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IN CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONFall 2011 Vol. 45, No. 1

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IN CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

A PUBLICATION OF CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY, SEWARD, NEBRASK A

Revitalizing Congregations: A High Priority?

Fall 2011Vol. 45, No. 1

Reections

Rev. Dr. Brian L. Friedrich, President

Editorials

Demographics and Transforming Congregations

Rev. Jefrey Miller

Revitalization: A God Idea!

Rev. Dr. Robert Newton

How Revitalization Can Happen

Rev. Terry Tieman

Book Reviews

3

Editor

Editorial Committee

Editorials

Book Reviews

Associate

Associate

Graphic Design

Copy Editor

rinting and Circulation Coordinator

Issues in Christian Education is avai lable online only. We encourage church workers, lay leaders, interestedcongregational members, university and seminary aculties, district and synod oces, and libraries to visitwww.cune.edu/issues and simply complete the sign-up orm on the page.

Marvin Bergman, Ed. D., Ph. D.

Russ Moulds, Ph.D.

Paul Holtor, M.Div.,Ph.D.

Daniel Thurber, A.D.

Brian L. Friedrich, M.Div., Ph.D.

Seth A. Boggs, B.F.A.

Marlene Block, B.A.

Holly Matzke

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CONCORDESIGNSTUDIOA Student + Faculty Design Collaborative

eflectionseflections

TYPEFACES USED IN THIS PERIODICALTitles set in 22 point Mrs. Eaves Roman (Emigre o

Sacramento). Tracking normal.Subheads set in 13/13 point Mrs. Eaves bold.By-lines and author inormation set in 13/13 point

Mrs. Eaves small caps.Footers and olios set in 11 point Mrs. Eaves.Feature articles set in 11/13 point Mrs. Eaves.Three column text set in 9/10 point Mrs. Eaves.

Layout, design and illustration byconcordesigno Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska.

What do the ollowing numbers mean, and what do they have incommon?*

1. 20172. 500+3. 1214. 805. 756. 507. 188. 469. 3

10. 211. 1

The meanings o the numbers are ound in the articles andeditorials o this edition oIssues in Christian Education. I hope the listo numbers will tease you into reading the entire journal in onesitting! (To get you going, the meaning o each number is listedat the let.) Once I began reading the articles, editorials, and bookreviews, I couldnt stop. I was inspired by their ocus, clarity,practicality, and biblical mandate o the revitalization o Godschurches and people by the power o the Gospel.

This edition oIssues could well be called a Great Commissionissue! Throughout the edition, you will read o both theopportunity and the challenge to aithully, conessionally, ervently

immediately and passionately proclaim and live the Good News oJesus Christ, the one and only Savior o the world. Today, as muchi not more than ever beore, God has chosen you and me as Hispeople to proclaim the praises o Him who called us out o darknesinto His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

I love the mission statement o St. John Lutheran Church inSeward, Nebraska, my home congregation. It reads simply: Ourmission is to proclaim and practice the love o Christ! At theproverbial end (or beginning) o the day, it is the love o Christand His all-atoning sacrice on Calvarys cross that revitalizescongregations and sinul human beings. Revitalized, He calls youand me to be His hands, eet, eyes, ears and voice to proclaim and

practice His love in the communities and congregations where Heplaces us!

Imagine: God desires to use us in the most important work inthe worldthe work o eternal salvation! Revitalizing congregationsis the work o eternal salvation! It is your work! It is my work! It isurgent! It is priority number one! Read on!

Brian L. Friedrich, Presiden

1. The year in which Lutherans will celebratethe 500th anniversary o the Reormationand the year o meeting the LCMSconvention-adopted goal o praying andworking or the mission revitalization oat least 2,000 congregations.

2. The number o churches participating in

the Transorming Churches Network.3. The number o members needed to pay apastors ull salary and benets.

4. The percentage o congregations that reportno growth in annual worship attendance.

5. The size o an average congregation.6. The percentage o congregations that have

not baptized or conrmed a single adult inthe past year.

7. The percentage o people who attendworship services in the USA in a givenweek.

8. The number o community outreach eventsin a year which oten lead to revitalizing acongregation.

9. The USAs rank as a mission eldthe thirdlargest.

0. The marks o the Church: where theGospel is proclaimed and the sacramentsare rightly administered.

1. The one and only Savior o the world: Jesus.

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editorials

Paying Attentionto Vital Signs!

Periodically many o us visit a medical doctoror a physical examination. The doctor says,

Lets take a look at your vital signs! Parishleaders, proessional church workers andcongregations need to do the same. Thosethat do oten become aware o the rea lities,changes, improvements and emphases thatwill create a healthier parish, mission andministry lie!

Some congregations and schools inour church body have been involved in a

revitalization process that involves taking alook at the vital signs! Sometimes, its noteasy to ask the questions or do the insightulexamination, but it is worthwhile a ndmeaningul! Its oten easier to keep doing

what we have always done while orgettingthat well a lso get what weve always got!

What is vital or a Christian? (Matthew4:19) For a Chri stia n congre gation?(Romans 12) For uli lling the GreatCommission? (Matthew 28:18-20) Forreaching those who do not know the Lord

Jesus Chris t? (Ac ts 2) For nurtur ing,

equipping, supporting those who do? (IPeter 4:10)

The USA is the third largest mission eldon the planet. In the USA, about 18 percento the people attend a worship service ina given week. While there are some largecongregations, the average church size inthe U.S. is 75. The LCMS and many otherProtestant groups are on a plateau inreaching new people or the Lord. Theyalso show a decline in their numbers overthe last two decades.

In 2011 2020, how many congregationsmay be acing serious survival issues? Whatdoes our Lord call us to be and be about?

Do we need to examine our vital signs?What do they tell us?

Some o the major issues discovered bythose who are involved in checking the vitalsigns o a parish and its leadership include:a strong inward ocus; a minimal emphasison being the body o Christ; strong controlby a ew; resistance to variety and change;aging leadership; traditional governancemodels; unwillingness to re-examinenances; ew spiritual growth groups; very

ew community support events; and a letthe pastor/staf do it attitude.

Some parishes involved in a process oexamining our vital signs through theTCN (Transforming Churches Network) have beenblessed in their lie together with the Lordby taking an in-depth look atthree aspectso their congregational li e and leadership.

1) Our mission & ministryvision. Forexample, Where are we? What year is it?

Why are we here? How is it going? Whoneeds us? Can we strengthen our eforts?How? These questions and strategicplanning oten lead, with the help o Districtguidance, to even more questions and

also to improved solutions and situations!2) The current level ospiritualityamong

the members and how our relationships withChrist are being lived out, individually andcorporately, in the community around us!

Who and how many are involved in Biblestudy, amily and/or personal devotion time,sharing the Gospel, inviting relatives andriends to worship, small groups, servantevents, personal growth activities, etc.?

When do we have, promote and acilitatetimes o prayer, conession, orgiveness andreconciliation or the members and thecommunity? Can we repent and re-ocuson the uture?

3) The changingdemographicso thegreater community in which the church is

based and the members live or work. Whathas changed in the last decade? Who hasmoved away? Who has God sent to ourneighborhoods? Who are our co-workersand new riends? How are we reachingothers with the kindness, compassion, careand Gospel o Christ? Are we diferentrom the non-Christians who a lso inuencethe newcomers? How? What seems to be

working best?In parishes, the revitalization process

brings a new and renewed spiritual vitality that is addressing the need or acongregation-wide attitudinal change roman inward to an outward ocus! Thiscan happen when: our organizationalstructures are improved; a renewed sense ofmission begins to grow; we discover ways to equip and carefor one another; a giving of Christ-like love leads others to want to know more about the message othe church andthe Savior.

Meeting human needs and plantingGospel seeds show a vitality that causes newrejoicing to rise up to God! The outward

ocus shows itsel in a warmer welcoming oguests and ormerly driting members whohave been touched and helped by a caringellow Christian to return.

Clergy, educators and lay leaders who taketime to meet regularly or coaching andlearning sessions discover new insightsor using their skills more efectively andlearn, or the rst time, that the gits arein the people. The biblical understandingo the priesthood o all believers (1 Peter2) comes alive! That ollowers o Jesus are

the body o Christ becomes more clear!(Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12)

It is VITAL that we continue to be that

Gospel-based, renewing and renewable bodythat He has made us! Yes, it is truly v ital!

The Rev. Dr. David BelasicRetired Pastor

ormer Eastern District PresidentThe Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

Bufalo, New Yorkdbelasiced@verizon.net

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URGENT!!

The United States is the third largestmission eld in the world! India and Chinaare the only two countries that have moreunchurched people. Surprising, isnt it?For most o us, we were brought up tobelieve that the United States is a Christiannation. It is amazing how things change inorty years.

