Worship Leaders
Pastor Carrie Ballenger and associate pastor Gracious Moyo usually lead worship services at University Lutheran. If they are away, worship may be led by one of our other ordained members, including the Rev. Imogene Stulken, our music director; the Rev. Jessica Chicka, University Chaplain to International Students at Boston University; the Rev. Elyse Nelson Winger, University Chaplain to Tufts University; or the Rev. Angelika Zollfrank, Chaplain and ACPE Certified Educator at McLean Hospital. Chaplains from nearby campus ministries and Lutheran students at local divinity schools often preach as well.
Lay members (i.e., non-pastors) are involved in several ways. Worship assistants, whom we call “deacons,” welcome worshipers before the service, read scripture lessons, and lead intercessory prayers. Coffee hour hosts bring and serve refreshments following the service. The sacristan helps the pastor set up and serve communion.
If you are interested in getting involved, please email deacons@unilu.org, or speak with Pastor Carrie Ballenger or HDS ministry intern Kenton Goldsby.
Intercessory Prayers
Our Sunday morning services include a time for intercessory prayer, or “prayers of the people.” A worship leader begins by offering prayers of general concern, including prayers for people around the world using the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle. After that, you are encouraged to share your own petitions of concern or thanksgiving aloud so that the entire congregation may pray with you. In-person attendees may also write their prayer concerns in a notebook at the entrance to the sanctuary for the presiding minister to read aloud; Zoom attendees can type their prayers into the Zoom chat.
A list of prayer concerns printed each week in the bulletin, and during the worship service, we pray for these individuals by name. Please speak to any staff member, or email office@unilu.org, if you would like to add a family member, congregation member, or friend of UniLu to the list.
If you are interested in leading intercessory prayers, please email deacons@unilu.org, or speak with Pastor Carrie Ballenger or HDS ministry intern Kenton Goldsby.