Why Synod?
Have you experienced this?
Coming from a congregation with only a few youth, a shy 7th grader joins the Synod Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO: youth leading youth growing in faith). After three years of participating, they take on a leadership role and are able to talk confidently about their own faith in their own words.
Ready to reach out and re-claim God’s mission for their congregation, the council and pastor call the Bishop and Director for Evangelical Mission to do a workshop and jump-start their next chapter of ministry.
Excited to share what they learned from a ministry experiment, the congregation team brings their ideas and insight to their cluster meeting. Other congregations share ideas and all leave encouraged and inspired.
Looking for guidance, the newly elected congregation council president calls the Synod Office for help.
The congregation sees that one of their members might have what it takes to be a deacon or pastor. They contact the Synod Candidacy Committee, who listens and walks with the person as they uncover what God might be asking them to be.
In all of these stories, being Synod (ELCA congregations working together) made a difference. How has the Synod contributed to you or your congregation’s spiritual journey?
We believe that…
Together we can do more, be more, and see more as the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod – loving God, one another, and our neighbors more deeply.
Today, the world, our communities, and people need good news. Jesus is the good news. Because of Jesus there is hope and promise, there is joy, and there is freedom from all that keeps us down, holds us back, and threatens to crush us.
Yet, despite congregations’ best efforts, people and needs fall through the gaps and the cracks. With your help, the synod becomes God’s grace in motion, as we strengthen, encourage, and support ministry by providing grants, showing up, consulting, facilitating workshops and retreats, and worshiping together in the name of Jesus.
Together, as synod, we inspire the Church to be the Church. With your help, we more effectively proclaim and embody the Good News of Jesus to our broken world in bold and grace-filled ways.
Together, as synod, we move out of our congregation’s silos to share ideas, challenges, and hopes. With your help, we create resources, share wisdom, and listen to each other as we discover ways to build on our strengths. The Holy Spirit is using the synod to bring people, congregations, communities, and even the world together in Jesus’ name.
Together, as synod, we are CHURCH beyond our walls - beyond the stained glass. With your help, we can bring our best creativity and thinking to where God’s grace calls us to act.
How might God be inviting you to be part of God’s Grace in Motion through the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod?