Linda Rantz
MSEassist
2016-01-06T22:59:59+00:00
Ministry Solutions Expert: Linda Rantz
Craig refers to Linda as the ‘digital’ member of the family. So much so that he tells people Linda only sees things in one’s and zero’s. He believes she has a USB port somewhere on her head so she can plug directly into a computer.
A former pastor referred to Linda as an ‘idea person’ saying she was always looking for solutions. And this same pastor said about both Craig and Linda that they are great builders of new systems and processes, but their strength lies in their desire and ability to train others, hand over the reins and take on other challenges.
Ministry Experience & Pastoral Care
Linda started in church ministry as a cantor and soon after was training children how to be cantors, eventually forming a “Cantor Choir.” Linda was also a member of the RCIA team and learned about the beauty of the Church’s initiation process from her friend and mentor, who was recently lost to cancer. The RCIA experience formed the foundation of Linda’s understanding of pastoral care for the ‘lost’ and the need to create a welcoming environment, which guided her actions when she moved into liturgical ministry.
Together with Craig, Linda developed the idea for Kids Worship Team. While an important element of the program was music, Linda focused on introducing youth (as young as 3rd grade) to liturgical ministries. It was an amazingly successful program with many visiting priests commenting that they had never seen anything like it at any other parish.
As Liturgy Coordinator for her parish, Linda researched and tested several ministry scheduling software programs — deciding on and implementing
Ministry Scheduler Pro. Linda credits MSP with being the a key solution to growing the volunteer base of liturgical ministers from 80 to over 300 in about three years’ time. Linda has written liturgy scripts, served as a Master of Ceremony for six different bishops, and trained volunteers for all of the liturgical ministries (even writing the training materials).
Linda’s Favorite Thing to Do
Hitch the trailer and go on a road trip anywhere with Craig.
Learn more about Linda on her LinkedIn page.