   
 You are invited to
Be Who You Are!
See What You Have!
Do What Matters!
Added May 23, 2012
Do What
Matters support request form
Update, November 25, 2011
 Download the
Congregational
Toolkit distributed at the November
workshops!
 Kelly Fryer and Tana Kjos from A Renewal
Enterprise returned in November to help us open ourselves to
working in renewable ways in a world that’s changing more rapidly than
we can imagine. Click the link above for a copy of the Congregational
Toolkit distributed at the workshops in November.
These three statements of faithful discipleship offer hope to all
members of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod as we enter a new year.
 They
are at the heart of a synod-wide effort to energize our ministries in
2011 and beyond. Bishop Zeiser, the synod staff, the synod council,
mission district deans and councils, and synod ministry teams have
already laid the foundation for this endeavor at a gathering in December
2010.
In his
opening remarks, the bishop noted that “what I’m discovering as the
bishop of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod is that we’ve been
understanding things a little bit backwards. We’ve been saying, ‘See the
synod or see the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in your
congregation.’ I’m asking you to turn that around. I’m asking you to
begin seeing your congregation in the larger expressions of the church.”
 He
ended his remarks with this invitation: “I want you to begin to thinking
about your congregation as a very powerful place of worship and witness.
I want you to understand your place as a place where you give life to
the whole church.”
Now the invitation goes out to all congregations.
Explore these affirmations with others from your congregation. Talk with
others about ways in which we can hear and do what God calls us to do.
Share ideas for putting the gifts and passions of God’s people to use in
making a difference in the world.
 Congregations are invited to send teams to two different workshops – one
in the spring, another in the fall – that will be held at various
locations across the synod. The spring workshop introduces the process
and provides an opportunity for congregational teams to explore what God
is doing in their congregations and their communities. At the fall workshop, congregational
teams will share what they have learned and plan ways to move forward.
These workshops are about a new way of thinking and seeing our lives in
the Body of Christ. They are meant to complement, not replace, programs
like Natural Church Development or conversations about cooperative
ministry.
 The
Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod is covering the cost of workshop
consultants from
A Renewal Enterprise (ARE) in an effort to help
strengthen congregations by addressing issues such as—
-
Why the church sometimes sucks the life out of us
and how we might change that.
-
How to organize your life and ministry around doing
what (really!) matters to God and your neighbor.
-
Simple things your congregation can do right now –
with joy! – to make a difference in your neighborhood.
-
Seven leadership practices that unleash people's
creativity in your congregation.
-
How to fight scarcity thinking and end "The Great
Excuse" once and for all.
 Learn
more about ARE and the approach that will be taken in the workshops by
ordering
The Future Starts Now. Published by ARE, this resource can be
ordered at a 20% discount to synod congregations by following this link
to ARE Books. When ordering, use the code ARECL to obtain the 20%
discount.
Each
congregation is encouraged to send a team to one of the spring and one
of the fall regional events. Your team should include the congregation's
rostered leaders and as many lay leaders as you want. Don’t forget to
include youth and young adults. (The entire team must attend the same
event so that they can learn and plan together that day.)
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Here is the schedule:
Event #1 events were held in March and April 2011. Over 600 people
attended the gatherings.
Event #2: Events will be held November 5 (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.),
November 6 (3 p.m. to 7 p.m.), November 12 (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.), and
November 13 (3 p.m. to 7 p.m.) Locations will be announced.
The cost per congregational team the fall workshops will be determined.
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