wfn.org | [LCMSNews] Districts report positive results

["LCMS e-News" <LCMSENEWS@lcms.org>]

> 	
>	
> 	
>	
>11.26.2009		
>	LCMS News	 	
> 	

>THE LUTHERAN CHURCH Missouri Synod  	 	
>	

	

	November 26, 2009 .................... LCMSNews -- No. 101

Districts report positive results with revitalization, 'Stewards'

>By Joe Isenhower Jr.

TAMPA, Fla. -- While the economic downturn continues to challenge
ministries synodwide, district presidents report that
congregation-revitalization efforts and programs such as "Consecrated
Stewards" are helping offset the economy's negative effects as they
bolster congregations' vitality and stewardship.

At the Nov. 17-19 meeting of the LCMS Council of Presidents here, four
district presidents told of such realities, efforts, and outcomes in a
presentation dubbed "the economy of ministry."

They are Rev. Terry Cripe of the Ohio District; Rev. David Stechholz,
English; Rev. James Keurulainen, New England; and Rev. Kenneth Hennings,
Texas.

Of those four districts, Texas is the one least affected by the economic
downturn, as the state's population and work force continue to grow, and
the district's budget is less stretched.

"God is blessing us tremendously in Texas," Hennings said, "and we hope
to use it to be a blessing to many."

On the other hand, northern states such as Ohio have particularly seen
economic loss. For instance, 20,000 workers in Cleveland lost their jobs
on the same day, Cripe reported.

Lutheran congregations in the state's urban and rural areas have been
especially hard hit, he said. And this year, the district is about
$50,000 behind in its budget.

But Consecrated Stewards, congregation-revitalization efforts, and a
"Connecting the Congregations" PowerPoint presentation the district's
Board of Directors uses to communicate with circuit leaders and laity
have "picked up the slack" for many congregations, he said.

With such help, Ohio congregations are staying healthy, helping each
other, and increasing financial support for the district, Cripe added.

Through mission bequests from a five-year "Blueprint for Missions"
program, the New England District has seen its deficits "reduced
significantly," Keurulainen told the COP. "Missions and outreach --
we're doing it."

He also said that 35 pastors in the district are in learning communities
for congregational revitalization.

"It's remarkable what revitalization has done for ministry in New
England," he continued. "It's changing the culture for the better for
many congregations."

"Stewardship just isn't being preached as much as it needs to be,"
Keurulainen said. "Stewardship needs to begin in the lives of our
pastors as they model it in their congregations."

But through the revitalization process and the Consecrated Stewards
program, New England congregations are "experiencing the joyful aspects
of stewardship," he added.

And although the economy also has affected congregations in the
non-geographic English District, "focusing on the high ground of our
motto, 'igniting Christ's church in mission' remains our focus," said
Stechholz.

He also said that despite deep cuts to its budget, the district has nine
new mission starts.

Stechholz said that the congregations and schools of the English
District, "in worshiping the living God, are serving in their
communities, connecting with the unchurched and dechurched, growing in
grace and numbers by the power of the Holy Spirit, and reproducing by
planting new churches."

Stechholz emphasized that the district also continues to promote
Consecrated Stewards to enhance congregations' mission and ministry
through whole-life stewardship.

Consecrated Stewards -- a part of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund's
Ministry Services -- provides a spiritual setting for raising up
stewardship in congregations.  It explores the need of the giver to
give, rather than the need of the church to receive.

For more information about Consecrated Stewards, call 800-843-5233 or
visit http://www.lcef.org/services/consecrated_stewards.

After discussion when other presidents shared how their districts and
congregations are dealing with the economy, Synod President Dr. Gerald
B. Kieschnick thanked the COP program committee for proposing the
"economy of ministry" topic and those who addressed it.

"I think this is one of the most helpful discussions we've had,"
Kieschnick said, as he emphasized the importance of district presidents
"sharing about what works."

Another Synod process aimed at changing the culture of stewardship is
"Faith Aflame: 360 Degrees," which Rev. Wayne Knolhoff, director of
Stewardship Ministry with LCMS District and Congregational Services,
addressed with the COP at its November meeting.

Described in a brochure Knolhoff distributed as "a process that engages
leaders of the congregation in an intentional stewardship focus," Faith
Aflame is "about our relationship in Jesus Christ and how He can effect
change," he told the COP.

