Lutheran Mission

Liturgical Calendar: explanation and discussion

2012-02-01T07:45:00.004+11:00

Many Lutheran congregations use and follow a liturgical calendar.

Unfortunately a considerable number of members have little understanding of what the calendar is or how it affects the life of the church.

St Paul's Lutheran Church in Kingsville offers some fairly comprehensive information and discussion on the Liturgical Calendar and the various seasons and festivals that form the calendar....To obtain this information visit http://www.stpaulskingsville.org/litcal1.htm

Discussion Starer: Broken Promises

2012-01-12T07:25:00.003+11:00

For churches, like the Lutheran church who baptise infants need to help parents take their baptismal promises very seriously:
Here is an article for small groups, elders, leaders to share and discuss: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/broken-promises-upsets-churches/story-e6frea6u-1226242123848

Something to consider - Mission is not about being perfect

2012-01-12T07:20:00.000+11:00

None of us like failing....
None of us plan to fail....

However all of us need to realise the reality that we are not perfect.   We are not God.

Now put this in the context of mission!

Is everything we do going to be 100% successful?
Surely we shouldn't expect it to be if we live in the reality that we are not perfect, we are not God!

Some years ago a successful small business person said to me he may see 100 people in the week, and only 10% of them turn into sales...that is 90% of people reject him and his organisations product. He said it is easy to say he failed and give up because 90% rejected him, however still 10% benefited from him.   Can we use this story for our Christian life...in sharing Jesus with others....Is there a temptation to give up sharing the Good News and Jesus with others simply because some people have rejected the message? Keep in mind that various research sources suggest that it takes some people 7 to 12 invites before they respond to the Christian message.

What about in your committees, teams, the congregation and district...
Do leaders and yourself in leadership...need to be 100% sure before you will support a project or go ahead with a project. Now this is not about being sloppy with planning or failing to attend to appropriate logistical matters.   We need to do some hard work, but can we ever be 100% sure? And where does trusting God come into our decisions? Or are we tempted to stall or even sabotage a project because we are not 100% sure?   Maybe one way to look at 'good ideas' is to say we need to have some very good reasons not to go ahead with an idea.

Mission focussed: meeting starters- THE MISSION DECK

2012-01-12T06:55:00.003+11:00

Cultivating mission is essential for every congregation and member of the church. The Texas Distrcit of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod has produced some greater starters for meetings, bible studies, fellowship time, etc. called The Mission Deck.....go to http://www.m2ctexas.org/mission.focus.php to view them and begin using them....

Adults finding faith: a study of conversion amongst Protestant mainline churches

2011-11-01T12:01:00.002+11:00

The Institute of Evangelism and Church Development at University of Greifswald has undertaken research into adult's finding faith and conversion, as a result of this research they have published the following:

Adults Finding Faith

A study of conversion among the Germanprotestant mainline churches (Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland)

TEN Theses

1. A central issue: Conversion is not aphenomenon on the margins

-         Conversiontakes place in the centre of a mainline church environment (or “Volkskirche”).
-         Convertsare people coming from the centre of society.
-         Inthe sampe of the the study, a majority is well educated and middle class orupper middle class.

2. Conversions are experienced in awide range of different experiences (Greifswald’s typology of conversion –“Greifswalder Konversionstypologie”)

The“Greifswald Typology of Conversion” makes use of three types to describeconversion pathways.
-         “growthin confidence” (“Vergewisserung”): People already affiliated to church lifeexperience an assurance of their faith.
-         “discovery”(“Entdeckung”): Church members with a loose relation to church discoverChristian faith for themselves.
-         “turn”or “break” (“Lebenswende”): People who are not members of the church and whowere not brought up as Christians have now begun to believe.
Ourempirical data revealed that conversion experiences are even moresophisticated. A distinction has to be made between the social background, i.e.the degree to which people are affiliated to a church, and the religiousexperience of the conversion process.

3. Mission is possible

Mission is necessary – even in Germany – and it works. Contrary to whatused to be a common perception, a good number of our converts profess that theyhad grown up in a social environment where church and faith had played no rolewhatsoever.

4. Conversion can have to do with personal crises – butnot necessarily

On the one hand, 96% of our converts say that they did experience significantcrises – negative or positive. On the other hand, only 40% said that support bythe church or individual Christians during these times was important for theirfaith journey.

5. Advocats of conversion

Persons and relationships play a vital role in the conversion process – butit is different persons at different stages of the process.

6. Supportive Church Activities

During aconversion process, a wide range of church activities support the converts ontheir faith journey. They are less helpful in attracting people from outsidethe church, but they work in encouraging people who are already to some degreeaffiliated.

7. Nurture courses (“Glaubenskurse”)

Nurturecourses are important for all types of conversion, and to largely the samedegree.

8. Prayer

Theexperience of conversion is accompanied by a fresh experience of prayer.

9. Rituals

The stageof commitment in the conversion process is supported by various forms of ritualwithin church life, often more than one or two different forms.

10. Consequences

Convertsare more religious than other people, they experience God in a positive way andthey have a stronger sense of belonging to church than before.

For more information about the Institute of Evangelism and Church Development visit http://www-alt.uni-greifswald.de/~theol/~ieeg/english.html

Free Courses from Pastor Wade Johnston Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church

2011-10-26T00:33:00.001+11:00

Pastor Wade Johnston from Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church makes available a number of studies and courses including:

Liturgical Catechesis in the Lutheran Faith
The why in our worship
Morsels from the Master
Survey of Christian History
End of life issues
Sacramental Evangelism in a Postmodern World

Visit http://www.christsaginaw.com/pastorspage.html to obtain these and other courses

A thought:

2011-10-17T16:35:00.001+11:00

Imagine if everybody who shared bad news....put their efforts into sharing Good News...

Mission U - courses for witnessing

2011-09-23T07:02:00.003+10:00

Mission U

MISSION U is Lutheran Hour Ministries’ new witnessing-training program designed to provide lay people with the tools and training needed to confidently accept their mission of sharing Jesus Christ with unique people in diverse settings.

MISSION U provides a number of course options addressing topics that meet your congregation’s specific witnessing-training needs. By participating in MISSION U courses, congregations will gain tools that sharpen their witnessing methods and enhance their outreach to people of all ages and backgrounds.

The style and format of MISSION U mirrors a 21st-century university classroom. Flexible and ongoing, it offers personal training from speakers and additional instruction via the Web.

At MISSION U the focus is equipping you -- God’s chosen ambassador -- to carry His message of hope and salvation into a world urgently in need of good news.

Courses available include:
MU-101 – Equipping to Share: Everyday Evangelism

Learn to overcome fear and to effectively share your faith with these three relationship models.

MU-102 – Witnessing Methods: Seven Styles of Faith-sharing
Recognize multiple styles of – and contexts for- sharing your faith and learn to apply them to everyday life.

MU-201 – Dealing with Tough Questions
Address common questions and objections to Christianity with sensitive and relevant answers that point to the Savior.

MU-202 – The Outreach-Minded Church: Unified Vision and Mission
Assess your congregational environment, and learn to become more outreach-effective.

MU-203 - Sharing the Gospel in a Digital Age
This course identifies and examines the role technology has played throughout history in providing avenues to proclaim the Gospel around the world.

MU-301 – “Christ Alone” in a Coexist World
Learn to compassionately share the only truth- Jesus Christ-in a pluralistic, anything-goes society.

Visit Mission U for more details...

A congregation to check out: Shepherds Gate Lutheran Church-Michigan

2011-09-18T18:24:00.002+10:00

Shepherds Gate Lutheran Church
About us......
Our beginning . . . We began in 1980 when seven families set out to bring the Christian message to the community using a unique and relevant approach. Today we are a community of over 1300 members.
Our people . . . People matter to God and they matter to us. We offer to all people warm, loving friendship where relationships receive our priority attention.
Our passion . . . Our persistent zeal is motivated by our intense belief in Jesus Christ, in what He has done for us on the cross, and what He continues to do in and through us everyday. We refuse to think small or negatively about tomorrow. We continue to develop people spiritually and motivate them to fulfill their personal God given calling.
Our pursuits . . . We focus on leading every person to simply live the abundant life Jesus gives; a life that embraces three relational dimensions of Up, In and Out. Up pursues intimacy with God. In pursues strong, loving relationships. Out pursues influence with others through the discovery and full engagement of significance service.

Visit their web site at http://sgatechurch.org

Book: Announcing the Kingdom-the story of God's mission in the Bible

2011-09-12T21:25:00.000+10:00

This book surveys the development of the kingdom of God theme in the Old Testament and demonstrates how it reveals God's mission in creation, Israel, and among the nations. The authors then turn to the fulfillment of the kingdom through Jesus' ministry and the continuing work of the Holy Spirit.

The author, Arthur Glasser has over thirty years of teaching experience.

This book is used by a number seminaries and colleges as a foundational book for Biblical Mission courses.

Contents
Part 1 - God's Mission in the beginning
Part 2 - God's Mission through Israel
Part 3 - God's Mission amongst the nations
Part 4 - God's Mission through Jesus Christ
Part 5 - God's Mission through the Holy Spirit by the Church
Part 6 - God's Mission extends to the end of time

Reviews from

9 Marks

Sips from a broken cup

Thinking things through

School and Church partnerships

2011-09-12T14:04:00.001+10:00

The recent School Link magazine from Lutheran Education Australia is dedicated to school and church partnerships.
Articles include:
What an Open door by Dennis Obst
Signs of church in a school community by John Proeve and Stuart Traeger
What young people think about the church by Philip Hughes
School and church partnerships; a Catholic perspective by Philip Sharkey
Engaging Students beyond the school yard

Discussion Starter: Who is controlling your mission?

2011-09-12T13:28:00.001+10:00

Have you ever been in a situation where as a congregation you have felt a burst of mission energy, but then experienced restraint or even a blockage, and sense someone or something else is controlling your mission?

As Christian congregations we have two major mission callings to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20) and to invite people to come see God at work (John 4:29)!!!

Now what gets in the road of these two callings?
Think about this in relation to:

Yourself.........Do you try to control the mission and want everything to go your way? Perhaps you create or maintain a few obstacles to mission.....What perceptions, attitudes and understandings may you have, that prevents you from going and making disciples and inviting others to come and see what God is doing?   What is your attitude to your current congregation and denomination?

Congregation.........Are there gatekeepers, structures, individuals, physical resources, attitudes, procedures or history controlling your mission?   What obstacles as a result of your congregation's action or inaction that hinder mission?

Your denomination or denomination leaders.....Unfortunately some aspects of denominations can hinder mission and even some leaders may inadvertantly hinder God's mission for your congregation because of the various other matters that fight for their attention or they haven't understood what is needed for mission in your context...Are there principles, processes, restrictions, history, policies, thinking or even precedents that they are holding on to that have a negative affect on your congregation's mission?

What obstacles does your community have in place for you and your congregation that get in the road of you making disciples and inviting others to come and see God at work?....

It is good to identify these obstacles, pray about them, pray and research about how you respond to them and then deal with them.
Dealing with them may mean getting rid of them....
but more often than not dealing with them will involve looking at alternatives and continuing to go and make and invite people to come and see God despite the obstacles around us....

Take a close look at the early church as exposed to us through the New Testament....there were many obstacles, yet people continued to share and teach God's Word and guess what......the church grew.

Remember that the mission you are involved in is really God's mission, and God has power over the heavens and earth!!! (Luke 10:21

Feel free to leave a comment

New Atheism and Christianity: Resources

2011-09-12T12:09:00.001+10:00

One of the high profile discussions at present taking place is between what has become known as the New Atheism and Christianity.
Following is a small selection of resources to help you under and respond to the New Atheism as a Christian.

WELS - Forward in Christ magazine
New Atheism

Sound Theology
Offers an online audio course titled Christianity and the New Atheism
The course deals with classic and contemporary forms of atheism, exploring the work in particular of Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens. We examine, in turn, the response to the arguments against the existence of God by famous theologians within the Christian tradition.

Christian Colligation Debate Research and Evangelism
offers over 40 resources relating to the New Atheism

Centre for Public Christianity offers the following articles
Response to the Global Atheism Conference by Greg Clarke
New Atheism just another Dogma
Atheism, sceptism and belief

Katheryn Rivas @ Lutheranwriter.blogspot.com
offers a short article; Responding to the New Atheism

Alister McGrath's
Offers a critique of the New Atheism

Issues etc.
Atheist Fundamentalism
Atheist and De-baptising
New Atheism
Responding to New Atheism

John Lennox
regularly debates high profile New Atheists in public.
He is a professor of mathematics.
His site offers a number of resources
Obtain a copy of His talks he gave in sydney in 2011

Lutheran Hour Ministry
a short discussion on Witnessing to an atheist

A few books

This is only a small selection of resources relating to New Atheism from a Christian perspective, if you have come across other resources that you have found helpful please let me know so i can share them with others...... rschwedes@yahoo.com

Principle of excellence in Contemporary Worship

2011-09-11T23:58:00.001+10:00

Pastor Steen Olsen developed a 2 page paper on some of the principles that encourage excellence in contemporary worship.
This paper can be viewed at http://www.lutheran.org.nz/file_downloads/Excellence%20in%20Contemporary%20Worship.pdf

Paper: Worship and Outreach a Lutheran pardigm

2011-09-05T10:33:00.000+10:00

This paper explore the need for a Lutheran paradignm of worship and outreach.

Main points covered include:

Necessity of a Lutheran paradigm of worship and outreach.
The balancing act of a Lutheran paradigm of worship and outreach.
Characteristics of a Lutheran paradigm of worship and outreach.
A Lutheran paradigm is invitational in character
A Lutheran paradigm is Gospel centred
A Lutheran paradigm makes the worship experience accessible to the unchurched
A Lutheran paradigm prioritizes preaching
A Lutheran paradigm is Sacramental
A Lutheran paradigm addresses children
A Lutheran paradigm uses the marks of the church to lead the marks of the church
A Lutheran paradigm features faithful follow up

To read the entire paper visit http://worshipandoutreach.org/paper/60/worship-and-outreach-lutheran-paradigm

Lutheran response to Africa's worse famine in 60 years

2011-08-11T22:32:00.001+10:00

The Australian Lutheran World Service is actively responding to the worse famine in 60 years in Africa...watch both these videos to discover how they are at work and how you can make a difference with them

Discussion starter: Effective missional and ministry buildings

2011-06-27T13:38:00.000+10:00

Anyone who has spent time talking about the church.....
would have heard that the church is not the building....
it is God's people gathering together to hear the Word, talk about the Word and participate in God's sacraments....
And people need effective places to gather...
which is where the role of church buildings come in.

Whether you have a permenant structure, multi purpose building or one you use casually; How effective is your gathering space for ministry and mission?

Is it out of date???...(this is a touchy one for some, but here is the reality what was appropriate and acceptable 50 years ago is often far from acceptable either safety wise, technology wise, comfort wise or accessibility wise for many people especially younger people).

Is your building helping people hear and participate in the Gospel?
Does it hinder or enhance relationships before and after worship services or even during worship services?

Lutheran Church Planting network: FiveTwo

2011-06-27T13:20:00.000+10:00

FiveTwo is churchplanting network supported by Lutheran Church Missouri Synod church planters.

On their about page....they say they are more about doing than talking

There is a strong emphasis on:
Connecting with other church planters
Learning -there are short teaching online videos
Services - providing access to consultants
They also hold a wikiconference each year...videos of sessions from this conference are available on their facebook page....

Even if you are not a church planter but involved in a local church they offer some great teaching and insights

www.fivetwo.com

Book: Love Wins by Rob Bell Reviews and discussion

2011-05-16T23:19:00.001+10:00

The book Love Wins by Rob Bell is capturing the headlines in Christian circles, creating some lively discussion.

Some are saying.....it hits the core of the Gospel message...life is all about what God has done for us...and that what Rob Bell is emphasising
Others are saying....well it seems to erase a lot of the bible....and even Rob Bell is attempting to develop his own job description for GOD....
And others are keen to simply dismiss it as a waste of time....
And at least Love Wins....has something to say....and if we ask what is it saying not about God but about the questions people maybe thinking....if not asking about God...

And if you haven't read Love Wins or would like some information about what others think....bellow are some reviews, discussuon and articles

Mike Newman LCMS Mission Director review
Lutheran Theology Study Group Singapore
Crunchy Lutheran Mummy (LCMS)
The Gospel Coalition - a comprehensive review
Recreative
Two handed warriors
Mark Galli Christianity Today
ABC Australia Religion and Ethics
Love Wins - join the discussion
Women of the ELCA
Martin Basher interview - video

If you can suggest any other suitable reviews or articles

Lutheran Liturgy to Lutheran Living

2011-05-03T21:50:00.001+10:00

Lutheran Liturgy to Lutheran Living

Lutheran Liturgy to Lutheran Living is an open access site designed to provide free resources and ideas for churches to use to support its members and assist them in their growth in prayer, worship and missions leading up to the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017. Lutheran Liturgy to Lutheran Living is committed to upholding and supporting the Lutheran confessions and reflecting the beliefs of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Lutheran Living will uphold and support the practices of all Lutheran synods that encourage us to become the church Christ is calling us to be- all things to all people, in all nations, for the cause of Christ. 1 Cor. 9:19-2

BIBLE STUDIES The goal of Bible studies is to provide opportunities for a congregation and its members to discuss and learn more about prayer and worship and as a church to ask ourselves, “Can we as the church, pray and worship even more expressively when we gather in His name?” Then, can we leave the sanctuary with the “shoes of the Gospel” and make everything we do an act of worship? Can we better achieve our mission goals of reaching others when they see our prayer and worship is authentic?

CHURCH PROJECTS The goal of Church Projects is for churches to build churches within their church. The Gathering Church (Welcoming Church), The Jubilant Church, (The Joyful Church) The Praying Church (The Ministering Church), and the Resonant Church (The Reaching Church), are all areas where the Holy Spirit can work in the lives of His people and breath a sense of mission and ministry into committed members of a congregation. These members can then build enthusiasm for the ministry and soon the church is full harvest workers. Everyone arrives at worship eager to celebrate the work of the Lord. Start one church at time by identifying those in the church with the gifts needed to make the church thrive and support them to develop programs that will encourage others to participate.

