“Rooted Women” panel brings five speakers to Concordia women, sharing stories of faith, motherhood, and work

From left to right: Anna Pennekamp, Jerrita Staehr, Shelbi Hackbart, Jill Beisel, Rebekah Freed, Deb Jurchen.

Photo credit: Nora Betts

By Nora Betts

Managing Editor

A panel of five women connected to Concordia shared their stories of faith, motherhood, and the workplace, answering questions for more than 50 female students at a “Rooted Women” event on Tuesday night. The speakers gave insight and encouragement that was more than just feel-good advice, said one student.

“I felt very confident trusting what all of the women had to say just because none of them are coming from a wishy-washy type of faith,” said senior Emma Kettelhake. “They were very grounded in Scripture and who God really is.”

The speakers were Jerrita Staehr, Jill Beisel, Rebekah Freed, Deb Jurchen, and Shelbi Hackbart, and the event was hosted by sophomore Paul Scholar Anna Pennekamp. The discussion covered the topics of spiritual health, faith in the workplace, motherhood, and general advice for young women.

Spiritual Health

The speakers shared practical tips for staying connected with God’s Word in their busy lives

Jurchen, who is the newly-hired Director of University Institutes, the wife of the Rev. Dr. Pete Jurchen, and a mother of five, said it is easy to feel guilty when your “quiet time” with God doesn’t look like an aesthetic Instagram post. She said it is important to make time for God wherever possible, no matter what that looks like.

Freed, Concordia’s campus Director of Christian Education and a foster mother, said that connecting with God can look different depending on your season of life. Prayer and Bible-reading habits can change when you’re relaxed, busy, or going through a breakup, for example.

A crowd of over 50 female students gathered at Tuesday’s “Rooted Women” event. Photo: Nora Betts.

“It looked different when I was a college student than when I lived alone, versus when I’ve had some foster kids at some point,” Freed said. “It looked different in each ot those seasons… so figuring out what works in this season, whether it’s in the mornings, whether it’s at night, whether it’s in my commute, whatever it is.”

Staehr is an assistant professor of education who taught in Lutheran schools for 20 years, and she is a mother of four. Beisel has been a physician’s assistant for 26 years, is a mother of two, and is the wife of track and field coach Matt Beisel. Staehr and Beisel said that praying or listening to worship music on long commutes helps them stay connected to their faith even when their schedules are busy.

“For many, many years, I commuted for many, many hours,” Beisel said. “But [it’s] a huge prayer and praise time, just to listen to Christian music and to pray and to praise. If you ever get the joyous opportunity to commute a lot, that’s a good thing to do with it– or a podcast, or the Bible.”

The speakers shared advice for young women who are married or hoping to be married someday, emphasizing the importance of a solid faith foundation for both partners.

“There’s a lot of chatter from the world, and I think the number one thing to focus on is finding a spouse who loves the Lord with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their mind,” said Jurchen. “I firmly believe that two strong Christians who rely wholeheartedly on Jesus will be able to make it through whatever.”

Faith in the Workplace

Beisel shared her experiences working at various hospitals with coworkers and patients of many faith backgrounds. She said that when caring for nonbelievers, you should be an example of Jesus’ love instead of preaching at them.

Freed said that sharing your faith in the workplace takes discernment. Sometimes the Holy Spirit tells you to speak boldly, and sometimes the Holy Spirit tells you to hold back, like giving a new church event participant the space to get comfortable instead of “bombarding them with Jesus.”

Freed said it is important to recognize “people as people and issues as issues.” You can love a person without agreeing with them, she said, and in times of disagreement, she asks herself, “What can I learn from this person?”

Hackbart, who is a Concordia graduate and stay-at-home mom of four, said the goal of faith in the workplace is to build relationships and let the Holy Spirit work in people’s lives, not to try to convert everyone yourself.

“Relationship is huge,” Hackbart said. “Build that trust where you can have those honest conversations, and then I think the Holy Spirit will work through that and just open doors.”

Failure is an inevitable part of every vocation, the speakers said, but it matters how you deal with it.

Looking a person in the eyes, admitting when you’re wrong, and asking for forgiveness is crucial, said Jurchen.

Freed said she notices that Gen Z students are scared of failure, but the question should be “What will I do when I fail?” not “if I fail.” Staehr took it a step further and said that failure is a question of “how often.” When faced with sin and failure in your vocation, you should ask for forgiveness and give forgiveness, said Staehr.

Senior Landrey Mars said she appreciated the speakers’ emphasis on facing life and its challenges with forgiveness.

“There’s just so many great reminders of needing to have grace with yourself and grace with others,” Mars said.

Motherhood

Jurchen said that life as a mother is not a balancing act, but a juggling act.

“I don’t think there’s such a word as ‘balance’ when you’re a mom,” she said. “I think you realize that there are a lot of balls you need to keep in the air. Some of the balls are made out of glass, and if you drop them, it’s bad. Some of the balls are rubber, and they can bounce, and some of them are really bouncy rubber, and they can bounce several times before you catch them again.”

She also said that for stay-at-home moms reentering the workforce or stepping into the workforce for the first time, many motherhood skills will come in handy.

“How to manufacture energy and keep a good attitude despite really hard days, and how to network, and how to build communication, and how to get things done, and how to work hard– there’s so many things that translate into the workforce and day-to-day life that are valued,” Jurchen said.

Although the world can be judgmental, Beisel said, there is no right or wrong answer to being a stay-at-home versus working mother.

Freed said she learned as a foster mother that it is important to have support because “to parent well, you can’t parent alone.”

“Being a single, full-time working mom brought additional challenges when it comes to balance, said Freed. “But I know this to be true, even for my friends that are married and stay-at-home moms and all this, that you have to have your people around you.”

In difficult times of change, like taking a new job or moving homes, Beisel said that God gives you new people to love and connect with.

Freed encouraged the event attendees that, although life will not be exactly what they think, they should seek after God and what He has planned for them.

“A life seeking after God and what He has for you, and walking with Him through the ups and the downs of life in community with the people around you is way better than what you could maybe plan,” Freed said.

Pennekamp said she hopes that the attendees learned that “you can have multiple vocations and still serve God in all of them.”

“There’s not one correct path– all these ladies said that,” Pennekamp said.