wfn.org | LCMS Missions seeks 'top-100' mission-planting congregations

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

The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod
Board for Communication Services

LCMSNews -- No. 27
May 16, 2002

LCMS Missions seeks 'top-100' mission-planting congregations

By Paula Schlueter Ross

North America Missions, a division of LCMS World Mission, wants to identify 
the "top 100" mission-planting congregations in The Lutheran 
Church--Missouri Synod.

Its purpose is twofold, according to Dr. Robert Scudieri, director of North 
America Missions -- to recognize them and to learn from them.

"It's an opportunity to thank people who have labored without thanks, and 
to celebrate with them what God is doing in their midst," Scudieri said.

Every Synod congregation that has started one or more missions in the past 
five years will receive a certificate of appreciation from LCMS World Mission.

Pastors of the 10 congregations that have been the most active church 
planters will be invited to attend a special recognition banquet Sept. 5-6 
in St. Louis.  They also will be asked to help the Synod at large by taking 
part in "focus groups to learn what the characteristics and behaviors of 
these model churches are, and how we can use what we have learned to 
encourage other congregations to plant churches," said Scudieri.

The project is being funded by a grant from Aid Association for 
Lutherans/Lutheran Brotherhood.

In order to grow, a denomination needs to plant enough mission starts each 
year to equal 3 percent of its total number of congregations, Scudieri 
says, referring to research by U.S. mission experts.  In the case of the 
Missouri Synod, a church body of some 6,000 congregations, that would be 
about 180 a year.

Instead, the Synod is averaging "about 53 per year over the last decade," 
Scudieri said.

If every congregation planted just one mission over the next few years, the 
church body would see unprecedented growth, he said.  And, more 
importantly, thousands of people could be reached for Christ.

Scudieri says a church-planting movement is smoldering in the Synod, and 
that he and other national, district and seminary leaders are praying for 
the movement to catch fire and expand so that every LCMS congregation would 
see itself as a "church planter."

If LCMS World Mission wants to reach its goal of bringing the Gospel to 100 
million people over the next 15 years, it will need the expertise and 
enthusiasm of every Synod member, he said.

He is hoping, he added, that the lessons of the church body's top 10 church 
planters can be used to help others get involved.

"This is a unique opportunity to expand our church-planting efforts by 
learning from -- and giving recognition to -- those who are already 
implementing the new church-planting model of local church starts," he said.

If your congregation has started one or more missions anytime in the past 
five years, please send the church's name and location to Scudieri at 
namissions@aol.com.

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