Volume 18, Issue 5
JUNE 2006
The South-Central Newsletter
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Volume 18, Issue 5 |
JUNE 2006 |
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The South-Central Newsletter
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NEWS |
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IN THIS EDITION CENTER FOR CONGREGATIONAL LEADERSHIP EVENTS THANK YOU FOR KITS AND BANDAGES Inserts |
From Pastor George Carlson, Bishop
Neither day draws much attention. The observance of Memorial Day increases during times of war. The reality of putting one’s life in harm’s way in service of our nation hits home when a man or woman from our community, our county or our state dies or is wounded in action. We share a common grief. We share in thanksgiving for those who give themselves to preserve freedom. Then, when a period of peace prevails, we tend to forget those who sacrificed so much. At the 2005 Synod Assembly, voting members resolved to support our troops. We can do that by respectfully observing Memorial Day. We can do that by including our troops in the prayers of the church whenever we worship and by publicly recognizing veterans and those on active duty and their families on Memorial Day weekend. The ELCA web site, http://www.elca.org/peaceandwar/index.html, provides helpful resources for worship planning, including prayers. Now think about the observance of the Day of Pentecost. Seldom does it get the same emphasis as Christmas and Easter. Yet the outpouring of the Holy Spirit energized and empowered the earliest believers to witness to the resurrection of Jesus and the presence of God’s kingdom. The Spirit brought together people of the then-known world to hear and receive and rejoice in the good news of God’s barrier-breaking, life-giving, reconciling love. The Spirit continues that work today. The Spirit gives us reason to celebrate with thanksgiving, for “I believe that by my own reason or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and preserved me in true faith, just as he calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and preserves it in union with Jesus Christ in the one true faith…” (Martin Luther, “The Small Catechism”) We would not observe Christmas and Easter without the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to make us believers! In John’s gospel, when the resurrected Jesus first appeared to his distraught disciples, he said, “Peace be with you…Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you…Receive the Holy Spirit…” (John 20: 19-22) God wills peace in our lives and in the life of the world. God sends the Spirit to give us peace and to make us instruments of peace. Those whom we remember on Memorial Day served and serve in the cause of peace. Those in whom the Spirit dwells live as ambassadors of Christ, agents of reconciliation, peacemakers. I pray that God will abundantly pour out God’s Spirit upon every person, especially every leader, so people in every nation will experience the reality of peace as God intends—peace with God, peace with self, peace with others, and peace with all creation. |
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JUNE 2006 |
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The Synod Assembly met May 5-6 at the Madison Marriott West in Middleton under the theme, “Marked with the cross of Christ Forever, We are claimed, gathered and SENT for the Sake of the World.” In business sessions, the assembly voted to: Oppose the death penalty and its reintroduction into Wisconsin; and further resolved to urge all synod congregations to study and discuss the ELCA’s Social Statement on The Death Penalty and give serious consideration to this statement as they prepare to vote on the November Advisory Referendum on the death penalty. Ask that the Synod Council and Nominating Committee of the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin study, and if the way be clear, change its by-laws to eliminate the category “persons of color” in the election process, and have both clergy and lay categories include persons of color and diversity; and further resolved that if the category “persons of color” is required by Churchwide, that only lay persons be designated in that category. Approve 2007 clergy compensation guidelines. Adopt a spending plan (budget) for 2007. Recommend that the Synod Council study the feasibility of a major fundraising appeal for ministry in higher education and explore options for increased stewardship of the synod, and to report back at the next assembly. Lift restrictions on partnership ministries in the synod on fundraising through individual congregations. Make a number of changes to the synod constitution stemming from the elimination of Area Ministries. Other assembly highlights included: The collection of 1,614 midwife and hospice kits for Global Health Ministries. Bible study and music throughout the assembly by Kelly Fryer and her Renewal Enterprise Team. The assembly also voted in a number of people to serve in the following positions: Synod Secretary: Mary