Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ

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We are an association of congregations and individuals, free in Christ,
accountable to one another, rooted in Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions,
and working together to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission
to go and make disciples of all nations.
1st Quarter, 2010
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Leaders of Lutheran Groups Meet
—Submitted by Bill Sullivan
LCMC Service Coordinator
Press Release:
Leaders of Lutheran Groups Meet, Pledge Cooperation and Support
— Betsy Carlson, WordAlone editor
in Mission for Christ
Lutheran Congregations
MINNEAPOLIS,
MN – Leaders of
Lutheran Congregations in Mission for
Christ, Lutheran CORE and the WordAlone
Network met jointly in a Minneapolis suburb
in mid-January to discuss and coordinate
their ministry to individuals and churches
seeking biblical, confessional, Lutheran
teaching and practice.
The three groups were founded over the past
15 years because the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America has been moving away
from accepting the Bible as its final source
of authority in decision making.
This trend away from the Bible’s authority
was seen most recently in the ELCA’s
August 2009 assembly votes to accept
committed homosexual relationships and
to allow practicing homosexuals to serve
as ordained and professional lay ministers,
according to confessional Lutherans.
(Confessional Lutherans accept the Bible
as the sole, divine source and norm for
all Christian teaching and endorse the
1580 Book of Concord—the statement
of Lutheran doctrines—as being accurate
interpretations of Holy Scripture. The Bible
repeatedly condemns sexual relationships
outside of a marriage between one man and
one woman.)
Some ELCA members and churches are
leaving the denomination because of this
drift from the authority of the Bible. Others
are staying in the ELCA but are protesting
the assembly votes, some by withholding
financial giving.
William Drew, chair of the WordAlone
Board of Directors, Spokane, WA, noted the
three confessional groups discussed during
their meeting a cohesive approach to address
the needs of Lutherans seeking faithful
ways to move forward in a reconfigured
North American Lutheranism.
WordAlone is changing its direction from
having worked to renew the ELCA for
almost 15 years to serving confessional
individuals and churches, whether they
stay in or leave the ELCA, by providing
educational resources, pastoral care,
fellowship opportunities and teaching by
confessional theologians.
— continued on page 8
new church association strikes fear into the hearts of
many people who feel the need to take some kind of
action. They wonder if such a step would be worth all
the struggle and pain.
From the Chair...
— Rev. Larry Lindstrom
Courage
Courage has been demonstrated. In recent months,
dozens of churches have faced the kinds of struggles
mentioned above. And many of them have made their
way through that experience in a positive way. How
did they do it? They made this time a period of prayer
and study in God’s Word. They talked with members of
other churches who have been through these struggles.
They asked themselves what their faith and integrity
demanded of them. And then they pushed ahead as
they saw God leading them.
Courage
is needed. LCMC continues to grow, and
in recent months that growth has come as many
congregations have responded to the direction their
current church body is taking. As those congregations
consider changing their membership, however, many
of them are experiencing a backlash. In some cases, the
leaders in that church body have attempted to prevent
them from leaving. In other churches, former members
(or former pastors) have re-appeared and have criticized
the decision to join LCMC. In still other churches, the
conversation about LCMC has created a split among
the current membership. As a result, the subject of a
Courage will be provided. In the coming months, more
congregations will consider what their future holds.
How can they faithfully serve their Lord and remain
true to His Word in these times and in their particular
continued on page 4
This newsletter is a publication of LCMC, an association of churches and individuals.
Inclusion of articles is intended to provide information and does not imply official endorsement.
Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect an official position of the Association or its board of trustees.
We welcome comments, suggestions for stories, and submissions from our members.
See contact information below.
Staff, Board of Trustees
D
BY THE WOR
Service Coordinator:
Rev. William Sullivan - [email protected]
Administrative Coordinator:
Sharon MacFadyen - [email protected]
Administrative Assistant:
Kenni Burchett - [email protected]
Pastoral Certification Coordinator:
Paul Spaulding - [email protected]
7000 Sheldon Road
Canton, MI 48187
734.207.5400
Toll Free: 866.720.LCMC (5262)
LCMC Board of Trustees:
2
Rev. Larry Lindstrom, Chair
Rev. Christian Magnell, Vice Chair
Mrs. Sue McKenzie, Secretary
Mr. Kirk Dean, Treasurer
Mrs. Anne Gran
Rev. Rebecca Lee
Rev. John Waak
Rev. Bruce Wilder
You may obtain individual
contact information
by phoning the
National Offices of LCMC at
734-207-5400
or toll free:
866-720-LCMC (5262)
or by e-mailing:
[email protected]
r
1st Quarte
2009
Newsletter
EDITOR: Joy Minion
Contributors:
Jim Blessman, Paul Braafladt,
Kirk Dean, Steve Ernst, Marsha
Garrow, Mark Graham, Anne Gran,
Karen Harder, Lee Harder, Scott
Hawkins, Larry Lindstrom, Sharon
MacFadyen, Sue McKenzie, Perry
Petersen, Sharon Rueter, Paul
Spaulding, William Sullivan, Tim White.
