Partnership in Mission

2001 Western Mission Cluster Report to Synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Submitted by James L. Boyce
Western Mission Cluster Coordinator
jboyce@luthersem.edu

Since 1993, Luther Seminary, St Paul, Minn., and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif., have served as partners in the Western Mission Cluster (WMC), a developing network of Christian institutions in ELCA regions 1, 2, and 3. The Cluster supports congregational mission and parishioners' spiritual development by providing resources for lifelong learning and other cooperative planning projects such as the Fisher's Net.

At a joint executive board committee meeting last fall in St Paul, the seminaries renewed their commitment to think theologically, creatively, and imaginatively about ways to embody the emerging missional church of the 21st century. They also identified five essential areas for continued growth: 1) contextual learning programs to equip missional leaders for the future; 2) lifelong learning programs; 3) admissions and enrollment strategies for identifying and preparing necessary leaders for mission; 4) faculty recruitment and development; and 5) finance and development to support these ventures.

FISHER'S NET UPDATE

The Fisher's Net partners with theological education providers to deliver online, instructor-led accredited, continuing education and life long learning opportunities to adult learners around the world. It also trains instructors in online course design and delivery, helps students acclimate to the unique demands of online learning, and helps ministry organizations effectively use online technology for their missions.

Initiated as a project of the WMC, Fisher's Net was incorporated as a new entity this past year. Its network includes the Eastern and Covenant Clusters of the ELCA as well as Augsburg Fortress and Lutheran Brotherhood. You are invited to learn more about the Fisher's Net at: www.fishersnet.net.

LIFELONG LEARNING FOR MISSION UPDATE

In December 2000, the third annual WMC Consultation took place in Carefree, Ariz. Almost 50 representatives from congregations, colleges and universities, seminaries, continuing education centers, social ministry agencies, campus ministry, synods, and ELCA churchwide staff met to network around a shared commitment to lifelong learning initiatives in the WMC's Regions 1, 2, and 3. A tentative mission statement identifies the Consultation as a "partnership that fosters collaboration in order to provide education for lifelong learning to serve more fully the ministry of the baptized in the church and in the world."

Keynote addresses by Bradley Hanson, Luther College; Patricia O'Connell Killen. Pacific Lutheran University; and Michael Gilligan, Luce Foundation, led participants in conversation about issues of lifelong learning and the developing the necessary institutional collaboration skills to pursue this mission. Consultation participants committed to continue their work in developing initiatives in the following areas: 1) develop the WMC Web site as a resource for collaboration; 2) continue needs assessment of lifelong learning offerings; 3) develop a lifelong learning partners network; 4) offer a course that focuses on "faith and popular culture;" and 5) discern and develop potential resources for "vocation in daily life."