Plans for the ELCA's Initiatives Are Taking Shape

     ELCA (CHICAGO) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has begun planning for new ways to deepen worship life, teach the faith, witness to God's action in the world, strengthen one another in mission, provide a safe place for children, connect with youth and young adults, and provide leadership development.  About 50 leaders of the church met here July 9-10 to plan for the ELCA's "Initiatives to Prepare for a New Century."
     "We met together for 24 hours to share, think, dream and project to make the future different," said the Rev. Robert N. Bacher, ELCA executive for administration.  "At the end of our meeting, our plans became offerings to a gracious loving God for God's use, rejection or correction."
     In 1997 the ELCA Churchwide Assembly selected seven significant areas of ministry for the 21st century.  Leadership teams were formed earlier this year to provide overall guidance for the work of congregations, synods and churchwide organizations.  Team leaders help provide an overall picture of how the church may be different as a result of the Initiatives.
     "The church is operating in a new work style," said the Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the ELCA.  "The new way to continue work in the church is to listen to people and help formulate their response into phrases that reflect needs and aspirations.  The Initiatives are an invitation for the whole church to engage in ministry."
     "I see the Initiatives as a way to pull ourselves out of the bureaucratic box," said Joanne Negstad, executive director for Lutheran Services in America, St. Paul, Minn.   "The initiatives should be simple enough to explain to a child and allow freedom of creativity for work in the church."  Negstad leads the "Help the Children" team.
     "What our team envisions is to have an epidemic of respectful talking to each other about hard subjects," said the Rev. Karen S. Parker, a member of the "Witness to God's Action in the World: Moral Deliberation and Public Witness" team.  "Some consider that kind of talking as a disease to be avoided.  Our team would like to see that epidemic be an outcome for the church."  Parker is from Huntington Beach, Calif.
     "We are using God's electronic means to share the love of God and do God's work," said Dr. Addie J. Butler, ELCA vice president, Philadelphia. "People in Pennsylvania are talking to people in Florida about worship. People in Vermont are talking to people in New Mexico about worship, too. People are talking about deepening their worship lives via online chats," she said.  "Who would have thought that Jesus Christ would be lifted up in online chats?  It is still a great time to be the church."
     "The World Wide Web is a place where young seekers can share faith, insecurities and fears about life journeys without identifying themselves," said Desiree Quintana, Concord, Calif.  Quintana leads the "Connect with Youth and Young Adults" team.
     "There is great potential for the church in the computer and network age," said Anderson.  "Information does not have to come from one source."
     Woodland Lutheran Church, Nekoosa, Wis., is an example of a congregation "taking the Initiatives very seriously," said the Rev. Michael Cooper-White, executive assistant to the bishop.
     Members of Woodland developed a series of "we will" statements to carry out the Initiatives.  The congregation "will encourage each person and community member to consider four habits to increase Christian growth."  They are to develop the habits of prayer, study, giving and fellowship.  Woodland will promote in-depth Bible study and renew study of the basic doctrines of the Lutheran Church.  The congregation has established a youth group and plans to develop programs of support and encouragement for single parents.
     The ELCA's Allegheny Synod in Altoona, Pa., developed a plan to carry out the Initiatives through the strategic plan adopted at its June 1997 assembly.  Plans include developing a worship liturgy for a given Sunday each year and "inviting congregations from the denominations with whom the ELCA is in fellowship" to that worship.
     "As we uncover what to do, we also hear the reminder that God's ultimate wisdom is a Who, not a what or even a when, where, how or how much," said Bacher.  "Our hope for the future is not our planning competence.  God's ultimate wisdom for the future, the present and the past is Jesus Christ."

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director 1-773-380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html