Lutherans Receive Grants for Leadership Development

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Team leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) initiative to "develop leaders for the next century" have awarded $74,172 in grants to 17 congregations, synods, organizations and projects of the ELCA.
A goal of the initiative is to develop leaders that will "minister to an increasingly complex and rapidly changing society" by providing educational opportunities and financial support.
The grants were given to projects that pair experienced leaders with potential candidates for congregational and institutional leadership, establish resource networks, and "immerse" leaders in the "life of a culture or organization."
Team leaders "were looking for creative approaches to developing and shaping leaders for tomorrow's church, and they were especially looking for program ideas that can be replicated elsewhere," said the Rev. Steve Ullestad, bishop of the ELCA Northeastern Iowa Synod, Waverly.
Ullestad said, "We reviewed some really creative programs and ideas that indicated a great concern for fostering leadership development in the church." Ullestad chairs the "Developing Leaders for the Next Century" ELCA initiative task force.
Examples of successful applications included the Latino Ministry and Youth Ministry Program of First English Lutheran Church, Sacramento, Calif. The church's ministries were awarded $4,110 to support a training project designed for young people with diverse backgrounds to explore family, church, school and society issues.
Lutheran Cyber Chaplain Network, Mount Horeb, Wis., received $5,000 to support a Web-related resource network designed to support men and women who serve as Lutheran police chaplains.
Central City Lutheran Mission, San Bernardino, Calif., received $5,000 to sponsor a project that provides "safe spaces" for young women at risk of early pregnancy, substance abuse or becoming runaways. The project will feature socialization skills and leadership training.
Other congregations and organizations were also awarded grants:
+ Residence Hall Community Life Intern Project, Lutheran Campus Ministry, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, $1,600
+ Electronic Networking for Transforming Rural Congregations, The Center for Theology and Land, Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, $5,000
+ Puget Sound Vision, University Lutheran Church, Seattle, $5,000
+ The Urban Plunge, Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Omaha, Neb., $5,000
+ Leadership Through Empowerment, Columbia Lutheran Home, Seattle, $5,000
+ African American Lay Empowerment Project, ELCA Southeast Michigan Synod, Detroit, $4,000
+ Colorado Lutheran Labyrinth Project, Lutheran Campus Ministry, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, $5,000
+ Inmate After-Care Mentors, Prison Congregations of America, Vermillion, S.D.,
$2,500
+ Peer Ministry, Christ Lutheran Church, Staten Island, N.Y., $5,000
+ Mentoring Our Moms for Success, Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, Waconia, Minn., $2,000
+ Peaceformers, ELCA Central States Synod, Shawnee Mission, Kan.,
$5,000
+ PeaceLEADERS, The PeaceCenter, San Antonio, Texas, $5,000
+ Care Team for Caring Teens, Lutheran Ministries Association, St. Louis, $5,000
+ Developing the Leadership of Hmong Women and Youth for Ministry, Hmong Community Lutheran Church, St. Paul, Minn., $4,962
All 17 grant recipients will furnish follow-up reports to the initiative team.
Grants were funded in part by Lutheran Brotherhood, a fraternal benefits organization based in Minneapolis.
In 1997 the ELCA Churchwide Assembly selected seven significant areas of ministry for the 21st century. Leadership teams were formed in 1998 to provide overall guidance for the work of congregations, synods and churchwide organizations.

[** Mark Staples is coordinator of publications and public information
for The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.]

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