WHAT MATTERS . . . . . October 29, 2019 . . . News from Your Synod and Ministry Partners Please note: Due to the Region 5 Assistants to Bishops Gathering, What Matters will be on hiatus the week of November 4 as Bishop Rogness, Rev. Steve Kottke, Deacon Vicki Hanrahan and Rev. Walter Baires attend. Please hold us in prayer as Bishops and their Assistants gather for learning, visioning and collegiality. Thank you. ATTENTION ALL VOTING MEMBERS OF THE 2019 SYNOD ASSEMBLY If you were a voting member in May, your attendance is expected at this meeting. We require 50% of those in attendance in May in order to have a quorum for this assembly. If you are wondering if your attendance matters, it absolutely does. Please faithfully respond to this expectation and work of the church. If you are sending a substitute, you will now need to have them register at the event. We will have synod staff to assist you with that upon arrival. REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR PERSONAL CARE ITEMS FOR THE SUNSHINE PLACE TO BE RECEIVED AT THE SPECIAL MEETNG OF THE 2019 SYNOD ASSEMBLY There is no offering or registration cost for the Special Meeting of the Synod Assembly, but you’re invited to support local ministry by our hosting community by bringing personal care items for the Sun Prairie Emergency Pantry. Here are the items that the director indicated are most needed right now. Would you kindly bring an item or two or whatever your congregation can do to the November 2 meeting. There will be receiving receptacles at the church upon your arrival. Your generosity will be most appreciated. Monetary donations are also welcomed as they are able to purchase food items for the pantry at significantly reduced prices. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2019 9:00 – 9:45 am Registration (coffee and snacks will be served) 10:00 Meeting Begins 12:30 – 1:00 Meeting ends (lunch on your own) Location: Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 550 Lincoln Drive, Sun Prairie, WI Donation ideas for Sun Prairie Emergency Food Pantry South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, ELCA/ 6401 Odana Road / Suite 20 / Madison, WI 53719 / (608)270-0201 / www.scsw-elca.org
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WHAT MATTERS . . . . . October 29, 2019 . . . News from Your Synod and Ministry Partners
Please note: Due to the Region 5 Assistants to Bishops Gathering, What Matters will be on hiatus the week of
November 4 as Bishop Rogness, Rev. Steve Kottke, Deacon Vicki Hanrahan and Rev. Walter Baires attend.
Please hold us in prayer as Bishops and their Assistants gather for learning, visioning and collegiality. Thank you.
ATTENTION ALL VOTING MEMBERS OF THE 2019 SYNOD ASSEMBLY
If you were a voting member in May, your attendance is expected at
this meeting. We require 50% of those in attendance in May in order
to have a quorum for this assembly. If you are wondering if your
attendance matters, it absolutely does. Please faithfully respond to
this expectation and work of the church. If you are sending a substitute, you will now need to have
them register at the event. We will have synod staff to assist you with that upon arrival.
REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR PERSONAL CARE ITEMS FOR THE SUNSHINE
PLACE TO BE RECEIVED AT THE SPECIAL MEETNG OF THE 2019 SYNOD
ASSEMBLY
There is no offering or registration cost for the Special Meeting of the Synod
Assembly, but you’re invited to support local ministry by our hosting
community by bringing personal care items for the Sun Prairie Emergency Pantry. Here are the items
that the director indicated are most needed right now. Would you kindly bring an item or two or
whatever your congregation can do to the November 2 meeting. There will be receiving
receptacles at the church upon your arrival. Your generosity will be most appreciated. Monetary
donations are also welcomed as they are able to purchase food items for the pantry at significantly
reduced prices.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2019
9:00 – 9:45 am Registration (coffee and snacks will be served)
10:00 Meeting Begins
12:30 – 1:00 Meeting ends (lunch on your own)
Location: Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 550 Lincoln Drive, Sun Prairie, WI
Donation ideas for Sun Prairie Emergency Food Pantry
South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, ELCA/ 6401 Odana Road / Suite 20 / Madison, WI 53719 / (608)270-0201 / www.scsw-elca.org
More information about the Special Meeting of the 2019 Synod Assembly
Registration: In the interest of simplifying the registration process, all those who were registered as voting
members of the May 2019 Synod Assembly are automatically registered for the November 2 assembly. If you
are sending a substitute, your pastor will need to fill out a substitution form. The form was emailed to all
rostered leaders October 16 and is due back to the synod office by October 29. Again, No registration is
necessary.
