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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 30, 2001

LUTHERANS SHARE INNOVATIVE IDEAS FOR CHURCH GROWTH
01-309-MR

     DENVER (ELCA) -- When the Rev. Mary Ann Moller-Gunderson arrived at
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lake Geneva, Wis., six years ago, there were no
children in church and the average age of its 62 members was 72.  Today
more than 100 children attend Sunday school, she said at the 2001 Great
Commission Conference, "Go, Make Disciples: Release the Power!" Nov. 9-11
here at the Denver Marriot Tech Center.
     The conference, hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA), focused on innovative ways for evangelism, outreach,
Christian education and discipleship ministries among the 10,816
congregations of the ELCA.  About 650 lay leaders and clergy from across
the country shared what has worked for them in reaching people "with the
gospel today" and, through keynote presentations, Bible study, worship
and workshops, participants learned how "to ignite their spirit" for
church growth.
     In her keynote presentation, Moller-Gunderson described how
Immanuel changed from being a declining, "inhospitable and conflicted"
church to one of the fastest growing mid-size congregations in the ELCA -
- more than 270 people now attend two services each Sunday.
     "The first thing I learned in 25 years of ordained ministry is to
listen compassionately to [a congregation's] grief," she told
participants.  "Nine out of 10 [congregational] redevelopments in the
ELCA fail because members have not been able to grieve," she said.
     Congregations in conflict "have lost their way and do not know how
to find their center, which is Jesus Christ," Moller-Gunderson said.
"Start by reconnecting people to faith.  God gave us a spirit not of
timidity but of love," she said.
     Turning around a congregation can be discouraging, Moller-Gunderson
said, citing "timing" as an issue.  People may not be ready to act on a
great idea.  Seek God's timing,  take the plunge, and live with the
consequences, she said.
     "Pastors and church staff must present a non-anxious presence in
the church.  They must learn to disengage from rage when it occurs.
There are people who will not want change," she said.  "Immerse your
members in prayer ... and engage members in their passion and talent.
Anchor everything you do in God," Moller-Gunderson said.
     More than 40 workshops were offered at the conference with topics
ranging from providing practical tips on evangelism among small-town
congregations to evangelism in multi-ethnic contexts, from "evangelizing"
through the Internet to exploring Christian education issues among people
with disabilities.
     The Rev. Ernie Hinojosa, Camino Real Christian Fellowship (ELCA),
San Antonio, Texas, provided five "key practices" of a "great commission
church" during a Bible study. Hinojosa led a Bible study on the Gospel
according to Matthew, which tells the story of how Jesus instructed his
followers to "make disciples of all nations."  The instructions are known
as the "Great Commission."
     "A great commission church will leave its physical and cultural
comfort zone for the sake of mission," Hinojosa told participants.  "The
number-one priority of a congregation should be to reach that person out
there to come in here.  Go outside of your church and make your presence
known in the community," he said.
     Second, a "great commission church will be careful with labels,"
Hinojosa said.  The goal should not be for someone to become a member but
to "become a disciple."  A great commission church is careful with
language; it hates the word 'membership,' because it implies that someone
does not belong, he said.
     "Great commission churches provide a process for 'growing' people
into committed followers of Christ," Hinojosa said.  Congregations can
offer a series of courses designed to introduce people to church life,
such as: "Class 101: Introduction to church family; Class 102:
Introduction to spiritual maturity; Class 103: Introduction to service --
what are your gifts and place in the church?; and Class 104: Introduction
to life in mission -- what is God calling you to do?"
     Third, Hinojosa said, "A great commission church will prefer
growing the Kingdom of God over assimilating displaced Christians.  Reach
unchurched people, not shuffle Christians," he told participants.
     "Great commission churches will teach biblical submission and will
teach by example via personal relationships," Hinojosa said, identifying
the fourth practice.  "The word 'submission' has a bad rap in society.
The word should not be confused with 'oppression,' which is life-taking.
Submission is life-giving.  The greatest freedom you and I will find in
this life is found under the authority of God.  Experience the grace of
God," show it, and share it, he said.
     The fifth practice is "great commission churches will remember that
ministry is messy.  There are no models [for ministry], but there are
principles.  Starting new ministries is largely a trial-and-error
proposition.  Many will not work the first time, so stick with it long
enough to get it right," he said.  "A great commission church will
remember that evangelism is primarily a spiritual battle," Hinojosa
added.
     The Rev. Kathryn Bradley-Love, Martin Luther Lutheran Church,
Mobile, Ala., led a Bible study based on the biblical book of The Acts of
the Apostles, which includes a story about a man named Philip who
baptizes an Ethiopian court official.
     "Don't forget to speak the word of God because someone needs you,"
Love said. "God's will is done through people," she said.
     According to the Rev. Steve Sjogren, Vineyard Community Church,
Cincinnati, and director of Servant Evangelism.com, evangelism "is the
simplest and most basic of all ministries in the church."  He described
two types of evangelism:  exclusive evangelism, which focuses on "the
power of words to bring others to faith in Jesus Christ," and inclusive
evangelism, which uses "the power of acts of generosity to attract not-
yet Christians to God."
     "Any Christian can bring the kindness of Christ to others.  Small
things done with love ... changes the world," Sjogren said.  "God's
kindness is doable.  God's kindness happens when his people live in the
power of his acceptance," he told participants in his keynote
presentation.
     "We've been called to reflect the love of Christ with children,"
said Duncan Campbell, founder of "Friends of the Children," a nonprofit
organization dedicated to "long-term mentoring of at-risk children."  In
his keynote presentation, Campbell challenged participants to start a
friendship with a child.
     "'Friends of the Children' provides our most seriously at-risk and
vulnerable children with an opportunity to realize and act upon their
unique potential and inherent worth.  The organization works with
children who are most in danger of school failure, abuse, neglect,
juvenile delinquency, gang and drug involvement and teenage pregnancy,"
Campbell said.
     The organization provides full-time, paid, professional adult
mentors called "friends," he said, to ensure that each "child has at
least one positive, consistent and supportive adult in his or her life."
     "God never intended for us to leave anyone behind," Campbell told
participants.  "We never leave a child.  We unconditionally love
children, even if they get expelled from school or get pregnant," he
said.  Campbell said his personal goal before dying is to change one
child's life.
     Dozens of participants took on a special project called "Postcards
for Jesus" during the conference.  Their goal was to place 10,000 labels
on 10,000 postcards on behalf of Lord of the Hills Lutheran Church, an
ELCA mission congregation in Aurora, Colo.  The congregation, working to
contact residents of Aurora, is sending three postcards to each new
resident in the next year.
     In another project called "Don't keep it under your hat,"
participants shared stories about confirmation and baptism ministries,
community outreach and hospitality programs that have worked well in
their congregations.  Participants shared information about their
ministries at the conference's "resource center" in the form of pictures
and paper.
     Pre-conference "enrichment tracks" were held Nov. 9.  The tracks
featured three ELCA congregations noted for their successful evangelism
efforts.  Members of St. James Lutheran Church, East Cleveland, Ohio,
demonstrated how congregations can reach their urban neighbors through
strong Christian education and discipleship ministries; members of St.
John Lutheran Church, Nashua, Iowa, spoke about their community-wide
seniors ministry, televised worship on local cable access and after-
school ministry; and members of Abiding Hope Lutheran Church, Littleton,
Colo., discussed the value of becoming a "risk-taking" congregation.
     The ELCA's education and evangelism team, housed in the Division
for Congregational Ministries, sponsored the 2001 Great Commission
Conference.

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