2020 Tool Kit Workshops

Presidents'/Vice-Presidents' Forum - Part 1

In congregational leadership, the roles of council president and vice-president have unique opportunities and challenges. Council presidents and VPs, from the newly elected to the most seasoned, are encouraged to attend this forum where attendees will receive template materials and discuss in both small and large groups critical topics of common interest and concern, from the basics of running an effective meeting and delegating to more complex themes such as pastoral support, conflict resolution, and setting up a process for ministry evaluation. As part of the registration process, you will be asked for your input on relevant discussion topics. Each part of the forum will focus on different topics to best utilize this workshop time, so please plan to attend both Part 1 and Part 2.

Matthew Webster has served as council president at St. Paul-Reformation, St. Paul, for two years, and before that, served as vice-president for two years. He moved to the Twin Cities from Rochester seven years ago, and practices immigration law in Minneapolis.

More Than Money: Stewardship as Telling, Asking & Thanking

Thanks, Ask, and Tell are three critical aspects of good congregational stewardship. In this workshop you will learn about the importance of all three, and look at concrete ways your congregation can thank, ask, and tell.

• Thanks – Giving thanks for financial gifts received is a vital part of inspiring continued generosity. Learn about the power of a thank you note and other important ways your congregation can show gratitude for generosity.
• Ask – We will examine how to make the ask for financial support for ministry stronger. What are the essential elements of a strong ask? What is helpful in overcoming the discomfort of asking for money?
• Tell – Telling stories is an essential and powerful stewardship tool and you will learn the importance of sharing God’s stories of ministry and outreach. What are the stories in your congregation of God’s love in action that need to be shared with the world? Where can those stories be shared in your congregation to inspire and encourage generosity?

Our three presenters are members of the Saint Paul Area Synod Stewardship Committee. Ryan Brodin is the senior pastor at Abiding Savior, Mounds View. He has a Doctor of Ministry  in Congregational Mission and Leadership with a focus on generosity in congregations. He has 18+ years of fundraising experience with congregations. Lloyd Menke is the senior pastor at Our Saviour's, Hastings. He has a variety of experiences in ministry, serving as an ELCA mission developer, and in pastoral and corporate sized churches. He has a Doctor of Ministry in Stewardship and has been involved in a number of congregational capital campaigns. Taryn Montgomery is the pastor at Chisago Lake, Chisago Lake. She has a heart for Christian stewardship and has served in several ministry contexts around the United States as well as abroad.

Governing Our Life Together: Updating Your Congregation's Constitution

As faith communities, we strive for peace, process and partnership between members and leadership, but sometimes things go awry. Your congregation’s constitution is there to support you as a community, ensuring good order, providing a road map in times of uncertainty. As such, it is an important piece of your life together. However, getting and keeping your constitution in good order can be overwhelming. If it is time for your congregation to update its constitution, or if you would like to be prepared for when that time comes around next, join us! We will talk about why and how to keep this essential document up to date and orient you to the resources the synod has in place to assist you with this important task.

Tanner Howard serves as the associate pastor of All Saints Lutheran in Cottage Grove, and volunteers his time with exceptional enthusiasm as a member of the Constitution Review Committee. He previously served in that capacity in the Montana Synod. He takes nerdy job in updating governing documents and would love to sit down with you and a large pot of coffee to help you with yours! Anna Marsh serves on synod staff as the executive assistant to the bishop. As part of that work, she coordinates the Constitution Review Committee, who assists congregations and the bishop with the process of updating governing documents. No one is more surprised than her about how fun and interesting she finds this part of her job.

Intergenerational & Intercultural Faith Formation

Intergenerational & Intercultural Faith Formation is based on the belief that when a congregation is able to apply the core values and actions of accompanying one another across the borders of generations within the congregation, then the foundation for mission outside the walls of the church is present and active. This workshop is for all who want to discover how discipleship is about “accompanying” one another in our congregations and in our households; and how involvement in “mission” cannot be separated from faith formation for every age and stage of life. As the generations journey together locally, our congregations will be infused with a new confidence, perspective, sense of identity, and mission formation that crosses the boundaries of age – and culture. Participants will receive free curriculum designed by Linda Staats and produced by ELCA Global Missions, that engages both generational theory and the accompaniment model of ministry.