Other helpful information:
1) If you are a rostered leader serving in a different congregation from the one you were serving in May,
you will now represent the congregation you are currently serving.
2) If you are a rostered leader and cannot attend, you cannot substitute a lay leader to take your place.
3) If you did not send your full complement of lay leaders to the Assembly in May, you may add them
according to the criterion laid out in our constitution. Repeated here for your convenience:
Who Is Eligible to Register As A New Voting Member if You Did Not Send Your Full
Complement of Voting Members to the May 2019 Assembly
All congregations use the following formula to determine the number of lay (non-rostered) voting members
they are allowed to register for the assembly. The formula has been created to meet the constitutional
expectation that 60% of the voting membership of the assembly be composed of lay persons, and to achieve
the goal of an equal balance of men and women.
Up to 1000 baptized members = 2 voting members (one male/one female)
1001- 2000 baptized members = 3 voting members (one male/one female/one either)
2001- 3000 baptized members = 4 voting members (two male/two female)
3001- 4000 baptized members = 5 voting members (two male/two female/one either)
4001 - 5000 baptized members = 6 voting members (three male/three female)
5001 – 6000 baptized members = 7 voting members (three male/three female/one either)
6001 – 7000 baptized members = 8 voting members (four male/four female)
Youth & Young Adult Voting Members:
In addition to the aforementioned allotment of voting members, in June of 2010 the Synod Council passed a
continuing resolution allowing congregations to register additional Youth and Young Adult Lay Voting
Members. To be eligible for a youth or young adult voting member registration, the individual shall not have
obtained the age of 30 years old at the time of registration.
Up to 175 baptized members = 1 youth or young adult voting member of either gender
176 or more baptized members = 2 youth or young adult voting members (one male/one female)
Synodically Authorized Worshiping Communities:
A Synodically Authorized Worshipping Community may register one lay voting member of either gender.
We will start at 10:00 am and adjourn between 12:30 and 1:00 pm. Lunch will be on your own after we dismiss
the assembly; however, heavy snacks will be provided in the morning.
Agenda includes worship, address and information from Interim Bishop Peter Rogness, program, spending plan
discussion, and voting. We are grateful to Our Savior’s in Sun Prairie for hosting this event.
If you have any questions about who can attend, contact Deacon Vicki Hanrahan in the synod office at
608/270-0201 and she will be happy to help you.
Wartburg Seminary President Rev. Louise Johnson
Accepts New Call
Dr. Stephen J. Cornils, Chair of the Wartburg
Theological Seminary Board of Directors, shared the
news this week that the Rev. Louise Johnson notified
him of her resignation as President of Wartburg
Theological Seminary, effective December 31, 2019. In
his announcement to the WTS community, Cornils
shared: “In our life together, we champion Wartburg’s
mission of forming and deploying valued leaders for
God’ s church, whenever and wherever we are called.
Our beloved President Louise Johnson exemplifies that
mission in her own discernment to accept a new call to
serve in Jesus’ name.”
Johnson has accepted a call to pioneer a major new
Leadership Development initiative with LEAD. LEAD is a
thriving leadership organization that has grown out of
the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod and is now
becoming a standalone organization. LEAD has a
strong and growing footprint in the ELCA and beyond.
She will be charged with growing the organization and developing new pathways for leadership. This position
puts her on the front lines of experimentation in leadership development – a place she thrives – where God will
continue to use her for the work of the church and the world.
Cornils, who has worked in close collaboration with Johnson since she began her tenure as president, shared:
“Louise has gifted our seminary with remarkably spirited and effective leadership over the last four and a half
years within the Wartburg Seminary community and far beyond. We have no doubt in this new calling through
LEAD that her abundant leadership gifts will be leveraged to multiply, equip, and empower new and diverse
generations of gifted, passionate, capable, and authentic servant leaders.”
A WTS Master of Divinity graduate, Johnson was appointed the 14th president of the seminary in 2015 and
began serving that June. Johnson previously served at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now
United Lutheran Seminary) since 2004 and also as the WTS Associate Director of Admissions from 1999 to 2004.
