wfn.org | ELCA Board Focuses on Evangelism, Planning

[News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

October 21, 2002

ELCA BOARD FOCUSES ON EVANGELISM, PLANNING
02-246-MR

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In its last scheduled business session for 2002,
the board of the Division for Congregational Ministries (DCM) of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) emphasized evangelism and
churchwide strategic planning among many of the division's ministries
that serve the ELCA's 10,766 congregations across the United States and
Caribbean. Vice chair of the board, Robert A. Sandoval, Albuquerque,
N.M., led the meeting.
     The board affirmed a first draft of "Toward a Vision for
Evangelism in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: Sharing Faith
in a New Century."  The draft is the work of the ELCA Evangelism
Strategy Task Force.  In cooperation with the ELCA Office of the
Presiding Bishop, DCM assembled the 33-member task force to develop the
evangelism strategy for presentation and possible action at the 2003
ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Aug. 11-17, in Milwaukee.
     "Ninety-six percent of Americans believe in God or a higher power,
according to recent George Gallup studies," the Rev. Carmala K. Aderman
said in an interview.  Aderman, assistant to the bishop, ELCA Northwest
Synod of Wisconsin, Rice Lake, Wis., serves as vice-chair of the task
force.
     Of that 96 percent, "26 percent are actively engaged in church,
which means that people are psychologically committed.	They give extra
money, invite friends and give more of their time to church.  Fifty-six
percent are not actively engaged in church.  They will attend worship
but will do the minimum to keep their membership alive," she said.
     "We need to find fresh ways to tell the amazing story of what God
has done in the world through Jesus Christ," said Aderman.
     "The overall goal [of the evangelism strategy] is to help members
of the ELCA reclaim our basic story.  We have forgotten to tell the good
news about Jesus Christ.  The strategy can be a way to reclaim that
story.	It will help us find renewed passion for mission and a better
sense of identity, who we are as Lutheran Christians," she said.
     The DCM board affirmed the work of the task force, expressing
appreciation for its "faithful work."  The board also directed the task
force "to continue its work on the strategy, attending to input from
this board and the wider church."  This fall, the draft is being shared
with ELCA division boards and commission steering committees, the ELCA
Conference of Bishops (an advisory body of the ELCA's 65 synod bishops,
presiding bishop and secretary) and Church Council (the ELCA's board of
directors and legislative authority between ELCA churchwide assemblies).
     In a related action, the board asked the task force to "give
specific attention" to "peace, justice and people living in poverty" by
engaging in "in-depth conversation" with staff of the ELCA Division for
Church in Society.  The board also directed the task force to make
evangelism and outreach the central focus of the ELCA in its planning
toward the future of the church.
     The task force will begin work on a final draft of the evangelism
strategy in January 2003.  The DCM board is expected to review the final
draft in February and consider sending it to the ELCA Church Council.
     In a separate decision, the board instructed the division's
evangelism team to proceed with the development of a "multi-year plan
that will be in harmony" with the church's evangelism strategy.  The
Rev. Robert W. Wallace, ELCA director for evangelism, will work to craft
the plan.
     In other business, the Rev. Kathie Bender Schwich, executive
assistant to the presiding bishop and director of the ELCA Department
for Synodical Relations, updated the board on a churchwide strategic
planning process leading up to a report to the ELCA Churchwide Assembly
next summer.  Members of the board met in small groups to review the
planning process and take notes of their discussion.
     The board:     + supported with "respectful appreciation" a resolution
from the
ELCA's Council of Synod Lutheran Youth Organization Presidents that
"encourages" the inclusion of youth between the ages of 14 and 18, as
well as young adults 19-20, in the work of the ELCA's Studies on
Sexuality Task Force.  The council requested that the task force "find a
way to include data that would represent people in that age group."  The
council met here Aug. 15-18.
     + affirmed the development of a plan to support youth and family
ministries in the ELCA's 65 synods.
     + moved to increase the income goal of the ELCA World Hunger
Appeal to $25 million by 2005, and called on the church to work at
reaching that goal.
     + encouraged the division's Christian education ministry team to
develop a multi-year plan.
     + met with Beth A. Lewis, the newly-elected president and chief
executive officer of Augsburg Fortress, Minneapolis, the publishing
house of the ELCA.  Lewis told the board that there are "three keys to
success: communication, accountability and grace from God."
     + "recognized and affirmed" the work of the division's director
for multicultural ministries and director and staff of the worship team.
Board members thanked the directors for "their ministry on behalf of the
whole church."

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html