DeYoung, Christ, Sharon ELCA Church Council: Susan Lux, Our Savior’s, Sun Prairie; Carolyn Butts, St. John’s, Evansville; Juanita Kielly-Dahlen, Primrose, Belleville Synod Council: Sandy Knesting, Women of the ELCA; Nathan Timm, Dane County Area Ministry; Pr. Geoffrey Hoy, North Area Ministry; Pr. Mark Dressel, Southeast Area Ministry Discipline Committee: Jean Lincoln, Our Savior’s, Beloit; Charles Thomley, Bethel, Madison; Pr. Mary Pharmer, St. Mark’s, Madison Consultation Committee: Pr. Bruce Lowenhagen, Midvale Community, Madison; Pr.Tina Koenig Ray, Atonement, Beloit; Pr. Kathy Jacobson, Primrose, Belleville; Pr. Jerald Wendt, Hope, Milton; Julie Horst, St. Mark’s, Madison; Kevin Anderson, Faith, Cuba City; Jim Harris, Hope, Mineral Point 2007 Churchwide Assembly: Pr. Mary Kay Baum, Lake Edge, Madison; Pr. Bruce Burnside, St. Stephen’s, Monona; Pr. Kathy Jacobson, Primrose, Belleville; Pr. Denise Anderson, Faith, Cuba City; Pr. Jeff VandenHeuvel, Messiah, Madison; Pr. Brad Pohlman, Norway Grove, DeForest; Sandra Rivera, Bethel, Madison; Pr. Pedro Suarez, Bethel, Madison; Bethany Ensrude, Grace, Dodgeville; Anna Lindquist, Midvale Community, Madison; Jean Lincoln, Our Savior’s, Beloit; Christine Gantz, St. Stephen’s, Monona; Hannah Wallish, Immanuel, Waupun; Eric Peterson, Bethel, Madison; Todd Fossum, First, Stoughton; Tom Martin-Erickson, Trinity, Madison; Peter Boll, St. Stephen’s, Monona; Paul Kaare, East Koshkonong, Cambridge; Timothy Mumm, Luther, Delavan; Jay R. Becklin, Primrose, Belleville Look for more Synod Assembly coverage, including photos, in the synod supplement to the September issue of The Lutheran. |
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JUNE 2006 |
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By
Michael Rehak At an annual Bishop’s Convocation I ran into a colleague whom I had not seen for some time. As we renewed our friendship he asked where I was now serving. When I told him I was still at Redeemer he immediately responded, “I thought the Bishop sent you there to close that place down.” Talk about clueless. Close Redeemer? I couldn’t think of it. My masculine ego took this as a challenge. I thought, “I will show the Bishop. He is not going to close Redeemer. Not on my watch!” I poured myself even more into saving Redeemer. But the harder I worked the more I realized the whole thing was going south. Attendance slipped further and the financial gloom deepened. A policy that a minimum of 10 percent be given in benevolence each month before payment of other financial obligations, including the pastor’s salary, meant pay checks were delayed. The harder I tried, the worse the situation became. Then one day it was as though God “knocked me up the side of the head.” I heard God’s challenge: “Who do you think you are Rehak? I am God! What kind of God do you think I am if I need you to defend my Church? What kind of God am I if you think I need you to save this congregation? I am the one who birthed this congregation. I am the one who will determine how long it lives. You are not responsible for this congregation. I am!” Wow! What does one do with that? It’s called confronting one’s control issues. Could I trust God? Can we let God be responsible for Christ’s Church? No one group has a corner on this challenge. Clergy, lay leaders, the person in the pew, as well as the matriarch or patriarch of the congregation have the same struggle to “let go and let God.” This becomes an invitation to engage the counterintuitive movement of thought and action from thinking “it is my responsibility to save this congregation” to actually becoming the Church in action; to let go of images of what it means to be successful as a congregation and to live in the relationship with God that merely asks us to be faithful in our mission. This changed my relationship with the congregation and with God. In council and committee meetings I became less of the CEO and more of a coach. I tried to see how many times I could say “Yes” to the ideas and suggestions for ministry of others. Together with the leadership we turned our attention away from the “bottom line” to focus on the front line of ministry. What might it be for you and your congregation if you (the gatekeepers, the ones who think church has to be a certain and specific way, clergy included) got out of the way and trusted God? What if we checked our egos and put away our manipulative behaviors that try to have church be only what makes us comfortable? And what if we turned off the crusader mentality and our angry e-mails and tuned in to one another listening about how God might be trying to save the Church by transforming it? If God is in control then God will set the boundaries. We need only to continually test and challenge the limits and possibilities of ministry. God does not need any of us to save the Church. God invites all of us merely to serve. Redeemer is now 10 years into their next pastorate and, in spite of my messiah complex, is still alive by the grace and power of God. Will your congregation survive your need to try to save it? Trust God!
