ELCA Board Accepts Worship Plan

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- To help support ministries of the 11,000 congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the board of the church's Division for Congregational Ministries (DCM) affirmed the multi-year plan for its worship ministry team at its meeting here March 24-26.
The chief goals of the worship ministry team in the next five years are to develop the "critical skills" of worship leaders throughout the church; develop approaches to leadership that will help people understand that the diversity of "responsible choices" in worship is a strength of Lutheran worship; and develop a new generation of "trial use" resources which will answer the questions necessary to prepare successor resources to the Lutheran Book of Worship and other worship resources.
Staff of DCM's worship ministry team presented its plan to the board.
"'The Use of the Means of Grace,' the ELCA's statement on sacramental practices adopted by the 1997 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, will be the foundation for what is to come," said the Rev. Paul R. Nelson, ELCA director for worship.
"New resources will result from a process which will involve consultation on such important issues as language and culture, music, environment and art, and preaching," Nelson said.
These consultations will identify the working principles to guide the development of new resources, Nelson said. A series of "working groups" will be used to produce "trial use" resources for testing in ELCA congregations. In 2001 these resources will begin to be available to congregations, he said.
"Congregational use, testing and evaluation of these resources will provide the information needed to answer questions about what will serve congregations most faithfully and effectively in new worship resources," Nelson said.
"We are not talking yet about a single book to replace the Lutheran Book of Worship, but this affirmation by the board sets us on the path toward the information we need to begin making important decisions about what congregations need. Some of our congregations have moved away from the use of a single congregational book in the pew," Nelson said.
Augsburg Fortress Publishers, Minneapolis, the publishing house of the ELCA, is "an important ingredient in the development, production, marketing and distribution of worship resources and will be critical to the effectiveness of these trial use resources," Nelson added.
Ron Bruggeman, board chair, Omaha, Neb., said the worship team's plan for 2000-2004 "presents a unique challenge to the church. In an age when change is occurring at an ever escalating pace, it is difficult to remain relevant and contemporary in worship resources, but we absolutely must. Assuming that we can marshal the appropriate funding and staffing, we have the potential to revitalize worship in our congregations."
The board authorized the addition of one executive staff member and one administrative staff member to "enable the development of the new generation of worship resources subsequent to secured funding."
In response to actions taken by the 1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, the board approved revisions to four liturgical rites -- Invitation to Extended Service; Installation of a Bishop; Ordination; Installation at Ordination. The board recommended that the rites be "commended" by the ELCA Church Council at its meeting in November.
DCM is organized into ministry teams to carry out its work with and on behalf of the ELCA's 11,000 congregations. The division's mission is "to support ELCA congregations to be alive in Christ as they participate in God's mission by actively proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and welcoming all to living faith."

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html