Over 30 people gathered at Trinity, Blue Hill the weekend of January 21 and 22 with SPIFE Director, Rev. Keith Christiansen and Leadership Module Coordinator, Dr. Ralph Geisler to take part in a listening post designed to help address rural/small town ministry challenges in the Nebraska District. SPIFE stands for Saint Paul Institute for Education, which is the service provider for leadership training in the Missouri District.

District pastors, teachers, and lay members from rural and small town congregations gathered with representatives from St. Paul's in Concordia, Missouri, as well as representatives from LLL, LWML North, and LWML South in Nebraska. A representative for rural health and Concordia University President Brian Freidrich also joined the group for discussions and brainstorming.

Listening post participants focused on four areas of concern: 1) culture, 2) community, 3) service and outreach, and 4) equipping the saints. By the end of day two, five specific directives emerged. Each is now being developed into leadership-training events to be implemented in both the Nebraska and Missouri Districts.  The five directives are:

• Bringing “WE CAN” back to the rural culture: Big planning for the small town
• Come With Me: Preparing God’s people to teach and reach in rural America
• The Wonder of Worship: Examining the structure, purpose, and role of the divine service
• Heritage and Change: Linking old and new
• Pushing Beyond the Committee: Every member outreach

“It is an exciting time to be involved in ministry,” said Rev. Boring, Assistant to the President for District Ministries. “SPIFE has the potential to help expand some of the things we are doing with congregational revitalization.”

“We will be looking to establish an action team to continue the work begun at the listening post,” explained President Sommerfeld. Rev. Christiansen and Dr. Geisler will be meeting with that group later this spring, as well as representatives from the rural institute established several years ago at Concordia University, Seward.