The following Mission and Vision Statements were purposely kept short and clear to identify our unique focus in ministry in the CNH District. The beliefs and values of the CNH District Strategic Ministry Plan are based and founded on the understanding of the Word of God as contained in the Holy Scriptures. These statements reflect our subscription to the doctrines and confessions of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
Vision:
We strengthen God’s people to serve and bear witness to Christ.
Mission:
A community of healthy and committed Christians who are focused, well-connected, and resourced to make disciples and reach the unreached.
Values:
CHRIST’S MISSION
Focusing on intentionally seeking and saving the lost by proclaiming the Gospel and multiplying disciples.
(Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 19:10)
UNITY
We are better when we focus and align ourselves to fulfill common goals.
(John 17:20, Psalm 133:1)
COLLABORATION
Partners working together, using the unique collection of skills and talents in our diverse community of believers.
(1 Corinthians 12)
INTEGRITY
We act according to Christian principles and strive for reliable follow- through.
(Psalm 26:1-3, James 5:12)
TRANSPARENCY
We communicate with clarity and honesty all that we do within our community of believers.
(Matthew 5:37, 2 Corinthians 8:21)
Goals:
CONNECTION & COLLABORATION
Promote a culture of God’s people working together to better carry out Jesus’ mission.
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The CNH District is one of the most geographically expansive and culturally diverse in the LCMS. This makes the importance of connection and collaboration both a necessity and a great challenge. The importance of connection and collaboration might seem obvious for our District, but it was clear from interviews and surveys with District members that this was seen as a weakness relative to other aspects of what we do. It was also by far the number one area identified in answering “How the District can help
our churches and our schools.” Overwhelmingly, that same group stated that the best possible outcome of our District strategy should be a “unified and strategic focus on our mission. The strategic initiatives for this goal focus on both connection between the District Office and member churches or schools and efforts to connect churches and schools to one another. Collaboration is essential for mutual support as well as working together to more effectively accomplish ministry and mission goals.
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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Foster effective leadership in the CNH District through recruitment, retention, and training of God’s people, both professional and lay.
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Leadership is recognized as a significant factor in the effective operation of churches and schools and is the key to helping the people of God develop a common mission and purpose. Feedback from interviews and surveys indicate a significant need for improvement in this area. The following are some of the most common challenges brought up through this process:
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Stagnation or aversion to change
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Managing a quality staff
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Financial/funding issues
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Aging Congregation
In order to effectively address these items, strong professional and lay leadership is required. It was clear that congregations and schools need support and training in areas related to leadership. The following strategic initiatives are designed to assist congregations in raising up lay leaders and provide a variety of leadership development opportunities. It is also important that we address ways to support workers and leaders as they face many challenges and stressful situations organizationally and personally. This support includes finding alternative ways to strengthen the knowledge and skills of a synodically trained worker in the church.
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GROWING MINISTRIES
Create and strengthen existing ministries to develop systems and practices that maximize effectiveness of churches, schools, and other mission organizations.
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Growing ministries is at the heart of our mission as a District. It is not only important to expand the ministry of our District with new mission starts, but it is equally important to make sure that our current ministries are healthy and effective in fulfilling their purpose. The number one strength of our District expressed by those we interviewed was our mission-minded emphasis. However, as was stated in the initiative on Connection and collaboration, the number one perceived weakness expressed by those in our District who were interviewed was the lack of a common vision or focus. Additionally, the number one opportunity identified by this group was community outreach and service, followed by the opportunity to reach out and strengthen relationships with school families (for those churches who have school ministries). One of the main congregational challenges was stagnation or the willingness to change and other issues (as listed in the Leadership goal) that show the need for improving the effectiveness of ministries throughout our District.
WORKER WELLNESS
Create and strengthen existing ministries to develop systems and practices that maximize effectiveness of churches, schools, and other mission organizations.
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Although “worker wellness” was not sighted by those interviewed and surveyed, it is clear through many of the comments that were shared and situations that have come up throughout the District, that this is an important issue. Through observation and conversation with church workers throughout the District, it has become increasingly evident that people are dealing with a variety of wellness issues. These issues include physical, emotional, financial, spiritual, and social wellness. The stress has been magnified by the sixteen months of pandemic challenges. Finding ways to support our church worker health is essential for us to expect healthy ministries. The following strategic initiatives focus on targeted help and intervention for our workers from not only District staff, but also fellow workers throughout the CNH District. The strategies include coaching, wellness checks, workshops, and counseling.
RESOURCES
Establish and facilitate a trusted clearinghouse of people and resources that meet stated ministry needs and make them readily accessible.
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Providing or making resources available for ministries within our District is one of the most practical services we provide. Although not identified as a weakness, it was clear this is not seen as a strength either. Besides our responsibility to be a clearinghouse of resources, there is also a sense that we, as a District, should be more efficient in how we allocate services, financial resources, and staffing. One of the Board of Directors metrics focuses on not only providing resources efficiently, but also finding ways to harness the availability of resources, so that we “connect resources from throughout the District to congregational needs.”
VISION VIDEOS
2021 District Convention
Worker Wellness
Growing Ministries
Leadership Development
Connection and Collaboration