Marla Rotman

Experience

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  Faith Reformed Church

  Jan 1999 - Jan 2005

  Adult Sunday School Teacher, Spiritual Formation
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  Western Theological Seminary

  Aug 2008 - May 2012

  Seminary Intern

  While a student at Western Theological Seminary, I was given the opportunity to intern with:Rev. Kirsty Depree, Director of Discipleship, at the RCA Headquarters.Vriesland Reformed Church, Worship and Spiritual GrowthHospital Chaplaincy, Spectrum Hospital, Butterworth and Blodgett campusesChristian Formation and Direction Ministries, St. George Utah, Rev. Douglas and Catherine GreggCampus Ministries, Grand Valley State University, Rev. Chris Pieters and Rev. Pam Bush Show less

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  Grand Valley State University

  Aug 2011 - May 2012

  Chaplain, Campus Ministry

  Coordinated and provided leadership for student lead prayer ministry. Participated in all areas of campus ministry with current staff. Responsibilities included preaching, teaching, administration, planning, coordination, vision and mission.

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  Casnovia Reformed Church

  Jan 2014 - Jan 2015

  Pastor

  Provided pastoral leadership through preaching, teaching, visitation, development of teams, and board leadership. During my tenure, membership increased.

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  Reformed Church in America

  Apr 2014 - Feb 2019

  Assist RCA congregations in the midst of pastoral transitions with the development of comprehensive church profiles which include discernment and articulation of vision, values, and guiding principles.Provide consultation, resources, and guidance in developing and implementing search processes for new pastoral leadership.Resource congregational search teams in best practices for pastoral transitions.Identify potential candidates and connect them with churches in transition. Show less

  • Faculty Presenter, Cultivating Generous Congregations

    Apr 2016 - Feb 2019

  • Pastoral Search Consultant

    Apr 2014 - Feb 2019
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  Peace Church Eagan

  Jan 2015 - Oct 2017

  Co-Pastor

  Responsible for co-leadership of a 700-member congregation averaging 400 people in worship with a $900,000 annual budget. Led congregation in reversing a 10+ year decline with a 15% increase in worship attendance and a 12% increase in financial contributions in the first year.Provided leadership and creative vision for a $60,000 "refresh" capital campaign to renovate main entry.Provided vision and leadership for the development of "Kid's Hope USA" mentoring partnership with local elementary school (www.kidshopeusa.org).Identified, interviewed, and facilitated personal and corporate stories of transformation within the congregation. Provided oversight of multiple staff as well as an all-deaf congregation led by a deaf pastor. Show less

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  Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

  Jan 2018 - now

  Faculty Presenter, Cultivating Generous Congregations

  Conduct educational forums for church leadership around developing cultures of generosity as a discipleship practice.Present and facilitate training for: Religious stewardship / fundraising, developing institutional generosity, discovering a philanthropic autobiography, growing fundraising toolkits, leveraging technology, understanding the theology of living generously, developing and implementing missional generosity initiatives.For more information on Cultivating Generous Congregations, see: https://philanthropy.iupui.edu/institutes/lake-institute/courses/congregational-generosity.html Show less

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  NOKOMIS HEIGHTS LUTHERAN CHURCH

  Feb 2019 - Jul 2020

  Interim Lead Pastor

  Served as the interim pastor of this neighborhood Lutheran Church whose membership has been in decline. During my tenure I worked with our Transition Team to work through the Ministry Site Profile prescribed by the ELCA -- a 60-page document describing the congregation's strengths and needs. Our process involved the re-examination of the DNA of our particular congregation so that we could intuit our perfect-fit next pastor. When our document was complete, we developed a Call Committee and I worked alongside them.Coordinating with our Youth Director, herself a young mother, I helped the congregation make a change to its sanctuary to make it more friendly to parents of toddlers. Removing several pews in one of the transepts, we created a Pray-Ground -- an inviting space where children could play with quiet toys with their parents while engaging with the service.Our fall stewardship program was highly successful, focusing on Pennies, Presence and Power. Pledges increased significantly as did involvement in volunteer activities, increasing our power both from a financial standpoint and our impact in the community. Our giving during our time of distancing has remained solid.Covid-19 struck along the way and within a week we pivoted as agilely as possible to worshipping on line with our services recorded throughout each week. This allowed me to guide maximal contribution from numerous members, drawing on their gifts of music, reading, storytelling, photography, and even various tools of humor -- such as a planned drive-by donation parade. During this time I also initiated a weekly Bible study and after-worship Zoom meetings with fueled congregational engagement with the Word and each other during a stressful time.My time with Nokomis Heights allowed me free rein to use my gifts of active listening, creativity, preaching and boldness in embracing social justice issues consistent with our Lord's command to love one another. Show less

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  Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Rochester, MN

  Aug 2020 - now

  • Pastor of Programming, Gloria Dei, Rochester MN

    Mar 2021 - now

  • Interim Associate Pastor

    Aug 2020 - Mar 2021