2027 FLY Committee Election

Pr. Nick Dyrud

Emmaus Lutheran Church - Bloomington, MN

What about serving on the FLY Committee do you look forward to?
I look forward to praying and seeking the Lord together as as FLY Committee. It is such a blessing to serve the Kingdom with a team that loves Jesus and desires to see the next generation know Him and make Him known.

What excites you about helping teens grow in Christ?
FLY is such critical part of the the way we reached the next generation as an AFLC. Every service, activity, and fellowship the convention offers our students is an opportunity to impact their lives for Christ.

Pr. Chris Kumpula

Zion Free Lutheran Church - Tioga, ND 

What about serving on the FLY Committee do you look forward to?
Working together with people who share a passion for keystone youth ministry events like FLY is tremendously exciting. Serving on the committee would mean being able to enjoy what all broken people love: efficient meetings, communication, planning, and administration! I want all our teams to continue work well so we can serve teens with excellence for many more years to come.

What excites you about helping teens grow in Christ?
Teens are in a stage of life and in a cultural moment where their beliefs/ideas cannot be taken for granted. Encouraging spiritual growth in teens means constantly reevaluating ministry in the face of biblical priorities and seeking fresh approaches to building durable faith that lasts a lifetime. Fostering faith formation into early adulthood is hard, but it forces us to focus on the profound power of God’s Word to shape precious eternal human souls for eternity.

Micah Moan

Solid Rock Free Lutheran Church - Anoka, MN

What about serving on the FLY Committee do you look forward to?
Working together with the FLY Committee to plan and maximize time at FLY Convention would be a great honor. Organizationally, planning the FLY Convention is large task with great opportunity. I would love to be able to serve with this great group of individuals!

What excites you about helping teens grow in Christ?
I want teens to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a blessing to partner with and encourage teens who are the future of the Church and also who are the Church today! It gets me hyped up to see God's work in their lives!

Phil Mundfrom

Faith Free Lutheran Church - Minneapolis, MN

What about serving on the FLY Committee do you look forward to?
The thing I look forward to most about serving on the FLY committee is working with others on the common goal of winning the lost and strengthening the faith of others. My theme verse in Ministry has always been 1 Corinthians 15:3 "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures"

What excites you about helping teens grow in Christ?
I have enjoyed leading and teaching youth over the years. The joy that they get when they receive the Gospel is unrivaled. It is a truly humbling experience to be able to give something that is so life-changing and powerful, yet not to give up is incredible.

Lydia Carr

Bethany Free Lutheran Church - Astoria, OR

What about serving on the FLY Committee do you look forward to?
I look forward to encouraging and empowering youth to develop a strong authentic walk with Jesus!

What excites you about helping teens grow in Christ?
I know what it is like to have people and events pour into me as a student in high school, and how encouraging it was. I am excited that I get to be that person for our students now!

Ignacio Davalos

Hope Lutheran Church - Minneapolis, MN

Pr. Patrick VandenBos

St. Ansgars Lutheran Church - Salinas, CA

What about serving on the FLY Committee do you look forward to?
I am excited to be a part of the process. I am looking forward to working with like-minded people to plan a major event for the growth and benefit of our youth.

What excites you about helping teens grow in Christ?
Teens have an excitement and energy that is infectious. I am excited to help teens funnel that excitement into what Christ has done for them - how Christ has freed them and equipped them for the rest of their lives.

Abby Smith

Hope Lutheran Church - Minneapolis, MN

What about serving on the FLY Committee do you look forward to?
I look forward to being a part of a team that prayerfully makes decisions to further students relationships with the Lord or to help introduce Jesus to the students that may not know Him yet. I also look forward to working alongside a team that have a passion for youth and young lives seeking after the Lord. A group that plans to have a camp that will be an ebenezer stone in the many testimonies of lives that Christ impacted through the week at FLY, as much as it impacted my life and relationship with Christ.

What excites you about helping teens grow in Christ?
I love to see how the students hearts change as they bear fruits of Christ when they make their relationships and faith in Christ become real by not just having the knowledge of who Christ is but when they grow into having a personal relationship with Him. Something else that excites me about helping teens is seeing students passionately worshipping the Lord and finding a place in His kingdom without fear or reservation.

Jackelyn Zeltinger

Shiloh Free Lutheran Church - Black Hawk, SD

What about serving on the FLY Committee do you look forward to?
I look forward to serving on the FLY Committee to help teens grow in their faith and connect with other AFLC teens. I'm excited to work with a passionate team to create a Christ-centered and fun event.

What excites you about helping teens grow in Christ?
Helping teens grow in Christ excites me because it’s a chance to walk alongside them during such a formative time in their lives. I’m passionate about sharing God’s love and truth in ways that are real and relatable. Seeing young people deepen their faith and discover their identity in Christ is incredibly rewarding.

Brett Erickson

Grace Free Lutheran Church - Maple Grove, MN

What about serving on the FLY Committee do you look forward to?
If elected, I look forward to serving the FLY Convention by using the gifts that God has given me to plan and organize with the other FLY Committee members everything that goes into running the 2027 FLY Convention. Additionally, I would specifically look forward to praying over the 2027 Convention and looking for ways to make the 2027 Convention as meaningful as possible to all who attend.

What excites you about helping teens grow in Christ?
What excites me most about helping teens grow in Christ is thinking back on when I was a teenager and the struggles and confusing thoughts that I had about the world around me. The teenage years are a challenging and confusing time, but also a pivotal time in growing in Christian faith. I hope to point teens to the truth and promises of God's word and provide a firm foundation planted in the Hope we have in Jesus Christ as our Savior.

Abby Peterson

St. Paul's Free Lutheran Church - Fargo, ND

What about serving on the FLY Committee do you look forward to?
I'm looking forward to working with people from different congregations! I have really grown to appreciate the opportunities I've had to work as a part of the body of Christ for the purpose of sharing the Gospel with God's children.

What excites you about helping teens grow in Christ?
As a teen, one of the ways I recognized Christ's love for me was through the people that took the time to show that they cared. I'm excited for the possibility of being used in the same way in other teens lives.