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Lay Ministry Resources

Lay ministry leadership has been an important part of the ministry and mission God is doing through the Western North Dakota Synod for several generations. As we continue to discover and seek the Spirit’s guidance, lay ministry is changing. Both who is involved and how resources are provided are changing in ways that we’ve never experienced before. This is both exciting and challenging.



Since the fall of 2021, the synod has been engaged in a strategic visioning process about where God is leading us next as a synod. This process has involved 50+ listening sessions, an online survey available to every member of every congregation in the synod, hours of prayer and conversation within the Synod Council, and a creative and forward-thinking Vision Team. Several of the items the Spirit has revealed during this strategic visioning process will begin to surface in the next 6-12 months.


Lay ministry leadership in our synod began in the mid-1980s with a program called Growing in Faith to Serve (G.I.F.T.S.). The G.I.F.T.S. program featured a variety of ways that individuals could be involved, including 1-day events in our synod featuring leading ELCA theologians and teachers; week-long Lay School of Theology events at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN; a mentoring relationship with a pastor from the WND Synod; and, local G.I.F.T.S. groups with peers in the program who gather for conversation, Bible study and fellowship.


We give God thanks and praise for the many ways that G.I.F.T.S. has blessed our synod over the years. Over the years, G.I.F.T.S. became an essential part of training for lay pulpit supply leadership. The strategic visioning process affirmed the significant role G.I.F.T.S. played in synod and congregational leadership and revealed weaknesses in the way the program was administered.


As we look to the future in our life together as a church, we believe that God is calling us to embrace new ways of living out ministry and mission beyond the limitations that may arise from one specific program structure.


As those structures begin to be revealed, we give thanks for our past and look toward the future with great hope, knowing that Christ Jesus is walking with us every step of the way.



Upcoming Lay Ministry Leadership events – WINTER 2023-2024

Faith | Lead Academy @ Luther Seminary

https://faithlead.org

People are spiritually hungry yet disconnected, and established institutions are breaking down.

As a result, people are restless to find trustworthy communities where they can explore life’s big questions.

Leaders feel unsupported and unequipped to lead existing churches into deeper discipleship.

Ministry entrepreneurs struggle to find support to develop new expressions of the Christian community.

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Certificate Programs at Luther Seminary: Equipping Leaders for Specialized Ministry

Because the mission of God’s people calls for many forms of specialized ministries, Luther Seminary is committed to offering non-degree and graduate certificate programs for students. Each program offers a flexible balance between a grounding in the classical theological disciplines, concentration in one’s chosen area, and elective courses taken from any area of the curriculum.


Graduate certificate programs are comprised of eight courses. The programs are designed for students who do not already hold a graduate theological degree (M.A. or M.Div.) and the programs are to be completed in one year of full-time residential study or in two to four years through distributive learning and online courses. Students desiring to apply their course toward a Master of Arts or Master of Divinity degree will be required to complete the application process for those programs. Admission into a Graduate Certificate program does not guarantee admission into a degree program.


Graduate Certificates

Equipping leaders for specialized ministry Because the mission of God’s people calls for many forms of specialized ministries, Luther Seminary is committed to offering non-degree and graduate certificate programs for students. Each program offers a flexible balance between a grounding in the classical theological disciplines, concentration in one’s chosen area, and elective courses taken from …

Learn More About Graduate Certificates

L.E.D. by Faith: An Academy for Lay Ministry, Enrichment, and Discernment – Region 3 Synod Authorized Ministry Training Program

Contact the synod office for more information – info@wndsynod.org

Dialogue Works: Continuing Education for Faith Leaders

https://www.dialogworks.org/

Our experienced instructors provide practical tools to help leaders develop skills, confidence, and capacity for the journey ahead. We are committed to providing practical tools, experienced instructors, and curricula for congregation leaders.

We offer workshops to help congregations harness members’ wisdom and energy for action.

Where there is conflict, we guide carefully crafted conversations to transform conflict into opportunities for change and growth.

We facilitate group meetings to provide a safe space for dialogue and the healing of broken relationships.

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