GLOBAL MISSIONS The goal of Global Missions is to help us see the Lutheran Church as much bigger than just our own congregation. Through the use of technology, perhaps as simple as e-mail or SKYPE, we want to encourage small group bible studies and entire congregations to worship and work together. If you are a small struggling congregation, you are not alone, there are 1,000’s of congregations to support and encourage you. If you are a large congregation, why not share what God has given you with other churches that may just be starting up? Over the next seven years we want to increase our peripheral vision of God’s kingdom!

making a small town congregation an evangelistic community

2011-05-03T21:12:00.000+10:00

Making a small town congregation an evangelistic community
A project that covers

The Evangelism Task - setting the Word loose
The mission field
Broadening the Word's presence
Deepening the Word's presence

Small Group/Cell Church Ideas

2011-05-03T20:48:00.000+10:00

Cell Ideas

Cell-Ideas have ideas for

members of church cell groups
leaders of cell groups
church leaders

Including

The Big Idea: the basis of church life
an introduction to cells
Ideas for Meetings
Using cells to assist the rural church
Welcoming ideas
Worship ideas
Word ideas
Witnessing ideas

CF Walther Sermon: The Holy desire and duty of all Christians to lead souls to Christ

2011-05-03T19:54:00.000+10:00

The Holy Desire and Duty of all Christians to Lead Souls to Christ

By C.F.W. Walther

The 12^th Sunday after Trinity Sunday, 1842

+ from +

THE YEAR OF GRACE SERMONS
On the Gospels of the Church Year
Collected from his written legacy
St. Louis, Missouri
Lutheran Concordia Publisher, A.D. 1890

Translated by Rev. Donald Pohlers

May God give you all grace and peace through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ, our Lord! Amen!
Beloved brothers and sister in Christ Jesus!
Christ has founded a Church on earth, in which the most perfect equality should exist. It (this equality) should indeed not be established according to the model of a secular state. In the Church no one should be the highest (in rank), supreme, (or) the first; no one, the ruler; no one, the master (or commander). This is a fundamental teaching of all Christendom. Whoever is really a member of the true Church, the same is like (equal to) all of the others (Members of the true Church). Each has the same baptism, the same faith, the same Christ, the same righteousness, the same hope of eternal life, the same eternal and heavenly possession (and what pertains to it) of salvation in Christ Jesus.
As long as the world endures, an external difference between human beings will indeed prevail: one is rich, another poor; one is respected by the world, another is devalued (or disdained); one will enjoy prominent status in the world (and) one will be of humble status; one will be intelligent and one will be uneducated (the German word: simple). However, in the Kingdom of God, in the Church, this makes no difference (These differences are inconsequential). Even if the gifts, the offices (positions), the accomplishments are varied, they (Christians) all nevertheless remain equal members (of the Church) before God. All have the same power (authority). None is subordinate to another.
If a government exists within the boundaries of the Church, it certainly can command the Church (viz. Require obedience) in something. However, in such a case, Christians obey, not as members of the Church or the Kingdom of God, but as subordinates of the secular kingdom.
It is an irrevocable word, which Jesus Christ spoke and confessed before Pontius Pilate: "My kingdom is not of this world. If My Kingdom were of this world, then My servants would fight. Now, however, it is not thence (from here.).
The greatest harm has arisen from this (this situation): when a few have desire to rule. In the apostolic era the most perfect equality prevailed and, thereby, the most loving unity and the most wonderful blessings (ensued). At that time all Christian were considered to be spiritual priests, and no one was despised or put down. However, in subsequent ages, the more the spiritual (read: ecclesiastical status) asserted itself over other Christians, the more the Church degenerated and assumed the form of a secular kingdom. Shepherds became tyrants who did not provide for the sheep with nourishment by using the shepherds’ staff in a gentle manner. Instead, they ruled with an iron scepter (as if they were lords) and finally led the sheep to the slaughter. The father confessors became confessional torturers; providers of the care of souls (This is the usual German word among Lutherans for "pastor") became tormentors of the soul; advisors of the conscience became rulers of the conscience. Finally, at the time of the Reformation, a marvelous light burst into the nocturnal darkness. God’s Word emerged. This (event) caused the children of God to throw off the shameful yoke of men and (once again) to enjoy sweet Christian liberty.
If a Christian congregation now does not wish to return again to the yoke placed upon it by men – to an ungodly dependence (the German word: immaturity), then, it must maintain its precious right of being a spiritual priesthood, which is (the common) possession of all Christians – namely, the right to sacrifice, to pray, to search the Scriptures, to test and evaluate all teachings (as its right), to teach one another, to admonish, to discipline, and to comfort one another. Where this right and duty is not recognized or practiced, there God’s Word cannot long endure. No blessing is there. No zeal can remain. Finally, everything will deteriorate into (spiritual) sleep, laziness, indifference. (In such a situation) instead of leading and carrying (one another) (Christians) will be led (astray) and carried (by another) – (blindly) led but not determining (Truth). The end result will necessarily be contempt and rejection of the truth. For that reason it is my duty to instruct you zealously and repeatedly, my beloved, regarding this right and duty. Let me now speak to you about a portion of this issue – namely, about the duty of all Christians also to lead souls to Christ.
31And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. 32And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. 33And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; 34And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. 36And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; 37And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
A wonderful example is laid upon our hearts in the Gospel which was read, my dearly beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord. In the region of the Sea of Galilee there was a man who was simultaneously deaf and mute. That was a sad condition. He not only could not hear the precious Gospel of Christ, but also lacked speech with which to call upon Christ for aid. Others (however) took pity on him and brought him to Christ, and, on his behalf, sought help from Christ. Christ heard their petition and helped the wretched man in a wonderful manner. Christ no longer walks visibly among us, but He still helps invisibly in (dealing with the needs of) our souls and bodies. Therefore, we can still show favor to others who are spiritually deaf mutes by bringing them to Christ. Thus, I demonstrate to you now:
"The holy desire and duty of all Christians to lead souls to Christ." (In proclaiming this theme) we will observe two points:

that all Christians have this sacred desire and duty;
in which manner they (Christians) are to exercise this duty.
Lord Jesus Christ, You one true High Priest, Who offered Yourself on the wood of the cross in order to acquire for us sinners the royal priesthood, grant that we may learn to know it (this teaching) rightly from Your holy Word. Help us also through Your grace to fulfill our holy priestly duties by Your grace to Your honor and to the salvation of the ourselves and many (other) souls. To that end, awaken and strengthen us in this hour for Your sake. Amen.
I.
The main point, my Beloved, is that each human being should personally and correctly recognize Christ first of all and from the heart believe in Him. It would be absurd to lead others to Christ, if one himself were not close (to Him). In that case a blind man would want to show the way to (another) blind man and both would fall in the (spiritual) ditch. Thus, although it is godless in temporal matters to be selfish, in spiritual issues it is righteous – each should be neighbor to himself. No one can redeem another. Therefore, each should be concerned first of all for his (own) soul, to bring his (own) soul to safety. Then, he should see how he may bring others to grace. First, one must become acquainted with the treasures of Christ himself and enjoy them (personally) before one can boast of them to others. However, whoever has learned, by God’s grace, that the Bible is God’s eternal Word, whoever has discovered that the Gospel is a power of God to sanctify all who believe in it; whoever can say: I know the One in Whom I believe, I have found the Ground, which holds my anchor eternally – such an one will then certainly perceive a heartfelt compulsion to bring others to possess the grace in which he is so blessed. Such a Christian sees with pain and agony that so many thousands in the world are still spiritual deaf mutes who do not know Christ, do not believe in Him, do not love Him and are not yet in a state of blessedness in Him. The pitiable condition of the world strikes at his heart (because it reveals a condition) which is sometimes happy, sometimes sad, but (always) in a state of repudiating Christ and (therefore) perishing. With concern the Christian looks at his neighbor about whom he probably knows that he (the neighbor) does not know the Gospel. With sighing he looks at former friends, from whom he has had to separate because they did not wish to walk the way of grace and (divine) blessedness with him. With a sorrowful heart the Christian husband looks at his unchristian wife; the Christian wife, the unchristian husband; the parents, such children; the children, such parents; the brothers, such sisters and the sisters, such brothers - those who do not yet believe in the Gospel. Christians desire to convince the whole world to abandon sin and vanity and adopt (receive) Christ. This holy desire to lead souls to Christ originates as soon as the light of true faith – and with it the fire to true love – comes into the soul of a person. This holy desire is inseparable from true faith. Whoever does not have (this) desire to bring other human beings to the knowledge of the Gospel, which produces salvation, he surely has not yet experienced the heavenly power of it (salvation). As soon a David had prayed successfully for forgiveness and comfort from God, he (David) spoke at once in the fifty-first Psalm: "I want to teach sinners Your way so that the sinner may be converted to You." As soon as Andrew recognized Christ, he (Andrew) hurried to his brother Simon and cried out to him (Simon): "We found the Messiah" and led him directly to Jesus. Phillip did the same. When he met his friend, Nathaniel, he said, "We have found the One of Whom Moses spoke in the law and the prophets wrote about – Jesus, Joseph’s Son, from Nazareth." We hear a similar account of the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob: she had hardly recognized that the One Who spoke to her was the Messiah, when she abandoned her jar and hurried into town to tell people: "Come and see a man Who told me everything I ever did – see whether He is Christ." Luther states beautifully: "When a Christian begins to recognize Christ as the his Lord and Savior, through Whom he (the Christian) has been delivered from death, then his heart is possessed by God so that he (the Christian) knows no greater joy – this is his treasure – then that someone else (also) recognizes Christ. For that reason he (the Christian) goes out, teaches and admonishes others, boasts of and confesses the same to everyone, begs and sighs with the goal that they might come to such grace. It is a restless spirit (with) in the greatest rest, that is, in God’s grace and peace. He cannot be still or listless, but always contends and strives with all his might, as his one reason for living (raison d’etre) that he might bring God’s praise and honor among people." Thus far, Luther.
Yet, my Beloved, a Christian through faith receives not only such a desire to lead souls to Christ. He also has a sacred duty. No one should say, "I am not a minister, a teacher, a preacher. Such an one (i.e., a minister, a teacher, or a preacher) may teach, admonish, comfort, convert, and lead to Christ. I, however, wish to remain in my calling (i.e., non-professional church member)." No, my Christian, you are baptized and through holy baptism every Christian is dedicated, ordained and installed into office to teach, admonish, comfort, and discipline his neighbor. Through holy baptism a Christian has received not only power and authority and the right, but also the high and holy obligation to guard and to sustain against the loss of divine grace and to assist to the end that others are enlightened and brought to Christ, the bishop of their souls. Indeed James says, "God has begotten us according to His will through the Word of truth so that we are the first (born) of His creatures." Again, John says, "Christ has made us kings and priests before God and His Father." And, finally, St. Peter says, "You are a chosen generation, the royal priesthood, the holy people, the people of (God’s) possession that you should make known the virtue of the One Who has called you from darkness to His wonderful light."
Go through all of the chief parts of the catechism. You will find in each the command that a Christian should provide for the salvation of the soul of his neighbor. The holy ten commandments require us to love our neighbor as ourselves. How can we do this, when we see his soul perishing and we are not permitted to help him out(of this predicament)? In the second chief part we confess a fellowship of the saints. How could this spiritual fellowship be preserved, if one were not able to serve the other? In the third chief part Christians are taught to pray to God as to their common Father. How could they do this, if they do not recognize each other as brethren, and, if they do not in fraternal love teach, admonish, and correct one another? How could they pray, "Thy Kingdom come," if they themselves wished to do nothing to advance the Kingdom of God? In the fourth chief part we are instructed concerning baptism: that we all thereby have become members of the body of Jesus Christ. If we are all members of this spiritual body, isn’t it necessary for one member to serve another lest the body be torn apart? Just as (it is) with our body—the members (serve one another): the eye must serve the foot and the hand (must serve) the mouth. Thus, one congregational member must also serve another lest the whole be disrupted. According to the fifth chief part we are all fed by one bread and given to drink from one chalice in order to seal our innermost fellowship. Does not the Holy (Lord’s) Supper demand from us that one care about the soul of the other, as he does for his own? There is no doubt: while God insists on love for everyone from everyone, He thereby makes each the caretaker (provider for) of souls of others according to the calling of Christian love.
Indeed, it is true: not everyone is a minister or bishop in the Christian congregation. God is a God of order. For the sake of order it is always required that only one or a few be chosen from the congregation and they, in the name (stead) of all, administer the rights of the spiritual priesthood publicly. However, just as in the construction of a visible church (building) the building supervisors are not the only workers who organize and lead. They necessarily have many helpers.
In the same way also the invisible Church is a building (in progress) in which, not only the called servants of Christ work, but all Christians must lend a hand. Christ speaks to His Heavenly Father, "I do not pray that You take them out of the world but that You preserve them from evil." Thus, Christ does not wish that His Christians abandon the world outwardly and conceal themselves in monasteries. No, the true Church should be right in the middle of the world, and its members should shine as lights among it (the world) and should illuminate the world. Christians should be the salt which seasons the whole world and preserves it from rottenness. The Christian Church is a huge mission launching pad (German: house), and each Christian, a missionary sent out by God in(to) his (the Christian’s) sphere (of activity) to convert other human beings to Christ, to invite them to the celestial wedding, to call them to the Kingdom of God and to woo fighters everywhere by the eternal jewels and soldiers into the army of Christ. God gives His spiritual gifts not only to preachers and teachers, but also to laymen who are not in the public office. They, too, often have the most wonderful gifts: a splendid knowledge of Christian doctrine, a superior gift of understanding and interpretation of the Scripture, a marvelous gift of testing the sprits and refuting the erring, a magnificent gift of governing, comforting, admonishing, praying, and so on. Has God given these gifts to ordinary Christians in vain? Isn’t God clearly indicating that each Christian is to be a coworker in His vineyard? Indeed, the Lord says not only to Peter, but to all Christians, "Once you are converted, then strengthen your brethren." Speaking of all Christians St. James says, "Dear brethren, if someone errs from the truth and someone converts him, that person has delivered (German: helped) his soul from death and covered many sins." My dear ones, if we encountered a person lying helpless in bodily misery, wounded and beaten, we would consider it our duty to offer assistance and not wait for a regular (i.e., official) doctor. We (would) bind his wounds and transport him to a place where (his needs) can be addressed. (Thus also) we consider ourselves called through the call to Christian love. If a Christian finds a person wounded in his soul and he (any Christian) is able to offer assistance, he should not think, "How does this (situation) concern me? The spiritual doctor, the preacher, may come and help him." No, O Christian, here you have the calling of love which has been given to you. Yes, if the priest and Levite passed by the wretched man, you should show yourself all the more zealously to be a compassionate Samaritan.
Certainly and without doubt a preacher above all others has the duty to lead souls to Christ. Initially, he must show them how much they need Christ. Then, how much Christ has done for them. Finally, how they may reach Christ and abide in Him. In that duty he is never to give up, never to cease praying, admonishing and to implore, "Let yourselves be reconciled to God." It is equally certain that parents have a special duty to lead their children to Christ and to bring them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord. If parents fulfill their obligation to provide for the bodily needs of their children and also the refinement of their understanding through good instruction—nevertheless, the main duty (of parents) is to make their children acquainted with their Savior early (in life). They must dedicate their child to the Savior already when it is in the cradle, and among everything else it experiences, it should learn to pray, "Daddy, dear Father." God will hold parents and guardian accountable for the souls of children; for they (the children) have been entrusted to them (i.e., parents and guardians) for the purposes that they (children) be brought to the salvific knowledge of their Savior, that they may be preserved from the seduction of the world and led on the way to heaven. God has established father and mother in the home as caretakers of the souls (of their children). Especially the husband has the sacred duty to lead his wife to Christ and to keep her in Him. She is bound to his (the husband’s) soul. If he wishes to be her head, he should carry her in his heart and must be her spiritual father. The teacher also has a special obligation to his students; the master (head) of the house, to his companions at home; the superior to his subordinates; the elder to the younger. It was not in vain that God entrusted (German: loaned) certain powers to one person over others. Each should utilize (his special position/advantage) to assist souls, to proclaim Christ to them and to further His (Christ’s) honor. Yes, even a friend has a special obligation over against an old (long time) friend, if the long time friend is now perhaps going another way. God did not bring you together with others for no reason. He did not inspire the trust and love of others for you without a purpose. You are to make use of these things to lead souls to Him, Who caused your soul to find grace.
However, dear ones, if someone has a special duty (to proclaim Christ), that does not mean other Christians are excluded from it. Here there is no difference. St. Paul says, "Here there is no Jew, Greek, no servant or free man, no man or woman. You are all one in Christ Jesus." Not only men but also women, not only the elderly but also children are spiritual priests and teachers of the world. Joel (the Prophet) had already announced in prophecy regarding the New Testament era, when he said, "And it will happen in the last days, says God, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh. And your sons and your daughters will prophesy; your youths will see visions; your elderly will have dreams; and I will pour out My Spirit on your servants and maidens and they will prophesy." Although the holy apostle commands that women should be silent in the public (gathering of) the congregation so that they may not forget they are to be under the authority of their husbands, nevertheless, we find many wonderful examples of women who privately taught with blessings and won many souls to Christ. Thus, Pricilla taught Appollos the way of God diligently. So also did the four daughters of Phillip, who prophesied together—that is, teaching in their houses with divine understanding (German: illumination). The holy Apostle boasted of Phoebe, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Evodia, and Syntyche that they had accomplished much in the Lord and had struggled together with him for the Gospel.
Thus, my dear ones, you see from this: the office of Preacher or Caretaker of souls has not been instituted so that no one else is responsible for teaching or the care of souls. No, the whole congregation is to be a holy people, a royal priesthood. Each Christian should bear the needs of the soul of his neighbor in his heart and assist in the advance of the salvific Gospel (in the lives) of men so that the kingdom of Satan in the world is destroyed and the Kingdom of God expanded. Oh, how differently things would look; how much greater and more wonderful would be the blessing of the Word of God, if each Christian recognized his holy calling and administered his royal priesthood. With that in mind the Apostle cries to the Corinthians, "Strive to love. Be zealous for the spiritual gifts, but primarily for the gift of prophesying Christ’s message of salvation." (The German imperative is plural, denoting all of the people)."
Thus my dear ones, among Christians everything should be done orderly and honorably. Now, let me show you, as my second point, in which manner Christians are to practice their sacred duty to lead souls to Christ.
II
The fact that God instituted the office of preaching—beside the spiritual priesthood of all Christians—in order to teach the Gospel publicly, to administer the sacraments and to handle the keys to the Kingdom of heaven for the sake of order is beyond our disputing. There are called public servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. Therefore, on the basis of this (recognized teaching) we acknowledge that no one is permitted to despise or neglect the public office of preaching because he himself is a spiritual priest. Indeed, a Christian will agree with the assertion of David: "Whatever God orders is praiseworthy and wonderful." Furthermore, no one may even conclude: "I am a spiritual priest and, thus, also a public preacher." On the contrary, for that to be true you must have a special and proper (orderly) call; for whatever happens in the name of all must first of all be commissioned in the name of all. The letter to the Hebrews states: "No one assumes for himself the honor, but he is called by God, just as Aaron was." James also says: "Dear brethren, not everyone should undertake to be a teacher. Rather, you should know that we (who are) will be all the more accountable." Whoever then presumes to be and asserts himself as a public teacher such a person acts against God; and no one should listen to him on pain of God’s disapproval.
Indeed, there are emergencies—that is, times—in which the administration of the office is necessary and yet no called servant is available. That (situation) is the first case in which each Christian, as a spiritual priest, can step forward and do the work in the name of Christ. If a woman baptizes in an emergency, if a layman absolves in a circumstance of need, then a baptism and absolution is right, godly, and valid—just as if (these acts) were done by St. Peter and, yes, by Christ Himself. Indeed, if a Christian were to come to a place where there are no (other) Christians, he is able even to step up and preach the Gospel publicly. If his listeners receive God’s Word (favorably), a true Church has begun (to exist) by (the work of) such a preacher and (it) possesses all the properties of the Church. (Furthermore,) whoever is chosen in such a Church is a true servant of Jesus Christ, an established bishop and follower of the holy apostles. Thus, we read in the history of the Christian Church that all of Ethiopia was brought to the knowledge of Christ by two enterprising (i.e., these young people took advantage of their situation for Christ) Christian young men by the names of Aedesius and Frumentius, who arrived there as a result of a maritime journey.
Yet, these are only exceptional (i.e., infrequent) cases where each Christian, as a spiritual priest, is able to lead souls to Christ. This office has a much greater role in the Church. Whoever is a Christian head of the house should also practice his spiritual priesthood at home on a continual basis over against (his) wife and child, proving his role as a true bishop (to them) on a daily basis—especially in the morning and at evening, transforming his house into a church. With his family he should pray and teach them to pray, read and interpret the Scripture with them and for them, discipline the sins of his family based on God’s Word, and encourage his family to walk accordingly (to God’s word). He should inspire them to come to Christ (the German word, "locken." Means to lure or entice), comfort them in all terrors of conscience and show them the means they are to use in order to conduct a true Christian (life) and from which perils to the soul they are to protect themselves. Oh, my Beloved, if only every home were such a church! How mightily would the knowledge (of Christ), faith, and divine blessedness grow in the whole congregation.
Moreover, this practice of spiritual priesthood is not only possible for fathers and mothers in the home but for all Christians in their circumstances and callings. Even, if one is not a father in the home, he nevertheless has a brother, sister, acquaintance or relative, a male or female friend. When he associates with them, let him consider that he has become a spiritual priest through holy baptism, that he has entered into a covenant with God to enter His (God’s) service. Every Christian should seize the opportunity zealously to speak something good: he should tell what God has done for him. He should win over the erring. He should admonish the frivolous and lazy, disciplining those who are downcast. O my Beloved, what good is it to claim for ourselves as a right (of being Christian) the spiritual priesthood, while declining to fulfill its duties? What good is it, if we call ourselves spiritual priests, but, when we come together, (we) neglect and abandon the priestly office? How does it help to have the name without the deed?
Indeed, should it not cause a Christian to be afraid, if he has been in a group (of people) and not spoken a good word? He may have indeed seen sins but did not reproach them? He had opportunity to edify others but did not avail himself of it? Are such people priestly Christians? Do such (people) recognize their lofty calling? Today groups (of people) are pleased if we laugh and joke with them, but how will we (stand) to listen to our friends speak to us before God’s throne one day? They will say: "You saw me erring and sinning and you did not reprove (me). You saw my soul in jeopardy and you did not warn me. You should have redeemed the time with me, but you joined me in squandering it. You could have been able to assist me to progress in my Christianity, but through vain speech you seduced me and withheld from me the truth. You didn’t love me; you despised my soul You should have helped me to be saved, but, in fact, you are responsible for my (eternal) loss."
God be praised, my dear ones, that we once again possess the correct doctrine of the spiritual priesthood. From God’s Word we know (that) each Christian is to be a teacher of the Gospel in his life situation. Therefore, let us now finally convert this doctrine into life. (Let us) reform not only doctrine but life.
Where we have a friend with whom we associate let us think in this manner: God has brought me together with him (the friend) so that I may either bring him to Christ or preserve him in Christ. When we participate in a group let us think in this way: God has called me here (hither) so that, as a priest, I may further the common growth and (so that I) should be a blessing to all who are (here) gathered together. Yes, even when we are spiritual priests in their presence, may confess by word and deed and (thereby) afford them an opportunity that they may attain to the truth. Nothing happens by accident. As often as we find ourselves among the children of the world, we should ask ourselves: Can I be of help (German: use) to their souls? After all, children of the world rejoice when we are like them, when we deny our faith, when we confirm them in their ungodly talk—even if we were to do that only with a friendly expression. However, (if we were to do that) they will one day accuse us before God and say; "I frequently was in your company; you knew how one (must) be saved, but you said nothing to me. I was a spiritual deaf mute; I didn’t know Christ; I could not pray to Him. You should have led me to Christ, but you said nothing to me about Christ. In order not to lose my favor. You were silent about the truth which makes (one) blessed. You were calling yourself a spiritual priest, but you cared nothing (did not provide) for my soul."
Indeed, we should not throw that which is sacred to the dogs, as God’s Word says. That is, we should not push the Gospel upon (German: force it upon) anyone who despises or mocks it. However, whenever we are able to lead a soul to Christ or defend the honor of Christ, then we should not let up in (our) zeal or because of fear, cease to bear witness to the truth courageously.
Oh, what a joy it will be, when, in eternity, many a person will approach us and say to us: "O brother, O sister, you saved my soul. I came to you and you admonished, you disciplined, you enticed me with the Gospel, you comforted me, you showed me the way to Christ. And see—without you noticing, in (your) words Christ spoke the "Ephetha" into the ear of my spirit. From that moment I became a Christian and now I am saved." Oh, what a joy that will be in all eternity to see souls around us, (souls) who through us (i.e., our efforts) came to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, (souls) who found the way to heaven through us (i.e., our witness). We ourselves, along with all the angels, will then exclaim with extreme joy: "The Lord has done all things well. To Him be honor and power forever and ever." Amen.

