Volume 18, Issue 2
MARCH 2006
The South-Central Newsletter
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Volume 18, Issue 2 |
MARCH 2006 |
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The South-Central Newsletter
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NEWS |
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IN THIS EDITION GET READY FOR VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL Lenten ideas from the Peace Team Inserts |
From Pastor George Carlson, Bishop
On Ash Wednesday, many Christians will gather to worship as Lent begins. Jesus calls our attention to muscles God has given us, muscles to use as we follow Jesus, muscles to use as people created in God’s image. While Lent often has called us to “give up” something, I hear Jesus call us to “take up” specific disciplines, to exercise the muscles that make us more fully human. Jesus says, “…whenever you give alms…whenever you pray…whenever you fast…” (Matthew 6). He did not say “if” but “whenever.” He assumes that we give alms, pray and fast as part of the rhythm of life. He helps us discover the muscles that connect us with others (give alms), with God (prayer), and with self (fast) so we know the fullness of life for which God creates us. Did Jesus intentionally begin with giving alms? Did Jesus realize that looking out from our own needs to the needs of others challenges us more than praying or fasting? Giving alms seems to happen most markedly as reaction, as response to tragedy. Members of the ELCA gave over $20 million in 2005 to ELCA Disaster Response to help bring hope and healing to people hit by the tsunami in Southeast Asia, the hurricanes from Texas to Florida, and the earthquakes in Pakistan and Kashmir. Now we have increasing numbers from our synod going south to help in the massive recovery efforts needed because of the hurricanes. I thank God for the generous response of so many! Do we see our intentional giving to our congregations, to non-profit agencies, to colleges and seminaries, to a whole host of opportunities, as giving alms? Do we see the abundance of resources with which we live and from which we can give, or do we see scarcity that makes us fearful and dampens our giving? How do we decide to which cause to direct our giving? Do we have a plan to share regularly with specific ministries to meet ongoing needs and to reserve some for responding to emergency needs? Jesus set an example of giving alms. He knew the resources at his disposal and trusted that giving them away would not diminish his life. He lived as a giver. He saw and shared the abundance of all that God provided. Each of us personally, each congregation, makes decisions about sharing what God provides. Our synod lives with the abundance or scarcity of what is passed on as mission support; in recent years our synod has given 59.6% of what we receive from congregations to the ELCA. Our synod needs increasingly generous support of all congregations to sustain all the vital ministries we support. I pray that this Lent we will exercise and strengthen our muscles…give alms, pray, fast…as people living in God’s amazingly abundant grace, faithfully following Jesus for the sake of the world.
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An “Invitation to Serve” event will be held Sunday, March 26, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at McFarland Lutheran Church. This event is designed to help young leaders recognize the gifts they’ve been given for leadership in ministry, and the impact that adult mentors have in their lives. “Invitation to Serve” will celebrate these young leaders and empower the AAA adults in their lives with the skills for nurturing them. Thanks to the Siebert Lutheran Foundation, this event is offered at no cost. There will be large and small group discussions. Dinner will be provided and Jonathan Rundman will be the guest musician for the day. Each young person who attends should be accompanied by an AAA adult/mentor. Registration forms and schedules have been mailed to all congregations and are available on the synod Web site: www.scsw-elca.org. Registration is due by Friday, March 17. Questions? Contact Kay Enslin at the Synod Office or at enslink@charter.net. |
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Bishop George Carlson invites you to another day of renewing your vision for youth and family ministry—“Shaping Future Leaders Day” will be held Thursday, March 9, at Our Savior Lutheran Church, Sun Prairie. Dr. David Anderson of the Youth and Family Institute will speak about milestone ministry and how our congregations can be an active part of our youths’ lives. During large and small group discussions you will be able to share what your congregation is doing to help pass the faith to your youth. Pastors are expected; youth directors and council presidents are highly encouraged to attend. There is no cost for the day. Lunch will be provided and everyone will receive Anderson’s new book that he co-wrote with Paul Hill and Roland Martinson, “Coming of Age: Exploring the Spirituality and Identity of Younger Men.” Please call the Synod Office with the names of those attending by Friday, March 3. |
