Nebraska Synod ELCA

By Deacon Timothy Siburg

In July I had the joy and privilege of joining nearly 700 other rostered ministers and leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for the 2023 ELCA Rostered Ministers Gathering in Phoenix, Arizona. The gathering was held under the theme, “Rekindle the Gift Within You.” It was only the second ever rostered ministers gathering, the first having occurred in Atlanta in 2017. (The second having originally been scheduled for 2020, but we all know what happened then…)

What made this so special to me, is that it is the one sort of gathering in ministry where there really is equal footing for rostered ministers. Pastors, deacons, those serving in congregations, at the synod level, at Churchwide, or in other social ministries and non-profits, all pretty much have equal footing to be present, to share, to learn, to spend time with, and simply to be who they are. The theme certainly helped with this.

Those who attended the Rostered Ministers Gathering (RMG) surely enjoyed the experience. I know that the group of rostered ministers from the Nebraska Synod who attended, did. We all gathered around the baptismal fount during the week to take a group photo. What a great mix of leaders and experience. My only regret is that we didn’t have more people from our synod there. I hope that the ELCA discerns that this is a great opportunity and continues to explore and offer this gathering in the years ahead, and that many more rostered ministers and colleagues will take advantage of this opportunity. It’s worth it!

The Gift and Importance of Continuing Education
It’s worth it because it provides the chance to gather with friends and colleagues. Friends whom you might have gone to seminary or college with and have not seen much recently, because of distance and geography (not to mention, in the nature of our ministry, because of being called to different synods and regions of the ELCA). It’s life-giving to be able to enjoy and catch-up with good friends, and sometimes even having the feeling like you can just catch-up without having missed a beat.

Along with that comes the opportunity to learn and grow. Continuing education is a gift and an expectation of good leadership and there were great continuing education opportunities through this gathering- through sabbath time away, through great presentations, and helpful and inspiring workshops, and deep conversations.

The Gifts of the 2023 Rostered Ministers Gathering
The RMG was full of great speakers and preachers. We heard from Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and Secretary Deacon Sue Rothmeyer. Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie from the African Methodist Episcopal Church preached powerfully for opening worship to set the stage for the whole gathering, and Bishop Kevin Strickland from the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA preached meaningfully for closing worship. Engaging and inspiring Bible studies that really dug into the themes and focused passages for the gathering were led by Rev. Dr. Karoline Lewis and Deacon Dr. Mindy Makant. We also heard great keynote messages from Rev. Dr. Carmelo Santos and Jeff Chu. The music was top notch too under the leadership of Rev. Jonathan Rundman, Deacon John Weit, Deacon Jennifer Baker-Trinity and the whole band. Most of the presentations and sermons can now be watched and viewed here.

Like any such gathering there is always a question for me at the end of, “What’s next?” A few reactions:

• For me, there’s first the continued gratitude for opportunities to learn and gather like this. These are life-giving experiences. As long as there are opportunities like this, I will continue to take advantage of them.
• I will advocate more strongly in encouraging others from our synod to prioritize this and to come next time too.
• The time spent in Phoenix and at this gathering, and away from daily life really was a chance to “Rekindle the Gift Within You.” There was time with friends. Good meals. Quiet time to think and be. Time even at the pool and dinner at In-N-Out. It was good.
• Between the messages spoken and things shared, I am taking some of these to heart. They have already influenced my preaching and teaching. No doubt they will help shape some of my discerned experiments, ideas, and priorities for the year-ahead.

Thank you to everyone who made the RMG happen and made it possible. It was a joy, and I am so grateful that I was able to attend, participate, learn, gather with, and enjoy it! Thank you to all who came and made it happen, and to all those who encouraged leaders and ministers to attend and participate. Here’s hoping there will be another RMG again in the not-too-distant future.

Take-Away’s for the Nebraska Synod
Since a couple months have passed since the RMG, there have become a few more concrete take-aways for the synod as a whole:

1. In the way that I am helping curate our “Go and…” focus for the year-ahead, I am finding some of my learning from the RMG shaping my decision making and strategizing. Particularly, rekindling my own gifts and strengths and leaning into them- to hopefully multiply spaces for experiments, new ideas, and the things that are bubbling up among God’s people across the synod. To create and cultivate space where its needed, so more people and congregations together can listen, wonder, follow, and join in with whatever God might be inviting next.
2. The conversations and ideas surfaced from the RMG are helping shape the next-steps for the ELCA’s many Directors for Evangelical Mission (DEM), which every synod has at least one (and I am grateful to serve as Nebraska Synod’s currently). These are shaping experiences in each synod to serve as listening posts, ways to integrate experimentation, and permission giving so that all the faithful might more fully lean into who God has created and called them to be with their unique gifts and vocations. Stay tuned for more ideas of what this might look like and what might be emerging. The Spirit is stirring in this, that much I am sure of.

What’s Next For You?

Stay tuned for what might be surfacing. But in staying tuned, I want to invite you to lean into whatever continuing education opportunities might be emerging and calling for your attention. These are important investments in yourself as a leader, but also for your faith communities and contexts, so together we can continue to grow and serve as God invites. We’ll be taking up some of these related questions at the Nebraska Synod Fall Leadership Gathering in October. If you haven’t registered yet, please do so as soon as possible. This gathering is a gift for you as a leader, and for your congregations and communities you serve as together we are rejuvenated, inspired, challenged, share stories, learn, and are sent to go back and put our learning into action. I’m so looking forward to seeing you there!

This article was adapted from a blogpost that was previously published on Timothy’s blog here.