Welcome to Sarah Yotter

Pastoral intern Sarah Yotter joins the staff Feb. 3, bringing gifts forged in marching band leadership, national park ministry, and a deep love of walking alongside people in their faith journeys.

A graduate of Wartburg College with degrees in music and math education, Sarah started her career as a band teacher. Her first teaching year included the challenge of teaching band online via Zoom during the 2020 pandemic. The experience prompted her to explore ministry full-time, leading her to A Christian Ministry in the National Parks, a student-led ministry where students work and live in a national park. Eventually, she found her way to Luther Seminary. Now she arrives at St. Paul, ready to learn what ministry looks like in a large congregation and excited to discover the common threads that connect this community.

Tell us about your journey from band teacher to seminary student.

My first year of teaching was the Covid year. I had been thinking about ministry as a career option before that—I spent the summer teaching at a summer camp and it was the first time I seriously considered ministry. After ending the school year teaching band online, I decided it was a good time to take a year to explore ministry options. Camp was canceled that summer, but A Christian Ministry in the National Parks (ACMNP) still had openings.

I moved out to Washington at the drop of a hat and ended up doing three back-to-back seasons with ACMNP. I led worship once a week while living and working in the park. The relational ministry was my favorite part: getting to do life with people, hiking on the weekends, being fully present with them in that setting.

What from your younger years still shapes how you lead today?

Marching band was such a big part of my leadership development. I became a section leader by default as a freshman—I had marched in eighth grade, and suddenly I was in charge of other people. I got to learn a lot by emulating the leaders around me and trying many different things. I’m grateful for that opportunity and the space to figure it all out. It’s a big part of how I continue to lead: through honesty and leading alongside people, not in front of them.

What gives you the most energy?

Getting to interact with people. I’m an introvert, but I love listening to people’s stories. It’s so fun to hear about their journeys and watch all the details they choose to share. At camp, I loved doing the behind-the-scenes organizing and cleaning so it gave other people time to be fully present. I want to create space for people to lean into the things they’re really good at.

What might surprise people about you?

People are caught off guard that I was on the math team. I love math because there are many different ways to get to an answer, but there is one right answer. I loved the challenge of figuring it out and piecing things together.

I often show my love through homecooked meals, cookies, sweetbread, or muffins, and I love sharing recipes. In the Grand Tetons, my roommate and I managed to cook Thanksgiving dinner for 14 people in a toaster oven!

What excites you about St. Paul?

I’m really excited about the community and all the things St. Paul does. This will be my first experience in any form of a large congregation. I grew up in a one-and-a-half-pastor church for most of my childhood, so I’m excited to see a different type of church community and learn from that experience. I want to see the common threads through all of it—how we connect all of those things as one community with so many opportunities.