Intern Katie jumps aboard

Hello, everyone! You may wonder who is blogging this summer, so allow me to introduce myself. I'm Katie Kreis and am serving as an intern at the Office of the Bishop for the next eight weeks. I am a Wisconsinite born and raised, so it's safe to say that I am a fan of the Packers, Brewers and Badgers, though I do occasionally root for the Red Sox and Rockies. I'm also a sucker for any dairy products and, of course, this includes cheese curds.

This fall, I will be a fourth-year at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, studying journalism and communication, women's studies, Spanish and leadership. I found the Rocky Mountain Synod Office through a program called Wartburg West, in which students can take a semester or summer to live in downtown Denver, take classes and work at an internship. Here, I'll be working primarily within communication and advocacy.

First day back to college - Go Knights!

I found my niche in public relations, but really had no idea where I wanted to end up after graduation. However, everything changed when I began my minor in women's studies. I started learning about gender and advocacy, history, science (you name it) and it has been both a humbling and exciting journey so far. Another exciting thing happened when my dad began his Masters of Divinity at Wartburg Seminary about one year ago; this lifestyle change focused my attention outward and allowed me to integrate God deeper into my own life.

A door opened when a friend invited me to join Wartburg's cohort that was tackling the ELCA's Draft Social Statement on Women and Justice. Each week a group of students and one professor met to slowly read through the entire statement (everything starts blending together after page 50), and I gained a greater appreciation for differing viewpoints. That was the first space where I have experienced respectful, forward-thinking conversation, and it was absolutely incredible. Because of this one little opportunity, I was invited by our cohort's advisor to visit a nearby church to engage in dialogue about inclusive language in the liturgy. I was also recently invited to host a forum at a church in Denver about the social statement itself, where we Wartburg students thought it needed revision and why language and inclusivity matter within the Church. Needless to say, I am stoked! It is very exciting to be able to weave together all the things I'm passionate about -- women's rights, communication, God, community -- and the RMS Office of the Bishop is exactly where I need to be to learn and grow in my role within the Church.

This summer, I am helping to update parts of the website, organize legislative data and look at some new strategies to communicate with you all. I'll also be getting involved within the Denver community, which is something I hope to showcase through this blog, so I am excited to see you around! If you see me, please introduce yourself so we can be friends and share the mission together.

- Intern Katie