Heather Roth Johnson is the pastor of faith formation and evangelism at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Lakeville. Her ministry focus is children, youth, and families. Previously, Heather served as an ELCA missionary in Madagascar. Heather speaks multiple languages and has served the church on three continents. She is a storyteller, public speaker, workshop leader, writer, cross† generational specialist, and simply – a creative soul who enjoys loving God's people.

A Taste of Respectful Conversations

Employed by thousands of Minnesotans in congregations, community groups, colleges and schools, Minnesota Council of Churches’ Respectful Conversations project helps people talk to each other more effectively, understand one another better, and inoculate themselves from damaging conflict over intense issues. Learn some of the principles of Respectful Conversations, have a taste of your own on the topic of “the 2020 election,” and learn how to bring empathy to your church and mission field. Note: This identical workshop will also be offered during Session 2 (no need to attend twice!).

Joan Haan is a professional certified coach and a lead facilitator with Respectful Conversations. In this role, she has led conversations regarding the Marriage Amendment, guns, race and other topics in congregations, denominations, schools and universities. She is a member of Pilgrim Lutheran, St. Paul, where she serves as the co-facilitator of the Racial Justice Team. Rev. Jerad Morey is program and communications director for the Minnesota Council of Churches, representing one million Christians in the state and directing MCC Respectful Conversations. He also serves as associate pastor at Northfield United Methodist Church.

Sexual Violence Prevention: We All Have a Part to Play

Sexual violence is something we are constantly exposed to in our society. And while we want to believe that church is different--that the reality of patriarchy, sexual harassment, abuse, unwanted touches or inappropriate comments--don’t happen inside of church walls, deeper reflection shows us that that is unfortunately not true. When it comes to changing the culture of sexual violence, it is hard to know how to start because it feels overwhelming, confusing, challenging, expensive, and even impossible. But just like how planting one small seed in a garden can have a huge effect, you can also start small with sexual violence prevention. The Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault has created The Rosemary Project, a CDC best practice based initiative to engage the public in daily practices and provide tangible resources to help put prevention into action. The church should be a safe space where everyone thrives and grows—come learn how you can help make that a reality for your church community through actionable steps you can take in daily life.

Adrianna Perez is the prevention program coordinator at MNCASA. In this role, she works to make prevention work accessible and doable for everyone to play their part in it. She believes that by working and coming together, we can change our cultural norms and prevent many forms of violence. Her passion for this work is inspired by community building, creative thinking about strategies of change, and providing education.

Presidents'/Vice-Presidents' Forum - Part 2

In congregational leadership, the roles of council president and vice-president have unique opportunities and challenges. Council presidents and VPs, from the newly elected to the most seasoned, are encouraged to attend this forum where attendees will receive template materials and discuss in both small and large groups critical topics of common interest and concern, from the basics of running an effective meeting and delegating to more complex themes such as pastoral support, conflict resolution, and setting up a process for ministry evaluation. As part of the registration process, you will be asked for your input on relevant discussion topics. Each part of the forum will focus on different topics to best utilize this workshop time, so please plan to attend both Part 1 and Part 2.

Matthew Webster has served as council president at St. Paul-Reformation, St. Paul, for two years, and before that, served as vice-president for two years. He moved to the Twin Cities from Rochester seven years ago, and practices immigration law in Minneapolis.

Content Strategies for Social Media

Do you struggle to come up with content to post on your congregation's social media account(s)? Maybe you're overwhelmed with too much content and aren't sure if it's all appropriate for posting. This session will help you create a clear social media strategy that is consistent, relevant and sustainable. We'll talk about setting goals, objectives and policies; using a content calendar to anticipate and plan posts; enlisting assistance; using visuals to attract attention and more. Participants will leave with a list of content ideas specific to congregations.

