Improve the Generosity in your Church! Southeastern Iowa Synod Church Workshop with seminars from leaders sharing stuff that works Keynote Speaker: Charles (Chick) Lane, Luther Seminary Professor and Author of Best-Selling Stewardship Book Ask, Thank, Tell Date: Saturday, March 9 th, 2013, 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Location: First Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids, IA Who to bring: Your ENTIRE stewardship team, council members, people of faith Conference at a Glance: We re re-invigorating the synod s spring conference this year and we expect positive results. It will be shorter in length, laser-like focused, and specifically designed to help churches and organizations increase giving. We re bringing in a high-caliber keynote speaker, Chick Lane, best-selling author of the stewardship book Ask, Thank, Tell. This year s Break-out sessions to include: Practical Ways to Say Thank You and Mean it Linda Henecke has helped transform Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Iowa from a modest $175,000 organization when she started in 1995 to a remarkable $1 million organization it is today. You ll learn the creative ways Linda thanks donors and friends that have allowed her non-profit agency to serve more children and expand quality programs that change children s lives for the better, forever. From Old School to New School Way of Asking For decades Gloria Dei in Cedar Rapids used an old school approach to stewardship with incredible results making it one of the top givers in the synod. Discover from Senior Pastor Randy Kasch the challenges his church overcame this year in their transition to giving in the digital age and how yours can too.
Using Videos to Give Thanks in Worship From the outside, St. John s in Ely may look like your typical small town church. On the inside it s a different story. Find out from Pastor Erika Uthe how this up-and-coming Lutheran congregation uses videos and testimonials during worship to strengthen its call to mission and help make a connection between the offering plate and the life of the church. Creating a Culture of Thanksgiving in Your Church Chick Lane literally wrote the book on stewardship. His principals of Ask, Thank, Tell (asking people for money, thanking them for their gifts, and then telling the stories their gifts made possible) have revolutionized churches. In this session you will spend time with Chick Lane himself to learn how you can create a culture of thanksgiving in your church. Using Social Media & Your Website to Tell Your Story They say your website is the new front door to the church. What does your front door say to people when they visit it today? Social networks like Twitter & Facebook are how people in your pews communicate. Find out how Faith in Marion s Tweeter-in-Chief, Paul Amlin, has helped transform the online face of his congregation to tell God s story. How to Ask the Techy Generation Smart phones, ipads, and Laptops now dominate living rooms all across Iowa. As more families go to 100% online banking and shopping, how can your church stay relevant? Find out how programs like Simply Giving, giving ATMs, and collection plate scanners are beginning to revolutionize not only the way we give but the amounts as well.
Telling Stories of People s Faith Through Multi-media Former KCRG-TV9 News Reporter Craig Brown went from telling the news to telling the good news when he became a pastor in 2010. Even he had no idea how God would channel his multi-media gifts to help average people relate their faith to others online. Discover how you can coach people in your church to share their stories electronically which can help lead others to greater generosity. How to Ask in a Society in Debt How do we ask people to give money to a church in a society where 7 out of 10 people don t budget and most in the pew are waist-deep in debt? Learn from leaders in churches who are transforming bottom lines from red to black with programs like Dave Ramsey s Financial Peace University. Un-stall Your Congregation Spiritually Do you find you are going through the motions at your church when it comes to thanking God and what should be important spiritual matters of giving and living? A leader in her field, Director of Spiritual Transformation Marcie Watson, will talk about the methods she s used to help your church go from just paying the bills to paying attention to where God is leading to sync yourself with God s giving heart. Asking Members to Leave a Legacy: Estate Planning Have you wondered how you go about asking people in your congregation to give a major gift to your church? Learn from the pros of Planned Giving Associates the tools you need to strengthen the stewardship of end of life gifts for the mission of Christ. -The Rev. Donald Keiser Dovre, First Lutheran Church in Conroy, IA and Joseph Nolte, Advancement Officer at Lutheran Services in Iowa in Des Moines, IA
Get Creative: Telling Your Story with a Narrative Budget Dreading sending out another confusing budget and thinking to yourself, No one will read this anyway! Try something new like Office Manager Jodi Schumann of Memorial Lutheran in Nevada. Learn about the narrative budget: a simple, easy-to-read descriptive tool that transforms line items of money and expenses into an exciting and enlivening picture of mission and ministry in your congregation. Telling A Story of Hope in the Holy Land Come hear what Palestinian Christian leaders have to say to Christians of the world like you from Bethesda in Ames Intern Christine Cowan who spent time living in occupied Palestinian Territory. Uncover what s inside the Karios Document written by Palestinian Christians and hear strategies for action to advocate for a just peace. Telling a Story of Saving Lives through the ELCA Malaria Campaign Inspire your people with the story how we can partner with other churches in the ELCA to help eradicate Malaria by 2015. Walter Gwenigale Jr. will give you an update of how we are providing lifesaving medication and health care, educating people about the disease, and using malaria nets to stop the disease in its tracks. Telling Our Story to Congress: The Ministry of Advocacy Learn about the importance of advocacy as a faith practice, speaking on behalf of those without voice and on the fringe of society. Rev. Andrew Genzler and Rev. Paul Ostrem (pictured) will explore the why's, the how-to's and the philosophy of advocacy in the ELCA. Those attending Lutheran Day on the Hill on March 11th will find this especially helpful.
How Much Should We Give to the Wider Church and Where Does It Go? Learn how to share the inspiring stories of Christ's mission around the world through the mission support your congregation forwards to the Southeastern Iowa Synod-ELCA. Rev. Gloria Dovre will help you tell the story to your congregation who together we witness to God's healing and forgiving love. Is Asking for a Tithe Still Realistic? (A Bible Study) Many of us wonder what is an acceptable amount to offer to God? What is an appropriate amount to ask for from others? Is 10% realistic in today s modern world? Pastor Julie Higgs of the Southeastern Iowa Synod will share some biblical insights on the topic we all wrestle with today in our churches. Thanking God for It All (A Bible Study) How does it feel when somebody says to you, I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for you? St. Paul knew the power of words of thanksgiving. Learn from Chick Lane what the Bible models for us about about thanking God and those we share the faith with in Jesus Christ. Telling God s Story (A Bible study) Studies show effectively telling the story of your congregation s ministry and the ministries you support will help God s people grow in the relationship with Jesus Christ. Pastor Gloria Dovre of the Southeastern Iowa Synod will take us into the Bible to help us think about telling the story of your church as an act of evangelism.