational Life, my oldest child was beginning first grade. This summer, we’ll be touring colleges before she enters her junior year of high school! My call to St. John’s was clear enough to uproot my family from the Midwest, moving us even further from extended family, to serve as your pastor. I came to this call with a sense of wonder: might I someday be called to serve as a senior pastor in a large ELCA congregation? Working alongside Pastor Frank, who I often say is the best boss I’ve ever had, has given me a front row seat to the role of Senior Pastor and aided my discernment. Over the past three years, I have gained clarity that I am not called to serve as a senior pastor in a large congregation in this season of life. In fact, I have increasingly felt God leading me in a different direction. Last fall, I asked the St. John’s Church Council to bless my work and time as a chaplaincy student at Sutter Roseville Medical Center as part of my continuing education. This program has affirmed the call that God is moving me towards becoming a hospital chaplain as my next career move. After 15 years as a congregational pastor, I’ve grown immensely and am deeply grateful for all that I’ve learned. However, if I’m honest, this work has always pressed the boundaries of my family life. I have continued to be drawn toward work that honors the best of my pastoral skills, while allowing me to be more present as a father and husband. As such, I will complete my chaplaincy training and apply for chaplain positions beginning in February 2026. I will depart St. John’s as your Associate Pastor upon accepting a new call as a chaplain. St. John’s has graciously supported me in integrating chaplaincy education into my work here. I feel immense gratitude towards St. John’s for this and so many other blessings you have given me and my family throughout the years. As I continue this chaplaincy education over the next eight months, I remain committed to supporting a healthy leadership transition. Only God knows when a new senior pastor will begin at St. John’s, but know that the leadership is committed to remaining a two-pastor church. My hope is to model, with you, a meaningful ending. We trust in the Holy Spirit to guide us! Pastor Jon

2025 St. John's Scholarship Recipients

By Catherine Slabaugh • June 2, 2025

Every year, St. John's recognizes outstanding graduating high school seniors who all have one thing in common - exemplary commitment to the St. John's mission of living God's love in the world.

May Congregation Matters Meeting Recap

By Catherine Slabaugh • May 6, 2025

This past Sunday, May 4, the Church Council and Call Committee gathered the St. John's congregation for a Congregation Matters Meeting. This meeting was divided into two parts - an update from the Church Council and an update from the Call Committee. Here are the key takeaways from the Church Council update: The new Director of Administration, Kat Thorp, has hit the ground running and is working closely alongside new Treasurer, John Bailey. The Church Council recently approved the installation of new HVAC units in the Gathering Place and 3rd floor music room - all of which were in critical condition. The Property Committee is spearheading this project, taking into consideration energy efficiency, cost, environmental impact, and longevity. These needed repairs are possible thanks to a generous bequest to St. John's! The Church Council and Property Committee are in conversation around ongoing maintenance needs for the countless stained glass windows onsite. Following multiple lease violations, St. John's has terminated our lease with Sal's Kabobs & Gyros at the 1725 L Street property. The Church Council is in the process of preparing the space for a new tenant, and exploring shifting property management responsibilities away from current St. John's staff. In preparation for Pastor Frank's retirement, the Church Council is in conversation with the Sierra Pacific Synod office around an Interim Pastor - more information to come this summer! Here are the key takeaways from the Call Committee update: Following a couple months of listening sessions and interviews, the Call Committee is currently developing St. John's Ministry Site Profile (MSP) - a Senior Pastor job description and overview of St. John's. The MSP must be approved by the Church Council, likely to happen in May or June, and then will be made "live" by the Sierra Pacific Synod Office to share with potential pastoral candidates nationwide. The Call Committee is expecting to begin interviewing potential Senior Pastor candidates beginning this summer. Interviews are confidential! Please do not ask a member of the Call Committee to disclose information about the interviews - they won't! As always, both the Church Council and Call Committee have an open ear to hearing your joys, worries, questions, or insights about the mission and ministry of St. John's. If you would like to connect with the Church Council, you can email Andrew Ford, Council President, at thecouncil@stjohnslc.org . If you would like to connect with the Call Committee, you can email them at callcommittee@stjohnslc.org .