PUBLISHED BY: LCMC
HEADQUARTERS:
7000 Sheldon Rd.
Canton, MI 48187
PHONE: Toll Free 866.720.5262
WEB SITE: www.lcmc.net
“For it is by grace you have been
saved through faith—and this is
not from yourselves, it is the gift of
God—not by works, so that no one
can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
Freedom Comes With Responsibility
—Dr.Paul Spaulding,
Pastoral Certification Coordinator
LCMC
is an association. It is a network with
considerable freedom for congregations. But with this
freedom comes responsibility. Most congregations
and pastors new to LCMC do not have a lot
of experience with this kind of freedom, or
responsibility.
One example is the question that has been raised
concerning a congregation looking for guidance in
setting a pastors salary. LCMC, as a congregationallybased organization, does not have those types of
guidelines published.
However, if you go to “google” and type in “salary
guidelines pastors,” you will see all kinds of
information. Add “Lutheran” to that and LCMS and
ELCA sites come up. You’ll find averages, formulas,
examples, insurance, housing, car, biblical reasoning,
etc. A Missouri Synod site even has minutely-detailed
formulas on small sections of each state. This kind
of research is available elsewhere, and thus LCMC
as an association will not be developing its own
nationwide document. A congregation of LCMC has
the responsibility to be diligent and fair.
There many other elements to congregational
ministry and pastors functioning in this association
where freedom and responsibility go hand in hand.
I encourage you all to send someone from your
congregation to the Leadership Conference in Omaha
in April. It will focus on this unique DNA of LCMC.
♦
Financial Snapshot
We have a short but positive report
for the beginning of the year as far
as LCMC finances are concerned.
First of all, for those of you who
have any affiliation or contact with
Thrivent Financial, please express
to them our appreciation for their
support of LCMC. Based on our
membership growth and ongoing
mission, Thrivent has chosen to
double their financial grant to us
from $30,000 in 2009 to $60,000
in 2010.
These funds will be used for
continued program improvement of
our Leadership Conference, Annual
Gathering, and youth activities.
LCMC is certainly blessed by
Thrivent’s continued and additional
support and we need to express our
appreciation to them.
From an operational standpoint,
both income and expenses
continued to increase as a direct
function of our membership growth
and organizational education of
potential members.
Income in January was $53,500,
while expenses totaled $37,500.
This was an increase in giving over
December 2009, which hopefully
will continue as new congregations
include LCMC as part of their
budgeted giving. Travel expenses
—Kirk Dean, Treasurer
remain high as the activity of
visiting congregations all over
the country continues at a frantic
pace. Efforts are being made to
provide these visits as efficiently as
possible, but we believe we have a
very important message that needs
to be delivered.
Expenses in 2010 will also reflect
the recent addition of two parttime staff who we have been found
to be very needed, effective, and
appreciated! ♦
Article Deadline for
2 nd Q uarter Newslet ter:
May 20, 2010
Send to: [email protected]
3
Board Business: A Synopsis
—Mrs. Sue McKenzie,
Secretary, LCMC Board of Trustees
• It was decided that the keynote speakers for the
2010 National Gathering will be Efrem Smith,
Johann Hinderlie, and Challa Barro.
• Bill Sullivan shared that he continues to travel at
a brisk pace.
• Kirk Dean (treasurer) noted that in an overall sense
LCMC is in a similar place as we were five years
ago financially. LCMC is at a threshold as it grows
and absorbs the new congregations coming in.
The year ahead poses some interesting challenges
because of the need to add potentially more staff as
well as employ new technology.
• The Ministry Board apprised the trustees of their
plans for the upcoming Leadership Conference.
The Leadership Conference theme is: Mapping
Our DNA. The agenda will be intentionally about
reaffirming our DNA:
o Free in Christ – Christine Nelson
o Accountable to One Another - Barry
Anderson
o Rooted in the Scripture – David
Housholder
o Rooted in the Lutheran Confessions –
Walt Sundberg
o Working Together to Fulfill the Great
Commission – Dave Drum
• The Trustees approved four Seminary Debt Relief
Fund requests at an amount of $550 per applicant.
• The
Board of Trustees authorized
implementation Microsoft Office SharePoint
the
• The Board of Trustees authorized the hiring of a
full time staff member, Kenni Burchett.
• Bill
Moberly and Robert Nordvall joined the
trustees to bring a greeting and update on our
ministry partnerships. The trustees decided to have
a Web page set up that provides links to different
4 mission organizations.
• Representatives
from Lutheran CORE joined
the trustees for conversation. The group spent
some time in conversation discussing the two
organizations and how they might work together
as we move forward together. They shared some
conversation about structure, education, and
mission.
• Representatives
from WordAlone joined the
trustees. Jaynan Clark offered an update on
WordAlone and their vision for their future
mission.
• The idea that LCMC, CORE and WA are partners
in ministry in fulfilling the Great Commission
was stressed throughout the meeting of the three
groups.
