Video from the center for evangelical mission consultation

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 This was a practical workshop that provided proven ways that strengthen our church’s ministry. Experts are predicting that as many as one-third of Christian churches will close in the next ten years. This workshop helped churches not only survive but also thrive.  The workshop, held on Long Island at Ascension Lutheran Church on Saturday, September 29th, was conducted by Lutheran theologian Rev. Dr. John H. Krahn who has helped multiple churches succeed for nearly 50 years. Dr. Krahn is the author of the bestselling book, From Surviving to Thriving – A Practical Guide to Revitalize Your Church. Thousands of copies of his book have been purchased, and it has been endorsed by multiple denominations. 

This event, led by Pastors Fred Nelson and Carol Breimeier from Redeemer Lutheran Church in Park Ridge, Illinois was attended by over 70 people from 17 Metro New York Synod congregations. It helped people who wanted to see their churches grow again by making the transition from helplessness to hope.Groups of pastors, lay leaders, adults, and teens spent the day learning practical tools from others who have been on the same journey.

    Sponsored by a Leadership Development Grant from the Metropolitan New York Synod, this event was the first in a series of innovative efforts to equip our leaders for evangelical mission.

A teaching event was held on April 28, 2018 for congregational leaders from our synod. Canon Robin Greenwood,  a well-known practical theologian from the Church of England, author of the book: Sharing God's Blessing-How to Renew the Local Church,  was the leader of the event. Over 40 pastors and lay leaders attended the day-long event.

The event introduced a powerful method for enabling congregational leaders to have "conversations that matter"  about important issues that relate to the future of each local congregation. On the previous Wednesday, Canon Greenwood trained a group of conversation companions who assisted groups of participants on Saturday in the use of "Appreciative Inquiry," a way of having positive, productive conversations rather than divisive debates and discussions.

At the event leaders began a process of transforming their churches using this method of leading conversations. The CEM hopes that in the future there will be many such conversations and that the "conversation companions" that were trained will be able to help others. Continuing training in the use of this method of interacting will be offered in the future