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The South-Central Synod’s Lutheran Youth Organization is up and running. We will be hosting our Annual High School Youth Gathering in the Wisconsin Dells at the Wilderness Resort this fall. Mark your calendars for the weekend of Nov. 10-12. The cost is $125.00 per participant. We are still looking for high school youth and adults who would like to help organize this event. Watch for more information and registration forms in August. Elections will be held at the November gathering and we will need both youth and adult representatives to make up our governing LYO board. If you, or a youth in your congregation, are interested, please contact Kay Enslin at the synod office or visit the synod web site at www.scsw-elca.org. |
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The monthly youth workers meeting will go on hiatus for June and July, due to crazy summer schedules. We will kick off the fall season with our August meeting on the 17th (Thursday) featuring a 10:00 a.m. bible study/activity and meeting at 11:00. Then we will head out to lunch at noon. All meetings are held at the Synod Office. Call the office if you need directions. If you are unable to make the daytime youth worker meetings, there is another way for you to stay connected and get the support you need and deserve. Our first youth worker night meeting will be held Monday, Aug. 21, at 6:00 p.m. We will have discussions on different topics, share ideas and, as always, there will be food. Watch for more information on the web site and in your mail. If you have any questions or would like to be added to the youth workers e-mail list, please send your e-mail address to Kay Enslin at the Synod Office or to enslink@charter.net. |
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Our Savior Lutheran Church in Sun Prairie is hosting an Agape concert on Friday, June 2. Food and fellowship is at 6:00 p.m., with the concert starting at 7:00. Cost is $5.00 per person or $50.00 maximum per congregation. RSVP to Kay Enslin at enslink@charter.net or Pastor Clint Schnekloth at one of the training sessions for the National Youth Gathering. Checks for the concert can be made payable to: South-Central Synod of Wisconsin. |
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Lutheran Social Services is hosting an Adoption Informational Meeting on Monday, June 5, at 4:30 p.m. at the LSS office in Madison. Come and learn about domestic and international adoption including programs in Guatemala, Mongolia, Russia, The Philippines, China and more! Call (608) 270-6653 or e-mail Hvannatt@lsswis.org to register. |
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By Rolfe Nervig Assistant to the Bishop for Stewardship, Mission Support, and Outreach rolfen@scsw-elca.org “No problem” is a common response these days to a cursory “thank you” in public interchanges. That stands in contrast to the situations in which we so often find ourselves at work, in church or in our families. We often feel that we are surrounded by problems, and too often the problems threaten to overwhelm us. It doesn’t have to be that way. But we have to break old habits and get into a positive mindset. A book titled “Enlightened Leadership” by Oakley and Krug (Fireside, Simon and Schuster) gives excellent guidance for shifting to a positive approach. In this approach a team, company, congregation or individual shifts the focus away from “What’s wrong with where we are?” to “What will it take to get where we want to go?” The authors outline a process that includes probing the elements of success already existing in an organization and building on those. Instead of dwelling on problems, a council or committee would spend time exploring what is working well. Extending this further, the discussion would center on the specifics of what has contributed to that success, and then brainstorming how to get more of what is going well. The “Enlightened Leadership Framework for Continuous Renewal” provides a constructive outline for reflection and action: √ “Celebrate the small successes you are already achieving; √ Research extensively what you are doing to generate these successes; √ Continually … refocus in great detail the specific objectives; √ Help all parties … understand the benefits of achieving the objectives; √ Continually search for what you could do more of, better, or differently to move closer to the objectives.” By focusing on positive renewal instead of problems, we become better stewards of our gifts and the gifts of others in our congregation. This approach does not deny that problems or obstacles exist—it just refuses to focus all of the negative energy in that direction. So, ask yourself and your fellow church members: “What is already working?” and “What makes it work?” These questions focus us on our assets by acknowledging the abundance of gifts we have been given. |
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Providing Resources in Student Ministry |