• The
2010 National Gathering will take place
at Calvary Lutheran Church in Golden Valley
MN, October 3-6, 2010. The theme for the
gathering will be: Celebrate! Jesus Christ is the
same yesterday and today and forever. Based on
Hebrews 13:8. ♦
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From the Chair, continued from page 2. . .
place? As they look for options, I hope and pray that
LCMC will continue to stand out as an association
that seeks to glorify God above all and to spread
the Good News of Jesus Christ to all. Our witness
will help to give the courage that others may need to
make their stand for the truth of the Gospel. May you
be filled with courage to live as God’s child, today
and every day.
Peace,
Larry Lindstrom
Chairman, LCMC Board of Trustees ♦
The Puget Sound pastoral
candidate interview team of Mr.
John Fry, Rev. Joe Grande and Rev.
Dr. Paul Braafladt has had plenty
of work lately.
Dr. Lund is
an educator
and former
President
of
the
Association
of American
Lutheran
Churches
seminary in Minneapolis. In
recent years he has developed an
online “classics” tutoring program
for students from his home in
Kirkland.
On Januar;y 16th they interviewed
Rev. Dr. Norman Lund of Kirkland.
On Feb 2 they interviewed Dr.
Jay Thompson and Rev. Erich
Sokoloski of Tacoma. Each of these
interviews was conducted at Faith
Evangelical Lutheran Seminary in
Tacoma.
Dr. Thompson
is a professor
at
Faith
S e m i n a r y,
with special
expertise in
many areas
of
history,
New Puget Sound
Pastors
— Rev. Dr. Paul Braafladt
3 New Puget Sound Pastors
Approved for LCMC Ministry
P astor B ob N ordvall J oins EEMN
After serving for 25 years as
senior pastor of Charity Lutheran
Church in Bismarck, ND, Pastor
Bob Nordvall has
joined
Eastern
European Missions
Network
(EEMN)
as its National Field
Coordinator. He will
lead missions to
Eastern
European
countries and visit
LCMC and other
Lutheran churches
stateside on behalf
of EEMN.
Pastor Bob has been in Christian
ministry for more than 40 years,
including 11 years he and his wife,
Karen, spent as missionaries in
Papua New Guinea. (Read more
about their experiences at www.
bismarcktribune.com. Look for
the Lifestyle article “Back to the
Beginning” by Karen Herzog,
12/26/09.)
Charity
Lutheran
held a celebration
dinner honoring Bob
and Karen on January
9, 2010. A farewell
service was held
for the Nordvall’s
on January 10th, at
which time they
were commissioned
as EEMN missionaries. LCMC’s Rev.
Bill Sullivan attended the service,
along with Rev. Bill Moberly, EEMN
Director.
Pastor Bob will be traveling
extensively in his new position,
while Karen will handle details of
their new ministry from home.
including the Reformation, and
teaches exegesis of New Testament
Greek.
Rev. Sokoloski is a fresh M.Div
graduate from Faith Seminary. He
began his
ministry as
pastor of Central
Lutheran
Church in
Tacoma last
September.
We gladly welcome each one in
their decision to become members
of LCMC clergy roster. The decision
of the interview team to accept
them presented no worthy bumps
or hurdles whatever. It was a
privilege! ♦
A R eminder
Pastors serving congregations
that have exited the ELCA and
are now solely affiliated with
LCMC are not automatically
Certified Pastors of LCMC.
Pastors names may appear in
the directory of congregations,
but that is just information.
The Certified List is under
“directories/clerg y. ” The
process for being placed on the
Certified list is outlined on the
front page of the website, under
Quick Links, Clergy Process. ♦
— Paul Spaulding
LCMC Pastoral
Certification Coordinator
Please pray for the Nordvall’s as
they begin a new phase of service.
For more information, contact Bob
at [email protected]. ♦
— Joy Minion
5
Lutheran Men Elect New Officers
—Perry Petersen,
Chair, LCMC Lutheran Men
In our breakout session at the Annual Gathering in
Fargo in 2009, we were blessed to have over 20 men
in attendance. One important issue we resolved was
the changing of the constitution by amending the
term limits for the officers: two 3-year terms as an
officer in place of the original three 1-year terms.
