By Sue Sprang SYNOD – For many of us, campus ministry is one of those things that is on the fringe. Unless we’re involved with or connected to it in some way, we really don’t think about. We might give it a nod and say “that’s nice” – but all-in-all, it’s probably not something most […]
Mission in the Mitten
Ramping Up to Meet the Need
By Sue Sprang GLADWIN – Once it became clear that the current COVID-19 epidemic was going to be a situation with critical ramifications, the Gladwin-Beaverton County Food Distribution group took immediate action to ensure that one of those ramifications – an increase in the need for food – was met head on. The group was […]
The Communication-Mission Connection
By Sue Sprang SYNOD – In today’s world, it is imperative that congregations use the web/social media to their advantage. With paper communication giving way to more electronic and technical sources at a sometimes head-spinning pace, and with each new generation of American relying more on the latter than its previous generation, the church – […]
Meanwhile…during the virus…
By Sue Sprang SYNOD – As COVID-19 blankets us and we move through uncharted territory, the people of God take example from the early Christians and find ways to share the Gospel, even though the odds sometimes seem overwhelming. We can take heart, though, that we do not have to meet “in secret” – in […]
Bonhoeffer, Jesus, and an Island
By Sue Sprang This is one of the two hardest articles I can remember having to write. The first was when, as a newspaper reporter, I covered my first story of the death of a child who was killed in an accident. With that story I had immediate deadlines to meet and had to move […]
Every Bit Helps
By Sue Sprang FREELAND – Thanks to the Bertha H. Wilson Fund Endowment, which provides grants to Saginaw-area churches, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Freeland has been able to build on its commitment to community involvement and outreach. The congregation supports several endeavors, but three have been boosted by the generosity of the Wilson Fund. Like […]
Six Years and Counting: Part 3
By Sue Sprang SYNOD – What follows is part 3 of sharing some of my favorite stories (which have been updated/abridged in this article) that I wrote for “Mission in the Mitten” during Bishop Satterlee’s first term in office. Choosing is difficult because there are so many good stories to tell. But I hope the ones […]
Six Years and Counting: Part 2
By Sue Sprang SYNOD – What follows is part 2 of sharing some of my favorite stories (which have been updated/abridged in this article) that I wrote for “Mission in the Mitten” during Bishop Satterlee’s first term in office. Choosing is difficult because there are so many good stories to tell. But I hope the ones I’ve […]
Six Years and Counting: Part 1
By Sue Sprang SYNOD – When asked if I would write stories for the “Mission in the Mitten” column on the synod’s website, how could I resist? It’s rare when I turn down the chance to write, so it was a pleasure to say “yes” and I looked forward to learning what the people in our […]
Six Things We Have Learned Since the Pub...
By Thom Rainer I was stunned. When I wrote Autopsy of a Deceased Church five years ago, the response took me by surprise. While all authors expect or hope their books will be bestsellers, I frankly didn’t see it coming. Hundreds of thousands of book sales later, Autopsy became the all-time bestseller in the genre of church leadership. Why? […]