Lessons from Confirmation: Talking about our faith with one another

What an incredible blessing it has been to sit down with our ninth graders as they prepare for their Confirmation/Affirmation of Faith, and talk about their journey faith.  We discuss what they believe about God and why they believe in Jesus Christ.   They share what some of their faith/spiritual experiences have been.  They reveal some of the people who have been their faith mentors/role models from childhood to today.  We also discuss how they are involved in the church, where they are using their gifts and serving the Lord, and where they hear God leading and guiding them next.

I wonder what a difference it would make if the parents and adults of our church would sit down with our youth and just listen to them talk about their faith and life?   What a difference that would make to how we understand and value our Children, Youth, and Family Ministries! 

Peer Ministry Leadership – Faith is about relationships

(Excerpts from a letter about the new Wednesday Night Youth Group at CV)  Well it has been a whirlwind fall so far, with planning and gearing up for the future of youth ministry at Christus Victor.  To help and guide us through this year of transition the church council and Pastor Kent have hired a Youth Ministry consultant by the name of Lyle Griner, who comes to us with 30 years of Youth Ministry experience, and is the national trainer of Peer Ministry Leadership.  The plan is to train a core group of youth and adults in Peer Ministry Leadership to equip and empower the youth to continue the Wednesday night Youth Program which will become a Peer Ministry led by the Youth (with support and guidance from adults)!  

The new and improved Wednesday Youth Program will begin on November 2^nd.  The youth group runs from 8:00-9:00pm every Wednesday evening and is open to all high school students grades 9-12.

The training has been occurring on Wednesday evenings and one Saturday morning in September and October, with the youth program beginning again on Wednesday evening, November 2^nd .  We will be continuing our relationship with Lyle Griner as our coach and consultant to assist in teaching the youth how to be in charge of their youth group, guided by some adult volunteers, parents and other caring individuals.

We want to encourage all of our high school youth to attend and become a part of this fabulous opportunity to grow in their faith while bonding with their friends.  We are also encouraging  the youth to bring their friends, from school or other areas of their life.  We want to make it a place where youth feel at home and  welcomed.

Faith Based Loving Relationships Take Time and Commitment

This post had been a bit of a hodge-podge, but here is the final point/take away.  In all of my conversations about faith-spiritual experiences and faith role models and mentors, almost 99% of the time the kids point to their family as the place and people who have had the biggest influence in their faith (duh!)!  Moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, and yes, even their brothers and sisters are people of faith who have made a huge impact on their life and faith in Jesus Christ.  Oh, yes, there are friends, camp counselors, Sunday school teachers, and even pastors (sort of), along the way.  But it is in the family that our children and youth are shaped and impacted by the love of God in Jesus Christ. 

So, all you parents, grandparents, aunt and uncles, and yes, brothers and sisters, my word of encouragement and challenge to you is to keep growing in your own faith in Christ Jesus!  Keep living out your faith, even when you think it isn’t making a difference or an impact, your family is watching and paying attention.  Stay involved or get involved in your church; serve, worship, sing, teach, count, make new friends over a cup of coffee, take a class, just get involved, stay involved and help!  God is already, and will continue, to work in your life, and through you touch the lives and faith of your family and friends around you.

“For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one Body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.”  (Romans 12: 4-5)

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a Vacation Bible School Team…

Do you know what it takes to put on a week of Vacation Bible School for 50+ kids?  It takes a leader and organizer who spends months putting curriculum together, recruiting volunteers, gathering materials, planning advertising, and making sure every little detail is covered (THANK YOU STACEY)!  It takes musicians and actors, and a director to keep them together.  It takes cooks, servers, and people to set-up and clean-up.  It takes sound and computer tech people.  It takes people with an artsy-craftsy flair.  It takes people with energy and enthusiasm for games.  It takes teachers and assistants working together, preparing Bible lessons, games, and activities.  It takes shepherds to lead children from one activity to another, and keep them from running down the hall and out into the parking lot.  It takes a group of parents, grandparents, adults, neighbors, college students, high school and middle school kids, everyone working together, doing their part to make it all work.   It takes a community of people wh0 love Jesus and love kids, to use their gifts and talents, give their time and energy, to help everyone young and old to learn and grow in their relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

