Synod Staff Updates

 Rev. Steve Meysing Departs Synod Staff

After nearly nine years of serving the Nebraska Synod in his role as Assistant to the Bishop, Pastor Steve Meysing is departing the synod staff in order to take a new call. Steve's diverse work has seen him assisting with congregational call processes, working with the PMA program, assisting congregations in conflict, providing pastoral care and support to rostered ministers, relating to our companion synod church in Argentina and Uruguay, serving on a variety of teams, committees and boards and much more. He will be completing his time on staff at the end of July.

"Steve leaves behind a host of relationships of trust, respect, admiration and appreciation, built up over years of faithful and dedicated ministry. He will be sorely missed," said Bishop Brian Maas. "I hope many will join me in expressing deep thanks to Steve, and wishing him well in his return to congregational ministry." 

Steve will be serving as Rector of the Episcopal Church of Our Savior in North Platte.

Back in Action

It’s hard to find a moment of silence these days at Carol Joy Holling Camp, near Ashland. At any given moment of the day, songs and laughter of campers join with the natural songs of birds and hum of insects. 

“It just feels right. It feels like things are back to where they should be,” Nate Grimm, Whispering Winds Site Coordinator shared. “Having campers back has been a burst of energy. It feels so good to be back at camp, and back in action.” 

“It’s really nice to be able to have everyone come together and pick up where we left off,” TrailHead Site Coordinator Emily Dresbach agreed. “I’ve had campers from two summers ago tell me they remember me. It’s great to be back in community together.”

Around 1,000 campers will come to Carol Joy Holling Camp over eight weeks in June and July this summer. A typical summer would be closer to 1,600 campers, but staffing shortages forced the camp to consolidate all elementary campers into one site—TrailHead—and all middle school campers into one site—Ranch Camp—when typically, there are two sites for each of those age groups. This year’s summer staff has 35 members, while in 2019 there were 64 Summer Ministry Team members. 

“We tried many new and different recruiting strategies, but in the end, there just weren’t enough qualified, collage-aged leaders to serve this summer,” Jason Gerdes, Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries (NLOM) Executive Director said. 

“It was difficult to make the decision to consolidate sites and even have to turn some late-registering campers away for this year,” Gerdes continued. “At the same time, we needed to be able to follow the CDC and ACA (American Camp Association) guidelines for COVID-19 mitigation and also care for our Summer Ministry Team. This way we can still serve campers of all ages—from Kindergarten to Seniors, as well as families and campers with special needs at J1:9 Camp.”

Elementary-aged campers have a new place to sleep and play this summer, at the 12,000 square-foot, $3.2 million Hazel Dillon Lodge. The new building’s lower level is also a state-of-the-art storm shelter with ten bunk rooms where campers sleep each night. 

"A positive first experience at camp starts a chain reaction," Gerdes explained. "When kids return to camp year after year, their faith, confidence, and leadership skills continue to grow and have a significant impact on not only their life, but also their family, church, and community."

During the months summer camp is not in session, the Dillon Lodge is utilized for events, meetings, conferences, and retreats. The upper level meeting space seats more than 150 people. The lower level sleeping rooms accommodate up to 86 people for multi-day retreats. The building is ADA accessible. 

After living through a challenging year, NLOM is thrilled to be back in action at both Carol Joy Holling and Sullivan Hills Camps. It is great to see the camp properties alive with the sights and sounds of children growing in their faith. 

Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries is proud to be a serving arm of the Nebraska Synod-ELCA and grateful for the participation and support provided by the Synod, it’s congregations and members.  

 *Shared by Camp Carol Joy Holling

Campus Ministry in Kearney

Pastor Elisabeth Pynn Himmelman has been called to serve the Kearney community as Associate Pastor for Youth and Young Adults at First Lutheran, Kearney and in partnership with Nebraska Lutheran Campus Ministry as Campus Pastor at the University of Nebraska- Kearney (UNK). 

Pastor Himmelman shared the following about her current call- starting a call in pandemic was interesting to say the least, and I spent much of last year at Campus Lutheran getting to know students, staff, and faculty in 1-1 coffee meet-ups and a ministry of presence on campus. This fall, I am excited for ministry in lessening pandemic! Two bold, brave student leaders are working with me in beginning The Vessel Dinner Church on Thursday nights.

