Go & Tell the Story

By Michelle DeRusha, R.A.R.E. team Celebrating Diversity in the Body of Christ Two years ago an invitation from Bishop Maas to join a new committee aimed at addressing racism awareness in the Nebraska Synod landed in my in-box. My first impulse was to hit the delete key. My second was to conjure an excuse as to why I could not possibly participate. Discussing racism with the Bishop and a bunch of church people, all of whom were strangers to me, sounded like a decidedly awkward endeavor. I said yes (mostly because I was afraid to say no to the Bishop). My husband (who had received the same email invitation) and I attended the initial meeting, and a few months later, R.A.R.E. – Racial Awareness, Reconciliation, and Engagement – was launched. R.A.R.E.‘s mission is to energize the church to combat the sin of racism. We believe that by increasing awareness about the history and nature of racism, creating opportunities for reconciliation, and promoting engageme

By Rev. Marcia Dorn, Pastor at Bethany Lutheran in Axtell and Outreach Table Chair CHANGED PEOPLE CHANGE CHURCHES; CHANGED CHURCHES CHANGE THE WORLD! This is the mission statement of the Transformation Ministry process that is available and open for all congregations in the Nebraska Synod, as they consider their futures serving God’s World ! In 2016, in partnership with the ELCA Renewal team, the Nebraska Synod developed a transformational  ministry process to help congregations reconnect to God, to each other, and to the world. Congregations that recognize that doing church the same way they have been is just not working anymore and are looking for a new way to move forward together into the future are finding new energy, new purpose and direction through this process. Transformational Ministry involves using God’s Word, prayer, conversation, and faith practices to discern and identify the gifts that God has given them and linking them