February 4-6, 2011
Red Willow Bible Camp – near Binford, ND (external link)

A workshop to help develop life-changing men’s ministry for their congregation.

Is your men’s group looking for a picker-upper? Maybe you don’t have a men’s group in your congregation and you are wondering how to get men interested in being a part of an exciting Christian men’s group?

Men will learn what is happening with their relationship with the church today and how to build congregation’s ministry with men around discipleship. Those attending will go home with a tool box and concrete plan to be more effective in ministry with men in their congregation and community.

Registration:

$150 per man – covers two nights’ lodging, six meals, and take home resources

Register online (external link)
If you need assistance registering, contact Bob Larson at the NWMN Synod Office. (external link)
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Register with Red Willow Bible Camp (external link)

Download:

• Building Men & Men’s Ministry flier and bulletin insert (download .pdf file)

The vision of Lutheran Men in Mission (external link) is for every man to have a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ through an effective ministry with men in every congregation.

Congregations with a higher percentage of men actively engaged tend to have stronger worship attendance and stronger stewardship, family and children’s ministries. According to an ELCA study, the percentage of men worshipping in our congregations hovers around 30 percent. What is keeping men away from church? What can congregations do about it?

Barna’s research group did a study and found that:

1. men want to understand how faith connects to their everyday life
2. they are seeking significant relationships with other men
3. fathers are searching for quality instruction and a positive Christian experience for their children, even if that was not part of their experience growing up

The Lutheran Men in Mission Team of the Eastern North Dakota and Northwestern Minnesota Synod is caught up in a vision. The vision is for every man to have a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ through an effective ministry with men in every congregation. This vision is shaping the Building Men and Men’s Ministry for Christ Retreat at Red Willow Bible Camp – February 4-6, 2011

Casters have been added to the synod’s New and Renewing Mission Table

On September 25 the Table mates took a field trip into the Fargo/West Fargo mission field to stop, look and listen to what God is doing in several mission stations including, First Sudanese Lutheran Church, Journey of Faith, Elim Lutheran, Recovery Worship, Spirit of Woape (formerly the Native American Christian Ministry) and to learn more about the “missional edges” where we could put the shovel deeper into the ground.

Did you know?

• That we have congregations increasing in worship attendance in areas where the general population trend is decreasing
• That we have congregations decreasing in worship attendance in areas where the general population is stable or growing
• That there are 25 congregations sprinkled throughout the synod have experience a 10% increase in worship attendance from 2004-2009
• That there are 9 congregations in places where population is stable or growing that have experienced over 10% decrease in worship attendance from 2004-2009

Projected Change in Population and Congregation Average Attendance Graph:

(Download graph (download .pdf file))

» Download: November 2010 Mission in Motion (download .pdf file)

Lutheran Men’s Ministry Team

A new team has taken to the field and has begun spring training “stretching”. Men from Eastern North Dakota and Northwestern Minnesota Synods gathered together on March 5, 2010. They imagined how they could be a part of God’s mission with men in both synods, and decided to form a joint synod Lutheran Men’s Ministry Team.

As they stretched their imagination, they began to envision every man having a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ through an effective men’s ministry in every congregation in both synods. They stretched some more and began to think of ways to live into this vision by promoting men’s ministry events, helping to start new men’s groups, sponsoring men’s retreats, developing a “took kit” for men’s ministry, and celebrating and storytelling about the ministry happening!

Next Meeting: April 9, 2010
11:30 am – 1:30 pm
EaND Synod Conference Room

The Lutheran Men’s Ministry Team wants to add members to the team roster this spring. Join them for their second meeting on April 9, 2010. The Team will meet at the Eastern North Dakota Synod Conference Room from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.

If you would like more information contact Pastor Keith Zeh by e-mail keith@eandsynod.org or by phone at 701-232-3381. If you would like to attend please RSVP.