The campus ministry at UNK hosts a weekly gathering known as the Vessel Dinner Church. For those who have never heard of dinner church, here is how Pastor Himmelman describes it- Trusting we are vessels of God’s love and grace, dinner church is an embodied worship experience that is extended Holy Communion. We prepare the meal together, pass the homemade bread as we gather to commune our neighbor, eat together family style, engage with the Word and one another, end with passing wine, communing our neighbor. After the meal, we close out our time together by cleaning up as an act of service and are sent with dessert and a blessing, trusting in the goodness of God.

Pastor Himmelman cares deeply about sharing the expansiveness of God’s love and God’s creating all humanity in God’s image. In her role, she seeks to come alongside young adults as they discern vocation through relationship and joining them in celebrating and stewarding their God-given resources, gifts, and identities.

Though Pastor Himmelman has been serving in Kearney over the past year, the celebration of her installation had to be postponed due to the pandemic. She is looking forward to her installation on Sunday, August 15 at 3pm at First Lutheran Church, Kearney. Pastor Adam White will be preaching and Pastor Kristen Van Stee, Assistant to the Bishop will be on hand to install Pastor Himmelman. There will be a reception following the installation. 

If you would like to know more about campus ministry at UNK, visit their website at this link.

Tekamah- Herman- Decatur: Walking Together, Doing God's Work

 

Tekamah-Herman-Decatur Church Community Council (THDCCC) has come together to do God's Work.

THDCCC's mission is to meet the needs of the community beyond any one church. Though their mission statement was adopted in February of 2015, the THDCCC was actually started back in the 1980’s. This community council currently consists of the pastor and one lay member from each of the following congregations: Baptist Church-Tekamah, Baptist Church-Riverside, Catholic Church-Tekamah, Catholic Church-Decatur, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Methodist Church-Tekamah, Methodist Church-Decatur, and the Presbyterian Church.

One of the main focuses of the THDCCC is the Food Pantry for those less fortunate in the area. In 2020 they were able to obtain their own building and moved into a new permanent location at 209 S 9th St.  This new facility has allowed the community council to expand their efforts. In 2020, they helped an average of 36 families a month.  In December of 2020 they also gave food boxes to 70 families.  

The THDCCC was also able to open the Helping Hands Thrift Store in late October 2020. Sharing the same building as the Food Pantry, the thrift store is open Fridays 9-5 and Saturdays 9-1pm. With the generous donations they have received, the thrift store has had a very successful beginning.  All proceeds from the thrift shop are reinvested into the food pantry and the community.  Since the opening of the store many volunteers have spent endless hours building displays, creating storage areas to sort the donations, and running the store.  Along with their Christmas boxes of food previously mentioned, they added gift certificates to the Thrift Shop for over 70 families.  In this joint effort of the THDCCC and the community, God’s work is being done each week.

In mid-March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic the THDCCC was called upon to collaborate with The Tekamah Herman School and Chatterbox (a local restaurant) to continue feeding the school children twice a day. It was a Sunday evening when the call came.  By Tuesday morning they began to serve Breakfast and Lunch to the students. The numbers quickly grew and for the next 9 weeks well over 200 meals a day were served. Since the pandemic had closed the in-house dining at the Chatterbox it was the perfect place to plan and prepare the meals. The food pantry helped to provide the food along with the school, and the teachers organized and provided the cooks and servers. The community stepped up to help provide baked goods and financial backing.  The donations would pour in everyday!  The local grocery store provided the lunch every Tuesday and even the local Volunteer Fire Department provided a meal.  To see this community come together for this purpose was an amazing experience.  

At the end of the school year the THDCCC moved the meal program to Emmanuel Lutheran Church.  They continued the program serving 2 meals a week throughout the summer.  When they were done, over 9,000 meals had been distributed.  This program took a tremendous amount of willing volunteer’s and financial support to be successful.  Again, God’s work was being done.

