Thank Yous from Concordia Seminary

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Written by Joan Crouse Joan Crouse

Created: August 05 2016 August 05 2016

Nikolai Gibbons is a Saint John’s member who studied for the ministry at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. He is currently serving as Asso­ciate Pas­tor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Macomb, Michi­gan. You can reach him by email at gibbons@StJohnsFC.org.

Nikolai Gibbons’ Ordination

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Written by Joan Crouse Joan Crouse

Created: June 17 2016 June 17 2016

Nikolai Gibbons, son of the Saint John’s Lutheran Church congregation in Fort Collins, was ordained into the Office of Holy Ministry there on Sunday, June 12. Nikolai was baptized and confirmed at Saint John’s. He is a graduate of Concordia St. Paul and earned his M.Div. at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. He has been called to serve as Associate Pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Macomb, Michigan, and will be installed there later this summer.

The congregation, friends and family gathered for the worship service filled with joyful proclamation and wonderful music (organ, violin and brass). The service was officiated by Saint John’s Senior Pastor, Rev. Shawn Nettleton. Rev. Greg Griffith, Senior Pastor at Immanuel Lutheran, Macomb, Michigan, delivered the sermon. Second Vice President of the Rocky Mountain District LCMS (and pastor of Zion Lutheran, Holyoke), Rev. Gary Rahe ordained Nikolai. A reception followed the service.

The congregation gave Nikolai a red stole as an ordination gift. You saw a picture of the stole itself in last month’s newsletter, but before the ordination service Anita Walters added the following embroidered inscription:

We ask for God’s abundant blessings on Nikolai as he begins ministry of service to the Church. We wish he and wife, Toni, the best in Michigan!

Video Message from Nikolai and Toni

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Written by Joan Crouse Joan Crouse

Created: April 22 2016 April 22 2016

Nikolai Gibbons is a Saint John’s member who is studying for the ministry at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. You can reach him by email at gibbons@StJohnsFC.org.

Seminary Update

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Written by Nikolai Gibbons Nikolai Gibbons

Created: March 07 2016 March 07 2016

Dear family at Saint John’s,

I am writing this letter on the first day of the spring quarter, my final quarter. Wow. It’s hard to imagine, looking back, how fast time has gone. I have spent nine years in post-high school education and now I am ten weeks away from finishing. It’s a little surreal, actually. As excited as I am, I’m a little sad to see it come to a close. I’m going to miss these days in many ways for all the ways God has been good to me.

This spring quarter I have a lighter class load with only three classes left. I am taking my final Systematic Theology class, which deals with topics of pastoral and church practice. I am taking a Pastoral Leadership class and my final Biblical studies class, focusing on Exodus and the Torah. It promises to be a great and fast quarter so I am going to do everything I can to slow it down and breathe deeply the last of my time here in seminary.

Over break I was blessed to travel as part of the Laudamus choir that toured Georgia, Florida and Alabama. We spent a week on the road and sang at eleven locations for various schools and churches. The people were wonderful and it was a joy to proclaim the Gospel through song for so many people. On Friday, during the tour, Toni was able to fly down to Orlando and meet us. We had a free day so we went to Disney and enjoyed the sunshine and warmth.

The second week of break Toni and I have been catching up on many of our responsibilities and getting back into a routine. The last few weeks of the last quarter, combined with going straight on tour, left my life pretty hectic, so we’re enjoying a more manageable pace. We’ve been taking more time to read scripture and pray.

Call Day is April 26. That is when Toni and I will find out where we will be serving next year! We have had eight interviews as part of this call process. We’ll see where God has in mind for us to serve. Regardless of where we end up, Toni and I know God will have plenty for us to do. Graduation is three weeks after Call Day. It really is hard to believe how close I am to finishing my formal pastoral education.

After graduation, God willing, I will be ordained at Saint John’s. That is my hope and plan! We’ll have to figure out more of those details after call day, though. We will then spend a few weeks soaking it all in and relaxing in Colorado. Toni and I will write again closer to call day. Thank you again for all your love and support. My time at seminary has been richly blessed and you all have been an incredible encouragement and support during this time.

Love in Christ!
Nikolai & Toni

Nikolai Gibbons is a Saint John’s member who is studying for the ministry at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. You can reach him by email at gibbons@StJohnsFC.org.

