Fill… Spill… Thrill…

Bishop David deFreese
Nebraska Synod, ELCA

Joyous greetings in the name of our Savior, Jesus the Christ!

As 2010 draws to a close, there are so many ministry stories to tell…

Ana Castaneda from the “Welcome Center” in Lexington tells of an immigrant mother and her young daughter she helped escape from an abusive situation. The story is a reminder that immigration is not only about jobs, but about justice, too. Today, that young girl is 15 years old and growing up free and safe.

Our Sudanese brothers and sisters in north Omaha are blessed with the leadership of John Gok Badeng, who we as a church have been able to support so he can become an ordained Lutheran pastor.

Several of our mission centers/congregations have worked closely with members of our Followers of Christ prison ministry to provide a welcoming church family as a steady presence in their lives.

These are but a few of the many wonderful, rich ministry stories coming out of our Mission Field Nebraska sites.

We live in a world today where conflict and division threaten ministry and mission. But when I recall these stories, I am reminded that God is at work in our lives in powerful and profound ways. God wants us to make a difference in the lives of those around us, and that’s what our Mission Field Nebraska ministries do… they do mission!

Thank you for your generous support of these life-changing ministries:

• Lakota Lutheran Center and Chapel in Scottsbluff
• Fontenelle Community Lutheran Church in North Omaha
• Nebraska Synod Prison Ministries … “Followers of Christ Lutheran Church”
• United Asian Ministry in Dakota City
• The Welcome Center in Lexington
• Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey in South Omaha
• Sudanese Ministry sites throughout Nebraska
• Todos los Hijos deDios in Beatrice
• Lutheran Metro Ministries in North Omaha

This Christmas, as you and your family create new stories to tell, will you please remember these ministry stories and those the ministries serve by offering a special gift? Lives will be brightened and hope will be known. Thank you!

May God enrich and enliven you this Christmas celebration, and may God use you to express God’s compassion and hope to those in need!

Blessed Christmas!

Vera Hummel
Director
Seeking the Spirit Within Institute for Spiritual Direction Formation

Thank you to rostered leaders who knew and expressed a need for spiritual direction and spiritual retreats. The Nebraska Synod Council heard and responded, and with your help through the Feed the Roots and Grow the Forest capital campaign, the Seeking the Spirit Within Institute was born.

Our guiding document for the work of this institute is two-pronged. First, we are about spiritual direction formation, preparing people who feel called to the ministry of walking with individuals as their personal spiritual director. Second, we are committed to providing opportunities for spiritual retreats for people in the Nebraska Synod at least four times each year.

Thirteen people have just completed the requirements of the two-year journey of transformation and have been certified by the Nebraska Synod. At their Certification and Commissioning Residency, they clearly understood the language of orientation/disorientation/reorientation as descriptors of spiritual formation. Hear what a couple of the certified directors said about this experience:

• Pastor Brad Meyer (Lord of Love, Omaha) – “The experience of becoming a spiritual director has challenged me to see where God’s presence is. I hope to direct others on this wonderful journey to develop a deeper relationship with God.”
• Pastor Eric Bostrom (Faith, Seward) – “I hope to be a spiritual companion with individuals on their faith journey, listening for God in their lives. I hope to help individuals move from believing in Jesus to following Jesus throughout their lives.”

A second group of fifteen people are now committed to the journey of spiritual direction formation.

Many people have been blessed through the work of Seeking the Spirit Within as opportunities for providing spiritual retreats occur.

• Participants who are now certified have regularly provided spiritual practices for Synod Council.
• We hosted a pre-theological conference spiritual retreat and provided individual spiritual direction opportunities. Nearly 50 people took advantage of these opportunities.
• Through Confirmation Conference, prayer practices were offered to those who have great opportunity to influence the young through their own spiritual lives.
• First Call rostered leaders have the opportunity once a year for a spiritual retreat.
• On Feb. 26, 2011, Seeking the Spirit Within will plan and host what was previously known as Spring Connection event. Watch for your invitation to participate.

As director, I see this institute as both a responsibility and a privilege. Walking with so many people in their spiritual journeys brings great joy and reason to celebrate all the ways the Holy Spirit is presently engaging the lives of so many. Anyone who is interested in knowing more or in finding a personal spiritual director may contact me at 402-375-1714 or vhummel@huntel.net. Thank you for the opportunity to partner with all of you in this way.

This year’s fall gatherings weren’t meetings. They were “doings.”

Thanks to the support of those who attended the Synod’s 18 Fall Doings, more than 200 tie blankets and personal care kits were made and distributed to Mission Field Nebraska ministry sites. Participants also were given the opportunity to learn more about a specific Mission Field Nebraska ministry.

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