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Applications are now being taken for Certification School. Anyone who works with youth and families in a congregation are eligible to be a part of the Bishops’ Initiative Certification School. Each student will receive their certification in Youth and Family Ministries through Wartburg Seminary. Each student is required to attend a week of adventure camp at Wartburg Seminary in June and one weekend a month from October through March. Another requirement is that each student put together a long-range plan for his or her congregation. Applications are available online or from the Synod Office. For more information contact Kay Enslin at the Synod Office. |
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By
Michael Rehak The corporate life of the congregation has its seasons and rhythms, but they don’t exactly match the liturgical year. Consider summer as Advent; we prepare and hope; planning for Sunday School, preparing confirmation lessons, getting ready for the annual ethnic dinner. We anticipate God’s blessing that will bring new life, new hope. The light of the Epiphany season (early fall) quickly fades as adults are too busy, or insecure, to register for the adult Bible Study, and prospective members did not beat down the door to join. It seems to be just the same group again, and now another year older. The corporate congregational season of Lent is long, perhaps too long, as it begins with the financial report in October when the hoped-for rebound in offerings following the summer slump does not materialize. Like the liturgical Lent, the congregational lent is seasoned with some soul searching, a bit of reflection, a more-than-generous portion of blaming, and, true to our human nature, a full dose of failure to see God in the midst of our despair. In the fullness of our humanity we corporately stand with others on Good Friday and crucify the Christ. The culmination of our Lenten journey in the cries to “Crucify Him!” frequently occurs on a Sunday sometime between mid January and early February (depending on the Super Bowl). We call it the annual meeting. The cross of Christ is about human attempts to limit God. In the cross we see human fear, impotence, guilt, arrogance, pride and lust for power and control, contrasted with the power of God’s love. In too many annual meetings we crucify God’s grace with these same human factors. We are fearful and doubtful and so we try to limit what God would do through us: We ended last year in the red, we have to cut the youth worker’s position. “Crucify Him!” We want to remodel the kitchen this year, let’s cut benevolence. “Crucify Him!” Worship attendance and offerings were down last year, can’t we fire the pastor? “Crucify Him!” We need to have the flag returned to the sanctuary so that we feel safe and free. “Crucify Him!” The family-based feuds for power and control of “our church” continued. “Crucify Him!” Can our congregations embrace, and be transformed by, the power of the resurrection? Resurrection changes our life’s perspective. The new perspective means that we approach life, corporately and individually, with a radically different set of questions. Resurrection questions never limit, but always serve to expand the vision of God’s love active in faith, in our new life. No longer does the question stand, “What do we want to do?” rather, “What would God have us do?” No longer is the issue, “What is best for this congregation?” but, “To whom would God have us reach out?” No longer would we be tempted to say, “We need to take back ‘our church’,” but rather, “How can we give this ministry away to new members and the next generation regardless of the form it takes?” Each Sunday we come to Easter worship with many and varied personal needs. We want our needs to be met by God. We leave the Lord’s Table, having felt the bread of redemption in our hands and with the taste of the wine of blessing on our lips, with only one need; the need to be the love of God to, as Jesus put it, our neighbor. As our congregation is being guided by that one need, and learns to trust God for all else, the Resurrection is transforming us through the power of the Holy Spirit into a Pentecost season of our being.
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More than 35,000 youth are already registered to attend the ELCA Youth Gathering in San Antonio, but there’s still plenty of time to register. In fact, there is a $50 discount for those who plan to attend the first week, July 5-9. Visit the gathering Web site, www.elca.org/gathering, for lots of information and updates, registration materials, etc. If you are already attending the gathering, make use of this Web site, and if you’re the Cruz Director, make sure you are subscribed to the monthly newsletter. Also, there’s still room for congregations to host an international guest. If your congregation would like to host a youth from another country who will then attend the gathering with you, please contact your synod coordinator, Pastor Clint Schnekloth, pastor@bminet.com, for more details. Information regarding bus travel can be found at: http://www.scsw-elca.org and then click on 2006 ELCA Youth Gathering. Finally, all adult counselors are expected to attend one of our synodical training events. Please mark your calendars. 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, (608) 423-3017, with the number of adult counselors that will be attending the training from your congregation, and at which location. |
