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	July 15, 2005 .................... LCMSNews -- No. 53

	'Let's Talk It Over' offers helps for church workers

	"Let's Talk It Over: 10 Conversations on Supporting Church
Workers" is a new resource from the LCMS Commission on Ministerial
Growth and Support (CMGS) intended to help church professionals and lay
leaders discuss potentially sensitive issues in a way that can lead to
"health, vitality, and good will," says Dr. Bruce Hartung, former
executive director of the CMGS.

	Those 10 issues -- identified for targeting by a committee of
church workers and lay people -- are pay and benefits, time out
(vacations and sabbaticals, for example), self care, healthy family
support, time management, vocational development, spiritual growth,
proper boundaries, spiritual warfare, and empowering and letting go.

	Each conversation covered in "Let's Talk It Over" features a
Bible study prepared by a parish pastor and a set of discussion
questions, and is presented in a full and a shorter version. An
accompanying DVD features a vignette illustrating each conversation.

	Hartung emphasized that each conversation "is self-contained,
and can be used independently of the others."

	"In these days of a broader culture of in-your-face kinds of
behavior," he said, "creating a culture in the church of courageous
conversations is of great value."

	Hartung said that in producing "Let's Talk It Over," the CMGS
recognized the importance of "open[ing] forthright and honest dialog
between people of faith about these very important issues."

	He said that the resource "should be of particular value" to
elders and other church-worker support committees at the congregational,
circuit, district, or church-body levels, and that it could serve as a
"springboard for courageous conversations about other important issues
among those communities."

	Hartung said that "Let's Talk It Over" is intended for ongoing
use and "should serve as a reminder that we dare not get so caught up in
the busyness of our work that we neglect honest, fraternal discussion
about issues that foster healthy workers and healthy environments for
their lives."

	He added that the new resource is a companion piece to "Paths to
Growth," another interactive resource offered by the CMGS for the last
several years that addresses conversations on continuing education and
lifelong learning for church workers.

	"Let's Talk It Over: 10 Conversations on Supporting Church
Workers" is available for $10 for each DVD and set of Bible studies and
discussion questions. To order, or for more information, call (314)
996-1378 or e-mail cmgs@lcms.org .

	Development of "Let's Talk It Over" was partially funded by a
grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

	****************************************

	If you have questions or comments about this LCMSNews release,
contact Joe Isenhower Jr. at joe.isenhower@lcms.org or (314) 996-1231,
or Paula Schlueter Ross at paula.ross@lcms.org or (314) 996-1230.

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