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Southeastern Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
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 E-News Special 

Synod Consultation Process, Fall 2012

Attention all Rostered Persons in the Southeastern Synod: 

 

Since the start of 2012, several rostered leaders have been gathering together in mutual accountability and encouragement to address concerns around Mission Support and stewardship. The below Synod Consultation Process has emerged from our conversation and we offer it for your consideration and implementation as your congregation does the work of stewardship and mission planning. Please address any questions to the people listed at the bottom of this email, who have initiated this process within our synod.

 

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Over the last several years, congregational mission support has been falling. While some of the decrease may be due to economic issues at large, a recent Synod Audit also points to a disconnect between congregations and the synod. The synod has begun several initiatives to change this. The Consultation Process outlined below addresses this concern. 

 

Patterned on the old "Every Member Response" approach to stewardship, the goal is for every congregation in our synod to have a visitor to their congregational council as they consider the Mission Support for 2013.

 

Process

Within our conferences, we are inviting Rostered Persons to team up and visit each other congregational council during the fall for a 20 minute presentation. If a congregation is without a pastor at this time, we hope another pastor nearby would be willing to work with the council president to arrange the visit. We are asking pastors to make these visits, not to add to their busy schedule, but because our call expectations include encouraging support of the work of the greater church.

 

Prior to the call, we ask the Rostered Persons to discuss where the congregation is in its present Mission Support. Some questions might be:

  • Over the last 5 years, what has been the congregation's mission support?
  • How does the congregation frame its Mission Support: proportional giving, fixed amount, other?
  • Is there a part of the greater mission of the church/synod that the congregation has expressed or shown interest?
  • What is a reasonable challenge to suggest to the council for 2013? Increase giving by 1%, increase giving by $100/month, take up a quarterly special offering for Mission Support? Other?

Make arrangements to share the ELCA Mission Support video "Now More Than Ever," at the meeting.  (Downloadable here.)

 

The Visit

 

Begin with thanking the council for their time and, if appropriate, their past support for the synod - Mission Support, participation in one of our Synod ministries, providing synod leadership, etc.

 

Share the video (10 minutes).

 

Suggest the Challenge for 2013 and be open to concerns and questions.

 

Please gather and pass along to the Synod office questions and concerns expressed by the council, but try to not go too far afield of the purpose of your visit.

 

You might also distribute "Stories of Faith in Action, available from www.ELCA.org/resources or 800-638-3522, ext 2580.  Leave a copy of the 2013 Statement of Intent form and ask council president to complete and return to the Synod office by January 31, 2013. The council does not need to vote during the visit and please encourage them to discuss and prayerfully decide their response.

 

Close with prayer for the work of the church; the congregation, the synod, chruchwide and global partners.

 

Follow Up

 

Please let us know when visit is complete ([email protected]), any issues you feel the synod should know - or you may take concerns directly to synod staff.

 

Conference contacts:

 

Pastor Cliff Bahlinger [email protected]

Pastor Tom Clark [email protected]

Pastor Dennis Fakes [email protected]

Pastor Mike Huntley [email protected]

Pastor Ed Myers [email protected]

Pastor James Nipper [email protected]

Pastor Marcia Shumate-Schultz [email protected]

Pastor Dale Sillik [email protected] 

 

Thank you.