News & Events Highlights

An Interview With… Laura Mitchell, Moderator-Elect

Kerrie Kleppin-Winn
January 23 2020

Laura will be taking over as Moderator after Sunday’s annual meeting, so we thought you all might like to get to know her a little better.

 

 

Kerrie: Thanks for being our new Moderator!

Laura: Sure! It’s an exciting time right now at First Central!

Kerrie: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?  How long have you and Chad been members of the congregation?

Laura: Um… about 15 years.  Our kids Katrina and Elliott were still pretty little and we’d always worry when they’d go down for the children’s sermon that they would do something super embarrassing!

Kerrie: What brought you to First Central originally?

Laura: Well, I grew up Lutheran and Chad was raised in a really conservative church. As a young couple, we had just never found a church where our evolving faith journeys were accepted and celebrated – until we found First Central. That first Sunday we visited, Wendy Wiseman showed us all around and made us feel so welcome we never left.

Kerrie: Was there a pivotal moment when you knew you’d keep coming back?

Laura: Oh, our first all-church retreat!  Well, and really every one we’ve been to since.  There is always an activity or a conversation or a moment when I just look around and realize – again – we are in the right place.

Kerrie: So, this whole becoming Moderator thing… Are you excited?

Laura: I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’ve got big shoes to fill because Garret Higginbotham has brought a wealth of skills and experience to the role during his tenure, but I’m optimistic I can use my gifts to support our congregation in other ways.  I work in Marketing (for Children’s Hospital & Medical Center’s Foundation) and it is similar to First Central in that there is always a story to tell.  I feel like First Central is a really well-kept secret, and we have opportunities to invite more people to get to know us and join us in the loving, meaningful work we do here.  Hopefully, during my term as moderator, that happens.

Kerrie: Do you have any other goals or aspirations that you want to see come to fruition during your term?

Laura: The recent feasibility study helped us to shed light on our priorities, and you can feel just how much the congregation is invested in moving us ahead with all of those projects.  I’m looking forward to helping that all unfold and watching how the results impact our neighborhood and the community as a whole!

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