Prior to her departure at the end of December 2019, there will be opportunity to express appreciation to
Johnson for her effectiveness as a leader and as a deeply admired pastoral presence and friend to those in
and beyond the WTS community.
“I love Wartburg. I have loved it since the day I set foot on the grounds. I will always be a ‘Wartburger,’
called to love and serve the gospel of Jesus Christ, called to address the needs of those ‘who are like
sheep without a shepherd.’ Count on my support and advocacy. Count on my prayers for the bright
future of our beloved school. Count on my partnership in the ministry of the Gospel.” – Rev. Louise
Johnson
Wartburg and the leaders and students of the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin are grateful to God for
Johnson’s leadership in this historic and extraordinary season. News of next steps for the seminary in light of this
announcement is forthcoming in the weeks ahead.
For more information on Wartburg: wartburgseminary.edu
Announcing…The 2021 ELCA Youth Gathering:
June 29-July 3, 2021 / Minneapolis, MN
See the theme announcement video and get fired up!
14 I kneel in prayer to the Father. 15 All beings in heaven and on earth receive their life from [God]. 16 God is
wonderful and glorious. I pray that [God’s] Spirit will make you become strong followers 17 and that Christ will
live in your hearts because of your faith. Stand firm and be deeply rooted in [God’s] love. 18 I pray that you
and all of God’s people will understand what is called wide or long or high or deep. 19 I want you to know all
about Christ’s love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is. 20-21 I pray that Christ Jesus and the church will forever bring praise to God. [God’s] power at work in us can do
far more than we dare ask or imagine. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21 CEV
About the theme: We are bound. Bound by our sin, by the expectations of others, by poverty, by ”-isms” that
try to divide us, and by so much more. In a life that often feels like it has young people in a suffocating grip, we
want them to imagine the boundlessness of God: boundless love, boundless mercy, boundless freedom,
boundless creation, boundless strength. All offered from a gracious and loving God who knows and adores
them. All so abundant and endless it cannot be measured. What are the stories of God’s people, both in
scripture and modern day that share the awe and wonder of just how vast our God is? What does it mean,
what does it look and feel like to live a life “filled with all that God is”? How can young people find themselves
within the boundlessness of Christ’s love?
MYLE, the tAble and the Gathering are unique opportunities to invite young people into a deeper relationship
with a God whose possibilities are boundless. Through one of a kind experiences, this ministry stretches and
affirms young people’s gifts and calls. They experience the power of the Spirit within them, that frees them to
live in the grace of God’s boundless love in Jesus Christ.
Finally, we are excited by the connections this theme offers to our host city of Minneapolis and the surrounding
area. Known as the “City by Nature”, Minneapolis is an earth-minded city in many ways. The Minneapolis Area
Synod also names advocacy around care for creation as a top priority, which would allow us to learn from
and support the local expression of the church.
Learn more: www.elca.org/gathering and https://scsw-elca.org/ministries-and-
Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership Retreat, 2019 Nov. 17-19
This is just around the corner. There are still openings, so you can still register. Register NOW to help with planning and to reserve your spot and room! to Register: https://strengtheningthesoulofleadership.org/
November 17– NOVEMBER 19, GREEN LAKE, WISCONSIN
“I’m tired of helping others enjoy God. I just want to enjoy God for myself.”
With this painful admission, Ruth Haley Barton invites us to an honest exploration of what happens when spiritual leaders lose track of their souls.
Jesus indicates that it is possible to gain the whole world but lose your own soul. If he were speaking to us as church leaders today, he might point out that it is possible to gain the whole world of ministry success and lose your own soul. So how do you know if it’s happening to you?
In the Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership retreat, you will assess the state of your own soul and explore practical ways of forging a stronger connection between your soul and your leadership. Topics include: solitude as the place of our own spiritual seeking, the dynamics of calling,
spiritual rhythms in the life of the leader, and leading from your authentic self.