Congregations involved in Faith Aflame go through a three-hour
introductory workshop for each of three modules that address six aspects
of "whole-life intentional stewardship" -- with God's Word, as God's
child, as God's family, as God's leader, as God's servant, and in God's
world. Congregations in the program commit to a yearlong learning
process.

So far, Knolhoff said, Faith Aflame has been implemented by
congregations in 15 LCMS districts, toward the goal of involving
congregations in all 35 districts.

For more information, contact Knolhoff at 314-996-1720, or visit
http://www.lcms.org/stewardship.

Continuing its in-depth program emphasis of "ecclesiastical leadership
in a post-church culture," the COP in November participated in a Bible
study focusing on doctrine and mission. Leading that study were
California-Nevada-Hawaii District President Dr. Robert Newton and Rocky
Mountain District President Rev. Randall Golter.

"The theology of the cross takes highest priority when the church gives
of herself ... to display God's purpose of working for lost people to
become Christians," Golter said.

Newton pointed out that although solid doctrine is indispensible for
both the church and its Gospel outreach, doctrine can become an
"idolatrous stumbling block" when Christians use it to "intentionally
set boundaries and erect walls" that hinder outreach.

"In the post-church era when the unchurched culture often seems to be
culturally in charge, the church has remarkable potential," he said.
"Are we going to protect our man-made walls or tear them down, as our
Lord instructed, in order to reach out in mission with the Gospel?"

The council welcomed members of the supervisory board for the
International Lutheran Society of Wittenberg. They reported on work by
the Synod, its partner church in Germany, and Concordia Publishing House
to establish and strengthen confessional Lutheran presence and outreach
in the town where Martin Luther posted his 95 theses in 1517.

"We want the entire Synod to get excited about this project as we
approach the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017," ILSW Board
Chairman Dr. Samuel Nafzger told the council. Nafzger also is executive
director of church relations for the Synod.

Others addressing the council at its November meeting included:

	

*	Dr. Glen Thomas, who spoke of work on a "Perceptions of Ministry
Inventory." He explained that the project will assist the COP, the Synod
seminaries, and the LCMS Board for Pastoral Education (for which Thomas
is executive director) in gathering data on perceptions from
congregational leaders of ministry activities of their pastors who
graduated from one of the LCMS seminaries two years and five years
previously.

	

*	Jim Sanft, president of Concordia Plan Services, who gave an
overview of the Plans' proposed Flexibility of Benefits Project.

Dr. Dean Nadasdy, the Synod's fourth vice president, led the COP in a
presentation highlighting leadership styles.

The COP placed six new pastors, 20 vicars, and 29 new commissioned
ministers into ministries with LCMS congregations.

District presidents reported that there are currently 346 pastoral
vacancies in the Synod -- 258 with congregations calling a "sole"
pastor, 41 calling senior pastors, and 47 calling associate or assistant
pastors. The total number is three more than reported by district
presidents two months ago.

The presidents also reported that there are 189 temporary "non-calling"
pastoral vacancies and 353 permanent non-calling vacancies -- a total of
542 (22 more than they reported in September).

Among action at its November meeting, the COP affirmed guidelines for
partner church candidate calls -- specifically, for when Synod partner
churches are interested in calling LCMS seminary graduates.

On Nov. 19, the Council of Presidents met with the Synod Board of
Directors to address "macro-funding" in the LCMS and support for the
work of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance and
the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Funding the Mission.

>****************************************

If you have questions or comments about this LCMSNews release, contact
Joe Isenhower Jr. at joe.isenhower@lcms.org
<mailto:joe.isenhower@lcms.org>  or (314) 996-1231, or Paula Schlueter
Ross at paula.ross@lcms.org <mailto:paula.ross@lcms.org>  or (314)
996-1230.

>****************************************

>	
> 	

This Edition of "LCMS News" e-News is provided
by:

Board for Communication Services, Division of News and Information

Contact Editor

<http://www.lcms.org/enews/contact_editor.asp?title=LCMS%20News&editori d
=6> 
	

This LCMS e-News message comes from a "Send Only" mailbox that
does not recognize replies. To reply to this message, please click on
"Contact Editor" above.

>_____

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this Newsletter and many others,
please visit LCMS e-News <http://www.lcms.org/enews> .
Share this Newsletter <http://www.lcms.org/enews/forward.asp?m=8198
with a Friend. 	
MessageId=8198 UserId=10073

>_____

© 2002 - 2008 The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod  <http://www.lcms.org/
.
No reproduction without consent. All rights reserved.