Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Jon Hundt, Associate Pastor
Jonathan
Hundt grew up in Minnesota. As a high school student, he was on his school’s
football, swimming, wrestling, and track teams, and also performed in school
musicals; he also worked as a floor supervisor at McDonald’s. He attended
Gustavus Adolphus College, where he played football and spent his summers as a
camp counselor. Jon received his call to ministry while attending Gustavus
Adolphus and received his Bachelor of Arts in Religion in 1999. Feeling that he
needed space to grow into his calling, Jon looked at seminaries away from his
home town and decided on the Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest, in
Austin, Texas, from which he received his Master of Divinity degree in 2003.
While in seminary, Jon was introduced to Jennifer, the sister of one of his classmates. He and Jennifer have been married for over five years, and they have two beautiful girls: Abigail, age 3, and Sydney, 6- months old. Jon describes his wife and children as, “Truly gifts from God in my life, all three of them.” Together, they like to go to the beach, play at the park, go for bike rides, play with trucks, feed horses, go to the zoo, and all sorts of other activities.
After graduating from seminary, Jon was called as one of two associate pastors at First Lutheran Church in Ellicott City, where he has served for the past five years. In his current call, Pastor Jon’s primary responsibility is youth ministry. He preaches one Sunday per month, and serves as the liturgist on other Sundays; he also gives the Children’s Sermon every Sunday. Pastor Jon is credited with resurrecting an ailing youth ministry at First Lutheran, which now has active youth groups ranging from pre-school through college.
Regarding youth ministry, Pastor Jon says, “One of the questions I hear all the time from the youth is, ‘Can we bring friends?’ I tell them, ‘You don’t have to ask to bring friends. This is not a country club – all are welcome!’ God’s love and grace are not exclusive; they are for all people. A good chunk of the work I do with youth is helping to create space in our common lives where all people are welcome, all feel safe to participate, and all people are acknowledged for the beautiful creation they are—the image of God in our midst. I also work to create opportunities for the youth to gather in worship, education, fellowship, and service, shaping a calendar of events which will help them grow in their love, faith, and service to the Lord.”
Jon goes on to say, “My approach to public ministry stems from the priesthood of all believers. Everyone has a calling; everyone has a ministry to which God has gifted them. It is part of what I do, what I believe being a pastor is all about—to equip the saints for the work that God puts before them, whenever and wherever that is.” In regard to his core convictions, Pastor Hundt says, “Life is a gift from God. Each day I live in the love and grace of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, facing the opportunities God places before me to witness to His mercy and salvation. God’s grace is sufficient for any task, and I pray that the Holy Spirit’s guidance will lead me to the places I am meant to be in order to be of service to God. Life is a gift from God; the way I live my life is my gift to God.”
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Last Updated: 06/06/08 07:22 AM