As part of the North/West Lower Michigan Synod’s commitment to congregational vitality, we offer REVIVE, a two year vitality program, consisting of workshops and retreats on worship, evangelism, stewardship, leadership development, community engagement, and cross-cultural conversation. With the on-going COVID-19 pandemic and the limitations on in-person gatherings, we are offering electronic resources on these topics.
2022 Vital Congregations Re-Boot Camp
Articles
- Five Attitudes Separating Growing Churches and Declining Churches
- What the Church Could Learn from Libraries
Resources
- Recommended Evangelism Books and Resources
- Faith Journey Overview
- One to One Guide
- Living Bones Bible Study
- Dwelling in the Word
- Nine Traits of a Community-Focused Church
Community Engagement
- Community Collaboration and Lutheran Identity
- Mission/Vision Planning 101
- 90-Day Micro-Strategy Resources
- 90-Day Plan Worksheet
- The Quick and Simple Congregational Asset-Mapping Experience
- Basic Asset-Mapping Instructions
- One Body Many Members: What’s in Your Bowl? Worksheet
- Was Jesus a Grassroots Community Organizer?
- Seven Ways to Love Your Community
- One on One Conversations
- 11 Traits of Churches that will Impact the Future
- 12 Principles for Change in the Established Church
- Growing a Church and Impacting a Community are not Mutually Exclusive
- Community Engagement Steps
- Mapping Your Community for Mission
- Faith Stories
- Growing Young Wheel
- Nine Principles of Relational Evangelism
- Is Your Church Evangelizing or Just Advertising? 4 Reasons It Matters
- Recommended Evangelism Books and Resources
Mission Strategy
Spirituality
Growing Young
On September 19, 2020, the North/West Lower Michigan Synod hosted Jake Mulder, co-author of Growing Young: Six Essential Strategies to Help Young People Discover and Love Your Church, in a Zoom presentation. This presentation was recorded and is available below:
Presentation Handouts:
- Growing Young Overview
- Growing Young Assessment Sample Report
- Growing Young Assessment
- Text of Questions and Resources from the Chat Log
Outreach to Millennials and Generation X
Rev. Christin Fawcett offered a presentation on Outreach for Millennials and Generation X for pastors and congregations. A recording of this presentation is available below:
Spirituality – Faith 5
Rev. Ryan Prondzinski and Bill Butchart lead a discussion of Faith 5.
Digital Ministry
Mark Brandt, Digital Minister at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, Iowa discusses how congregations can continue their online and digital ministries.
How to Use Social Media for the Church
Chelsey Satterlee, Communications Director, and Rev. David Sprang, Assistant to the Bishop and Director of Evangelical Mission discuss social media platforms and how congregations can use social media.