Volunteers were called to fill positions on the
Executive Committee. Positions filled by unanimous
consent include:
President: Perry Petersen,
Morningside Lutheran Church, Sioux City, IA
Address: 522 Silver Lane, Sergeant Bluff, IA 51054
Cell Phone: 712-490-4950
Home Phone: 712-943-3745
Email: [email protected]
Vice-Chairman: Jim Kresge,
Shepherd of the Woods Lutheran Church,
Jacksonville, FL
Address: 2552 Emperor Dr., Jacksonville, FL 32223
Cell Phone: 904-613-4173
Home Phone: 904-268-3757
Email: [email protected]
Secretary: Dennis Sandmann,
Bethany Lutheran Church, McCallsburg, IA
Address: 360 N. Third St., PO Box 68, McCallsburg,
IA 50154
Cell Phone: 515-338-0079
Home Phone: 515-434-2075
Email: [email protected]
Treasurer: Barry Brown,
St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Gaffney, SC
Address:128 Camelot Dr., Gaffney, SC 29341
Email: [email protected]
Promotional Secretary: Keith Aho,
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Angora, MN
6
Address: 1540 Hwy. 25, Cook, MN 55723
Cell Phone: 904-613-4173
Home Phone: 904-268-3757
Email: [email protected]
The Grant Committee will consist of the above
officers plus:
Dan Gorell,
Address: 35 Shadow Woods Lane, Waupaca, WI
54981
Phone: 715-258-5890
Dan volunteered to serve another term on the
committee. This will allow the new officers to
become acquainted with the process we use to select
mission churches to receive our donations from the
LM Gift Fund. ♦
Annual Gathering
Moves to New Location
—Pastor Tim White,
Chair, LCMC Ministry Board
Calvary Lutheran Church
Golden Valley MN
October 3-6 2010
With an anticipated 1,000 to 1,200 delegates
and guests, the LCMC Board of Trustees decided
to move the 2010 Annual Gathering. Originally
planned to be held at Lutheran Church of the
Cross (LCC) in Altoona, IA, concerns about the
LCC facility not being big enough to handle the
expected numbers led to the move to Calvary
Lutheran Church in Golden Valley, Minnesota.
Led by Senior Pastor Steve Dornbusch, the
5,800-member church is a member congregation
of WordAlone Network.
The dates of this year’s Annual Gathering will
remain as previously scheduled, October 3 – 6.
The theme is “Celebrate Jesus! Jesus Christ, the
same yesterday, today and forever.” At this date,
confirmed speakers for the event include Efrem
Smith of Kingdom Building Ministries, Pastor
Johan Hinderlie of Mount Carmel Ministries, and
Challa Barro. Pastor Enrique Estrada has agreed
to present one of the Bible studies.
Women’s Corner
Michigan Church Retreats
—Sharon Rueter, President
W.I.S.C. of St. Michael Lutheran Church
Ottawa Lake , MI
Last fall, W.I.S.C. at St. Michael Lutheran Church
in Ottawa Lake, Michigan, sponsored a one-day
women’s retreat. Being on a very limited budget,
our planning team initiated a search for inexpensive
retreat materials.
This search led us to a company called Christian
Tools of Affirmation (CTA), which had a free women’s
retreat kit available. The program, entitled Recipe
for Life: Feasting on God’s Grace, included planning
details, activities and exercises, ice breakers and
participant handouts. We found the kit to be an
excellent resource—the program, both flexible
and easily adaptable to our needs, proved to be
inspirational and spiritual.
Since we invited a neighboring LCMC church (Zion
Lutheran Church of Ottawa Lake) to join us for the
day, the activities and exercises allowed members of
both churches to interact, learn from each other, and
grow spiritually. In addition, the program coordinated
with a book, which is available through CTA at a
very reasonable price. We highly recommend this
resource for planning a women’s retreat.
Adopt a Quilt
—Anne Gran,
Member, LCMC Board of Trustees
Attention all quilting groups—
The mission field can be right in your community!
We have found a new way to encourage our church
family to reach out and witness to people in their
work places and neighborhoods who are facing some
uncertain times in their lives. We have created an
“Adopt a Quilt” program.
The Lord has blessed St. Luke’s Church in Garfield,
Minnesota, with a wonderfully creative woman who
makes many beautiful quilt tops. Our quilting group
gathers twice a month to tie the quilts, and can
hardly keep up with her! We buy lots of batting and
backing—we sold a few quilts to people who wanted
to give them as gifts, and that helped pay for some
of the materials.
Then, in a “God moment,” the idea of adopting quilts
as a tool to witness to the love that Christ has for us
was revealed. For $25.00, people can adopt the quilt
(pay for the materials, basically) and wrap it around
someone they know—a neighbor or someone at
work—who is facing some tough times. Each quilt
has a patch sewn on it that says: “Jesus Loves You—
St. Luke’s Church.”
The kit can be downloaded at:
www.CTAinc.com/RforL
For more information, contact Sharon at:
[email protected] ♦
We have had many heartwarming letters of thanks
and comments shared by recipients... God is Good
all of the time!
For more information, contact Anne at:
[email protected]
7
Meeting, cont. from page 1. . .
“The LCMC Board of Trustees
very much appreciated the
opportunity to sit down with
the board of WordAlone and
with the working group from
Lutheran CORE,” said the
Rev. William Sullivan, LCMC
service coordinator, Canton,
Mich.
“What emerged from the meeting
was a strong consensus that we
all share the same goal of a Wordcentered, mission-driven Lutheran
presence in North America. All
agreed that each group has a
particular niche to fill in the years
ahead.”
LCMC, constituted in March of
2001, is an association of 359
Lutheran congregations in eight
countries and 38 states, working
together to fulfill Christ’s Great
Commission to go and make
disciples of all nations. Since
August, 2009, LCMC’s ranks have
swelled by 139 congregations
departing the ELCA.