April Update from the Call Committee

By Catherine Slabaugh • April 7, 2025

As a key part of our discernment process, the Call Committee has been engaging in a series of Listening Sessions with committees, worship groups, members of the staff, and the congregation at large. At each of these sessions, our prompt has been simple: “Please tell us what you think we ought to know about who our next Senior Pastor should be.” We’ve done our best to reach all the members of St. John’s, but if we’ve missed you, please reach out to us at callcommittee@stjohnslc.org . We would be happy to meet you in person, by phone or Zoom, or to receive your input by email. We’ll also have one last congregation-wide Listening Session later this spring. What we’ve heard during these Listening Sessions has told us volumes about the deep love that our members have for our congregation, our community, and our current pastoral leadership. While recognizing the challenges that are part of this transition, we’ve heard your expressions of faith, hope, and optimism that the next chapter for St. John’s will be bright. The task we turn to now is completing the Ministry Site Profile (MSP), a key document in the process of calling a new pastor, which describes the congregation to interested candidates: Who we are, including demographic data and trends of the congregation and of our surrounding community. Our vision for mission within the community and in the Church–our purpose, our values, and our gifts. What we are looking for in the person who will be our next Senior Pastor. As the Call Committee discerns and concentrates its work on the MSP, we will continue to update the Congregation on our progress and next steps. As always, you are welcome to reach out to the Call Committee at any point in the Call Process at callcommittee@stjohnslc.org.

An Update from the Call Committee

By Catherine Slabaugh • March 3, 2025

Throughout the Call Process, the Call Committee is committed to transparency and sharing information with the St. John's community. As the Call Process is a deliberative process of discernment, each step is completed in the time it takes, and so it is not subject to a hard timeline. We will be giving updates on its progress through various church communications platforms and during Congregation Matters Meetings throughout the Call Process. Here is a recap and update on the work that the Call Committee has done so far. October/November 2024 Following Pastor Frank Espegren’s announcement that he will retire in September of 2025, the Congregation Council formed a Call Committee of the following members, which will be responsible for finding our next Senior Pastor: Piper Brostrom Chris Dawson Gary Ely-Grisham Lynne Gilbertson Kim Hendricks Joel Kimmelshue Bridget Malme Pam Roberts Karen Ross Pr. Susan Scott (Chaplain) December 2024 The Call Committee met for briefings with the Congregation Council and members of the Transition Committee; envisioned its schedule and elected Chris Dawson as Chair. January 2025 The Call Committee met with the Rev. Dr. Charlane Lines, Assistant to the Bishop, to gain an understanding of the role of the Synod in supporting the Call Process. Ongoing Work & What’s on the Horizon The Call Committee has been meeting regularly to engage its process of study and discernment, as it prepares the Ministry Site Profile for St. John’s, a key document in the calling of a new pastor. The Ministry Site Profile (MSP) is a document that describes the congregation to interested candidates. The MSP describes who we are, including demographic data and trends of the congregation and of our surrounding community. The MSP describes our vision for mission within the community and in the Church–our purpose, our values, and our gifts. The MSP describes what we are looking for in the person who will be our next Senior Pastor. In order to ensure that we accurately prepare the MSP and to ensure that it has heard from the Members of St. John’s on what is important to us, the Call Committee is engaging in an on-going series of Listening Sessions. In each Listening Session, our prompt is wide open: “Please tell us what you think we ought to know as we call our next Senior Pastor.” We have held two congregation-wide Listening Sessions before and between services on Sunday February 9 and 23, with attendance both in-person and via Zoom. We plan to have a third congregation-wide Listening Session on April 27. Please join us then, especially if you have not been able to join our previous Listening Sessions. We are also engaging in Listening Sessions with many of the committees and ministry groups that engage in “God’s Work – Our Hands” in our church and our community, including: Luminaria, Justice Making, Direct Services to the Unhoused, Worship Leaders, and Music. The Call Committee is interviewing key members of the Staff of St. John’s to gain their valuable insight. If you belong to a SJLC-affiliated group, and the Call Committee has not yet reached out to you, and you would like to schedule a Listening Session with us at your next meeting, please contact any of our members or send an email to callcommittee@stjohnslc.org. You are welcome to reach out to the Call Committee at any point in the Call Process at callcommittee@stjohnslc.org .

