Leadership Advisory Team

The Leadership Advisory Team is a sub-set of the larger community of Abbey Way whose members have committed to gather twice a month to discern and dialogue about the leadership needs of the church. Serving as listeners and collaborative creators, their task is to help design a leadership structure that will support on-going communal ownership of Abbey Way’s vision and principles, intrinsically valuing each person as a vital part of Abbey Way.

Pastor

The pastor of Abbey Way is Jan Bros. Jan received training as a spiritual director at Christos Center and Shalem Institute and graduated from Bethel University and Seminary with a BA and MDiv and dabbles when she can in Monastic Studies at St. John’s School of Theology. She served at Church of the Open Door in Minneapolis, Minnesota for many years, both as a lay leader and on pastoral staff, before beginning Abbey Way.

Teamed up in partnership and accountability with the Evangelical Covenant Church, in prayer and with much support, Abbey Way is becoming a Christ centered faith community.

Blog: Sacred Threshold

Children’s Ministry 

Jaime Gjerdingen is Abbey Way’s Children’s Ministry Director. With a love of great literature, all things Benedictine, and of course, the life of God in the young child, she has an unique capacity to create child like wonder and holy encounter with our children.

As a wife and mother of three, Jaime knows first hand the joys and challenges of attending to the formation of those entrusted to her day to day. With this in mind, her passion is to both equip the child as well as the family to notice and respond to God in all of life.

Jaime holds a BA in English from the University of Minnesota and has helped co-teach a series entitled “Parenting the Child’s Heart.”

Worship

Brenton Haack is Abbey Way’s worship leader. As a gifted and accomplished musician, Brenton comes to us as graduate from Biola University’s Music in Worship degree program. He and his wife Missy are the newest additions to Abbey Way’s family. We are so glad they both are with us.

Atrium: Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Connie Linnertz serves as the lead catechist of the Atrium: a place of formation for the our little ones, ages 3-6+ years. She comes to us with a degree in Elementary Education from Concordia College in Moorhead and sincere love for our children. Her gentle kindness fits well with the Montessori-based formation program.

We are excited to offer the Atrium as a foundational part of what Abbey Way is all about and have Connie as its teacher. The Atrium meets September-May.

Youth

We welcome Laura Anderson as Abbey Way’s Interim Youth Director. Laura served with Abbey Way last year as our summer intern. She brings a youthful vigor and charm to her role as she endeavors to nurture the lives and hearts of our youth. She will complete her undergraduate degree at Bethel University this Spring with plans for continuing on to Seminary in the Fall.