Leaders from Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ,
WordAlone Network and Lutheran CORE (Photo courtesy Kirk Dean)
Ryan Schwarz, chair of Lutheran
CORE’s Vision and Planning
Working Group, Washington, D.C.,
said, “We were particularly pleased
to find consensus that Lutheran
CORE and LCMC are ‘fraternal
twins’ traveling on ‘parallel tracks’,
with both benefitting greatly from
the contributions of WordAlone.
We look forward to the prospect
of substantial cooperation in
mission and ministry with LCMC,
and continued collaboration with
WordAlone, as we move forward.”
He added, “WordAlone was instrumental in the founding of both
LCMC and Lutheran CORE, and
its varied ministries are critical to
Lutheran CORE’s efforts to catalyze a reconfiguration of North
American Lutheranism.”
At its annual meeting in 2010,
Lutheran CORE intends to
constitute a new Lutheran church
body and to reorganize the ongoing
ministry of Lutheran CORE as
an independent federation of
confessional centrist Lutherans
both within and outside of the
ELCA, Schwarz said. The recent
meeting included the first formal
discussions between leadership of
LCMC and Lutheran CORE. ♦
LCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLCMCLC
LCMC W elcomes K enni B
urchett
—Sharon MacFadyen
Kenni Burchett became the newest employee of
LCMC on February 8, 2010. Kenni joins Sharon
MacFadyen as an Administrative Assistant. Her
exceptional knowledge of our new data management
program, experience in conference management,
and creativity will complement Sharon’s knowledge
and talents. Kenni has already settled in and begun
working on several projects, including the Leadership
Conference and streamlining the recordkeeping
within LCMC.
Kenni and her husband Terry have 5 adult
8 children and 13 grandchildren. Terry, an ordained
pastor, is a part
of Home of HopeTexas, a ministry
serving victims of
human trafficking.
They are currently
in the process of
building a home to
provide a long-term rehabilitation facility. Kenni is
excited to be a part of LCMC, and is looking forward
to the Leadership Conference where she will have
an opportunity to meet many of our members. ♦
G etting
to
K now . . .
St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church
Roanoke, Virginia
Focused on the Word, learning, following Christ and serving others!
Founded 50 years ago, St. John Evangelical Lutheran
Church offers a vibrant, Christ-centered, Scripturallybased community for believers and seekers to gather
together from across the Roanoke Valley nestled in
the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Its purpose
statement, “to worship and serve God in love and
obedience,” tells much of the congregation’s story,
with the foundational focus on Christ’s commission to
the Church to make disciples of all nations.
St. John embraces a variety of worship styles among
the five regular services of Word and Sacrament each
Sunday. From the great liturgies of the historic Church
to more contemporary expressions of worship, the
congregation strives to make worship as accessible
as possible to all people. One result from this
commitment has been a rise in baptisms of teens and
young adults.
The congregation serves the Lord through a variety
of mission endeavors. It functions as one the “host
congregations” in an outreach to homeless families
in the Roanoke area, and works with several local
ecumenical Christian mission organizations.
Globally, St. John has its own missionary in Nicaragua,
with mission teams being sent there several times
each year. The church also supports the Christian
school and medical clinics of Orphans Medical
Network International (OMNI) in Zambia. As the Holy
Spirit would have it, St. John’s new associate pastor is
a native of Zambia!
St. John has long embraced Stephen Ministry as a way
to care for the membership, and the congregation
puts much attention on the formation of small group
ministries to make more meaningful relationships. An
active prayer ministry supports the congregation, and
many fellowship events are held monthly.
St. John also takes seriously that part of the Great
Commission in which Jesus tells us to obey everything
He has said. So the preaching and teaching of the
pastors, Sunday School teachers, and small group
leaders emphasize the grace and truth of the Scriptures
and the authority of the Word in all matters.
The congregation has three pastors, including a
“teaching pastor,” and more than 12 additional staff
leaders. The membership of 1,100 currently averages
550 worshipers a Sunday.
The people of St. John enter their new affiliation with
LCMC with great excitement, thanking God for this
new opportunity of ministry and mission together.
For more information about the church, please visit
www.stjohnlutheran.org. ♦ —Submitted by Mark Graham, Senior Pastor
9
A Day to remember
Sunday, January 31st was no ordinary day in
the Pacific Northwest….
— Rev. Dr. Paul Braafladt
Lutheran Community Church, and are located in
Allyn. They began their new life together with 103
eager worshippers!
Four congregations brand new to LCMC each
gathered for worship in different cities and towns
for the first time.
Worship
at
North Bay
Community
Church,
Allyn, WA
For the Living Word Lutheran Church in Puyallup, it
was their official day of launching. Charter members
were received. Their pastor, Rev. Gary Jepsen, was
installed. There were no sad faces in this large
crowd!
Pastor Gary
Jepsen of
Living Word
Lutheran
Church
in
Puyallup, WA
Central Lutheran Church, Tacoma, WA
About an hour to the Northwest of Tacoma is a new
“break-off” congregation led by its pastor, Rev.
10 Brian Pederson. They call themselves North Bay
Photos courtesy of Rev. Dr. Paul Braafladt
About 25 minutes away in downtown Tacoma,
Central Lutheran Church had just voted to join the
LCMC one week earlier. This was their first Service
in the fold of LCMC with their pastor, Rev. Erich
Sokoloski, who was just approved as a pastor in
LCMC.
