SYNOD NEWS AND EVENTS - MARCH 31, 2016

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+Bishop Jon V. Anderson

We want to give you a chance to better know Pr. Bill Nelsen. We are thankful for his presence and work as part of your synod's ministry team.

Pastor Bill Nelsen, Equipping Minister and Director, Lilly Project

Last fall, I began serving in the new part-time position of Equipping Minister for our SW Minnesota Synod. In this position, working closely with the Bishop, other Synod staff and lay leaders, I am called to provide leadership, advice, and active support to our Synod's innovative "Embrace God's Mission + Equip God's People" Funding Initiative. The title of Director of the Lilly Project was added when we received the major grant of $500,000 from Lilly Endowment Inc. of Indianapolis. As Project Director I am called to oversee the implementation of a variety of programs that will enhance the ministries of clergy, lay people, and our congregations. I will also be directly involved in the fundraising efforts to meet the Lilly $250,000 challenge to create the new Ministerial Excellence Fund.

A Background Check: In addition to love for my Lord and my family, the focus of my life has been to help people grow educationally and spiritually. With degrees from Midland University, Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University (Religion), and the University of Pennsylvania (Political Science), I spent most of my career in higher education as Dean of St. Olaf College, President of Augustana College, SD, University Minister and Interim President at Midland University, and President of Scholarship America. When I finally answered God's call to serve in parish ministry, I spent a year at Luther Seminary to qualify for ordination in the ELCA. After an Internship in New Auburn, MN, I served as Pastor at St. Paul's and Trinity Lutheran Churches, Gaylord, and currently I am serving as Interim Pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church, Lester Prairie. In parish ministry I have found spiritual uplift, deep meaning and great personal satisfaction. I am grateful now to have the chance to serve the wider work of God's ministry through our SW MN Synod.

+Bishop Jon V. Anderson
We are hearing from pastors across the synod about the need for pastors and congregations to be prepared to serve families well when their loved one has died and been cremated. I asked Pr. Don to write about their process of learning more and creating a congregational policy.

The Church and Cremation

+ Pr. Don McKee, Our Savior's of Montevideo and Chair of the Cabinet of Deans

We have seen an increase in the number of cremations in our community and I am sure in yours as well. According to data gathered by the Funeral Directors, the numbers of cremations will continue to rise to over 70% as we move into the future.

Our congregation decided to begin the process of putting a policy into place that addresses this change. There are some families who have their loved one cremated and then want to do the rest of the funeral or memorial service with no help from the funeral home. This becomes hard for the congregation and the Pastor or Pastors that serve there as most congregations are not trained in helping plan and execute the details of a funeral beyond the service and meal.

We began the process by asking what others were doing. We looked through 5 policies from other churches about the cremation. We looked at the pros and cons of each policy and began a discussion on what we might like to see in our policy.

Next, we invited the funeral directors from our two local funeral homes. We had one the first month and the other the second month for a question and answer session at our church council meeting. Both Funeral Home Directors invited us to ask anything that would be helpful as we discerned about this topic. They were open and honest on what a funeral home does and if they did not participate in a funeral what the church and or Pastor would be expected to do.

Third, we drafted a policy and began working on the language and details. We sent it out to the Funeral Home Directors and asked for their ideas on how to make this a good policy that all could live with. We spent three months revising the policy so that it reflected the mission and ministry of this congregation.

Fourth, we voted the policy in and made it part of who we are here.

If you have no policy, you should consider one. You might begin by asking a funeral home what they do for a family at the time of death. You will be amazed at the details that the funeral home directors just 'take care of' for the church and the family.

As we move into this new future, we will need policies that reflect your mission and ministry setting. We will need to be aware and well informed about changes as we care for grieving families. We will need policies that reflect what the church can do for a family and cannot do for families based on the congregation's ability and expertise. We will need policies that are helpful for the families, the congregations and the pastor(s).

Called to Care for Creation and Citizenship

+Bishop Jon V. Anderson

In a democracy, disciples of Jesus are called to be engaged citizens. As we go deeper into this election cycle, it is time to think more deeply about the policy issues, challenges and opportunities before us. Investing some time will allow us to begin to speak more clearly for what we value and long for in our shared future. As you engage in informal conversations with friends, family and co-workers there are many topics that are getting little attention. As you engage in formal conversations with political candidates and engage in discernment about who you will vote for, our social statements would equip you to bring your faith into conversation with our political process. Today I want to lift up the ELCA Caring for Creation social statement. If you go to the web page you will see a link for a two page outline summary of how the statement is built and some of the ways we are called to care for God's creation.

