Volume 18, Issue 3
APRIL 2006
The South-Central Newsletter
|
Volume 18, Issue 3 |
APRIL 2006 |
|
|
The South-Central Newsletter
|
|
NEWS |
|
IN THIS EDITION SEEKING NEWSLETTER SUGGESTIONS GET READY FOR VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL Inserts |
From Pastor George Carlson, Bishop
The cross stood as an instrument of death—the hanging gallows or firing squad or electric chair or lethal injection—in the days of Jesus. For followers of Jesus, the cross stands as the sign of God’s life-giving love that death cannot destroy. From beginning to end, our scripture testifies to God’s intent to give and sustain life: ...the LORD God…breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7) “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (Jesus in John 10:10) Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. (Revelation 22:14) During this year’s journey to the cross and beyond to the empty tomb, I ponder issues we face in our personal lives and in our society. The cross makes me ask, “Does this give or nurture life, or does this diminish life and lead to death?” And what issues do I ponder?
Public education We who follow Jesus will have different views and positions on these and many other issues. We need to face the issues together. Our congregations need to provide the safe place, the safe space, to probe and respectfully discuss difficult issues, to explore the implications of the status quo and of reform, to speak out and take action for the sake of life. Jesus did not remain silent or inactive in the face of that which diminished life, whether disease or paralysis or sin or exploitation or death. He related to those who had neither power nor voice. When told to quit, he kept at it. When threatened with death, he went to the cross. Nothing could keep him from loving others so they might have life. He gave and gives healing and hope and forgiveness and new beginnings. He did that right to the end, even on the cross. There he spoke forgiveness. There he welcomed a thief to paradise. There he connected his mom and his friend as family. I will keep asking, “Do my words, my actions, these policies, these laws, give or nurture life, or do they diminish life and lead to death?” I will invite others to share their insights together. May God’s Spirit guide and strengthen us as we seek to faithfully follow Jesus. |
| PAGE 2 |
APRIL 2006 |
|
The synod staff is looking for comments and suggestions regarding our e-mail newsletter. Do you read the newsletter or print a hard copy or both? Do you get the newsletter by e-mail or do you read it from the synod Web site? Do you like the format or would you prefer something different…possibly a one-page synopsis with links to the full newsletter? Please send any comments and/or suggestion to Lori Richardson at the Synod Office by e-mail at lorir@scsw-elca.org. Thank you for your help! |
|
Applications are now available online for certification school, which is made available free of charge thanks to the Siebert Foundation. The synod is able to send six youth workers (lay, paid, part-time or full-time) to certification school this year through Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa. Participants are required to attend “Adventure Week” June 18-24 and one weekend a month, October through March. They also learn how to put together a long range plan and are part of a final presentation at the end of the year about what they have learned and how they would share that with a congregation. If you have questions about certification school, please contact Kay Enslin at the Synod Office or at enslink@charter.net. Opportunities are like sunrises and sunsets. If you wait too long, you miss them. |
|
“Introducing Jesus of Nazareth” is the newest item in our Synod Resource Center. This DVD is the Spring 2006 Mosaic. The DVD features Peter Marty on a journey across the Holy Land—from Nazareth and Bethlehem where it all began, to Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan Valley, the Mount of Transfiguration and finally Jerusalem. “Introducing Jesus of Nazareth” is a straightforward, concise retelling of the Gospel story. The DVD also contains bonus features including a user’s guide and scenes from the Holy Land. All Resource Center items are available for check-out by anyone in the synod. We do ask that you return them promptly after viewing or reading them. If you need them for an extended period of time, please let us know that before you take the items. Currently, we have many items that have been checked out for over a year and we ask that you return those items as soon as possible. Also, if there is an item that you would like us to have in the Resource Center, please let Lori Richardson know and if there is a great interest, she can take care of ordering it. If you have items that you would like to donate to the center, let her know that as well. |
| PAGE 3 |
APRIL 2006 |
|
By
Michael Rehak I remember a simpler time; the time of my youth. Friday night was shopping night. We would all get into the car and drive into town. Walking down the street my father would greet about every person we encountered. And almost all of them greeted us back. I thought he knew everybody in Rhinelander, Wis. Then I came to the awareness that people were just being neighborly. By example he taught me to say “Good Morning” and “Hello.” This was a friendlier time; a time before Sputnik and the arms race, before the wall and 9/11, before children’s faces appeared on milk cartons, and before parents and Saturday morning cartoon characters warned: “Don’t talk to strangers!” At least for me, it was a friendlier time; a time before fear. But this article is supposed to address the real concern in many congregations: their financial condition. Simply put the offerings are