We could come to the conclusion that we

have become the third largest mission eldbecause o all the immigrants that havemoved into this country in the past 25 years.In reality, what has made our country thethird largest mission eld is the Anglo-population becoming disconnected rom theChristian church. Organizations that pollour country claim that on any given weekend,only 18 percent o our country attends aChristian worship service. The mission eldis our moms and dads, brothers and sisters,aunts and uncles, children, grandchildren,great-grandchildren, neighbors, classmates,co-workers, and even our enemies. Themission eld is no longer only overseas, but

is now in our living room.Since the United States is a mission

eld, the buzz word you are hearing todayin Christian circles is revitalizing ortransorming the church. The Encarta Dictionarystates that the meaning o revitalization is

to give new lie or energy to somebody orsomething. Transormation is dened as

a complete change, usual ly into somethingwith an improved appearance or useulnessas well as the act or process o transormingsomebody or something. The commonalityo the two words is change. Revitalization/Transormation is a process to help churcheschange rom being ocused on people inside

the church to being ocused on people inand outside o the church.

For Christian churches and especiallyThe Lutheran Church Missouri Synod,we celebrate the past and the blessingsGod has given us. We celebrate the Wordand Sacrament ministry that has takenplace in our churches. We celebrate theblessing o Christian education, especiallyour preschools, elementary schools, highschools, universities, and seminaries. With

all the changes around us, we need to clingto Hebrews 13:8, Jesus Christ is the same

yesterday and today and orever.As the church moves into this new mission

eld that is our community, we should neverchange our passion or Word and Sacramentministry and Christian education. We needto seek Gods wisdom on how we take theseblessings He has given us to people whodont know Him.

Revitalization starts by learning rom ourmissionaries how God used them to developthe overseas mission eld. Two main thingshappen beore they ever move to a Word andSacrament ministry. They learn the culture,

and then build personal relationships withthe natives. They spend hours in the newculture asking questions, listening, andlearning rom the people. Ater observingand listening, their next move might bedeveloping human care ministry. Whenthey have built trust with the natives, theystart connecting Gods Word to their l ives.

The change needed in our church throughrevitalization is or the church to be out inher communityto listen, learn, and buildtrust with the unchurched and disconnectedindividuals in the community. The churchneeds to be building relationships andasking questions in relating to people

community leaders. Examples o leadersinclude a mayor, city council, school board

members, teachers, a superintendent,principals, law enorcement oicers,community service agencies (such as ChildProtective Services), planning and zoningocers, and health care proessionals.

In meeting with community leaders, thechurch can be asking questions, such as:

What are the greatest strengths o

the community? What challenges do they ace incarry ing out their jobs?

What are the pressing problems acingpeople living in the community?

How can the church partner with themto improve the community?

Visiting with community leaders allows thechurch to build relationships with them andteaches how to connect with their missioneld, their community.

The good news we hear rom Gods Wordis that He is a change agent. 2 Corinthians5:17 states: Thereore, i anyone is in Christ,he is a new creation; the old has gone, the

new has come! Romans 6:3-4 says Or,dont you know that all o us who werebaptized into Christ Jesus were baptizedinto his death? We were thereore buried

with him through baptism into death inorder that, just as Christ was raised romthe dead through the glory o the Father, wetoo may live a new lie.

Revitalization is URGENT!!! We live ina mission eld! There is joy in learningabout your mission eld and watching Godrevitalize and transorm peoples lives!

The Rev. Richard BoringAssistant to the President or District

Ministries, Nebraska District, SewardRichB@ndlcms.org

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Why Church Revitalizationis Needed

During the rst ew sessions o a class Iteach at the seminary,Pastoral Ministry, Ishare with my students a useul First Article/created order insight that I pray they take

with them into their respective ministries.That insight is this: It is possible, on the basiso a congregations average Sunday worshipattendance, to know and understand a lotabout what that congregation is actually like.My point is this: A congregation that has anaverage Sunday attendance o 20 is not just aminiature version o a congregation that hasan average Sunday worship attendance o 120.They are, in act, diferent animals, so tospeak. They will have and display diferinghabits, priorities, values, structures, andprocedures or operating within thatstructure. The wise and discerning pastor,I tell my students, inds out what kindo animal hes shepherding, and then heuses this insight and knowledge in order tobecome as efective a minister o the Gospelo Jesus Christ as he can in that place.

It is also during those rst ew sessionso my class in Pastoral Ministry that Inonchalantly write the number 121 on theblackboard, and then proceed with mylecture. Sure enough, in time, someonebecomes inquisitive enough to ask what thesignicance is o that particular numeral.

What ollows, then, is a candid and soberingdescription o the challenge that acesmost o my students who are placed, rightout o the seminary, as sole pastors ocongregations.

It takes, I inorm the men in my class,an average Sunday worship attendance o121 to aford one ull-time pastors salaryand benets and still have a little moneylet over or programmatic use. So i yourrst call is to a congregation that has anaverage Sunday attendance that is less than121, then chances are very high that you are(monetarily speaking) in an unsusta inablesituation. This is your problem, I tell mystudents. Own the problem and determineto do something sanctied to x it!

For well over a generation, mostcongregations in our church body haveplateaued or been in decline in terms o

average Sunday worship attendance (somesay that the percentage is as high as 90percent). At the same time the population othe United States has grown. In other words,there are more people around us now thanever beore who desperately need what thechurch has to give, that is, the Gospel in

Word and Sacraments. However, or a host oreasons, it appears as though most Lutherancongregations are unwilling or unable, orboth, to reach out into their communities

with that Gospel in ways that lost people canactually hear, see, understand, and bel ieve.

How does a brand new Lutheran pastorbegin to address this chal lenge? What doeshe do? Where does he start? To be sure,this is a spiritual and theological problemthat requires a pastor who is ormed andnormed by the Scriptures and the LutheranConessions. It requires that he has theability to rightly divide the Word o truth.It requires a wil lingness, on the pastors part,to view his church as, in C.F.W. Walthers

words, the most precious and beautiulplace on earth. Beyond these basic andnecessary undamentals, however, a pastorcan nd additional wisdom, insight, anddirection in the church transormation andrevitalization movement that is taking placethroughout our church body.

In a nutshell, church revitalization isnecessary because most plateaued anddeclining congregations have a certainamount o dysunction at work in themthat keeps them rom turning outward,looking beyond their walls, and seeing theopportunities or mission and ministry thatare all around them in their communities.Theres a sinul part o every church culturethat seeks to take the Gospel light that hasbeen given to them and hide it undera bushel! When the consecrated pastoraddresses and takes on this dark aspecto his congregations culture, hes in orsome real spiritual warare and needs allthe sanctied help he can get!

This is precisely when and whereo r g a n i z a t i o n s t h a t s p e c i a l i z e i ncongregational revitalization, such as theTransorming Churches Network(TCN),

can be so useul. TCNwalks with pastors andcongregations who desire to be Gods aithulchurch on earth, and it supports thesepastors and congregations with learningcommunities, coaching, and prescriptionsor outreach and healthy, positive change.

Some time ago a riend and classmate omine led his congregation through such arevitalization efort. Today, as hell readilytell you, he is nding more joy in ministrythan ever beore. The Spirit o the Lordis at work in his church in tangible ways.Theyve planted a new and growing daughtercongregation, theyre raising up new pastoralleadership in their congregation throughSynods SMP (Speciic Ministry Pastor)program, and their SMP vicar is alreadyconducting Bible classes or the coaches inthe nearby public high school, while theirpredominantly Anglo congregation eedsthe predominantly Arican-Americanootball team beore every home game. Myriend observed that his congregation isreaching out to the people in the community

with the love o Jesus in ways that, beorerevitalization, would not have been possible.

The local church is the hope o the world,and the local pastor, as the means o theMeans o Grace in that place, determines,to a very large degree, the health o the localchurch. I a congregation is to becomeand remain a healthy and lourishingcongregation, a pastor will need to beintentional about doing and saying the thingsthat lead in that direction. Hell also needhelp in doing so. Today that help, or LCMSpastors and congregations, is more available,more afordable, and more efective than everbeore. In act, its just a ew keystrokes away:http://transormingchurchesnetwork.org/

Dr. William Utech

Associate ProessorDirector o Resident Field Education

Concordia Seminary, St. Louisutechw@csl.edu

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The church is where the Gospel is preachedand Sacraments are rightly administered. Ithose were the only qualications we caredabout, this article would not be necessary.

As members o The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod (LCMS), we denitely careabout whether our congregations and schoolsdo well, and we want our Synod to survive,thrive and grow. We denitely care aboutpeople in the pews, chairs and desks.

