CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In its last scheduled business session for 2002, the board of the Division for Congregational Ministries (DCM) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) emphasized evangelism and churchwide strategic planning among many of the division's ministries that serve the ELCA's 10,766 congregations across the United States and Caribbean. Vice chair of the board, Robert A. Sandoval, Albuquerque, N.M., led the meeting.
The board affirmed a first draft of "Toward a Vision for Evangelism in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: Sharing Faith in a New Century." The draft is the work of the ELCA Evangelism Strategy Task Force. In cooperation with the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop, DCM assembled the 33-member task force to develop the evangelism strategy for presentation and possible action at the 2003 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Aug. 11-17, in Milwaukee.
"Ninety-six percent of Americans believe in God or a higher power, according to recent George Gallup studies," the Rev. Carmala K. Aderman said in an interview. Aderman, assistant to the bishop, ELCA Northwest Synod of Wisconsin, Rice Lake, Wis., serves as vice-chair of the task force.
Of that 96 percent, "26 percent are actively engaged in church, which means that people are psychologically committed. They give extra money, invite friends and give more of their time to church. Fifty-six percent are not actively engaged in church. They will attend worship but will do the minimum to keep their membership alive," she said.
"We need to find fresh ways to tell the amazing story of what God has done in the world through Jesus Christ," said Aderman.
"The overall goal [of the evangelism strategy] is to help members of the ELCA reclaim our basic story. We have forgotten to tell the good news about Jesus Christ. The strategy can be a way to reclaim that story. It will help us find renewed passion for mission and a better sense of identity, who we are as Lutheran Christians," she said.
The DCM board affirmed the work of the task force, expressing appreciation for its "faithful work." The board also directed the task force "to continue its work on the strategy, attending to input from this board and the wider church." This fall, the draft is being shared with ELCA division boards and commission steering committees, the ELCA Conference of Bishops (an advisory body of the ELCA's 65 synod bishops, presiding bishop and secretary) and Church Council (the ELCA's board of directors and legislative authority between ELCA churchwide assemblies).
In a related action, the board asked the task force to "give specific attention" to "peace, justice and people living in poverty" by engaging in "in-depth conversation" with staff of the ELCA Division for Church in Society. The board also directed the task force to make evangelism and outreach the central focus of the ELCA in its planning toward the future of the church.
The task force will begin work on a final draft of the evangelism strategy in January 2003. The DCM board is expected to review the final draft in February and consider sending it to the ELCA Church Council.
In a separate decision, the board instructed the division's evangelism team to proceed with the development of a "multi-year plan that will be in harmony" with the church's evangelism strategy. The Rev. Robert W. Wallace, ELCA director for evangelism, will work to craft the plan.
In other business, the Rev. Kathie Bender Schwich, executive assistant to the presiding bishop and director of the ELCA Department for Synodical Relations, updated the board on a churchwide strategic planning process leading up to a report to the ELCA Churchwide Assembly next summer. Members of the board met in small groups to review the planning process and take notes of their discussion.
The board: + supported with "respectful appreciation" a resolution from the ELCA's Council of Synod Lutheran Youth Organization Presidents that "encourages" the inclusion of youth between the ages of 14 and 18, as well as young adults 19-20, in the work of the ELCA's Studies on Sexuality Task Force. The council requested that the task force "find a way to include data that would represent people in that age group." The council met here Aug. 15-18.
+ affirmed the development of a plan to support youth and family ministries in the ELCA's 65 synods.
+ moved to increase the income goal of the ELCA World Hunger Appeal to $25 million by 2005, and called on the church to work at reaching that goal.
+ encouraged the division's Christian education ministry team to develop a multi-year plan.
+ met with Beth A. Lewis, the newly-elected president and chief executive officer of Augsburg Fortress, Minneapolis, the publishing house of the ELCA. Lewis told the board that there are "three keys to success: communication, accountability and grace from God."
+ "recognized and affirmed" the work of the division's director for multicultural ministries and director and staff of the worship team. Board members thanked the directors for "their ministry on behalf of the whole church."
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
