New Visions Networker

First Edition
Volume1, No. 1 Fall, 2012

We hope to turn NEW VISION NETWORKER into a quarterly electronic journal. For now, we will use print and snail mail, waiting for our email addresses to increase. Our rst year of offering New Visions training (June 2011 to June 2012) has been very encouraging. Having eld tested the curriculum at Luther Seminary in December, 2011 for 32 participants, we have since then conducted six training events which are noted below (with the total number of trainees).

IMN, Nashville, Tennessee 44 Los Ranchos Presbytery, Laguna Nigel, California 56 SWT Synod (ELCA), Kerrville, Texas 24 Metro New York Synod (ELCA), East Northport, NY 33 Upper New York Synod (ELCA), Buffalo, NY 25 South Central Wisconsin Synod (ELCA), Madison, Wisconsin 18 Wellspring Silver Spring, Maryland (LC-MS and others) - 21 Northwest Lower Michigan Synod (ELCA), traverse City, Michigan - 36

! ! ! ! ! ! !

We have two training events scheduled for 2013, Viginia Synod (ELCA) and Upper New York Synod (ELCA). We anticipate conducting another fteen training events branching out into other denominations and in Canada. We have trained 303 facilitators this year, looking to double the number in 2013.

2012 New Visions

CHANGES
In early June, and late August, Pete Steinke lmed the new DVD To Make A Difference in St. Paul, Minnesota with Seraphim Communications. It will introduce each of the three themes of the training AWARENESS, DIRECTION, and ADVENTURE. The insights have been exceedingly helpful for my pastoral leadership. Were off to a good start. To have you with us punctuated the value. - Pastor Rob Carlson, Madison Wisconsin

Once again, many thanks for your very helpful and encouraging presentation. I look forward to With the availability of this DVD, we have revised sharing it with our parish leadership. the Training Manual into three parts (as noted above). Each part includes three chapters of A - Pastor Hans Irmer, Tonawanda, New York DOOR SET OPEN. The Manual has been reduced in size to 68 pages. Three new study guides have been written so that each chapter of A DOOR SET OPEN has a complementary guide or a DVD to accompany it. The new guides are ALL THINGS NEW. The Church and the Poor, and Hosting and Honoring. The guide labelled A Little Bit of History, has been revised and retitled: MISSION : THEN AND NOW. Each study guide now notes on the cover page its companion chapter in the book. Each one concludes with a bibliography and a set of questions/activities. Together these study guides could be used as a stand alone piece apart from the book.

JESUS IS COMING, PLANT A GARDEN

As a mission project, a congregation gathered a number of members to plant gardens to grow fresh produce for food pantry. The work of scholar, N.T. Wright applies so well:
In the new creation the ancient human mandate to look after the garden is dramatically reafrmed. The resurrection of Jesus is the reafrmation of the goodness of creation, the gift of the Spirit is there to make us the fully human beings were supposed to be, precisely so that we can fulll that mandate at last. What are we waiting for? Jesus is coming. Lets go plant trees ... and gardens!

FEEDBACK
What a great experience the training was - Pastor Alan Anderson I greatly appreciated the new program youve written and look forward to using it. - Pastor Ted Johanson, Stevens Point, Wisconsin Dr. Steinke gave us a message of purpose and hope, asking us to turn our Congregation from a member culture to a mission culture. We cant wait to share this with our congregation. - Jean Henninger, Church Council President, East Northport, NY
2 New Visions

NEW BLOG
Peter Steinke will write/edit a new blog for new visions each month. It will be available January, 2013. Dr. Steinke will review books, share thoughts of others regarding the churchs mission, and present his own musings. It will be emailed to all trainees and sponsors.

The New DVD to introduce each of the three sections of the curriculum will be for sale in January.

May God bless you with Discomfort ... at Easy Answers, Half-truths, and Supercial relationships, so that you may live Deep Within Your Heart. May God bless you with Anger at Injustice, Oppression, and Exploitation of People, so that you may work for Justice, Freedom, and Peace. May God bless you with Tears to shed for those who suffer with Pain, Rejection, Starvation, and War, so that You may reach out Your Hand to Comfort them and turn their Pain into Joy. And May God bless you with enough Foolishness to Believe that You can Make a Difference in this World, so that you can Do what others claim cannot be Done.

Nullam arcu leo, facilisis ut

Pictured above are Rev. John Jurik of St. Paul Lutheran Church (Interim Pastor) and Jean Henniger, president of the church council, who wrote about the training held on Long Island for thirty-three pastors and lay leaders. St. Paul has begun its second class for its Mission School..

New Visions