Alex Grande, a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Sumneytown, attended the recent asset mapping workshop with Luther Snow, hosted by Lutheran Congregational Services.“The philosophy behind the process is phenomenal,” Alex said. “I think everybody there left the workshop with some type of game plan.” Alex plans to apply the concept of asset mapping to both his congregation at St. John’s, and to his volunteer work.
Asset mapping, created by Luther Snow, is a method for creating positive group collaboration that focuses on individual talents and gifts. “I’m a strong believer that leadership is a collaborative journey,” Alex said. “Many people’s thinking is stronger than one person’s thinking. It really gives you the opportunity to sit and be thankful for the talents that God has given you.”
Alex looks forward to using asset mapping to address areas of need and set up action plans. “The real gift is realizing that you don’t always need an expert. You need a collaborative effort with a core group. It’s a matter of everyone getting to know each other well enough to know what their God-given talents are. That would be my ultimate goal for our congregation my volunteer work.”
Alex feels that asset mapping will be especially beneficial to his congregation as they transition between pastors. “It gave a totally different perspective on stewardship and evangelism,” he said. “The individual talents of the members of the congregation are worth more than gold. It’s a powerful way for people in the congregation to be transparent and have their voices heard, and can help to rejuvenate friendships within the congregation.”
Alex volunteers with The Tumaini Foundation, an organization that strives to promote education and social wellbeing in Kenya. “Any new strategy or technique that I see I think about how to apply it to the foundation,” Alex said. “As I learned about asset mapping, I thought, what a powerful technique for the people in Africa.” Alex plans to set up a web conference with the other Foundation volunteers, some of which live in Kenya, to work through the asset mapping process.
To learn about education opportunities for your congregation, contact Jennifer Ollikainen at jollikainen@libertylutheran.org or 215-859-3779