One o the most impactul trends wehave been seeing in the LCMS is the declinein attendance in many congregations andschools. The latest LCMS statistics show thatover 50 percent o LCMS congregations have

not baptized or conrmed a single adult inthe past year. Unortunately, that statistic hasbeen repeated or many years. How can wereverse that decline and renew our missionto reach out and bring the Gospel message tomore people, so that our congregations mayhave the opportunity or growth by the worko the Holy Spirit?

Through demographics, we can take anin-depth look at those who live around our

Demographics and TransformingCongregations

The Rev. Jeffrey Miller is VicePresident of District and National

Relations for LCEF. He was assisted

in the writing of the article by

District LCEF Vice Presidents:

Carole White, Iowa;

Kurt Fuhr, Minnesota South;

Steve Bremer, Kansas;

Kevin Grein, Rocky Mountain;

Tim Dittloff, South Wisconsin.

Jeff.Miller@lcef.org

churches, schools and ministries. Data canprovide clarity on how to reach them, thusequipping us to possibly reverse the trendin diminishing membership and enabling a

discovery o new mission elds.

Why Use Demographic Studies?

The state or condition o the church,specically the LCMS, has been a point odiscussion or at least the last orty years. Thatis how long I have served as a church worker.I can also remember my parents havingdiscussions about their own congregation and

wondering how energized it was.The ollowing observation is known to

many. In many rural and urban areas, thepopulation has slowly let the community,some by death and others by seekingemployment. Sometimes those samecommunities had populations replacing those

who moved out, but they were unnoticed ornot cared about.

In September, 2011, USA Today carried anumber o articles describing demographicchanges in the United States. As with mostnews stories, these were broad surveyso the data. Local newspapers ollowed

up on that inormation with localizedstories. In demographic terminology, it wassimply decadal updates o the U.S. Censusndings. The observations made centeredon communities becoming more multi-ethnic with a higher concentration oHispanics. Drive across the United States andobserve our communities. Even small ruralcommunities show denite signs o a multi-ethnic population. But what else is happeningin our neighborhoods?

Jeffrey Miller

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It may be true that smaller communitiesare declining in terms o population, butoten the population mix o communitiesis changing and congregations are slow torespond positively to address the change.

Quite oten there is a population thatreplaces those who have let. A process toaddress this issue honestly and objectively

within the LCMS is called revitalization.The technical title is Transforming Congregations.

At a mission meeting in St. Louis, thisprocess was called rereshing by the newsynodical leadership. Whatever the title, themission o the church is still local, and theapplication o Scripture and data is bestdone locally.

The Rev. Dr. Terry Tieman, Director o

Transorming Congregations Network(TCN),a recognized service organization o theLCMS, emphasizes that congregations can berevitalized. That is, they can once again beenergized and moved by the Holy Spirit to seethat the members o the local congregationare Gods missionaries to their community.Gods mission is local, and the congregationis Gods instrument to reach the peopleHe wants reached (Acts 17). Tiemann saysthat one o the rst steps necessary or a

congregation to be involved in revitalizationis to understand what the real communitysurrounding the church looks like.

At the top level o a demographics study,data demonstrate the reality o the size othe community surrounding a congregation,

with the data then being related to themembership o the congregation. Forexample, in downtown Fort Wayne there areour Lutheran congregations within eightblocks o each other. The community is denseand the congregations areor were large.

Today, the numbers in those congregationsare one- hal o their ormer memberships.In such a community, congregationmembers may think they know everyone intown. But oten a demographic study showscharacteristics and numbers o populationthat are surprising to longtime residents.

To gain the best snapshot o thearea, demographic inormation providesa congregation or school with additionaldata related to the broad population mix

and density. Members can look at trends inincome, education levels, ethnic mix andother segments which provide perspectiveson current conditions.

The best aspect o demographic data

is that it is objective. The numbers andthe characteristics are not someonesinterpretation. When the data are letto speak or themselves, they will tel lan interesting story. These data have ahistory. They capture todays populationand characteristics. They show how thecommunity or neighborhood has grown ordeclined. For example, when a congregation

was presented with a demographic study bythe Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF)resource known as MissionInsite, leaders o

the church were surprised at the income levelo their community and their membership.They did the math and determined thattheir oferings amounted to only 1.8 percento residents income. The congregationbegan talking about spiritual giving andstewardship o ones blessings.

In the Twin Cities metro area, onecongregation operates a school which hasstudents rom a variety o ethnic groups, butthe membership o the congregation does

not reect that mix. In another congregationwhere acilities are large, available, andusually near empty, the community aroundit is busy with activity and desirous o theacility. However, the congregation keeps itsdoors locked.

Congregations take a ministry directionbecause it seems like the proper thing to do.Sometimes the congregation researches andstrategizes beore it takes actions. Here isan experience one congregation had with ademographics study. Members proceeded to

plan how they could best serve communitymembers in need. With the data, they sawthat 98 percent o community residentsearned 32 percent above the medianincome level o the entire state. The samecongregation also was busy with amilyministry. The study showed that the amilyprogram served one-hal o the community.The other one-hal o the populationconsisted o upper-middle class singlepeople. The congregations intentions were

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wonderul, but without proper research, thetime, expense and human resources directedto initial plans would have little ability toull l its mission.

One congregation on the East Coastwas surprised to know that it had our

millionaires within its membership. Anumber o congregations in the Midwestreport that their knowledge o the communityts closely with the demographic data. Butone cannot be sure o that knowledge withoutdemographic data.

Uses for Congregations andSchools

Again, Id like to share the experience oa congregation. Members were concernedabout the decline in enrollment at the

congregations parochial school. The usualquestions were asked, such as: Are ourmembers children attending? Can weaford to keep the school open? How longcan we pay or staf i this continues? Whenasked i the congregation had looked at itscommunity, the answer was No, that costsmoney. When asked i the school had everdone marketing to let the community knowthat all children are welcome, the answer wasagain, No, that costs money.

Demographics help school leaders

understand how many children in thecommunity are available to attend andhow many are reachable. An aspect otenoverlooked when considering a demographicsstudy and its true value is the liestylepatterns that emerge. Recently, two LCMSdistricts began gathering data rom schoolsto determine the liestyles o the amilies oelementary school students. The purpose wasto help determine the number o potentialstudents in the community. One DistrictLCEF vice president described an experience:

One urban school is located in the hearto a changing community. Income orthe school and enrollment numbers havebeen on a declining trend. Interpretationsand answers to the struggling incomeand enrollment varied rom person toperson. The impressions o communitytransitions that surround this school

were oten subjective in nature. Thisled to internal debate and doubt. The

schools participation in a demographicstudy o plotting students and comparingtheir school data with what has beenound through a state-wide survey onearly all District LCMS schools resultedin an end to the questions, doubt and

interpretations. Now the discussion iscentered on What God would have us do.

The ministry o a congregation mightbe afected by something as simple asgeography. One congregation is a 30-45minute commute to a metro area, which isa strong indicator that evening meetingsand long term commitments to traditionalboard structures will not work, since manymembers made that daily commute to work.

With the identication o that issue, the

congregation can change how it does itsbusiness and determine when to start eveningor aternoon programming.

The best use o demographics by acongregation is or development o visionand mission statements. In addition,the demographics data will assist withstrategy implementation and tactics usedor community involvement. A classicexample is the congregation that inviteda District LCEF vice president to describe

how a demographic study could help acongregation understand its community.Members wanted to start a preschool andchild-care program. The demographicsshowed that there were ew children, butthey could consider elder care, because thatage group was increasing. The congregationthought that yesterdays solution (get morechildren which brings parents) would be theeasy solution to their declining membership.They now needed to adjust their vision andministry plan by integrating hard data.

A staf that leads congregations throughthe revitalization process oten makes thecomment that the most dicult procedureor a congregation is to admit that it isno longer aithul to Gods mission oreaching the lost. In terms o Lutheranways o thinking and practicing, this isthe time when the individual or the wholecongregation is led to repentance. Insteado involving just one individual, this isthe time or the congregation to realize its

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need or repentance because it has ocusedGods resources on itsel and has not paidattention to the mission eld that God has

placed around and among it.A biblical example o the value o payingattention to people and their community isdescribed in the Book o Nehemiah. Godprovided the vision or the rebuilding o thewalls o the city, but Nehemiah had to get theattention o the people in Jerusalem ocusedon the need to rebuild. Once the need wasacknowledged, implementing the visionbecame the enjoyable part o ministry.