Not least is another “break-off” congregation
at Lake Oswego, Oregon—Lake Fellowship. The
Sunday before, they were among those in a large
congregational vote to leave the ELCA at Our Savior’s
Lutheran Church. 232 votes to leave were not quite
enough with 64%, so they immediately set about
forming a new LCMC congregation. And within
seven packed days they began their life together on
January 31st with almost 200 people in attendance
at their very first service!
Lake Fellowship" at Lake Oswego, OR
Have any doubts about whether God is working
here in the Northwest among Lutherans? If these
four congregations are not evidence enough, stick
around. By God’s grace and power there will be more.
Only God knows how many more there will be in His
plan. Who are they? These are those wanting to be
faithful to the Scripture, to the Lutheran Confessions
and to Christ Himself. ♦
LCMC Leadership Conference
— Submitted by Sharon MacFadyen
C onference A genda
Mapping our DNA:
LCMC Leadership Conference
April 25-27, 2010
Lutheran Church of the Master
Omaha, NE
•
•
•
•
Free in Christ
Accountable to One Another
Rooted in the Scriptures and Confessions
Working Together to Fulfill Christ’s Great Commission
F eatured S peakers
Rev. Bill Sullivan
LCMC Service Coordinator
Honorable Barry Anderson
Supreme Court Justice, State of Minnesota
Rev. David Householder
Pastor - Robinwood Church, Huntington Beach, CA
Rev. Tim White
Chair of LCMC Ministry Board
Pastor - Trinity Lutheran, Columbus, NE
Dr. Walt Sundberg
Professor of Church History at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN
Rev. Dave Drum
LCMC Board Member
Pastor - Community of Hope, Tucson, AZ
Rev. Christine Nelson
Pastor - Good Shepherd Lutheran, Sandy, UT
Registration and lodging information available online:
www.lcmc.net Click on “Events”
Sunday, April 25
(West Campus:
1200 N. 181st Court, Elkhorn, NE)
5:30 pm
7:00 pm
Registration
Opening Worship:
Rev. Christine Nelson
“Free in Christ”
Following: Dessert Fellowship
Monday, April 26
(East Campus:
2617 S. 114th St., Omaha, NE)
8:00 am Registration
8:45 am Time of Worship
9:00 am Session 1
Barry Anderson
“Accountable to One
Another”
Break
10:30 am Session 2:
David Housholder
“Rooted in Scripture”
11:30 am Lunch
1:00 pm Bill Sullivan
“State of the
Association”
1:30 pm Tim White
“Districts as Small
Groups”
2:00 pm District Meetings
3:30 pm Free Time
Dinner on your own
Tuesday, April 27
(East Campus:
2617 S. 114th St., Omaha, NE)
9:00 am Session 3
Walt Sundberg
“Rooted in the Lutheran
Confessions”
10:30 am Closing Worship:
David Drum
“Working Together to
Fulfill Christ’s Great
Commission”
11:30 am Lunch
11
O r d i n at i o n
Pastor Scott Hawkins
2009
was a big year for me. I completed
Seminary, watched my sister get married, got
married myself, was ordained and then moved
to Alabama from California to become the
associate pastor at Christ the King Lutheran
Church.
Yiching was Emily’s maid of honor in our
wedding. We have gone to church together
many times, but she never participates in
communion because she understands the
importance of the meal. At my ordination Emily
and I had the privilege to serve communion
to the congregation. I saw Yiching’s Fiancée,
In this whirlwind of activity, I made two of the
Danny, stand in line without Yiching. As Danny
most important commitments of my life. One
was finding his place at the
was to Emily, when I stood
communion rail I saw Yiching
in front of God, my family
stand up and dash down the
and friends and promised
aisle to kneel next to Danny at
to love and care for Emily
the rail. Her eyes were full of
above everyone else. The
tears as I handed her the body
other was to God and His
of Christ, and neither Emily nor
church, when I promised
I could utter the proper blessing,
to pastor, teach and
but just stared at her in awe
administer the sacraments
at the work of God. God had
in accordance with His
worked powerfully in her and
word. I am going to spend
moved her to the table because
my life understanding how
she was finally prepared. I feel
Pastor Scott Hawkins
these two commitments
blessed to be a participant in
play out through my life.
the movement of God in this world
because I get to see the miracles of
At my ordination, I was humbled
faith.
by the questions asked of me
and the expectations set before
me. I am glad that this calling
does not originate from me,
but from God working in me to
shepherd His flock. I rest easy
knowing that God has called
me, and He is faithful in fulfilling
that call. I cannot, nor should I
try, to minister alone, but I do it
in context of the body of Christ
with God lighting my path. I
feel blessed to be a participant
in the movement of God in
this world because I get to see Pastor Scott and Emily Hawkins
12
the miracles of faith. There is a
special story from my ordination
that reminds me of this reality:
I am excited to see where God takes
my pastoral journey. The only thing
I am expecting is the unexpected.
