About Rev. Lauren Ostrout

Personal Vision: My life is about letting my light shine and helping to kindle the divine spark in others, so that, together, we’re helping God mend the world.

The Reverend Lauren Lorincz Ostrout is an Ordained Minister in the United Church of Christ and has served as the Pastor of Colchester Federated Church in Colchester, Connecticut since 2017 (a congregation affiliated with both the United Church of Christ & American Baptist Churches).  Originally from Wadsworth, Ohio, Rev. Ostrout grew up in the UCC and she’s passionate about local church ministry—preaching the Gospel, teaching the stories of the Christian faith, and serving our neighbors as Christ calls us. 

Rev. Lauren Ostrout graduated magna cum laude from Elon University with a Bachelor’s Degree in History, and with honors from Andover Newton Theological School (now Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School) with a Master of Divinity Degree.  She previously served as the Solo Pastor of a UCC congregation in Massachusetts for six years. 

Rev. Lauren Ostrout is a Certified Forest Therapy Guide and an Andover Newton Fellow. She appreciates being involved in the wider church and being part of such an historic, dynamic, and welcoming congregation at Colchester Federated Church. Just for fun, Rev. Ostrout enjoys traveling, photography, reading, forest wandering, and cheering for her beloved Cleveland Browns alongside her husband Neill.

The Wild Holy Podcast ~ Lauren’s Callings: Ordination, Trees & Thin Places

Rev. Lauren Lorincz Ostrout Education & Certifications:

• Bachelor of Arts in History, Minor in Religious Studies ~ Elon University, Elon, North Carolina
• Master of Divinity ~ Andover Newton Theological School, Newton Centre, Massachusetts
• Ordained Ministerial Standing in the United Church of Christ (UCC)
  (2011 – Present)
• Alum of the Next Generation Leadership Initiative (NGLI) of the UCC
• Completed the Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders (sponsored by The Lombard Mennonite Peace Center)
• Certified Forest Therapy Guide

*Most of the photos found on this blog come from Unsplash. Some photos were taken by Rev. Lauren Ostrout and are noted as such. Here’s Lauren’s Unsplash page should you like to see her photography: https://unsplash.com/@laurenostrout

*Quotations from Rev. Lauren Ostrout’s blog may be used in worship settings without requesting permission, provided that you include a brief credit line in your sermon or worship bulletin. Thank you so much for reading!

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