2026 CRE+ Workshops

Pathways: Finding Renewed Vitality in Your Context
The Rev. Mark Juliot, NIS Pathways Coach
Date: April 14, 2026

  • So many of our congregations are facing vitality issues and questions about their future. Pathways is a way for the NIS and congregations to walk together through the challenge of discerning a path forward and then taking steps into that pathway. I plan to offer a workshop that will introduce congregations to the work of Pathways and invite them into a process of discernment.

Revisiting the ELCA Social Statement on Abortion
Dr. Caryn Riswold, Wartburg College
Date: April 21, 2026

  • This workshop focuses on the ELCA Social Statement on Abortion, approved in 1991. The Supreme Court's 2023 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health ushered in a new era in the ongoing work for reproductive justice. Once again in U.S. history, human rights vary dramatically from state to state. While the role of religion as a force opposing abortion access is well known, the powerful legacy of religious advocacy for trusting women and supporting pregnant people is newly relevant. In this workshop, Dr. Caryn D. Riswold will discuss how Lutheran social teaching on abortion highlights the unique opportunity for faith communities to extend and embody compassion today.

Growing in Faith: The dikonia Program
Mr. Doug Wood, diakonia
Date: May 19, 2026

  • We will be presenting a guideline of what diakonia can do for the individual and also their home church. This 2-year program offers a study of both Testaments, Cultural Diversity, Christian Ethics, and Early Prophets.  

Creation Care Ideas for your Congregation
The Rev. Jeff Schlesinger, Creation Care Subcommittee
Date: May 5, 2026

  • Our earth and its creatures are suffering. God named humans as caretakers of God’s creation. As disciples, we must do everything we can to help save our world. This workshop will be a panel discussion about the ways we can better care for God's creation in our churches, homes, and communities. We will share practical ideas for you and your community while we all better appreciate the importance of creation care!

At the Lord's Table of Good Intentions: Theologies of Disability 
The Rev. Lisa Heffernan
Date: May 12, 2026

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The Grief Box
Ms. Carol Whalstrom, Trinity Ottawa
Date: May 19, 2026

  • The goal of the Parish Nurse program at Trinity, Ottawa, is to support congregation members and friends as they experience major life events. One aspect of this ministry is the "Grief Box," a gift from the congregation that supports a person through their grief journey. Grief creates a situation where many struggle to know how to care for the grieving person. The box provides a vehicle for conversation and communicates caring to the bereaved.

Opportunities for Your Congregation and Community
Mr. Don Gillingham
Date: 

  • So many of our congregations desire to reach young families. Early childhood centers can be the seeds of growth for students, their parents, and the local community. Panelists will talk about the motivation that causes the congregations to make a center a meaningful outreach of this ministry. Panelists will talk about what and how the center strengthens the mission to strengthen parents and congregations.