Discipleship Gatherings

(formerly Mission Gatherings)

Everyone is encouraged to attend one of this year's Discipleship Gatherings to be held in each conference this fall.

The Discipleship Gatherings, formerly known as Mission Gatherings, are a chance for lay and rostered people to gather together with Bishop Wollersheim to talk about an important topic.

From the schedule on the right, find the most convenient location and time for you and mark your calendar to attend. Encourage other members of your congregation to join you for one of these excellent annual events of the synod.

This year's gatherings will focus on the Faith Practices. Followers of Jesus are inspired to develop practices and patterns for living that characterize a life that is devoted to daily discipleship. Seven common practices have been identified as key to model and nurture.

Synod assembly participants will recognize the continuation of this theme from assembly which received such a positive response.

Pre-registration is not necessary.

Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson on the Faith Practices:

The "practices" have been described by Dorothy Bass as "those shared activities that address fundamental human needs and that, woven together, form a way of life."

The way of life embodied by Christian faith practices is a life lived in community. In this way of life God uses others to plant, nurture, cultivate and bring to maturity a life that is Gd's life in us. In turn, God uses these same faith practices in us to plant, nurture and cultivate God's life in others.

The way of life embodied in these practices is God's handiwork in us for the good of others and for the life of the world.

(from The Lutheran, May 2009)

Dates and Locations

All gatherings will begin at 7pm with registration at 6:30 pm, except for Messiah, Galva on 11/7 which will begin at 4 pm (pre-registration is not necessary).

• Thursday, Sept. 9 - Christ, Belvidere

• Tuesday, Sept. 21 - Christ, Stockton

• Tuesday, Oct. 5 - Bethany, Crystal Lake

• Thursday, Oct. 21 - St. Paul, Sterling

• Thursday, Nov. 4 - St. John, Mendota

• Thursday, Nov. 11 - Calvary, Moline

• Tuesday, November 16 - Faith, Joliet

• Sunday - Nov. 14 - Messiah, Galva (4pm)

Agenda

6:30 pm Registration

7:00 pm Welcome Devotions

7:15 pm Reflections on Discipleship by Bishop Gary Wollersheim

7:45 pm Breakout Session I

8:25 pm Breakout Session II

8:55 pm Closing Prayer

Artwork files:

color faith practices zip file (1.22MB)

black & white faith practices zip file (715kb)

Individual images: