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)

October 7-10, 2010
Green Lake Bible Camp (external link)
Spicer, MN

Is your congregation yearning for renewal? A major study done by the ELCA research unit has identified three key ingredients for renewal:

1. Discovering a shared purpose for participating in God’s mission locally and beyond
2. Willingness to change for the sake of the Gospel
3. Shared leadership between pastor and congregational leaders.

The Unit for Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission – ELCA (external link) has designed a renewal journey called Transformational Ministry that may cultivate new life to congregations.

About the Process:

This is not a program or a project. Rather it is an intense process of renewal that involves the whole congregation. The process begins with prayer and in depth study of the Book of Acts. Leaders selected by the congregation attend a ministry transformation training event. The training experience planned in Region 3 is supported by Synods and EOCM in Region 3 to prepare leaders for engaging their congregations into a new future.

Teams Attending Can Expect To:

1. Experience great worship and digging into the Bible.
2. Get tools for getting to know and engage their community.
3. Make a six month mission action plan.
4. Bring the spirit of transformation back into your congregation.

Would you like more information?

Contact Pastor Keith Zeh at the Synod Office

Download event information (download .pdf file)

Vining Lutheran Church – Vining, MN
9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

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Saturday, May 1, 2010

Milnor Lutheran Church – Milnor, ND
9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Update: The STaR event for May 1 has been canceled.

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

Pastor Keith Zeh encourages you to have more than one person per congregation attend. He says, “When more than one person attends, the more likely they’ll bring something home that matters; they’ll bring enthusiasm and information back to their home congregation.”

The registration fee for each congregation is $25 for one person and $10 for each additional person who attends.

Don’t miss this great opportunity!

» Download: Event Information and Registration (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)

Sudanese Worship

For over seven years, Fargo, ND has been receiving Sudanese refugees who came fleeing the deadly violence of war-torn Sudan. Some were Christians in need of a place to worship in their native language. First Lutheran Church (external link) opened its doors to provide safe refuge for worship and fellowship to the newly arriving refugees.

The Sudanese community at First Lutheran has been worshiping for over three years and has the potential to grow significantly. They have identified Jacob Mayen as their pastor. Jacob is longing to share the gospel with even more of the estimated 2,000 Sudanese people residing in the FM area. Support from First Lutheran Church, other congregations, and the synod will enable Jacob to serve in a fuller capacity as a ministry leader while he accomplishes his seminary education through the TEEM program.

The time is ripe for the Sudanese worshiping community to take the next step in its journey of faith by becoming First Sudanese Lutheran Church! The partnership between First Lutheran, the EaND Synod, and Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission will encourage and empower this new congregational development as we come along side them in their journey.

Several ELCA congregations and First Presbyterian in Grand Forks are exploring the range of possibilities to share ministry. First Presbyterian is open to “nesting” a traditional Lutheran congregation into their space or jointly moving into a nontraditional community which would appeal to people not currently involved in church, or to those looking for something which moves beyond tradition. They have developed a flexible structure over the years which would help that happen. The First Presbyterian facility could be utilized for a new ministry start and potentially be expanded in the future. This is an exciting ecumenical endeavor where conversation is ongoing!

Area Congregations in Conversation

Presently over 63% of the 230 congregations in this synod are in multiple point parishes. As population continues to decrease and grow older it seems to be necessary to work together in new ways. Rev. Keith Zeh, Director for Evangelical Mission in the EaND Synod, hopes conversation will promote a “we get to” rather than a “we have to” attitude towards cooperation and collaboration with neighboring congregations. Rev. Zeh also identified the mission field right outside our church doors because 40% of people in rural and small town areas are unchurched or very inactive.

Many eastern North Dakota area ELCA congregations as well as other denominations, have been in area conversations about the future of congregations and how they might work together to continue God’s mission.

Rev. Zeh suggests 2 possible processes for congregations to be in conversation with one another about working together to accomplish God’s mission:  1) a study of ministry in rural settings and the resulting book Discovering Hope: Building Vitality in Rural Congregations share best practices (prayer, worship, discipleship, evangelism, caring ministry, and leadership) and guide conversations among congregational members how to integrate or build upon these effective practices and 2) an Area Mission Strategy process where congregations study, think and talk together about God’s Word, about their history and ministry, and about the communities in which they serve, and about what their mission might be if they work cooperatively.

1. Fifteen ELCA congregations from the Litchville and Hastings greater area plus Reformed and Presbyterian congregations are in area conversation and consideration on how they might share ministry together.
2. Eight congregations in the Wyndmere and Lidgerwood greater area are in an ongoing shared study and area mission strategy.

Long-term Strategic Plan

Discover Your Congregation’s Future, developed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is a study and planning process for long-term strategic plans for congregations. The purpose for taking this journey is to rediscover God’s mission for congregations in the places they’ve been planted to do God’s kingdom work.

There are 5 questions to consider:

1. What is God’s mission?
2. What is our story?
3. Who are our neighbors?
4. Who are we?
5. How is God calling us to respond?

Richland Lutheran, Walcott and Our Savior’s, Colfax is in the midst of this journey. Together with Rev. Keith Zeh, the two-point parish has formed a Discovery Team, is mapping a process, and holding meetings and activities to eventually determine the future of their congregations.

For more information, contact Rev. Keith Zeh at (701) 232-3381 or email him at keith@eandsynod.org