Synod Educational Online Webinars
 
The Synod is offering several online workshops this Spring. Each will have a presentation, time for Q & A during the event, and a follow-up session at a later date, if class desires.
 
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information with the link to join the webinar.
 
You may register for 1, several or all of the free online workshops below- just click on the link at the bottom of each workshop description for a simple registration form.
 
Building Community Partnerships While Maintaining your Tax-Exempt Status- Tuesday, May 19th at 6-7:30pm
Get informed about the types of building rentals and how to engage them in shared ministry partnerships. How can you recognize partnerships through building usage arrangements? This workshop will cover non-partnership private event rental and facility usage rules while still maintaining your tax-exempt status. Plus, cell phone tower leases, the two types of tax-exempt statuses, plus how your facility usage may impact both federal and state business tax-exemption, and state and local property tax-exemption.

 

Presenter: Phil Edlund, Certified Church Administrator serving at Mountain View Lutheran in Edgewood and Chapter President of The Church Network (national admin networking group)

 

 

Growing Young: 6 Essential Strategies to Help Young People Discover and Love Your Church  
 Saturday, May 30th at 10-11:30am
Churches are both shrinking and aging as more young people disengage. Based on groundbreaking research with over 250 of the nation’s leading congregations, Growing Young provides a strategy any church can use to involve and retain young people. it profiles innovative churches engaging 15-to-29 year olds that a growing- spiritually, emotionally, missionally, and numerically. Packed with ideas, Growing Young shows ministry leaders how to position their churches to reach younger generations in a way that breathes life into the whole church. This workshop will explore the Six Essential Strategies and talk about how your congregation can use these as part of your ministry. Time for online Q & A. Followup with a Growing Young Book Group to continue this work, if desired.
 
Presenters: Deacon Ingelaurie Lisher, Synod Youth Committee Chair, serving at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church by the Narrows, Tacoma and Terri Hekroth, Director of Youth Ministries at Creator Lutheran, Bonney Lake.
 
**Register in advance for Growing Young Workshop HERE 
 
 
Top 3 Things You Can Do on Social Media to Build Community Wednesday, June 3rd at 6-7:30pm
Learn about three things that you can easily do in your congregation using social media to grow community.
 
Presenter: Cort Okfen, webmaster for St Marks Lutheran Church by the Narrows, Tacoma, owner of most followed Twitter handle in S. Tacoma, and owner of Okfen & Associates, an internet marketing company.
**Register for Social Media Workshop HERE
 
 
Compassionate Integrity Saturday, June 6th 10-11:30am
Have you ever wondered how you could cultivate the compassion called for in the Charter or help others cultivate that compassion? Compassionate Integrity Training (CIT) is a great place to start!
Learn about how this program, which Holy Trinity Lutheran church has implemented, is a resiliency-informed program that cultivates human values as skills, so we can thrive as individuals, and a society within s healthy environment. By learning skills to calm our bodies and mind, becoming more emotionally aware, learning to practice compassion for ourselves and others, as well as engaging with compassion in complex systems, we can build towards compassionate integrity: the ability to live one’s life in accordance with one’s values with a recognition of common humanity, our basic orientation to kindness and reciprocity.
This workshop is live and will NOT be recorded, as participants will be practicing meditation and other personal practices.
 
Presenter: Pastor Kristin-Luana Baumann, Holy Trinity Lutheran, Port Angeles, Compassionate Integrity Training Facilitator.
**Register for Compassionate Integrity Workshop Here
 
Stewardship in Uncertain Times Saturday, June 6th 10-11:30am
Watch Video Anytime https://youtu.be/jdLFX47eBnA Follow-up discussions with Rev. Mike Ward and Paul Marsh will be available June 10th at 10am and 6:30pm for live virtual conversation (links below) Life has changed dramatically in the last few weeks and that change is still unfolding. In the midst of this change, people are needing the peace and comfort provided by faith in God. At the same time, as our normal patterns are upended and the nation is struggling economically, we worry about financial resources for our ministries. It is critically important now that we focus on how we tell our story of impact, how we invite people to generosity, how we envision a future where our congregations are more important and vital than ever.
 
In the video you will learn tangible ideas for responding during this crisis and how to put in place the infrastructure to keep generosity flowing to your congregations. Presenters will also point out messaging that you should avoid during this time. Additionally they are sharing resources about responding to this crisis that can be found at https://gsbfundraising.com/category/news/ This session is suggested for pastors, stewardship leaders, finance committee members, council members and others engaged in congregational leadership.
 
Presenters: GSB Partner, Rev. Mike Ward, CFRE, author of Abundance: Creating Cultures of Generosity, and his colleague, Paul Marsh, CFRE Registration: No need to register to watch video. Then, you may register for a Zoom discussion with Pastor Ward on June 10th at either 10am or 6:30pm, if desired.
Please join Pastor Ward and Paul Marsh for Follow Up Conversations about their video, “Stewardship in Uncertain Times” via Zoom: Wednesday, June 10th at 10am
Wednesday, June 10th at 6:30pm Purple mosaic cross used in the image above was created by the Mosaic Ministry Group at Stella Lutheran Chapel in Longview, WA with Pastor Jill Ross.