What we can learn about the demise of a mega church?

2011-03-28T09:48:00.000+11:00

Gordon Moyes the former pastor of Wesley City Mission and a NSW Legisaltive Council politician recently wrote an article called Cracks in the Crystal Cathedral....the main focus of the article is to highlight seven areas of why Crystal Catehderal difficulties that we can learn from You can read the article at http://www.gordonmoyes.com/2010/10/27/cracks-in-the-crystal-cathedral/

Lutheran Church of Australia Worship Planning page

2011-02-21T13:16:00.000+11:00

The Worship Planning Page, is an initiative of the Commission on Worship to help lay people prepare and lead worship services in the Lutheran Church of Australia.

The aim of this site is to provide lay people with all the resources they need: sermons, bible readings from the lectionary, approved orders of service (in ready to print, rich text or PowerPoint formats) prayers and song/hymn suggestions.

The site is updated weekly with material for the coming Sunday.

New resources are being added to the library all the time and these will be added to the site as they become available.

You are also able to subscribe to receive a weekly email

Visit http://www.lca.org.au/worship/cowadmin/

Australian Contemporary Christian Music: EMU Music

2011-02-21T10:52:00.000+11:00

Emu Music exists to resource churches with new songs of the Word and to train musicians in effective Biblical music ministry.

EMU music offers a range of quality congregational orientated Christian music for both Contemporary orientated congregations and children's ministry. They are influenced by people who take God's word seriously.

Visit their site @ http://www.emumusic.com.au/ to view and listen to their songs and discover more about EMU Music

or visit the Amazon links below to listen to samples of their songs

Contemporary Congregational Music and Songs

Kids music

Video of Liturgical Services from Memorial Lutheran Church Houston

2011-02-21T09:00:00.000+11:00

Memorial Lutheran Church Houston makes available their weekly worship service via video online visit http://mlchouston.org/mlc/resources/services/ to view them each week.

Free devotions for college and university students

2011-02-21T08:55:00.000+11:00

Faithinkubators offer free email devotions for college and university students.....

Some parents and grandparents receive these and forward them to their children and grandchildren with a personal note....

visit http://www.faithink.com/Freebies/college.asp to subscribe

NIV bible translation updated

2011-02-14T21:50:00.000+11:00

The NIV and TNIV bible translation are being updated..
Visit the Committee on Bible Translations to discover the reasons why, and how the 2011 NIV translation differes from the 1984 translation and the 2005 TNIV translation .

Christian Publishing and Outreach - contemporary publications & posters

2011-02-14T18:39:00.000+11:00

Christian Publishing and Outreach
offers a coordinated range of designs presenting a consistent message for you to personalise and invite your local community to your events and services. Products include:
•A variety of different invitations and cards – these can be personalised by us, using our professional typesetting and overprinting service, or online, using our online overprint facility or DIY
•Customised church publicity posters
•Colourful posters with a Christian message for use in every situation and location
•Church banners to display inside your church
•Customised vinyl banners to create maximum impact outside your church
•Roll-up banners, portable, comes with a carry bag and ideal for use where a temporary display is required

visit http://www.cpo.org.uk/ to discover more

Psalm settings

2011-02-14T18:19:00.000+11:00

Roland Publishing has available Psalm settings for each week in the church lectionary year....available in either hard copy or cd.
Visit http://www.rolandpublishing.com/Sacred-Compositions.html for samples and details of how to order

Biblical Training...some free...some @ a cost..available on line

2011-02-14T18:11:00.000+11:00

BiblicalTraining.org
The mission of BiblicalTraining is to help build healthy churches by providing world-class educational resources for making new and fully-formed disciples within the context of the local church.

About the courses
Their resources are divided into two basic parts:

Classes for free,
Certificate classes require payment.

Classes are divided into three parts.
1. New Believers are classes and resources design for the person who is beginning their spiritual journey. They also answer many questions non-believers have, and they are good materials for older Christians to work through to make sure they have an understanding of the basics of their faith.
2. Lay Training are generally ten hour classes created for the people in the church, including those moving into church leadership.
3. The Biblical Training Institute is a full seminary-level program of classes.

Courses on offer include
The Story of Jesus,

Now that I Believe. Your First Steps with God,
A Pocket Guide to New Testament Theology,
Dynamics of Christian Spirituality,
52 Major Stories of the Bible,
New Testament
Systematic Theology,
Biblical Theology,
World Religions
Spiritual Warfare,
Church History,
Communicating the Gospel
How to Study Your Bible
Introduction to Christian Education
Small Group Dynamics
Old Testament Survey Summary

Old Testament Survey
New Testament Survey: The Gospels
New Testament Survey: Acts-Revelation
Introduction to the New Testament: The Gospels and Acts
Introduction to the New Testament: Romans to Revelation
New Testament
Life of Christ
Inductive Bible Study
Biblical Hermeneutics
Biblical Greek
Greek Tools for Bible Study
Spiritual Formation
Worship
New Testament Theology
Old Testament Theology
Advanced Worldview Analysis
Apologetics
Christian Apologetics
Christian Ethics
History of Philosophy and Christian Thought
History of the English Bible
The Essential Luther
Martin Luther
Introduction to Islam
Introduction to Buddhism
Introduction to Hinduism
The World Mission of the Church
Theology of World Missions
Contemporary World Missions
Educational Ministry of the Church
Pastoral Theology
Introduction to Preaching
Preaching
The focus of this training is to allow people to receive online training....whilst being involved in their local congregation. Biblicaltraining.org want to see people learn within the context of relationships and their local church, and to be changed into Christ-likeness in the process.

for more information visit http://www.biblicaltraining.org/

Article: Evangelism by the book by Neil Gamble

2011-02-14T17:52:00.000+11:00

Evangelism by the Book,

Mt. 10, Mk. 6, Lu. 9,& 10
I have spent the last 10 years involved in the discipleship/house church movement around the world. I am by no means an expert on the subject of evangelism but I have been involved in some amazing times with the Lord in the last 28 years. Evangelism in the discipleship/house church movements that I have been apart of looks totally different than what I was taught in my younger days in the western church setting. My journey into discipleship/evangelism did not begin in the movements I am presently a part of but 25+ years before in Idaho doing street/prison ministry.

I have always been about doing and going, not just sitting. I have found that Mt. 28:18-20, Mk.16:15-18, Lu24:47 and many other commands to “Go” can not be done sitting. Jesus says, “when we have done it to the least of these my brothers you have done it unto me”. (Mt. 25:34-40). So, when I began to be a part of the “church” in the USA, going was not a problem to me, sitting was. I had read the scriptures and was determined to be a doer not a sitter. This was a thorn in many leaders side as I refused to sit down and conform to “church life”. I have always been a bit out of control when it comes to obeying Jesus.

The evangelism I was taught as I attended traditional gatherings of the body of Christ did not seem very effective and going door-to-door and giving people the 4 spiritual laws or the “Roman road condemnation” did not work for me. I did it because leaders told me that is what I must do, but found such a small amount of fruit that I was constantly frustrated or felt condemned. I was not seeing what I saw in the book of Acts. Church would not let me practice discipleship or evangelism like I read. That type of thing brought a bit of a chaotic result. You can not control people who find Jesus presence in their own lives. Leaders would tell me that I was not submissive and was rebellious because I was looking for what I saw in the bible. They did not have bad hearts but were only doing what they had been taught. I went to many of these elders of the church as I knew it in the gatherings we attended. Though they would agree with me about the scriptures and what they said, when I would practice them, I was labeled rebellious and divisive because the people I taught these things to would quit coming to all the gatherings and be out on the street; going, not sitting. They would quit supporting programs that did not work and began to give to the poor or whomever God spoke to them to. Once they found they could hear from the Lord and that He would do miracles and other things through them and use them, they were no longer controllable. You could not tell them to sit down nor that they were not anointed.

I began going to prisons because the Lord says that when you visit the prisoners, (Mt 25:34-36) you are basically visiting Him. I wanted to “know” Jesus so going to prison was one way to get closer to Him. In prison I found a freedom to practice gatherings according to 1 Co 14:26 and to do evangelism and discipleship like I saw in the bible. I soon saw fruit begin to show up and we actually saw our first person raised from the dead in one of the meetings in prison. I saw extreme evangelism take place as I shared with the inmates about what the Spirit of God would do if we followed Him. I saw discipleship taking place without even having to tell them that they should. It was amazing to watch as God did what I read in the book of acts. The prisons were a training ground for me. One incident happened as I was talking to an inmate through the bars on his cell. As I was talking the Spirit showed me something specific about his past. I shared with him what I heard the Spirit say and as a result of what he heard he was really moved so he asked me for a bible. I gave one to him and left. Two weeks later as we got to the medium security section to do a service this young man I had talked to was in the hallway waiting for me. He had a bandage on his neck and upon seeing me got on his knees and asked me to help him receive Jesus. I asked why the hurry and told him we could do that once we were in the chapel. He said, “No way man, I want to receive Jesus right now!” Right in the middle of the prison yard on his knees, in front of the guards and other inmates I introduced him to Jesus. Once in the chapel I asked him why the hurry. He related that as a result of asking me for a bible his cellmate had put out a contract on him. They had shived (knifed) him in the shower, for receiving a bible. The hole in his neck missed the jugular vein by a few hairs distance. So he says, “If they will shive me for reading a bible this Jesus must be true so I gotta follow Him.”

I went to the streets and found that I could follow the leading of Holy Spirit and He would guide me to someone who was ready to change their lives. I saw healings and deliverances take place like I did in prison. People would be changed and they would share with others in their environment. It was not hard to change people because they were ready to find the truth. Whenever they would encounter the power of Holy Spirit in some personal way through a “word”, deliverance or healing they would receive. The true Jesus was what they were looking for. They did not want Christian religion they wanted Christ! By following the voice of God I was being fruitful and multiplying. Most of these people would never enter a church even after Jesus touched them. They were not interested in religion, only Jesus.

Over the years I saw a lot of weird and wonderful miracles and signs outside the church gatherings I was a part of. At work and everywhere I was willing to follow the voice of the Spirit I saw Jesus work. It was not enough for me to see these wonders through my hands but I wanted others to feel what it was like to be used and needed by the Lord. Thus I began taking others with me and then getting them to pray or share. I looked for ways that I could energize them to teach, pray or hear from the Lord for others. I found that Father moved even more as I gave away what I knew of intimacy with Him to others. As Christ followers began to recognize the voice of the Spirit in their lives, changes happened and more were moved to “Go”. Young kids and youth would get hold of listening to the Spirit and doing what He led them to do and they would change those around them and even a couple of schools got changed by a small group of kids following the leading of the Spirit.

What happened is this; I found what true evangelism and discipleship would do.

A great part of discipleship and evangelism is getting people who say they are Christians to “Go”. Discipleship and evangelism involves modeling, assisting and watching, sending, then leaving. It is tough to carry on discipleship without a heart in you for the lame, blind and halt. This along with the desire to see other Christians find a dynamic relationship with the Lord and to find intimacy with Him is the foundation of Jesus’ discipleship.

Discipleship does not work unless there is a hunger for “Seeking and saving the Lost” (Lu.19:10) and “destroying the works of the enemy” (1Jn.3:8). Your relationship with Jesus must be filled with passion and hunger to know Him and bring the reality of His presence to others. You must be unwilling to settle for what you see in “church gatherings” and be persistent to see the promises in the bible true in your life. You must be willing to change constantly and not look back. You must also be humble enough to realize you are imperfect and needy.

One key element found lacking in modern Christianity is realization that the Kingdom of God is not a democracy but it is a Monarchy. Father does not accept our ideas of right and wrong, good or bad, obedience or disobedience. Jesus is “the Way, the Truth and the Life”. His life and teaching are the standard of conduct for all who say they are Christ followers. We must judge ourselves by this standard.

So with these thoughts let’s look at evangelism by the book. How did Jesus evangelize and how did he teach his disciples to do this great work of the Father’s heart? First, we must realize that evangelism is seeking and saving the lost and destroying the works of the devil. It is not about making people into “church members”. It is not about getting people to go to a Sunday gathering to listen to someone preach. It is about getting someone to look like Jesus, gain His heart and follow Him.

What methods did Jesus embrace to do this and how can we follow these methods if they exist?

To understand His actions we will need to look at the Gospels and note the theme. In actuality, Jesus’ focus was not on evangelism but on discipleship for His three years of ministry though He taught crowds about God, His character and showed the world the Father’s heart. He told all the people that “the Son of himself could do nothing but it was the Father in Him that did the works” (Jn 14:10). The Father, through Jesus, healed, delivered and set the captives free, but He only empowered the disciples to become fishers of men. Real evangelism is simply the natural result of discipleship that empowers, equips and gives tools to someone so they can walk like a child of God. The focus of discipleship is to teach, impart and guide someone into an intimate (close, dynamic, personal, rich) relationship with Father and Jesus through Holy Spirit and show them the responsibility and demands of this relationship. Then we show them how they can and must give what they receive away to others.

The focus of much of what Jesus did with the multitudes was used in training and equipping 12 men to know Father and walk like He Himself walked. There is a question we should ask about Jesus training; Did Jesus ever do anything without the presence and power of the Spirit of God? Is there anywhere that He went without the miraculous being a part of what He did? Did He practice any kind of evangelism or discipleship without the Power of God? Can the Gospel Jesus spoke of and walked be lived without the miraculous? In confirmation of this Paul says that the Gospel is a demonstration of Spirit and Power. (1 Co. 2:4, 4:20). We fool ourselves if we think we can evangelize of disciple without the power. In all the nations I have visited, the Works of the Spirit—miracles, etc., primarily fuel the fire that is spreading the Gospel. Without it we have nothing to offer but a different religion. These signs prove His love for the world and us and without them we present a different Gospel than is found in the New Testament scriptures.

