Campus Co-Pastor and Outreach Chaplain Laura Kraybill joined North Park’s University Ministries staff in March, sharing duties with Co-Pastor and Athletic Chaplain Terence Gadsden.
Kraybill, a missionary and pastor’s kid who moved frequently but considers Elkhart, Indiana her hometown, began at North Park just before the pandemic hit. With remote learning beginning shortly after her arrival, she didn’t have a lot of time to get to know students.
“It was a strange way to begin my job, but especially a job that is as relational as a campus pastor,” Kraybill said. “It’s been good to be back in person this fall and meet students, although I hear the hustle and bustle isn’t the same as pre-pandemic days.”
Kraybill was previously the Chaplain Resident at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. She received her bachelor’s degree from Goshen College, a master’s in theatre education from Emerson University, and a Master of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
Kraybill was attracted to North Park because of its commitment to being Christian, city-centered, and intercultural.
“The opportunity to minister within a community dedicated to God’s call in Jeremiah to ‘seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile,’ resonates with my understanding of loving our neighbors.”
She credits University Ministries with being creative in how they are able to minister despite social distancing and other limitations imposed by the pandemic.
“None of us could have figured out how to minister well alone, but together we are discovering God’s call to new ministry initiatives that might not have occurred had things stayed ‘normal.’”