Back in St. Louis

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Written by Nikolai Gibbons Nikolai Gibbons

Created: October 19 2015 October 19 2015

Dear brothers and sisters at Saint John’s, Toni and I hope and pray you are all doing well. It was such a blessing to celebrate our wedding with you back at the end of August. Thank you for everything. Our time home was, as it always is, so good and far too short. These last few months for us have been a whirlwind of moving and adjustments but God has certainly been working in all of it. Here is a little bit of what we’ve been up to lately.

First, our honeymoon in Italy was wonderful. I took about 600 pictures! The scenery really is as beautiful as you might imagine. We both loved the city of Rome. The history and architecture was like nothing we have ever seen before. Our favorite day was a cooking class day. We learned how to make pasta, bread, pizza, gelato and tiramisu. It was such a great day, mostly because we want to be the kind of people who host and show others love by having them over.

After our short time in Colorado we were back in Michigan for a few days packing and then it was off to Saint Louis. Being back at the seminary has been quite nice. Seeing some of my good friends again has been a joyful reunion. Plus, it’s been nice back in classes and getting to study from some of the best professors and pastoral men I know. Toni was looking for a job for a while but just recently found one. We are very excited for that! She is working as an Accountant at Amstead, which is a railway company that manufacturers parts for trains. I haven’t been there yet to see her at work but she is enjoying it. It has been a nice job to help us out and make ends meet here while I’m in school. God has provided for us in so many ways.

Also, we are currently going through some interviews for the call process. This week we have our second interview. Keep us in your prayers, that God would work everything for the good of His Church through this whole process. It is hard to believe that in just six short months we will be hearing where we will be called to serve. Toni and I are very excited to see where God will lead us.

This time in seminary has been quite the journey and it wouldn’t have happened without the support and love of all of you, even back into my college days. So thank you, Saint John’s, for all that you do and have done for us. I pray that as we enter the Advent season the grace of Christ will continue to be a source of hope and joy. We can’t wait to see you over Christmas break.

Love in Christ,

Nikolai and Toni Gibbons
801 Seminary Place
St. Louis, MO 63105

Nikolai Gibbons is a Saint John’s member who is studying for the ministry at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. You can reach him by email at gibbons@StJohnsFC.org.

Hello from Macomb, Michigan!

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Written by Nikolai Gibbons Nikolai Gibbons

Created: October 10 2014 October 10 2014

Hello from Macomb, Michigan! I am finally getting settled into vicarage and I wanted to tell you about all the neat stuff God is doing.

I also want to pass along my apartment address in this letter if you ever want to write:

45099 Northport Dr, #1311
Macomb, MI 48044

I would certainly enjoy hearing how you are doing.

Immanuel Lutheran in Macomb is centered in a northeast suburb of Detroit. Immanuel has a Kindergarten–eighth school. This is actually a great ministry since they are in a large community of families looking for good education for their children. The school has really been a treat to have on vicarage. They even have me teaching a few classes: a denominations curriculum and the confirmation curriculum.

They have been keeping me quite busy with pastoral duties as well. I have had many opportunities to assist in worship and preach. I have also been regularly visiting the hospitalized and homebound. Hearing their stories have been so uplifting. I am continually amazed at how God has worked in people’s lives in so many different ways. Plus, they haven’t neglected to make good use of my ‘non-pastoral’ skills like graphic design and photography. I have done several things to help the church in this area and it has been so much fun to contribute that as well!

Michigan has been a wonderful place to be. Granted, winter hasn’t hit yet so I’ll see how I feel in a few months. Overall though, I have felt quite at home here even after just a few months. I have been enjoying the outdoors, watching the fall colors change, and even getting in a few skydives to see Michigan from the air. I will say that I do still miss Colorado and I miss seeing you all more regularly.

I am so blessed to be here. Immanuel is such a wonderful church to be at and learn from.

Nikolai Gibbons is a Saint John’s member who is studying for the ministry at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. You can reach him by email at gibbons@StJohnsFC.org.

A Letter Home

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Written by Nikolai Gibbons Nikolai Gibbons

Created: May 14 2014 May 14 2014

Greetings to all of my family in Christ at Saint John’s. I hope you are all doing well and that you are enjoying everything Colorado has to offer for spring. What is this snow I hear about in mid-May? Well, the creation hasn’t been perfected yet; we still await the resurrection and the restored creation!