When Jesus sent out His disciples to the world around them He gave pretty clear instructions for going. These were the first evangelistic journeys we have recorded other than Jesus journey itself. These sending times are found in Matthew 10, Mark 6, and Luke 9 &10.

I will primarily use Luke 10 but first I will note some variations found in the like scripture passages of Matthew and Mark before I lay out the whole theme from Luke 10.

Mt.10:5-15 is pretty specific instruction for the 12 and the first people they are sent to are the “lost sheep of Israel”. This could mean that the first place to start evangelizing now could be amongst those you live with who call themselves Christians or your family members who do not know the truth, (those who should know but do not do). What the disciples are told to preach is pretty specific, not just anything they wanted to say. “The Kingdom of God is at hand” is to be the message along with healing the sick and walking in power.

Mk. 6 says specifically “He began to send them out”, this indicates possible multiple outings not specifically recorded. Here in Mark He adds to Mathew’s account, “go 2x2”.

Lu. 9 like Mt. 10 is pretty specific to the 12 but here He seems to emphasis the need to not take provision instead go dependent upon God and those you go to for provision.

We are to be disciples of Christ also if you read the prayer in Jn. 17:20 and then the Great Commission found in Mt. 28:18-20. We are sent just like Jesus if you read Jn.20:21. As a result of the resurrection commands we are also to do what the original 12 did.

Jesus modeled what He sent the 12 out to do, helped them do it, sent them to do it and then left them to do it. He healed, delivered, and preached that the Kingdom of God is at hand. (a good study is to look up all the scripture references where Jesus used the phrase, “the kingdom of God”) His method of evangelism was the miraculous. And His preaching about the Kingdom of God and sending the disciples out to do the same was His goal. He told the 12 to go and gave them the power to go like He went from the first (see Mark 3). Lu. 10 adds something that makes it absolutely defining that we are sent like the 12 and to imitate Jesus.

We must realize that Jesus did not begin His ministry by healing, and preaching. He began it by being baptized, having the Holy Sprit come upon Him, being tempted to do his ministry by taking short cuts offered by the enemy and then by calling 12 disciples with a specific message to them. “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men”. Before beginning to preach, He called 12 to go with Him. In calling them He presented a contract of sorts. It was this, “if you follow me I will make you fishers of men”. His goal in the contract was that they become fishers of men, followers of Father. That was His purpose. They began to follow Jesus knowing beforehand that the reason He called them was to equip and send them to seek and save the lost, and destroy the works of the enemy, not to sit. At the beginning He gave them His purpose in calling them. So sending them out in Lu. 9 and 10 is not unexpected to them. It is the purpose they followed Him, a part of the discipleship process.

Let us focus on Lu. 10:1-11 verse by verse with some notes inserted after each verse;

Lk 10:1 –Lk 10:11 (NKJV)
1: After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.

The first thing about this scripture that is imperative to note is that these people being sent out were “appointed by the Lord”, He is KING, but you cannot separate that from the amount sent. 70 or 72 in some translations is significant. It has the intended meaning of “ALL”. So the statement starts with an imperative from the King that all disciples are sent. You may also note that Father send Jesus, Jesus called the 12 and then sent them and now there are 70. Eventually there will be 120 as the book of Acts begins.

He also states here that we are to go 2x2. It is not good to go alone. There is need of accountability, support, companionship, focus, and help. (Encouragement and courage come with another like-minded person being with you. It is harder for the enemy to deceive two than one also).

These 2x2 groups are not sent to wherever they feel like going. Jesus specifically sends them to every place that He is going to go—specific locations.

There may be a question in your mind, Where does Jesus not want to go?

The conclusion; He wants everyone to go (sent 70), He wants to send them everywhere He is going to go (all the world every tribe), and He is going there also (“I will be with you always”)! Yet each person is sent to specific places and not all go to the same destination or in the same way. Each has the same specific purpose—Spread His Kingdom, not build edifices or ministries.

2: Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

I love this verse, but I think that we misread it at times. This verse in not simply about prayer. It is about evangelism and what we as disciples are supposed to do as we go. Our focus is to be on finding laborers. There never has been a problem with the harvest. They are waiting in the fields to be harvested. The harvest is HIS harvest not ours.

The problem is not enough laborers. The church prays for the harvest, Jesus says that the harvest is great, but the lack of laborers is the problem. Jesus sends out the disciples to find laborers, not to do the harvest. Evangelism is what will happen if we find laborers. It is the natural result of workers being found. Those who will become disciples will always become fishers of men because that is the purpose of being a disciple – to become a fisher of men.

The first verse must be a prerequisite to the meaning of the second. The disciples are sent, so first we as disciples must be going. We are sent. As they go they are to pray that the Lord would send forth laborers. The disciples are not sent to harvest the wheat in the cities they are going to but to find laborers there who will do the harvest. Two strangers in a town cannot harvest the souls found there. They can make converts but unless there is someone there to train these converts, there will not be any change or lasting impact in the city. These sent ones are strangers, but there are laborers in that city that can plant, grow and harvest the crop. We should be praying for laborers everywhere we go.

(In most countries a lot of the harvest in fields is still done by hand. Two people cannot harvest a field. It takes many people with a variety of skills to bring the harvest of wheat or rice to the storehouse). It is the same with Christ followers.

3: Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.
Go—this word seems to proceed all of the commands given disciples. “GO”. Then Jesus tells them “Go, as sheep among wolves”—How does a sheep walk when it knows wolves are around… “Bah Bah Bah” or in human terms “making a lot of noise and drawing attention to themselves”? I do not think so! Quietness and hiding would be much smarter, leaving no scent for the enemy to find by staying in one place instead of going everywhere we want to go is another smart decision -- to keep from being found by wolves out hunting. (you leave no tracks or scent if you do not move around).

So what is Jesus saying in modern vernacular? “I am sending you into dangerous places where you will not be able to defend yourselves”. “Go quietly not drawing attention or letting people know what you are doing”. (That will do away with what most western Christians call “evangelism”). The last thought, wolves are killers, they do not just kill something to eat, they are one of the few animals that at times kill simply for the pleasure of killing. A lot of time they do not eat what they kill. When wolves get in a band of sheep they will kill 5-15 sheep and eat only one.

The thought in this scripture is that where Jesus is sending us may get us killed, we may not come home. Jesus does not make any excuse or provision in this to not go. This is simply part of the cost of being a disciple sent out to the places Jesus is going to go.

4:Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.
Do not take your own provision but rely on the Lord and the people you are going to visit for your sustenance while there. This will make it impossible for you to stay at fancy hotels, you will have to live amongst the people.

The second thing is to greet no one along the way or in other words, do not get sidetracked by stopping and visiting friends and seeing the sites. STAY FOCUSED. This is not a vacation. Father has a purpose and a place for you to go. Don’t waste time doing other things. Today is the day of salvation and we have no guarantee of tomorrow.

5: But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’
Wherever we travel around the world, there is always someone who will want to have you come into his or her home and visit. For the most part people like to entertain or be hospitable to strangers. So, in this scripture Jesus is saying that He has a place for you already prepared to receive you. Second, you are to say “SHALOM” not “Hi how are you, nice to meet you”. Why is Jesus so specific in the greeting? Who is Peace? Who does it come from?—Jesus is the answer to both statements! Also there is so much in this word “shalom”, peace, healing, prosperity, long life and rest. Wow! If I remember right, Jesus says “life and death are in the power of the tongue”. What you say is important. By saying “Shalom” you are calling Him to accompany you into this home that He has sent you to and wherever Jesus enters He seems to always produce a miracle of some kind.

6: And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.
This word accompanies your previous instruction to enter with Shalom. What He is saying is that if someone feels that you are truly bringing peace and receives your word; you will know or feel the peace in the home. If not, you will not have any peace being in the home. The people there will be ready for you to leave. It will be uncomfortable. Jesus will not be welcome.

7: And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.
Again Jesus is saying do not go from place to place in the city, He sent you to a specific place for a reason. Don’t scatter seed all over the place, Stay, eat, drink and receive there. Do NOT go to all the places that people want you to go.. Listen to the Lord not the people and their “good intentions or desires”.

8: Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.
Do you know how few places or times that Jesus repeats Himself like this? Do you think that what He is saying is important? When you are asked into someone’s home, why is it important to eat what is set before you?

It is amazing that all over the world, when you eat with people and accept what they feed you, how it breaks down barriers. Food is so important to cultures and the acceptance of their food is like accepting their culture. They will be watching how you eat what they offer you. Eat the ethnic food! IT IS IMPORTANT!

9: And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
Are you listening? To this point in Lu.10 Jesus has not told you to share or do anything. First you are to enter and say Shalom, then you are to eat, you are to stay in one place and not travel around from house to house. Then He repeats EAT…

Then Jesus says “Heal the sick”. He did not say pray for the sick, He said, “Heal the sick”…. It is not until Jesus has done a miracle of some kind that He then says tell them the “Kingdom of God is come near you”. You are not to preach first but to demonstrate first just like He did. (Jesus had already modeled what He is telling them to do here). Oops, maybe we should read that again. Maybe we read it wrong, missed something, or have the wrong version of the Bible?

Or maybe we should change from our ineffective methods and do what the Lord says. Maybe we should quit doing what we think is nice or good and begin to do God. If we cannot prove who we are maybe we should not speak. (Lu. 24:49)

What was the gospel they were to preach? “The kingdom of God has come near you.” That is pretty specific words, it is not your choice to preach or share what you want, here in this scripture it says to say as a result of the healing or miracle, “the kingdom of God has come near!” To speak this statement suggests that something must have happened before you can say it.

10: But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say,

11: ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’

These two verses need to be as one. They do not say stay and keep preaching and preaching and praying and praying. It does not say go again and again to the same place if they reject you. It says if they do not receive or believe that God did the miracle or healing that happened, you leave, go to another place and quit trying to convince them of something that they have chosen to reject.

It does say to leave after you have done the specific commands that He gives. If you go and preach before you demonstrate, you are already wrong. Nowhere does Jesus say in this passage on evangelism to go and talk first. It is not there. If you do not have Jesus power you should not share Jesus’ gospel.

Well there you have it, Jesus sending out the disciples to evangelize. It certainly does not look like what we do. I know that many are saying that this is not evangelizing but to these I would like to say show me somewhere else in the Gospels where the disciples are sent out? And also show me another way that Jesus tells us to do evangelism?” If that is not enough then I would suggest you look at the resurrection commands and then back at this passage found in Lu. 10. In Matthew 28:18-20 He says Go and teach obedience, in Mark 16:15-18 He says heal the sick and cast out demons, In Luke 24:44-49 He says preach repentance, but do not go without the Power of God on you, In John 20:21-23 he says that we are sent “Just Like Him”.

I wonder what would happen if we believed Jesus and trusted Him? Maybe He knows that what He is telling us to do will work? All you have to do is go to the places that the gospel is spreading like fire and you will know – Jesus method is best! It works. In all the above passages the key is –Hearing the voice of the Lord and obeying out of our trust in Him.

Something to remember is that the miraculous is not always the spectacular. It is the miraculous.

What would Christianity look like if we laid down our desperate attempts to reach people for Jesus without the power and went back and sat down with Jesus and Holy Spirit until we knew we have the Spirit upon us and then followed? What would happen if we simply obeyed walking like Jesus, as people sent and under orders? Jesus made no excuses about what He commanded. We do not have the option to pick and choose which commands we accept and which provision we feel comfortable with. He gave only one set of instructions for all. Our “choosing “ which scriptures we accept and which we do not is nothing but pride, arrogance, and independence at work in us. My bible says that these things will cause us to fall.

Evangelism by the book is simply going back to the relationship and responding to His voice, doing what He commands --not in a general way but through specific guidance in your life like Jesus lived under. (Jn. 5:19-20, 6:38,8:28,12:49-50, 14:10).

Neil W Gamble

Bible Reading Resources

2011-02-14T12:50:00.000+11:00

The Lutheran Church of Australia offers a number of Bible Reading Resources....visit http://www.lca.org.au/prayer/bibleguide.cfm to discover how to read the bible and some bible reading plans.

Faithful Friends Aged Care and Nursing home ministry resources

2011-02-14T11:05:00.000+11:00

Faithful friends offers a range of resources, suggestions and links for ministering to seniors....including:

Complete Ministry Resources
References
Nursing Home Ministry Newsclips
Beatitudes
Bible Study, Search, and Ministries
Communication Tips
Group Ministry Tips
Guidelines for Group Visits
Guidelines for Youth Visits
Guidelines / In-Room Visits
How-to share a Hymn-Based Sermonette, Larry's Favorite's
Ministries Listed on Faithful Friends
Ministry Resource Materials
Ministry Scriptures
Mother, Grandparents, Thanksgiving, Christmas and others!
Music in Ministry
Newsletters
Nursing Home Ministry, A Manual
Nursing Home Visit Information
Our Favorite Devotionals
Our Favorite Downloads
Partners in Ministry
Sample Church Bulletin Insert
The One Hour Weekly Bible Study
Training Manuals
Ten most Useful and most Requested Resources on our website
Witness / Salvation Bracelets

visit http://www.faithfulfriends.org/references1.html for more information

Small Group Resource Swap and Trade

2011-02-14T10:48:00.000+11:00

Do you have small group resources lieing around your church that you are willing to loan, giveaway, swap or sell to another congregation???

Are you looking for small group resources....either to borrow, giveaway, swap or buy?

We have created a Small Group Resource Swap and Trade blog to assist congregations and their leaders to share their resources with others.....visit http://smallgroupresourceswap.blogspot.com/

Senior Adult Ministry resources

2011-02-14T10:22:00.002+11:00

We at Senior Adult Ministry have a singular mission:
to bring excellence to ministry for Christians in the second half of life.

We do this by providing the best teaching and learning resources in four separate categories:

1. Well, Wise & Whole DVD Video Programs:
Six inspirational and motivational video programs for use in classes, workshops, retreats, etc.

2. JOHNSON Institute:
An innovative series of twelve self-study, train-the-trainer courses that can be taken individually, or as a planned curriculum leading to Professional Certification, in either,
a) Spiritual Gerontology or,
b) Maturing Adult Faith Formation.

3. Books by Dr. Richard P. Johnson:
(founder and director of Senior Adult Ministry).

4. Spiritual Assessment Profiles:
to illuminate minds, invigorate hearts, and inspire spiritual growth in the second half of life.

Our programs and resources are comfortable in all Christian churches.

We invite you to browse our website, learn more about the abundant possibilities for growth, and to contact us with any questions or requests for consultation on how to make Senior Adult Ministry as vibrant and Christ-centered as possible in your parish, congregation,or other site.

One of their DVD studies is:
THE 12 KEYS TO SPIRITUAL VITALITY: POWERFUL LESSONS IN LIVING AGELESSLY.
This program is comfortable with any adult audience. Participants of all adult ages (50+) find this program warm and inviting; it rests easily on the hearts and minds of people of faith who wish to see their own maturation process (aging) anew from a fresh, vital, and faith-filled perspective.

My research indicates there are 12 essential “keys” of aging and spirituality that transform aging from a potentially dismal time, into an ageless soul-adventure. This program covers how to mature with grace, with verve, and spiritual meaning and purpose. This program is a life-changing experience … sure to completely transform the way you look at aging and spirituality … a real “faith shot in the arm.”

This Program magnifies the true meaning of aging and spirituality; it provides the practical means for making the most of the lifelong years, opening to God's grace, and becoming "Ageless in the Lord". Participants learn how to transform aging from the "thief in the night" into the "master teacher".

Session 1. Key #1: Transform your attitudes about maturation
Session 2. Key #2: Seek love everywhere
Session 3. Key #3: Delight in connectedness
Session 4. Key #4: Live in the "NOW"
Session 5. Key #5: Accept your 'true self'
Session 6. Key #6: Forgive others and yourself
Session 7. Key #7: Let go of anger and other inner turmoil
Session 8. Key #8: Give yourself to others
Session 9. Key #9: Celebrate your faith
Session 10. Key #10: Discover your deep meaning in life
Session 11. Key #11: Make your feelings work for you, not against you
Session 12. Key #12: Achieve balance in your life

For more information visit Senior Adult Ministry

2011 Lent Resources

2011-02-07T13:30:00.004+11:00

Lent begins 9th March with Ash Wednesday

Worship and devotional resources
from Concordia Publishing HouseMiracles of Lent
This CD includes fully customizable resources for the pastor and musician, designed to lead the Christian congregation through the season of Lent in preparation for the Easter celebration. The theme of this series is the several miracles and miraculous signs performed by God during the Passion of Jesus Christ. The important and significant miracles and miraculous signs that God the Father performed to set apart His Son's death from absolutely all others were performed to help spread the Good News, which is centered in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in the face of opposition.

Words of Life from the cross
This CD-ROM offers substantial resources for those looking to connect God’s people to the words of life shared from the Cross in a variety of congregational programs and settings.

Journey to the Cross
Journey to the Cross is an outreach and educational event for your congregation and community. Through activities based on Scripture, participants experience the joy of Palm Sunday, the disappointment of Judas’ betrayal, the devastation of the crucifixion, the jubilation of the resurrection, and so much more.

from Augsburg Fortress
Book of Faith-Seven wonders of the Word
Explore how God's Word creates, calls, commands, saves, sustains, shapes, and sends you and the church. Your 40-day Lenten journey into Seven Wonders of the Word will challenge you to experience the power of God's Word in all aspects of your life and in our world. It will also encourage you to deepen your prayer life as you relate the power of God's Word to you personal experience.
Each day the journey begins with a biblical verse, followed by a brief reflection on that verse. Following the daily reflection you will journey, explore and find meaning during the following activities:
•Biblical Wisdom
•Theological Thoughts
•Silence for Meditation
•Psalm Fragment
•Questions to Ponder
•Prayer for Today
Weekly worship helps are also provided for congregations shaping their Lenten Wednesday worship services around Seven Wonders of the Word.

Book of Faith: Lenten journey Marks of a ChristianYou are invited to a 40-day journey exploring Romans 12. In this chapter, the apostle Paul calls us to new life in Christ and identifies marks of the Christian life. The deep reflections and insightful questions in this book will help you explore how your life is "marked" by Christ and consider how you live the marked life for the sake of the world.

from North West Publishing
People of the Passion
The passion of Jesus Christ was all about people. Jesus suffered and died for all people. People were there; people took part; and people stood by and watched. What do we know about these people?
Midweek 1/Ash Wednesday: "Judas, the Opportunist"
Midweek 2: "Caiaphas, the Schemer"
Midweek 3: "Nicodemus, the Silent Believer"
Midweek 4: "Peter, the Born Leader"
Midweek 5: "Pontius Pilate, the Thinker"
Midweek 6: "One of the Mob, the Follower"
Maundy Thursday: "The Apostles, the Servant Leaders"
Good Friday: "The Centurion, the Astonished"
Easter Sunday: "The Women, the Witnesses"

from ELCA
Lent Resource Page

from LCMS
Lent Resources

Christ Lutheran Church UK
Lenten Devotions based on the Small Catechism

Textweek Lent page

Lentdevotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

Ambassadors of Reconciliation
Forgiven to forgive USA
Forgiven to forgive Australia

Book: The calling - live a life of significance

2011-02-07T12:34:00.003+11:00

This book is designed to educate readers on one's vocation and what that means in terms of living out our life in our various and overlapping vocational arenas - family, professional, community, and congregational. Throughout the book, what the true meaning of "success" is for a Christian is examined to help the reader discover and live out the life that God uniquely created for them.

