Laura Book

Laura Book, Associate in Ministry, is the director of the Summer Seminary Sampler. She has coordinated Sampler for four summers, and she works with college students and young adults who are discerning a call towards ministry during the rest of the school year. She loves eating gourmet ice cream, white-water rafting, volunteering at her local furniture and clothing bank, and playing hand bells at her church.

Pastor Ruth Fortis

Pastor Ruth, founded the Summer Seminary Sampler program in 1999. During the academic year, she serves as Pastor to the Community at Trinity Lutheran Seminary and gets involved in many of the extra-curricular activities. She loves mentoring young adults as they discern what God is calling them to do in life.

What is Sampler?

preaching Summer Seminary Sampler is a three week residential program at Trinity Lutheran Seminary for high-school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Each summer participants in both the June and July sessions work on service projects, attend theological classes, shadow mentors, and spend time living in community with one another.

Classes taught by Seminary professors offer a challenge to think theologically and ethically. In addition, participants in Sampler have the opportunity to lead worship for the seminary community, join in regular morning and evening devotions, and grow in faith through time with mentors and other interesting individuals.

Mentors work as hospital chaplains, parish educators, church musicians, parish pastors, youth ministers, funeral directors, librarians, archivists, development staff, communicators, volunteer coordinators, teachers, campus pastors, deaconesses, associates-in-ministry, and a host of other fascinating careers.

Service projects are also often a highlight of a typical day at Sampler. Past service projects have included: an inner-city Vacation Bible School, Ronald McDonald House, Habitat for Humanity, a food pantry, Mid-Ohio Food Bank, Faith Mission, a home for the elderly, hospice, Mid-Ohio Workers’ Association, Camp Friendship for mentally challenged adults, and many others.

pop_tabs Visits to Wittenberg, Capital, and Ohio State Universities provide a time to think about college and explore opportunities for campus ministry. In addition, most evenings speakers and guests share about a variety of different topics. These have included: the Holocaust, Peace Corps, Young Adults in Global Mission, the church in Africa, campus ministry, and advocacy for the poor and hungry.

Ethnic food, festivals, and baseball games are but a few of the activities that fill in free time and weekends, as well as opportunities to worship in Lutheran congregations and with people of other faiths throughout Columbus.

The friendships and experiences a person has during Sampler are lasting and diverse, and even though the program lasts a short three weeks, the memories last a lifetime!