Preparing to Use the Results

of a StudyWhen a congregation prepares to enterinto a ull study o itsel, the congregationshould listen to an experienced personexplain what the data mean. Most Districtoces have Church Extension Fund orLCEF staf members who are amiliar withthe MissionInsite tool. LCEF has purchasedthe rights to provide demographic data toLCMS districts through MissionInsite, withmost districts being able to access the data

in their oces and then grant permissionor use by congregations, schools and otherministries o the LCMS. Congregations,schools and other ministries can downloaddemographic data or their own use in theirown oces and can consult with Districtstaf or interpretation. The data integrateU.S. Census data that are rereshed every sixmonths with other resources that cover otheractors, such as retail and real estate marketsbeing available.

Once the data have been explained by

a District staf member, the membershipcan go back into their community to

veriy the data. Oten, specic communitymembers can be o assistance, such as localbusiness leaders and realtors. City leaderslike mayors, city planners, police andreghters also are knowledgeable. Fromthis grassroots inormation, congregation

members can begin to understand who livesin their community and determine theiropportunities or ministry.

There are a number o other benets tousing demographic data. They include, butare not limited to: Determining income levels Calculating the percentage o income that

members are giving to the church Determining the number o young children

available or childcare or early childhoodeducation

Identiying potential students or anelementary school or high school

Assessing the need or older adult care

Identiying the ethnic mix o thecommunity

Determining growth and decline inemployment opportunities

Evaluating available social services Naming the communitys level o educationDemographics help to give a realistic view othe population o the congregation and thesurrounding community.

Considerations When Using

Demographics

Some cautions need to be mentioned in usingdemographics. Data taken selectively can prove most

anything. All the data, like the wholebiblical text, need to be taken together.

Long-time residents who believe they knoweveryone and everything about theircommunity can openly and orceully givea negative impact to use o the data. Someolks do know their communities well. Letthem be helpul but not determiners.

Occasionally there are church memberswho believe God is speaking to them nowand telling them what the congregationshould be doing. These revelations maysound bona de, and these persons may bepersuasive and orceul. A situation likethis can derail a study that is intended tobe helpul to a congregation.

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Bad decisions are oten made in light othe acts. Remember when Moses sent outthe 12 spies. They all reported what they

saw. Ten saw the communities throughthe eyes o ear. Two spies reported whatthey saw through the eyes o aith. Treatdemographics similarly.

It is important to understand thatdemographic studies do not tell acongregation or a ministry what to do. Thatis the responsibility o the congregationwho takes the data and discusses ndings interms o mission and ministry. A healthy andproductive congregation is the entity thatlooks at the community through Gods eyes

so that it can see what God sees. The resultcan be similar to listening to the report othe 12 spies. A question is, Do we hear thereport through our own ear, or do we listenin aith?

The Urgent Need for Community

Understanding

Why is this topic important or even anurgent issue in the Lutheran Churchtoday? Attention only needs to be given

to the Lutheran Annual. In the 2012edition, one can review the charts andask, What is God blessing? The data cantell us just how urgent revitalization is orour churches. We speak in terms o Godsblessings through Word and Sacrament. Wecan pay attention to the numbers or averagenumbers o people attending worship wherethe Word is preached and the Sacramentsare administered. Another question thatcan be asked is, How do Gods peoplerespond when the Holy Spirit moves them

into action? Evidence is given in the Booko Acts. We read about people being baptizedand gathering or study, or prayer and orellowship. Martin Franzmann, in his TheWord of the Lord Grows, wrote: The Church grewas new Christians scattered and shared thehope they had in Jesus Christ.

LCMS statistics not only provideinormation on the number o baptisms

recorded annually and the decline in worshipattendance. We can reect on the averagenumber o people attending Bible classes

and ask, How can God bless His peoplewhen a majority is not in the Word o Godand not letting Him speak to them? Thesecategories are important because theydemonstrate opportunities when the churchpreaches and teaches the Word o God, andit is through that Word that the Holy Spiritworks aith in the hearts o people. In thebook o Revelation, St. John speaks aboutthe seven churches o Asia Minor. Someloved themselves too much, some lovedother gods too much, but the church o

Philadelphia was known and blessed becauseo its deeds and because it persevered or theaith. Jesus commands in Matthew to makedisciples. That is what brings lie back intocongregationsbeing disciples o Christ andmaking disciples o Christ by teaching.

Remember the biblical reerence to Acts17 earlier in this article. Paul was in Athens,and beore he began to preach the messageo Jesus, he walked the community andthe market. He was doing a demographicsstudyhe was studying the people and

what made these olks diferent rom thepeople in Thessalonica and Berea. Ater hisresearch, he proclaimed the Good News o

Jesus. In verses 2627, the Word records aninteresting thought: And he made romone man every nation o mankind to live onall the ace o the earth, having determinedallotted periods and the boundaries otheir dwelling place. It seems that God hasplaced churched and non-churched peoplein our communities or His purpose. It is

our responsibility to see the people God hasplaced around us so that we can share the

joy o salvation we have in Jesus Christ withthem.

Demographics can demonstrate where thehope or reaching people lies. But the realhope that must be revitalized is the hope wehave in Jesus Christ.

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The Rev. Dr. Robert Newton is

the President of the California-

Nevada-Hawaii District of The

Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.

newton-r@sbcglobal.net Issues

12

Revitalization: A God Idea!Dr. Robert Newton

or the mission revitalization o at least2,000 existingLCMS churches by 2017.2

A revitalized congregation, according tothe then Board or Mission Services, isregularly and consistently making newdisciples who make new disciples throughthe power o the Holy Spirit.3 Thisrevitalization efort became a key element othe Ablaze! initiatives adopted in conventionin 20044 and armed and rearmedin the 2007 and 20105 conventionsrespectively. Since 2004 several LCMSdistricts have ocused on the revitalizationo their congregations or missionary

outreach. I commend the editorialcommittee oIssues in Christian Education orcommitting an entire edition to this criticalneed and or addressing it in very practicalways, including our Lords thoughts on thematter as recorded in His Word. He has agreat deal to say regarding the revitalizationo His churches and people, or the matterlies at the center o His heart. Revitalizationis a God idea.

Congregational Renewal: Three

Factors

Our Lord made revitalization the centraltheme o His ministry to His people, Israel.The opening words o His rst recordedpublic sermon were The time is fullled, andthe kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe inthe Gospel (Mark 1:15).6 His words point toat least three actors essential to a biblicalperspective o congregational renewal: 1)that we know and embrace His will or the

Proound changes in our American societyhave come ast and urious, catching many

o ourLCMS

congregations of guard. Theyseemingly went to bed one evening in aworld in which Christian churches trulymattered only to wake up the next morningin one in which they dont. Once vibrant andgrowing congregations begin to question

whether they will be able to continue theirvital ministries to their members and theircommunities. They ear they are ghting alosing battle to remain aithul witnesses othe Lord and His Word while they grieve overtheir many children and grandchildren who

have accommodated their aith and valuesto mesh with the secularism and religiousand moral pluralism o this age. In additionto real concerns regarding their own

viability, pastors and people express growingrustration over their inability to proclaimthe Gospel to their communities that seemincreasingly indiferent to its saving message.In short, congregations across the LCMS aceincredible challenges presented by the Post-Churched1 mission context in which our

Lord has called them to serve.In order to assist congregations tominister aithully in this Post-Churchedworld, our Synod in convention resolvedto adopt a goal o praying and working

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world; 2) that we embrace our vocationas co-heirs with Him and, thereore,co-participants with Him in His missionto and or the world; and 3) we rely on His

resurrected power to inorm, empower, andkeep us aithul in what He has called us to beand do in and with Him.

First, congregations revitalize when Godspeople know and embrace His will or themin relationship to His will or their largercommunity (the world in which they live,

work, and worship). In order to know whatGod wants them to be, and be about in theworld, they need to know what God is doingin the world. God has no desire to keep Hiswork a secret. St. Paul stated that among

the many blessings God lavishes upon us inChrist is [making] known to us the mystery of his will,specically, the restoration o all things inChrist, according to his purpose, which he set forth inChrist as a plan for the fullness of time (xairon), to uniteall things in him, things in heaven and things on earth(Ephesians 1:9-10).

Jesus preaced His call to congregationalrevitalization with these words, The time(xairos) is fullled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Hewas announcing that God had deliberately,

personally, and immediately moved hiseternal plan or cosmic restoration into highgear. Its happening now! And its happeningin Jesus o Nazareth. St. Paul wrote to theGalatian Christians, But when the fullness oftime (chronou)7 had come, God sent forth his Son, bornof woman, born under the law, to redeem those who wereunder the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons(Galatians 4:4-5). God Himsel had come toset the entire world ree rom the power osin and death (the curse o the law).