I encourage everyone to come and check out vacation bible school this week, even if you don’t have kids.  Come to worship on Sunday, July 31 at 9:30am to get a glimpse and a taste of what God is doing in the lives of our children and adults.  But most of all, I encourage you to learn the lessons of VBS, and listen to where God might be calling you to get involved, use your gifts, and be a part of what God is doing in our midst.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.  And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28: 19&20

“So those who welcomed his [Peter's] message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.  They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” – Acts 2: 41&42

If you were to come to a Baptism at our church, you would notice that we only use a bowl to hold the water that we pour over the infant, child, youth, or adults head.  We do not have a pool for full immersion, though if full immersion is an option that the individual or parents would like, we just find a pool or a lake (at Camp Wapogasset for an example).  For Lutherans, it is not the amount of water that is important, but the water with God’s Word received by faith, that is most important.  Baptism is a means of God’s grace, trusting in Christ’s command and promise, “The one who believes and is baptized will be saved,” (Mark 16:16).  And while Baptism is only needed once, it is a life-long journey of faith, a daily dying to our old sinful self and rising to our new self, our True self in Christ, that begins in the waters of Baptism.

I had the wonderful opportunity to spend almost a whole week at Camp WAPO with our kids.  For a weekend (Seeds Camp) or a whole week, children and youth, not to mention the young adult counselors and somewhat older church staff (no snickering!), are fully immersed in Christian community.  They are totally surrounded by people of faith and the practices of faith, as they are learning by doing and becoming a community of faith.  Then it struck me, church camp is a Faith Immersion! 

If you’ve ever been to a church camp you know that every day there is Bible study, devotions, prayer, praise and worship, serving others, building of Christian friendships and fellowship through faith and life discussions and by simply having a lot of fun together.  To riff off my friend, Rich Melheim’s ministry of the family and church being Faith Inkubators, church camp is like a faith particle accelerator!  And that is an incredible gift and blessing from God!  BUT…

What about we parents and adults who maybe haven’t had our own Faith Immersion for a long time, if ever?  Kids need families and church homes to continue the Baptismal faith incubation and nurture that was accelerated at camp!  Once they have had their Faith Immersion, they need adult and peer Faith Inkubators at home, in the neighborhood, at school, and at church.  Case in point…

Our friends invited us over for a BBQ dinner Sunday night, and it quickly became a neighborhood event as our friends neighbors wanted to know if they could come join the party and share a “little something I’m whipping up.”  (The little something was marinated, grilled chicken and a herb/veggie puree to slather on good bread!).  The food was laid out and the kids went first.  Mind you, my kids had only just met these neighborhood friends, and soon they were singing grace together, without parental coaching!  “Oh, the Lord is good to me…”  These new friends had been to WAPO too!  The Faith Immersion continued at a back yard BBQ with neighbors!

So, last year, I wanted to increase the number of kids going to camp, and with the financial support of folks from church we doubled the number of kids!  This coming year, the goal is a family camp weekend at WAPO!  Wouldn’t it be great if our parents and adults from church get their own Faith Immersion so they can be better equipped, empowered, and inpsired (in-Spirited) to continue the Faith Inkubation at home and at church that was kick-started at camp.  My challenge and hope is to have a family camp at WAPO in mid-July after the kids have their weekend or week at camp.  This will be for families and adults of all ages!  I would love to have our SWAT Teamers attend the week of TIM Team Training at WAPO, so they would be prepared to lead the family camp in July.  The SWAT Team would be the CV Family Camp Counselors, leading Bible Studies, games, free-time activities, and the worship services (s-k-i-t, whoop whoop, s-k-i-t, whoop whoop!).  I don’t know if anyone would be interested, but I think it is an idea worth working on if we are truly committed to growing up as disciples and raising up disciples of Jesus Christ.  Who wants to join me on a Faith Immersion next summer?

