Dear friends of the Northwest Intermountain Synod,

I am writing to you from the San Jose Airport returning from a retreat hosted by California Lutheran University and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS). During my time serving in this Synod, first as a congregational pastor and then in the Synod office, there have been several instances when people across the NWIM Synod have been asked about the ways in which they can be supported and equipped in their life and ministry. A consistent and prominent response has been leadership development.

Cal Lutheran and PLTS, along with the other ELCA universities and seminaries, are all about leadership development. Further, “in 2018, California Lutheran University received a nearly $1 million, five-year grant from the Lilly Endowment to create Thriving Leadership Formation in partnership with its own Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and the 11 ELCA synods of Regions 1 and 2 [essentially the western 1/3 of the United States].

“Thriving Leadership Formation [TLF] seeks to foster relational, creative, Spirit-led, compassionate forms of ministry that are deeply responsive to local communities. Participants will work in small groups that encourage and equip leaders to live out their faith in ways that make a difference in the world. Session content will focus on spiritual resources, leadership skills, competencies and tools for thriving in the practice of ministry. Opportunities to walk with mentors and coaches enable participants to attend to their own spiritual lives, to the guidance of the Spirit, and to voices, gifts and needs within their communities.”[1]

 You can learn more about TLF here: https://thrivingleadershipformation.org/

The third year of TLF cohorts has just begun this fall, and thus far the feedback gathered through evaluations has been very positive. You can look for opportunities to participate in the future. As this grant moves toward conclusion, the Lilly Endowment invited Cal Lutheran and PLTS to consider applying for an additional sustainability grant to continue to nurture and expand TLF. That is what led to the retreat from which I am returning. About 25 Lay and rostered leaders from across Regions 1 & 2 spent three days together in prayer and conversation in order to begin to map out the next steps. 

Those next steps are just beginning to be formed. As they take shape, I look forward to sharing more with you. What I want to communicate at this point is that Cal Lutheran, PLTS, and leaders across Regions 1 & 2 are committed to finding ways to promote leadership development for pastors, deacons, and lay people (and that is also the case for the other ELCA universities and seminaries). Further, there is great interest—and need—to strengthen collaboration between these institutions of learning and ministry sites across the country. We all have much to teach to each other, and much to learn from each other.

Friends of the NWIM Synod, I experienced this retreat as an answer to prayer. I experienced it as a response to all those folks across this beautiful synod territory who for years have expressed the need and desire for leadership development. I was (and am) humbly honored to be a part of the conversation, and I am excited to see where this all leads.

 There’s no doubt that these are challenging times to be in ministry. Those challenges are not going to diminish in the months and years ahead. God has never promised that things would be easy. God does promise, however, to lead us, to accompany us, and to support us. This retreat illustrated that there are many, many folks across our region who are also on this road of following Jesus with us as well. These folks are truly synod, that term that comes to us from the ancient Greek words “syn” and “hodos” meaning those who are on the way together.

Friends of the NWIM Synod, we have so many people on the way with us. And even more, God is on the way with us. Thanks be to God and blessed Advent to you all.

Pastor Phil Misner

*[1] Quoted from https://thrivingleadershipformation.org/ on December 1, 2022.