Secondly, God wills that we play an

essential role in His cosmic plan. St. Paulcontinued in his letter to the Galatians: Andbecause you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son intoour hearts, crying, Abba! Father! So you are no longera slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God(Galatians 4:6-7). We primarily identiy thegits o eternal lie and heaven as the sum andsubstance o our inheritance in Christ. TheScriptures, however, speak o an inheritancethat is not only lie in heaven, but lie in andor this present creation. Regarding Christs

inheritance, the Old Testament declares thatHe rules the nations: I will make the nations yourheritage, and the ends of the earth your possession (Psalm2, see also Daniel 7:13-14). In short, our Lord

Jesus inherited all the nations, and He rulesover them orever. We share that inheritanceas heirs o God and co-heirs with Christ(Romans 8). We will rule with Him in heaven;we also rule with Him on earth, bringing Hisrestoring grace to His present broken world.

St. John tells us that through Christs bloodwe have been made a kingdom and priests to ourGod and that we reign on earth (Revelation 5).We reign by sharing in our Lords ministryto the world. He calls us to participate inthe Divine Service o [delivering them] from

the dominion of darkness and [transferring] them to theKingdom of [Gods] beloved Son (Colossians 1).Immediately ollowing His call to repent andbelieve the Gospel, He called His rst disciples

with the words, Follow me, and I will make youbecome shers of men (Mark 1:16). New lie in theGospel and shing with Jesus or the hearts opeople go together.

Finally, God personally efects therevitalization o our churches and theirmembers. Repenting and believing the

Gospel is the work o His Spirit in us. Heredirects our hearts and minds away romourselves (and our sin) and toward Him(His saving work on the cross) and His loveor the world. Repentance is a God inspiredand empowered action o our hearts andminds. His call to repent is not unlike the

recalculating eature o my cars GPS.9 WhenI get of the course myGPS simply adjusts itselto direct me rom where I am (lost) to whereI need to be. It doesnt become rustrated orgive up on my inability or unwillingness to

ollow its lead. It simply recalculates basedon our present position, keeping the originalgoal in mind o where we ultimately want tobe. It never says, Listen, i you keep gettingof course, I am not going to help you. Nor,

I you had listened to me in the rst place,we would not be lost. Nor, You rst needto nd your own way back to the originalroute; then I will take it rom there. It simplysays, Recalculating. There is no guilt, noreprimand, no long conversation about whatF

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and creating it in the hearts o His people.In this the love of God was made manifest among us, thatGod sent his only Son into the world, so that we might livethrough him. In this is love, not that we have loved God

but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiationfor our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also oughtto love one another (1 John 4:9-11). Gods loveis rst, that is, preeminent. It precedes allother love (1 John 4:19) and exceeds all otherlove in both scopethe entire world (John3:16), and depthHe laid His lie down orus while we were yet sinners (John 15:13,Romans 5:8). Gods rst love cannot bestated more clearly, God so loved the world ;His churchs rst love cannot be other thanthat.

Thus, Christ inspired revitalizationrequires above all else a radical return notonly to His Word o truth but to His heart olove or the world. Our Lords words to thechurch at Ephesus might need to speak moreloudly to our LCMS congregations than all oHis other words to the churches, especially asso many o us continue to struggle over theissue o how to maintain aithulness to His

Word and at the same time engage in seriousmissionary outreach to our Post-Churched

world. Elsewhere I described this Ephesianstruggle as ollows:

The struggle centers in large measurewith the churchs inability to become permeable in regard to itsown boundaries in order to penetratethe boundaries surrounding theunchurched world. Such permeabilityseems inappropriate, or worse,unaithul in light o our Lords callto His Church to remain true to Him(in the world but not o it). Intuitively,aithulness seems to require thethickening and sharpening o thechurchs boundaries in order toprotect itsel and its conessionrom the assaults o secularism andreligious pluralism.

So how do Christian churches becomepermeable and remain aithul? Is itpossible to surrender the boundaries (theprotective walls) without losing the essential

seven letters is the need to remain steadastto and in His Word. He commends Hischurches or being ever watchul o alseprophets, teachers, and apostles (Ephesus,

Thyatira), or not compromising or denyingthe churchs conession even at the price osufering and death (Smyrna, Pergamum),and or relying solely on the power oChrists Gospel or ministry in the world(Philadelphia). Likewise, he admonishesthem or tolerating alse teaching (Pergamum,Thyatira), orgetting or abandoning His Word(Sardis), even depreciating and despising it(Laodicea). Christ-inspired congregationalrevitalization requires above all else aradical return to His Word and a complete

dependence upon it. He says to all who wouldollow Him, If you abide in my word, you are truly mydisciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set

you free (John 8).Equal to aith is love, not as two distinct

priorities in our Lords mind, but asinseparable to Him. Thus, Ephesus losso its rst love becomes the locus or allmaniestations o unaithulness.

You have let your rst love (2:4) isthe chie sin, rom which all the others

mentioned in the ollowing six lettersevolve and result. How the church hadlet her rst love is not mentioned, butthe sins and ailings mentioned in thesix ollowing letters indicate what shehad done to maniest her loss o it.12

You have been aithul in keeping my Word,the Lord commended them, But I have somethingagainst you. You have abandoned your rst love. Remember

from where you have fallen and repent and do the rstworks (Revelation 2). Commentators divide

on the intended meaning o the word rstas the modier o love and works. Is rsta temporal reerence or the love and good

works that marked the Ephesian Christiansin their early days? Is it a positional reerenceor a love and works that are above all others?Knowing St. Johns ability to use the sameword to mean more than one thing at thesame time, both interpretations are possible.

Regardless, both interpretations dependon God being loves authorboth dening it

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lie and integrity o the aith? Our Lordthought so. As He looked to His own death,by which He would gather the nations toHimsel, He told His disciples, Truly, truly, I sayto you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies,it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit (John12:24). What has to die in the seed is not itsessence, just its protective husk. Missionarypermeability and doctrinal integrity are notbiblically exclusive. However, rom the NewTestament until today, churches desirousto be aithul have struggled with meshingthe two. Conessional and missionaryaithulness requires that we wrestle withthese Gospel essentials in the light and orthe sake o our Saviors purpose in coming

into our world.14

Along with this struggle, our Lord

identied several other congregational issuesthat needed His revitalizing touch. Spacepermits us to look briey at two o them: earand apathy. He exhorted both the church inSmyrna and Philadelphia not to be araid,either o the great sufering they would haveto endure at the hands o unbelievers, or otheir little power in the ace o overwhelmingand virulent unbelie. In each case Heassured the churches that they need not

ear the world; He had already overcome it.Sufering might be intense but was limitedby His authority. Deensively speaking, inHim they cannot be conquered, even by deathitsel (Revelation 2:10-11). Ofensively, nohuman or worldly barriers can be erectedthat can keep God or His people romproclaiming the true Gospel to the ends othe earth (Revelation 3:8).

The Lord did not want their ear either tocause them to shrink back into theological

or moral compromise with the world or toshrink away rom taking ull advantage othe evangelistic opportunities that He waspersonally providing them. Our churchestoday need to be revitalized by our Lord toavoid both o these extremes. It is especiallynot the churchs jurisdiction to determinewhen mission outreach to the world has or

should be concluded. Such decisions belongsolely to the Lord, who opens and shuts doorsas it pleases Him.

Our Lord employs His most vigorousrevitalizing language toward those churchesthat have grown apathetic toward His Wordand His mission in the world (Sardis andLaodicea). Whether dead or indiferent, theyrisked losing their own aith and its eternalrewards. The church in Sardis, like theancient great city in which it resided, livedin the glories o its past rather than in thepresent world in which Christ had placed it.Furthermore, they substituted the outwardorms o aith (reputation of being alive) orgenuine aith. Brighton observes, The

church, while still outwardly perormingrituals of godly pretence, has lost aith and hearttoward Christ and God, or at least is indanger o doing so. Are the Christians oSardis living in the glory o a once vibrantaith Have they deceived themselves intothinking they still have what they lost?15

Jesus ofers a sober word to the Sardiscongregations o today that have allowedtheir buildings, traditions, or laurels o pastaccomplishments to eclipse their willingnessor ability to minister to the broken people intheir communities.

The church o Laodicea, on the otherhand, was not living in its past so much asit was simply living or itsel. Genuine aithtoward God and love or His world werenot on the radar screen. To make mattersworse their double sense o entitlementand sel-suciency caused them to becomeimpervious to either the crushing Law orhealing Gospel. Tragically, the Word theywere choosing to ignore alone possessed

the power needed to bring them back to lie.How much o the Laodicean spirit (especiallyin our middle-class world) wages war againstus as churches and individual Christians?Have the churchs wealth, power, andprivileged place in our communities lulled usinto a spiritual complacency that God detests?

