Title: Lutheran Stewardship Leaders Express Gratitude ELCA NEWS SERVICE February 28, 1997 LUTHERAN STEWARDSHIP LEADERS EXPRESS GRATITUDE 97-07-020-MR CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "The two most powerful words in the world are "Thank you,'" according to the Rev. Walter P. Kallestad, Community (Lutheran) Church of Joy, Glendale, Ariz. Kallestad spoke to about 200 stewardship leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America who gathered in Lisle, Ill., Feb. 6-9. The 1997 Stewardship Leadership Conference was sponsored by the ELCA's Division for Congregational Ministries (DCM). Under the theme, "Every time I think of you, I thank my God," ELCA stewardship leaders met to develop new tools for mission and ministry and "to create a climate of thankfulness." One of the challenges we have is for people to realize how thankful God is for them, said Kallestad. "Once we discover how grateful God is for every individual, something happens in our mind. We develop a mindset of abundance instead of a mind set on scarcity," he said. The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, spoke about the challenges volunteer and professional stewardship leaders face. "As we look at this society that seems to be so secular, so worldly and so busy about many things, we need to take a second look. Maybe we need to see beneath this society some cries of pain and some cries for help," he said. "The church can offer people the gift of understanding God's grace and God's gift. The church must find ways to use volunteers and to challenge folks. The church must tell people that God has work for them to do," Anderson said. Conference participants were congregational leaders, deployed staff, global mission synodical coordinators, mission interpreters, mission partners and world hunger appeal synodical leaders. Each network works in the area of financial stewardship. "The ELCA's stewardship strategy recognizes the need for coordination and communication among the various groups within the church that are responsible for stewardship and mission funding," said the Rev. Mark Moller-Gunderson, executive director, DCM. The stewardship strategy, adopted by the 1993 Churchwide Assembly, contains five components: help members of the ELCA develop faith-filled lives; articulate the story of the ELCA's mission; equip and nurture lay and rostered leaders so they will guide the church as it funds its mission activities; affirm, coordinate and develop new and current methods of financial support for mission; and coordinate partnership among all expressions of the ELCA. "We are here to help make Christ known," said Moller- Gunderson. "We are here to exercise a ministry of stewardship and a ministry of thankfulness." "One of the most helpful opportunities given at the conference was the chance to network -- engage in one-to-one conversation with other leaders to share new ideas, challenges and even frustrations," said the Rev. Harris A. Hostager, assistant to the bishop of the LaCrosse Area Synod, LaCrosse, Wis. The conference consisted of five full-day workshops designed for "active participation" in developing new tools for stewardship ministry. Workshops dealt with telling the ELCA story; Bible reflections on thankful stewards, stewardship education, and creating a climate for stewardship ministry. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has 5.2 million members in 11,000 congregations. For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir., (773) 380-2955 or [log in to unmask] Melissa Ramirez, Assist. Dir., (773) 380-2956 or [log in to unmask]