down; the money to sustain a healthy ministry is not there. This admission is often followed by the litany of justifications: more people are on fixed incomes, the stock market still is not strong, threats of plant closures continue in our community... People are holding back. They think that they can not, or should not, give any more. How do we get people to more fully support the church they say they love? If the issue is seen as a monetary one, we will not make any headway short of reverting back to the church in Luther’s day when fear was used as the motivator for giving. Fear is a classic way for those in power, or those who want to be in power, to manipulate others. But Luther objected. Luther rediscovered God’s freeing grace. God’s love and grace is more powerful than fear. Fear keeps our brains in the fight, flight or freeze mode. We cease to use the rational, the relational or the problem-solving functions. We become more isolated, more insecure, more fearful. The little congregation huddles together in a house. They are all afraid to the point that they lock the doors. Miraculously the resurrected Jesus appears in their midst and encourages them not to be afraid. He says, “Peace be with you.” And then he invites them to build community with each other and with strangers; he breathes on them and proclaims, “If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven...” I suggest that the issue is not money. It’s FEAR. Fear finds its power in our insecurities. Chiding people to give more will never address the fear issue. The antidote to fear and insecurity is caring community; what the early church called koinonia, we call fellowship. Jesus did not breathe on the disciples and tell them, “Now, go only to worship.” No, he encouraged them to forgive each other. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that without forgiveness, no human fellowship can survive. It is my observation that declining giving in a congregation is following the previously set trend of declining worship attendance, which follows declining fellowship (with a few other steps in between). Healthy caring communities start with the simple greetings my father demonstrated. They are built on acknowledging the abilities each member brings. Caring communities are strengthened as members take the time to truly listen to and care about each other. People will support the relationships, the communities, which are truly meaningful. How will you help the congregation become a friendlier place? How will people practice meeting each other? How will members be invited to move beyond their fears about the Bible, learning a hymn, and fears about being able to hold different opinions on various topics and still be friends? In this season of the resurrection may the power of the Holy Spirit blow through our congregations, diminishing insecurities and fears and empowering us to genuinely build caring communities.
|
| PAGE 4 | APRIL 2006 |
|
How is your congregation supporting youth attending camp, mission trips or the National Youth Gathering this summer in San Antonio? Remember to talk with those making such plans, and ask how you can support them in prayer, through financial giving and care. Visit the ELCA Youth Gathering Web site, www.elca.org/gathering, to learn more about the youth gathering. The theme of the ELCA Youth Gathering this year is Cruzando: Journey with Jesus. Cruzando is Spanish for “crossings.” Consider crossing over and talking with your youth about this concept, and what the cross and crossings means to them in their context. If you are a Cruz Director/primary leader for the trip to San Antonio with your group, and you’ve been doing the monthly “Getting Ready” events—well-done, good and faithful servant. If you haven’t begun, there’s still time. The events are labeled by month, but you can still do them in order at any time, maybe two a month until the gathering, or during a day-long retreat. To get started, visit the Web site: http://www.elca.org/gathering/cruzdirector/january/ Also, don’t forget to attend one of the adult counselor training sessions. The 1.5-hour training events are: April 23, 2 p.m., East Koshkonong/Cambridge; April 23, 7 p.m., Our Savior’s/Janesville; May 21, 2 p.m., Peace/Waunakee; May 21, 7 p.m., Grace/Dodgeville. Please RSVP to Pastor Clint at (608) 423-3017 with the number of adult counselors that will be attending the training from your congregation, and at which location. |
|
Thanks to all who attended the “Shaping Future Leaders Day” on Thursday, March 9, at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Sun Prairie. The synod would like to extend a special thank-you to Dr. David Anderson and Rev. Larry Clark for sharing their gifts with us. The day was filled not only with passion and love for our youth, but also a lot of information. So, if you left that day wondering what the next step is, or how to get things started, call Kay Enslin at the Synod Office. She will bring her team of certification school students to meet with your congregation or committee and share how to pass on the faith to your congregation’s youth. |
|
If you are an AAA (Authentic, Affirming and Available) adult to a youth in your congregation and think that youth is a great leader, please bring him or her to the “Invitation to Serve Event” Sunday, March 26, 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at McFarland Lutheran Church. Jonathan Rundmann will serve as musician for the event, which also includes workshops for both youth and AAA adults and dinner. If you ever have wanted to tell a youth/young person that they would make a great leader in our church, then this is the event for you. Registration is due to the Synod Office right away. You can get the registration form at www.scsw-elca.org. If you have any questions, please contact Kay Enslin at the Synod Office or at enslink@charter.net. |
