wfn.org | LCMS Essayist: Fellowship practices vital to Great Commission

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@wfn.org>]

The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
Board for Communication Services
1333 S. Kirkwood Road St. Louis, MO 63122-7295

61st Regular Convention St. Louis, Mo. July 14-20, 2001

July 19, 2001 #27

Contact: Bruce Kueck (314) 342-5715

Essayist: Fellowship practices vital to Great Commission

ST. LOUIS -- A missions professor on Tuesday, July 17, told delegates to 
the triennial convention of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod that the 
church body s fellowship practice is "vital to fulfilling the Great 
Commission."

Dr. Carl Fickenscher II, assistant professor of pastoral ministry and 
missions at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., delivered an 
essay titled "Church Fellowship and Telling the Good News about Jesus."

The 61st Regular Convention of the Missouri Synod is meeting here through 
Friday, July 20.

" Make disciples of all nations, & baptizing them, and teaching them to 
observe all things, " Fickenscher said, quoting the Great Commission of 
Jesus to His disciples, as written in Matthew 28. He said, " Teaching them 
to observe all things is not an afterthought; it s the Great Commission. It 
s cutting-edge evangelism."

Fickenscher said he believes "that our own Synod s failure to appreciate 
the unique treasure of doctrine is the greatest hindrance to evangelism 
that we are struggling to overcome right now. Conversely, really 
appreciating our doctrine once again may very well be the key for becoming 
a powerful tool for God for fulfilling the Great Commission in the future."

In his response to Fickenscher s essay, the Rev. David A. Shadday of 
Indianapolis urged, "In our practice of fellowship, the church should 
sacrifice to minister grace to visitors. The church should find loving ways 
to seek out visitors and minister to them, not have them seek us out."

Shadday suggested, for example, that congregations might have brochures for 
visitors that explain the service and the reason for the Synod s position 
on who may commune in its congregations. Or, members who bring visitors but 
don t want to leave them in the pew while going for communion might want to 
stay in the pew and take communion at another service.

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