Institute of Lutheran Theology -Webinars

Institute of Lutheran Theology offers free Word at Work online seminars for congregations (webinars) here

You can either watch them live or the recorded seminar

Seminars include:
Sermon on the Mount with Rev Steven Dunkel


"1 Corinthians" with Dr. Kyle Fever, beginning March 12 through April 16 from 7-8 pm.
 Paul is one of the most significant New Testament witnesses to the early church and to early proclamations of Jesus. He is also one of the most controversial. In this course, Prof. Kyle Fever will continue his study of Paul's letters in the New Testament.

"Ante-Nicene Fathers" with Rev. Thomas Jacobson beginning March 14 through April 18 at 7-8 pm.
 "How did we get the Nicene Creed we confess each Sunday in worship? This course, intended for personal enrichment, will provide an overview of the "Ante-Nicene Fathers," the significant figures of the Christian Church following the Apostolic Fathers up to the council of Nicaea in AD 325. Participants will read brief excerpts from the writings of these "Fathers," and time for discussion will be a part of each of the six course periods."

Verge 2013 - Free Disciplemaking Webcast 1/2 March 2013

Verge 2013 is offering the following web casts free of charge 

Time is USA - CST
so the March 1 9am webseminar will be 2am on Saturday 2nd March 2013 Melbourne/Sydney time 

Friday, March 1

9:00am-11:00am – Main Session 1 | The Priority of Disciple Making: There Is No Plan B

1:30pm-3:30pm – Main Session 2 | Patterns & Practices of Disciple Making: Missional People & Missional Communities

7:00pm-9:00pm – Main Session 3 | The Content of Disciple Making: Getting To The Heart Of It All

Saturday, March 2

9:00am-11:00am – Main Session 4 | Culture And Disciple Making: Building Bridges and Removing Barriers

1:30pm-3:30pm – Main Session 5 | The Process of Disciple Making: 8 Non-Negotiable Steps To Making and Multiplying Disciples

6:00pm-8:00pm – Main Session 6 | Living The Future Church: The Context of Disciple Making

http://www.vergenetwork.org/webcast/

Discussion Starter: Is it possible to be both a Liberal and Conservative Christian??

A quick look at the difference between Liberal and Conservative theology

by John Kuhrt

As I look at this...my thoughts are is it possible for churches and Christians to live out both emphasises...what do you think??

Lutheran church was and can return to be an outreach church

Pastor Mike Newman, a pastor of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Texas District, as a Mission and Ministry Facilitator has written a summary and reflection of how the Lutheran Church was once an outreach evangelistic church and could return to that position....you can find his article Is outreach possible?  here

Contemporary Song suggestions for the lectionary

With an increasing number of churches using the lectionary and contemporary worship Word to Worship offers a very valuable resource of contemporary song suggestions for the lectionary at here

2013 Lenten devotions

Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries   

Clothed in God's grace from Luther Seminary

Suggestions from Living Lutheran

Lutheran Camping Corporation

Augsburg Fortress

Concordia Publishing House 

Northwest Publishing House

SolaPublishing

If you have any other suggestions please feel free to email these to me at richardschwedes@gmail.com

Which bible translation? NIV11, NIV84, ESV, NRSV or Holman

In 2011 Biblica and Zondervan released an updated version of the NIV known as NIV11....and indicated it will no longer be printing further copies of NIV84 (which most of us know as NIV) or TNIV the gender neutral TNIV.

Now many Lutheran churches have used the NIV translation as its main text for public readings and study, others have used the gender inclusive NRSV.   In recent years some Lutheran pastors have adopted the ESV, some simply because they don't like a gender inclusive translation.   So how do we make a decision regarding which translation to use in your congregation?

Fortunately Lutherans are not the only ones dealing with this issue....Sandy Grant discusses this issue in the article:
After the NIV, then what?   by Sandy Grant

Also recommended from a reader is the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod's reviews of various bible translations in relation to NIV11 found here