In 2020 they were unable to have National Day of Prayer (NDP), Baccalaureate, and Thanksgiving service in person.  Instead, as a THDCCC, they came together and recorded Video Services with all churches participating and uploading them online for all to enjoy. In 2021 they also created a video for NDP, and fortunately for 2021 the THDCCC was able to have Baccalaureate in person.

Most recently, in mid-June 2021, THDCCC held Vacation Bible School (VBS) at Emmanuel Lutheran Church.  What a wonderful experience!  Sunday through Thursday 60 kids attended VBS, and they had approximately 20 volunteers to assist. Pastors from four of the community churches, and kids from multiple denominations, sharing together in a common faith. Worshipping God, Praising God, and learning the meaning of “Trust God”, which was their theme for this year. 

Vicar Rex Rogers shared this- "From a VBS perspective, my first experience in this call, put things in another perspective for me. Sometimes we are so quick to judge our youth. We question the decisions they make, their priorities, or the way they act.  However, I witnessed a bright future for our community and our churches.  These kids were focused, engaged, and were not afraid to proclaim God’s word loud and proud with each other. Being in tribes with kids they knew, and perhaps kids they just met for the first time. Kids worshipping together in different age groups up to the sixth-grade level. Interacting well with pastors, group leaders, and other volunteers. I think we can be assured that God’s word will continue to be proclaimed into future generations."  

The THDCCC has been blessed with great support from their community, local clubs, individuals, and churches. It is amazing to see the things that can happen in communities when we all pull together to do “God’s work. Our hands”. 

*Respectfully Submitted with input from THDCCC Lutheran lay member Patty Olson, who by the way was just named Volunteer of the Year by the Mainstreet Nebraska Association for all her efforts in coordinating several of these efforts. Story by Vicar Rex Rogers, Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Tekamah.

We Are One- 2021 Nebraska Synod Assembly

 

The Nebraska Synod gathered digitally for its first-ever online assembly on Saturday, June 5. Live-streamed from the television studios of the University of Nebraska Omaha, the assembly managed to share online worship, hear from presenters, conduct elections, transact business, and engage in dialog, all in a matter of six hours. The opening worship was adapted from the ELCA’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of ordination of Lutheran women in the U.S., the 40th anniversary of the first ordination of a woman of color, and the 10th anniversary of the ordination of persons in same-sex marriages. Former Bishop Jessica Crist of the Montana Synod was the guest preacher, and served as a keynote speaker as well, reflecting on the critical importance of lifelong learning for all disciples.

Rev. Dr. Rafael Malpica-Padilla was the ELCA Churchwide Representative and reported on all that the Nebraska Synod does nationally and globally through the many varied expressions of the ELCA’s ministries. Picking up on a phrase from Bishop Maas’ report in the Bulletin of Reports, he repeatedly asked whether “we will lean backward and tip over into history, or lean forward and tip over into a new future.” He spoke with passion of the ways the ELCA is leaning into God’s future and expressed gratitude to the Nebraska Synod for its support and leadership within the ELCA.

The Bishop's Report

Bishop Maas started out his annual report with a recap of 2020 and how the pandemic led to change. As part of this recap, he discussed Walter Brueggemann's  work with the three urgent prophetic tasks- Reality, Grief, and Hope. It was inspiring to see all the hopeful ways congregations were able to adapt to the reality of the pandemic and recover from grief to continue to be the church together. Bishop Maas also discussed some key topics, such as leadership in the church and the work we do with our Serving Arm partners. He ended his time by highlighting synod programs and new ministries, such as Seeking the Spirit Within, the Church of the Way, and the Vitality Initiative for Congregations. To find out more about synod ministries and programs, visit nebraskasynod.org.

Other Highlights

Opening worship featured many of our female leaders from across the synod. Pastors, deacons, and lay leaders from Nebraska congregations took part in leading this celebration of women in the church. Rev. Jessica Crist from the Montana Synod gave a sermon about women being called to preach. 

Several of the synod's partners shared their stories and messages in short videos. These videos were featured as part of our time together. To learn more about what our partner organizations do, you can find their videos at this link.