We need Christs revitalizing word.

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The Good News is that Jesus comes to uswith His revitalizing word. Crucial to noteis that Jesus ended each o His words (letters)to the seven churches with a promise. For thelie to come He promises heaven, eternal lie,divine identity and authority, recognition andstanding beore His Father. For the presentlie He promises Himsel: Behold, I stand atthe door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opensthe door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and hewith me (Revelation 3:20). He promises to be

with us to the end of the age to revitalize, lead,bless, and keep us, that we be and remain Hisblessing to the world.

Footnotes

1 There are three primary mission contexts in whichthe church serves: Pre-Churched, Churched,and Post-Churched. Pre-Churched reers toa context in which the church has not beenestablished, so the primary culture is whollyunchurched. The Churched context nds thechurch rmly established (maybe even in charge)in the community and culture. The Post-Churchedcontext nds the churchs signicance in thecommunity and culture waning while culturalorces and values reminiscent o the pre-churchedcontext increase. For a brie discussion regardingthe ministry oLCMS congregations in thispresent Post-churched context, see my article

in The Lutheran Witness, January 2010, MissionaryChurches: Navigating in a Post-Church World.

2 Resolution 1-01A To Support Revital ization oLCMS Congregations, 63rd Regular Conventiono The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

3 Resolution 1-01A To Support Revital ization oLCMS Congregations, 63rd Regular Conventiono The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

4 Resolution 1-05A To Establish Ablaze! NationalGoals, 62nd Regular Convention o The LutheranChurch-Missouri Synod

5 Resolution 1-01A To Support Revital ization oLCMS Congregations, 63rdRegular Convention oThe Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod; Resolution1-02 To Provide Guidance or Future Direction o

Ablaze!, 64th

Regular Convention o The LutheranChurchMissouri Synod

6 Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture passages arequoted rom the English Standard Version o theBible.

7 Gods eternal plan o world restoration (xairos,beyond but including all time and space) which ourLord announces in Mark 1:15 comes to ulllmentby God personally entering human time and space(chronos) as Paul explains in Galatians 4:4.

8 Note the universal dimension o born under thelaw (Romans 3:19, Now we know that whatever the lawsays it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouthmay be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountableto God.

9 This comparison o repentance with recalculatingis adapted rom a newsletter article publishedin 2008, Recalculating, CNHIn Touch, October27, 2008.

10 The universal ity o Jesus words (to all o Hischurches across time and space) is suggested byHis statement, He who has an ear, let him hear what Spiritsays to the churches. (See L. A. Brighton, Revelation, pp.57-62, or urther discussion.)

11 L. A. Brighton, Revelation, 59-60.12 L. A. Brighton, Revelation, 68.13 Authors translation.14 R. D. Newton, Missionary Churches: Navigating

in a Post-Church World, pp. 10-11.15 L. A. Brighton, Revelation, 87.

References

Brighton, Louis. Revelation. 1999. St. Louis, Mo:Concordia Publishing House.

Newton, Robert D. 2010. Missionary Churches:Navigating in a Post-Church World. The LutheranWitness, Vol. 129:1, January 2010, pp. 6-11.---. 2008.

Recalculating. CNHIn Touch, October 27, 2008.One MissionAblaze! Convention Proceedings, 2004,

62nd Regular Convention, The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod. 2004. St. Louis: The LutheranChurchMissouri Synod.

One MessageChrist. Convention Proceedings, 2007,63rd Regular Convention, The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod. 2007. St. Louis: The LutheranChurchMissouri Synod.

One PeopleForgiven. Convention Proceedings, 2010,64th Regular Convention, The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod. 2010. St. Louis: The LutheranChurchMissouri Synod.

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The Rev. Dr. Terry Tieman is

the Executive Director of the

Transforming Churches Network,

Cordova, Tennessee. Terry@

Transformingchurchesnetwork.org Issues

Terry Tieman

How Revitalization Can Happen

Do you remember the old Fram Oil Filter

commercial? The spokesman is in an autorepair shop, where a mechanic is overhaulingan engine that has been damaged becausethe lubrication system ailed. He holds upa Fram Oil Filter and says, The choice is

yours; you can pay me now, or you can payme later! O course, the implication is thati you spend just a little more on a premiumFram Oil Filter now, you can save a lot laterby not having to spend big bucks on anengine overhaul.

The concept o paying now or later

also could be applied to Americanchurches. With 80 percent or more o allLCMS congregations reporting no growthin annual worship attendance, thereis no doubt that at some point in timethese churches will have to deal with theconsequences o their inaction. The onlyquestion is: Will the payment come nowor will it be later? But make no mistakeabout it; there will be a Day o Reckoning.Such a congregation must decide to do

something today, or sometime in the uturemaybe next year, maybe in 20 or 30 years.I nothing is done, the doors o the churchcan be closed orever, because there wont beanyone let to open them!

O course, survival is not the best

motivation or Church Revitalization,although it is the place where many o usbegin. The potential reality o seeing ourbeloved church close can ll us with anger,rustration, and sadness. And yet, it doesnthave to be that way! I can say that becausein the past our years TCN has worked withover 500 churches across North America,the vast majority o which were plateaued ordeclining and are now being revitalized.

And yet, knowing what to do and actuallydoing it are the answers to diferent

questions. Knowing what to do answersthe question o how. How Are ChurchesRevitalized? is certainly a good questionand an important question but not the rstand most important one. That distinctionbelongs to the why question: Why shouldmy church undergo revitalization? Orto put it another way, Why shouldrevitalization be a high priority in themission o LCMS congregations?

The Mission of the Church

Those are good why questions. Having agood and God-pleasing answer or why weshould do something is much more likelyto translate into actually going and doing itthan just having a set o instructions. Forinstance, having the instruction manual inmy hands or putting together a new bicycleon Christmas morning has little value unlessI also have an eight-year-old son, whomI love, and who has been dropping hints

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people and reaching them with the Gospel.Only when we are compelled by the why oChrists love (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) or uscan we start to answer the question o how tolive out that love through our church and inour community.

Jesus is the Only Door into

the Church

Assuming, however, that there will bepeople motivated by Jesus love andempowered by the Holy Spirit inside ourchurches, there is absolutely nothingthat God cannot accomplish through HisChurch, including lost people pouringthrough the Churchs doors.

How that happens is explained very simplyin Johns Gospel, where Jesus says: I amthe door; i anyone enters through Me, he

will be saved, and will go in and out andnd pasture (John 10:9 NASB). In thisverse, Jesus makes it very clear that the onlyway to salvation, and thus, entrance intothe Invisible Church, is through Him. He isthe only Door into the Church. The LCMShas always taught salvation by grace alonethrough aith in Christ, and, I believe that

our people understand that. What is otenmisunderstood, however, is what we aresupposed to do ater we become Christiansand how we are to live out our aith.

For instance, our natural inclination isto stay inside the church where it is sae and

warm and comortable. But that is not theillustration that the Good Shepherd paintsor us. No, Jesus says that two things happento His sheep when they enter through Him.First, they will be saved, and second, theywill go in and out and nd pasture. That is,

they dont stay inside the sheep pen! Rather,they continue to ollow the Good Shepherd

wherever He goes, including back out intothe pasture. What that means or us as Jesusdisciples is that once we start ollowing theGood Shepherd, we will continue to ollowHim wherever He leads us, including backout into the world.

How does Church Revitalization happenthen? It happens when Gods people, who

since Thanksgiving that he wants nothingmore than a new bicycle or Christmas! Themotivation or purchasing that bicycle andthen staying up late and assembling it onChristmas Eve began long ago in the heart oa loving parent.

And so it is with revitalization. Themotivation or wanting churches to bepassionate about Building Community toReach Their Community began long agoin the heart o a loving God. Our HeavenlyFathers passion is that all people be savedand come to a knowledge o the truth (1Timothy 2:4). Thats why He sent His Son,Jesus, to be our Savior, by living a perectlie in our place and dying or our sins on

the cross. And thats why He established theChurch and promised that it would be soexpansive that not even the gates o hellwill be able to keep it out (Matthew 16:18MSG). Thus, it is clear rom the Scripturesthat Gods mission is to seek and save lostpeople (Luke 19:10) through His Son, Jesus,and that Jesus has called His ollowers togo into all the world and carry out thisholy mission o making disciples (Matthew28:18-20).

Unortunately, somewhere along the

way, many o us who have been called to beJesus disciples have gotten conused aboutthe mission o His Church. We think thatour local congregation is just or us, that itshould serve us and our needs, that it shouldcater to our whims and preerences, and thatits primary unction is to nurture us and ouramilies. In so doing, we have said, To hellwith the lost! Well, we dont say that literallyor out loud, but that has oten been theresult o our actions. By concentrating on

ourselves and by spending our resources onthose already inside the church, there simplyisnt much time, energy, or money let orthose outside the church.

So unless and until we understandthat the mission o the Church is to reachlost people with the Good News o Jesus,Church Revitalization cannot happen in anysubstantive way. Only when our hearts beginto resemble the loving and compassionateheart o God will we truly care about lost

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have been brought inside the Church,through the power o the Holy Spirit

working through the Word, go back outsideand show and tell others about the GoodShepherd. It happens when individualcongregations begin to realize that they mustget out o their buildings and out into theircommunities. It happens when the sheeptruly understand that while there is only one

Way into the Church, there are many doorsthat lead back out to where huge ocks olost sheep can still be ound!

Hinge Factors

In other words, Revitalization happens whenthe church doors begin swinging both in and

out. O course, or a door to open, it has tobe equipped with hinges. Without hinges,church doors are nothing more than walls!Equipped with hinges, however, the doors othe church can open unlimited opportunitiesor reaching people with the Gospel. Whatchurches need, then, are many doors with

well-oiled hinges, so that the sheep can easilymove between the sheep pen and the pasture,that is, the church and the community.

So what are those well-oiled hinges? In

2009, Transorming Churches Network(TCN) conducted surveys with 1,000worshipers rom 32 LCMS congregations,identiying eight impact actors or hingesor opening the doors o the church to thecommunity. The one that we ound that hasthe greatest missional impact is CommunityOutreach. Community Outreach is exactlywhat it sounds like. It involves regularlymobilizing church members to servetheir community by demonstrating thelove o Christ in a meaningul way. What

we know rom our experience is thatwhen a congregation conducts our tosix Community Outreach events a year, italmost always becomes revitalized.

For instance, Messiah LutheranChurch was in desperate straits when itrst approached TCN in 2007. Worshipattendance had declined rom about240 in the mid-1980s to less than 100.Their parochial school had closed, thebuilding and property needed some major

improvements, the area was sufering romwhite ight and a group o about 30 coremembers had just decided to leave and starta new church urther out in the suburbs.

Following a consultation with TCN, it was

decided that Messiah needed to get out otheir building and start doing CommunityOutreach. The rst step was to target agroup o underserved people in theircommunity. They chose a local re station,

where they already had some connections.This t in well with their stated vision o

giving the Bread o Lie to our communityand the world in Word and deed.

Their rst Community Outreach eventwas a Valentines dinner or the remenand EMTs rom the station they had

adopted. About a dozen o the men romthe re station were able to come to thisinaugural event held at the church. Inaddition to the nice meal that the churchhad catered through one o its members, thecongregation gave each o the remen anelectric air pump or his car. Twelve remenattended the dinner, and 33 air pumps weredistributed. (Some o the men were unableto attend or were working their shit duringthe dinner, so the extra pumps were taken to

the rehouse.) The air pumps were boughtrom a supply company or just a ew dollarseach. The total cost o the event was $100.

From this rst event, one re ghterstarted attending Messiah every Sunday.The exciting part is that he oten arrivesin a re truck or emergency vehicle andalmost always brings a trainee with him. Twoo those trainees subsequently have gonethrough an adult conrmation class. Therst time he arrived in his re truck aterthe Valentines dinner, some o the members

thought the church was on re. And Isuppose, in a way, it was!

The second event was a yard sale. Thisevent had been held regularly at Messiahor a number o years, with large numberso people attending rom the community.However, previously, it was always done asa und-raiser or the church, rather thanas an outreach to the community. That allchanged with Church Revitalization. Onthe day o the event, members o the church

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personally lled out contact cards oreveryone who would give them inormation.Two-hundred-and-ty people attendedthe event, and 50 contact cards were lled

out. The incentive to ll out the card wasa prize drawing. Most o the participantswere Arican American or Hispanics andwould not ll out the card until they weretold that the drawing was FREE. They wereaccustomed to churches in the area charginga ee to be in the drawing!

The yard sale was on a Saturday, andthe prize drawing was the next morningater the regular Sunday morning worshipservice. A woman and two o her childrencame back on Sunday or the service and

the drawing. As it turned out, the womanssister won a $50 gas card. The other

winners were called on Monday, and allbut one came by the church to pick up theirprizes. The woman who returned on thatrst Sunday, her three children, her sister(who won the gas card) and her mother allattend Messiah and have gone through themembership class. The total cost o theevent was $185 or ten git cards.

The third event was a Diabetes Workshop,

sponsored by Methodist Hospital. Forty-one people rom the community attendedthe event. Many said they had never beenin the church beore and commented onhow beautiul the inside o the church was.Some said that they were impressed that alocal congregation would host such an event.The total cost o the event was $0.

The ourth event was a Thanksgivingbasket distribution. This is when Messiahreally began to tie all the previous activitiestogether. Working with the Red Cross and

the local Fire Station, they made a list onames o re victims rom the previousyear. Ten amilies were identied, andall were given a large basket o ood orThanksgiving. Members o the congregationtook the baskets to the amilies homes thenight beore Thanksgiving. These amilieswere really touched by this act o kindness,and they began to think o Messiah as theirchurch home, even though they had neverattended beore.

The Christmas Tree Project

The nal Community Outreach event orthe year was the Christmas Tree Project.

All o the names o the re victims weregathered and hung on a special Christmas

tree, decorated in the narthex at Messiah.Thirty-ve presents were purchased andplaced under the tree on the Sunday beoreChristmas. The amilies were all invited tocome to a special Christmas dinner whenthey received their presents. The childrenalso sat on Santas lap and had their picturestaken. Thirty-ve guests came to the dinner.

O course, they were all invited to comeback on Christmas Eve to worship thebaby Jesus. In act, 50 o the 150 peoplein worship on Christmas Eve were rst-

time guests, including 16 children whowere invited to play in the hand-bell choirand participate in the childrens Christmasservice. The director had invited them tocome just one-hal hour beore the start othe service or rehearsal. She knew that mosto these children would not be able to comeor regular practice because they did nothave anyone to bring them, or, they weresimply not accustomed to being asked to bereliable. According to all accounts, it was

the best childrens Christmas program thechurch ever had!Valentines Day is again ast approaching.

Guess who will be invited to the dinnerthis year? Thats rightthose same reghters rom last year, the re victims, theRed Cross volunteers, the olks rom thenew Bible study that just began at a localretirement home, and the guests rom theChristmas Eve Service.

Less than a year ater that rst ValentinesDay dinner was served with such humble

expectations, Messiahs prospect list has grownrom 5 to 219, the Adult Instruction Class hasgrown rom two to nine, and the optimism othe congregation has gone of the charts. Asa predominantly white church in a growingblack neighborhood, Messiah had traditionallyhad a dicult challenge reaching the peopleliving close by. Now, Pastor Schmidt says, Wehave had more Arican Americans attend ourchurch in the past month than the previousorty years combined.

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Isnt it amazing what God can do whenHis people understand the importance oollowing the Good Shepherd out o thebuilding and into the community? Maybe

even more amazing is how excited Godspeople get when they see lives being changedor time and or eternity in ront o theirvery eyes.

Opening Doors to the Community

While Messiah is only one example romover 500 churches in the TCN network, itsstory illustrates how Church Revitalizationcan happen. To that end, TCN has developeda simple process designed to assist localcongregations in becoming more efective in

reaching their communities with the Gospelo Jesus Christ. Based on biblical principles,

worldwide research among efective missionmovements, and pilot projects eld-testingstrategies and resources over the past ve

years, the TCN Revitalization Process includesour major components and a number oancillary resources. The our door-openersor getting out o your church and out intoyour community include:1. Hinge Training Events*: One-day

workshops designed to open new doorsinto your community. A great way to begintransorming your church!

2. Learning Communities: A sae placeor pastors and church leaders to learnthe dynamics o change and to beginpromoting behaviors and practices thatocus on reaching lost people.

3. Coaching: Working with a trainedTCN coach who will assist you and yourcongregation in leveraging your strengthsto reach your community with the Gospel.

4. Consultations: A customized process ledby the TCN experts that will assess yourstrengths and challenges and give youspecic instructions on how to start a newlie cycle or your church.

The Choice is Yours

So, the choice is yours! Will you take seriouslyJesus command to Go and make disciples oall nations, and experience the joy the angelseel whenever even one sinner repents? By

investing yoursel and your congregation in aChurch Revitalization process now, you can besure that, by Gods grace and power, there willbe those that will not have to pay later or theirsins in hell, because they will come to knowthe One who has paid or everything by givingHis lie or us all.

