Center for Mission & Ministry


From the Advisory Board
The Center for Mission and Ministry continues to be an evolving reality for our synod.  Through a capital campaign in 2008-9 called Making Us One we tested the possibility of bringing to fruition a campus on the property of Christ United, a Lutheran-Episcopal congregation in DeWitt.  It was to include the current church building as a shared space for worship and fellowship, a center for mission and ministry/gathering place for up to 90 people for faith formation and ministry skill development, and new synodical offices including space for a staff member from the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan.  In 2009 we invited Sister Nancy Brousseau, O.P., to be the Center facilitator, to help conceive, organize, and implement a variety of programs for this formation and skill development.  The dream was for the Center to be a catalyst for growth and renewal, connection and collaboration, always with an ecumenical and interfaith perspective. For a variety of reasons, including the difficult economy in Michigan, we were unable to raise enough funds to proceed with the construction of a campus.
           

However, the Holy Spirit has led us in some creative new directions with the concept of the Center for Mission and Ministry.  Sister Nancy has brought spiritual formation programs to churches throughout the synod including one on Centering Prayer and another facilitating contemplative prayer groups.  These have deepened the spiritual lives of those who have attended them. She has initiated an Institute for Spiritual Formation which provides a 10 month class called Foundations of Christian Spirituality and a 2 year program in Spiritual Direction Formation.  Along with this she has facilitated a number of retreats and two inter-religious faith events for Islamic- Christian Dialogue and has been present at all eight conference sessions, meeting with pastors about the Center programs. We are thrilled about Nancy’s work and hope you will soon become familiar with the Center’s ministry.
           

In addition, with donor consent, a portion of the Making Us One gifts have been invested to renovate the Christ United fellowship space for gathering and we have created an office for Nancy.  The results are beautiful.  Recently, the annual Winter Leadership Event was held there.
           

Our plans are to develop other campuses or “hubs” in other church buildings in our synod territory.  In a constantly advancing information technology world this is our evolving path:  other campuses/gathering places that don’t require great travel time, with interactive technology to connect us for continuing education, workshops, to hear speakers, or for other “cyber gatherings” as needed.  We hope to begin piloting another location in 2011.
           

We encourage you and your congregation to either continue to contribute to the vision of the Center for Mission and Ministry either through the former “Making Us One” campaign and marking the check either “for building” or “for programs,” or simply by writing a check to the North/West Lower Michigan Synod, designating “CMM programs” on the memo line and sending it to the synod office in Lansing. 

Nancy is accountable to an Advisory Board which reports to synod council.  You are invited to contact her or any board member with questions or aspirations for the Center.