We successfully gathered to do the business of the church. Though voting was not in person, elections and approvals happened online via Zoom polling. Several individuals were elected for Synod Committees, Synod Council, and Churchwide Assembly. This year's assembly marked the election of a new Synod Council secretary- Gwen Edwards will be joining the Synod Council officers. Attendees also approved the agenda and the 2022 proposed budget. 

To view the 2021 Nebraska Synod Assembly, click here.

Drink From the Well

As we work our way out of the pandemic, are you struggling a bit with getting “back up to speed”? (I hope so.) 

You might have experienced what many people did. First, it seemed like quite a crash into the shut-downs and quarantines. But after 16 months, maybe you like the slower pace. You have more time for yourself. For your family and friends. For growing your faith.

And maybe you are aware of that little “itch” in your soul that tells you there is something more to your faith than what you’re living. You might wish you were more spiritual, but don’t believe you are that kind of person. “That’s for someone else. I can’t do that,” you think to yourself. 

You ARE that kind of person. Every person is created with a God-yearning in their soul. So, that includes you!

There is a way to gradually grow into the deeper spiritual longing. Drink From the Well is an 8-month journey you can take to experiment with different ways to pray. You’ll learn how to pray with the Scriptures. You’ll get to pray with art and music, gratitude, walking, and meditation. Each month you will learn one or two ways to pray. At the end, you get to sort through which methods worked best for you. 

Listen to what some previous participants said about their experience:

I have been opened to a variety of spiritual practices that have brought depth and peace to my wellbeing and spiritual connection to God.  The teaching, resources and guidance have helped me establish the habit of spiritual time.  The relationships that emerged from my small group layered on more learning, sharing and support.  --B.R.

The Drinking From the Well course gave me the opportunity to renew various prayer practices and to learn new ones which have enhanced my prayer life and have encouraged me to “slow down.” I appreciated learning from a variety of presenters, and the small group sessions were a great space to share experiences and dialog about the practices.   --T.A.

What pushed me to register for the online class was the invitation to learn any number of ways to pray. . . . I felt so “at home” with this group. We all seemed to be searching for the same thing in our spiritual lives – a closer relationship with God.  --M.M.

The introductions to each new concept were professionally prepared by people who had actually practiced what they were teaching. The opportunity to personally practice new paths throughout the month and come together in small groups to discuss the experience was so much more enriching than merely “learning” something new and being left on one’s own to practice or not.  --G.L.

Drink From the Well starts with an introduction in September. Then, October through May, you’ll participate in a webinar and a spiritual direction group. Watch a short video and register here.

The Work of the Candidacy Committee

“The ELCA candidacy process is meant to be a welcoming and joyful opportunity for people to discern how to serve in and through the church.”

What is the Candidacy Committee? We are a group of 17 members, who are tasked with meeting with candidates and discerning together how God is calling each of them into ministry. Our committee is a diverse group composed of lay members and clergy. Each volunteer is identified because they “bring gifts for welcoming, forming, evaluating, and building relationships with candidates.”1 While our role does involve decision making on behalf of the Synod, we view our most important job as accompaniment. The Candidacy Committee serves as one of the primary discernment partners for those prayerfully considering ordained ministry. Together with the candidate, home congregation, and seminary, we form a team that surrounds each person in prayer and mentorship. We seek to advocate for healthy leaders who are called by the Holy Spirit to serve in a variety of contexts and roles, utilizing unique gifts for ministry.

How do I become a candidate for ministry? We encourage you to review the ELCA’s Summary of Candidacy, which gives a nice overview of the process. As you pray about how God may be calling you into new and exciting roles in ministry, take some time to invite others in your life to pray for you and with you as well. Seek out your pastor or deacon for conversation over coffee. Check in with your family. Ask a few leaders in your congregation about their thoughts. Send an email to candidacy@nebraskasynod.org and schedule a phone call with the chair of the committee. It might seem intimidating to have these conversations, but we are confident that God’s Holy Spirit works in and through all of those around you as you discern God’s calling. From stronger volunteer roles in your congregation to service as a Parish Ministry Associate to professional ordained ministry, there are so many ways to serve!

