BONNIE: Leading by Empowering by Lisa Polito "I had you in mind" thus begins many of Deaconess Bonnie Beversdorf's conversations. Bonnie serves as Minister of Discipleship at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Valparaiso, Indiana. At the 2500+ member congregation, Bonnie nurtures and equips members for discipleship, empowering them to use their gifts in the church and world. Her journey to Valparaiso has taken a while. Recently a childhood friend reminded Bonnie that Bonnie had written a paper about wanting to be a deaconess when she grew up. During those high school years, Bonnie played the piano and organ and was the pastor's "assistant" at VBS. But after graduation, Bonnie wasn't ready for "big" Valparaiso University and she chose to study at Concordia University River Forest instead. Bonnie spent the next 20 years as a pastor's wife-teaching, working in the mission field in the Philippines and raising three children. Bonnie's ties to the LWML were strong. She wrote Ruth-Pathway of Praise, a Bible study published by the LWML in the 1980s. In 1993, LWML sent Bonnie to Togo and Ghana for about a month to visit and support missionary wives. (Bonnie's mother-in-law, Concordia Beversdorf, is a past LWML North Wisconsin District President.) In the late 1990s Bonnie enrolled in the distance-learning program offered by the Lutheran Deaconess Association to fulfill her childhood dream of becoming a deaconess. After three years of training she was consecrated and accepted a call to Immanuel Lutheran Church in Valparaiso. Assimilation and community are two of Immanuel's critical targets. Bonnie calls herself an agent of awareness of social needs. She looks over members' spiritual gifts evaluations and interest finders. She gets to know members' needs and interests, and that's when the phone calls begin. Bonnie serves as the Stephen Ministry coordinator. She helps train Stephen Ministers and then pairs them up with a care receiver. Bonnie is a Christ Care equipper. She trains small group leaders and helps build the small groups. When a need arose for baptism banners, Bonnie got one of the Christ Care groups to do it as part of their mission service. Bonnie trains people to be parish visitors. Each Friday is her day for hospital visitation. Deaconess students spend a year with Bonnie as a mentor and supervisor, too. Bonnie gets children involved. At Immanuel's school, she coordinates with teachers and classes to make birthday cards for people over 65 and to host birthday parties. Bonnie has also started a Rainbows program, a peer support for kids who have suffered loss. The congregation's social ministry board works with Bonnie on Crop Walk, Angel Tree, soup dinners for area neighborhood groups and Gifts of Hope. A weekly women's lunch and Bible study were started at a neighborhood restaurant. Immanuel also has a food pantry that is open twice weekly. They also give out financial assistance as needed in Porter County. "When folks leave, I say 'God bless you' and they bless me right back. That's special," says Bonnie. How does Bonnie keep all these activities going? She doesn't. Bonnie gets many of them started and then passes them on to members. Then she discovers another need and gets another group started and passes it on to other members. "It's like setting a bunch of tops spinning. Some turn well, some wobble and others don't turn." But that doesn't stop Bonnie from starting a new group and empowering the people of Immanuel! Bonnie takes seriously the LDA's motto-Faith and Service in Christ. She sees her ministry as equipping others to be servants. "My greatest joy is seeing people grow and use their gifts," says Bonnie with a smile. Deaconess Lisa Polito serves as the Director of Development and Public Relations for the Lutheran Deaconess Association, Valparaiso, Ind. She is a member of Immanuel Lutheran in Valparaiso. Lisa is married to Carmine Polito, professor of Civil Engineering at Valparaiso University.