West Virginia - Western Maryland Synod
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Clergy compensation guidelines for 2027 have been posted
on the Clergy Compensation page.
Mission Support
All things mission support are posted on our Mission
Support page, including
- mission support request for 2027,
- remittance forms,
- commitment (pledge) forms, and
- a little synodical mission support history.
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Resources Scroll down this page section to find items mentioned in The Bishop's Roadshow and on the homepage. |
The Church Property Resource Hub, a project of the ELCA,
is expanding rapidly in the resources that are being
published in response to requests from synod and local
church leaders for support navigating the challenges and
opportunities that buildings and land represent for both
congregational vitality and the wider mission of the
Church. You can check out what is already online at elca.org/CPRH.
You can sign up for the Church Property Resource Hub
Newsletter to get the latest news and resources (click here).
With the newsletter you will be alerted to webinars and
other resources as they become available.
Facilities Self-Assessment
Developed by the Mission Investment Fund, this self-assessment is offered as a clear, supportive tool to help you reflect on how your facility is serving your ministry today. It is not a test, and it is not about finding fault. Instead, it is meant to help surface strengths, identify areas that may need care and support thoughtful planning for what comes next.
You may find it helpful to complete this assessment with a small group or council team, or to invite someone who is less familiar with your facility to share their perspective. A fresh set of eyes can often bring clarity and confidence as you consider future decisions.
Click here to download.
Fundamentals of Space Sharing
Sharing your church buildings with community groups is a
great way to expand your mission in the community,
strengthen relationships, and support property
maintenance. This online course will guide you through the
space sharing discernment process, the logistics of
sharing space and best practices for managing your
relationships with mission partners. There is also a
printable version of the course, if that is a better fit
for your community. To access either, click here. (depending upon your
browser, you may have to scroll down the linked page to
get to the downloadable course book and supplementary
course materials.
Is
Your Congregation Renting to Others?
Churches are increasingly taking advantage of rental
income as they try to develop a sustainable economic
model. This tool will help you learn how to build a rental
model for long-term lease arrangements that works for both
your mission and your money. Download How to Rent Well: A Guide to Help
Churches with Renting Property.
Community Purchasing Alliance
Is looking at next year’s budget for utilities and
building services giving your property committee a
headache? Our friends at the Community
Purchasing Alliance (CPA) co-op offer collective
purchasing opportunities available to faith communities:
utilities, insurance, copiers, facilities, services and
more. CPA is a network of local cooperatives leveraging
the buying power of community institutions in pursuit of
sustainability, equity and justice. The co-op helps
organizations save time, money and headaches on building
operations, and also connects them with vendors that are
local, aligned with their values, and owned by women and
by people of color.
While many CPA programs are not available on WV-WMD
territory, some are: copies, insurance, accounting
services, and discounts for various services and items.
Review the website (using the locations tab) to find
options that might be appropriate for your congregation.
Is Your Congregation Generating Revenue?
When a congregation begins to explore income generating activities through social enterprise or renting property there often is anxiety around tax status. We have created this tool to help you ask the right questions related to the tax issues as it concerns income generating activities and churches. Download What About Taxes?!!! A Guide for Churches Starting to Generate Revenue.
Church & Taxes
Portico provides a guide to help congregations understand their federal tax requirements. You can download, at no cost, Federal Reporting Requirements for Churches from either myPortico or EmployerLink.
Mutual Ministry Committee and
the Driesen Manual
At the direction of the Synod Assembly 2021, the Synod
Mutual Ministry Committee is promulgating the Driesen
Manual as a resource for mutual ministry committee work.
Learn more here.
Supply
Preachers
Do you need coverage for a service? Click here for the Supply
Preacher page.Having trouble finding supply preachers? Apply To Be a Reader!
Having trouble finding supply preachers? In some parts of our territory, it's not easy. There simply aren't folks within a reasonable drive or the few that are are already engaged. To address this problem (as well as reform our longstanding Bishop Lay Worship Leaders Program, Synod Council has authorized the new Synodical Lay Worship Leaders Program, and the first license that is now being rolled out is the "reader" license.Readers do not prepare their own sermons. Instead, they select a sermon from a reputable source in consultation with an assigned supervisor. They also lead worship, using one of the approved liturgies (i.e., ante-communion, service of the Word, matins, or vespers). While it may be difficult to find a pastor or authorized lay preacher in your vicinity, it shouldn't be too hard to identify a trusted lay member (perhaps more than one) in your congregation and suggest licensure. To learn more about the program, visit the Synodical Lay Worship Leaders page.
Pastoral Transition & Vacancy Page
We has gathered together on one page items related to pastoral transitions (coming and going) and pastoral vacancy, but the material related to call process has grown, necessitating two pages. You can still start your exploration at the "transitions" page: check it out.
Polity for Congregations
We've uploaded a new constellation of pages related to
polity. You will find there
- Procedure in Small Boards
- Education & Training for Congregational Leaders
- Polity for Councils: A Crash Course for Congregational Councilors
- The Wild and Wonderful World of Procedure
- Parliamentary Authority: Robert's Rules of Order
- Congregation Meeting in Time of Pandemic
- Email Voting by Congregation Council
- Updating your Congregation's Constitution
- WV Congregations: Filing Your Trustees with the County
- Selling Church Property
- and more
Workshops & Presentations
The WV-WMD Synod offers workshops and presentations for
congregations on a variety of topics. The following are
currently available, but more will be added as time goes
on. If there is something you would like to see that is
not listed, contact Bishop Riegel. To make arrangements
for a presentation or workshop, email Bishop Riegel
(Bishop@WV-WMD.org).
Worship- Praying Compline
- Praying Matins
- Praying Vespers
- Tips for Singing Psalms
- Polity & Governance
- Intro to Roberts Rules of Order
- Updating Constitutions & Bylaws
- Theology, Bible, Ethics, and History
- Sanctification in a Lutheran Key
- The Rhetoric of First Corinthians
- A Theological Argument for the Political Animal
- German-speaking Lutherans in the Great War's America
- Making End of Life Decisions
- The History of the History of the Reformation
- The Geo-Politics of the Reformation
Events that have been scheduled can be found on the Synod's Education page.
A Seed Planted Mission Fund
Synod Assembly 1996 established “A Seed Planted” Mission
Fund to stimulate innovative outreach by or from
congregations. Awarded grants went for a range of
activities from a coffee house Bible study to printed
promotional material to efforts with unaffiliated
populations. To download information on the fund and
guidelines on application for a grant, click here.
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