Greetings Church Family!
Exciting news! The Vision Path Committee has set dates for the two workshops that will happen this fall at Shepherd of the Valley. Everyone His Witness (E1HW) “emphasizes listening to people to understand their worldview and where their lives connect with Jesus’ story. It does not focus on learning witnessing scripts or methods for engaging total strangers.” It is highly recommended to attend E1HW prior to attending Shepherding Our Stays (SOS) as this workshop will prepare you for the language and concepts used in SOS. E1HW will be held on October 12th from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM with time allowed for lunch that will be provided by the church.
The cost to attend the workshop will be $10 to cover the workbook used in the training. The goal attendance for this workshop is 36 people divided into 6 groups of 6 people. The deadline to register and order your workbook for E1HW is September 19th.
The other workshop, Shepherding Our Strays “addresses a significant challenge for many congregations: members who have separated themselves from the spiritual life of the congregation. Much more than a checklist for ‘cleaning up the rolls’ or ‘clearing out the deadwood,’ Shepherding Our Strays provides congregational leaders and concerned members with practical processes and useful tools for reaching out to inactive members with care and intention.” SOS will be held November 2nd at SOTV from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM with time allowed for lunch that will again be provided by the church. The deadline to register and order this workbook is October 10th. The goal attendance for SOS is 36 people as well.
To register for either workshop or both, please send an email to Ann Willoughby at anncwnd@gmail.com with the following information: the name of the workshop you wish to attend (E1HW, SOS or both), your first and last name and telephone number. The cost for each workshop is $10, so if attending both will need to pay $20 prior to the deadlines. E1HW must register and pay by September 19th, SOS must register and pay by October 10th. Please enclose cash or check made out to SOTV in an envelope and write your name and the name of the workshop you will be attending on the front. The other LCMS churches in the Bismarck/Mandan area have been invited to attend so please register early to guarantee your spot.
Lastly on Wednesday, September 4th and Sunday, September 8th (both services) there will be a short presentation right after the benediction to share the results of the survey that was taken in June of this year. It will take about 7 or 8 minutes of your time to stay and listen. The Vision Path Committee felt it was important to share the results with the congregation to raise everyone’s awareness about where we are as a congregation.
Peace,
Ann Willoughby
Vision Path Committee Chair