Ministry in a Post-Pandemic World: A Conversation with Beth Lewis
We got in touch with Beth Lewis, former CEO of Augsburg Fortress (now 1517 Media), to ask for some words of wisdom for children, youth and family ministry leaders in 2023. You led Augsburg Fortress (now 1517 Media) through major changes for 16 years, including what the business world calls a “turnaround,” which occurs when a business that is struggling with performance moves into a … Continue reading Ministry in a Post-Pandemic World: A Conversation with Beth Lewis
A Way Forward
by Rev. Bill Kees “Sunday morning worship is the most segregated morning of the week.” Many years ago, I heard a friend of mine say that. She was an ELCA pastor who was Black and who now rests from her labors alive in God. She said it with an edge, and that’s how I needed to hear her. Today, 30 years later, not much has … Continue reading A Way Forward
You Might Be a Lutheran If…
by Dr. Kelly Sherman-Conroy I recently opened up my email to see this subject title: “You Might Be A Lutheran If…”. I had to ask myself if this was an email worth opening or will it only bring me sadness, anger, and confusion. Before we get into this, let me introduce myself. I became a spiritual person in terms of my vocation when I was … Continue reading You Might Be a Lutheran If…
Art as Faithful Vocation
Connect Journal reached out to Mary Button to learn more about her artistic work in and outside of the ELCA. Her responses below have been lightly edited for style. My name is Mary Button, and I’m a pastor and an artist! I grew up in Southeast Texas in beautiful Galveston County on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Growing up in such a beautiful … Continue reading Art as Faithful Vocation
Art, Humor and Style
We got in touch with David Hunstad of Old Lutheran to get an inside scoop on the business and its Lutheran identity. Old Lutheran has gone through a transformation in its understanding…and communication of Lutheran identity over the last few years. It is a transformation that happened because the larger community started asking questions about how we as Lutherans identify ourselves and the kind of … Continue reading Art, Humor and Style
How to Start a Church with Three Showers and a Trailer
Pastor Emily Norris had a vision for The Dwelling, a new church she was planting in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. A combined effort of the North Carolina Synod of the ELCA and the Southern Province of the Moravian Church, The Dwelling began its life on February 1, 2020, to minister to those experiencing homelessness in the city. Pastor Norris had a few years of funding secured … Continue reading How to Start a Church with Three Showers and a Trailer
Nine Lessons from a Church Planter Emerging from the Pandemic
by Rev. Michael Baughman Construct a generative culture: I’m convinced that church plants, despite being poorly funded and generally unstable, were better positioned to thrive in the pandemic than most congregations. Adaptive change is baked into the early DNA of any successful entrepreneurial venture—church or otherwise. Healthy church plants adapt as they learn more about their community, their mission and their own strengths. They constantly start … Continue reading Nine Lessons from a Church Planter Emerging from the Pandemic
Work to Do: Ministry to Littles During the Pandemic
by Dr. Dawn Rundman Since March of 2020, I have been listening to children, youth and family ministry leaders wrestle with the devastating effects of the pandemic in their congregations, communities and the broader world. I’ve also learned about the remarkable innovations leaders like you have demonstrated, showing your commitment to supporting kids and families in new and creative ways. Thank you for your faithfulness … Continue reading Work to Do: Ministry to Littles During the Pandemic
Exchanging Walls for Welcome; A Practical Examination of Relational Intersectionality in the Parish
by Jessica Davis This article was originally published in the Women’s Issue of the Connect Journal in 2018. We invite you to read it again and consider how your community could be more intersectional in its ministry. “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” (Ephesians 2:14) “There is … Continue reading Exchanging Walls for Welcome; A Practical Examination of Relational Intersectionality in the Parish
Reflections on Pandemic Ministry
by Rev. Marla Rotman One of the things a person has to do to become a pastor is get over their fear of public speaking. I remember back to when I first began—the knees shaking, the sweaty palms, the dry mouth. And, at the time, the best advice out there was, “Imagine everyone in their underwear.” I don’t know about you, but that didn’t cut … Continue reading Reflections on Pandemic Ministry
Connect Journal 