Norm Smith

Two doors from Norman Smith's boyhood home in Aurora, Iowa, the Rev. Schlossien, a Lutheran pastor fresh from seminary, moved in. Schlossien mentored young Norm, and as a result, Norm's family became members of Schlossien's congregation, St. Paul's Lutheran Church, and Norm was confirmed there. Since then Norm has worked to make a difference in the lives of boys and men of the ELCA, and as the newly elected president of Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM), his influence will be directly and indirectly active in the lives of countless men and boys throughout the United States.

As an adult, Norm served four years in the military followed by 40 years as a programmer, systems analyst, and business planner in the telecommunications industry working for companies like US West, Bellcore and Sprint.

While working for Bellcore in New Jersey, Norm became active in organizing LMM in the New Jersey Synod by talking to congregations, creating a network of existing men's ministries and encouraging new ministries in congregations. He says, "There's always been a need for men's ministry. We've down played it as a church, and not supported it at the churchwide level many times over the past years. If you can find the right men in the right congregations to get started, you can do a lot of things. It takes organization and some very dedicated men to make things go."

Norm says that the seeds of a men's ministry are already present in many congregations, usually with a group of men who take care of handyman projects in the church. He says, "From seeds like that, a real men's ministry can grow."

The catalyst in transforming a group of men into a focused men's ministry with Bible study, retreats, conversation on life topics and inter generational mentoring, is contained in LMM's Master Builder Bible for Men. Norm says, "What a tool to take to a church! A group of men can pick it up and start a ministry." Very simply, you show the men the leadership section that explains how to start a men's ministry and the men can take it from there. He says that tools like the Master Builder Bible for Men are crucial to germinating the seeds of men's ministries lying dormant in congregations. With the proper tools and resources, LMM can Blossom anywhere the seed for men's ministry exists.

Norm is now retired from paycheck-producing work, but is still very busy. In addition to servings LMM president, he's active in his congregation's LMM group at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Overland Park, KS, is active in the Central States Synod as a Parish Ministry Associate (lay minister), and serves in Holy Cross's caring ministry and prayer ministry. Norm emphasizes that prayers is the foundation of any real ministry effort, because prayer will enlist the Holy Spirit into your cause. "Prayers is the foundation for all the ministry we do," he says, and he encourages men to pay for LMM.

As an LMM board member, and now as president, Norm brings more than 20 years experience in corporate strategic planning. He says that it's the board's role to develop strategies and plans to help men make a difference in their work, family life, and church life. Norm takes guidance from Philippians 4:4, to always rejoice in the Lord, to let your gentleness be known to everyone, to avoid worry, but to give your concerns to God. Norm says that in essence, this is a roadmap fro men's ministry, and how men can make a difference by being grounded spiritually and simply being present in the world. Of course, the roadmap doesn't work without a tem of drivers, and Norm believes that leadership training is the key to sprouting more seeds of men's ministry. The foundation has been laid for a successful, nationally organized ministry. The task now is to develop more leaders and strengthen the existing network, and specifically, to reach out to younger men, starting in confirmation. The key to developing more leaders is to make leadership training accessible and available to those who want to serve as leaders.

Used by permission of Lutheran Men in Mission, Spring 2009 Newsletter foundations

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