Welcoming the New Director of Administration: Katherine Thorp

By Catherine Slabaugh • January 7, 2025

The leadership of St. John’s is pleased to announce that Katherine Thorp has accepted the position of Director of Administration, effective Wednesday, January 15, 2025. Thorp brings over ten years of professional experience in leadership and accounting, holding a Bachelor of Business Administration. Most recently, she served in a healthcare administration capacity, and we are confident her expertise will contribute greatly to the St. John’s community. “I am really happy that Katherine is coming to St. John's as our new Director of Administration. Not only does Katherine have all the background experience we could have hoped for to run the small business enterprise that is "St. John's," she also is a delightful person, with strong communication and people skills. I have every confidence that Katherine will continue the excellent administration and financial reporting that keeps St. John's strong, trustworthy and vibrant,” writes Frank Espegren, Senior Pastor. In her role as Director of Administration, Thorp will be responsible for overseeing all Financial and Administrative aspects of the organization, including, but not limited to: Manage purchase orders, invoices, payroll, staff benefits, and monthly financial reports alongside the Remote Bookkeeper, Church Treasurer, and Finance Committee Assist the Senior Pastor and Church Treasurer in the drafting and preparation of annual budget Provide congregation member financial support Manage Property Staff & collaborate closely with the Property Committee, overseeing the upkeep, maintenance, and external usage of the property Support internal operations through calendar management and document and meeting organization Complete purchasing, manage contracts and relationships with vendors and service providers to address the administrative and property needs of the church Maintain, file, and manage access to church-wide policies, procedures, and documents “My goal [in this new role] is to ensure a smooth transition for everyone, while applying my existing expertise and developing new skills along the way. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who played a part in welcoming me to this role. I am truly excited to be here and look forward to getting to know each and every one of you!” writes Thorp. Outside of work, Thorp finds joy in spending quality time with her son, singing, writing, meditating, and staying active. She has a passion for creative pursuits, such as painting and experimenting with the guitar, but is still honing her skills. Thorp joins the St. John’s staff as a full-time Director and will predominantly work in the St. John’s office weekdays from 9:00am-5:00pm. Please join the leadership of St. John’s in welcoming Katherine Thorp to the St. John’s community!

A Letter from Linda Baldwin, Andrew Ford, and Pastor Frank Espegren

By Catherine Slabaugh • December 17, 2024

Dear St. John’s Community, Over the past few months, you heard Pastor Frank announce his intent to retire in September of 2025. Soon after that announcement, you were updated on planned changes to the administrative staff at St. John’s, sharing that our Bookkeeper, Kat LaTurneau, left at the beginning of October, and that I would be leaving no later than January of 2025. These announcements have left some of you wondering about what this means for St. John’s - and for me. I want you to know that during the last several months I have been in deep conversation with Pastor Frank and Council President Andrew Ford about all of this. These changes have not been without some difficulty and sadness, for sure. And still, I am confident that St. John’s will continue to be strong and thrive in the coming year and decades, just as it always has. It is my hope and prayer that you, brothers and sisters in Christ, will walk in faith going forward, even when it is awkward or challenging, and continue to support one another along the way. I have decided that my last day as the Executive Director of Administration and Resources will now be December 31. This is a personal decision, one made with deep thought and prayer, and one that will allow me a “re-set” time before moving in a new direction. Please know that I am leaving with peace received through the Spirit’s transforming work in my life. Although I will leave the full-time position that I currently hold, I am committed to maintaining the bookkeeping functions through January or until a new Director of Administration is fully trained. The new Director of Administration will have different responsibilities than I had, and I hope for your understanding and patience with them once they begin. I am looking forward to being in worship with you, not wondering what I should be taking care of, but rather to being present in hearing the Word, and present with you, our people. And I am very much looking forward to what God has in store for my “next” in life, and at the same time, thankful for my time serving you. Know that I am more than ok - I am moving forward with grace and peace. Linda Baldwin

The 2024 Santa Lucia

By Catherine Slabaugh • December 3, 2024

Chloe Pop is a senior at Ponderosa High School in Shingle Springs, CA and an avid swimmer, reader, musician, Girl Scout, and volunteer. At Pondersona, Chloe is involved in the swim team, waterpolo team, and the Future Farmers of America, and has received the Golden Star Student Award for the past three years. With a deep desire to attend a University of California school to study biochemistry, Chloe intends to have a future in the medical field pursuing a career as a surgeon or scientific researcher. As a lifetime member of St. John’s, Chloe particularly enjoys the Santa Lucia service. “I think one of the most beautiful aspects of this celebration is the unity of our church. Santa Lucia is a beautiful time of celebration; light floods our church from every corner, filling the sanctuary with a special kind of peace and resilience only found when love is present,” writes Pop. Chloe is thrilled “to embody this expression of light and love in the church” and looks forward to sharing her light with all who attend this year’s festivities. The annual Santa Lucia Service will be held at 4:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary at St. John’s Lutheran Church, followed by a Festival at 5:00 p.m. in The Gathering Place.