Elisha intern Lacey Wipf. Photos from Facebook.

“People may feel closer to God on the worship and music side of things. It is awesome to see people use their gifts for worship and music and help others connect with God,” says Lacey Wipf, Elisha intern.

Lacey Wipf is a senior, majoring in Biology, with an education minor. She will graduate from Dakota Wesleyan University this semester and serves as an Elisha intern with Student Ministries and Salem Unite.

During her internship, she has played specific roles, including leading worship planning for the DWU Student Ministry Team, including weekly chapel service and Worship Under the Stars once a month.  At Salem Unite she plans worship, plays guitar, and sings during the worship service.

Lacey grew up in Freeman, South Dakota, a town of 1,300 people. There were 14 people in her graduating class. She chose to attend DWU because of the close-knit atmosphere and the opportunity to live out her faith. Worship and music are the gifts she brings to the Student Ministry Team on campus.

“I enjoy the small-town atmosphere. Everyone cares for each other. I am finding that same experience in student ministry at DWU,” says Lacey.

COVID-19 has presented challenges, requiring patience and adaptations. “It was a struggle. Everyone wanted things to be the way they were, before the pandemic. If they couldn’t come to worship in person, they said they would not come,” says Wipf.

Virtual worship and connections create the platform to make things happen, says Wipf. She suggests that there are two different groups. Some people know how to use all of the technology and make things work, while others struggle.

“I think the biggest thing is to find the best way to put things out there and go with that. It takes a while to figure things out. It may not be the best production. If it works for you and goes well, go with it. Get to a point where it is consistent,” says Lacey. “I think we are there at Salem Unite and with DWU student ministry.”

Recording and live streaming have become part of her work as an Elisha intern. Lacey plans the weekly chapel sessions at DWU and records the session on Wednesdays with a team. The worship is then played back, via the DWU live stream channel, on Thursday mornings for the campus community.

Lacey Wipf, far right, leads music at Salem Unite.

At Salem Unite, Wipf spends time planning worship for Sundays at 10:30 a.m.  Each week the service is live-streamed on Facebook. Working through the internship with Rev. Eric VanMeter, as a mentor, and fellow Elisha intern Hanna Bowes, the team has explored ways of connecting people with God during the pandemic.

“We could not meet in person. So, we had to come up with ways for people to connect. Music is a connection for people, and we can put music out there for people to see and listen to. A lot of people are connected through music. It just speaks to them,” says Wipf. “During COVID, I have gotten to know people in a more personal manner, rather than a group. I have reached out to see how each person connects with God and help them figure out how they can best serve, grow in faith, and use their gifts.”

The challenges that COVID-19 brings may turn into the opportunities of the future. “I think it has been challenging. But I think that we will find ourselves asking, how much is it a challenge or just what will work well for us in the future?”

Wipf plans to stay around Mitchell in 2021 to continue her internship with the DWU student ministry team and Salem Unite. In the fall of 2021, she is hoping to pursue her master’s degree in Pathology.

Her ultimate goal is to work as a physiologist assistant, working in a morgue, helping with autopsies. She did an internship with a doctor at Sanford in Sioux Falls in the morgue that spurred her interest.

“I found that working in Pathology is something I am interested in. Faith is a huge part of my life. I will bring that to my work and continue to lead worship and music as a witness to my faith.”

Lacey has grown in her faith and how ministry works through the Elisha internship. She states that she has developed a sense of what it takes to foster leadership in worship planning, music, and discipleship.

“I am starting to pick up on how I can help others to grow in their faith– how I can help them visualize their gifts and talents to grow in their faith and love for God,” says Wipf.