Nebraska Synod ELCA

Pastor Elisabeth Pynn Himmelman has been called to serve the Kearney community as Associate Pastor for Youth and Young Adults at First Lutheran, Kearney and in partnership with Nebraska Lutheran Campus Ministry as Campus Pastor at the University of Nebraska- Kearney (UNK).

Pastor Himmelman shared the following about her current call- starting a call in pandemic was interesting to say the least, and I spent much of last year at Campus Lutheran getting to know students, staff, and faculty in 1-1 coffee meet-ups and a ministry of presence on campus. This fall, I am excited for ministry in lessening pandemic! Two bold, brave student leaders are working with me in beginning The Vessel Dinner Church on Thursday nights.

The campus ministry at UNK hosts a weekly gathering known as the Vessel Dinner Church. For those who have never heard of dinner church, here is how Pastor Himmelman describes it- Trusting we are vessels of God’s love and grace, dinner church is an embodied worship experience that is extended Holy Communion. We prepare the meal together, pass the homemade bread as we gather to commune our neighbor, eat together family style, engage with the Word and one another, end with passing wine, communing our neighbor. After the meal, we close out our time together by cleaning up as an act of service and are sent with dessert and a blessing, trusting in the goodness of God.

Pastor Himmelman cares deeply about sharing the expansiveness of God’s love and God’s creating all humanity in God’s image. In her role, she seeks to come alongside young adults as they discern vocation through relationship and joining them in celebrating and stewarding their God-given resources, gifts, and identities.

Though Pastor Himmelman has been serving in Kearney over the past year, the celebration of her installation had to be postponed due to the pandemic. She is looking forward to her installation on Sunday, August 15 at 3pm at First Lutheran Church, Kearney. Pastor Adam White will be preaching and Pastor Kristen Van Stee, Assistant to the Bishop will be on hand to install Pastor Himmelman. There will be a reception following the installation.

If you would like to know more about campus ministry at UNK, visit their website at this link.