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What is PRISM? PRISM is a four-day, three-night camp experience designed for students completing 9th, 10th or 11th grade. Participants will enjoy a low- and high-ropes course, listen to vibrant speakers, worship with Lutherdale staff, attend workshops, make friends, examine their call and much, much more. Students are eligible to participate based on a written recommendation from a youth leader or pastor. Eighty students will be accepted, representing the Greater Milwaukee and South-Central synods. The cost is $150.00 and congregations are encouraged to partner with families in paying for this event. Students will return with valuable ministry tools, as well as an identified ministry action plan. For recommendation and registration forms go to the South-Central Synod web site at www.scsw-elca.org or contact Kay Enslin at the Synod Office or at enslink@charter.net. Deadline for registration is June 16. |
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By Lori Richardson Mission
Support:
April
2006 $142,300 Unfortunately, our mission support for April went down. I hope that we will make up the difference with support in May. For those of you who attended the Synod Assembly in May, you know some discussion took place regarding the changes in the “spending plan” for next fiscal year. Please think about what your congregation can do to help us help you. Without support from our congregations, the synod is not able to help support other ELCA and ecumenical partnerships in our synod and churchwide. If you have questions, please talk to your pastor and congregation council. |
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DIRECTOR OF YOUTH MINISTRY: The Madison Christian Community (MCC) seeks a Director of Youth Ministry to work an average of 20 hours per week with its middle and senior high youth. MCC is an ecumenical partnership between Advent Lutheran Church (ELCA) and Community of Hope (UCC). Contact Pastor Tisha Brown for more information at (608) 824-1762 or send a résumé and cover letter to 7118 Old Sauk Rd., Madison, WI 53717 or e-mail a digital copy to office@madisonchristiancommunity.org. Applications are due June 9; the new director should be able to start this position at the beginning of August. |
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Beginning Process and/or in interims: Primrose, Belleville; Vermont, Black Earth—Interim John Shep; Brooklyn, Brooklyn—Interim Rebecca Ninke; Rockdale, Cambridge; Spring Prairie, DeForest/United in Christ, Morrisonville; Trinity, Lake Mills; St. Paul/St. John, Mazomanie—Supply James Schwarz; Bonnet Prairie, Rio—Interim Dean Phillips; First English, Whitewater (Associate) Study Process: Bethlehem, Brodhead—Interim Richard Thickpenny; Covenant, Stoughton (Associate); Norway Grove, DeForest—Interim Brad Pohlman; Lake Edge, Madison Awaiting Name/Interviewing candidates: Faith, Columbus (Associate); St. John, Evansville—Interim Ron Weber; St. John’s, Oregon; St. John’s, Mazomanie/Our Saviour’s, Black Earth—Interim Ted Kalkwarf; Trinity, Pell Lake (Associate); First English, Platteville—Interim Terry Larson; St. John’s, Reedsburg (Associate); Bristol, Sun Prairie—Interim Lisa Nelson; Immanuel, Watertown Recommended a Candidate: St. John, Janesville—Interim Ken Schaub; ELC, Mt. Horeb—Interim David Keesey-Berg; St. John’s, Prairie du Sac (Associate) In
Transition:
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Leadership Retreat on September 30 As highlighted at the Synod Assembly, the Center for Congregational Leadership is offering an “Opening Your Gifts Leadership” retreat on Saturday, Sept. 30, at Midvale Community Lutheran Church, Madison, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Open to all congregations of the synod, this leadership retreat will offer a strategy for identifying and developing lay leaders in congregations and will be led by David Mayer, author of a book published by Augsburg Fortress entitled “Our Gifts.” Registration fee for a congregation’s team of pastor and two leaders is only $50 and includes lunches and a copy of Mayer’s book. To register, send the registration form to Lori Richardson at the Synod Office: South Central Synod of Wisconsin, 2909 Landmark Place, Suite 202, Madison WI 53713-4236. If you have not received a retreat brochure and registration form, contact Lori Richardson or CCL director Jim Bailey at (563) 557-1793 or jimjudybailey@mwci.net. The planning team for the September event is also designing a follow-up process for a selected number of congregational teams. This process will include plenary learning sessions, on-site visits to congregations with effective lay leadership, and more help in implementing leadership development in the local congregation. This leadership project, honoring the memory and work of Dr. A.C. Schumacher, will unfold over a 12-18 month period. If your congregation is interested in learning more about this long-term leadership development project, contact Jim Bailey. Discernment Day on October 14 Those who are interested in learning more about the Lay School of Ministry held at St. James Lutheran Church in Verona should mark Saturday, Oct. 14, on their calendar. The Lay School staff will host another “Discernment Day” to share about the Lay School and introduce its biblical and theological courses for lay persons interested in education for ministry in daily life, Congregationally Recognized Partner in Ministry, and Associate in Ministry designations. Within weeks, Kim Eighmy, Lay School coordinator, will provide more details about Discernment Day. Watch for these announcements or contact Kim directly at (608) 845-6922 or keighmy@stjamesverona.org. |
