Hello! I’m Pastor Laura Henrik. I was born in Madison, WI but raised in Knoxville. I went to Bearden Elementary and Middle School and West High School. The first time I felt God nudge me into ministry was in middle school sitting in a Youth Sunday planning session. It was easy for me to shake off that feeling as a middle schooler. During my 11th grade year, I got involved in Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) with some familiar Messiah faces! I didn’t miss many TEC weekends and served on the leadership team in many different capacities. When I was a sophomore in college during a TEC weekend, I could no longer run from God’s call on my life. I knew I loved helping people find and nuture their faith in a wildly inclusive way. After graduating from Lenoir-Rhyne College with a degree in Family Ministry, I headed down to Columbia, SC to the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. I was ordained July 14, 2012 and made my way up to the frozen tundra of Moorhead, MN (a sister city of Fargo, ND.) During my two calls in MN and ND, I saw what big Lutheranism looked like. Throughout my first 7 years of ministry, I helped confirm over 315 students. There are more Lutherans than people up north! I learned so much to bring back down south. My heart has always been for students and helping them during those difficult years of figuring out themselves, their faith, and who God is calling them to be in this big world. I look forward to connecting with the students and families at Messiah so that their lives are transformed by an amazing God to love and serve their neighbors and the world.