(Several downloadable documents can be found at the bottom of this page.)
What is Fresh Expressions?
The people of the Greater Milwaukee Synod have been called to work together to take the good news of Jesus Christ into “every town and place.” In order to give a sharper and more missional focus to our work together, the bishop and synod council have begun working to draft a new purpose statement and set of “strategic directions” for the Greater Milwaukee Synod. This new purpose statement and set of strategic directions will be presented to the 2009 Greater Milwaukee Synod Assembly. This revisioning process has been designed to engage people across the synod in a new kind of conversation, inviting them to listen together for God as they wrestle with fundamental missional questions like: What in the world is God up to? What is God’s purpose for the church? What is God up to in the life of our synod? What is making God smile in our life together and in our context? What is breaking God’s heart? What is God dreaming about? What is God’s purpose for us, individually and together as a synod? What do we need to be doing, doing differently, and maybe stop doing in our ministry for the sake of God’s mission?
Who is involved in this process?
It is our hope and intention to include every single member of the synod in at least some aspect of this process. As we spend the next few months listening for what God is saying to us, every voice matters! Supported by the team at A Renewal Enterprise (A.R.E.), a grassroots team of synod leaders has agreed to facilitate this process. They are: Paul Mittermaier, Paul Overvold, David Dragseth, Donald Hintze, Mark Jaramillo, Susan Cyr, Christine Thompson, Kathy Boadwine, and Bishop Paul Stumme-Diers. The process kicked off with a synod council fall retreat. Pastors and professional leaders participated at this January's Winter Symposium. Every member of the synod will be invited to participate through cluster meetings, congregational surveys, and the Congregational Leaders Event.
How can my congregation and I participate?
Are you interested in helping us do this work? Are you committed to making a difference, open to new ideas, and willing to prayerfully listen for what God is calling us to do together as a Synod? Are you a decision maker, or dreamer, a change agent, or a “do-er?” Are you willing to work with others for positive change within your congregation and community? Would you like to learn a replicable, interactive, and fun process that you can take “home” to help you have this important conversation in your own congregation?!? Then consider doing the following:
- Attend a cluster/conference meeting planned for this February/March...and bring as many members from your congregation as possible. These cluster meetings will be facilitated by our grassroots team of synod leaders. The meetings will be purposeful, participative, prayerful, and fun!
- Attend the Congregational Leaders Event on Saturday, March 14th...and bring as many members from your congregation as possible. The A.R.E. team will be our keynoters. Everything they do will be replicable - you'll be able to "take it home" with you to use in your congregation!
- Get as many people as you can to complete the Congregational Survey (downloadable below). Use this survey as a spring board for conversation in your own congregation - consider doing this in place of a sermon one week! Bring the completed surveys with you to your area cluster/conference meeting or send them to the synod office. This data will be critical in our planning process.
- Consider interviewing 5 leaders in your community - bring the results of those interviews to the cluster meeting or send them to the synod office. This data will be critical in our planning process.
Resources:
These handouts and power point decks are made available for use by congregational leaders for the purpose of their own learning and for use in the congregations of the Greater Milwaukee Synod only. All other rights are reserved. For permission to use these materials for any other purpose, click here to contact the team at A Renewal Enterprise.
Download Congregational leaders event - These are the power point slides from the keynote address delivered by Kelly Fryer at the March 10, 2009 Congregational Leaders Event.
Download Cluster meetings - These are the power point slides used by the grassroots team of facilitators who led the cluster events. They lay out a process for discerning purpose that can be replicated by congregational groups. For more information about using a process like this in your congregation pick up a copy of "Living Lutheran," by Dave Daubert -click here for a link directly to Dave's book. Also, click here to contact A.R.E. for information about the online training sessions we offer for leaders (i.e., vision teams, church councils, etc.) who are leading this process in their congregations.
Download Bulletin insert- This is in a Word document...feel free to cut & paste into your bulletin, newsletter, etc. You may want to add the date & location for the cluster event your congregation will be attending.
Download Winter symposium - The power point slides from the January 22 event that was held for pastors and professional leaders.
Download Winter symposium - This is the same presentation above in an older version of Power Point. If you have trouble downloading the one above, try this one!
Download PAWN Handout - This handout was available at the Winter Symposium. It describes the framework we're using for this revisioning process...and may be helpful in your own congregational ministry.
Download Renewable practices handout - This handout was available at the Winter Symposium. It describes the practices which characterize the process we're using...and may be helpful in your own congregation ministry.
