This article was written by Sandy Perkins, who served on the Call Committee.
“As a baptized, beloved child of God, I joyfully proclaim in word and deed the good news of Jesus’ transformational love through building relationships and serving my neighbors inside and outside the church walls. I believe all people are created in God’s image, and nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus,” Pastor Kristin’s personal ministry statement reads.
Kristin’s call to ordained ministry began in the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church, where, at eight years old, she felt the distinct call to work in God’s church. Her journey in vocal music performance, teaching middle and high school communications, book publicity, children, youth, and family ministry, motherhood, and as a pastor’s wife led to her becoming an ordained Pastor in the Lutheran Church.
Pastor Kristin comes to St. Andrew with a depth and breadth of ministry and pastoral experience from Word of Peace Lutheran Church, where she began serving in Children’s Ministry in 1999 and, beginning in 2017, took on a pastoral role. Word of Peace is a large, thriving, growing congregation in Rogers, MN, with core values similar to St. Andrew. A hallmark of Kristin’s work at Word of Peace has been developing and sustaining innovative and vibrant ministry. Kristin also served in the Minneapolis Area Synod writing Synod Day curriculum for the 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering and as a Synod Day leader for the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering.
Pastor Kristin’s expertise includes all areas of Youth & Family Ministry, Visitation & Spiritual Care, Women’s Ministry, Stewardship, Teaching, and Preaching, including supervision of staff and lay teams with a collaborative approach where every voice is heard. She is passionate about teaching, preaching, leading and educating, supporting all areas of intergenerational ministry, advancing social justice initiatives, and creating an environment where all feel welcome. Kristin is an approachable, positive, compassionate leader.
Kristin grew up in Eagan, attended St. Olaf College and Luther Seminary. Her family includes her husband Rick (Senior Pastor at Word of Peace), children Lauren and spouse Brian, Anna, Martin, and beloved grandson Harvey. With Martin attending St. Olaf, she and Rick are empty nesters in the process of downsizing and building a townhome in Corcoran.
In closing, a personal story gives in sight into Kristin, an exceptional person of faith, in her own words.
I’m like Keera, my one-eyed dog who we rescued. You and I are products of a world that is often unkind. We are not in control of what we are born into or often what life hands us.
We, too, live with limited vision much of the time. But this God sees us just as we are and calls us beloved. This God scoops us up and says, ‘You are mine.’ After living on this planet for nearly 58 years and being a mother, pastor’s wife, grandmother, friend, sister, daughter, teacher, performer, and pastor, I am still in awe of the miracle of how Jesus takes what is dead in us, is imperfect in us, or seems impossible to us and makes us new.
I’ve watched friends, family, congregation members, and communities’ lives be resurrected from the ashes of broken relationships, addiction, and pain through God’s love and redemption. This love, God’s love, changes the world. The idea that God calls you and me into bringing this radical love to the world together is beautiful.
Thank you for the opportunity to share a little of my story with you. I am excited to partner in ministry with you and look forward to meeting the beautiful people of St. Andrew.
-Pastor Kristin Skare
Pastor Kristin will officially start at St. Andrew on March 10th.