5.1.5.1 Congregational Life Report 2010 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one s life for one s friends. John 15:12-13 The Division for Congregational Life provides resources, support, encouragement, and opportunities for congregations and congregational leadership. The team hosts a synod annual event in January, Together In Mission, to assist in providing opportunities for all the congregations in our synod to connect with others. Christian Education: Co-chairs - Alfie Rulis, AIM, and Rev. Anna Anderson Christian educators, whether staff or volunteer, were invited to gather regularly to build networks and share ideas. Meetings were held at Holy Trinity in Falls Church and hosted by our LACE (Lutheran Association of Christian Educators) Chapter. Pastor Anna and Alfie led a well-attended workshop at Together In Mission addressing the topic of adults and Christian education. Our thanks, appreciation, and blessings go to AIM Alfie Rulis as she retires and bids us farewell after many years of well done service on the Congregational Life Team. Over the years she has represented us at the national and local level and shared her expertise and knowledge with our congregations in the Metro DC Synod. Thank you Alfie! Book of Faith Initiative is represented by Susan Wisseman for our synod at the national level. She has continued to encourage our synod to highlight this important initiative and provide opportunities for teacher training. She also has helped provide opportunities for discussion on innovative ways experienced by tried and true congregations who are using the Book of Faith initiative and developing Bible studies. Congregations are invited to go to http://bookoffaith.ning.com/ -- and join the conversation! There is a Metro DC Synod group on the website for us to join. Evangelism: Chair - Rev. Marv Tollefson The Evangelizing Pastors Community (EPC) meets to build community and evangelism strategies in the local congregation. The EPC is an open community welcoming all clergy in our Synod. They meet monthly to build community and spiritual formation. They also build plans for evangelism work. As in the previous year, the group has invited
5.1.5.2 conversation through contacting key leaders across the nation and using today s technology such as Skype, ichat, and call conferences giving the opportunity for leaders to address questions and give advice. Youth: Chair - Barbara Harner. Barbara facilitated and helped to oversee the following events: 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering From Metro DC Synod, 487 youth and adults from 31 congregations registered to attend the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans in July 2009. The 2012 ELCA Youth Gathering will return to New Orleans. Chi Rho (Sr. High) - 22 participants from 8 congregations participated in this annual weeklong servant trip to NEON, KY. A video of our week was submitted to and became a finalist in the ELCA S God s Work, Our Hands video contest! Chrysalis (Sr. High) - OPEN - 200 registered participants from 20 congregations Participants spent the weekend talking about opening our eyes, our minds, our hearts and our hands to brokenness in the world. As an offering, participants contributed almost $1,000 in cash and gift card donations for N St Village. Shekinah (Jr. High) Gear Up / Game On - 260 registered participants from 23 congregations. Using Ephesians 6:10-18, we looked at what we need and how we go about preparing ourselves to live a faithful and a faith-filled life. An offering of $1,673.00 and almost 100 books went to Southeast Ministries. Youth Leadership Team - Katie Baugh, Kelsey Glass, Katie Jacobson, and Callie Nestleroth, accompanied by Barbara Harner, attended the 2010 LYO Convention in Hattiesburg, MS following the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering. Participating in plenary sessions and workshops, they returned with a vision for the Youth Leadership Team for Metro DC Synod. - Rachel Carle and Barbara Harner participated in the annual meeting of the Council of Synod Lutheran Youth Organization Presidents (CSLYOPs) in November in Carlinville, IL. - In addition to the five YLT members mentioned above, seven new team members came on board in January: Tricia Edwards, Carson Fehner, Alyson Griese, Anna Lewis, Sean Robinson, and Claire Thronson. YLT members were active participants in the planning of Chrysalis 2009 and Shekinah 2010. Other projects underway by the youth leadership team:
5.1.5.3 - updating the congregational Youth Ministry Contacts database. (Additions / edits can be sent to bharner@comcast.net) - continuing work on a Facebook Fan page (Metro DC Synod Youth Ministry) to connect with youth and adults and disseminate information about events, programs and activities. - hosting a Youth Ministry 101 workshop for equipping adults in Youth Ministry basics on September 11, 2010. Our congratulations go to Barbara as she was re-elected to serve as the Region 8 Facilitator for the ELCA Youth Ministry Network. She also continues her work as a coach/instructor for the Youth Ministry Certification School at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and serves on the planning team for the Gathering in the East. Young Adult Ministries led by Rev. Amy Sevimli 2010 is The Year of the Young Adult! The plans began in 2009 to place a special emphasis on ministry to 18-35 year olds without children. This emphasis is now being highlighted at the synod s major events: Together in Mission, Bishop s Convocation, Spring Synod Assembly, Fall Synod Assembly, and a Fall Young Adult Conference and the synod s Young Adult Working Group. YAWG s members include Pastor Karen Brau, Pastor Phil Hirsch, Pastor Meredith Lovell Keseley, Pastor Kate Murray and Pastor Amy Thompson Sevimli. They have been hard at work on for the past year and the results are positive. Nearly 20 of our 80 congregations have some kind of small group ministry for young adults. In these congregations, small groups of young adults meet at least semiregularly. Some small groups have 5 people; others have 25. These kinds of congregational small groups have been tremendous start which the team hopes will lead toward vibrant, growing, and sustainable young adult ministries. The Young Adult Working Group (YAWG) has put together a plan. Here are ways they invite congregations to begin: 1. Start a Small Group: If your congregation doesn t have a young adult small group, start one! It s not hard, and there are both congregations and consultants in the synod who will help you do this.