How can I help my congregation identify new leaders? Bishop Brian Maas has this to say:

“Sow the Seeds is Nebraska Synod’s response to a challenge and an opportunity happening in congregations all across the ELCA.  Nebraskans know you can’t just stand and watch a field and wait for things to happen. You have to prepare the soil, sow the seed, tend to the crop that comes, and then enjoy the harvest.  Together, we can take advantage of the challenge and the opportunity before us and anticipate a bumper crop of leaders for Christ’s church, beginning right here in the Nebraska Synod.”

This initiative is a great resource for helping congregations to live into their call to identify and raise future leaders for the Church. There are Sow the Seed sermons and call stories from seminary students on the Nebraska Synod Vimeo page. Their story of call will lead you into deeper discipleship and the leap of faith into leadership. 

I can’t be a rostered leader because I’m totally intimidated by [graduate studies, moving, public speaking, the notion of hypocrisy, my past, leaving my job, etc]. You are not alone! So is everyone else who is discerning, or has discerned, a call to ministry. It is intimidating - in part because of the intimacy of working so closely with the Holy Spirit and in part because of society’s weird cultural expectations. But the Holy Spirit moves and calls where she may, and that might include you! For a fascinating story of the call of the Church and of the Holy Spirit, and the reluctant obedience of an ancient Church Father, check out the story of Bishop Ambrose.

Who do I contact to get started? The candidacy committee chair at candidacy@nebraskasynod.org. The chair is a volunteer who is passionate about discernment and walking with candidates for ministry. I or any member of the committee would love to meet you for coffee or to chat on the phone. We promise to pray for you, answer any questions you may have, and direct you to any resources you may need. In fact, we host a free, annual retreat for those engaged with the candidacy process, and we love to host those who are discerning a call to ministry. While not a formal discernment event, it can be a low-key way to meet members of the committee and current seminary students, as well as a great chance to see the plethora of educational paths, places, and paces available for theological training.

1 ELCA Candidacy Manual

We are the Nebraska Synod

Nebraska Synod Road Shows are one way the synod walks together. First established in 2019, the Nebraska Synod is excited for the Road Shows to resume in late 2021. Gathering in the different clusters and territories of the synod, disciples from area congregations are invited into a rich Saturday of discipleship building, worship, and fellowship that runs from mid-morning through mid-afternoon. Lunch is provided half way through the day, which also includes times of story sharing, conversation, deep listening, learning, and fellowship with most the Nebraska Synod staff and other key synod leaders. 

On Road Show weekends, the entire synod office hits the road, if you will, to one corner of the state and synod or another, together. As one pastor exclaimed when gathering on the Saturday morning of the road show in Alliance out in the Panhandle, “They are all here. They all came.” This is a priority for the Nebraska Synod because we believe that together we are growing disciples, walking together, and serving God’s world. Road Shows are one way we literally engage in times of discipleship growth, walking together, and sharing stories and ideas for how we serve as part of God’s on-going work today.

On Sunday mornings of Road Show weekends, synod staff and other synod leaders visit area congregations with words of greeting, sermons, and other presentations, presence, and conversations. Area congregations who register for the Road Show are encouraged to invite a synod staff member (or more than one) to come and visit and join their congregation. Congregations may request members of synod staff, areas of interest or topics, needs or gifts, and the synod staff will do its best to accommodate such invitations and requests. 

Road Shows were held in the fall of 2019 in Adams and Alliance, and in February 2020 in Grand Island, and Schuyler. Road Shows that were scheduled later in 2020 and were postponed because of the pandemic are being rescheduled to resume in late 2021 and 2022. The fun of the Road Show will recommence starting November 6th and 7th, up in Northeast Nebraska. And then in 2022, Road Shows will travel to:

• Lincoln, February 19-20, 2022

• Hebron, March 26-27, 2022

• Eustis, August 27-28, 2022

• Omaha, October 2022. 

Stay tuned to the synod website and social media for more information about upcoming Road Shows and to register your congregation to participate in the next one coming to your area. If you don’t see one coming near you in the year ahead, know that we’ll be returning to areas of the state that we have previously visited on the Road Shows after this first round concludes in October 2022.