| PAGE 5 | APRIL 2006 |
|
By Lisa Nelson “Sleeping with Bread: Holding What Gives You Life” by Dennis Linn, Sheila Fabricant Linn and Matthew Linn, S.J. (Paulist Press 1995) is an excellent book for people wishing to become closer to God and understand God’s calling in day-to-day life. It’s great for families too and could be used in Sunday School, council meetings, Bible studies.... During World War II, orphaned children in England were gathered in camps and given food and shelter. However, many of the children had trouble sleeping. They would only sleep if they could hold a piece of bread. Then they slept knowing there would be something to eat the next day (p. 1). The authors describe what has become bread to them. In the evening, they light a candle, quiet themselves, and ask, “For what moment today am I most grateful? For what moment today am I least grateful?” (p. 6). By least grateful they mean, “What was not life-giving today?” Then they share their responses and pray to God, giving thanks for the consolation and asking for help with the desolation. Other ways to ask this question are: “When did I feel most alive today? When did I most feel life draining out of me?” What was the high of my day? What was the low of my day? What was the best part of my day? What was the worst part of my day? (p. 7). St. Ignatius called this examen. He believed that God speaks to us through our deepest “consolations” and “desolations” (p. 19). One father tells the story of when his daughter was asked out on a first date with a popular boy. He wanted to take her to a party, but she knew there would be alcohol and sexual activity at this party. The boy was so impressed when she explained why she wouldn’t go that he left the party early to visit with her and then returned to be a designated driver. The father believes that her inner strength came from doing the examen and “learning to trust that she knows what gives her life and what doesn’t.” (p. 26). You can do the examen as a follow up to any experience, such as a meeting or event (34). You can do the examen if you are stuck in an argument or a meeting that is going nowhere (34). The authors even claim that committees and councils that do the examen together usually complete their tasks more quickly because of the bond it creates. You can ask both questions, or just ask the positive one. One family reflects on the positive question every New Year’s. Now that the children have moved away, each family member writes a letter to each of the others, sharing their gratitude for that person (37). For those without someone to share this process with, the authors suggest that you imagine unconditional love, perhaps with Jesus standing beside you. Instead of sharing your discoveries with a partner, you can journal or draw or use some other form of expression (29). In that way, all of the examen becomes a prayer to Jesus. I highly recommend this book and spiritual practice and ask you to share it with others. |
|
Midvale Community Lutheran Church, Madison, is hosting a Group Fiesta VBS Party on Saturday, April 1, from 9 a.m. to noon. This is a chance to network with other VBS volunteers and have hands-on experience making the snacks and crafts, learning the songs, all while having a great time. For more information, contact the church at (608) 238-7119. |
| PAGE 6 | APRIL 2006 |
|
By Lori Richardson Mission Support:
Feb. 2006
$137,992 We had a very good January and February, which has helped a great deal. We are still behind last year and the year before. Many congregations have turned in their Statement of Intent forms for 2006. If you have not, please do so as soon as possible. Also, many congregations have not registered for Synod Assembly yet. At this point, you will need to pay the late registration fee. Please get those in to the Synod Office as soon as possible so the assembly books can get to the voting members on time. If you cannot locate your registration form, there is one on the synod Web site (www.scsw-elca.org). You can print as many copies as you |
|
St. John’s Lutheran Church in Prairie du Sac recommends Robert Chase, President of SERRV, International, an alternative trade organization, as a congregational speaker. He delivered the sermon at both Sunday services at St. John’s four years apart and members responded very well both times. He is available to talk to other congregations or smaller groups in the area, since he and SERRV are headquartered in Madison. His telephone number is (608) 255-0451. SERRV also has a community outreach department made up of people who share first-person accounts of how fair trade benefits communities. To learn more about SERRV, visit www.agreatergift.org. |
|
Beginning Process and/or in interims: Bethlehem, Brodhead—Interim Richard Thickpenny; Brooklyn, Brooklyn—Interim Rebecca Ninke; Norway Grove, DeForest—Interim Brad Pohlman; St. John, Janesville—Interim Ken Schaub; Lake Edge, Madison; St. Paul/St. John, Mazomanie—Supply James Schwarz; Bonnet Prairie, Rio—Interim Dean Phillips; Wisconsin Heights Parish—Interims Ted Kalkwarf and John Shep Study Process: St. John’s, Reedsburg (Associate); St. John’s, Oregon—Interim Kari Vadis Awaiting Name/Interviewing candidates: Faith, Columbus (Associate); St. John, Evansville; ELC, Mt. Horeb—Interim David Keesey-Berg; Immanuel, Mount Horeb—Interim JoAnn Fabie; First English, Platteville—Interim Terry Larson; St. John’s, Prairie du Sac (Associate); Bristol, Sun Prairie—Interim Larry Pinnow; Immanuel, Watertown; Trinity, Pell Lake (Associate) Recommended a Candidate: Cooksville, Evansville; Hope, Milton—Interim Jerald Wendt In
Transition:
|
| PAGE 7 | APRIL 2006 |
|
