By Rev. Judith VanOsdol, Director for Evangelical Mission

 

We are excited and thrilled to have a delegation of around twenty mission minded leaders, both clergy and lay from every conference of our synod who will be attending a "Train the trainer" event in August sponsored by the renewal movement of the ELCA's Churchwide expression.

 

These leaders will be a part of our "Synodical Mission Dream Team"-a group helping to plan and focus on mission around the synod. Each of these facilitators will be working in mission teams around the synod for a renewed sense of call, discipleship, mission and purpose in our congregations and conferences.

 

There is far too much hopelessness in this unhappy world. Our faith communities are called to be centers of hope. There are tools and skills that facilitate a move toward a more effective model of mission and discipleship:  each baptized believer as a missionary, each congregation a mission station, each pastor a mission director. The first step is a deep listening and hearing God's call to us in Christ Jesus.

 

Expect God to do great and amazing things: in us, through us and within our communities.