A mission in three parts

The Rev. Jason Shaw, senior pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and School in Jackson, is delighted to have the addition of two pastors to the church staff.

Eric Longman and Joshua Schmidt were installed as pastors in July, and each fulfills an aspect of the mission to which Shaw has committed the church -- "Belonging. Becoming. Building."

According to Shaw, "That's the mission focus of the church," and Longman and Schmidt were brought on specifically to be two pieces to that three-part puzzle.

St. Paul knew its goal and set out to find staff to accomplish it.

"We set our focus, and then found those who could fill those roles," said Shaw, who has been at St. Paul since 2013. "The best way to fill [our mission] was to have a pastor to fill each branch of that mission."

Shaw himself fulfills the "Belonging" role, which focuses on relationships.

"As senior pastor, it's my role to help everyone to connect. ... Ministry is all about relationship, and we need each other." He added, "In the ministry, you belong to God ... and to one another. Everyone is finding a place of relationship -- people connecting with the Lord, people connecting with one another and harnessing that community."

Schmidt, who recently moved from Ohio, where he was an associate pastor, came aboard to zero in on the "Becoming" role. This entails biblical education and spiritual edification.

"It's been a wonderful transition, and everyone here has been very welcoming and very generous toward me and my family," he stated. The congregation has told him often how excited they are to have him, and he is excited, as well.

"It's a new thing," he said. "My goal is to be able to focus more exclusively on this 'Becoming' role -- education, discipleship and spiritual growth ... for the church and the school."

Longman's gifts will be used in the "Building" aspect of the mission. "His calling," said Shaw, "is building and connecting spiritual bridges ... in Jackson and the world." They are "building a spiritual bridge in Jackson and making a difference in people's lives."

Having just graduated from Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis, Longman said, "It has been a tremendous blessing for my family to come to Jackson," adding that they have been "received with open arms."

He is ready to build relationships here -- "reaching out and making connections with people who aren't necessarily involved in the church." This includes, he said, organizations such as the chamber of commerce.

He wants to be visible in the community, make connections and "build beyond the walls of the church."

Longman also is enjoying getting to know the congregants within St. Paul. "On a Sunday, I'll shake hands with 1,000 people, he said." The biggest challenge so far, he said, is learning names in such a large church -- and he's loving it.

Shaw highlighted what makes the church special, citing its distinguishing characteristics.

"We place a high value on education. That's why we've got the school," which has an enrollment of 343 -- comprised of 286 children in kindergarten through eighth grade and 57 preschoolers. St. Paul is committed to "investing in kids" and the future of the church. The school was founded in 1894 and the church the year prior, so it is clear their commitment is yielding lasting results.

Additionally, Shaw asserted, "We place a high value on excellence in music." He praised the work of Matt Palish, the church music director, whom he called an "outstanding talent."

Asked what people can expect from the congregation and the pastoral team, the senior pastor said, "They can expect for us to be genuine, for us to recognize that we're not perfect." He added, "We're essentially like a Holy Ghost hospital -- where sick people come to be healed and find hope and help for the days ahead."