wfn.org | Lutheran Stewardship Leaders Express Gratitude

[ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG]

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 AHAFFTEN@ELCA.ORG
Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir., (773) 380-2955 or FRANKI@ELCA.ORG
Melissa Ramirez, Assist. Dir., (773) 380-2956 or
MRAMIREZ@ELCA.ORG