wfn.org | Lutheran Stewardship Specialists Examine New Way of Working

[NEWS@ELCA.ORG]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

February 11, 2004

Lutheran Stewardship Specialists Examine New Way of Working
04-020-MR

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Stewardship leaders of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) examined a new way to organize
their work and reflected on where stewardship ministry is headed
in the church, when they met here for the Stewardship Leadership
Conference Feb. 5-8.
     Under the theme, "We Say Yes!" about 100 mission
interpreters and stewardship field staff gathered for worship,
workshops, discussions and networking.	Workshop topics ranged
from conflict and stewardship management to increasing mission
funding.
     Mission interpreters and stewardship leaders shared ideas,
best practices and stories about ELCA ministries, said Nancy L.
Snell, director for stewardship and mission giving, ELCA Division
for Congregational Ministries (DCM).  "Mission interpretation is
key" for the 10,721 congregations of the church "to share a
portion of their income with the 65 synods of the ELCA for
synodical and churchwide ministries."
     In an effort to connect stewardship leaders to the work of
other church leaders and provide a new context in which to
organize their work, participants learned about Natural Church
Development (NCD) -- a method of understanding church health and
growth.
     A "purpose for us to learn and do [NCD] is to work in
collaboration with the ELCA Division for Outreach," said Snell in
an interview.  The goal of the Division for Outreach, which is
currently implementing principles of NCD, "is to plant new
churches from healthy situations.  Our interest in NCD and the
work of the division is to help build healthy congregations, so
that effective stewardship is implemented and resources are used
appropriately."
     Snell and Jonathan Reitz, salt specialist, DCM, led a
presentation on the "basics and experiences" of NDC.  Salt
ministry is a professional stewardship service offered by the
ELCA.
     NCD views the church as "a living organism that grows and
needs nurturing," Reitz said.  Its focus is improving the health
of the church with the understanding that when a church is
sufficiently healthy, numerical growth will follow, he said.
Congregations are offered a survey to measure their health in
eight "quality characteristics," said Reitz.  They are
"empowering leadership, gift-oriented ministry, passionate
spirituality, functional structures, inspiring worship, holistic
small groups, contextual evangelism and loving relationships."
     Survey results come as eight scores, one for each quality
characteristic.  A score of 50 is a "median score," meaning that
half of the churches in a given country scored higher on a given
characteristic.
     Developed and initiated by the Institute of Natural Church
Development in Germany, more than 12,000 churches around the
world were profiled initially, said Reitz.
     "NCD is a process that involves preparation, assessment,
planning and implementation," Snell told participants.	"It is
not another thing to do, but a different way of doing your work."
     "We plan for this group to be trained as NCD coaches.
Training will begin in April with synods that have expressed a
readiness for it," Snell said in the interview.
     The Rev. M. Wyvetta Bullock, executive director, DCM,
provided an overview of "Faithful Yet Changing:  The Plan for
Mission in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America."
     Faithful Yet Changing includes a process to restructure the
ELCA churchwide organization based on a mission statement and
strategic directions affirmed by the 2003 ELCA Churchwide
Assembly.
     In November the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the
ELCA, is expected to recommend a proposal for the organization's
structure, budget and staff to the Church Council for final
approval.  The council serves as the ELCA's board of directors
and legislative authority of the church between biennial
assemblies.
     Hanson made an initial proposal to restructure the
churchwide office in September 2003 and withdrew it a month
later.
     Under that initial proposal, DCM "was probably the most
impacted," Bullock told participants.  "Our unit was completely
dismantled."  Work since that time has been to "re-engage, center
and focus on why we believe in what we do," she said.
     Bullock said staff of the churchwide office and "other
expressions of the church" are working on "phase one" of Faithful
Yet Changing from January to April.  Phase one involves examining
the strategic directions and their implementation.  Responses
will serve as input to the redesign of the churchwide
organization.
     Bullock encouraged stewardship leaders to provide their
input, giving specific attention to "the value of stewardship
education and mission funding."
     "My report about where we're going in stewardship ministry
is very short.	I have no idea," Snell told participants.  "I say
this in jest," noting that "this is a great time for opportunity.
I say this with all sincerity.	It's a time for new
opportunities, to seize them and move ahead in ways we've not
been able to do," she said.
     "We have the Office of the Presiding Bishop's attention on
our work like never before," Snell said.  Staff in the office is
"very concerned about mission support and stewardship in this
church," she said.
     "We accept the responsibility for funding the church, but we
cannot do it alone.  Funding is not separate from any specific
ministries.  Responsibility is being shared in a way that is has
never been shared before," Snell said.
     "There are many ways to work together," particularly in
"sharing stories about churchwide ministries and their impact,"
she said.  "Telling stories isn't an option; it is a necessity."
     "Our work will continue for the next nine months.	The
question before us is how effective can we be during this time,"
said Snell, adding that conference planning was "geared toward
providing tools" for stewardship leaders to continue their work
and to identify a "new way" of organizing it.
     To date, "we are $1.5 million behind last year at this time"
in mission support funding, said the Rev. Michael L. Meier,
director for leadership development and mission support, DCM.
     Meier noted some increases and declines in giving from
synods to the churchwide organization last year.  "There are dips
in giving, but it is very important that synods maintain their
[set] percentage in giving," he said.
     "You are the primary foot soldiers, experts, people with
skills, people with passion, but the primary responsibility for
mission support is with the people in your synod," he said.  "If
we believe in the ministries of the church, then we have to speak
on behalf of those ministries and its funding."
     "We Say Yes!" is the 2004 stewardship program theme for ELCA
congregations.	Produced by DCM and Augsburg Fortress Publishers,
Minneapolis, program resources are available on CD-ROM, which
includes a theme overview, planning guide, newsletter articles,
adult and children Bible studies and more.
     The stewardship ministry team of the ELCA works to train
people and develop education materials for stewardship ministries
in congregations and synods; provides seminars and staff services
to increase member giving and mission support; helps to interpret
the ELCA budget; helps generate unrestricted income for
churchwide ministries with the ELCA Office of the Presiding
Bishop through the Vision for Mission appeal; seeks contributions
for the church's World Hunger Appeal and selected designated-
giving projects; and provides resources and staff support for
mission interpreter networks in synods.
     The Vision for Mission Annual Churchwide Offering is
suggested for May 16.  Vision for Mission was established by the
1993 ELCA Churchwide Assembly to support global and domestic
mission through "celebrative giving."  It allows for direct
support from individual members of the ELCA through funds used
for current operations or as an endowment.
-- -- --
     Information about the ELCA's stewardship ministry and
resources is maintained at http://www.elca.org/dcm/stewardship/
on the Internet.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news