The Companion Synod team has targeted late October to early November, 2006, for a visit to our “walking partners” (companion synod) in India, the Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church. The focus of this three-week trip will be to visit healthcare facilities (Mohulpahari and Parkijuli Hospitals) and educational facilities in the synod and to discover ways to express our “covenant of companionship.” The request is for professionals in these fields to make up the traveling group (8-12 persons). Healthcare professionals will build on the vision and strategies initiated during the September, 2005, visit by Global Health Ministries executive director, Rev. Tim Iverson. The visit to educational institutions will focus on the English-medium Don Bosco School, Dumka, which has been declared as a high priority for development by the NELC. The South-Central Synod council recently allocated $9,000 from synod reserve funds to assist the NELC Don Bosco School in meeting the requirements for permanent affiliation by the Indian government. Naomi Torkelson of Thor, Iowa, a retired missionary to the NELC, will be in India from September thru November and will be an excellent resource for the visitors. There will be monetary assistance for each traveler. Application deadline is June 1. Contact the Synod Office for a travel application. For more information, contact Solveig Carlson at (608) 437-5702 or solcarlson@charter.net. |
|
Dear Parish Pastors and congregations of the South-Central Synod, As representatives of the Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church in India (NELC) and of the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin began formulating a covenant for partnership in early October, 2005, our Indian friends declared: “The most important thing that we can do as partners is to pray for each other.” The Companion Synod team wishes to be intentional about this and offers petitions to be used in weekly worship services throughout the synod. We encourage you to use them in the Prayer of the Church or wherever you find fitting in your congregation. April 2 – for solutions to ease the financial needs of the Gaurang Boro Bible and Tabitha Weaving School. April 9 – for the Shalom Chapel Prayer Ministry of the NELC in India where they do fasting prayers twice a month for healing and other problems. April 16 – for our partnership with the NELC in India so that we can share the boundless love of our Savior with brothers and sisters halfway around this world. April 23 – for the teachers and students of the Bessie Memorial English School in the NELC in India that they maintain Christian discipline and standards. April 30 – for the continuing financial crisis in the NELC in India. Workers in the central church need support in many ways and they often work without pay. Thanks for your prayers on behalf of our partners (companions) of the NELC in India. Watch for prayer petitions each month on behalf of our “family” in India in the South-Central. If you have questions or need more information or clarification, feel free to contact Solveig Carlson, Chair of the Companion Synod team, Global Connections Ministry, by e-mail at solcarlson@charter.net. |
| PAGE 8 | APRIL 2006 |
|
The Global Connections Ministry Peace Team will meet Saturday, April 8, from 9:00 a.m. until noon at Midvale Lutheran Church, Madison. The business portion of the meeting takes place from 9 to 10 a.m. Then a discussion will be moderated by Pastor Terry Larson of Sun Prairie on his deployment as a chaplain. All veterans who have served in Iran or Afghanistan and their families are especially invited to share their stories and to help the rest of us learn how to “support our troops.” For more information contact Bonnie Block at bblock@charter.net or Jerry Folk at jlfolk@tds.net. |
|
David P. Mayer will lead a retreat on “Opening Your Gifts Of Leadership” on Sept. 30 at Midvale Community Lutheran Church, Madison. Mayer is coordinator of congregational ministries at Good Hope Lutheran Church, Oil City, Pa., and author of “Our Gifts,” published by Augsburg Fortress. This leadership retreat initiates a Center for Congregational Leadership project prompted by a request from representatives of St. John’s Lutheran Church, Madison, which seeks to honor the memory and work of former Bishop A.C. Schumacher of enhancing the role of lay people in the church. The retreat is open to all congregations in the synod and is designed to assist them in building a strategy for recruiting, training and supporting leaders who develop an awareness and enthusiasm for God’s mission in the world. The retreat will be held 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Cost is $50 for a congregational team of pastor and two lay persons (registration cost includes a copy of “Our Gifts” and three lunches). To register a congregational team, contact Lori Richardson at the Synod Office. Payment is due the day of the retreat. |
|
April 7 Candidacy Committee meeting, Synod Office April 14 Good Friday/Office Closed April 17 Easter Monday/Office Closed April 18 Executive Committee meeting, Synod Office April 20 Deans
meeting, 9-11:30 a.m. April 21 & 22 Lay School April 22
Pre-Assembly Area Ministry meetings-- April 23
Cruzando Counselor Training April 27 Synod Council meets at Skaalen Home, 5:30 p.m. May 5 & 6 Synod Assembly, Marriot West, Middleton |
|
The South-Central is published electronically 10 times per year by the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, ELCA, 2909 Landmark Place, Suite 202, Madison, WI 53713. Submit all articles and inserts by the 10th of the month preceding publication to address above, or send via e-mail to the editor at debra_greene@sbcglobal.net. For more information about inserts, call the Synod Office at (608) 270-0201. Visit the synod’s Web site at http://www.scsw-elca.org. |
