wfn.org | LCMS - Church-planting congregations share insights with national staff

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

The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod
Board for Communication Services

LCMSNews -- No. 71
November 11, 2002

Church-planting congregations
share insights with national staff

Representatives of six LCMS congregations that have done "an exemplary job" 
of starting "daughter congregations" shared their expertise with national 
mission leaders Sept. 5-7 in St. Louis.

Congregations represented were:
* Carmel Lutheran Church, Carmel, Ind.;
* Ascension, Wichita, Kan.;
* Christ Assembly, Staten Island, N.Y.;
* San Pablo, Aurora, Ill.;
* El Redentor, Rockford, Ill.; and
* Rivercliff, Atlanta.

Pastors from each of the congregations were personally thanked by Synod 
President Gerald Kieschnick, and took part in a panel discussion with North 
America mission leaders, sharing the joys and struggles of planting new 
churches.

The purpose of the three-day gathering was "to listen to those who have 
done it and to honor those who have done it," said participant Dr. Ken 
Behnken, director of the Center for U.S. Missions, Irvine, Calif.  Behnken 
said Synod mission leaders are trying to shift the responsibility for 
church-planting from districts to congregations.

"If half of Synod's congregations would consider having one child,' or one 
daughter church,' that would be 3,000 new congregations," Behnken 
said.  "If every district continues to plant one to four [congregations], 
we have less than 120."

The discussions, which were videotaped, provided "tremendous insights," 
Behnken said, and will be made available next year to other congregations 
interested in planting daughter congregations.

Forty-six other congregations also will be recognized for their church 
planting efforts, and will receive a certificate of appreciation from the 
Synod and the North America Services unit of LCMS World Mission.

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