All active rostered ministers, retired ministers serving as interim pastors, and synod council members were invited to the Bishop’s Fall Gathering, held online October 18-19, 2021.
Our theme was The Power of Story. Our guests included:
Agenda
Participants are encouraged to download and print this PDF which includes our order of worship, as well as a workbook to use during Ryan Panzer’s hybrid ministry presentation.
Monday, October 18, 2021
11 am: Opening worship
Bishop Eaton preaching, with participation from Bishop Hutterer and Rev. Sarah Stadler, Rev. Kristin Rice, Rev. Sharon Brown, and Rev. Dan Hoeger.
1:30–2:30 pm: Bishop Eaton
A presentation followed by Q&As and prayer
3–4:15 pm: Grand Canyon Synod update
Led by Bishop Hutterer with participation from the Office of the Bishop team
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
9–9:15 am: Devotions
Hybrid Ministry Presentation with Ryan Panzer
9:15–10:45 am: Defining the Purpose | The Importance of Discerning the Why of Hybrid Ministry
11am–12:30 pm: The Hybrid Church in Action
1:30–3pm: The Hybrid Ministry Roadmap
3:15–4pm: Meet as conferences in breakout rooms
Bishop Eaton Meetings
Bishop Eaton will also be meeting online with various leaders during her virtual visit.
Conference Deans, Sunday, 5:30–6:45 pm
Office of the Bishop team, Monday, 8:30am–9:45am
Leaders lunch, Monday, noon-1pm
Hybrid Ministry Presentation
Ryan Panzer
Session 1
Defining the Purpose: The Importance of Discerning the Why of Hybrid Ministry
Most conversations about technology in the church begin with the tactics: the apps, the software, the platforms. When we frame this conversation around the tools, hybrid ministry becomes an endless to-do list, drastically increasing the work required of church leaders.
But there is another way of understanding hybrid ministry, one that is rooted in purpose, mission, and vision. In this session, attendees will discern the purpose of hybrid ministry for their specific context. By defining the "big why" of technology in ministry, church leaders can focus their energy and effort on tools that align with mission.
Session 2
The Hybrid Church in Action
Having discussed the importance of purpose to the sustainability of hybrid ministry, it's time to implement.
In this session, attendees will explore specific hybrid ministry practices for worship, faith formation, and church leadership, with a focus on recent and emerging trends. Each of the practices seeks to establish parity between the online and the offline experience.
This session includes practices for low-tech and high-tech ministry contexts, affirming the importance not just of tools and technology, but of intentionality and inclusion. This session includes concrete examples of low-tech and high-tech hybrid ministries from similar ELCA congregations.
Session 3
The Hybrid Ministry Roadmap
Hybrid ministry is a concept with considerable uncertainty. Nobody knows the future trajectory of the pandemic. Similarly, church leaders lack concrete examples of hybrid ministry practices that have demonstrable, long-term effectiveness. In an environment as uncertain as this, church leaders must learn to iterate.
This session explores how to measure the effectiveness of hybrid ministry practices in the particulars of a congregation's mission. Attendees will discuss how to create hybrid ministry dashboards and reports. Attendees will also learn to take iterative steps that align with the calling to make disciples in digital spaces.
About the presenter
Ryan Panzer is the author of “Grace and Gigabytes: Being Church in a Tech-Shaped Culture” (Fortress Press, December 2020). Ryan has spent his career in the worlds of church leadership and technology. He received his M.A. from Luther Seminary while simultaneously working for Google. Ryan continues to serve as a learning and leadership development professional in the technology industry, as a researcher on digital technology in the church, and as a lay leader at Good Shepherd Lutheran in Madison.
A student of digital media and its influence on our lives, he is focused on coaching Christian leaders to imagine the church’s hybrid future, which will seamlessly blend offline and online experiences of worship, service, and spiritual practice. Ryan lives in Madison, WI with his wife, Annie, and 1-year-old daughter, Alice. When Ryan isn’t researching, writing, or playing with his toddler, he enjoys attending every Wisconsin Badger football game. For more writings and resources, visit www.ryanpanzer.com.
From our blog archive
Registration
$40 registration
Registration closed Friday, October 8, 2020
If you have any financial obstacles that would keep you from attending, please contact Bishop Hutterer directly at dhutterer@gcsynod.org.
Three songs from our 2021 Bishop’s Fall Gathering are available for your listening pleasure: A Story For All People, For All the Faithful Women, and I Love to Tell the Story. Listen and watch in this post.
Thanks to vocalist Karin Gunderson and pianist Jerry Gunderson for sharing. Jerry isDirector of Worship & Music Ministry, All Saints Lutheran Church, Phoenix.