CRE

The snow was falling and roads were slick as I drove to Kishwaukee College in Malta this past Saturday morning. I wondered if, for the first time, the weather would wreak havoc on the synod’s Congregational Resourcing Event. I was pleasantly surprised when nearly 500 participants showed up for what I consider to be one of the most important events in the life of the synod each year.

The day began with worship led by the pastor and musicians of GPS Faith Community, a congregation given its start by Grace Lutheran Church in Loves Park. GPS will be received into the synod at our 2010 Synod Assembly. Acoustics in the gym for both speaking and singing are a challenge and this year was no exception. Bishop Wollersheim preached the homily. An offering of over $2,300 was received for Lutheran Disaster Response, specifically to help earthquake victims in Haiti and Chile.

Bishop Wollersheim introduced representatives from our five new Synodically Authorized Worshiping Communities in Moline, Galena, Johnsburg, Oregon and Rockton. These groups are exploring options for their future in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Worship was followed by a keynote address by Dr. Craig Nessan, a popular professor at Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque. Craig has been well received in our synod previously when he spoke at an assembly. We were blessed and challenged by his teaching on the mission of the church.

The best parts of the day, in my opinion, were the workshops. Each participant was able to choose three workshops to attend from a list of nearly 50. In these workshops, congregations, committees and individuals shared their ideas, expertise and best practices. This year I attended the synod’s Lutheran Youth Organization workshop led by their president and vice-president and our youth coordinator. After lunch I stopped into a crowded workshop on communicating with Facebook, Twitter and Ning led by an ELCA staffer. (I am still not sure what Ning is!) Finally, I joined rostered leaders as they accepted the bishop’s invitation to spend some time together discussing the current state of affairs in the synod.

In addition to learning and experiencing new things, I really enjoy CRE because it is an opportunity to see old friends from across the synod. I have a sense that I am not alone that!
Thanks go to the CRE team and the Congregational Life Committee for their fine work in putting CRE together! This event takes a lot of work.

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

A New Pastor for our Synod

I did not want this week to pass without calling attention to last Sunday’s ordination service. On Sunday, February 28, the church gathered in Woodhull, Illinois to celebrate the ordination of Christopher Heller. Chris chose not to be ordained last November because the date of the synod-wide ordination celebration fell within one week of his wedding. The challenge in rescheduling became one of finding time in the bishop’s calendar and choosing a location.

Each synod has its own ordination practices. The Northern Illinois Synod continues to ordain new pastors in synod-wide services, planned by our own worship team. This is to emphasize the fact that ordination is an act of the church for the sake of the whole church. We do the same for consecration and commissioning.

We broke from tradition a bit by ordaining Chris in the context in which he has been called to serve. Chris will serve as associate pastor of the Edwards River Ministry, a parish of four congregations also served by Pastor Nancy Jaster. Bethany Lutheran Church in Woodhull, the site of the ordination, is one of those four congregations. Bishop Wollersheim officiated and Bette Mohr, AIM, dean of the Southwest Conference, served as assisting minister. The choir of Bethany sang. There were bells and brass, organ and piano.

The newly ordained Pastor Heller was immediately installed into his office by Pastor Tom Larsen, assistant to the bishop for the Southwest Conference. Leaders of the four congregations represented the congregations of Edwards River.

A number of pastors from the synod were in attendance. There were also quite a few folks who traveled from Christ Lutheran Church in Stockton, Chris’ home congregation, to join in the festivities.

To ordain and install in the same service is common in some synods. It is the exception here. As it was, however, the church was gathered and you were represented, even if you were not in Woodhull last Sunday afternoon.

(Pictured from left to right are Bishop Wollersheim, Pastor Heller and Dr. Winston Persaud, Chris’ ordination sponsor and professor at Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque.)

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

Wednesdays in Lent

Last Wednesday evening, I was driving to church for Lenten worship. On the way, I passed a fitness center. Through the walls of glass I could see lots of people in the brightly lit center. It appeared that every treadmill and most other pieces of equipment were in use. I actually took it as a good sign. If it is a good night to be out exercising, I thought, it will be a good night to be at church.

Attendance had been a bit sparse at the Ash Wednesday service the week before. But, for the rest of the Wednesdays of Lent, the midtown congregations of Rockford are joining together, so there was the potential for greater participation last Wednesday.

The nave of the church where we were is very large. I was not able to guess with any accuracy the number of people who were there. But, it was obvious to me that the fitness center was doing a lot better business than was the church.

I love midweek worship during Lent. It has been important to me since my youth. I like the discipline. I need to be reminded of the call to pray, fast and serve during these 40 days. I appreciate the call to repentance. Lent always improves my relationship with God.

A few people have discussed Lent on Facebook. When asked what they were giving up for Lent, some responded that they were giving up Lent. It is just too depressing. Others do not think they have time for Lent. One congregation even gave up midweek worship. They must not understand what Lent is really all about.

It may seem like we are fighting a losing battle. Going to church on a Wednesday night is certainly counter-cultural. I encourage you to not give up. Your Wednesday evening service may only have church geeks like me in attendance, but you will be equipping us to reach out with the gospel in new ways and in new contexts. Who knows? I may be talking about Jesus with someone on a treadmill on Thursday night.

By the way, I want to thank the midtown pastors for their efforts. Do not forget to thank yours too.

Comments? Go to http://niselca.blogspot.com/. The image is the much copied “Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane” by Heinrich Hoffman, taken from http://www.freechristimages.org/. --JC