The school year is fast coming to a close, almost too fast. There is much to be done, but with some hard work and late nights my assignments are wrapping up. Many of my classes have some major papers due. I have been finishing up a biblical class on Isaiah. I also took a few theology classes this quarter regarding American church denominations and the Holy Spirit and how he works in various ways. Finally, I had history class focusing on the early church in the first four centuries after Christ. It has been a fast year, and I am ecstatic to go on vicarage next year.

Some of you have heard through the word on the street, but I am going to Immanuel Lutheran Church in Macomb, Michigan, for vicarage next year. I have had the chance to check out the church online and talk with the senior pastor for a bit; it will be an amazing year at Immanuel! It sounds like I will be involved in a variety of ministries and be able to dabble in a bit of everything a pastor would have to do. I am confident this coming vicarage year will prepare me quite well for ministry in years to come.

Speaking of ministry in years to come … I am so happy that Pastor Nettleton has been led by the Spirit to continue his ministry at Saint John’s. Since I haven’t had a chance to be back home yet, I give my official “hello” to you, Pastor Nettleton, from afar. I look forward to meeting you this summer when I am home.

Thank you all for your love and support. This has been one great year for me here in Saint Louis and I cannot wait to see what God has in store this coming year over vicarage. I continue to keep you in my prayers and thank you for your prayers on my behalf. I am beyond blessed to have Saint John’s as my church home. I am so excited to see what God will do in the years to come under Pastor Nettleton’s leadership and for the ways Saint John’s will serve God’s people in Fort Collins. Thank you again for your support, and I look forward to seeing you this summer.

Nikolai Gibbons is a Saint John’s member who is studying for the ministry at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. You can reach him by email at gibbons@StJohnsFC.org.

Fall Quarter

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Written by Nikolai Gibbons Nikolai Gibbons

Created: November 11 2013 November 11 2013

Grace and peace to everyone at Saint John’s. Thank you so much for allowing me to serve at the church this summer. I’m still smiling as I recall some of my memories from this summer. Now that I’m in the fall quarter it’s nice to take those experiences back to the classroom. This fall semester I’m taking my second preaching class, my first of four systematic theology classes and a class on the Gospel of John. Apart from class I’ve also had time to be involved in intramural sports, some campus Bible studies and my field-work church.

I want to share a neat experience that I’d recommend trying if you haven’t already: Prayer Journaling. The congregation I’m involved with in Saint Louis, Faith Lutheran, has had me teaching a four-week Bible study on prayer. When I was first asked to teach on prayer my first thought was “Well, God does have a sense of humor, I’m so bad at praying.” I’m not kidding either; my schedule is often so hectic and transient that consistency is rare, except for the time before bed. I must say that God blesses in marvelous ways. Part of this class was to keep a prayer journal. Now, I’ve never journaled in my life! It was strange at first, but it’s becoming more fun to do. If you have never tried something like this before, I highly recommend keeping a prayer journal. I can be a bit of a scatter-brain at time (this is no surprise to my parents). The journaling has really helped to focus my prayers and it’s fun to look back and see how God has answered prayers. Plus it helps to keep notes on what and who to keep praying for. Give it a shot! Like me, you may be surprised how helpful it can be. I’ve grown much humbler in how God is working in my life, that’s for sure!

Apart from seminary and church I also had a neat opportunity. A few weeks ago there was an airshow in Saint Louis. It was a blast! There was a whole lot of fried food, cool planes, aerobatic airshows and I was asked to do a few skydives for the crowds. I found a ridiculous cow-print jumpsuit and the kids loved it. That is probably the closest I’ll ever get to being a celebrity. A friend and I even got our picture in the local paper. It’s been great to spend time back with my skydiving friends and enjoy flying again!

Generally life has been going very well. I’ve been quite busy but blessed. I’m already looking forward to vicarage next year. Thank you so much for your prayers and support during this journey in my life. Seminary has been a great blessing. I owe you many thanks for making it possible to have this time to study and grow as a child of God. I continue to pray that my time here will mature me into the servant Christ needs for his Church. I can’t wait to see you all over Christmas break.

Nikolai Gibbons is a Saint John’s member who is studying for the ministry at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. You can reach him by email at gibbons@StJohnsFC.org.