So, is that a great deal, or what?

*All highlighted resources are explained indetail and are available through TCNs website.

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Transitions: Leading ChurchesThrough Change.

Edited by David N. Mosser.

Louisville: Westminster John

Knox Press, 2011.

The 32 contributors to the book, its 26chapters, Foreword, Introduction andthe our summaries o the contents o theour parts that make up its organizationalstructure are both assets and liabilities.Given the intended purpose o the book, toaddress the subjects o transition and change,there is a clear underlying ocus in all the

content o the book. However, because o themultiple authors, there is some unhelpulrepetition. Almost every author ofered anobservation about the constancy and rapidityo change. The content o the chaptersofers varying levels o useul inormationand represents varying levels o quality.There are examples o thoughtul analysis,creative uses o intellectual structures andparadigms, requent reerences to otherbooks that address similar subjects, andootnotes that enable the reader to pursuesubjects o interest in greater depth.

The content o the chapters entitled Ledby a Pillar o Fire, Leading Through

Anxious Times and Situations, Preaching,Responding to Resistance during a ChangeProcess, and When the Center DoesntHold in a general sense are the mosthelpul to a reader because they help tointerpret what is happening in a givensituation. The contents o other chaptersare much more specic in ocus. Examplesare Preaching to the Elderly, Divorce andMarriage or Christians, and Embracingour Neighborhood in Transition.

Some o the chapters are composedprimarily o sermons that were preachedin a variety o settings and circumstances.

From the vantage point o Lutheranpreaching, which emphasizes Law-Gospelproclamation, the sermons seem long onanalysis, but the Gospel, in the narrow senseo the word, and applications are either notpresent at all or are ar too limited. Amongthe sermons, the one that comes closest tothe model o preaching Lutherans would

expect to hear or preach is The Powero Disruptive Innovation, based uponJeremiah 1:4-10 and Luke 4:21-30, writtenby Rod Wilmoth.

The primary value o the book can beound in the chapters that ofer analysis andtheoretical models by which congregationsin transition can understand better whatis happening to them and why memberso the congregation are acting as they are.Thus, a well-chosen theoretical model canbe a very practical guide or the leaderso a congregation to assist them as theydevelop strategies by which to lead efectivelyand manage institutional change. It is

unortunate that the chapters and sermonswritten to give practical il lustrations o whatcould be or was done were not exampleso how congregations used efectively thetheoretical models presented in otherchapters o the book to manage the changesthey were acing. There is an obviousdisconnect between the content o thechapters that ofer analysis and the contento the chapters that ofer practical exampleso addressing issues o transition andchange. That disconnect is the unortunateAchilles Heel o this book, and theAchilles Heel o most books written bymultiple authors.

The Rev. Dr. Alan HarrePresident Emeritus

Valparaiso Universityadharre@gmail.com

book reviews

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Steering Through Chaos.

Scott Wilson. Grand Rapids:

Zondervan, 2010.

Mapping a clear direction or your churchin the midst o transition and change isPastor Scott Wilsons desire as he seeks tohelp congregations, pastors, and Godspeople anticipate the need to move orwardin ministr y. Believing that God hasnt calledus to build buildings but to partner with

Him in transorming lives, Wilson believesthat our ability to change and grow has a lotto do with the pain threshold o those wholead. What he means is that in order orchange to happen, we as leaders need to beon our knees asking God to change us byrenewing and rereshing us with His word oorgiveness, and then through the directiono His Spirit to show us what He would haveus do to impact the lives o others or Christ.

What Wilson is saying is that our visionor the uture is to be tempered by thestunning reality that change will requirehard decisions that will create tremendouspain or us, our amilies, our staf and the

lay leaders o our churches. Because this isa reality, it is our task as leaders to pursueGod diligently with the eyes o aith as weseek to receive Gods vision or His church

while being ever mindul that the job o aSavior has already been completed by Jesus!Thus, the author encourages leaders to beshepherds o Gods ock engaged in prayerand time in His Word and not generals inHis army.

Believing that many congregations and itsleaders make changes only out o necessity(usually when things like church attendanceis on the decline or buildings have becometoo small or in disrepair), Wilson proposesthat we constantly anticipate the need orchange, and that we seek to make transitions

during times o growth and gain. He calls thismoving rom chaos to chaos. Seeking toeliminate the roller-coaster ride that so manychurches experience, the author advises that

we make signicant change, going throughmajor transitions when things are at theirpeak, with the hope o capturing momentumbeore it declines. Using a sigmoid curve,

Wilson encourages leaders to evaluate wheretheir congregations are, and in so doing, toremember once again that the vision o ourLords church is not about buildings andbudgets. Instead, its about reaching lostpeople and building believers into strongmen and women o aith. Wilson is also quick

to remind readers that this system o goingrom chaos to chaos is not some kind oslick business principle; rather, its aboutbeing in the Scriptures while observing theevents and trends around them.

In sharing his strategy or change in theLords church, Wilson encourages leaders toseek out the help o those who have alreadybeen through major transition and change,entering into a relationship with those who

have been through the pain o chaos andlistening to their counseling. But aboveall, the author urges leaders to have a deepabiding relationship with Jesus as theirSavior and to seek in aith His wil l or theirlives, the lives o their amilies, their stafsand the people they are blessed to serve.

Even though Wilson is currently servinga large congregation in a growing urbansetting, I truly believe that he shares somevaluable insights that will be helpul to leadersregardless o the size o the parish they areserving. Throughout his book, Pastor Wilsongives some very practical insights concerninghow to steer a congregation through thedaunting challenges o transition. His willingness to expose both his triumphsand ailures under the shadow o the crosso Jesus is not only encouraging, but also

very helpul to those who are attempting tolead Gods people through the power o theHoly Spirit closer to Him.

The Rev. Brad Evan BirtellPastor, St. Johns Lutheran Church

Columbus, Nebraska

bbirtel@megavision.com

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A Door Set Open: Grounding

Change in Mission and Hope.

Peter L. Steinke. Herndon,

Virginia: A lban, 2010.

Growing up as a member o a rural Lutheranchurch, attending a two- room Lutheranschool, and living in a community where it

was assumed most everyone was a Christianis no longer the norm in most communitiestoday due to many changes in past decades.

We now live in a post-Christian societyin which more than 50 percent o thepopulation do not proess to be Christian.Even ewer ever attend a church. These arethe topics that Peter L Steinke addresseson the basis o many years o experiencein working with congregations throughoutthe country.

This book oers healing and hopeto hurting churches, and it gives adviceto healthy churches trying to becomehealthier. Steinke stresses the necessity orcongregations to see the church as a mission,to enjoy the hope that is grounded on Godspromises, and to realize that the church ison a journey to a new heaven and new earth.The book stresses the importance o churchleaders responding to Gods mission, ForGod so loved the world that He gave Hisone and only Son, that whoever believes inHim, should not perish, but have eternallie (John 3:16) rather than reacting tothe emotions o members who ear change.Congregations must remain aithul to Gods

Word and know His promises as they reachout to their neighborhoods which are lled

with people who are disengaging themselvesrom the church.

Some may contend that his book putsmore emphasis on human eforts and notenough on Christs work o redemption.

Others may question Steinkes stand on thenew earth and how the Lord is moving Hischurch toward His new creation here onearth. In the book he notes that at the dayo resurrection, God will bring a ll believersto live with Him orever on a newly createdearth. He quotes Isaiah 55:17: Behold I

wil l create new heavens and a new earth ...Christian churches cannot ocus on

themselves as so many churches tend todo. This oten occurs when members arepromised earthly benets or being aithul,

when mega churches and numerical growthbecome the ocus, or even when pastorspreach only justiication and excludesanctication. Steinke relates in his bookthat Martin Lutherthe great advocate ograce alone and aith alonerepeated in hissermons: Ater you have learned to believein Gods gracethink o nothing else exceptdoing to your neighbor as Christ has doneto you ... This mission moves us toward a

world o healing and restoration, secure in

the hope God has given us as we are calledto our neighborhoods to ofer hope andhealing to a hurting world.

Peter Steinke speaks to the churchtoday. By the power o the Holy Spirit, theChristian Church o this postmodern ageneed not ear or give in to anxiety in the

midst o shaping orces so prevalent in ourculture. He encourages by reminding us othe line rom the hymn, Our God, our helpin ages past, our hope or years to come.

A risen Lord promises in Revelation 3:8:See. I have placed beore you a door setopen that no one can shut.

Judy BartelsCommissioned Teacher

Zion Lutheran SchoolTobias, Nebraska

bibartels@yahoo.com

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