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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