The statement was passed by our assembly in 1993 out of a multi-year process. It is striking how relevant its concerns still are in our time.

There is a connection between faithful stewardship and our political decisions.

Here is the conclusion of the social statement to tease you into taking time to read it or re-read it:

C L A I M I N G T H E P R O M I S E

Given the power of sin and evil in this world, as well as the complexity of environmental problems, we know we can find no "quick fix"-whether technological, economic, or spiritual. A sustainable environment requires a sustained effort from everyone. The prospect of doing too little too late leads many people to despair. But as people of faith, captives of hope, and vehicles of God's promise, we face the crisis. We claim the promise of "a new heaven and a new earth" (Revelation 21:1), and join in the offertory prayer (Lutheran Book of Worship, page 109): "Blessed are you, O Lord our God, maker of all things. Through your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts. With them we offer ourselves to your service and dedicate our lives to the care and redemption of all that you have made, for the sake of him who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Who is God calling to serve as the next generation of pastors?

+Bishop Jon V. Anderson

"Jon what was my sermon about today?"

It became a ritual. I remember Pr. Alvin Lewis asking me at the door of the church when I was in my late elementary school years. Who will be our next generation of pastors, worship leaders, ministers of word and service, lay leaders? I want to invite you to join me in inviting people to imagine this call, encourage people who show the gifts needed for ministry and support seminarians and others thinking of serving in this way. After worship he would ask in one way or another what I heard and thought about the sermon? It was playfully done. Eventually I noticed people were listening in. I made sure to pay attention so I was ready. It was one of the many ways God called me to consider becoming a pastor in a long and twisting journey.

For the church of the future we wonder if we will need more people who are wired to take risks, experiment and challenge the way it has always been done in order to continue the ongoing reformation of God's Church. We will need creative, agile and innovative pastors to connect with people who are both on the margins and have never been a part of God's Church.

A researcher has pointed out that many people begin thinking about becoming a pastor or leader in the church in the late years of elementary school. I have talked with people God has called when they are young, middle aged or growing older. I always give thanks for the people who have brought the question to them which confirms their internal sense of call. I always give thanks for the congregations that support the people God is calling deeper in faith and to become public stewards of the Gospel.

I encourage your congregation to regularly pray asking God to guide and inspire the next generation of pastors, ministers of word and service and lay staff. Leadership matters. I invite you to also pray to support the council and lay leaders who serve on boards and committees. Their willingness to serve is a huge gift. God calls people to serve in their everyday life in crucial ways as well.

Remember God's Church exists to prepare people to love and live their many callings in life, in families, communities and around the world. Our Equipping God is busy inspiring and calling, redeeming and transforming, creating and shaping all of our lives to serve in our particular vocations. All of our callings are holy to God.

Today we remember and give thanks to God's work of calling our next generation of servant leaders.

Presbyterian Communication Event

Location: SW MN Synod Office

Thursday, April 21, From 9am-3pm

+Bishop Jon V. Anderson

This daylong workshop, conducted by communications professionals on the Presbyterian Mission Agency staff, Louisville KY, will give you tips and techniques to better reach your audience. They'll offer insights and guidelines on creating a communication plan for your congregation, discuss "do's and don'ts" of media relations and "pitching" stories to your local media. You'll learn proven techniques for using social media tools like Facebook and Twitter and leave with tips that will make your communications more effective and help increase your reach.

Click here to register.

PSST Retreat: Resiliency in Pastoral Ministry

Thursday, April 14-15, 2016

Green Lake Bible Camp, Chrysalis House
Click here to learn more!

This challenge is only for Portico/ELCA Health Insured persons

The annual Healthy Living Mayo Clinic Health Assessment (HA) has been available since January 1, 2016 for all Portico/ELCA Health Insured persons. In the latest progress report on March 10th Portico reported your SW MN Synod had reached 41.7% of its possible participants. That's a GOOD start! Now it is time for a CHALLENGE! We want to reach our needed 65%+ by the next progress report. In order to reach 65%+ we need an additional 62 persons to take the Health Assessment by March 31st.