LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 97

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SYNOD REPORTS
Commission on Ministerial Growth and Support
Lcms Convention 2010
Highlights
Significant accomplishments of the triennium:

1. Collaboration with numerous other agencies and departments pursuing the LCMS mission
2. The strengthening and “refreshment” of Post-Seminary Applied
Learning and Support (PALS)
3. The Next Steps Pilot Project: Connecting gifted passion of retired
workers to mission/ministry
4. Healthy Congregations—Healthy Workers: Concrete markers for
congregational well-being
5. Focus on the Workers of the Church: The bi-weekly e-newsletter
of encouragement to busy leaders
6. The Worker Wellness Conference and ensuing Wellness Initiatives
in the districts
7. Development and distribution of the Clergy Appreciation Month
materials
8. Healthy Spirit—Healthy You: The promotion of growth in the
dimensions of prayer and spirituality
9. The development and provision of materials for improving “economic vitality” among workers
Goals for the future:

1. Continue to develop the dynamics of improving relational vitality in all dimensions of ministers’ lives
2. Continue to sharpen our ability to learn of, and respond to, current
and future needs of ministers
3. Continue to discover ways in which the values of lifelong learning will be embraced by ministers
4. Develop and deliver more widely the dynamics of helping ministers to transition through various stages of ministry
5. Continue to be a positive influence in the LCMS culture regarding ministerial wellness
6. Discover and develop a system in which ministers can identify
and trust in relationships of confidentiality and safety among
colleagues
Appendix A
Post-Seminary Applied Learning and Support (PALS)
Follow-Up Interviews (2007)
Executive Summary

The Post-Seminary Applied Learning and Support (PALS) program is designed to ease the transition from seminary to parish
ministry. The PALS Follow-Up Interviews project was designed as
one avenue to assess how well the program is serving the 2000–2003
graduating classes. The key findings are highlighted below.
1. Both PALS participants and nonparticipants report similarly high
levels of satisfaction with their professional and private lives. They
are similar in that respect with a national sample of clergy interviewed for the Pulpit and Pew project in 2001.
2. Twenty percent or more of both PALS participants and nonparticipants were dissatisfied with “opportunities for continuing
theological education” and “support from (my) district official.”
3. Two problem areas which perennially surface in surveys of professional church workers arose in these interviews: separating one’s
private life from one’s ministerial role, and finding time for relaxation or personal reflection.

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4. Dealing with the stress caused by the challenges of congregational
ministry was a problem for one-third or more of our interviewees.
5. The top three “most helpful” aspects of PALS, according to participants were (1) the fellowship with other pastors, (2) having a
“sounding board” for their experiences in the parish, and (3) the
support of a “mentor” (usually the facilitator).
6. Nine out of ten PALS participants who completed the program
said PALS had a “positive” effect on their transition to the parish.
7. Nearly half of those who left PALS early gave a structural reason
for dropping out (e.g., took a call to a congregation not close to a
PALS group, had scheduling issues, PALS group disbanded).
8. One thing participants would change about PALS would be to
make it more convenient to meet, either by better scheduling or by
cutting the distance to sessions. The other change would be better
meeting content.
9. Future planning and facilitator training should focus on the key
value of PALS to participants: open sharing and support among
participants who are ably facilitated by experienced pastors.
Dr. John P. O’Hara, Senior Research Analyst,
and Patricia Evans, Research Assistant
Research Services Department,
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
St. Louis, Missouri 63122
December 2007
Appendix B
What Are the Greatest Challenges You Face as a Church Worker?
Identified challenge

% of workers identifying as the greatest challenge

• Emotional drain
• Long hours
• Strain on family
• Low compensation/pay and benefits
• Antagonistic “flock”
• Lack of ecclesiastical leadership
District/Synod
• Staff conflict
• Education debt

21.34
20.95
17.19
15.61
7.71
7.71
5.34
4.15

The What a Way! initiative e-mail survey of LCMS professional
church workers, December 30, 2009, by Divine Marketing Solutions.
Appendix C
Sabbatical Guidelines

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in convention (2007)
gave to the Commission on Ministerial Growth and Support (CMGS)
the assignment to prepare guidelines for sabbaticals for use by congregations and professional church workers. The Continuing Education
Action Team (CEAT) of the CMGS offers the following guidelines
as one part of an overall continuing education strategy for congregations and their workers.
Introduction

“A sabbatical is a time to receive, to be nurtured, and to reflect on
one’s relationship with God so that one may be renewed, refreshed,
and revitalized for a life of service to others” (2007 Res. 6-08).
Sabbatical leaves provide time for professional church workers to
gain perspective and focus for ministry. The benefits of a sabbatical
leave belong to the church workers and their families through renewed
commitment and to the congregations who receive them back, energized for ministry.
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