ELCA NEWS SERVICE October 26, 2009 ELCA Congregations Define Mission According to Their Local Contexts 09-235-MRC CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Joy Mortensen-Wiebe is looking for congregations in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) East-Central Synod of Wisconsin to define mission. "We want mission to come from the community, and we're looking to (congregations) to define what mission means in their local contexts," she said. Mortensen-Wiebe, who serves as the synod's director for evangelical mission, said mission for her is about "getting the Good News of Jesus Christ everywhere." For many of the ELCA's 10,396 congregations mission is at the heart of ministry. Whether it's about starting or revitalizing congregations, for some Lutherans mission is about building relationships and engaging with communities. Each of the ELCA's 65 synods is creating local "mission strategy tables" headed by a director for evangelical mission. This new design, "Evangelizing Congregations Missional Plan," strives to embrace diversity while renewing congregations. The plan focuses on rural and ethnic ministries, large congregations, community organizing, identifying leaders, ministry with people living in poverty and more. Mission is being approached in a new way in the ELCA East-Central Synod of Wisconsin, according to the Rev. James A. Justman, bishop, Appleton. "Most people, if they know anything about a synod, understand that synods help with the call process and show up when there's a conflict. People have developed a stereotype around this understanding. I would argue that our synod is (striving) to be overtly concerned with what congregations are doing to bring vitality, growth and energy." Justman said synod staff is embracing the notion of becoming "first class noticers. We want congregations to engage in development and cultivate new ideas, and we want to support them. We see our role as strengthening what congregations are doing, particularly what's being done well, and extend that throughout the synod." He said synod staff does not define mission opportunities. Rather, congregations decide what mission opportunities help bring "liveliness" to local communities. "We trust congregations and their instincts to know where to plant the seed for mission. The synod's role is to actively support, encourage and extend that growth into other areas that (can) benefit," Justman said. Two congregations of the synod -- Grace Lutheran Church, Tomahawk, Wis., and Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Merrill, Wis. -- have figured out how to engage in youth ministry work together. While the congregations are 30 miles apart, they have formed a bond and are working together, Mortensen-Wiebe said. In the Appleton area, three congregations whose ministries have reached a "plateau" -- Grace Lutheran Church, Trinity Lutheran Church and Zion Lutheran Church -- are exploring how they can define and engage in mission together. "We're all in it together. We live in such a time when we're skeptical of one another, and we forget that we are called to be in relationship with one another," Mortensen-Wiebe said. In the ELCA New England Synod, "we understand mission to be the sharing of the Good News of Jesus Christ in a way that invites, encourages and nurtures. It's about proclaiming the gospel in a responsible way," said the Rev. Jane O'Hara Shields, the synod's director for evangelical mission. There are many ways to do mission that are contextual, intentional, radical and invitational, she said. The population in the territory of the ELCA New England Synod is growing, O'Hara Shields said, "but not at the growth rate that the rest of the country is experiencing." "We also know that the growth is among cultures that are (not) Anglo/White," she said. "Many of these folks come from Central and South America, Africa and other places, and they have much to teach us. They are coming as Christians with lots of wonderful gifts to share, and we're learning from each other. This is important to the New England Synod. There's a wealth of gifts that are celebrated and shared here." O'Hara Shields said her synod has committed itself to a journey called "Healing the Wounds of Racism." She said the synod's bishop has "actively expressed her expectation that all leaders engage in anti racism training. More than 100 leaders in the synod are committed. This has been an important part of shaping the mission of our synod as we go about doing mission. We strive to make every partnership a mutual partnership, one of giving and receiving." The ELCA New England Synod is also working to train congregations in "transformational ministry, as many of our congregations are weary and in survival mode," O'Hara Shields said. "We need to be challenged to think, equip diverse young leaders both lay and clergy, and explore bold steps that lead to change," she said. The ELCA Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod's council and bishop embrace diversity, according to Irma B. Godinez, the synod's Hispanic/Latino ministry coordinator. "But it takes more than visioning to make a synod multicultural. It takes action to do outreach," Godinez said. "This synod has been 100 percent supportive of outreach, particularly among Latinos. Our bishop is aware that the Latino population is growing not just in Texas. What we're lacking is the local leadership to help begin new missions and ministries." As part of its mission efforts, the synod has developed a "Parish Lay Academy" to cultivate new leaders. "We have 20 lay leaders who understand the basics of preaching, biblical studies" and more, Godinez said. There's also a Hispanic/Spanish Coalition Council that helps bring together pastors and other leaders from congregations. Godinez said the synod has also built effective relationships with the ELCA Southwestern Texas Synod and the ELCA Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod. In response to a September meeting that brought together synod bishops and directors for evangelical mission, Mortensen-Wiebe said, "We're having fun" exploring mission. Justman, she and others from their synod came to the meeting wearing bowling shirts, "not because we are a bowling team, but we are a team that's (serious) about mission. The Christian life is not all drudgery. We like to have fun," she said. - - - Information about ELCA Evangelical Outreach and Congregation Mission is at http://www.ELCA.org/eocm on the ELCA Web site. 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