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” – 1 Peter 2: 9

Dear Friends in Christ,

            The echoes of Easter still ring in our ears, “Christ is risen!  He is risen, indeed!”  This refrain, this proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection is not just for Easter, not just for those of us inside the four walls of the church; it is the Good News that through Christ, God has chosen us to tell the world!

            Perhaps you remember the dread while sitting in school, trying to hide behind the person in front of you as the teacher scanned the room for someone to pick to come up front to answer a problem on the board?  Not many want to get up in front of the class alone, especially when you aren’t sure of the answer.

            The problem that is on the board in front of us all is one simple word: Sin.  Its manifestations are as many and varied as there are people and situations in the world.  By ourselves we could not and cannot come up with an answer or a solution.  On our own, as hard as we would try, we could not and cannot fix it or explain it away.

            So God gives us the answer, the solution, the fix, and explanation: Jesus Christ the crucified and risen one!  And God picks you to share the answer!

            But God does not just choose one to proclaim the answer, through Christ God chose everyone who hears and believes in the Good News, “in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light.”  Together we proclaim and share the Good News of Easter with the people of the world, perhaps starting with our own family, friends, and neighbors.

            We can all begin with the answer that is in the Book.  The Mighty Acts of God are written down for us to learn and to share with others.  There is also our own story of faith, our personal experiences of the mighty acts of God.  We each have our own, still unfolding, story of coming out of darkness into the light of Christ, which is part of the larger story of God’s love for the world. 

            Let us join together to share the Good News with those who have not heard or do not yet believe and trust that Jesus is the answer!

“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who  in every place call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 1: 2-3

I used to think that to be “holy” was to be perfect.  Trying to sit still during Sunday School, we were told solemnly, “you must be holy, just as the Lord is holy.”  Those Sunday school teachers and church leaders, and especially the pastors, were people I looked up to (literally and figuratively).  But they always seemed so serious, and (no offense intended), made being “holy” seem boring.  Very serious, very boring.  To my young mind and perception, to be “holy” meant you had to be serious and boring, or in the case of some, seriously boring.  Even to myself, Mr. Goody-two-shoes, this was something to be avoided at all costs!

Oh, I definitely wanted to experience the love of God in Jesus, and to love God and then try to love others.  When I was a kid, I did experience God’s love, a lot, and I did try and show God’s love to others.  I even tried to love my little sister, except when she messed with my stuff.  I had to learn to ask forgiveness pretty early on.  (That Barbie doll I ruined because you moved my plastic army men, sorry Lori!).

I never wanted to be “holy,” and I most definitely never wanted to be a “saint.”  Did you ever see a picture or a statue of a saint?  These were serious, boring people who looked either very mad at something or kind of had a dazed look on their faces!  I remember a picture of a statue of Martin Luther in our Wednesday School (Sunday was too full, imagine that!) classroom.  He looked like one serious and mean dude!!  Again, as a kid, becoming a “holy saint” was as appealing as having all of the blood sucked out of you by leeches (which really happened to a kid the week before we went to the Shores of St. Andrew’s for a week of church camp!  At least that was what one of the counselors told us, and church camp counselors never tell scary stories to campers!).  The picture that was painted in my mind of “holy saints” did not fit with my understanding of Jesus and my experience of God’s presence in my life.  And I know I wasn’t the only one!

