Elaina Salmon, MDiv, earned her masters from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and has served as a congregational pastor since 2008. She currently serves at Bethany Lutheran Church in Lemont, IL. Since her days in seminary, Elaina has always valued the sacredness of sharing a story. In 2023, she co-authored a book Beyond Chit-Chat: Sharing Stories that Matter to Build Deeper Faith Communities. The book is designed for congregational small groups to read and discuss together as they consider their story in light of God’s story. Also in 2022-2023, Elaina completed Claret Center’s Spiritual Direction Internship and is pleased to continue the experience as a Facilitator-in-Training. Elaina shares life with her husband, son, and daughter. She loves a good story in any format–book, movie, or theater.