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Just returned from a mission trip to Pass Christian, Mississippi, are members from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Baraboo; Primrose Lutheran Church, Belleville; West Koshkonong Lutheran Church, Stoughton; and other Lutheran and United Church of Christ members in Mineral Point and Dodgeville. To learn more about the trip, especially if considering a trip yourself, check out the blog set up by a member of St. Paul’s, Baraboo, at http://www.wikatrinamissions.blogspot.com/ or contact Lance Myers, the team leader from Belleville, at: myersalp@verizon.net for more information. |
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The 25th Annual Rural Ministry Conference, “Living with Hope in an Age of Fear,” will be held March 5-7 in Dubuque, Iowa. This conference will examine timely questions such as: “In an age marked by fear and overshadowed by terrorism how and where do we find hope?” and “How do we respond to the manifestations of fear: economic fears, political fears, fear of the other?” as well as, “How can we share this hope with our congregations, communities and the world?” These questions will be addressed by drawing upon the knowledge and expertise of pastors and theologians from a number of denominations and regions of the country. For complete conference details including schedule, accommodation information, conference fees, and registration, please visit the Center for Theology and Land’s Web site at www.ruralministry.com or contact Julie Phillips at jphillips@wartburgseminary.edu or (563) 589-0273. |
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By Lisa Nelson Does your confirmation program need a boost? Are your confirmation mentors looking for a little help? Want to supply your small groups with some resources? How about council devotions? Try these Prayer and Bible Storytelling Methods. Creative Small Group Prayers · Bandage prayer: Think of someone who is hurting and needs your prayer. Put a band-aid on the back of your hand or front of your notebook to remind yourself to pray for that person. · Post-it note prayer: Write the name or event that you would like to pray for on a post-it note. Put that post-it on the bathroom mirror or refrigerator or someplace where you will see it regularly. · Crossword prayers: Put a sheet of large graph paper in the center of the group. Have people think of one-word prayer topics, such as a person’s name, a thank you, a world concern. Have the first person write their word in the middle of the paper while saying it aloud. Everyone takes turns writing their word, connecting their word to an existing word by a common letter, like in a crossword puzzle. · Letters to God: (Greeting, body of the letter, and signature) After sharing highs and lows of the day, have people make someone else’s highs and lows into a prayer. “Dear God, thank you for being with ‘so and so’ during that test. She feels really good about it. Please help her to make up with her best friend. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” Biblical Storytelling Methods · Use toys and other household objects as props (Sample story: Matthew 13:24) · Wraparound: Have everyone close their eyes. Read the story, pausing to ask questions, such as “What might Jesus be thinking as he enters the room?” “What might the disciples be feeling?” Describe their facial expressions. “What do you notice about (name a character)?” “What thoughts come to your mind as you hear Jesus’ words?” (Sample text: John 13:1-17) · Freeze frame: Two people hold up a blanket as someone reads a verse or two. Behind the blanket, two or more people create a scene depicting what was read. Drop the blanket so the group can see the scene. You also can supply a box of props. · Character in the midst: Read a Bible story, such as Jesus meeting Nathanael (John 1:43-51). Then the facilitator plays Nathanael as he meets the rest of the disciples. The group responds to Nathanael’s questions about how they met Jesus. What they like about him. What they think the future holds for them as a follower of Jesus. (Participants do not become another character but respond as themselves.) These prayer methods and Bible storytelling methods are from The Youth and Family Institute’s “Growing Groups” manual (youthandfamilyinstitute.org). The “Letter to God” prayer is from Faithinkubator’s Stepping Stones (faithink.com). |
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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. A group VBS specialist puts on the program and provides each participating church with exclusive take-home giveaways and a training DVD. Cost for the event is $20 for the first person and $10 for each additional person if you register in advance. For more information, contact the church at (608) 238-7119. |
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By Lori Richardson Mission Support: Jan.
2006
$217,479 We are catching up. Our Mission Support for January was up over last year at this time. We are still a bit behind overall from last year. We realize that budgets are tight in all congregations and in our own households. When giving is down from congregations, this causes problems for the synod as well as the ELCA Churchwide organizations. Please be sure to turn in your 2006 Statement of Intent so we can plan for our 2006-2007 Spending Plan. |
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Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque offers several events in March to consider: March 11-13 are the dates for the “Considering Your Call: Conference on Ministry.” This event is for individuals and their spouses, or significant others, who are considering vocational choices and a possible call to ordained or lay ministry. Learn more at http://www.wartburgseminary.edu/template_FutureStudents.asp?id=256 The Hein Fry Lecture Series continues on Wednesday, March 15, on the topic of “Living Together in the 21st Century: As Lutherans in the ELCA.” Lecturers will be the Rev. Herbert W. Chilstrom and the Rev. H. George Anderson, former presiding bishops of the ELCA. The ELCA’s current presiding bishop, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson will serve as respondent. Learn more at http://www.wartburgseminary.edu And don’t forget the 25th Annual Rural Ministry Conference, “Living with Hope in an Age of Fear,” March 5-7. (See more on page 4 of this newsletter.) It’s not too late to register for this event. |
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Beginning Process and/or in interims: Bethlehem, Brodhead; Brooklyn, Brooklyn; Norway Grove, DeForest—Interim Brad Pohlman; St. John, Janesville; Lake Edge, Madison; St. Paul/St. John, Mazomanie—Supply James Schwarz; St. John’s, Prairie du Sac (Associate); Bonnet Prairie, Rio—Interim Dean Phillips; Wisconsin Heights Parish—Interims Ted Kalkwarf and John Shep Study Process: Faith, Columbus (Associate); ELC, Mt. Horeb—Interim David Keesey-Berg; St. John’s, Reedsburg (Associate); St. John’s, Oregon—Interim Kari Vadis Interviewing candidates: St. John, Evansville—Interim Clark Kilgard; Hope, Milton—Interim Jerald Wendt; Immanuel, Mount Horeb—Interim Timothy Vadis; First English, Platteville—Interim Terry Larson; Bristol, Sun Prairie—Interim Larry Pinnow; Immanuel, Watertown; Trinity, Pell Lake (Associate). In
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Rolfe Nervig has joined the Synod Staff as Associate with the Bishop for Mission Support and Outreach. This opening was created by the resignation of Scott Austin in January. Nervig will provide leadership in mission support and stewardship education for the synod. He will engage with congregations involved in transformational ministry and/or considering relocation or realignment of shared ministries. He also will provide leadership with the synod outreach committee as they discern opportunities for new starts and for ethnic ministries and will relate to the synod’s global connections ministry team. Nervig graduated from Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, and earned a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Hamma School of Theology, Springfield, Ohio. For the first 12 years of his professional life, Nervig worked in social services for several non-profits, including LSS, where he was Director of Refugee Resettlement Services. Then he spent 16 years in sales. Most recently he has worked as Director of Business Development for two organizations, including Edgewood College, Madison. A member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, for over two decades, Nervig has extensive leadership experience in nearly every aspect of congregational life. Nervig and his wife have four adult children and live in McFarland. |
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Members of Advent Lutheran Church, Madison, in partnership with members of their sister congregation, Community of Hope (UCC), have been sending packages to U.S. military forces in Iraq. Because packages must have a named recipient, these packages are sent to a chaplain for an artillery unit and to a CSM (Command Sergeant Major) at a hospital for distribution to members of the respective units. The packages are well-received. The chaplain of the artillery unit (now rotated out of Iraq) says: "The packages that you and those with whom you serve sent made all the difference. They helped me make my office a safe place and a refuge. Soldiers would come off patrol and be looking for beef jerky, coffee, movies etc. Once the soldiers were in my office they would unwind and sit and talk and relax; so the packages helped me in ministering to the soldiers and in taking care of them spiritually, emotionally. The ministry you did on our behalf was and is a morale multiplier.” In addition to regular shipments of various items (such as candy, coffee, beef jerky, magazines, books of cartoons, etc.) there have been larger shipments of Christmas trees and of exercise equipment, with the latter coming both from congregation members and donated by a Madison area health club (which donated barbell weights.) The children of the two congregations also participate: recently they made Valentines for the troops in Iraq. As with many of the things sent, the numbers in comparison with the number of troops in the two units are small: what may matter most is the implicit message that the congregations care and that they embrace the troops. The activity is an outgrowth of a program coordinated by another Madison area pastor and former Army chaplain, Peter Fribley, who has been instrumental in collecting and shipping around 20,000 paperback books to Iraq, each of which bears a label saying that the senders pray for the safe return of the person reading the book. |
