What does faithful ministry look like in a changing church?
For some, it may mean exploring a new way to serve. For others, it may mean reconnecting with the synod, finding support in a season of transition, or imagining new possibilities for their congregation. And for our youth and young adults, it may simply mean having a space where their voices are heard.
This fall, IN-KY Synod Regional Gatherings will offer opportunities to worship, connect and learn together through a variety of breakout sessions designed for different seasons and stages of ministry.
Here’s a look at some of the conversations you can join.
SAMs and Other Emerging Ministries
Over the past decade, the use of lay leaders called Synod Authorized Ministers, or SAMs, has grown across the ELCA. At the same time, the church continues to explore new ways of equipping people to use their gifts for ministry.
Pastor Dan Forehand will lead an interactive conversation about SAMs and other emerging ministry opportunities, including formation and new routes for serving the church. The session will also connect with the CaSTLE Project, the Called Together Initiative and the synod’s 333 Project, all of which are helping us imagine how we can serve together as the people of God.
Whether you are considering ministry yourself or wondering what possibilities might be right for your congregation, this session offers a chance to ask questions and explore what comes next.
Retired Rostered Leaders
Retirement does not mean the end of a relationship with the church or the synod.
Pastor Priscilla Geerdes, Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry Transition, will lead a conversation specifically for retired rostered leaders. The session will be an opportunity to consider how retired leaders might participate in the life and ministry of the synod in ways that are meaningful to them.
What would you like to see happening for retired rostered leaders? Would you like to be more involved in the needs of the synod? And does the synod have the right information to stay connected with you?
Come for a time of discernment, conversation and updating as we consider how retired leaders can continue to share their gifts and experience.
Connect: Taking the Next Faithful Step
Does ministry feel overwhelming? Does your congregation feel like it is just floating along?
The Connect breakout session is an opportunity to learn about a resource designed to help faith leaders and ministry teams navigate those seasons.
Formerly known as E-Connect, Connect walks alongside congregations and ministry leaders as they listen deeply to God, to one another and to the communities they serve. Through coaching, support and practical tools, Connect helps leaders take their next faithful step with confidence.
Whether your congregation is navigating change, seeking revitalization or discerning a new mission, this session will introduce ways Connect can help you move forward while deepening your connections with God, each other and your community.
Funding Forward: Reimagining Sustainable Ministry
Many congregations are asking important questions about the future: How do we sustain ministry in a changing church? How do we make faithful use of the resources God has entrusted to us? And what new possibilities might God be opening before us?
Director for Evangelical Mission Melissa “Missy” Schroeder will lead Funding Forward: Reimagining Sustainable Ministry, a one-hour workshop inviting pastors and lay leaders into thoughtful conversation about God's mission, congregational resources and leading with hope.
Participants will explore new ways of thinking about sustainability and consider how God may be inviting their congregations to imagine new possibilities for ministry. The session also will introduce the synod-wide Funding Forward book study, which begins in January.
Youth and Young Adults
Our younger members have important things to say about the church, its future and the world they are navigating today.
This breakout session creates space for youth attending the ELCA Gathering and young adults ages 18-35 to connect, ask questions and share their hopes, concerns and ideas.
Youth will have an opportunity for a lively Q&A with Bishop Tim and a conversation about the 2027 ELCA Gathering. Young adults will connect with Young Adult ELCA Representative Zach Eckert and a campus pastor to learn more about opportunities to connect, engage and lead.
Most importantly, this session is about listening. We want our younger people to know their voices matter and that there is a place for them in the life and ministry of the church.
Come Ready to Connect
Regional Gatherings are more than a day of workshops. They are an opportunity to step away from the day-to-day demands of ministry, worship together, meet people from across the synod and consider where God may be leading next.
Whatever season of ministry you find yourself in, there is a place for you at the Regional Gathering.
Come with questions. Come with ideas. Come ready to listen and share.
Most of all, come ready to discover your next faithful step together.
