Read on for an overview of the process so far and plans going forward in the search for a permanent Minister of Music & Worship. You can also read bios of the search team members.
the process so far
Greetings in the name of the Lord! TLCS was blessed with the ministry of Norma Aamodt-Nelson, who we miss and for whom we thank God. For the past year the congregation has also been blessed with the ministry of David Horton who has been serving part time initially, and then full time as our Interim Coordinator of Worship and Music during the search process for a permanent Minister of Music and Worship.
The search process began last year when president Sue Carlson, members of the music ministry, and Pr. Hector conducted three congregational forums (Dec 8, 10, and 12, 2020) to collect information, insights, and identify the hopes and dreams of the congregation regarding music ministry. The information collected was used as the basis to gather a team and put together a music ministry position description.
The position description team was formed by Deb Johnson, Vianne Reay, Gordon Hilstad, Randy Pirwitz, Josh Judd-Herzfeldt, and Pr. Hector. The team met on March 25, April 8, 15, and29, and June 14. In addition a survey was sent to the congregation on April 12.
The process included these key elements:
Taking the position descriptions for the former Minister of Music and Worship, and the interim Coordinator of Worship and Music
Compiling and analyzing the information generated by the forums and the survey
Designing a position description that is aligned with the values of the congregation and the recommendations of the Values-Direction-Action (VDA) process
Designing a position description that allows the music and worship ministry to grow into the future ministry of the congregation, God’s desired future.
Presenting a proposed position description for the search team, the personnel committee and the church council.
While the position description team was working on the document, president Sue Carlson and Pr. Hector spent time discerning the identification of leaders for the search team. The search team members that were identified were presented to the council and affirmed. They are: Julie Buetow, Judy Schleusner, Jen Reinke, Pete Johnson, Richard Johnson, and Pastor Jenna and Hector (read more about them below).
The search team met with the description position team to learn about the background and process of the development of the position description on Sept 5.
The position description document then was presented to the personnel committee on October 7, and to the church council on October 9. Both teams affirmed the position description recommending a minor addition regarding accountability of the minister of music and worship to the lead pastor.
the next steps
The search team has begun to develop interview questions, interview process, and communication plan. The initial timeline for the process is as follows:
The search team believes that this process is beyond finding someone who can play and fills a position. Music and worship is a ministry that is integral to the worship life and spirituality of the congregation. It requires discernment and openness to the guidance of the Spirit, and a vision to see how the person that the Lord sends aligns with the vision and values that God has placed at the heart of this ministry.
The team needs your prayers, support, and care. Likewise, we ask you for prayers for the musicians that will be part of the process.
The search team will periodically inform the congregation about the progress of this important process. If you have any questions regarding the process or need clarification about this note please contact Pr. Hector or co chairs Richard Johnson and Pete Johnson.
search team bios
Richard Johnson (Co-chair)
I grew up on the Olympic Peninsula, Joyce, WA, and my family attended Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Port Angeles, WA. After graduating college, I started attending Trinity Lutheran Church in Lynnwood, WA in 1985. I am an engineering manager at Boeing in Everett and sing in Trinity Choirs, play trombone and recorder from time to time as part of the music program. My wife Julie also sings and we have two sons, Brent, who is student teaching in Puyallup, music education, and Ryan, a senior in Chemistry at Montana State University.
Pete Johnson (Co-chair)
I grew up in Boise, Idaho, worshiping and singing in children’s choir at St. Mark’s Episcopal cathedral, as my father was an ordained minister in the church. I took classical piano lessons for 6 years, and played for school choirs from JrH-HS; arranged vocal music in HS, then sang in UW’s inaugural Vocal Jazz ensemble. Deb and I joined Trinity shortly after the fire, and joined the worship choir. We started a JrH/HS teens choir “Stained Glass”, then led an “all are welcome” choir, presenting a special Sunday musical worship that was ~80% music. We helped plan/launch the “9:00 Celebration” worship, started during summer in the MPR which in Fall moved to the sanctuary. Our 2 children as HSers were in the ELCA NW Synod band, and Garrett also in the ELCA Western States band. Garrett and I formed Edge of Glory, a christian rock band, and worked with staff to trial run a Sunday “Nightlife” worship.
EoG band played at numerous NW Synod youth events, including Holden Village.
I retired from Boeing in 2018 with 38 years of service in Manufacturing Engineering.
Julie Buetow
I’ve been a member of Trinity Lutheran Church since my family moved to the Lynnwood area from north Seattle in about 1973. I grew up in a musical family and earned a degree in clarinet performance from Western Washington University in 1988. As a clarinetist, I played often for worship at Trinity and for many local performing ensembles, most recently including Philharmonia Northwest, Cascade Symphony, and Seattle Wind Symphony.
In May 2020, I took on the job of Director of the Gene Nastri School, after serving on various Seattle area arts organization boards. Before that, I worked for Boeing Commercial Airplanes for eleven years as a technical aide, technical writer, and database programmer. My husband Clint and I have three teenagers - Jeffrey, a high school senior, and twins Anna and Sarah in 8th grade.
Jennifer Reinke
I grew up in the Ballard, WA neighborhood and currently live in Edmonds. I participated in choirs at Concordia Lutheran School and Bishop Blanchet High School. After graduating from Blanchet I attended the University of Washington and obtained a degree in Interdisciplinary Visual Arts. I performed and sang lead vocals in a number of rock bands throughout college and beyond with Joel Reinke. During this time we also recorded a number of music albums. I have performed at Trinity Lutheran Church in the contemporary worship band for over 10 years with Joel Reinke who plays guitar in the group. I worked in Commercial Insurance in Edmonds for 9 years before jointly deciding to become a stay at home Mom for our two girls, Kira (7) and Lily (2). Kira is currently attending first grade at Maplewood Parent Cooperative School in Edmonds. I still sing to and with our children and occasionally record vocals for Joel Reinke on some of his projects.
Judy Schleusner
My childhood years were spent in Loretta-Draper, located in northern Wisconsin. While in grade school, I began playing for the worship services at Calvary Lutheran, our local church. During my high school years in Winter, Wisconsin, I accompanied the choir, soloists and ensembles, in concerts and in various music festivals; served as organist for area weddings and funerals.
In 1970, I graduated from Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, majoring in music and sociology. My husband, Rudy, and I lived in Menomonie, Wisconsin for 35 years. We were active in the music ministry and youth program at our church, Peace Lutheran. I shared the accompanist and organist duties at Peace and was a member of the worship board. Rudy and I planned annual week-end retreats for our adult choir, at Luther Park Bible Camp in Chetek, Wisconsin. During our years in Menomonie, we were members of our community theater organization, Menomonie Theater Guild. I was the rehearsal accompanist and played in the pit orchestra for the musicals. While in Menomonie, I worked in the accounting department of WESTconsin Credit Union. We are the parents of 2 sons, Brent & Joel. In 2005, we moved to Mountlake Terrace, Washington. We have attended Trinity since moving to Washington.