What is The CaSTLE Project?

The CaSTLE Project stands for Country and Small Town Lived Ecclesiology. The emphasis is on a new way of being church, particularly in rural contexts, and a more focused, specialized way of forming leaders for these congregations.

 

  • Wartburg Theological Seminary has received a 7.4-million-dollar Lilly Endowment grant, for the purpose of supporting and renewing small town and rural congregations, and their leaders. This grant will enable Wartburg to be a hub and resource for ELCA synods in all regions of the country looking to connect around lay leadership formation, mentoring/coaching programs, and congregational renewal.
  • The overarching theme of this grant is a new ecclesiology; that is, a new understanding of the form, ethos and mode of congregational life. In this way of being church, the emphasis is on nurturing the baptismal vocation of each member to witness to the gospel in word and deed in all aspects of their lives—work, family life, civic engagement. The Sunday assembly, including Word and Sacrament, will support this baptismal vocation of witness.
  • The majority of funds will be distributed as sub-grants to synods and other applicants, for the creation of specific educational resources, the development of mentoring programs, and the fostering of a new identity and vitality in small town and rural congregations.
  • We are excited about the potential of this grant, both to create a strong network of lay leadership formation within the ELCA, and also to change the culture in small town and rural congregations so as to promote their long-term flourishing, and the flourishing of the communities in which they serve.

 

What does this mean for synods?

  • Sub-grants for synods are a key initiative of this grant!
  • Through the synod partnerships we are establishing, we know that many synods are already working to support small town and rural congregations and their leaders, particularly through the formation of SAMs [synod-authorized ministers] and other lay leaders. Therefore, Wartburg Seminary will partner with synods and ecumenical partners to support this work in three specific areas:
  1. Enrichment of SAMs/Lay Leader Formation and Instructional Resources.
  2. Educating and coaching of Mentor Pastors and Lay Leaders.
  3. Congregational ecclesiological transformation through the hiring of a full-time rostered leader to facilitate this process with a cohort of congregations in your synod.
  • Additionally, we know that some of your small town and rural congregations are engaged in ecumenical experiments with nearby full-communion partners; or, have the potential to engage in those experiments. We also have funding to support the development of ecumenical parishes and partnerships, and the educational formation for the leaders in those particular settings.

 

What does this mean for congregations?

  • We argue that one of the most pressing challenges facing rural and small-town churches is the decline of these communities in population, economics, and educational capital, which has created a dominant narrative of loss, shame, and a sense of failure for not being good enough. We hear from these congregations their palpable grief at feeling like no one wants to be their leader, that they are forgotten, and that they are dying. However, numbers are not the only way to measure a congregation’s flourishing and the impact it can have on a community. We believe that this baptismal ecclesiology creates a new narrative—a story of hope for the future, confidence in the present, and a compelling desire to live out one’s faith in the context of the deep relationality that exists in small town and rural contexts.
  • In this ecclesiology, the vibrancy of a congregation and the strength of its ministry is not measured by the number of members and the presence of an ordained pastor, but by the transformation of individuals (through participation in the worship and spiritual life of their congregation) empowered to witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ in all the roles and relationships of their personal and professional lives.
  • The Holy Spirit is undaunted by decreased worship attendance, or the small size of your congregation and/or town; She is stirring in and through you for transformation and vitality in your congregation and in your community!
  • Through your synod, you will be able to access resources that are tailored to small town and rural congregations, resources that lay leaders and pastors/deacons alike will be able to use. These resources will support your worship life, the deepening of a sense of belonging and purpose for your members, and education around Lutheran identity that supports a vibrant Christian witness in all aspects of daily life.
  • Additionally, if you are already engaged in

[or would like to be engaged in]

ecumenical experiments—with a neighboring full communion partner congregation, then you will be able to apply for funding to support ongoing shared ministries.

 

What does this mean for congregational leaders?

  • Rural and small-town congregations do not need a leader who sees their main work as maintaining flagging programs with dwindling numbers of people. These congregations need imaginative leaders who know and love their communities and are committed to helping instantiate a new identity in them that will support their flourishing in the long-term. These leaders need specific, contextual formation. We believe that these leaders come from within, and are nurtured and supported by:
  • High quality instructional resources developed in alignment with core practices of a baptismal ecclesiology
  • The mentorship of experienced ordained pastors
  • A cohort of other lay leaders
  • Ministry coaches
  • Worship and study resources designed specifically for rural and small-town congregations
  • Additionally, if you are engaged in

[or would like to be engaged in]

working with an ecumenical partnership, doing shared ministry with a full communion partner congregation, then you can access resources that will strengthen your ability to do that ecumenical ministry fruitfully.

  • Through your synod, you will have access to these supports, through which you will be empowered to lead your congregation in ways that are contextually appropriate, life-giving, and transformative. Additionally, you will be supported in your own formation, helping you discern your leadership calling in the church.
  •  

    Thank you, Lilly Endowment!

    • This 7.4 million dollar project is generously funded by Lilly Endowment.
    • It was an invitation-only grant application process, through Lilly’s “Ministry in Rural Areas and Small Towns Initiative.”
    • The specific aim of the initiative that Wartburg Seminary is addressing:
    • “to serve as hubs in their ecclesial networks and/or geographic regions to strengthen the capacities of other organizations to provide resources and support for rural and small-town churches.”

    Questions? Comments?  Contact us at castle@wartburgseminary.edu.