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On Sunday, March 12, Faith Lutheran Church, Walworth, will open its doors from 1 to 4 p.m. to celebrate and share with the community their new sanctuary and gathering space. A service of dedication will begin at 2:30 p.m. |
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By Pastor Richard
Dowling, As the Synod Assembly rapidly approaches I hope you are making plans to contribute to the synod’s collection of midwife and hospice kits for Global Health Ministries. The easiest way to find out about the requirements for the kits is to go to the GHM Web site at www.ghm.org. Check under “Projects” then under “Hands on Projects” and there you will find instructions for midwife and hospice kits, knitted and rolled bandages and baby caps. Last year, when Solveig Carlson asked for my help in promoting Global Health Ministries, I jumped at the chance because I believe in this ministry. There is such tremendous need in our world and through GHM I found another way to help. At last year’s Synod Assembly, I was standing in line waiting to be fed along with the other pastors and delegates when I struck up a conversation with Bea Haagenson, the visiting representative of GHM. As we talked her hands and fingers continued to labor with a white cotton string as she crocheted a project about four inches wide. Wanting to make a personal connection I asked, “Are you making something for one of your grandchildren?” “No,” she replied. “I’m making a bandage.” With those words she began to tell me of the knitted/crocheted bandages that are used as wraps to cover and hold a piece of gauze to a wound caused by diseases such as AIDS or Leprosy. Also in line with us was another pastor who added, “My daughter introduced that idea to several of her school friends and now a whole group of them are working on the project.” Somebody else added that their church crocheted 100 bandages this year. “Why am I the last to find out about these things?” I wondered to myself. I quickly recovered and said to Bea, “I wish I could learn to do that.” To which she replied without stopping her crocheting, “What’s stopping you?” Well. I didn’t have an answer for that question. I went home from the Synod Assembly bothered by the question about what was stopping me. Finding still no good answer (though I came up with several lame ones), I went to the local library to check out a book on crocheting. I opened the book feeling that I could have just as well been reading about quantum physics (which would have been easier to understand.) So I went to the Internet and got six billion sites on crocheting, checked out a few and decided that this too was hopeless. Finally, I went to one of the quilters from our church, who also teaches crocheting, and learned to crochet in 15 minutes. The beauty of this project is that it gives you a hands-on connection with suffering people living half way around the world. It also gives me a chance to pray for them while I work at making the bandages. (It also gave me something to do during the Packer season when Green Bay was coming so close to winning and then would lose. Instead of stomping out of the room and yelling, “What a waste of a good Sunday afternoon,” I would say, “Well, at least I finished another bandage for GHM.” The Packer games were a little easier to take.) Someone asked me if it bothers me being a man and crocheting. I thought about it and replied, “Not in the least.” Why should it bother me to take time to pray while working at helping to bandage a wound? I am thankful that God has opened a way for me to connect with a wounded brother or sister. What’s more is that other people are interested in making similar connections. Curious onlookers ask, “What are you making?” And I reply, “I’m making a bandage.” To which they reply, “I wish I could learn to do that.” And I answer back, “What’s stopping you?” |
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The Center for Congregational Leadership (CCL) is currently offering the following learning opportunities for lay and rostered leaders throughout the synod. These events focus on topics and practices relevant to congregational life and mission. The center encourages pastors to contact Director Jim Bailey or one of the presenters themselves to arrange for hosting one of the workshops or the mini-course described below. Scheduling the date and location for the learning event (plus an appropriate honorarium) will have to be arranged with presenter. Workshop: “CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION SKILLS FOR CHURCHES” Leader/Facilitator: Pastor Mark Buchan, Redeemer Lutheran Church, (920) 992-3553, mbuchan@centurytel.net This workshop is designed by the Lombard Mennonite Peace Institute and includes four basic components: discussion of the nature and role of conflict (including biblical materials), understanding one’s own response to conflict, developing interpersonal peacemaking skills, and understanding congregational conflict. This workshop is suitable for council retreats, a Saturday workshop, or as part of an ongoing educational series. Each participant or congregational team will be invited to purchase the manual “Conflict Transformation Skills for Congregations” for $12. Buchan has participated in the conflict transformation program since 1999, and has engaged in additional training at the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center. For a detailed schedule, contact Bailey or Buchan. Workshop: “CONGREGATIONAL VISIONING PROCESS” Leader: Pastor Dick Inglett, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, (608) 742-8502, ringlet@jvlnet.com This workshop explains the approach and provides the materials necessary to lead a congregation through a 10-week visioning process, which includes a vision statement retreat and ways of implementing the vision into the life of the congregation. The workshop involves an overview of the process, materials used, publicizing and choosing participants, introduction of resources, step-by-step review of the visioning process and development of the visioning statement. Inglett, who has developed and led this process effectively in his current congregation, also teaches in the Lay School of Ministry. For more information, contact Bailey or Inglett. 