Professional Leaders Conference

Your pastor will be back in the office tomorrow!

For the past three days, 160 rostered leaders, interns, professional congregational leaders and spouses gathered together at Bishop Lane Retreat Center just outside of Rockford for this year’s Northern Illinois Synod Professional Leaders Conference. This annual conference is part retreat, part continuing education and part time spent with colleagues.

Bishop Lane was a new location for us after many years at Sinsinawa, Wisconsin. We seemed to adjust to the new venue fairly easily. I will be anxious to hear what the evaluations have to say.

We had two presenters this year. Dr. Richard Bliese, president of Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota shared his thoughts and experiences regarding evangelism. Dr. David Cherwein, cantor of Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Minneapolis was our musician and engaged us in a lively discussion of music in worship. Both of our presenters were wonderful resources for us.

Each year, our bishop also addresses us. Bishop Wollersheim had a number of things to share, which will soon be posted on our synod’s Web site. I believe that we all paid a bit closer attention this year, since there is significant anxiety in some of our congregations and new stresses being experienced by many, if not most, of our rostered leaders.

It was really good to be together with colleagues for these three days. We learned together, ate together, played together (some played golf in the wind on Monday) and most importantly we worshiped together. We gathered around the Lord’s Table each day. We heard God’s Word read and powerfully proclaimed. We confessed our sin, were reminded of our baptism, and shared the Holy Communion.

Before I became part of the synod staff, I always made PLC a high priority. I have long been a proponent of good collegiality. Yes, in my current call I have to attend. But I want you to know, I would not have missed it. I thank all of my colleagues for the gifts they bring to our church and to my life and ministry. I also thank our congregations for allowing their leaders to make this event a high priority each year.

Your pastor will see you tomorrow!

Comments? Go to http://niselca.blogspot.com/. --JC

Busy Days

Autumn is almost officially here, but the fall schedule for the synod has already begun, just as it has in your congregation.

Mission Gatherings have been an autumn tradition for many years in the Northern Illinois Synod. This year the gatherings are focusing on the practical aspects of implementing the Book of Faith Initiative in our congregations. Elizabeth Martin, an Associate in Ministry serving Christ Lutheran Church in Belvidere, and Pastor Kurt Nordby, our synod’s Director for Evangelical Mission, are sharing the role of presenter. Elizabeth has done a wonderful job in leading the first two. One gathering is scheduled for each of our eight conferences. Bishop Wollersheim, his full-time staff, and the conference assistant to the bishop are all in attendance, so it is a great time to make some contacts.

The remainder of the Mission Gathering schedule is available at http://www.nisynod.org/missiongatherings/index.html. Gatherings are intended for all interested members and rostered leaders. We are hearing creative stories of how Bible study is growing in our congregations. Keep up the good work!

Bishop Wollersheim and his staff are also attending conference meetings with all rostered leaders to discuss the actions of the Churchwide Assembly and their implications for our congregations and for our work together as a synod. Attendance has been good so far and I hope this will continue. Open communication is more important than ever right now. It will also be good for rostered leaders to be together at our annual Professional Leaders Conference later this month.

If you are a lay person, you will want to know that at the conclusion of each Mission Gathering, Bishop Wollersheim is offering an additional 30 minutes for discussion of the Churchwide Assembly. He makes a short presentation and then provides time for questions. “Coffees with the Bishop” have been scheduled as well for four Saturday mornings. The times and locations may be found at: http://www.nisynod.org/bishop/coffee. Please join your synod brothers and sisters so that your questions can be answered.

Last Saturday, our Synod Council met for the first time with its newly elected members. A rite of installation was held prior to our sharing Holy Communion. Our new vice-president, Bill Bartlett, will be installed on Sunday, November 1 at the synod-wide Ordination Service. This service will be at 4:00 p.m. at First Lutheran Church in Rockford. If you know First Lutheran, you know there will be a seat for you!

Yes, these are busy days, but I really look forward to seeing so many folks at all of these events. As always, if we, the synod staff, can be of service to your congregation, please give us that opportunity.

Comments? Go to http://niselca.blogspot.com/. --JC

Underscoring a Life of Faith

I had the privilege of attending the funeral of the father of one our rostered leaders this past week. Even though I was representing the office of the bishop, I would have made an effort to be present since I consider the rostered leader a friend and I had met her father on at least two occasions.

It is unfortunate that someone from the synod office cannot be at every funeral of a rostered leader’s family member. Sometimes distance is the factor and at other times we are just stretched too thin. I have always felt that attending funeral services is important and I know how much my family appreciated as the Church gathered for my dad’s funeral.

In this funeral worship, I witnessed something that I had never seen before. Prior to the reading of the Scripture lessons chosen for the day, the grandchildren (including a couple of grandchildren-in-law and great-grandchildren) read passages from their grandfather’s Bible that he had underlined.

This gave us a wonderful glimpse into this man’s life of faith. It felt like a gift as these verses and short passages were read. It was a deeply personal witness spoken in the voices of his family.

When I got home, I went straight to the Bible that I use most often for my personal devotions. I wanted to see what I have underlined. One would certainly get a different picture of my faith by looking at this Bible rather than one of my study Bibles! I find that I have underlined verses that give me comfort, strength, and courage. Surprisingly, I found another pattern as I looked for my ink. I have many highlighted verses that relate to God’s call on my life.

What patterns would one find if your Bible were examined? What verses might be read at your funeral? I do not tend to do a lot of underlining, but I am going to consider getting a new colored pencil and marking my own “funeral verses”—passages that are important to me today and might become a witness even after I am gone.

Comments? Please go to http://niselca.blogspot.com/.

Covenants

I was recently reminded that it was 40 years ago this month that a group of 130 of us came together to worship for the first time as a new congregation in Fairfax, Virginia. I do not remember the exact timing, perhaps it was when we were officially organized as a congregation, but at some point each and every member signed a covenant. By signing the covenant we were committing ourselves to supporting the mission and ministry of the congregation. The covenant was framed and displayed prominently inside the front door of the church building. It was a visual reminder of the promises we made. New members were invited to sign it as they joined.

The act of signing that covenant made quite an impression on me as a 14-year-old. In my years of ordained ministry, I have made a few people nervous along the way by suggesting that membership in a congregation should be for a period of one year and that a covenant be signed annually. Most congregations ask members to pause each year to consider their financial support of the church. Some congregations have members periodically participate in affirmation of baptism. I think it would be a great idea to stop each year to recommit ourselves to the mission and ministry of the congregation, pledging our time, talents and finances, and to sign on for another year.

It was my joy to preach for the 115th anniversary of Zion Lutheran Church in Belvidere this past Sunday. Imagine my delight as Pastor Karl Otto invited his congregation to come forward to sign a covenant. This covenant calls for a recommitment to Christ and the mission of the Christian church. By signing it, the people of Zion were also committing themselves to add “one more action to my faith life.” It was such a joy to watch as young and old alike affixed their names!

Comments? Go to: http://niselca.blogspot.com/. --JC