Home Sweet Home

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Written by Nikolai Gibbons Nikolai Gibbons

Created: June 21 2013 June 21 2013

Well, I’ve been back home from school for about a month now and there is always something wonderful about returning home. Everything is familiar. It is the place where we know every nook and cranny. All the roads seem familiar (if not for a few new potholes). We know the people and the flow of life. Yes, it is good to be back home.

As I was reflecting on this, I asked myself, “what makes home so great?” After all, I’ve come to know quite a few people and places in Saint Louis. I’ve found a groove with the pace of life in that city and culture. I’m starting to know many of the roads (they have a ton more potholes than we do). But it still doesn’t feel like home. In college, I spent four years in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area of Minnesota. I grew to love living there—but it was never home, either.

One of the exciting opportunities of moving somewhere new is you can, in a sense, reinvent yourself. When I went off to college I got to rebuild friendships and re-imagine the person I wanted to be. The same is true of seminary. I was given the opportunity to present myself in a way where people had no presuppositions about who I was or what I’ve done. Not that I was faking or acting to be someone I was not. It was an opportunity to mature who I was in a good sense. However, upon coming home there is no need for that. Home lets you be exactly who you are, because people would know if you tried to fake it.

The resurrection will be no different. In that day, make no mistake, we will be changed. The cruddy parts of me will shrivel in the light of God’s presence. The resurrection will be God’s moment to remake us. We will be restored and reshaped, but we will still be us in the truest sense. In that day, amidst all the rebirth, our Lord will affirm us for the person he created us to be.

I have to imagine in the resurrection we will still have personalities. Some of us will be easy-going, others more serious, and others still will never grow out of being pranksters. Above all, our eternal life will be wholly in worship to God; the One who affirms both our individuality and our perfect love in unity. In that day we will be able to, in the fullest sense, say “I am home.”

Nikolai Gibbons is a Saint John’s member who is studying for the ministry at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. You can reach him by email at gibbons@StJohnsFC.org.

School Year Report

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Written by Nikolai Gibbons Nikolai Gibbons

Created: June 06 2013 June 06 2013

I look back on my previous academic year at seminary; so many things happened! I completed thirty academic credits and managed to have a little fun along the way. I completed some of my foundational classes: Confessions, Hermeneutics (how to study the Bible), LCMS History and Homiletics (preaching). Apart from those, one of my favorite elective classes was called Emerging Christianity, which looks at the future of western culture and the church. I also took a LCMS Controversy class on how the Lutheran church has lived through and managed conflicts, especially around Seminex back in the 70s. Plus, I’m certified to preach. Yikes. I have to trust the Holy Spirit knows what he’s doing!

Apart from classes, I continued my job last year working as a valet in Clayton, the suburb of St. Louis where the seminary is located. I was also involved in intramural sports throughout the year. Once I broke my leg I became the catcher in softball. It was a comical sight watching me hobble out on crutches to take my place behind the plate, but overall our team did really well throughout the year!

Many of you are probably well-acquainted with the stadard seminary process, but I am taking a modified route. Usually it takes four years: two academic, one vicarage (internship), and a final academic year. To stay on that track I would have needed to spend two summers in St. Louis for classes. I didn’t want to be away from Saint Johns and beautiful Colorado for my summers, so I chose a five-year track. I have three academic years, one vicarage year, then the final academic year.

Next year I will be in that third academic year. Time is flying! What makes this fun for me is there are fourteen other guys studying on the same track. We’ve become quite a group. One of the professor’s jokingly dubbed us the “Five Year Mafia.” It stuck.

Life was going pretty smoothly; then I broke my leg towards the middle of spring quarter. I generally pride myself on being independent, productive and busy. It came as quite a shock to be dependant, ineffective and incapable as my body healed. During this time, however, I realized how blessed the church is going to be. I am usually too proud to ask for help, but the people on campus didn’t give me the chance to ask. They anticipated what I would need and stepped in to help any way they could. My once-independent attitude was overhauled by some attentive, gospel love. I was humbled. I had to repent of thinking I could make it on my own. Only after I was unable to take care of myself did I realize how the church truly is the hands and feet of God.

Yes, I can confidently say the church is going to be very blessed in the future by the men and women I’ve met in seminary. They have a heart for serving and a love for the Gospel. The Holy Spirit is shaping a magnificent group of servants and I am blessed to be a part of that. Christ has taken care of His church and He always will.

Nikolai Gibbons is a Saint John’s member who is studying for the ministry at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. You can reach him by email at gibbons@StJohnsFC.org.