Dear Friends,
By now, many of you are on your way to the E! or preparing to attend Ignite the Church in February. Excitement brews for the Youth Gathering (Be sure to check out the theme song competition). The Women of the ELCA are preparing for the summer Gathering followed by the Rostered Ministers Gathering. Meanwhile, back in the parish, we are looking forward to Lent, Easter, Confirmation and perhaps, even First Communion Classes while planning begins for VBS and summer camps!
The Christian Education Network's vision is: Building a community which equips, encourages, and empowers those engaged in lifelong faith formation in a changing world.
To do that, we continue to focus on resources to assist you in your planning, teaching and growing disciples of all ages. Be sure to check out FaithfulTeaching,org as new resources are added every month. There is also an article from Diana McGeoch introducing the intergenerational resources for 2020. The Facebook Group continues to be active in supporting one another. I am pretty sure I have gleaned more ideas than I will ever be able to use!
The CEN Board meets monthly and prays daily as we strive to be faithful stewards of the mission to which we are called to serve. We appreciate
your prayers as we seek new ways to empower others in the ministry to which they have been called.
Over the last year, we have had some difficult conversations concerning organizational restructuring. In order to be more effective, we are proposing a restructuring of the board moving from a representative board to a smaller working board model. Currently, we are working on the necessary bylaw and handbook
changes. Once completed, the entire membership will be asked to vote on these bylaw changes. If you have any questions or concerns along the way, please reach out to one of us. We will keep you informed along the way.
Finally, if you are still looking for a great devotional to assist you on the journey, check out the Daily Texts 2020 (book or app). Each week offers Scripture, prayers and hymns to guide you throughout the day. Martin Luther once said about reading Scripture: "Don't take too much upon yourself lest the spirit should get tired. It is sufficient to grasp one part of a Bible verse or even half a part from which you can strike a spark in your heart. For the soul can think more in one moment than the tongue can speak in ten hours and the pen can write in ten days." (Daily Texts 2019, p. 175)
We can't do everything on our own but together we can help grow the Kingdom!
Blessings on the journey!
Pastor Juli Lejman-Guy, President