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By Pastor Richard Dowling I want to thank you all for your donations of kits and bandages at the Synod Assembly in May. At last count the total was 1,614 kits (804 Hospice, 810 midwife) with 14 churches participating in the bandage project—crocheted, knitted or rolled bandages. I am a little unsure of who turned in kits and bandages on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, so if you turned these in after Friday noon please drop me a note on the number of kits and bandages you turned in and the church and town the bandages are from to help make for a more accurate count. You can reach me at wkpastor@merr.com. I had said I would crochet an inch for every kit donated at the assembly, but I decided to crochet two inches instead for the next assembly in 2007. I need the challenge. My friend, Betty McConnell, of McFarland Lutheran, averages about 40 of these bandages a month—or 23,000 inches in a year—so I have a ways to go. Number 6 on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals is to “Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases” and the simple act of making a bandage combats illness one bandage and one person at a time. Every time I sit and work on a bandage, I have a picture in my mind of the person who will eventually be using this bandage. Somehow this act of touching the thread of the cotton yarn as it moves through my fingers into the shape of a bandage—four feet long and four inches wide—connects me to another human being who is suffering. It is hard to put into words, but in the act of making the bandage I feel as if I am the one being blessed and being healed. Jesus blesses and heals us in every attempt we make to reach out and connect in love with another human being. Surely you are blessed and healed for the many gifts you have shared in the ministry of global health. |
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Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM) has committed to helping start, re-start or expand the men’s ministries in 1,000 congregations in 2006. They are offering 4-6 complimentary copies of the “Master Builders Bible for Men” to identified leaders in 15 congregations in each synod. LMM’s vision is “That every man grow in his relationship with Jesus Christ through an effective men’s ministry in every congregation.” Use of the “LMM Master Builders Bible for Men” in men’s ministries helps see this vision in action. The leadership supplement is a 32-page, step-by-step guide to help leaders build an effective men’s ministry. A more detailed article about the program appeared in the March South-Central E-newsletter. Additional information is also available at www.elca.org/lmm in the online Spring 2006 “Foundations” newsletter. Please share this information with your pastor, staff and key men in your congregation. To date, only two congregations have taken advantage of this year’s offer. Lon Buss, our synod’s LMM task force leader, still has 78 bibles ready for distribution in our synod. Please contact him via e-mail at londebbuss@charter.net to find out more about this initiative, and how to get bibles for your congregation’s men’s ministry. |
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Road Trip II is a Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM) event geared to young men ages 18-34. The event will provide leadership training for those who want to maintain men’s ministry at home. All men are invited and can benefit from the gathering, but those over 35 are encouraged to bring a younger man with them. The event will take place Oct. 27-29 at the YMCA of the Ozarks in Potosi, Mo. The tentative schedule includes a golf tournament, “Coming of Age” co-author Paul Hill, an X-box tournament, music w/Peter Mayer, interactive groups, worship and free time for archery, hiking etc. Cost will be about $225, including meals, housing and program registration. For more information go to the LMM Spring 2006 “Foundations” newsletter at www.elca.org/lmm. |
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St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church in Monona will celebrate the completion of its new 30-rank mechanical action pipe organ with a dedicatory recital on Friday, June 2, at 7:30 p.m. Renowned organist David Schrader will perform works by Grigny, Arauxo, Bach, Alain, Franck and Dupre. Schrader, organist for the Chicago Symphony and Church of the Ascension, is nothing less than a spectacular performer who has established an international reputation as a dazzling musician. The Rosales Opus 33/Parsons Opus 22 organ has received widespread attention and rave reviews as a “colorful, elegant and dramatic” instrument. It is a remarkable organ to see and to hear. Join us for an exciting program of music that you will enjoy and remember. A reception will follow. No admission will be charged; however, a freewill offering will be received. For further information, please call Dennis Douglas, director of music ministries, at (608) 222-1241, ext. 16, or e-mail douglas.ststephens@tds.net. |