The Calling: Live a Life of Significance
*Identify and avoid common mistakes
*Establish eight strategies for living a life of significance
*Set and attain goals
*Diminish your ego to enhance your ability to serve
*Lead a life of simplicity
*Care for yourself so that you are able to care for others

A brief discussion about what the calling is about.....

More resources and information available @ http://kurtsenske.com/

Advent devotions

2010-12-07T08:17:00.000+11:00

Advent devotions available at www.adventdevotions.com

Santa, St Nicholas and Christmas

2010-12-07T08:12:00.002+11:00

Every Christmas Santa appears.....
When this happens as Christians we can either retreat or link him to the Christmas story...by knowing the story of St Nicholas

Discover the story at www.stnicholascenter.org

Bible in 66 verses....

2010-11-09T13:40:00.003+11:00

In this day of quick to the point no mucking around society.....
we need tools that help us engage with others...

Here is something that may help you quickly remember and engage with others about the bible...66 verses from the bible...one verse from each book

Visit http://www.lutheranforum.org/blogs/the-bible-in-66-verses/

Basic Christian Teaching

2010-11-09T13:35:00.002+11:00

Our Saviour Lutheran Church....Tacoma WA

Offers a Basic Christian Teaching Course...free of charge available online that covers:
What is God like?
Why are there so many different kinds of Christian churches when everybody believes basically the same thing?
Why did Jesus have to die for our sins?
Why do bad things happen to good people?
What happens after I die?
What is faith?
Who is Jesus?
Is the Bible just another book written by dead guys?

Visit the following link for more information
http://www.oslc.com/templates/cusoslc/details.asp?id=29361&PID=219144

Texts for Confirmation

2010-11-09T13:21:00.002+11:00

Looking for texts to use for confirmation certificates....
visit

http://www.oslc.com/templates/cusoslc/details.asp?id=29361&PID=343813

http://www.cph.org/pdf/Helps/913075_Bible-Verses-NIV.pdf

Christmas Drama: Three Trees

2010-11-08T23:13:00.002+11:00

The 3 trees reader theatre gives congegations an opportunity to tell the Christmas story in a refreshing way http://www.instantred.com/weeklyred121303.htm

Connet 09 results in 5% increase in worship attendance

2010-11-08T23:01:00.002+11:00

In 2009 the Sydney Anglicans embarked on Connect 09, with the motto Pray, Connect, Expect. This resulted in an increase of worship attendance of 5% for the year.
Stories, resources and other information available at http://connect09.sydneyanglicans.net/ and http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/ministry/connect09

Faith Basics course: notes and audio

2010-11-08T22:54:00.002+11:00

The mission of St Thomas Lutheran Church (LCMS) offers a materials for a faith basics course...notes and audio are available for download at
http://www.stl-eastpointe.org/members/faith2.html

An easy way to make short animated movies

2010-11-08T22:51:00.003+11:00

If you can type there is an easy way to make animated movies using http://www.xtranormal.com
This could be ideal for a short script...to introduce a topic...or even a bible reading

New Confirmation from Sparkhouse (ELCA): ReForm

2010-11-08T22:36:00.003+11:00

Sparkhouse has developed a new confirmation program.....
Here's what they say about it....

We wanted to create something that was engaging for teenagers, but not cheesy. (We love cheese…on crackers, not so much in our churches.) We know that youth today are fully capable of grappling with issues of faith and theology, so we wanted our curriculum to give them room for a good wrestling match. And, of course, we want to help youth leaders any way we can. That’s why we developed a curriculum that lets you lead an interactive confirmation class without a ton of extra work on your end. (You’re welcome!)

So what exactly is re:form confirmation? In three simple words, it’s a way for teens to:
•Encounter.
•Engage.
•Respond.

In more words, that are slightly less simple: re:form is a curriculum comprised of three main components:

•Two DVDs with 40 hilarious animated short films that allow kids to encounter concepts from the historic Christian faith. These videos are designed not only to make kids think, but also to make them laugh. (Yes, we encourage laughter…especially in confirmation class!) You can watch some of our preview videos for re:form confirmation here. Be warned: you might laugh, too.
•The Anti-Workbook, which is exactly what it sounds like. It’s not a fill-in-the-blank, there’s-only-one-answer kind of workbook. In fact, it’s the opposite of that. It’s a place where kids can do activities that get them interacting with each other, and it’s a kind of journal to help them explore tough theological questions in creative ways. Whether they’re drawing, cutting and pasting, writing, or just thinking, the Anti-Workbook inspires kids to go a little deeper with their faith and theology.
•The Leader Guide, which will make you look like a superstar by providing the tools you need to help kids respond. You’ll help facilitate conversations—genuine conversations about what they think…not what you want them to think. Instead of giving them answers (which, let’s face it, a lot of us don’t really have nailed down anyway!), they’ll explore their faith and come to understand what they believe for themselves.
So there you have it. A brief (sort of) look at re:form confirmation.

For more information visit here

Lutheran and Christian euthanasia discussion and resources

2010-10-11T09:27:00.004+11:00

The topic of Euthanasia pops up in the media and in political circles.

Originally euthanasia simply meant 'good death', however the term currently is understood by many to mean 'a deliberate intervention undertaken with the express intention of ending a life, to relieve intractable suffering' (House of Lords select committee on Medical ethics).

The topic is emotional, because a person's suffering is often the reason given for supporting euthanasia.
There is also confusion on what is euthanasia and what is not euthanasia, eg. withdrawing life support from a person, is not considered euthanasia.

Following are some resources to help you and others understand the euthanasia debate and discussion
LUTHERAN RESOURCES AND LINKS
Lutheran Church of Australia CTICR statement
Lutheran Church of Australia CSBQ discussion paper
Various articles and teachings from the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
Death and dieing: a social statement of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Ethics and suffering from healing to relief by Dr Richard C Eyer Concordia University Mequon
Lutheran's for life (usa) resources and links
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Church

OTHER RELIGIOUS RESOURCES AND LINKS
Statements from various religious bodies relating to Euthanasia
Christian views on Euthanasia and suicide
Religious facts: Euthanasia and Christianity
Christian Life Resources
Beliefnet

OTHER
A summary of the debate from the editor of The Australian

if you wish to suggest any other resources please leave a comment or email me

Evangelism Reflection: Evangelism is about serving in ways so others know Jesus

2010-09-22T23:39:00.002+10:00

Something that strikes me as I read the scriptures is that whilst God selects individuals for specific roles, everyone lives out their roles in collaboration with others. That is how the Body of Christ works. Living as a Christian is never an individual only experience, it involves us relating to others, working with others and supporting each other so people get to see and experience what God is about.
And over the last 12 months, I have really appreciated how willingly a majority of people in our congregation are prepared to serve others both in the church and in the wider community through the various opportunities that exist through our congregation.
A congregation our size needs a system in place to help us co-ordinate our service.
One way we aim to help people discover and take advantage of the opportunities that exist through our congregation is through the Talents and Gifts survey which we distributed last week. This is a very helpful way for us to quickly capture where you are interested in serving with others and where we need to encourage others to fulfil the various roles in our congregation. Serving in our congregation is not simply putting your hand up to fill a position, rather as Christians our service should take on an evangelistic emphasis. This occurs when:
• We ask the question, ‘how can I make what I do and say help others know more about Jesus?’
• Our attitude for serving is to glorify God and encourage others to develop a relationship with God and other Christians. Put this in contrast to someone who serves because they want others to see how good they are, they wish to exert some power or they want something for themselves or things done their way.
• We recognise that we are part of a team, and that we contribute to the direction that the congregation needs to move and has agreed to move.
• We consider how best we can help others to hear and experience God’s Good News, even if this differs to what helps us.
• We serve because others need it, not because we have the desire, all the skills, all the wisdom or all the talent, instead relying on God’s strength and seek his guidance and training as we serve.

Please keep exploring how you can be evangelistic in everything you do, because as we do we will change the lives of the people in our congregation and in the wider community, because God is working through us.
PS. If you haven’t already done so please get your Gifts and Talents Surveys in this week as our nominations team and team leaders will use these surveys to help them in their roles in co-ordinating service in our congregation.

Evangelism Reflection: Evangelism is about using your directory for mission

2010-09-22T23:35:00.002+10:00

Our directory is not meant to be an exclusive list, but rather a list of people who have had contact with our congregation at some stage and people God is calling us to continually care for.
As a result some have commented we haven’t see this person or that person for years. Others have questioned, why is such and such in the directory? Such responses to directories are not uncommon, especially if we see the directory as an exclusive listing of select few, and we want to‘tidy up’ the list quickly.
However there are other ways to view the directory, that may help us be more mission orientated.

Think about the directory as not just a listing of members or those who we have a very close relationship. Consider it as a listing of people who have connected to God’s family through us at some stage. They maybe still connected to God’s family or they may be a lot further away now
and need some encouragement.
If you find yourself asking the question why is such and such people in the directory? Maybe that question is God prompting you, saying hey these people haven’t been around for some time…but rather than forgetting about them maybe God is also saying, ‘How about you contact them?’
When you see the name of someone who you haven't seen around for awhile maybe God is prompting you to make some contact with that person or family, to see how they are going, to encourage them, to invite them around for a chat, to even invite them to church or a small group.
As you read through the directory you may notice that some of the people have moved, are worshipping elsewhere, changed phone numbers or their relationship has changed. One of our responsibilities is to care for each other, so please let the office know if you are aware of any
changes, not only in your own family but also other families so Pastor Richard and the Pastoral Assistants can follow them up, our records updated and we can provide the care God calls us to provide.
As you look through the directory, pray for people you see in the directory, give them a call and encourage them.
Remember our church directory can be a valuable tool to sharing God’s love, caring for each other and helping us engage with each other spiritually and physically.

Evangelism Reflection: Evangelism is about God's kingdom is not just some future dream but that God's kingdom is here with us now!!!

2010-09-22T23:31:00.002+10:00

Often we will talk about God’s kingdom as some future thing, that God will lead us to, and we have to wait for it. Yet Jesus says in Luke 17:20-21, the kingdom of God is among us now. It is not a future thing, but it is something we begin to be part of right now.
Other parts of scripture encourage us to think of God’s kingdom not just as some place, but a new reality, a Godly way to live.
Throughout His life Jesus spoke about and showed us how to live as part of God’s kingdom. This involved living a life that is built on developing and encouraging relationships, that is the basis of the Greatest commandment, our life is about loving God and loving others. This influences how we see our work, hobbies, family and everything else we are involved in. A good question to ask is how can I do what I do and live how I live, in ways that love God and love others. Take some time this week to think about this, jot down some of your thoughts and then think about how you can put these things into action. When God is guiding us we are beginning to live in His kingdom.
In Luke we discover some other thoughts about living in God’s kingdom:
• Small good deeds make a difference (Luke 13:18-21)
• The marginalised and forgotten are honoured and respected (Luke 14:15-24)
• God can always find even the person who we believe is so lost (Luke 15:3-10)
• Everyone including little ones God welcomes into His kingdom (Luke 18:15-17)
• God’s works through many people to transform the world (Luke 10:1-20)
• When we open up our lives there is more than enough to go around (Luke 9:10-17)

Living in God’s kingdom is a call that we see God active through what we do and when other’s serve us. Our work, leisure, family and social lives are all opportunities for us to not only see God’s kingdom, but to be participants in His kingdom. And when this is happening people are getting a small insight into what heaven will be like.

Action Time:
Think about how your work, social, family and leisure life can reflect a focus of you loving God and you loving others.
What changes do you need to begin making so your life is about being part of God’s kingdom and others see God at work in your life?
Thank everyone who serves you and thank God for their service.

Evangelism Reflection: Evangelism is about being God's witness to four types of people

2010-09-22T23:28:00.002+10:00

In Acts 1:8 we read:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
God prepares you to be His witness from the very moment you were baptised, when He promised you His Holy Spirit, and He continues to fill you with His Spirit every time you read His word and when you ask for His Spirit in your prayers. It is God’s Spirit that empowers us to be His witnesses to people in four different situations.

People in your vicinity of the same cultural background (Jerusalem).
People further away from you of the same cultural background. (Judea)
People near you from a different cultural background. (Samaria)
People far from you of a different cultural background. (ends of the Earth)

Action Time
1. Right down people that come to mind from each of the four areas.
2. Pray about them and that God reveals to you how you can reach out to them.
3. Use God’s Spirit to reach out to them and be His witness to them.
4. Continue to pray and witness to them.

Back to Church Sunday

2010-09-22T23:20:00.004+10:00

Back to church sunday is an initiative of churches in UK, Australia and USA.

Visit the following web sites to gain further information
www.backtochurchsunday.org.uk
www.backtochurchsunday.com
www.backtochurchsunday.com.au

One of the great things is that encourages people to invite others, especially the lapsed to church.

Advent Resources

2010-09-22T21:44:00.004+10:00

Bethlehem Lutheran Church Adelaide
http://www.bethlehemadelaide.org.au/resources/advent-links.html

Billabong Worship Resources
http://thebillabong.info/otm_advent_christmas.html

The Voice
http://www.crivoice.org/cyadvent.html

Anglicans online
http://anglicansonline.org/special/advent.html

Online Advent Calendar: 25 things to do leading up to Christmas
http://www.suite101.com/content/online-advent-calendar-a35107

Catholic Mom
Family Activities, Car Chat, Blessing of an Advent Wreath, Blessing of a Christmas Tree, Christian Christmas Coloring Pictures, Printable Advent Chain, Advent Lesson Plan, Advent Wreath File Folder Game, Advent Wreath Game Board, Advent Wreath Cards Younger, Advent Wreath Coloring Sheet, Advent Wreath Directions, Advent Wreath Directions Younger, Advent Wreath Question Cards, Jesse Tree, Make Your Own Nativity, Advent True or False Game and more
http://www.catholicmom.com/advent_kids.htm

Advent ideas for Youth
http://www.rethinkingyouthministry.com/2008/12/advent-ideas-for-youth-ministry-8.html

5 Great ideas for Advent
http://www.aboutcatholics.com/worship/five_great_ideas_advent/

Emerging Church Advent ideas from Jonny Baker
http://jonnybaker.blogs.com/jonnybaker/advent/

Textweek: Church Year site
http://www.textweek.com/advent.htm

Lift up your hearts worship resources
http://www.worship.ca/christmas.html

Ignatian Spirituality Advent Resources
http://ignatianspirituality.com/advent/

Advent Boxes: Ringwood-Knox Lutheran parish
http://ringwoodknoxparish.org.au/resources/advent-boxes.html

Christmas in cyberspace
http://www.christmasincyberspace.com/advent/

Lutheran Hour Ministries: Online Devotions
http://www.adventdevotions.net/

Church Year Advent Resources
http://www.churchyear.net/advent.html

Richard Fairchild: KirShalom Advent Resources
http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/christmaspage1.php

Worship Well Advent Resources
http://www.theworshipwell.org/advent.html

Please feel free to share your Advent resources to me @ richard.schwedes@lca.org.au

Lutheranism 101

2010-09-22T21:02:00.003+10:00

Lutheranism 101
is both a book and website
BOOK
Lutheranism 101 examines Lutheran beliefs and heritage in a fresh way. If you are a lifelong Lutheran searching for more information or new to Lutheranism looking to understand what we believe, this book will be your guide. It is written in an easy-to-read conversational style with short articles, side-bar features, and some humor. Lutheranism 101 helps create a solid foundation of reference upon which a lifetime of sound teaching can be built.

Explore the basics of Lutheran theology by digging into the history of Lutheranism and making connections between what Lutherans believe and what Lutherans do.

What you'll learn about:
•God and His Son
•Faith and Belief
•Heaven and Hell
•Church and Fellowship
•Sin and Forgiveness
•and much more!

WEB SITE
www.lutheranism101.com
Lutheranism 101 is designed to give you a quick, usable, and comprehensive overview of Lutheran faith and practice. While we have tried not to grind any axes, we would be less than living, breathing human beings if we told you that what you have here is totally impartial and neutral. First, we must acknowledge that we are writing about Lutheranism from an American perspective. So in discussions of customs, history, and missions, Lutherans in other parts of the world (and there are many!) will have a different perspective. We are also writing from within a tradition in the Lutheran Church that is identified as orthodox and confessional. The term orthodox simply means correct or right belief. The term confessional has come to mean different things to different people, but at its heart these two terms signify those who model what they believe, teach, and confess on God’s Word and the historic teachings (Confessions) of the Lutheran Church as they are contained in the Book of Concord. Finally, we have to acknowledge that Lutheranism 101 does not cover the entire length and breadth of our subject. However, it is a good place to start your exploration of Lutheran belief and practice.

Lutheran Music: hymnal web site

2010-09-22T20:39:00.002+10:00

Lutheran Music offers:

The goal of Lutheran Music is to provide God-pleasing worship resources for musicians, pastors, teachers, families and congregations. We offer sheet music, concordances, lyrics files (text, PowerPoint), sound files (midi, MP3), flash videos, audio CDs and video DVDs as supplements to the commonly-used Lutheran hymnals.

Hymnals
Christian Worship [CW] - Northwestern Publishing House, 1993 (WELS)
Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary [ELH] - MorningStar Music, 1996 (ELS)
Evangelical Lutheran Worship [ELW] - Augsburg Fortress, 2006 (ELCA)
Lutheran Book of Worship [LBW] - Augsburg Publishing House, 1978 (ELCA)
Lutheran Service Book [LSB] - Concordia Publishing House, 2006 (LCMS)
Lutheran Worship [LW] - Concordia Publishing House, 1982 (LCMS)
The Lutheran Hymnal [TLH] - Concordia Publishing, 1941

http://www.lutheranmusic.com/index.html

Sermon Illustrations

2010-09-22T18:39:00.002+10:00

Bible.org
http://bible.org/illustrations

Sermon illustrator
Over 5900 illustrations
http://www.sermonillustrator.org/

More Illustrations
http://www.moreillustrations.com/

Sermon Illustration Library
http://www.sermonillustrationlibrary.org
The Sermon Illustration Library is a community-driven library that organizes illustrations by a label system. Many times, a particular illustration is applicable to more than one topic. Not only that, but one person might think of an illustration as relating to one topic, while someone else might have an entirely different take on it.

Sermon Ideas
http://www.sermonideas.net/

Elbourne illustration data base
http://elbourne.org/sermons/

Higher Praise
http://www.higherpraise.com/illustrations/a.htm

Fresh Worship: Creative worship ideas for traditional churches

2010-09-22T18:32:00.004+10:00

What is Fresh Worship?
Howard Vanderwell, Resource Development Specialist for the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, says people come looking for two things in worship: stability and freshness. People need stability in worship so that every week there are things that are familiar. And yet people also need freshness, so that everything is not always the same week after week.