Discovering Hope in Multipoint Parishes and Congregations

Saturday, April 24. 2010
Vining Lutheran Church – Vining, MN
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Saturday, May 1, 2010
Milnor Lutheran Church – Milnor, ND

Mark your calendar for a Discovering Hope in Multipoint Parishes and Congregations Event. This event is in follow up to the Cultivating Vitality in Multipoint Parishes event in January and will be offered twice on Saturday, April 24 at Vining Lutheran Church, Vining, MN and again on Saturday, May 1 at Milnor Lutheran Church, Milnor, ND. The events will start at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at 4:00 p.m.

God’s Spirit is breathing new vitality into rural congregations and multipoint parishes! Come and learn about what effective rural congregations have to say about God’s activity in and through them. In their stories, multipoint parish and congregational leaders will explore the best practices for vital ministry and identify action steps for their own ministry setting.

Stay tuned for more details including a registration form and schedule.

» Download: Mission in Motion: March 2010 (download .pdf file)

Cultivating Vitality in Multipoint Parishes was an equipping and energizing experience held January 16 at Climax Lutheran Church. Over 70 pastoral and lay leaders from both synods, representing 22 parishes and involving 62 congregations, participated in this catalytic event. Encore events (one in each synod in the southern region) are planned for later this year. A sampling of resources for that day, is available below. For more information about Cultivating Vitality for Multipoint Parishes, contact Rev. Keith Zeh at the synod office at (701) 232-3381 or keith@eandsynod.org

Twenty-three men from seven congregations attended a Building Men for Christ training event for congregational leaders January 22-23 at Hope Lutheran Church in Fargo. This event, facilitated by the ELCA’s Lutheran Men in Mission in partnership with both synods, expressed a compelling vision of every man having a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

Insights shared included data about men’s involvement in the life of the church and the profound effect their faith has in the lives of their children.

• The ratio of men to women in mainline congregations was 48% in 1952 compared to less than 38% today.
• Each week more than 5 million wives worship without their husbands. Most males begin to disengage from the church as early as 9 years of age.
• When both father and mother are actively engaged in their faith, the children are more likely to become people of faith.
• Men ages 18-34 are the most un-churched group in America. Congregations with a higher percentage of men involved tend to be faster growing, stronger in stewardship and have more children and youth involved.

Among the positive outcomes resulting from this significant event was the “setting in motion” the formation of a joint-synod Building Men for Christ task force or team. On Friday, March 5, 2010 men from both synods will meet to follow up the January Building Men for Christ event. We will meet from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm in the conference room at the Northwestern Minnesota Synod office, 310 14th Ave So, Moorhead, MN. Lunch will be provided. If you are interested in participating, contact Rev. Keith Zeh at (701) 232-3381 or (218) 299-4447.

»Download: Mission in Motion – February 2010 (download pdf file)

Multipoint Parishes Resources:

• What Makes Multipoint Parishes Work? (download pdf file)
• What is a Multipoint Parish? (download pdf file)/a>
• Multipoint Parishes Table Talk (download pdf file)
• Multipoint Parishes Suggested Reading List (download pdf file)
• Forming Multipoint Parishes (download pdf file)
• Attitudes, Beliefs, & Behavior Patterns of Missional STaR Congregations
  PowerPoint Presentation (download PowerPoint file) | PDF (download pdf file)

January 22 – 23, 2010
South Campus of Hope Lutheran Church
Fargo, ND

Take a look at your congregation this weekend and count how many men are at worship in comparison to how many women. If your congregation is like most ELCA congregations, women outnumber men by nearly 2 to 1. This is a great concern not only for men. Congregations with a higher percentage of men actively engaged also tend to have stronger worship attendance, stewardship and family and children ministries.

During the Master Builder’s workshop, congregational teams will explore what is happening with men and their relationship with the church today and how to build the congregations ministry with men around discipleship. Each team attending will go home with a concrete plan to do more effective ministry with men in their congregation and community.

Learn more about LMM… (external link)

» For more information download:
LMM Master Builders Registration From (download pdf file)