# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2007_S86 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 86 SYNOD REPORTS ¢ The transition is enhanced when the congregation has a program to instruct them in caring for a new pastor. Dr. John P. O’ Hara, senior research analyst-research services for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, continues to analyze other research data collected, provide insight into design and di- rection of additional research regarding the efficacy of the PALS initiative. PALS Facilitators Who Served During Current Triennium— No Longer Serving Robert Beinke Richard Boche Thomas Braun Christopher Cahill Warren Davis Alfred Ebel Charles Gierke Jack Gillam David Haara Thees Hoft Charles Houska Bruce Jeske David Jung Philip Kaufmann Carl Lilienkamp Randy Maland Dennis Mann David Miller Melvin Newman Ronald Rall Steven Rempfer Ronald Richeson Mark Rosenau Alan Rosnau Carl Schneider David Simonson Charles Spomer James Troyke James Van Dellen William Weedon Ronald Weidler Donald Williams Lee Wisroth PALS Facilitators Now Serving Michael Awe Randall Bard Mark Barz Gordon Besel Keith Besel Philip Bruening Mark Buchhop Lewis Busch Stephen Constien Arnold Frank Harvey Gerdes David Groth Bradley Heinecke Barry Hildebrandt Peter Holm Daniel Johnson Dale Johnston Glen Keylon Alvin Lange Steven Lange Raymond Larson Jeffrey Lee William Marler Daniel Meckes Mark Nebel William Plath Daniel Quiram Robert Riggs Timothy Rynearson Brian Saunders Harlan Schoenrock = Chris Schwanz Russell Senstad Mark Schockey Robert Spillman Allen Steinbeck Mark Whitsett Ronald Young PALS development for the future includes an ongoing respon- siveness to regular evaluations and various forms of feedback from the participants. The Action Team is particularly sensitive to the need for providing opportunities for first-call pastors to strengthen “people-skills” and to continually refine their skills in other practi- cal aspects of parish ministry. —Welcome, Lutheran School Teacher—This is the name of the compact disc received by nearly 1,800 new-to-teaching Lutheran school teachers throughout the current triennium. This CD is prepared by experienced Lutheran school teachers and offers advice to new teachers as they prepare for teaching in a Lutheran school. The CD, a gift from the CMGS to these new church professionals, is intended to help them in the transition from student in the classroom to profes- sional teacher and worker in the church. Nearly 2,500 copies of this manual, in hard copy or in CD form, have been distributed to new teachers over the past six years. The manual is also available on the CMGS Web site cmgs.Icms.org. —The Next Steps Action Team—Chaired by Rev. Richard Koehneke, Fort Wayne, Indiana, is developing a creative, consis- tent process for effectively and strategically connecting the gifted passions of retired ministers with the ongoing ministry and mission of the church. At some point in the course of an individual’s ministry, the prospect of retirement begins to appear over the horizon. The com- mission defines “retirement” as “‘a season of new freedom and flex- ibility” for the workers and for the church as a whole. We do not view retirement as something negative or threatening, but as a time to think creatively about ministry and mission, both by the worker and by the church. The commission is in the process of encouraging freedom, flex- ibility, and focus for Kingdom growth. That involves helping con- gregations and professional ministers (ordained and commissioned) Daniel Schneider 2007 Convention Workbook prepare well for the retirement of the minister, addressing honestly and constructively the many issues and decisions surrounding im- pending retirement. “Breaking the Tape” is the name we have ten- tatively applied to this process of preretirement preparation, beginning two to five years before the actual retirement date, de- pending on the local situation. Then comes retirement and the question, “What’s next?” The commission is discovering how to answer that question with “Next Steps,” our newly developing process for connecting passion with mission—that is, matching the talents and gifts of retired ministers with the mission opportunities and ministry needs of the church. The creative possibilities are endless, and they are truly exhilarating. A generous grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans pro- vides financial resources for the discovery and development of the “Next Steps” initiative. Early efforts included exploratory sessions to gain insight into the various dynamics of the project. Nearly 100 pastors and their wives participated in sessions conducted in five separate districts. (Note: The effort begins with discovery and de- velopment among ordained ministers, with the intention to make application of the principles also to commissioned ministers in the ensuing stages of the initiative.) The sessions provided opportunity for pastors and their wives to share common anxieties and experi- ences as they approach retirement, as well as gather responses to such questions as: ¢ What are your passions? * How can we connect the passions with mission? ¢ What obstacles do you perceive to an ideal retirement? * Do you have suggestions for addressing the obstacles? The commission is pursuing a pilot project in the Indiana Dis- trict (with a possibility in additional districts) to identify the dy- namics and formalize the processes necessary for effectively and strategically connecting the gifted passion of retired ministers with the ongoing ministry and mission of the church. A related collabo- rative effort is emerging as the CMGS will begin to partner in the Concordia Plan Services’ preretirement workshops, specifically to assist retiring ministers in the identification of their gifted passions. Our prayer is that the “Next Steps” process will be ready for im- plementation throughout the Synod by the year 2010, when the first wave of Baby Boomer minister retirees is projected to make a sig- nificant impact. Results the Next Steps Action Team will be working to accom- plish in the future include: , ¢ An empowered alliance with Concordia Plan Services. ¢ Proven and accepted set of standards and procedures for effec- tively and strategically connecting the gifted passions of retired ministers with the ongoing ministry and mission of the church. ¢ Implementation of a synodwide “Next Steps” by 2010. — Future efforts of the commission in the area “Vocational Transitions” will include discovery and development of appropriate support for professional ministers reaching “mid-ministry.” It may include a “Mid-Ministry Review” to help the worker assess where she or he has been, what has been learned, where the worker is going, and what is needed to get there successfully. The commis- sion is in the beginning stages of developing a process for such a review. — The Wellness Action Team—Chaired by Mrs. Martha Van Buskirk, Baymont, Texas, is dedicated to improving and maintain- ing the level of wellness among professional ministers (ordained and commissioned) so that they may flourish in the pursuit of their calling. The CMGS seeks to help every church worker and family mem- ber live life to the fullest spiritually, physically, socially, culturally, intellectually, vocationally, environmentally and financially. We’re convinced that when the church’s workers experience “wellness,” the outflow will necessarily involve “serving,” that is, ministry.