Oregon Synod Vice President & Bishop Reports April 24, 2015

Health & Wellness Grants 20 grants, $500 to $2000! 3 grant categories – Community Wellness – Leader Wellness – Congregational Wellness $23,000+ total distribution Portico Wellness dollars Recipients included: Zion Lutheran, La Grande Luther House, Corvallis Mission of the Atonement, Beaverton St. Peter Lutheran, Tillamook Holy Cross Lutheran, Salem Gloria Dei Lutheran, Coos Bay St. Andrew Lutheran, Beaverton Faith Lutheran, Roseburg Bethel Lutheran, Portland Redeemer/Asbury, Hood River Grace First Lutheran, Bend First Lutheran, Astoria Milwaukie Lutheran, Milwaukie Portland Eastside Ministries, Portland West Linn Lutheran, West Linn St. Timothy Lutheran, Portland Mt. Carmel, Portland

Retiring Pastors Linda Smith, Chaplain – 2/1/15 Pr. Katherine Heiller, Interim – 4/15 Pr. Paul Tyler, Clatskanie – 5/3/15 Pr. Steve Carlson, Eugene – 5/31/15 Pr. Larry Jorgenson, Gresham – 7/12/15 Pr. Tom Hiller, Portland – 7/26/15 Pr. Rom McCallum, Astoria – 10/31/15 Pr. Rob Sachs, Seaside – 12/16 Looking ahead: The Oregon Synod currently has 25 active pastors 62-64, and 20 pastors 65 and older – serving over 1/3 of our congregations. We can anticipate a growing number or retirements in the next five years! This will push leadership transition; It will accelerate ministry partnership and linkages; Ask, “How will we be a synod five years from now?” Are you thinking about this?

See page 10 of your yellow Bulletin of Reports!

Mission: “The Church is a people created by God in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, called and sent to bear witness to God’s Creative, redeeming, and sanctifying activity in the world.” (Synod Constitution +S6.01) Vision: “We in the Oregon Synod, firmly rooted in the gospel of God’s grace in Christ, embrace our partnership with the whole church and freely give ourselves to worship, witness and service.” (Synod Constitution +S6.01) Values: Proclamation Witness Service Worship Spiritual Engagement Prayer Action (Synod Constitution +S6.02)

Strategic Goals are the desired outcomes of our work as the Oregon Synod. We seek to be a church with Vital, Vibrant Congregations, doing God’s Mission in the Local Context, supported and inspired by well Equipped Leaders. Healthy Behaviors. Strong Partnerships. Innovation and Positive Risk. Working to establish a Context of Trust. Lay and Rostered Leaders. Congregation Presidents and Councils. Local Community, Synod and Beyond. Community Listening and Engagement. Attention to local needs and opportunities. New Partners and Partnerships.

Strategic Initiatives are the arenas in which we choose to act. Our current context calls for action in four arenas: Financial Sustainability, Connections & Collaboration, Hospitality & Inclusion and Lifting up New Leaders. Financial Stability Connections and Collaboration Hospitality and Inclusion Lifting up New Leaders

Multiply Transitional Ministry Options Tailor Transition Processes to Local Contexts Train Congregations in Exploring Partnerships Authentic Assessment Diversify Financial Funding for Mission Evolve Communication Strategy Train Lay Leaders through a Lay School for Ministry Engage Diverse Communities Deepen Work with Ecumenical Partners Align Synod Policies to New Realities around Income and Revenue Sources Strategic Engagement to Increase Mission Support Tactics are the day to day work of synod leaders.

Developmental Cycle of a Congregation Renewal New Start Formation Maturity Redefinition Decline Struggle Holy Closure Maturity Decline Formation Renewal Sustainability (Rothauge 1996) and others describe similar stages in congregational cycle. This is the work of Linda Bobbit, ELCA

Synod Staff Engagement Engaged in contextual consultation and onsite creativity. This is the way the work of ministry gets done - person to person, congregation to congregation and community to community. More than 100 on-site visits with over 50 congregations. Addition, face to face, visits with pastors, congregational lay leaders & ministry allies. Phone & support.

Approximately $21 million in offerings in % or $20 million used for local ministry. 4%, or $908,000, was given as Mission Support. This past year, 2014, Mission Support was $960,029! See your green Financial Reports, pg. 21

40% of your Mission Support funds Churchwide Ministry. (In addition, all synod staff contribute expertise and consultation to churchwide and our synod counterparts.) 10% of your Mission Support is shared with Regional mission partners.

$275,000 goes to congregations through.

Casa de Sion in Woodburn; Church of Living Waters in Burns; Good Spirit native ministry in East Portland; Heavenly Peace in Portland; Mision Nuevo Dia in Canby; Wilderness Way in Portland; Bethel Lutheran in North Portland; The “Cully Outreach” to people in a very diverse section of Northeast Portland; Grace and Mercy Lutheran in Hermiston; Outreach with the LGBTQ Community; Mission of the Atonement in Beaverton; Leaven Community/Salt & Light Lutheran Church; The PDX Eastside Ministries area ministry strategy; Synodical Millennial Engagement. Our work is exciting, cutting edge, and well worth our investment. Some efforts will flourish. Some will teach us about the new world to which we are called. Efforts receiving grants include: