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As culture around us changes, the Word of God stands unchanged, but should our approach to ministry stay unchanged? Jeff Woods writes an article in Congregations magazine (issues 3-4 2013) that describes the need for healthy teams, but specific teams depending on your church's embrace of change.

• Healthy "Resourcement" teams help to clarify the congregation's sense of identity. For resourcement teams to succeed, congregational leaders "must recognize the need for change and be able to guide the initiative." Surprisingly, the article explains resourcement can be successful in growing and plateauing congregations, but for many reasons seldom helps the declining church. Resourcement teams study, explore, initiate experiments, reflect, and share.  
• Another type of team, a renewal team, can help churches that fear change. This team can "help the congregation sing a new song, but many voices must be heard on the team and single issue advocates are not eligible". Influence is an important part of renewal team membership, as is a positive outlook. This team is built to explore and share...that's it. Anything more would threaten those who fear change, likely destroying renewal. 

The author concludes with a simple thought: If the church wants a quick fix, do it. If a website solves your problems, do it. Exhaust the quick fixes, then when transformational change is not evident, create an envisioning team.

The District Resource team is ready to encourage, network and equip your ministry, contact us to talk through your questions and thoughts on envisioning teams.

The Outreach Congregation: Rural and Small Town 

The NWD LLL is hosting a Mission U event on Saturday, March 22, 2014 at Peace Lutheran Church in Arbor Vitae. Rev. Jonathon Cluppert is the contact person at 715-358-8338 or by email: pastor@peacearborvitae.org.

Registration begins at 8:30am. Lunch and refreshments will be served.

Fee for the event is $8 each or $25 for groups of four or more from one congregation. 

Join WLI for an amazing weekend of worship, praise, fellowship, and growth March 14-16, 2014 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

WLI is pleased to have Ida Mall, former LWML President, and Monique Nunes, Assistant Director of Multicultural Programs at Valparaiso University as its plenary session speakers. Ida's presentation will focus around the theme "Take the Lower Seat" and Monique will share the topic, "Women after God's Own Heart." Come relax, learn and be fed.  

The Lutheran Fathers Conference

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

The Lutheran Fathers Conference is meeting on Tuesday, February 18, 9:30am - 3:00pm, at Zion Lutheran Church in Chippewa Falls.  We are studying Martin Luther's The Bondage of the Will as translated by J.I. Packer & O.R. Johnston.  In November we covered through the top of page 102, so, please prepare pages 102 through 163-of chapters II, III, and IV of The Bondage of the Will.  There is no cost and prior attendance is not required.  These meetings are open to all pastors, laymen, and laywomen.  If you have questions or need directions, please contact the church office at 715-723-6380 or zionlutherancf@charterinternet.com.  Please come and join us!

Rural & Small Town Mission provides free monthly webinars on topics important to congregations in town and country settings.  You can find past webinars on the "webinar archive" found at www.lcms.org/rstm. For more information please contact 888-463-5127 or rstm@lcms.org.

NWD Financial Box Score 

*Single-sign on through myCPS.org - BeWellServeWell.com will no longer be the access point for entering your Be Well Rewards activities. In order to participate in the program, you will need to log in at myCPS.org using the User ID you received in the mail with your 2014 Be Well Rewards brochure.

*Health Assessment Gateway - in order to earn points through the program, you will   have to complete the online Health Assessment and enter your biometric numbers.

*Updated menu and point structure - Dollar amounts, maximums, and activity requirements have changed. Make sure to review the 2014 Menu of Activities in your brochure or online at myCPS.org.

*CHP members on Medicare are not eligible for the Be Well Rewards program.

24/7 and Convenient - Online Care Anywhere

Online Care Anywhere® is a convenient, confidential, online healthcare service brought to you by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota. It is available to Concordia Health Plan members enrolled in Options A, B, C, D, E, and HDHP who reside in states where the service is offered. No appointment is needed, and a call to Online Care Anywhere is considered an office visit in relation to your cost. To find out where Online Care Anywhere is available, visit www.onlinecareanywhere.com. 

No appointment is needed! U.S. board-certified doctors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays, to diagnose and treat:

               *Acne

               *Allergies

               *Bladder infections

               *Colds & Flu

               *Depression or anxiety

               *Ear infections

               *Eye infections

               *Sinus infections

               *Skin conditions

               *Stomach ache

               *Urinary tract infections

You will have a live conversation with a doctor using video or secure text chat. Doctors can answer your questions, diagnose your condition, prescribe medications*, and provide follow-up care. 

For more information, visit www.onlinecareanywhere.com.

*At this time some states will not allow doctors to prescribe medications via this service.  

Concordia Retirement Savings Plan (CRSP) - New E-Learning Module:

Start the New Year out right by encouraging your workers to listen to the new E-learning module titled "Helping You Invest for Retirement." It explains who ProManage is and how they help CRSP plan participants with their investments.  The module is 11 minutes long.  It can be found on our website under Resources/E-Learning and then under the Financial Matters heading. Here is a link:

Medco Pharmacy Transitions Name to Express Scripts:

BEFORE THE CRISIS...

What do you get when you combine energy, passion and focus? With the Spirit in the mix you get effective servants for Christ. This is a far greater goal for our Ministerial Health mission than crisis intervention on the other end of the spectrum.

Vibrant workers are essential for vibrant ministry. This appears to be so obvious. Yet it begs a question- what do church workers need to do to sustain that vibrancy? This is not an ignorable issue.

At the foundation of Ministerial Health is the spiritual component. Placing a priority on whole health of body, mind and spirit begins with an appreciation that we are created and redeemed for a purpose.

Here we need to contemplate the meaning of the apostle Paul's words. After addressing "justification" (Ephesians 2:8-9), he immediately followed with this vital insight-

          "For we are his [God's] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for  

           good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk

           in them." (vs.10, ESV) 

We are God's "poiema" ("workmanship"/"masterpiece")--to serve His purpose. What is implied here is a partnership with God as an integral part of "sanctified" ("holy") living. Our intimate connection with God is to inspire a response from us that brings Him glory. Our very lives are to be a reflection of God within us-a holy vibrancy!

Here is where energy, passion and focus can achieve great good, as the Spirit enables that outcome. As Christ's workers this should be clearly evident in our daily words and actions. As we reflect Christ, we also model for others the presence of "poiema" in His kingdom work!