We want you to know, brothers and sisters,
about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia.
During a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty
have overflowed in a wealth of generosity. --2 Corinthians 8:2
Have you rediscovered the spirit of gratitude and generosity present in the early Christians from Macedonia? As the Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians, their abundant joy overflowed in a wealth of generosity. It is this spirit of joy that we wish to share with all congregations in our church.
The Macedonia Project is an important piece of the Central / Southern Illinois Synod Missional Plan. While this plan includes the formation of new synod committees and mission tables, it is through God’s word, Jesus and the Holy Spirit that our congregations will discover a new spirit for ministry. This is already evident in the congregations working together in various renewal clusters within our synod.
The Macedonia Project is an initiative by our Mission Support and Stewardship Table to live into our new missional plan.
The goals of this project include:
· One-on-one conversations with Rostered Leaders by the Bishop and Director for Evangelical Mission
· Macedonia workshops that embrace a spirit of gratitude and generosity
· Introduction of tools to grow well-formed stewards
· Introduction of Mission Interpretation Ministry for each congregation
· Development of a specific Mission Support Strategy for the synod
· Stewardship focus at 2012 Synod Assembly, including Dr. Mark Alan Powell from Trinity Seminary
These goals invite us to wrestle with broader and more challenging questions:
- How does Paul’s Macedonia experience continue in our faith communities today?
- How can your congregation experience great joy and an overflowing wealth of generosity?
- How can we create a church with such a culture?
- Are we willing to step out of our comfort zones and take some risks to rediscover this spirit?
- Where are God’s gifts already present in our community to help this happen?
- How will we support God’s work in the future?
These questions and many more will be addressed through a two-part workshop series offered in two locations in our synod.
Workshop I
St. John's Lutheran Bloomington, IL Saturday August 27, 2011 9:00AM-12:00 PM
Prince of Peace Mt. Vernon, IL Sunday August 28, 2011 2:00-5:00 PM
Workshop II
St. John's Lutheran Bloomington, IL Saturday October 22, 2011 9:00AM-12:00 PM
Prince of Peace Mt. Vernon, IL Sunday October 23, 2011 2:00-5:00 PM
We will work to rediscover the spirit of gratitude and generosity present in the Macedonians by engaging the following topics:
Workshop I Topics
· Introduction of Macedonians in scripture and related theme material
· Biblical principles for well-formed stewards
· Equip people to become strong steward leaders
· One-on-one conversations regarding stewardship
· Preparing for a “relational ask”
Workshop II Topics
· Identifying opportunities and obstacles to the Spirit
· Biblical stewardship: our duty and delight
· Equipping Leaders for a “relational ask”
· Developing your stewardship plan
In preparation for the first workshop experience,
we invite your congregation to:
1. Identify three to five people to attend both workshops
2. Read II Corinthians Chapter 8
3. Print a copy of the trend report for your congregation at www.elca.org . Go to Find a Congregation in the upper right and enter your congregation’s name and state. When the profile comes up, click on Full Trend Report for This Congregation on the lower right. Looking at the numbers submitted by your congregation, note the level and trends of the following: baptized, average worship attendance, percent attending worship, regular giving, giving per confirmed member, Mission Support dollars, Mission Support percentage. Be prepared to discuss your observations in Workshop I.
On behalf of leaders across the synod, we look forward to your congregation joining us as we rediscover Macedonia’s spirit of gratitude and generosity. If you have any questions, please contact me.
Blessings in your ministries this fall!
Terry Moore, Diaconal Minister
Director for Evangelical Mission
Assistant to the Bishop
E-mail RSVP by Monday, August 15, 2011
There is NO registration fee.