5.1.5.4 2. Put your Young Adult Ministry on your homepage: If you have a young adult ministry in your congregation, highlight it on your homepage. This is one of the easiest and fastest ways to encourage young adults to check out your congregation. 3. DVD Conversation: Pick up a DVD at the Young Adult Display and watch it as a congregation or look at the DC Young Adults Facebook page. Engage your congregation in a conversation about the DVD. Discuss the video, and if it would help, invite someone from YAWG to facilitate the conversation. 4. DC Young Adults Online: Check out the website: www.dcyoungadults.org, the Facebook fan page: DC YOUNG ADULTS, and sign up for the E-NEWS on the website. 5. Invite a consultant to your congregation: If your congregation is interested in pursuing this ministry even further, invite someone from YAWG to meet with your congregation and discuss options for your congregation. 6. Meet with young adults who don t go to church: It may sound scary, but ask young adults in your area if you could take them to coffee, lunch, dinner or out for a beer. If you do this, try to find young adults who fall within the age category and who are NOT related to you. Ask them what they think of they think of the Church, what they think of Jesus, and how they approach their own spirituality. (If you do this, ask the questions and LISTEN. Please DO NOT try to rebut their arguments.) If they are interested in learning more about your congregation, invite them to worship or schedule a second meeting with them. Try to use this initial meeting as an opportunity for you to hear, listen, and learn. They ll appreciate your listening ear. 7. Invite young adults into congregational leadership in 3 s! You may find this surprising, but experience has taught us that many of the young adults who have tried out congregational leadership have soon thereafter left. Inviting them in threes gives them the sense that they have allies at the table and a hope that the others in the congregation will actually listen to them. YAWG understands that not every Metro DC congregation will have a vibrant, growing, sustainable ministry to significant numbers of 18-35 year olds without children, but given the demographics of the Metro DC area, it is possible for every congregation to have a ministry of some kind to and with them. The Young Adult Working Group would like to
5.1.5.5 help your congregation explore how this can be done. Contact Pastor Amy Thompson Sevimli (asevimli@metrodcelca.org) for more info. Lutheran Men In Mission (LMM) led by Rich White. LMM continued its program of providing MasterBuilder Bibles at no charge to congregations to help start or restart their men's ministry. Last year Bibles were provided to 2 congregations: Shepherd of the Hills, Haymarket and the Belmont Ridge Church of the Resurrection, Ashburn. The weekly email distribution of a Bible study based upon the upcoming Gospel continues with almost 100 names in the list including the names of 18 people who attended a men s ministry workshop at Together in Mission. Rich continues my offer to meet with any congregation in the Synod to help get a men's ministry started, re-energized, or just to talk about LMM. He also has begun to conduct a survey of men s ministry within the Synod to identify those congregations who could help others nearby with their men s ministry. Outdoor Ministries co-led by Judi Hangen and Kim Graham Both Mar-Lu Ridge and Caroline Furnace camps are supported by our synod and are dependent on our congregations both monetarily and through providing participants. Both are available for retreats for all the ages. Judi serves on the board at Caroline Furnace and has been in contact with leadership at Mar-Lu Ridge to assess needs and address the challenges they both face with facilities, attendance, and finances. Worship Resources is co-led by Rev. Dr. Robert Driver Bishop and Rev. Mark Edwards This team is knowledgeable about resources and willing to provide support for congregations interested in exploring current or new liturgical practices, renewal of worship, and expanding the integration of creative arts in worship. Prayer Resources Group is led by Rev. Bill Wegener. Several retreats were held throughout the year providing the opportunity for members of all congregations in our synod to participate. The group also hosted a Winter Retreat on January 18-20 at Loyola on the Potomac in Faulkner, Md. The Rev. Nancy Eggert led the retreat, themed, "Softly and Tenderly, Jesus is Calling... Come Home!"
5.1.5.6 Together In Mission, our annual event hosted by the Division was held on January 10 th at King of Kings in Fairfax. Nearly 200 attended this year past year. The theme was Break Down the Barriers. The keynote was the Rev. Carol Howard Merritt, author of Tribal Church and Reframing Hope. Thirteen workshops were available to those attending with the goal to address the needs in our congregations and facilitate connections with one another. In 2010, we welcome our newest team, the Creation Care Team, led by the Rev. Sarah Scherschligt. Stay tuned! Plans have begun for Together In Mission in January of 2011. Respectfully Submitted, Debbie Streicher, Chair