Districts partner in church work recruitment

The Rev. Eric Carlson, pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church and School, Hannibal, Mo., greets students before chapel service at the school on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021. (LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford)

By James Baneck

Just about every entity in the Synod is partnering with Set Apart to Serve (SAS) in forming and recruiting full-time church workers who preach, teach and share the Good News of Jesus Christ for the life and salvation of God’s people. That includes the 35 LCMS districts. District presidents, circuit visitors, education executives and all those closely connected to district work share in this passion. They are also living in the reality of a plentiful harvest with a shortage of laborers, so they are deeply invested in addressing the need for workers.

Here are a few ways our districts are partnering with Set Apart to Serve.

District working group pilot

The purpose of a “pilot” is to learn from one another and collaborate on future resources and strategies. SAS is piloting with six districts that are developing a SAS working group (committee) to address church work formation and recruitment in their districts. Participating districts are Mid-South, Missouri, Nebraska, Montana, Minnesota South and Northern Illinois. At the May meeting, these groups shared the many things they have begun doing, often using the strategies and resources of SAS. A second meeting is planned for this summer.

Circuit visitors pilot

The goal of SAS is for church worker formation and recruitment to become the culture of every LCMS congregation, school and entity, as this is what we naturally do as God’s people. As circuit visitors serve church workers, congregations and schools, SAS is partnering with circuit visitors from six districts: English, Florida-Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota North, Ohio and Pacific Southwest. At our first meeting, we discussed the role of the circuit visitor in communicating and promoting church work formation and recruitment. In future meetings, we will talk about how specific resources can be used in winkels (circuit meetings), call meetings and visitation.

District education executives and communications

SAS is developing a communications plan to assist district education executives in fostering a culture of church work formation in their districts. The goal is to develop a quarterly education executive newsletter that includes short narratives, statistics, graphs, best practices and the latest SAS resources to help these leaders work with the pastors, principals and lay leaders in their districts.

Pilot re-engagement

In 2023, pilot participants from all 35 districts tested and helped shape the major resources currently on the SAS website for pastors, commissioned workers, parents and laity. In April, SAS reactivated many of the original participants for a series of four meetings. The purpose of these meetings was to share updates on the ongoing use of SAS strategies and resources as well as new ideas the pilot participants are developing. SAS will pass along these best practices.

Second-career teacher ads

SAS is partnering with the Minnesota South and South Wisconsin districts to run a series of second-career teacher social media ads. The purpose of these ads is to encourage LCMS public school teachers to consider teaching in a Lutheran school and non-rostered teachers in our Lutheran schools to consider colloquizing. These ads are in development and are scheduled to run this summer.

Every baptized child of God plays a role in forming, encouraging and recruiting youth and adults to consider full-time church work. Who do you know that would make a great church worker?

Posted June 20, 2024