I love the LCMC because it allows
all of us to serve our congregations
united through Christ. I am only one
small part of the greater story that
is the LCMC, and we are only one
small part of the body of Christ. I am
thankful to be able to serve alongside
of all of you in the good work of the
Gospel.
May you find peace in the middle of
this busy Lenten season. ♦
—Submitted by Scott Hawkins
Relief Efforts for Haiti
C aring with C rutches
B eyond the R iver S ends A id
Here’s a way we can reach out to the people of Haiti
Beyond the River Academy (BTRA) has entered the
mix of governments and agencies gathering aid for
Haiti. BTRA is a school of pastors training pastors,
created and run by five midwestern clergy who are
members of Lutheran Congregations in Mission
for Christ (LCMC). We decided to do something
immediately to provide help to Haiti in terms of real
money right now.
with items many of us have stored in our closets. Bring your Crutches to Prince of Peace!
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Davenport,
IA, has deep connections to many people in Haiti.
We have taken many trips to the island, working
with a school and an orphanage, and building
a church. In May 2010, we will again travel to
Haiti to give whatever assistance we can to the
people to whom we have become so close. Here is our urgent request: We will be collecting new
or used child- and adult-sized crutches throughout
the year for the tens of thousands of people who
have become amputees. We will truck to Harvest
International (HI) in Florida, and they will ship the
crutches to Haiti for distribution. HI will take as
many crutches as we can gather. Because the terrain
in Haiti is so uneven and mountainous, crutches are
the best resource for these people. Unfortunately,
the option of prosthetic limbs is slim.
This request does not require a financial donation....
just cleaning out a closet. Many people have crutches
lying around from an injury or surgery rehab—please
consider donating the crutches to someone whose
life may be depending on them. Blessings to you for
helping with this traumatic situation now facing so
many in Haiti. ♦
—Submitted by Marsha Garrow
Prince of Peace Church — Haiti Mission
415 W 53rd Street
Davenport, IA 52806
Blessed with personal contacts among the
missionaries in the outlying areas surrounding Port of
Prince, BTRA put together a Haitian Relief Fund. We
solicited contributions from individuals, clergy, and
congregations of LCMC and WordAlone churches, as
well as other neighboring Christian congregations,
via their internet contacts. BTRA guaranteed that
ALL funds and contributions received would be sent
to Haiti. At the time of writing this article, Beyond
the River has forwarded over $24,000.
One of the people BTRA is helping is Connie Marthaler,
founder of Haitians Helping Haitians. Here is just a
portion of one of her Emails to BTRA: “Well, what
an emotional rollercoaster it was today. It was very
difficult seeing all the destruction...the bodies that
have been burned in the streets are still there in
many places...I took many photos, but they will not
even come close to explaining what my feelings for
the Haitian people are. I hugged a man who had
lost his whole family today, two daughters 10 and
12, and all he does now is drink to ease the pain.”
Beyond the River Academy hasn’t given mega dollars.
However, we have affirmed by Connie’s reports that
all of the money we raised has been received by the
people on the ground in Haiti. There is a great need
for consolation, for the Gospel and for the peace
only a faith in God through Jesus Christ can bring.
Our commitment to Haitian support is long term.
Let us keep them in our prayers.
If you wish to help with Haitian relief, funds may be
sent to BTRA-Haitian Relief, PO Box 123, Swea City,
IA 50590. Or, you can send funds directly to HHHO
(Haitians Helping Haitians) at www.HHelpingH.org.
All funds received by BTRA are transferred directly
to HHHO. ♦
—Submitted by Lee Harder
13
New Southern California District
—Pastor Steve Ernst, City on a Hill
There
is great news to report out of Southern
California! With the influx of many Evangelical/
Missional Lutheran congregations to the LCMC in
Southern California, a need was identified at the
LCMC Annual Gathering in Fargo and work was set
in motion to create a new LCMC regional district.
Under the direction and leadership of Pastor Tom
Brashears of Red Hill Lutheran Church in Tustin, CA,
and Pastor Sean Kelly of Penesquitos Lutheran Church
in San Diego, CA, a steering team of six So Cal Pastors
formed the Steering Team for the new So Cal District.
Pastors Steve Goodwin, John Foss, Jeremey King, and
Steve Ernst joined leaders Tom Brashears and Sean
Kelly. After working together for several months, the
Steering Team planned and organized a meeting to
kick-off the district with other So Cal LCMC churches,
pastors, leaders and members.
On January 28th over 30 LCMC leaders, representing
over a dozen churches, met to discuss the values,
mission and direction of the So Cal District. Out of
that meeting the district plans to work mainly in the
following areas: ∙ Develop mutual core values; ∙ Work
with Ethnic Lutheran pastors and ministries affected
by the ELCA resolution who are now without support
and a home; ∙ Establish communication, networking,
events and resources between So Cal churches; ∙ Work
together to further global and local missions, including
planting churches; and ∙ Become a viable alternative
for churches, pastors, leaders, and remnants looking
to leave the ELCA in this difficult time.
Up until this point, the LCMC in Southern California
has been sparse. Only half a dozen churches or so
have been connected, and there has been no real
effort or ability to create such a district. But things
have changed—thanks to God’s design. The LCMC,
through the So Cal District, will begin its work to make
Christ known and advance God’s Kingdom to those in
desperate need. Please keep the So Cal District in your
prayers and welcome them as partners in this ministry
of Christ. ♦
W anted : P astors W ho C ook !
We were warmed and nourished
at our recent Gathering in Fargo,
and we look forward to our next
celebration of fellowship in Christ
in Golden Valley, MN, in 2010.
on your own or your favorites
that have been special in your
life—including appetizers, salads,
beverages (including adult kinds),
main courses, and desserts.
To help mark our 10th year together
and add to our joy, we are putting
together a special cookbook,
HEAVENLY REFLECTIONS
in Food, Fellowship & Faith
containing recipes from our
association’s pastors who love to
cook—or just love to eat.
We also want you to share a brief
account of why this recipe is special
to you. Maybe it was grandma’s pot
roast gracing the Sunday supper
table with family gathered ‘round,
or a holiday delight that brought
people together to bless the Lord’s
bounty—whatever.
The profits from this anniversary
cookbook will be given to a charity
to be designated at the 2010
convention.
This cookbook will be more than
just recipes for good eating. It
will be a collection of thoughts
and personal expressions of love
and fellowship reflecting on our
love for Jesus, and feeding the
We need your recipes—the ones
14 you pastors have created
—Karen Harder
soul, too. If there’s anything we
Lutherans do well, it’s combining
food, fellowship and faith.
Pastors, please help us out. Share
your recipes, original or loved,
along with the ways they touched
you with our whole association.
With your help, we can have a
special way of remembering a
milestone in our existence, raise
money for a needy cause, and look
forward to some good eating.
Recipe deadline: April 1, 2010.
Email your recipes and reflections
to [email protected] or mail
them to:
Karen Harder
211 4th Avenue West
Lamberton, MN 56152 ♦
Blessman Ministries provides mission opportunities
—Dr. Jim Blessman
Pastor Bill Sullivan recently told me
he has been praying that God would
call some people from our LCMC
churches into full-time missions. His
prayer has already been answered—
Lisa
Shadley
has been serving
in South Africa
with Blessman
Ministries (BMI)
for the past year.
God spoke to her
heart while she
was attending a medical missions
conference in Louisville, KY, two
years ago. Lisa’s home church is
Lutheran Church of the Cross in
Altoona, IA, one of the charter
congregations of the LCMC.
The children are also taught about
HIV/AIDS and given thorough
instructions on how to avoid becoming
infected with this deadly virus. The
primary purpose of this work is to
show the children the love
of Jesus and help them to
become followers of Jesus.
BMI was founded in 2001 by
Jim and Beth Blessman. BMI is a
missionary sending organization
specializing in sending 8-10 shortterm missionary teams to South
Africa each year. The majority of
these teams provide eye glasses to
the children in the public schools.
On a typical two-week team, 800
children are examined, given glasses
and given a copy of God’s Word
in the form of the Book of Hope.
BMI teams have given a new pair of
glasses to over 25,000 children over
the last four years.
One of Lisa’s favorite jobs in Africa
is to do home visits for some of our
AIDS patients who are too ill to come
to the clinic. On a visit in September,
she was caring for a 25-year-old lady
who had two small children who was
living in a home about the size of a
single car garage. She had minimal
furniture, with only a mattress on the
floor and a small table. Her husband
had already died from AIDS, and it
was obvious that she did not have long
to live. As we finished our medical
work with this lady, we prayed for
her. When Lisa asked if there was
anything else that we could do for her,
she held out her baby to us and
said, “You must help me feed my
children.”
We see many heart-breaking
situations like this in South
Africa, but with God’s help we
are able to make a difference in
people’s lives. We know that the
lady experienced the love of Jesus
as we gave her medicine for her
disease and returned with food
for her children.
The teams that come to work with us
in Africa get to be the extended hands
of Jesus, and also get to experience
many of the wonders of South Africa.
If you feel the call to come and work
with us in Africa, please call our
office at (515) 343- 5920 or visit our
website:
www.BlessmanMinistries.org ♦
June 20 - 25, 2010
St. John Lutheran Church
Roanoke, Virginia
High School Youth (rising 9th - graduating seniors) —
Explore what it truly means to live an epic life – a life found in passionately following Jesus Christ!
Epic: noting or pertaining to a long poetic composition, usually centered upon a hero, in which a series of great
achievements or events is narrated in elevated styles. (From Dictionary.com)
For more information, contact Corey Paxton at: [email protected]
or visit our Web site at: www.stjohnlutheran.org
Registration:
March 15th – May 15th
D
BY THE WOR
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Lutheran Congregations
in Mission for Christ
7000 Sheldon Road
Canton, MI 48187
Dates to Remember
April 25-27 Leadership
Conference
Lutheran Church of the Master
Omaha, Nebraska
October 3-6 Annual Gathering
Calvary Lutheran Church
Golden Valley, Minnesota
Houston TX
Permit No 1785