Most traditional churches do a good job with stability. What we need help with is freshness. How to do you say things in a little different way or use art or drama or video to bring God’s story alive? How do you find those resources?

The Fresh Worship blog is a place to come for those resources. It’s a place to ask questions, to jog your imagination, and to share what has worked for you.

Some recent entries include:
■How I Design a Creative Worship Service
■Creative Worship Ideas: The Lord’s Prayer
■Why I Need the Resurrection
■Creative Worship Ideas: Good Friday
■Children’s Artwork
■Planning Ahead for Lent, Palm Sunday, and Easter
■Creative Worship Ideas: Ash Wednesday
■Using a Song as the Focus of Worship
■Advent Prayer Stations

Visit
http://freshworship.wordpress.com

CPH Christmas program 2010: God's love at Christmas

2010-09-21T11:27:00.001+10:00

CPH have released their Christmas program: God's love at Christmas

Based on the much-loved hymn, "God Loves Me Dearly," this service helps children share God's love for us through readings and songs.

Four parts of the God's Love at Christmas theme are developed through the program:

God Loved Me by Making a Promise
God Loved Me by Sending Jesus
God Loved Me by Dying and Rising for Me
God Loves Me by Giving Me Life Forever

The program is built around the familiar account of the Christmas story found in Luke, and features brand new recordings of favorite hymns such as "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," "Away in a Manger," "Angels We Have Heard on High," and others.

The complete planning CD-ROM contains two Christmas programs, one for Preschool through 8th grade, and another especially for Early Childhood.

The CD contains the following items:
1. Rehearsal recordings of hymns, songs and liturgy
2. Children's Worship Service Director Guide
3. Teacher copy of Children's Morning Worship Service
4. Teacher copy of Children's Evening Worship Service
5. Congregation copy of Children's Morning Worship Service
6. Congregation copy of Children's Evening Worship Service
7. Early Childhood Program Director Guide
8. Teacher copy of Early Childhood Program
9. Audience copy of Early Childhood Program
10. Individual reading scripts for Worship Service and Early Childhood Program
11. Clip art patterns
12. Song lyrics
13. Music texts and scores for children's songs

Visit: http://www.cph.org/p-17373-gods-love-at-christmas-childrens-christmas-program-cd.aspx to preview and to find out more information

Free Stewardship Resources from Sola Publishing

2010-09-21T11:23:00.002+10:00

Based on Luther's Love, Serve, Praise and Obey Sola Publishing is offering free resources to assist congregations in teaching and growing stewardship in their congregation.
Resourcs include:
a. Color Theme Poster
b. Bulletin Insert-Devotional
c. Children's Story Page
d. Giving Plan Card
e. Sample: Time and Abilities Sheet

Go to http://solapublishing.blogspot.com/p/stewardship.html for more information

Awakening Lutherans for World Mission

2010-09-21T11:12:00.002+10:00

Awakening Lutherans for World Mission

Why they exist?

“Missions Mobilization” has been a popular and much needed movement in the evangelical world the past 35-40 years. The principles and passion undergirding this movement have not penetrated the Lutheran Church and other mainline Protestant denominations in any significant way, with the exception of our Baptist brethren. Awakening Lutherans to World Missions is a new ministry that is taking these Biblical principles and evangelical passion to Lutherans, as well as other mainline denominations. The congregational infrastructure that facilitates other ministries in the local church – from children and youth ministry, to women’s and men’s ministry, to music ministry and much more – is missing in many Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Episcopal congregations. There are few things that happen “by accident” at the congregational level – whether it is planning for worship services, VBS or anything else you can imagine. Is it any wonder that there has been a decline in world missions? The current norm has become accepted by many as the only way – world missions is the domain of leaders at the national, denominational level, or at best independent mission agencies. Yet, all the while, Jesus’ command to “go and make disciples of all nations” often remains ignored in meaningful, practical ways. ALWM exists to reverse this decline by challenging and equipping congregations to become actively obedient to the Great Commission. Through resources, seminars, consultation and coaching, ALWM staff will help you and your leaders build a solid, Biblical and vibrant world missions program that will make a difference for the “nations” as well as in your congregation.

Visit http://www.alwm.org/ to discover how to mobilise your church, to discover resources and ides

Life By His Word: Bible Study 1500 lesson for $299

2010-09-21T11:01:00.002+10:00

God’s Word is our source for life.
Through deeper study of each book in the Bible, we see the big picture of Scripture from creation through the redemption of Jesus Christ. If you crave more intentional, comprehensive study of all of the Bible, you will appreciate Life by His Word. Whether you are new to the church, a life-long member, part of a small group, or studying on your own, the studies included will connect you with the full story of God’s work in your life and lead you to see His promises anew.

What does Life by His word provide for you?
A comprehensive study of God’s Word.
Lessons are drawn from The Lutheran Study Bible and enhance the faith life of your church family. Connection to the timeless conversation that has been unfolding within and around God’s Word throughout the centuries.

What is it?
This Bible study on CD-ROM covers every book and chapter of the Bible. With more than 1,500 individual study lessons [that's less than 20 cents for each lesson], this Bible study provides discussion questions, application, and summary insights for The Lutheran Study Bible. Every chapter and every book are explored, offering a rich and full approach to study and devotion. One-page lessons are ideal for group study, adaptable for time and by age group.
The CD-ROM includes teaching materials and student materials in two formats: PDF to print directly and RFT for customization.

Endorsement
“With Life by His Word, the pastor has a Bible study for any hot topic that comes up in the news,“ says Rev. Edward Engelbrecht, general editor of The Lutheran Study Bible. “Just think about the chapter of Scripture that addresses the topic, find the chapter study in Life by His Word, and you’re good to go.”

http://www.cph.org/p-1473-life-by-his-word-complete-set-cd-rom.aspx

Confirmation Builder

2010-09-21T10:51:00.002+10:00

CPH has introduced Confirmation Builder
A program that allows you to build and customise confirmation for your local congregation.

Overview
Confirmation Builder is a collection of resources for confirmation instructors that provides a framework for presenting students the basics of Christian doctrine.
Each of the 33 customizable lessons uses the Bible and Luther’s Small Catechism as the main texts, and includes background reading, devotional information, PowerPoint® presentations, discussion questions and activities that can be used as a basic curriculum, or to supplement your current course. Assessment tools are also included.
Confirmation Builder is a dynamic resource that will have additional resources added as they become available.Confirmation Builder is offered as an annual subscription. Pricing is based upon your congregation’s average weekly worship attendance.

Visit www.confirmationbuilder.com to discover how it works, pricing and the resources available

Contemporary Band: Playing only the Psalms

2010-09-21T10:45:00.002+10:00

Sons of Korah play only the Psalms
They write contemporary music to the words of the Psalms...
For more information visit http://www.sonsofkorah.com/

A thought: Bible references are essential for mission and evangelism

2010-09-21T10:29:00.005+10:00

As Lutherans we seem to have had and still have a lot to say.
In our current climate some of this written material is very helpful, some not so helpful.
Recently when I considered this I realised that the material I am finding more helpful in engaging others is material that have clear references to scripture, and the material I am often questioning or is not so helpful in engaging with others is where there are few scripture references or the references aren't that clear or well explained.
Why?
Put simply church material without clear scripture references is seen as nothing more than personal opinion by others for a particular place and time.

And as a church that says we live by God's Word surely, what we say should be supported by God's Word.....

A Lutheran theses on Evangelism

2010-09-21T10:16:00.002+10:00

A Lutheran Theology of Evangelism, Some Theses (Hope Lutheran Church Aurora CO)

It a common misconception that "Lutherans don't do Evangelism". This is not true. What is true is that when Lutheran go about the business of evangelism, they often abandon their Lutheran doctrine. These theses are an attempt to begin with our Lutheran theology and paint a picture of what Evangelism is and is not. Your feed back is welcome. -Pastor Wolfmueller

The Scriptures rightly understood give all glory to God and all comfort to terrified consciences. False doctrine does the opposite, either taking glory from God or comfort from the conscience, or both.
Natural man is blind, dead, and an enemy of God (Anthropology, Original Sin), and therefore cannot cooperate with God in conversion. It must be stated plainly that the will of man plays no part in conversion. Therefore all attempts to induce an emotional response for God (and other such revival shenanigans) will be carefully avoided. Never would an unbeliever be told that he must “accept Jesus” or “receive Him” or “open his heart” or “pray a prayer.” Such things are impossible. Any discussion of evangelism that speaks or implies man's cooperation takes glory from God and robs consciences of comfort.
Morover, A natural man is hostile to God (Original Sin again). Therefore the Lutheran church expects persecution of the Lord's Word and His people.
God alone redeems, justifies and converts sinful man (Monergism). Because conversion is God's work, we should pay attention to how He does it (rather than making stuff up).
The Holy Spirit creates faith (Sanctification in the broad sense, the Third Article of the Creed). The Lutheran Church therefore lives in the confidence of faith, knowing that the coming of the Lord's kingdom depends not on her own efforts, but on the free work of the Holy Spirit. The evangelism efforts of the Lord's church begin with prayer to God who desires all to be saved, and trusts that He hears and answers this prayer.
And more, the Holy Spirit creates faith “when and where it pleases Him”, not when it pleases us. This means, among other things, that it is impossible to judge mission faithfulness through numbers.
The Holy Spirit uses means to convert man (what we often call “the means of grace”, but what our confessions call “the means of the Spirit”). The means of the Spirit is the word of God, through which He shows our sin (Law) and promises forgiveness (Gospel). There are no other means of the Spirit, there are therefore no other means of evangelism.
Correspondingly, repentance embraces two parts: contrition and faith. Both contrition and faith are the works of the Holy Spirit, meaning that man is passive in this work of the Holy Spirit. (“Repent” is a command kept only by the work of the Holy Spirit.) The distinction between law and Gospel is at the heart of everything the church does, says, etc. We can judge mission faithfulness on the Gospel rightly preached and the sacrament rightly administered. Any wrongly divided law and Gospel is not properly the work of Evangelism.
Furthermore, the proper distinction between law and Gospel is a personal and individual distinction. As Luther taught us, the Law is for the proud and puffed-up, the Gospel for the despairing. This means that evangelism cannot be programmatic or scripted, but that the conversation between the church and the unbeliever will include listening and an attempt to discern the condition of the person to apply the proper word of God at the proper time.
Even furthermore, this means that “Evangelism Training” will be nothing more than continued study and meditation on the proper distinction between law and Gospel.
The Word of God, being the means of the Holy Spirit in creating faith in the heart of sinful man, is effective. It is a false and dangerous tendency to treat the Word of God as mere information that only has benefit when accepted and acted upon (as is the case with American Evangelicalism). The Gospel is the authoritative declaration of sins forgiven (Absolution). In fact, the central act of Evangelism is not asking the unbeliever to come to Jesus, but rather, in the name of Jesus, forgiving their sins. Evangelism is the Church speaking the Absolution to the World.
Through the Sacraments, as through the Word, the Holy Spirit creates and sustains faith. The Lutheran Church therefore recognizes the central role of baptism in the evangelism of the world. It is impossible to talk about evangelism Biblically without speaking about the Lord's gift of baptism.
The means of grace are resistible. Therefore the Church expects rejection. Furthermore, the Lutheran church resists the temptation to look for “more efficient means” of evangelism, as if we could find something less resistible than the divinely appointed means.
A Christian is still a sinner in need of the Lord's mercy. Therefore the church, knowing her own sin and the superabundant grace of God, gladly welcomes sinners into her midst to hear of the Lord's love and mercy. A church/congregation without this hospitality has lost her first love.

Open Bible Info: Internet information about the bible and what's in it.

2010-09-21T10:03:00.002+10:00

OPEN BIBLE INFO
offers a range of information including
Locations mentioned in the Bible....mapped using Google maps
A Bible atlas including photos
over 10000 photos of places referred to in the bible
Topical Bible search
Real Time Bible search; what people are saying about whats in the bible on Twitter and Facebook
LAB: Book Browser, Word Locators, Flicr photo links, Bible Sentence paths, popularity of various bible versions based on internet use, personality profiles of English bible translations,
bible cross referencing

Visit Open Bible at www.openbible.info/

Text to ponder: Acts 4:33

2010-09-21T09:54:00.002+10:00

Sharing the Good News also has a positive effect on us.....
There is a saying amongst teachers/trainers if you want to know more about something then teach it.
Read Acts 4:33
NIV says: With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.
TNIV says: With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all.
ESV says: And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
NET Bible says: With 1great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all.
NRSV says: With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

In short as we share Good's Great News God's grace comes on us...
Why do you think this is so?
What do you think it means?

Surely this is a fantastic reminder that sharing God's Good News is not only a way for others to experience God's grace, but also ourselves as we share it.
What do you think?

Complete Bible Overview: Enter the Bible

2010-07-26T17:58:00.002+10:00

At enter the Bible you’ll find a wealth of resources to help you grow in your faith, add depth to your Bible studies and truly discover the people, places and events of the Bible. Think of Enter the Bible as your guide, a helpful reference tool to accompany you in your reading of the Bible.

For each book of the bible there is:

a summary
an outline
background information
Theological themes
Introductory Issues
Resources relating to specific passages
Further information on people mentioned in that book
Further information on places mentioned in that book
Images
Maps
Videos

There is also a time line overview and a study program

Visit www.enterthebible.org

Evangelism Reflections: Dealing with our fears of witnessing

2010-07-24T12:40:00.003+10:00

Probably the single greatest deterrent to personal and informal sharing of the Gospel is fear. Fear is the single biggest factor that stops people sharing the Good News about Jesus with others, especially those they have a close relationship with.
The fears we commonly face are:
The fear of rejection. We can be worried about someone saying NO not only to Jesus, but also to us.
The fear of being inadequate. We maybe worried that we won’t be able to answer a question
adequately.
The fear of being ridiculed. At times we maybe worried about being put down, mocked or told we are weird.
These fears are real and experienced by most Christians. Fears tempt us to give up. However we don’t need to allow our fears to prevent us from moving forward in being witnesses for God. The starting point in dealing with our fears is to rely on God and the help he provides. St Paul writes, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13). So begin by relying on what God has given us through His word and His Christian community.

We can also desensitize ourselves to the fears. This means although our fears maybe uncomfortable and they are present we take less notice of them and more notice of what God is calling us to do and be, and not allow them to stop us from talking about Jesus.

We also should examine our fears rationally. Ask your self some basic questions like;
‘What is the worst thing that some could do to me in reaction to my witness?
Is the discomfort really a problem?
How does God react to me witnessing?
What are the positive things that occur when we share Jesus love with others?’

Turning our fears into an adventure. Praying for someone, sharing what God has done, is doing and will do and the affect he has on your life, developing a relationship with someone and then watching what God does with your efforts, may not turn out as you vision, but it is likely to have a positive affect on yourself and others. Having the attitude of lets see what God does with what we do, often leads to very rewarding results.

Inadequacy is nothing to fear. In Luke 21:12-15, Jesus reminds us that even when faced with hostility we should not have to worry what to say because He himself will give us the words to say. We don’t have to know everything, in fact a simply response when we are stuck for a response is say, lets discover this together. Then go on an adventure together.

Dispel fear with love. Allow your love for God and those you know who are lost to worry more about them than you do yourself. 1 John 4:18-19 we are told There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love. We love because he loved us first. Love has the ability to put our fears in their place. Some years ago there was the story of a car that had burst into flames with a number of passengers. All escaped but one elderly woman. Most of the people who saw the crash we petrified to do anything fearing the flames. One young man rushed through the crowd and the flames pulled the woman from the flames risking injury. He was asked, “why did you do this? Weren’t you afraid about being burnt?” His reply was: “Of course I was afraid, but I couldn’t just stand there and watch her die.” As Christians focussing not on our fears but our love for others and God, will help us be active witnesses even when fears exist.

Action time:
Create at least 2 opportunities for witnessing. Think about at least 2 people you can share God’s love with.
Study your fear reactions. Which fears were the most prominent?
Apply the suggestions in dealing with fears. How do these suggestions affect your feelings?
Attempt a simple witness. Note your reaction and the reaction from others.

Adapted from the book, 'How to share Christ confidently' available at
http://word.com.au/details.aspx?ProductID=576528 and
http://www.cph.org/p-596-how-to-share-christ-confidently.aspx?SearchTerm=How%20to%20Share%20Christ%20Confidently

Evangelism Reflection: Giving a reason for hope

2010-07-24T12:37:00.001+10:00

Much of Western Christianity is orientated around the question, “How may I be saved?” but is this the question your friends and family are asking? Some may be, but many are probably asking questions like, why bother being a church member? Why bother spending time and money on this Christian stuff?
Now being saved is important, but in order to build a relationship with people and enter into conversations that talk about faith, we need to look and talk about the questions people are asking and thinking. In the following article Steen Olsen the LCA’s Mission Director in SA and NT, responds to the question why am I a Christian, a question someone may be
thinking if they haven’t asked you.

Sometimes I am asked why I am a Christian who is a part of a Church.
There are many reasons. For example, I know that I was created to be in
relationships with others. I need to know I am loved unconditionally (in
spite of my faults), that I am valued as the person I know I am, and that my
life has direction and impact. When I have tried to get my sense of
security, self-worth and significance from my friends they end up
disappointing me and I feel alienated. More often than not these desires
within me weaken and sometimes destroy my relationships because I
become a user of others trying to get them to meet my needs. It is only in
my relationship with God that I get these deep needs met, because God
loves me unconditionally – no matter what I do he never stops loving me.
He values me so much that he sent his Son to die for me. He has given me
gifts and abilities that equip me to make a unique contribution to his plans
for the universe – what we do makes an eternal difference. In this way,
God is setting me free from my self-centredness and giving me the
personal security to enable me to be a true friend to others. When I have
my needs for security, self-worth and significance met by God, I no longer
need to demand them from others. I can be open and vulnerable. I can
be a friend.
So what questions are people asking you? Listen to how they respond to
when you say you are a Christian, why you go to church, then explore
ways to respond.
Those who are not part of a Church often have no idea of what it is like to
be a member of Church. And what they think they know is often negative.
Dan Kimball interviewed many young non-Christians for his book They Like
Jesus but not the Church [Zondervan, 2007]. After she became a Christian,
Molly is quoted as saying, I wish I would have known earlier that not all
Christians are such jerks. I had no idea. Maybe I would have believed in
Jesus earlier.

Evangelism Reflection: Stewardship is about using God's resources for mission

2010-07-24T12:34:00.002+10:00

Psalm 24 begins The Lord owns the earth and all it contains, the world and all who live in it. Some people mistakenly seem to think that this means we must not use anything God has given us. Yet other parts of scripture reveal to us that what God has given us, He wants us to use for His purposes of making and growing disciples, which involves being generous in sharing His love.
1 Peter 4:10 says Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as
good stewards of the varied grace of God.
This fortnight I encourage you to assess how you are using your time,
talents and wealth.
Are you approaching work, your family responsibilities and volunteer roles as you being involved in serving others and serving God, so others may know God’s love?
Are you using your resources to touch base with others and help others?
Is giving to our local congregation a priority for you? By contributing a portion or tithe of your income each week to the local congregation, you are contributing to God’s work here in
Portland and Heywood. (Do you realise our local congregation’s involvement in ministry and mission depends on members giving regularly?)

Evangelism Reflection: We are connecting and relating to people differently

2010-07-24T12:31:00.002+10:00

One of the truths about God is that His love for us never changes…(check out Jeremiah 31:3. However the way He interacts with people and how He demonstrates this love does change.
This is important for us to keep in mind, because in the past Lutheran congregations generally relied on the families to sustain and grow the church. The equation generally worked as follows; people had children, children remained in the area, they became members and the church grew. But this is not the reality now. Think about how many adult children of our members are involved in our congregation. The reality is a lot less than there used to be, some people have rejected God’s vehicle the church, others have moved away geographically, some have moved to other congregations. Think about the consequences of this. I realise this situation hurts many people and we should never give up on highlighting God’s love to those who have strayed. However this situation also helps us see that as part of God’s community we exist for the entire Portland-Heywood community not just one section of our community. The challenge for you and me is to consider; what do we need to do as individuals and as a congregation to help people connect to God and His church community that appears in our congregation? Then do it!!!
And remember this is likely to be different then some years ago.

Evangelism Reflection: Evangelism is about being deeply immersed in prayer

2010-07-24T12:27:00.002+10:00

Evangelism is about being deeply immersed in prayer. An ancient preacher Chrysostom once said prayer "is the root, the fountain, the mother of a thousand blessings." The reality is it is through prayer we submit our thanks, thoughts and ideas to God. Then as we go about our lives, God reveals His answers and He also provides us with strength to be His witnesses in the various situations we encounter.

This fortnight we have an opportunity to join with other Christians in praying
prayers that are focused on being God’s witness;
• Witnessing through celebrating life
• Witnessing through sharing stories
• Witnessing through being aware
• Witnessing through celebrating the faith we have received
• Witnessing through suffering
• Witnessing through faithfulness
• Witnessing through hope and trust
• Witnessing through hospitality
(For further resources relating to the above visit http://www.ncca.org.au/departments/faith-unity/wopcu)
In your prayers this week, commit some time praying to God about the various areas and situations in which we are called to witness. Also think about the situations you are facing and place these before God asking Him to reveal to you how you can be His witness.
For one week, Christians around the world are being called to focus their prayers into the areas of witnessing.

Evangelism Reflections: 3 Critical Areas of people growing

2010-07-24T12:24:00.001+10:00

What is the Year of Evangelism about…..?
It is about you and me being involved in three critical areas of
people growing in a relationship with Jesus and other Christians.

The first is Reaching Out to those who see Christ as a stranger and to
those we see as strangers. This means even though we may we know
someone well, they may still be a stranger to Christ. A constant
activity of a Christian is to be reaching out, to invite, to welcome, to
encourage them to know others.
Questions for you:
• Are you seeing people as strangers?
• Are you inviting them to your home?
• Are you inviting them to connect to a gathering of our church?
• Are you inviting them to worship?

The second is we are to preach, teach, live and enact an obvious
Christian message. A message where following Jesus, and grace
reigns.
Questions for you:
• What messages about Christ are people seeing through what you
say and do?
• How can you be more obvious about Christ amongst those
people you are interacting with?

The third is that we are involved in intentionally building community.
It is through Christians interacting together with a focus on God that
they grow, that they learn and develop what it means to be truly
Christian. Such a community is shaped by worship, a commitment to
discipleship, Small Groups, Christian formation and vocation which
are rooted in the teachings and practices of the church that go
back through history to Jesus and His disciples.
Questions for you:
• How are you encouraging and discouraging people to connect
to the Christian community?
• What does it mean for you to be involved in intentionally building
community?
• In what ways do you need help in being involved in building
community?

Lutheran Student Fellowship Victoria Sermons and Bible Studies online

2010-07-24T11:53:00.003+10:00

The Lutheran Student fellowship (tertiary students) has available mp3s and pdfs of sermons from their Sunday Nights at St Johns Worship services and Bible Studies at: http://www.lsf.org.au/vic/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=58

Sermon Topics include:

Deliver us from Evil : Jesus heals and delivers a demonised man
Luke 8:26-39

Deliver us from evil sermon: A tale of two sinners (probably more)
Luke 7:36-8:3

Arise! : Jesus and the widow's son at Nain.
Luke 7:11-17

The Holy Trinity and the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit bible study
I believe in the Holy Spirit...don't I?

They'll never take our freedom! : Acts 16:16-34

Get up and walk: John 5:1-15

"Know why you believe" sermon series and bible studies

Resurrection
Resurrection bible study

Authority of scripture
Authority of Scripture bible study

Salvation and Forgiveness
Salvation, sacrifice and forgiveness bible study

Creation
Creation bible study

"Prayer" sermon series
Part 1: A matter of the heart
Part 2: Prayer = helplessness + faith
Part 3: Prayer is hard work!

"Set free from stuff" sermon series
Part 1: The Big Issue #2: God vs Stuff
Part 2: Sabbath
Part 3: Justice
Part 4: Service
Part 5: Generosity

Free Book Preaching and the Emerging Church

2010-07-24T11:38:00.004+10:00

Preaching and the Emerging Church
The emerging church movement has significantly influenced contemporary Christianity. Evidence abounds—the creation of blogs, conferences, seminary classes, doctorate programs, and the birth of an entire class of literature. In recent years much has been written to help the church better understand this latest Christian phenomenon. However, a deficiency still exists when it comes to understanding the role of preaching within the movement. Since preaching is God’s appointed means to convert sinners and preserve the church, then an understanding of this movement’s preaching is of vital importance to the church and the culture it serves.

This book looks at the preaching approaches of 4 pastors who have had significant influence in the emerging church movement.

visit http://theresurgence.com/preaching-and-the-emerging-church to obtain a free pdf copy

Free Videos for discussion startes

2010-07-24T11:07:00.002+10:00

Cross Polination Ministries, led by a Lutheran Church Missouri Synod graduate offers a range of sort You tube videos as discussion starters.

To view these videos visit: http://www.cpmin.net/CrossPollination_Ministries/Welcome.html

Article: Missionary Churches-Navigating in a Post Modern World

2010-07-24T10:56:00.003+10:00

The Lutheran Witness Magazine, a magazine of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod published the following article:

Missionary Churches - Navigating in a Post Modern World
Imagine trying to drive in Chicago with a street map of San Francisco. You probably can’t. While both cities are edged by water and have lots of tall buildings, they are nothing alike. Though they share names for several streets, trying to drive in the one with the map of the other would prove frustrating. No matter how hard you tried, you simply wouldn’t get anywhere. Confused and exasperated, you’d finally conclude: It’s time to change maps!

As God’s missionary people, we also need to change maps in order to navigate in this present day. Changes in our society and culture, especially regarding the Church, have come fast and furiously. It’s as if we went to bed one night only to wake up the next morning in a vastly different world. Once vibrant and growing churches question whether they will remain open for another year. Many pastors and people feel guilty for not reaching their communities with the Gospel, while well-intentioned mission sermons often leave them discouraged, even defensive. And in their defensiveness, they begin to reason that faithfulness has only to do with preserving the true faith, whether or not that faith is proclaimed to the nations.

Mission work requires faithfulness. As Lutheran Christians, we are acutely aware of the need to be faithful at a time when secularism and religious pluralism assault the Church on every side. While striving to be faithful, however, many find themselves unable to connect their communities with the Gospel. Along with faithfulness we need wisdom— wisdom to understand the time and contexts into which Christ has called us to serve as His missionary people.

The Context
All mission contexts boil down to three: Pre-Church, Churched, and Post-Church. Pre-Church refers to a context in which the Church has not been established; so the culture is wholly unchurched. The Churched context finds the Church firmly established in the community and culture. The Post-Church context finds the Church’s significance in the community waning. These contexts move from one to the next in a circular rather than linear fashion, as the following diagram suggests.

Churches, like other social organisms, exist in relationship to a larger society defined by cultural boundaries that clearly mark those who are members (insiders) from those who are not (outsiders). Insiders are careful to maintain their boundaries, recognizing that any penetration by something (or someone) foreign may harm the community. The key difference between cultural insiders and outsiders is how they view these boundaries: Insiders work at protecting them; outsiders work at penetrating them.

In any given context, Christians live and serve either as cultural insiders or outsiders. Knowing which one we are is as critical to mission work as using the right map is to navigation. Consider the following questions:

Who can speak with credibility regarding spiritual issues?

When do these conversations take place?

Where do they take place?

What is the starting place for these conversations?
Each of these questions is indispensible to Gospel proclamation. Critical to their consideration is understanding that they can be answered only by cultural insiders. Knowing which one we are in each mission context— insider or outsider—tells us whether we (or someone else) must provide the answers.

Pre-Church Contexts
Missionaries serving in a Pre-Church context must assume the role of cultural outsiders, recognizing that non-Christians are cultural insiders. Non-Christians, then, must answer the who, when, where, and what questions. Christian witnesses
cannot assume that they will be trusted or credible just because they are Christians. Furthermore, they must adapt their ministry to meet the unchurched when and where the unchurched meet. Finally, and most important, they do not determine the starting place of the conversation. The unchurched insiders do. The missionary begins with their questions or concerns and carefully, lovingly moves from there to the Good News of Jesus. Through these means, the missionary penetrates the boundaries of the unchurched culture and the Gospel starts to work on the inside.

Critical to penetrating the culture is to become “permeable,” that is, to diminish as many “foreign” or outsider elements as possible. Thus, missionaries learn the language and culture of the unchurched insiders. They get involved in the life of the community, getting to know and be known by them. They recognize that it may take some time before they are considered credible enough to have something worthwhile to say about life issues, especially spiritual matters. Missionaries begin, then, as learners (students) of the insiders’ world. Over time, they operate as traders, exchanging or comparing their understanding of issues with those of the insiders. Eventually they may be invited to speak authoritatively about life and faith issues as contributors. Missionaries know that they have become trusted contributors when insiders confide to them the brokenness of their world and their inability to restore things to what they know is right (the law of God written on their hearts).

Missionaries need to recognize that they might never become cultural insiders. Cultural insiders, therefore, must play a critical role in communicating the Gospel. Proclamation depends more upon those we would call “laity” (especially the newly baptized) than on the missionary. The Holy Spirit also raises up various gifts (people) from among the insiders’ community through whom He speaks His Word both to the unchurched and to those being gathered by the Word (Ephesians 4).

Christians in a Pre-Church context focus primarily on unchurched people hearing the Good News. So they stay highly engaged with the unchurched, maintaining a porous boundary between themselves and the unchurched. Rather than creating their own place where they can invite their friends and relatives to hear about Jesus, they go to where (and when) the unchurched naturally gather. There they listen and apply God’s Word to the needs and questions the unchurched are raising. Eventually, a number of people gather around God’s Word, and a church is born. As more and more people become Christian, the Church increases in cultural and social significance, often replacing the unchurched community as the new insiders.

The Churched Context
Almost every dynamic of churched and unchurched people described in the Pre-Church context reverses in the Churched context. Christians are now the cultural insiders, and the unchurched the outsiders. The Church has become an essential part of the community, central to—even shaping—the shared history of the community. As such, it enjoys significant credibility, wielding considerable influence in the larger society. Consider the Christian church’s role in Europe or early America in shaping the languages and cultures of much of the Western world. (For example, modern German was built substantially on Luther’s translation of the Scriptures; J. S. Bach’s influence on classical music remains to this day.)

As insiders, the Church now answers the who, when, where, and what questions of Gospel communication. Who speaks with authority and credibility? Our pastor does. When and where do we discuss spiritual matters? We come to church. What is the starting place for our conversation? We naturally consider questions important to Christians, using language and theological categories developed within the Church—e.g., as Lutherans, we often ask questions among ourselves that are more theological than practical in nature, concerning ourselves with true doctrine, proper distinction between Law and Gospel, and theological matters that distinguish us from other Christian churches.

As cultural outsiders, the unchurched tend to gravitate toward the Church. They share the Church-influenced language and culture, support the cultural values established by the Church, and appreciate the Church’s role in society. Desiring to be cultural insiders, they willingly go through whatever process the Church requires to gain membership. They become permeable, willing to learn the language and culture of the Church. On the other hand, the Churched no longer focus on the unchurched; they’ve become virtually invisible. It’s generally assumed that almost everyone is a Christian. (How often have we heard, “America is a Christian nation”?)

In contrast to missionaries in a Pre-Churched society, pastors in a Churched society minister from the position of key cultural insiders, both in their churches and communities. Often highly educated, they are respected as spiritual and ethical leaders, trusted guardians of the community’s culture and values. Gospel proclamation belongs primarily, if not exclusively, to them. Evangelism occurs, therefore, by people inviting their unchurched friends and neighbors to come to church in order to hear what the pastor has to say. The several spiritual gifts operating in the Pre-Churched era atrophy or consolidate into one—the pastor/teacher.

As churches grow, more time and energy must be devoted to the needs and concerns of the members, which often means less attention is given to the unchurched. In order to serve the members, the churches increasingly invest in buildings and programs, multiplying ministries to the Churched. In an effort to protect their members from the dangers present in the non-Christian (or heterodox) world, they fix clear boundaries between those inside and outside their church. Over time the Church becomes preoccupied with its institutional needs while losing sight of those still outside the Kingdom.

The Post-Church Context
The Post-Church context is a complex combination of the previous two. In short: The larger community around the Church has become increasingly unchurched, more and more reflecting a Pre-Church context of ministry. At the same time, the Church continues to operate with the assumptions of the Churched society.

Simply speaking, both the churched and the unchurched claim the insider’s position, while viewing the other as alien. Because both view themselves as cultural insiders, neither has the need or inclination to become permeable in order to connect with the other. Instead, each tends to strengthen its own boundaries in an attempt to maintain its own identity, health, and future. Boundaries become all the more important as each feels threatened by the other.

The Post-Church context presents incredible challenges for local congregations, especially in regard to their Gospel outreach to the unchurched world.

First, they are caught off balance. Having for so long held the position of cultural insiders, they still build their outreach ministry on the assumptions and practices that worked in the Churched era—basically that the unchurched will be attracted to their church or ministries. They cannot understand why individuals and families find the soccer field, Starbucks, or just sleeping in more appealing than going to church on Sunday morning. Or why people challenge the traditional Christmas tree in the town square, or the Ten Commandments in a court of law. These cultural changes make no sense.

Second, and more important, Christians and churches struggle to find ways to connect meaningfully with the unchurched. The struggle centers in large measure on the Church’s inability to take up the position of cultural outsider, that is, to become permeable in regard to its own boundaries in order to penetrate the boundaries surrounding the unchurched world. Such permeability seems inappropriate, or worse, unfaithful in light of our Lord’s call to His Church to remain true to Him (in the world but not of it). Intuitively, faithfulness seems to require the thickening and sharpening of the Church’s boundaries in order to protect itself and its confession from the assaults of secularism and religious pluralism.

So how do Christian churches become permeable—the posture of missionaries in a Pre-Churched world—and remain faithful? This is the million-dollar question facing every church desiring to follow Christ in a Post-Church world. Is it possible to surrender the boundaries (the protective walls) without losing the essential life and integrity of the faith? Our Lord thought so. As He looked to His own death, by which He would gather the nations to Himself, He told His disciples, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24 ESV). What has to die in the seed is not its essence, just its protective husk. Missionary permeability and doctrinal integrity are not biblically exclusive. However, from the New Testament until today, churches desirous to be faithful have struggled with meshing the two.

Consider St. James’ words to St. Paul in Acts 21: “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to walk according to our customs.” St. Paul’s ability and requirement “for the sake of the Gospel” to “become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some” seemed to cause significant anxiety among the Judean believers (cultural insiders) that he was compromising the true doctrine as revealed through Moses in the Torah.

Confessional and missionary faithfulness require that we wrestle with these Gospel essentials in the light and for the sake of our Savior’s purpose in coming into our world.

---

About the Author: Dr. Robert D. Newton is president of the LCMS California-Nevada-Hawaii District This article and others are avaiable at
http://www.lcms.org/pages/wPage.asp?ContentID=691&IssueID=40

Bible, Nurture and Witnessing teaching resources by Jim Found

2010-07-24T10:37:00.004+10:00

Jim has taught witnessing and other outreach courses at Concordia St. Paul from 1998 to 2006. Along with his wife offers the following workshop and course material online in English and some in Chinese at http://www.foundbytes.com/index.htm :

Introduction to the Bible
Aid to reading Mark
Nurture of Believers
Overall Suggestions for Nurturing Others
Suggestions for nurture of your own faith
Suggestions for meeting in small home sharing groups
Suggestions for Youth and Family nurture
Suggestion for a Classroom Setting (Sunday School, etc.)
Suggestions about Prayer
Nurture materials written by Jim Found (These are meant to help believers apply faith to daily life.)
Eight Lessons for new believers.
Key Bible Topics. Over 25 practical studies.
Christian Life Discussion Sheets
Guide to Growth
Biblical concepts for training new leaders
Development of Christianity over the years: Roots of today's situation
The Sunday Morning Church service: Understanding and planning
What God's Word says about common life issues.
Thinking Outside the Box: ideas for youth studies or sermon series.
A "How-to" guide for witnessing
Devotions relating to witnessing
Great Commission Living,
A Witnessing Workshop
How to Lead a Witness Workshop
Books on Evangelism
Web sites about evangelism

Liturgical Guitarist's Hymnal

2010-07-24T10:28:00.003+10:00

The Liturgical Guitarist Hymnal provides relatively easy solo arrangements of many of the hymns used in liturgical worship today.

These musical arrangements are accessible to fingerstyle or classical guitarists of at least intermediate-level ability. All arrangements are presented in both notation and tablature.

