‘Congregations are banding


 19


to take off and sing their own thing, and then they’re two bars behind and taking the congregation with them.” On the other hand, the benefit far outweighs the


together, doing


ministry that they can’t do alone.’


challenge, Bechdolt said, adding, “We still have lively worship, and that’s the main thing.” Now in a pastoral vacancy, Holy Trinity will con-


tinue to face challenges. As the only ELCA church in three counties, with the nearest one 35 minutes away, Bechdolt believes ecumenical partnerships may be inte- gral to the congregation’s future. Regardless of what the future holds, the congregation


doesn’t need to rely on the presence of a church musi- cian or even Bechdolt to continue their new worship music tradition. Before leaving, she passed along her newly developed computer music knowledge to congre- gational leaders: “I’m teaching them to do that now. I’m going to make it easy for them to do their own liturgy.”


Doing more with more


Congregational collaborations, with other ELCA con- gregations or as ecumenical partnerships, can be the key to renewing ministry and mission, Bouman said. “Tat’s what we’re seeing all over the church where congrega- tions are banding together, doing ministry that they can’t do alone,” he said. Area mission strategies, a strategic discernment pro-


cess for initiating these congregational collaborations, can renew a sense of ministry and mission in churches with declining membership numbers. “Area mission strategies can be driven by small con-


gregations … that want to throw their lot in with each other,” said Bouman, who encourages church mem- bers to center their strategies on listening to God and their community. “Listen to your community and you become relevant,” he said. Tis strategy is at work in the Indiana-Kentucky


Synod. Congregations coping with the impact of a declining membership undergo a “change of culture” said Nancy Nyland, the synod’s director for evangelical mission. “Tere’s a sense that if they can’t sustain a full- time pastor, for example, they’ve failed. Te synod is helping them work through their grief” and then move into a new context for mission and ministry. In the synod’s “Area Mission Conversations,” Nyland


works with two to seven congregations in one area for a process focused on identifying assets and asking dis- cernment questions, such as “What can we do together that we can’t do alone?” and “How can we be a stronger


Lutheran presence in this community?” One such conversation began in Elkhart. Te north-


ern Indiana city was hit hard by the recession in 2009, at one point experiencing as high as 25 percent unemploy- ment. Tis inevitably impacted congregational member- ship and finances. Four ELCA congregations—three in Elkhart (Augustana, Grace and Redeemer) and Zion in nearby Bristol—began meeting together in 2013 to talk about ways to collaborate. Te four congregations each have average weekly worship attendance of between 50 and 110 people. Collaboration wasn’t about ignoring differences, said


Daniel F. Forehand, pastor of Grace. Te four congre- gations “have different styles of worship and different cultures,” but they’ve found common ground in the “desire that this city needs to hear the gospel,” he said.


The collaboration is


‘about the radical love of Jesus breaking


into neighborhoods. We do that far


better together than separate.’


Te congregations


joined together to share confirmation and coordinate social ministry programs. Tey planned a joint


worship service this summer and are working on a combined Reformation observation this fall. Te four congregations also are looking forward to a joint Habi- tat for Humanity service project in the spring of 2016. Te collaboration is “about the radical love of Jesus


breaking into neighborhoods,” Forehand said. “We do that far better together than separate.” With more than 80 percent of ELCA congregations


experiencing a decline in worship attendance, collabo- ration and creativity may be the key to moving forward for any size congregation. But not all collaborative ventures may be successful,


at least by conventional measures. Just ask the Wood- grove Saints. Teir first game ended in a heartbreaking 16-17 loss against the Presbyterians. Quipped manager Dahlquist: “It’s an excellent chance to practice humility.” As for the rest of the season, grace abounds—on the


soſtball field and throughout the mission field. Or in other words, there’s always next year. 


Author bio: Sime, a freelance writer and nonprofit consultant, attends Epiphany Lutheran Church in Carbondale, Ill.


August 2015 21


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