By Rev. Craig Pederson, Assistant to the BishoCraig Pedersonp

By this time of the fall, church councils and committees are in full swing – implementing the ministry plans laid months ago, and looking forward to the New Year and the opportunities that lie ahead.  No matter the size of the church, I continuously marvel at the commitment of lay leaders who navigate the complexities of church life: finances, personnel policies, worship planning, community engagement, electronic media, and justice concerns, to name just a few.

As your synod staff, we want to provide as many resources — TOOLS! – as possible to assist lay leaders in their tasks of ministry!

To that end, we are happy to offer the latest and greatest installment of the Synod Tool Kit for Lay Leaders on Saturday, November 5, from 9am – 12 noon at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Maple Grove. 

What is in the Tool Kit that may be of interest to you?  Your choice of 12 workshops (50 minutes in length) on a variety of topics that we believe will be of great value to congregational lay leaders.

Topics will include:

9:00 – 9:50 a.m.

  • Join the Wellness Reformation!
  • Maximizing Gifts to Family and Ministry
  • Creating A Narrative Budget
  • Organizing For The Common Good: Assets and Strategies
  • Three Great Listenings
  • How To Run A Meeting

10:00 – 10:50 a.m.

  • EcoFaith in Practice: Greening Your Church’s Turf Grass Sustainably
  • Moving From Welcoming To Inviting
  • Refresh Your Website
  • Writing Your Racial Justice Mission Statement
  • Creative A Narrative Budget
  • Background Checks and Volunteer Coordination

As the title of the event suggests, these workshops are specifically meant to be useful for lay leaders.  Now, if your pastor comes with you, we won’t kick her or him out!  But we recognize that the information and training needed for lay leadership responsibilities is different than that of a pastor.  We hope to provide a space for you to learn and inquire and feel like your Saturday morning time was well spent!

For more information and to register for the event, click here.  We hope to see you there!