"Healthy Congregations" in the Ural Deanery

Chelyanbinsk, Russia
  Every year (and sometimes twice a year) leaders from the Ural deanery of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Urals, Siberia and Far East get together for fellowship and continuing education. This April over 30 pastors, lay ministers, and church council members from more than half a dozen congregations gathered for a two days at a camp/retreat center outside of Ekaterinburg.
  I was happy to receive the invitation from Dean Waldemar Jesse to be the teacher for the weekend; we agreed together that the theme for the weekend would be "healthy congregations." My main goal for our time together was to motivate congregational leaders to analyze their congregation's life and to consciously listen to the Spirit's calling for the development of their particular congregations. Participants were very engaged, and I had a great time both leading lessons and participating in other parts of the weekend, including morning runs and evening bowling.

  By Saturday evening we had made the trip through beautiful pine forests and lake-filled landscapes to Chelyanbinsk, where I had the chance to see one of the few new church buildings in our church and to preach there the next morning. 

  It is my hope that such experiences continue to build up trust and cooperation between the Ural deanery and other parts of our church, despite some differences in piety and theological accents.