St. Luke’s Lutheran Care Center chaplain Rev. Dan Foster began his duties there in May.

After leading congregations in Vernon Center, Amboy and Winnebago for many years, Reverend Dan Foster made a change and became the chaplain for St. Luke’s Lutheran Care Center in Blue Earth.

“It is different,” Foster says, “Now, I see my “parishioners” every day.”

His first day on the job at St. Luke’s was on May 1 of this year. It was just one of many changes he and his wife, Reverend Jeanette Bidne, have experienced in the last few months.

“Besides making the move to St. Luke’s, we were blessed with the birth of our first child, Benjamin, seven months ago, and we moved into the house Jeanette’s father had grown up in, which is out in the country between Bricelyn and Kiester,” Foster explains. “I believe Benjamin is the seventh generation in Jeanette’s family to live in the house.”

Foster grew up in lower North Mankato.

“Not Mankato,” he chuckles. “North Mankato is not Mankato and lower North Mankato is not the same as upper North Mankato.”

Foster completed his undergraduate work at Hamline University in St. Paul. He then spent some time as an archeologist before working for a company which sold board games.

He eventually enrolled at Luther Seminary in St. Paul which is where he would meet his future wife.

After seminary, he worked with an ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) congregation outside of Aldrich, which is located in Wadena County.

From Aldrich, he would go on to work with three UMC (United Methodist Church) congregations in Eagle Bend, Clarissa and Clotho, which were located in Todd County.

When Jeanette was called to serve the ELCA congregation in Blue Earth in 2016, Dan began serving the three congregations in Vernon Center, Amboy and Winnebago.

“Around 2017 I also started working as the hospice chaplain for United Hospital District,” Foster comments. “I continue serving in that role today. It fits in well with my duties at St. Luke’s. I work about three quarters of my time at St. Luke’s and the other quarter with hospice.”

He shares he has a clear vision of what he wants to accomplish at St. Luke’s.

“I want to make sure the residents here can connect with their clergy and their worship community,” he says. “I do provide pastoral care and provide individual visits while also leading a worship service every Sunday morning. I also try and be available to assist pastors who have questions when they come here.”

Foster shares getting to know the residents of the facility is one of the things he loves about his work.

“I enjoy listening to people’s stories, hearing about their lives and seeing where God has been active in their lives,” he explains.

Of course, given his job, he also deals with people when they are dealing with difficult situations.

“But that can be good too,” Foster says. “There is something about being with people in their hard times and finding a reason to laugh; to have the ability to experience joy in the midst of hardship. That is where my two jobs dovetail quite well.”

Asked what he does to stay busy outside of work, Foster smiles and replies, “Benjamin.”

He shares he is amazed at how much time his little boy can take up.

“And he has already changed and grown so much,” Foster comments.

He says he and Jeanette still enjoy playing board games but have not had as much time to do so since Benjamin came along. Foster also has a love of Legos and displays a variety of things he has built around his office.

Foster says the adjustment to country living and his new job have both gone well.

“At St. Luke’s, my job is more ministry focused and I do not have the administrative work which goes along with serving a congregation,” he says. “Part of my call is to be present with people in the midst of their life changes.”

He also has some goals he would like to accomplish while serving at St. Luke’s.

“COVID was very hard on facilities such as St. Luke’s. It was hard when residents could not have visitors,” he explains. “I want to work to rebuild the relationships the people here have with the community.”