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The Bridge in Plain Text

Issue To Be Used Any Time After Sept. 1, 2008

Below you will find all the text from The Bridge in plain text format, so you can easily copy and paste the information into your publications. Links to the graphics are available below the text.

The Bridge
A monthly publication of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod, ELCA
Connecting the congregational, synodical, and churchwide expressions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Helping Our Congregations’ Leaders Toward Wellness

Sandy Rothschiller, an ELCA pastor working at the Board of Pensions, suggests asking these questions to make sure your congregation provides a supportive environment for its leaders when they strive to improve their health.

Food

  • Do you always offer healthy choices?
  • When rostered leaders are offered food, are they allowed to say “no” without causing offense?
  • Do you reward them with food or have you found other ways to show your appreciation?

 

Attendance at social events

  • Is it healthy to expect your pastor to be at everything?
  • Which events are mandatory and which could be considered optional?
  • Is this negotiable?
  • Are they allowed to say “no” to some events?

 

Honoring time off

  • Do you encourage your pastor or rostered leader to build time-off into the week?
  • Do you support her when she takes that time off?
  • Do you encourage him to pursue continuing education and take vacation time during the year?

 

Physical activity

  • Do you have conversations with your pastor about getting active and support his efforts?
  • Do you encourage her to take time for daily exercise? (Three 10-minute walks a day is a good start.)
  • Do you plan exercise-related activities for the whole congregation?

 

Quiet time

  • Do you encourage your pastor to take time daily for devotion, scripture study or reading?

 

Communication

  • Go directly to the pastor with your thoughts or issues.
  • Be constructive, honest, kind, gentle and caring.
  • Take time to pray together and listen to one another.

 

God is not your pastor

God is God and your rostered leaders are human beings. According to Martin Luther, all people (even pastors) are “saint and sinner at the same time.” Jesus came to forgive and save you and your pastor. Don’t forget that you’re on the same team, working together to grow in faith.

Featured Resources

Monthly Bible Verse
This Bible verse was selected by Harold Usgaard, bishop of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod, for everyone in the synod to study.

“Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God.” 1 Corinthians 6:19

About Our Synod
The Southeastern Minnesota Synod is a faith community of 130,000 baptized people in 184 congregations as well as related institutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Its geographic area includes 15 counties in the southeastern corner of Minnesota.

The Bridge is a monthly publication of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod, ELCA. For more information, contact the synod office:

Southeastern Minnesota Synod, ELCA
1001 14th St. NW, Suite 300
Rochester, MN 55901-2551
(507) 280-9457
www.semnsynod.org

This issue is designed to be used any time after Sept. 1, 2008.

Graphics from this issue
Right-click the link and choose "save to disk" to save the graphic, and then insert it into your desktop publishing program. Graphics are in high-resolution tiff format. If you require another format, please call 507-280-9457.