Kristin Lewis

Deaconess Kristin Lewis

We are delighted to announce that Deaconess Kristin (“DK”), who served as interim campus minister until Dec. 31, 2020, is going to still be working part-time at the university, teaching a few courses and working with Allen Scholars and the Church Vocations Symposium.

She has taken turns with Pastor Jim in writing a weekly devotional piece for the campus community. Find an archive of her writing here.

A note of farewell

“I thank my God, every time I remember you,” Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians. That is truly the gratitude that fills my heart as I reflect on the past two and a half years as your campus minister. It has been a true joy, honor, and gift to serve you and walk with you these past few years. To hear your stories, be trusted with your confessions and to pronounce God’s forgiveness, to break bread with you, to laugh and cry with you, and to grow in my understanding of God and God’s work in the world through each of you. I’m truly grateful for the colleague I have had in Pastor Jim and the rest of the Helge staff as I fumbled my way through learning this role, and the countless moments of grace they have shared with me.  

January 2021 is truly bringing about lots of new things for Valpo with welcoming a new university president, new provost, and new campus pastor. I join in hope and anticipation of how God will join with this community as this next chapter at VU begins. I had the joy of getting to have lunch with Pastor Kate during her interview this fall.  I am filled with excitement and joy over the gifts that she will bring to this community.  Her passion for college ministry, her inquisitive nature, sense of humor, listening skills, and so much more will serve this community well. I’m thrilled that she said yes to the call to serve Valpo and that each of you will get the opportunity to get to know her better in the coming months.

As we continue this long extended break, I pray that you will each find time to pause, breathe, and pay attention to what you are grateful for despite the chaos of 2020.  Know that as I pause to reflect, this community and our time together over the last 2.5 years is at the top of my list.  

In Gratitude,

Deaconess Kristin, aka “DK”