Blog

For the last three summers, I worked as a camp counselor at Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center in Oregon, IL. I loved the work I did – I loved running around the hundreds of acres of land with the campers, seeing their smiling faces, and knowing that I was making a difference in each and every one of their lives. That’s the kind of service people easily understand – hands on work. However, this summer I decided that I needed to get a more well-rounded view of service, which is why I applied for the Calling and Purpose in Society (CAPS) Fellows Program which is offered through Valparaiso University. This program was developed by the Institute for Leadership and Service, and it is designed to help students learn more about service in society as well as have the opportunity to begin to understand their own calling and purpose in society. This is accomplished by the fellows serving in a variety of organizations.

This year marks the beginning of the 114th Congressional session, and many of the federal programs and funding sources that are crucial to the work of Lutheran social ministry are at the forefront of the current Congressional policy debate. In anticipation of landmark legislation that could potentially affect our members being put before Congress, we made sure that we were focused on the valuable work of building relationships with key policymakers.