5-Week Course: “THE POWER OF NONVIOLENCE: FROM JESUS TO GANDHI AND BEYOND” Instructor: Dr. Jerry Folk, (608) 241-8661, jlfolk@tds.net. This five-week course begins by focusing on the role of nonviolence in Jesus’ ministry and the early church before considering nonviolence as a political strategy in the 19th and 20th centuries (e.g., Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.). Resources include the ELCA Social Statement For Peace in God’s World and the Wisconsin Council of Churches’ Statement on Nonviolence. The course includes the viewing of several inspiring documentaries on the subject. Folk served as Director of Church in Society, ELCA, pastored at St. John’s in Madison, and led the Council of Churches in Wisconsin. Now retired, he still teaches in the Lay School of Ministry and coordinates adult education at Luther Memorial Church in Madison. For more information, contact Bailey or Folk. Contact Dr. Jim Bailey, Director of CCL, at (563) 557-1793 or jimjudybailey@mwci.net |
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David P. Mayer will lead a retreat on “Opening Your Gifts Of Leadership” on Sept. 30 at Midvale Community Lutheran Church. Mayer, coordinator of congregational ministries at Good Hope Lutheran Church, Oil City, Pa., and author of “Our Gifts,” published by Augsburg Fortress in 2002, will consider the following topics during the retreat:
“The Congregational Dilemma and the Disciple-Leader” 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. |
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Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM) has committed to helping start (or re-start) 1,000 new congregational men’s ministries in 2006. LMM will assist up to 15 congregations in each synod by supplying up to six congregational leaders with complimentary copies of the “Master Builders Bible for Men.” LMM’s vision is “That every man grow in his relationship with Jesus Christ through an effective men’s ministry in every congregation.” To that end, the 2006 “LMM Master Builders Bible for Men” distribution and Men’s Ministry Leadership Development initiative is underway. Lon Buss, our synod’s LMM Task Force Leader, has 90 Bibles ready for distribution in our synod. You can contact him via e-mail at londebbuss@charter.net . The “Master Builders Bible for Men” is a special edition of the Serendipity Bible, which is designed to facilitate small-group study of the Bible in ways that are not threatening for the novice and yet challenging for the veteran student. The supplement is a 32 page, step-by-step guide to help congregational leaders build an effective men’s ministry. To be clear, this initiative’s purpose is not simply to start a Bible Study group in each of these congregations, but that a leadership team, with the guidance of the “Master Builders Bible for Men,” would become a model small group in the congregation and will eventually design a men’s ministry for the congregation. These Bibles come at no charge. But those groups who receive them are asked: 1) To work through the 32-page supplement in the front of the Bible. 2) To periodically report progress to the synod leader. 3) To fill out a form with the name, address, phone and e-mail of each member of the leadership team who receives a Bible. This form will be given to the synod leader who will forward the information to the LMM churchwide office. If men in your congregation would like their copies of the “Master Builder Bible for Men” for the purposes listed above, please contact Lon Bus. He can provide more details if needed and/or coordinate delivery. |
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By Pastor Nick Utphall, As a synod, we have resolved in our assemblies to make commitments to peacemaking and educating ourselves in nonviolence. With the start of Lent, I’d like to share a bit of what our congregation has done, in order to encourage you in your own discipleship. Last year at St. Stephen’s during our Lenten Wednesdays together we focused on “A Force More Powerful.” This “force” is Jesus’ new way of nonviolent resistance. It is not passivism. It is not the escalation of armed struggle. It is a new way, articulated and lived by Jesus and his followers, sometimes to the death. Along with our soup supper and Holden Evening Prayer, we listened to Jesus’ difficult calls to peacemaking in the Sermon on the Mount, joined by a hymn written to give voice to Jesus’ new way (click here for hymn). During the five weeks of worship, we reflected on Matthew 5:1-12, 21-23, 38-42, 43-48, and 7:1-5, 12, which are some of the passages in which Jesus most clearly teaches this new way of nonviolence. Following the evening prayer service, Pastor Jerry Folk led a class on nonviolence from Jesus to Gandhi, through Martin Luther King and into our current times. Jerry Folk, Bonnie Block and other members of the Synod GCM Peace Team continue to be available to provide leadership for workshops and adult and youth education programs. The Synod Resource Center has a shelf of peace resources, including the video series titled “A Force More Powerful.” It is a vital time for us, as followers of Jesus, to hear his call to be peacemakers and take up his new way of nonviolence. |
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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 |
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March 1 Ash Wednesday |
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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. |