Discover Liturgical Guitarist at http://www.liturgicalguitarist.com/index.html

Hymns available are:
Abide with Me
Adios, Oh Virgen de Guadalupe
Amazing Grace
Angels We Have Heard On High
At the Cross Her Station Keeping
Away in a Manger
Be Thou My Vision
Beneath the Cross of Jesus
By the Babylonian Rivers
Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
Comfort, Comfort, O My People
Coming Home
Coventry Carol
Creator of the Stars of Night
Day Is Done
Dona Nobis Pacem
God Be with You
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Holy God, We Praise Thy Name
How Can I Keep From Singing
How Firm a Foundation
I Need Thee Every Hour
I Heard the Voice of Jesus
I Love Thee
I Surrender All
Immaculate Mary
Jerusalem, My Happy Home
Jesus Loves Me
Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley
Joy to the World
Joyful, Joyful We Adore You
Just a Closer Walk with Thee
Just As I Am
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent
Let Us Break Bread Together
Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days
Morning Has Broken
Nearer, My God, to Thee
Now the Green Blade Rises
O Come, All Ye Faithful
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O Little Town of Bethlehem
O Sacred Head Surrounded
O Sanctissima
Of the Father's Love Begotten
On Jordan's Stormy Banks
On This Day, O Beautiful Mother
Old Hundredth
Parce Domine
Pange Lingua
Panis Angelicus
People, Look East
Psalm 42 (As the Deer Longs)
Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me
Silent Night
Simple Gifts/Lord of the Dance
Sing of Mary
Steal Away
Sweet Hour of Prayer
Take My Life, and Let It Be
The Angel Gabriel
The Day of Resurrection
The First Nowell
The King of Love My Shepherd Is
The Lord Is My Shepherd
The Strife Is O'er
There Is a Fountain
There's a Land That Is Fairer
than Day (Sweet By and By)
We Gather Together
We Three Kings of Orient Are
Were You There
What Child Is This
What Wondrous Love Is This
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Ye Sons and Daughters

Augsburg Confession mp3 audio download

2010-07-16T12:10:00.002+10:00

Pastor Phillip Hoppe makes available the Augsburg Confession as an audio download for those who are interested in listening to it as they sit, drive, fly, walk, run or cycle.

Visit http://ihoppe.com/blog/?page_id=385 to obtain downloads

Blended Worship Blog

2010-06-20T23:58:00.002+10:00

Blended Worship Resource includes a range of resources to help congregations who offer or are considering offering a blended style of worship

At this page you will find:
Blended Worship articles
Blended Worship Guidelines
CCM songlists
CCM music review
CCM songs criteria
CCM song and artist info
Blended Worship dialogue
Sound Techniques
Other Stuff

Discover more at http://blendedworshipresource.wordpress.com/

Bible Studies from Trinity Lutheran Church Palo Alto

2010-06-20T23:50:00.002+10:00

Trinity Lutheran Church have developed and used a number of Books of the bible, bible studies including:

Leviticus: The Theology of Worship
(with thanks to the Rev. John Kleinig, author of Leviticus [CPH, 2003])

Joshua: The Deposit of the New Creation
(following the work of the Rev. Adoplh Harstad, author of Joshua [CPH, 2004])

Esther: The Beauty and the Beast

The Psalms: According to the Our Father by Vicar David Solum

Colossians: The Fullness of God in Christ
by Vicar John Sias, and with thanks to the Rev. Paul Deterding, author of Colossians [CPH, 2003]

Titus: The Church on Crete

Philemon: Incarnate Forgiveness

Download these studies at http://www.trinitylutheranpaloalto.com/teachings/bible_study

Free Online Bible commentaries

2010-05-15T08:58:00.001+10:00

Free online Bible Commentaries are available at http://biblecentre.org/commentaries/index_ot.htm

Weekly Word- take home faith tool

2010-05-15T08:52:00.004+10:00

Weekly Word is a take home resource developed by Matt Thiele @ Immanuel Lutheran Church Buderim

The vision of Weekly Word is: “Richly immersed in God’s Word – all ages connected in Christ”.

The idea is to take the ‘WeeklyWord’ sheet home, stick it on your fridge or somewhere you’ll notice, and repeat the verse, meditate on the verse, discuss the verse, and let the verse work it’s way deep into your heart and mind through the week.

We’ve expanded things now by putting it online and setting up an email subscription so you can get ‘weeklyword’ and not miss out if you don’t get the print copy at church.

You might like to go deeper and read the whole chatper the verse is from, or the whole book. Whatever you do with this please “let the Word of Christ live in you richly” – Colossians 3:16.

for examples of weekly word and to sunscribe visit http://weeklyword.me/

Spiritual Care for people when spouses are ill or life is changing

2010-05-10T10:08:00.005+10:00

Changes in life or unexpected life events have an impact on us emotionally and spiritually.

When a spouse becomes ill or needs special care not only is your life disrupted, but plans are put on hold, dreams may seem further away or even impossibile or your life path may take a turn you never expected or prepared for. When retirement looms life also changes. Such situations can result in resentment, disappointment and even uncertainity with God, your spouse and even yourself.

There are a number of resources that help when such situations arise:
How to find grace for caregiving is an article that is based on the book AMBUSHED BY GRACE: HELP AND HOPE ON THE CAREGIVING JOURNEY
Prepare-Enrich Australia through local counsellors offer a counselling using diagnostic tool that help couples enrich and improve their marriage. It helps to identify those areas where there are strengths and those areas which are possible growth areas in a married relationship. This is a good way for couples to begin to understand where to focus. For further information contact myself or Prepare-Enrich
Where is God now? offers a number of excellent devotions, suggested bible readings and prayers relating to situations where there is disappointment and discouragement.
The Lutheran Handbook on Marriage has a section relating to older and retiring couples and suggestions on how they can enrich and enhance their marriage during later years.

Senior Evangelism

2010-05-01T21:20:00.002+10:00

http://www.seniorevangelism.org/ offers the following

The World of Senior Adults: Facts & Figures you should know
Spiritual Life Resources: Finding new life, nurturing the soul
Senior Moments: Time out to laugh at ourselves
Second Half Connections: Maintaining Healthy Relationships
Life Journey Stories: Inspiration from real life
Ministry by, with and for Seniors: What others are doing; lessons learned
Senior Ministry Seminars: Opportunities to learn, network
Life Issues and Scriptures: Find answers in the Bible
Links & Resources: Websites and other useful information

Center for Spirituality and Aging

2010-05-01T21:13:00.002+10:00

The Center for Spirituality and Aging offers provides advocacy and education about spirituality as it is experienced in the aging process, within both faith and long-term care communities.

Their web page offers:
Articles for Activity Professionals, family and progessional care-givers, health care professionals, Faith group leaders and older adults
Education
DVD: Caring for older adults
Books
links to other web sites
Other resources

Visit http://www.spiritualityandaging.org/

Messy Church: a family approach to church

2010-04-24T10:48:00.003+10:00

Messy Church is one church's attempt to be church for families who might want to meet Jesus, belong to their local church and bring up their children as Christians but can't cope with traditional Sunday morning church services.

How it started!!!
The first Messy Church began in 2004 when a group at St Wilfrid's in Cowplain near Portsmouth were frustrated because, as a church, we were hardly reaching any children with God's story.

We had lovely buildings and facilities but we weren't using them enough. We had wonderful creative people in the church, and the area we lived in needed as much community-building as possible, being a rather featureless suburb.

There was a lot of sympathy towards church in general but the church wasn't offering anything that really gripped the imagination of local families.

We decided very early on to try to do something for all ages together, partly out of a belief that we grow best as a church when we walk the journey with as many different people as possible, and partly from a desire to help families grow together in their walk of faith, not see Christianity as something you grow out of when you're eleven.

The rest is history... a messy present... and an unknown future that you may well be part of too!

What it might look like!!
The hall is buzzing with conversation. Around a table adults and children burst into laughter as they wrestle with metallic tubing and googly eyes and their teenage helpers despair of ever creating the promised artefact.

A toddler slaps green paint on a huge sheet of card under the watchful eye of a Granny (not sure if they're related or not - it doesn't really matter). A five-year-old watches wide-eyed as an enthusiastic leader shows her how to bang in a nail.

There's a delicious smell wafting out of the kitchen. The ten-year-olds, intent on their glass-painting, agree it must be jacket potatoes. The vicar takes a photo of the surreal result of the junk modelling and two mums catch up on the gossip as they drink welcome cups of tea and slowly decorate gift bags while their children make something unidentifiable but very chocolatey upstairs.

The cooks should be getting the plates stacked, but one of the mums needs to talk about her problems with her foster children.

I would be panicking about the story for the celebration later, but there's a huge collage of The Great Banquet to assemble before five o'clock, the powder paint has proved a formidable weapon of mess creation in the hands of Jack, and we've barely got started on the lettering and whoops, someone's kicked over the gluepot...

Just another Messy Church.

Messy Church is one church's attempt to be church for families who might want to meet Jesus, belong to their local church and bring up their children as Christians but can't cope with traditional Sunday morning church services.

It's a once-a-month time of creativity, worship and eating together.

For resources on developing, and birthing a messy church visit www.messychurch.org.uk where you will find resources, a blog, a book and community sharing

Lectionary resource: Faith Element

2010-04-24T10:40:00.002+10:00

What they say they are about?
FaithElement is a discipleship system that offer a simple but effective way for Bible study groups to grow in faith. Each week, we offer a combination of creative Session Pages, weekday prompts through Facebook, Twitter or email, and a brief Bible commentary video on the chosen passage. Best of all, FaithElement is free!

Faith Elelment offers 5 aproaches to studying a bible lesson from the Revised Common Lectionary readings. The five approaches are:

Media (uses movie clips, songs, and other media to spur discussion)
Mental (for those who need to understand)
Mystic (for those that prefer a spiritual, introspective style)
Missional (for those that are interested in action that makes a difference)
Youth (for student/youth groups).

The resources are all Free.....and there are notes, video clips, articles and music clips

To discover more visit www.faithelement.com

More Evangelism reflections

2010-04-19T23:36:00.001+10:00

The Year of Evangelism is about…..
being intentionally active in sharing God’s Love
Here are nine simple things you can do everyday….
1. Wear a cross or a religious symbol. You may be surprised how many times this will start a conversation about your faith.
2. Pray before a meal, especially with family and friends, but also in public places.
3. Refer to your church, your faith and the Bible in casual conversation with others.
4. Respond "Thank God!" or "God is Good!" when someone shares an uplifting story with you.
5. Say "I will pray for you" when some one shares a personal concern or difficulty with you.
6. Send a card or note of encouragement, offer words of blessing that convey your faith and trust in God.
7. Be courteous and helpful in all public transactions; look for ways to give a verbal and positive witness to the hope that is within you.
8. Ask someone you may have hurt for forgiveness.
9. Be clear that your perspective is informed by your faith and belief in a loving, forgiving God.
Can you think of number 10???
Why not send it to us at office@phlc.org.au

Living in the Year of Evangelism
involves caring for your friends earthly AND heavenly needs
If someone you cared for was in trouble and needed some help what would you do? Ignore them, let them go through the trouble by themselves, or would you offer them some help.
What about if they weren’t Christians, weren’t developing a relationship and growing in a relationship with Jesus? They are headed to only one place hell. Surely you would love for them to have the opportunity to be in heaven, with you and Jesus, so that they avoid hell.
There are six things that help us reaching friends:
1. Understand that sharing Jesus is an urgent. In Mark 13:32 we are encouraged to remain alert because know one knows the time when they will die or Jesus will return.
2. Don’t be conned by Satan’s lies that deter you from sharing Jesus, what He has done and is doing for them. The truth is most people appreciate discovering more about the God who loves them, despite their sin.
3. Look for opportunities, in your interactions and discussions there will be opportunities to talk about God, How great he is, what he has done, and to ask questions about what others think.
4. Just do it: the message we have is simple.
5. Be creative…give them books to read, watch a Christian DVD with them, invite them to a church activity.
6. Love your friends…continue building relationships with them

Adapted from the article: “Friends” by Greg Stier

Living in the Year of Evangelism
affects how you read and hear the news
How should Christians read the news? Like non-Christians, only with a radical sense of belonging to God’s story, insofar as God himself has revealed it. In other words, there’s a huge overlap with non-Christians. We’re all created in God’s image, fallen, and sustained by God’s common grace. As Martin Luther and John Calvin (Reformers of the church) said, non-Christians have a huge understanding of “things earthly”, even if they do not embrace God as he has revealed himself in his Son through the gospel.
More importantly, Paul said it in Romans 1 and 2.
We have to distinguish between the Great Commandment (calling us to love God and neighbour), which is the common commission of all human beings, and the Great Commission (calling us to preach the gospel, baptise and teach). Both are essential, but they’re really different.
The news is a form of the law. It draws on common wisdom and data. Even it’s editorials reflect both the fact God’s general revelation and it’s suppression in unrighteousness. Obviously, this natural law isn’t as clear as God’s revealed will in Scripture, which goes deeper in it’s analysis of our fallen condition. Yet when we read and hear the news, we’re neighbours loving fellow neighbours.
In this era between Christ’s two comings, God sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If he shows his common grace toward all people and a common interest in all affairs, these issues should concern us for more than merely practical reasons. We share with non-Christians in the same joys and disappointments of temporal life.
However it is essential to remember, the gospel isn't announced in the news. For that, we need heralds who bring the most important news of all.
People like pastors, teachers, wise theologians and even you and me who highlight God’s love; informing others that there is more to life than they hear in the news, that God has a love that deals with sin, failure and delivers everyone who trusts Him the gift of eternity.
Adapted from and article in Leaders who last, by Dave Kraft

Living in the Year of Evangelism is about…..
Sharing telling God’s Easter story and your Easter story….
the best story ever!!!
We have the best story in the world to tell. It's a story about life, and love, and God's triumph over sin, death, and the devil.
It's a great story that has been handed down to us as a gift.
Our role in this story is not to hoard or hide this gift but to find new and unexpected ways to share this gift with the people around us.
The story of Jesus dying and rising has been told through twenty centuries. For many it is a story about hope and about what God can do. But for some Easter isn't a source of hope; simply because they don't know the story. And this is where every Christian has a role to play…every Christian should immerse themselves in the story of Easter….this involves
Thinking about:

Who are you most like in the Easter story?
What is God up to in the Easter Story?

There's a story to tell. There's a world ready to hear some Good News.
Jesus was dead and he is risen.
And in telling the story….something amazing happens….all who
believe will have life after death in him.

What does the Year of Evangelism mean?
The story we heard recently in church of the Chinese farmer who had his eyes healed then some days later lead others with a similar condition to the doctor who healed him, sums up what it often means for us to be active in evangelism.
Being involved in evangelism means:
• Sharing with others the good God is doing
• Not having to know it all, or exactly how God works.
• Walking with others, as you lead them to the one who will
bring healing.

DVD Bible Study series: Engage

2010-04-19T23:08:00.003+10:00

Engage is a DVD bible study series developed by CPH that is focuses on issues relating to Young Adults but claims not to leave them there

Watch.
Talk.
Engage and discover what God has to say to you through His grace in Jesus Christ.

The topics covered include
CONVOY: Why do bad things happen to good people?
DESK: What do you hide?
HOSE: What happens when life breaks down?
KINGS Ever left alone in a crowded room?
MILLION: How do you seperate fact from feeling?
PHONE: Ever get that call you never wanted?
ROPE: Are you at the end of yours?
RUST: What's eating away at you?

available at http://www.cph.org/engage
for a preview visit http://www.youtube.com/user/EngageBibleStudies

Web Site: Church Relevance

2010-04-19T22:19:00.002+10:00

Kent Shaffer's blog Church Relevance aims to develop relevant and effective church ministries and assistance to churches.
There is a list and link to the 100 top Christian blogs, churches to watch, a range of free resources and regular articles. Available at http://churchrelevance.com/

Web site: IXMARKS

2010-04-19T21:52:00.002+10:00

9Marks believes the local church is the focal point of God’s plan for displaying his glory to the nations, and that the Bible is sufficient for the life of the church. As an organization, therefore, we are church-focused, scripture-focused, and pastor-focused. We value a multiplicity of voices and styles as well as like-minded partnerships. We hope to continue growing in our own knowledge of God’s Word and its application to the local congregation. And we intend to spread our content through existing venues, platforms, and institutions, not to create new ones.

The nine marks are (1) expositional preaching, (2) biblical theology, (3) a biblical understanding of the good news, (4) a biblical understanding of conversion, (5) a biblical understanding of evangelism, (6) biblical church membership, (7) biblical church discipline, (8) biblical discipleship and growth, and (9) biblical church leadership. These are not the only things which are necessary for building healthy churches, they are nine practices which many churches today overlook and that need to be emphasized once again.

Visit www.9marks.org for information, articles and books for pastors and church members.

Lutheran Central: A site offering a range of resources

2010-04-19T21:02:00.003+10:00

Lutheran Central offers links to a range of resources similar to http://www.lutheranmission.blogspot.com/

They offer resources in the following areas:

•Good Lutheran Humor
•Online Bible Search and Study Tools
•Lutheran Beliefs
•Online Daily Devotions
•Famous Lutherans
•U.S./Canada Lutheran Church Bodies
•Bibles & Bible Translation
•Lutheran Radio, Videos, and Music
•Adoption and Social Services
•Campus Ministry Resources/Locator
•Directory of Lutheran Pastors
•Exceptional Lutheran Cong. Web sites
•Family Resources
•Lutheran Bookstores - Gift Sources
•Lutheran Camps
•Lutheran Colleges and Universities
•Lutheran History and Origin
•Lutheran Insurance
•Lutheran Seminaries
•Magazines and Periodicals
•U.S. Lutheran Schools Pre K- 12
•U.S./Canada Congregation Locators
•Volunteer opportunities- US & Intl
Worldwide Lutheran Churches/Ministries
Africa Lutheran Churches/MinistriesAsia/Oceania Lutheran Churches/MinistriesCentral/South America Lutheran Churches/MinistriesEastern Europe & Middle East Lutheran Churches /MinistriesEurope/Scandanavia Lutheran Churches/MinistriesNorth American Churches /MinistriesFor Pastors and Leaders
•Evangelism Resources
•Sermon and Devotion Resources
•Liturgical Calendar
•Lutheran Councils/ Orgs./ Auxilaries
•Statistics, Research and Opinion
•Lutheran news sources
•Fundraising & Stewardship Assistance
•Lutheran Missions - International
•Lutheran Missions - US/Canada
•Relief & Development Services
•Theological Newsletters and Journals
•Web Page Resources/Designers
•Youth Ministry Resources

visit www.lutherancentral.com to discover a range of resources

Door 2 hope:

2010-04-19T20:47:00.003+10:00

Door2Hope is based on a Christian outreach strategy called NET Fishing, which links people and their God-given strengths and passions into a Network of Evangelistic Teams. Developed and supported by a Lutheran Pastor

NET Fishing is “stone soup evangelism.” The participants—whether individuals, small groups, churches, or ministries—share whatever they have, so that they all can be more effective in sharing the love of Christ with people. There are no fees or membership dues. The steps to participating in Door2Hope are simple.

Step 1 – Learn
Brief overview: 38-slide presentation
An example: Door2Hope.org
Detailed description: 42-page document
More details for those who want it: 159-page document
Spiritual Gifts Inventory

Step 2 – Inform
NET Fishing Partner Info document

Step 3 – Dialogue
We discuss with you how we can mutually assist each other.
We connect you with others in the Network of Evangelistic Teams.

Step 4 – Collaborate
We help each partner to reach out more effectively.
We celebrate “playing” evangelism as a "team sport".

Visit www.netfishing.org

More Contemporary Lutheran Music: Truevine music

2010-04-19T20:20:00.002+10:00

Truevine Music offers over 50 contemporary Lutheran Songs

Truevine aims for their music to be:

Congregational
Contemporary
Theological
Sacramental
Liturgical

They offer songs and resources for free.
Resources include lyrics, chord sheet, lead sheet, keyboard sheet and audio
Visit Truevine at http://www.truevinemusic.com/