New face behind the pulpit in Gunbarrel

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Gunbarrel has a new hand at the tiller. Reverend Janet Kettering was officially appointed as pastor of Shepherd of the Hills on Nov. 1, 2016.

Rev. Kettering, who originally hails from Minnesota, followed a long and circuitous route before arriving at her current appointment in Gunbarrel. A “second-career pastor,” Kettering spent nearly 30 years working as a court reporter for a Minnesota District Court judge. She watched people in trouble work their way through her courtroom—often repeat offenders—and her heart went out to them. “No matter how many times people came back to our courtroom, I wanted them to feel like they had value,” she said.

Life threw Kettering a curveball in 2002, with the unexpected and sudden passing of her first husband, Jeff Colby. With two of their three children out of the house, the future was suddenly full of questions. Already a regular and active churchgoer, Kettering found herself drawn to a deeper involvement with her local church community. Giving herself into “a life of prayer, of God giving me direction,” is how she describes the change within her in the wake of her husband’s passing.

Fellow church members were the first to suggest to Kettering the possibility of a new vocation in ministry, an idea she had never considered. “I found a voice for my faith that hadn’t been present before,” she said. Before long, Kettering found herself accepting an offer from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to enter a program called Theological Education for Emerging Ministries, which is designed to facilitate second-career transitions into ministry.

It was during her time at seminary that she met Phil Kettering, a fellow student. After graduating in May 2008, she kept in close contact with Kettering, who lived in Alaska. It wasn’t until 2012 that the two of them realized they wanted to pursue a life together, and they were married in February 2014. With children (and grandchildren) in Minnesota, Denver and California, the two saw Colorado as an ideal geographical fit, and moved to Boulder in January 2016.

As for her outlook and goals as she takes up her new ministry, Kettering refers to a quote from Rev. Glenn Lundahl, the pastor at Shepherd of the Hills when it first opened its doors in 1974: “The church belongs to the community.”

The church has long embraced that role. Pardes Levavot, a Jewish Renewal Community, also holds its services at the church. The Community Infant Program makes use of the facilities, along with local chapters of Alcoholics Anonymous and Weight Watchers. Boy Scout Troop 377 has called Shepherd of the Hills home for several years, a Girl Scout troop has also recently moved in, and the basement gym is employed by church members and other neighborhood residents on a daily basis.

In short, all are welcome. “We’re in the politics of grace, of sharing God’s love,” Kettering said. Whenever and however the church can function as an element that supports and nurtures the local community is Rev. Kettering’s lodestar as she takes up the reins of her new ministry.