You are invited to the Congregational Resourcing Event on March 7, 2026, at Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, Illinois. Come gather together with lay and rostered members from across our synod as we share ideas and inspiration for all the great ways we can go deeper in faith in our congregations and in our communities. The morning will include display visits, worship, and a keynote. The afternoon will be time for workshops and conversations. Each piece of the day will inspire and encourage participants in faith and ministry!
Cost is $40 per person and includes lunch and coffee. Registration is now open!
Event Information
The Theme
The theme for our synod for 2026 is Going Deeper. We will be focusing on asking the hard questions that will help us grow in faith and service.
The Workshops
Following lunch, we will have time for two workshops hosted by both lay and rostered members of our synod. Many presenters are here on behalf of a synod committee or a ministry of the ELCA. Others are providing innovative ideas that they have practiced in their context. These workshops will be experiential and a time for sharing resources.
The Displays
Many of our committees, agencies, and institutions will have display tables at CRE. There is time during registration and after lunch to visit these displays.
The Location
Sauk Valley Community College, 173 IL Rt. 2 Dixon, IL 61021, is easy to access off Route 2 outside Dixon. This college is one large building that is handicap accessible. On the first floor, we will gather for registration in Dillon Mall. Lunch will be in the cafeteria on the second floor. Workshops will be held in classrooms on the first and second floors. There are stairs and elevators to access all floors. The cafeteria has small tables of 4 seats each for close conversations.
Keynote with The Rev. Dr. Laurie Skow-Anderson
Pastor Skow-Anderson is a a retired ELCA pastor who served in parish ministry across Minnesota before becoming the Bishop of the NW Synod of Wisconsin (2018-2024). With a passion for congregational vitality, innovation, and mentoring, she has also worked in Spanish language ministries and Fresh Expressions of the Church. She holds degrees from Moorhead State University (BS Ed.) and Luther Seminary (MDiv, DMin). Now retired in Laporte, MN, she enjoys biking, hiking, traveling, reading, cooking, and gardening.
Q & A for the church in 2026
What is the most pressing question for your congregation in this next year? What is the question that will drive your ministry forward in 2026? What keeps you up at night?
Through the spiritual practice of curiosity, we will work together to discuss how our congregations can ask deeper questions about their history, faith, discernment, and future ministry. This keynote will be full of practical tools, including a congregational energy audit. Every congregation will leave with the beginning of an action plan to address God's answers to your congregation's most challenging questions. How will your congregation/ministry take its next most faithful step, and then the next one, and the next?
This keynote is a conversation about how to seek:
- Curiosity to ask better questions
- Consideration for God's will in all thing
- Courage to accept God's will
- Confidence in God to take the next most faithful step.
Questions we might consider…
- How do we discern God’s will for our congregation?
- What difference does Jesus make in your life?
- What are you willing to give up so that the next generation comes to know and love Jesus?
- Where is God moving and acting today in your community, and how is God inviting you to join in that work?
- What is your church’s next most faithful step?
Congregations are invited to share this event with their faith community. Below are flyers that congregations are free to use. These flyers will print two half-sheet flyers per 8.5 x 11 copy paper. Please select "Fit Printable Area" to ensure nothing is cut off. A social media graphic is included to share in your electronic communications and on social media.