Mary Smith is the coordinator of communications for the Saint Paul Area Synod. She manages the synod's social media accounts, website and newsletters and oversees the promotion of events and programs. While much of her professional career has been with associations, she also has a background in church work: she was director of Christian education for five years at one of the synod's congregations and serves as a church wedding assistant. 

Diving Deeper Than Demographics

Where is God calling your congregation to now? This workshop will provide a basic overview of tools that will help answer that question. Utilizing the MissionInsite Demographic Tool, we will look into the power of knowing your community for the ministry you and your congregation are called to. From asset mapping to community listenin,g we will touch on a variety of ways to engage the people around your congregation in a way that allows you to do ministry with one ear to the ground. Data is power but only if you know how to use it.

Rev. Justin Grimm joined the synod staff as the director for evangelical mission and assistant to the bishop for next generation ministries in 2015. In these roles he works with local synodical leaders in the identification of new mission and renewal opportunities, as well as with faith-based organizations to undertake church based community organizing to engage congregations and neighborhoods. 

Becoming an Effective Treasurer

The materials covered will provide a basic lesson on budgets, expenditures, cash flow, and balancing the books while keeping good stewardship of your congregation's financial resources in mind. Treasurers and financial administrators encouraged to attend.

David Laden is the comptroller at Como Park Lutheran, St. Paul, serves as synod council treasurer, and is a member of the synod finance committee.

Church Emergency Plans & Safety

It’s easy to push creating or updating an emergency preparedness plan to the bottom of the to-do list. After all, the crisis, emergency, or disaster isn’t happening now, so surely it can wait another day, week, or year. However, when disaster does strike, having a plan in place can make a world of difference. This workshop will be a discussion of the four main areas of emergency preparedness, operating plans and contingencies. We will review planning for potential violent acts against houses of worship; resources for implementation and design of an effective emergency operating plan will be discussed.

John Aunan is a risk control consultant for Church Mutual Insurance Company and has 14 years of risk management consulting experience. John's areas of expertise include building valuation, security assessments, workers compensation and liability hazard assessments, and he is certified in ALICE and Ergonomics.

Creating Inclusive Worship

Every Sunday, Gethsemane Lutheran Church holds three worship services: traditional, contemporary, and a very special “Angel Service.” The Angel Service is a collaboration of the church and the non-profit Special Adventures that provides a worship time for adults with special needs. In this workshop you will hear about the process of the church partnering with a local nonprofit, and learn the considerations to keep in mind when creating worship that is inclusive of differently abled persons. You'll get valuable tips and lessons learned from a church that has made creating, offering, and growing this inclusive worship a priority of their ministry.

Elizabeth Wilder is the lead pastor at Gethsemane Lutheran, Maplewood. She also teaches faith formation at the pre-K-8th grade school attached to Gethsemane. She ministered with churches in Georgia and South Carolina and was an adjunct faculty member at various University of South Carolina campuses before coming to Minnesota. 

A Taste of Respectful Conversations

Employed by thousands of Minnesotans in congregations, community groups, colleges and schools, Minnesota Council of Churches’ Respectful Conversations help people talk to each other more effectively, understand one another better, and inoculate themselves from damaging conflict over intense issues. Learn some of the principles of Respectful Conversations, have a taste of your own on the topic of “the 2020 election,” and learn how to bring empathy to your church and mission field. Note: This identical workshop will also be offered during Session 1 (no need to attend twice!).

Joan Haan is a professional certified coach and a lead facilitator with Respectful Conversations. In this role, she has led conversations regarding the Marriage Amendment, guns, race and other topics in congregations, denominations, schools and universities. She is a member of Pilgrim Lutheran, St. Paul, where she serves as the co-facilitator of the Racial Justice Team. Rev. Jerad Morey is program and communications director for the Minnesota Council of Churches, representing one million Christians in the state and directing MCC Respectful Conversations. He also serves as associate pastor for Northfield United Methodist Church.