Rural Congregations Invited to Join in The CaSTLE Project

The Synod has received a $10,000 grant from the The CaSTLE Project to support the formation of Synod Authorized Ministers in small-town and rural communities. This grant will fund a listening process, curriculum design, and retreats for lay leaders in 2026-2027 and beyond. 

Is your rural congregation (in a town of 10,000 or less) interested in participating in a listening session? Sign up here

The CaSTLE Project (Country and Small Town Lived Ecclesiology) is a bold initiative that builds on Wartburg Theological Seminary’s deep legacy of STaR (Small Town and Rural) ministry to nurture a new way of being church-rooted in baptismal identity, daily witness, and contextual leadership.