It has taken me a long time, but I’m finally beginning to understand that it is not that I have to be “holy,” but that through Jesus Christ I have been made holy; sanctified by the Holy Spirit.  It is not what I do, it is what Christ Jesus has already done for me, and continues to do in me!  Through his death and resurrection, he has made me right with God, and this is a gift of grace and love to be received by faith and trust.  And Jesus does call me to be a saint, to be a person that lives out of this new, right relationship with God, to live by grace through faith and grow in trust and love of the Lord, and yes, love of my neighbors too.  My understanding of what it means to be “holy” and to be a “saint” has changed radically since I was a kid, thanks to the example and teaching of so many “holy saints” who continue to show me that following Jesus is not seriously boring, but is the most exciting, challenging, and fulfilling adventure of all!  I am so thankful that Christ has made me holy and calls me to be one of his saints; a sometimes serious, sometimes boring, sometimes mad and mean person, who lives by God’s grace through faith.

Perhaps you’ve heard the story of the professor who placed a big jar in front of class, and then started filling it up with some big rocks.  He asked the class was the jar full?  They said, “yes.”  Then he put in medium sized rocks that fell between the big rocks.  Again he asked the class was the jar full?  Again, most of the class said, “yes,”  but some hesitated.  Then he poured in some sand which fell between the cracks of the big and medium sized rocks.  He asked the class again, was the jar full?  Now most of the class hesitated.  Then he took out a pitcher of water and poured it into the jar.  Now, he said, the jar is full.  “The hard part is,” he went on to explain, “figuring out which are the big rocks (the most important things in life), from those that are of medium importance, and those many small things that distract us and take up most of our time, attention, and energy.  Always put the BIG ROCKS in first!” The necessary challenge is to set priorities!

When John the Baptist proclaimed, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven has come near,” he was calling us to change our thinking/attitudes and to change our living/actions, so that our whole lives may be aligned to welcome in God’s Kingdom.  John is calling us to answer the question: in God’s Kingdom, what are the BIG ROCKS?  And, are we putting the BIG ROCKS in first, through our attitudes, actions, and the use of our time, talents, and treasures?  Or have we filled our lives and our church with medium sized rocks and small pebbles, pouring water over it (blessing it) and calling it good enough?

As we address another budget deficit for 2011, we will need to again ask the question: WHAT are the BIG ROCKS, and are we putting those things first, before those medium and small priority things; and, HOW are we going to put in those BIG ROCKS first in terms of the time and effort of our committees, lay leaders, the church members, and the staff?  Honest reflection and feedback, evaluation and prioritizing, and finding the tools and resources will help us on the way.

A Task Force already met last week to start brainstorming ideas to help us address our budget deficit for 2011.  Our first step was to clarify what the current situation really is, not just in terms of the budget, but in terms of the “why” we are in this situation.  So, what’s going on?  1) Many people are unemployed, or significantly underemployed, as well as facing other financial difficulties because of health issues; 2) Some families have moved or withheld giving because of the ELCA vote to allow congregations to bless same-sex relationships and call gay clergy in committed relationships; 3) We have seen stagnant growth for the past four to five years; 4) We have ministry areas that are not as healthy, vibrant, or effective as they should or need to be.

We then quickly developed a list of budget priorities and identified areas that could be reduced or cut, and then funded or accomplished in other ways, while keeping focused on our CORE MINISTRY and MISSION.  Some ministries will need to figure out how to fund themselves, for instance:  all costs for adult education (books, DVD’s, speakers, etc.) will need to be paid for by the participants, or through donations.  We need to decrease postage expenses by increasing and improving our use of website and internet technology to better connect with our members and the community to increase participation.  We also need those that can to increase their giving for 2011, even if just a small amount a week.  Through budget adjustments, deferring expenses to 2012, small but widespread increases in giving, and reducing a variety of line items across the budget, we will reduce the deficit to a reasonable and manageable level for 2011.  But what about the BIG ROCKS of our ministry and mission?

Well, the BIG ROCKS are not: specific programs or activities, committees, groups, staff, or people in the church.