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By Solveig Carlson, chair of the Companion Synod team for Global Connections Ministry It’s been more than 10 years since two people from this synod paid a visit to some Lutheran Christians half-way around the world to investigate possibilities for a new relationship as companions. Since then 19 others have made the trip to the Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church in India (NELC) to build on the basic blocks of mutuality and increasing transparency to strengthen the “ties that bind us together as the family of God.” As one who has had the privilege of going to India, I am a beneficiary of companionship as a gift! My life has been enriched. My mind’s view of self, of the world, of the church has been expanded. And my heart has been gripped with an indelible, non-erasable hold that begs for keeping the connection. Two opportunities await all in this synod: 1. The Companion Synod team is seeking candidates to visit the NELC in October (approximately 15 days). The goal is to send a team of five educators and five healthcare professionals. Educators will focus their time at the Don Bosco School. Healthcare professionals will devote their time to Mohulpahari Hospital and related out-clinics. The purpose for each team will be to observe and dialogue with staff to discern how we can best be in partnership for mutual benefit. Hopefully, there will be opportunity for each part of the team for interactive activities with students and patients. Deadline for application is June 1, or phone Solveig Carlson, if you have an interest. Application forms are available from the Synod Office. 2. If you cannot go on this life-changing venture, you can play an important role in the sending. Companionship is the work of the entire synod. Companionship is a gift and a calling. Each of the trip participants goes on our behalf, to be our representatives to assist us in strengthening this relationship. Monetary support is needed to make this possible. Some congregations have already contributed to the established (2005) Companion Synod Exchange Fund. If the remaining ones would give $100 over the next two months, we could provide a partial subsidy to each representative with reserves for bringing representatives from the NELC in 2007 or 2008. For more information, contact Solveig Carlson at (608) 437-5702 or Pastor Dan Odden at (608) 635-7200. |
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June 4—For the Gaurang Mission Church that God will continue to bless and strengthen their outreach ministry. June 11—For Moderator Soren and Bishop Borgoary and other church leaders that they may be blessed and encouraged in their leadership. June 18—For the presence of the resurrected Christ in the life of each congregation in the NELC. June 25—For continued communication lines to be opened between the NELC and the South Central Synod of Wisconsin. |
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The 2006 ELCA Global Mission Event takes place July 27-30 at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Join missionaries, international church leaders and ELCA members in celebrating God’s mission in the world. For more information or to register, visit the GME web site at www.elca.org/gme or call (800) 638-3522, ext. 2642 or 2645. |
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The Lutheran Association of Christian Educators (LACE) is sponsoring three interregional gatherings Aug. 4-5 based on the theme “Together in Faith: Building Community and Living Out Our Faith.” LACE’s intent with the gatherings is to provide an avenue for dynamic interaction between Christian educators on this topic and a place where participants can have their own faith fostered. The conferences are hosted by Lutheran Theological Seminary, Columbia, S.C.; Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio, and St. Andrews Lutheran Church, St. Paul, Minn. Cost is $50 for LACE members and $60 for non-LACE members. Registration materials are at www.elca.org/lace. For more information contact Elaine Krome at (843) 705-3769 or laceoffice@davtv.com or Diane Shallue at (612) 331-5988 ext. 19 or RWShallue@cs.com. |
| BECOME A CONTAGIOUS CHRISTIAN |
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Are you contagious? Have you ever thought that you’d like to follow Jesus’ mandate to “…go and make disciples in all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” but: · Did not know how? · Were too shy? · Were afraid of rejection? · Thought it was for someone else to do? · Were afraid people might think you’re coming on too strong? · Were afraid people might not want to talk about it? · Thought you needed to know all the answers? · Thought you needed to be a Bible expert? · Were afraid of losing friends or family? The goal of the Contagious Christian Seminar on Sept. 23 at Mount Horeb High School is to equip every believer in the church so that he/she will be able to personally get involved in carrying out a simple evangelistic strategy. Registration information for the seminar—sponsored by Immanuel Lutheran Church, Mt. Horeb—was included in the voting member’s packet at the Synod Assembly in May. For more information contact Kristin Steger at (608) 437-7248 or kristines@mhtc.net or visit www.immanuelmh.org. |
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June
2--Candidacy Committee June 6--All-day staff meeting/Synod Office closed June
8--Deans meeting at Synod Office, 9-11:30 June 9--CCL Steering Committee, 9:30 a.m., Synod Office June 19-24--Certification School at Wartburg June 20--Outreach Committee at Synod Office, 4 p.m. July 4--Synod Office Closed July 15--Global Connections Ministries Peace Team retreat, 9 a.m.-noon, San Damiano’s, Monona July
18--Interims meeting at Synod Office, 1:15 p.m. |
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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. |
