The Northwest Conference is pleased to announce that Kara Stromberg has accepted the call to be the Director of Children & Family Ministry. She will begin serving in the new role on Sept. 15.

"This is a newly developing position," said NWC Superintendent Mark Stromberg, "and we are pleased to have a quality leader like Kara join our team. We are confident that she will help us live into our stated ministry priority of Children, Youth & Family. Further, we believe that she will work alongside Ginny Olson, our Director of Youth Ministry, very well. We believe that they will make a great team. And just for clarity's sake, Kara and I are not related!"

A believer in children, families and emerging generations, Kara brings extensive ministry experience. A native of Sioux Falls, SD, she felt a call to ministry as a junior in high school. Upon graduation from Bethel University, she served as Pastor to Youth and Families at Roseville Covenant Church in Roseville, MN. Kara graduated with an M.A. in Christian Education with an emphasis in Youth Ministry from Bethel Theological Seminary in 2005 and was ordained to Word and Service in the ECC in 2010.

Recently, she worked as Director of Training at Youth Leadership. Kara currently teaches adjunct courses in Mentored Leadership Development at Bethel Seminary and is a member of the Evangelical Covenant Church speaker team.

Kara and her husband, Nate, along with their children, Ben and Greta, live in St. Paul and are active members of First Covenant Church in St. Paul. Having served as a staff minister, a deacon and volunteer, Kara understands the unique challenges of ministry teams and is excited for this opportunity to focus on children and families.

"I love working with staff ministers, parents and volunteers, helping them discover creative ways to bring faith into the home," she said.

Kara also actively works to create partnerships with churches and the local community, and believes a strong emphasis on children and families is the most important thing we can do to ensure the next generation has faith. Kara states that she is honored to serve in this new position for the Northwest Conference.

"I'm also excited to continue to build on the good work Jon Kramka and the Children & Family Commission have begun. I'm passionate and concerned about young families as well as helping 5th and 6th graders transition into junior high. I look forward to working closely with Ginny Olson to equip and resource churches with this transition into youth ministry."