The theme for our synod for 2025 is Growing Disciples. We will be focusing on practices that we can do as individuals, congregations, and communities to grow in faith.
The Event
You are invited to the Congregational Resourcing Event on March 22, 2025 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 grow disciples in our congregations and in our communities.
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.
Registration opens on January 10th and closes March 10th. The registration fee is $35 for the event. This includes breakfast treats, coffee, and lunch. All registrations must be paid with a credit card. If this is not possible, please contact our church office at 309-794-4004.
Our guest speakers are from ELCA Innovation. Designed for church leaders, the ELCA Innovation Lab provides collaborative workshops, resources and tools that explore new and useful ways to experience community, justice and love, together. Rebecca Payne (she/her), Program Director for the Congregations Lead Initiative, will provide an engaging presentation titled, “Innovation Starts with Empathy.” Together, we will explore how cultivating empathy can transform ministry and help leaders grow as disciples who make disciples. Using real-world examples and practical insights, we will:
- Illustrate how getting to know your community and actively listening to their needs lays a foundation for new ministry experiments.
- Highlight how connecting with others builds trust and opens pathways for collaboration.
- Discuss how reflecting on vitality and aligning our capacity and assets with community needs fosters sustainable and meaningful engagement.
Participants will leave inspired and equipped to approach their ministries with fresh perspectives rooted in empathy and connection.
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. Along with the description for each workshops, this year we have added an intended audience and the discipleship practice the workshop fits.
CRE+ Workshops
We have had so many workshop requests that some will be offered throughout the year! CRE+ workshops will be available in May, August, and October. There is no additional fee to attend these workshops.
Congregations are invited to share this event with their faith community. Below are flyers that congregations are free to use. The first two are ready to print on 8.5 x 11 copy paper, please select "Fit Printable Area" to ensure nothing is cut off. The last one is a graphic that you are welcome to use in other publications.
