Marked with the cross of Christ forever, we are claimed, gathered, and sent for the sake of the world.
(ELCA Mission Statement)

In our baptism we are claimed as a child of God and called to participate in God’s mission in the world. So, as the ELCA missionstatement announces, we are

Claimed—for the sake of the world.
Gathered—for the sake of the world
Sent—for the sake of the world

And as claimed, gathered, and sent people we have work to do for the sake of God’s mission in the world. In this sense, all of us are leaders.

Congregations are the primary places to nurture, support, and challenge all the baptized and to equip and empower leaders. It is the vision of this synod to serve as catalysts for carrying out God’s mission in the world, not only through sharing the story of Jesus and by ending poverty, but also by equipping leaders to live out their various callings in the world.

As an introduction to those callings, the Equipping Leaders leadership team has developed a workshop entitled “Making Christians—Making Christian Leaders.”  Incorporating Bible, catechism, songs, metaphors, images, conversation, and stories, the workshop leads participants to discover how we as individual Christians and as a church live out our calling in the context of community and the world. Other resources and avenues which explore the depths of our call to discipleship and leadership are also available and in process.