The BIG ROCKS are the following 8 quality characteristics of healthy, growing congregations:

• EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP
• GIFT ORIENTED MINISTRY
• PASSIONATE SPIRITUALITY
• FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURES
• INSPIRING WORSHIP SERVICES
• HOLISTIC SMALL GROUPS
• NEED-ORIENTED EVANGELISM
• LOVING RELATIONSHIPS

Notice that these 8 quality characteristics describe practices, habits, and attitudes that are reflected in the programs, activities, groups, staff, and members of the congregation, not the other way around.  The organization, “Natural Church Development,” has been doing research and working with over 45,000 churches around the world on improving these 8 quality characteristics of their congregations, and the results have been impressive.  This is not a program, but a way of reflecting, evaluating, and prioritizing the ministry and mission of the church.  It is not a quick fix, but a way of seeking on-going growth, improvement, and health for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the spiritual growth to maturity of Christ’s disciples.

Change is hard.  Change is natural and unavoidable.  Yet, we do avoid it at almost any cost, even given the ultimatum, “Change or die!”   So God sends us prophets like John the Baptist, to prepare the way, “Repent (CHANGE), for the kingdom of heaven is near!”  Or we are confronted with another budget deficit, which I believe God is using to wake us up for the need to change, to re-evaluate, to re-commit ourselves to improving our ministry and mission that God has given us, because for Christus Victor, if we don’t change, it will probably not be immediate “death,” but a slow progression unto “death” by having to cut staff and cut ministries because we didn’t change what we needed to change for the growth and health of the ministry, mission, and most importantly, the spiritual growth of the disciples of our church and community.

I much prefer playing around with “small rocks,” because it gives me the illusion that I am in control, that what I want to focus my time, talents, and treasures on is ultimately important.  But when circumstances make me focus on the BIG ROCKS, I realize I’m not in control, and that I need to pray, a lot, and to give control over to God, and then follow where He leads, even if that means “repenting/changing” for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  So, there you have it, we’ve got to change, we’ve got to repent, for the Kingdom of God has come near!  Repent/change, and believe the Good News!

“[Jesus] said to his disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.  For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing…Instead, strive for God’s kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”   (Luke 12: 22-23, 31)

What are you striving for? 

Maybe it would help if we knew what it meant to strive for something. 

STRIVE means: to exert oneself vigorously; to try hard.

By that definition, a lot of people at CV have been striving to enjoy summer to its fullest!  And that’s not all bad.  People are striving at work.   Others are striving to raise kids; which means striving to get kids to all of their activities on time, with food in their stomach (or bag) and clean clothes on their bodies.  There are others who are striving to cheer on the Twins, improve their golf game, catch a bigger fish, help their team win the tournament, or make VBS and the Garage Sale both big successes.

We all strive for a lot of things, but Jesus tells us that the most important thing is striving for God’s kingdom!  Striving for the kingdom of God is not primarily about deeds and actions, but about having a Christ-centered attitude, intention, and focus.

Here’s a true story that illustrates how, with a Christ-centered attitude, intention, and focus, golfing can become a striving for the kingdom of God!  A group of guys go golfing together.  They invite a friend from church to be a substitute.  While golfing they start talking about some events coming up at church, specifically the pancake breakfast after a Sunday Worship Service.  “Hey, why don’t you come and help us with the pancake breakfast, we’d love to have you!”  Their friend agrees and not only is a great helper, but has a good time serving the community of faith, and shows some interest in getting involved with the Men’s Ministry of the church.

With a Christ-centered attitude, intention, and focus your softball team becomes a small group ministry of the church striving for the kingdom of God, even if you don’t make it to the playoffs.  With a Christ-centered attitude, intention, and focus your work at the office and at home raising kids and nurturing your family becomes a striving for the kingdom of God.  With a Christ-centered attitude, intention, and focus the Garage Sale becomes more than just selling stuff for the church, it becomes an opportunity for building friendships, new relationships, and serving our neighbors from near and far.

What are you going to strive for this fall?  As for me, I am going to strive for the kingdom of God.  Let’s strive together!