October 2020 Faith Formation Days for Laity

August 17, 2020

Sunday’s in October 2020

October 4, 11, 21, 28 - 2020

3:00-4:30pm EDT / 2:00-3:30pm CDT

via Zoom

October 4 - Worship 101: Why We Do What We Do
October 11 - Say Her Name: Naming the Witness of Nameless Women in the Bible
October 18 - With Glad and Generous Hearts: a Look at Stewardship of Self, Congregation, and Church
October 25 - Telling the Story of Jesus: Evangelism in the 21st Century

See below for details for all 4 sessions

October 4: “Worship 101: Why we do what we do!”

Led by: Deacon John Weit and Deacon Jennifer Baker-Trinity

“Christian worship is the communal encounter with the grace of God incarnate in Jesus Christ, and it involves the encounter with those concrete, flesh-and-blood things that connect us to the flesh of Jesus and so engage us in that grace. Welcoming others must involve welcoming them into this real community.” (Gordon Lathrop)

Have you ever wondered why we do what we do in worship and why it matters? How is your community “welcoming others into this real community”? Join this conversation and find out and ways you can engage your congregation. A helpful resource you may want to purchase is: “Worship Matters: An Introduction to Worship Participant Book” ($6.99/ea) from Augsburg Fortress.


Deacon John Weit		Deacon Jennifer Baker-Trinity

Deacon John Weit, serves as the assistant to the presiding bishop and executive for worship of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In this role, John oversees the work of the worship team within the Office of the Presiding Bishop and provides leadership on the bishop's behalf in churchwide matters related to worship. Prior to his call to the churchwide organization, John served as musician for congregations in Pennsylvania and most recently as cantor to Trinity Lutheran Church in Worcester, Mass.

Deacon Jennifer Baker-Trinity, serves as Program Director for Resource Development, a shared position between the ELCA (Office of the Presiding Bishop) and Augsburg Fortress. In this position, she attends to developing and teaching about resources that support the church’s worship. She also currently serves as the Co-Director of the Institute of Liturgical Studies at Valparaiso University. She lives in Shoreview, Minnesota.

October 11: "Say Her Name: Naming the Witness of Nameless Women in the Bible"

Led by: Pastor Mary W. Anderson

In this study, we will examine the witness of several women in the Bible whose names were never spoken, but whose faith continues to inspire our own. We will consider together the stories of a few women who are well-known in the Christian community and some whose stories are nearly forgotten.

Pastor Mary W. Anderson

Rev. Mary W. Anderson, Columbia, SC, is currently under call by the Synod Council of South Carolina to serve as an intentional interim. Having served in parishes in South Carolina and Metro Chicago over her 37-year career, she is now serving in her third interim site at Christ Lutheran on Hilton Head Island. A graduate of Newberry College, the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, and The Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago (Doctor of Ministry in Preaching) she has also served as a staff member at the ELCA churchwide office and as an adjunct professor at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, SC. She is an advocate for the homeless, for racial reconciliation, and for students of poverty in public schools. Her husband, Frank, is pastor of St. Michael's Lutheran in Columbia, her daughter Colleen is a nurse at Trinity Lutheran Nursing Home in Hickory, NC, and her daughter, Elise, is associate pastor at Trinity Lutheran, Hixson, TN.

October 18: “With glad and generous hearts: a look at stewardship of self, congregation and church.”

Led by: Pastor Mike Ward

Where the disciples saw scarcity and thought people should depart before mealtime, Jesus recognized abundance and fed more than 5,000 people. Living life and leading congregations from an abundance perspective takes thoughtfulness and intentionality, especially during a pandemic. Join us for discussion to see how it is that generosity leads to our hearts being more connected with God and how generosity is all around us even in this pandemic. Ideas for your stewardship drive will be included in this discussion.

Pastor Mike Ward

Rev. Mike Ward, CFRE served for 12 years as VP of Advancement at NovusWay Ministries in the southeast U.S. where he led capital campaigns that raised over $13 million for the camps in addition to annual fund and planned giving work. Mike is now a partner with GSB where he works with camps, church institutions, and congregations in fundraising, strategic planning, and board development. He has served on the boards for the ELCA Youth Ministry Network and most recently the ELCA Church Council. His first book, Abundance: Creating a Culture of Generosity was published by Fortress Press in 2020. He has a passion for helping to teach congregations and other non-profits how to tell their stories of impact. He has been a leader of the program Stewardship for All Seasons with some congregations now doubling their annual revenue after six years in the program and successfully converting the culture from one of scarcity to a culture recognizing God’s abundance. Mike grew up in the Southeastern Synod. www.gsbfundraising.com.

October 25: “Telling the story of Jesus: Evangelism in the 21^st century.”

Led by: Pastor CeCee Mills

The “E” word seems to have taken on something taboo in our church. You know, that “E” word? Evangelism! But why? We are called to be just that evangelist and to be those who speak and live and act the good news of Jesus Christ. How can telling the story of Jesus continue to shape who we are as church in the 21^st century? And even more so in and after this pandemic?

Pastor CeCee Mills

Rev. Lucille “CeCee” Mills grew up in Greensboro, N.C. She completed her seminary studies at The Lutheran Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Ordained on March 20, 2004, she served her first ten years of ministry in the Virginia Synod. Since then, Pastor Mills has served several congregations as an interim in the NC Synod while also serving as the Associate Program Ministry Director of the ELCA Churchwide Offices for five years. She currently serves as the Associate Director for Evangelical Mission in the North Carolina Synod.