Housing and Meal Reservations: The retreat will be held at the Green Lake Conference Center (GLCC), nestled in a lovely wooded setting on the shores of beautiful Green Lake in central Wisconsin. To learn more about the Conference Center: http://glcc.org Cost: Retreat Registration: The cost for registration is $150. This includes all materials, refreshments and teaching for the entire retreat. Click here to register. Rooms and Meals: Rooms and meal charges will be paid directly to Green Lake Conference Center. A block of rooms has been reserved for the Strengthening the Soul of Leadership Retreat. There are a variety of rooms available ranging in price from $102 to $133 per night. Please consider booking a private room for yourself rather than sharing in order to give more uninterrupted time to your relationship with God. The retreat schedule will include 5 reasonably priced group meals: 2 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 2 dinners for a total cost of $60 for meals. The retreat will be dismissed on Tuesday mid-day. If you wish to have lunch at GLCC on Tuesday, please let GLCC know at least 2 weeks prior to the retreat. (November 2nd) Please call GLCC to make your room reservations: 920-294-3323 and reference booking number 13758. Room charges will be paid to GLCC at the time of the reservation and meals can be paid at arrival. What to bring: Please wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes so that you can enjoy the lovely grounds comfortably. For more information or to register:
https://strengtheningthesoulofleadership.org/ Additionally, you can Call or email Jane Cahill Wolfgram at 608-438-5358 [email protected] or Sue Beadle at 608-416-3981 [email protected]
Co-Sponsored by:
South-Central Synod of Wisconsin
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
God’s work. Our hands.
CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH - DeForest, WI
Celebrate ~ Learn ~ Care A member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
TRANSFORMING CENTER Strengthen the Soul of Your Leadership
“Even though Jesus often sought times of solace and space to be alone with God, church leaders often look at our full calendars and busy schedules with satisfaction that we are busy growing the Kingdom of God and saving souls. I have been a pastor for over 27 years. In that time, I nearly lost my soul, burned out, and contemplated leaving the ministry. When I read Ruth Haley Barton’s book, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, eight years ago, I found hope that there was another way of being in ministry that was life-giving and sustainable. I fell in love with God again and became excited about ministry.
If you are looking for ways to forge a stronger connection between your soul and your leadership, I encourage you to attend this retreat. You will meet many pastors and ministry leaders who are experiencing the same things—and you will meet those who have fallen in love again with God and God’s church. Come and listen; come and rest; come and be renewed by the grace of God.”
~Sue Beadle, Sr. Pastor Christ Lutheran Church, DeForest, WI
November 21 – Retired Pastor’s Gathering – Location Update: St. John’s Lutheran Church (Oregon)
Updates on Congregations in the Call Process and Rostered Leader Updates Call process and roster changes are updated on the synod website monthly. Please
keep these congregations and rostered leaders in your prayers.
Link: http://scsw-elca.org/resources/callprocess/
Prayers
Of celebration
For Our Savior’s (Sun Prairie) on their 60th Anniversary!
Rev. Dr. David Berggren who served for 1/3 of the congregation’s life, was
invited to preach at the celebration worship. Soggy Prairie Band sent the
assembly and provided entertainment for lunch. Blessings Our Savior’s for this
milestone anniversary!
LUAD: (Lutherans United Assisting After Disasters Synod Team)
• Rob Malewicki, Hope, Milton, WI
• Dale Meyer, St Peter’s, Loganville
Synod Seminary Student:
• Anne Wickland - Anne is a student at Lutheran School of Theology at
Chicago.
Pastors and Congregations in our Synod:
• Rev. Sara Rabe, Pastor, and members of Covenant Lutheran Church, Stoughton, WI
• Rev. Kurt Billings & Rev. Peter Narum, Pastors, and members of St. James Lutheran Church, Verona, WI
Neighboring Synods:
• Bishop Kurt Kusserow and the congregations of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod
Churchwide Partners:
• Dr. Kathryn Johnson, Director for ELCA Ecumenical InterReligious Relations, Office of the Presiding
Bishop at the ELCA Lutheran Center, Chicago, IL
• Ms. Kathryn Lohre, Asst. to the Bishop & Executive for Ecumenical & Interreligious Relations &
Theological Discernment, Office of the Presiding Bishop at the ELCA Lutheran Center, Chicago, IL
We give thanks at this time for the ministry of those who celebrate their anniversary of Ordination during this
coming week:
Rev. Lisa Nelson, October 31, 1993, Pastor of St. Mark’s Lutheran, Madison, WI [email protected]
Rev. Richard Collier, October 31, 1982, Interim Pastor of St. Matthew (New Life), Madison, WI