NALC offices to be in Columbus, Ohio Upper Arlington Lutheran Church to host denominational offices

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1 NALC News N o r t h A m e r i c a n L u t h e r a n C h u r c h N o v e m b e r NALC offices to be in Columbus, Ohio Upper Arlington Lutheran Church to host denominational offices The headquarters of the North American Lutheran Church will be in one of its congregations. Upper Arlington Lutheran Church of Columbus, Ohio, has agreed to host the international offices of the NALC. Upper Arlington is a 6,000- member congregation that voted to join the NALC on Reformation Day (Oct. 31). Upper Arlington has three campuses in the greater Columbus area. The NALC offices will be at Upper Arlington s Mill Run campus in Hilliard, Ohio. Upper Arlington Lutheran Church s Mill Run campus. We are very grateful to the leadership of Upper Arlington for agreeing to host the NALC offices, said the Rev. Paull Spring, provisional NALC bishop. Having the NALC offices housed in a congregation will help to highlight and reinforce the NALC s commitment to the ministry of its congregations, Bishop Spring said. With the life and ministry of a thriving congregation constantly at hand, our leaders will be continuously reminded that we serve our congregations, he added. What a fine idea to office a denomination in a congregation, said the Rev. Paul Ulring, senior pastor of Upper Arlington. It is a great opportunity for Upper Arlington Lutheran to serve our new church. We welcome NALC to share in the resources we have been given for the mission of Jesus Christ, Pastor Ulring said. It is our intention to have the needed remodeling and preparations made so the office can open by January 1, 2011, he added.

2 We take the Great Commission seriously Dear Friends in Christ Jesus, The week of October 31 was a remarkable one for the North American Lutheran Church. First came the reports that several congregations took either their first or second votes to join us in ministry. There are now over 175 congregations who are either already member congregations of the North American Lutheran Church or clearly moving in this direction. Added to this were four pastors who phoned me during that same week and offered to be mission developers for new congregations. Pastors in the San Antonio area are beginning to plan for a congregation in that city. Two other pastors are very intent on developing missions in the Denver, Colorado, and Dayton, Ohio, areas. A fourth pastor called to express his support for the positions of our church and to request certification as one of our pastors. He went on to say that he is more than eager to be a mission developer in an innercity neighborhood in Chicago. What struck me about the calls from the four pastors is that they came to me out of the blue, that they were so utterly unsolicited. I, for one, see them as signs that the Holy Spirit is at work among us. Praise God! The word mission means to be sent. God sends us, and we go forth. In Baptism, He calls us all by grace to be His people and to witness for Him to others through Bishop Paull E. Spring our words and deeds. He also calls some of us, both pastors and laypeople, to be evangelists for Him. Evangelists are people with the requisite gifts for articulating the faith to others sensitively, boldly, and persuasively. The constitution of the North American Lutheran Church describes the bishop as the chief evangelist for the church. The bishop is charged with keeping the vision of the Great Commission before the church. In this context, I am advocating for two related goals for our still very young church. One is that each congregation, regardless of size, partner with one domestic and one global ministry. The nature of these partnerships will be determined by the congregations themselves, but financial support for such ministries through special benevolence will surely be an important element in that relationship. A second goal is for each geographical area (district, conference, cluster) to organize a mission congregation on its own territory. Many years ago the Augustana Lutheran Church celebrated its centennial year by charging each conference to form a new congregation, and they all did it. It has long been recognized that one of the chief strategies for growing the Church is through the formation of new congregations. With God s help, we can do that, too, for the sake of God s mission. Indeed, there is much that we will do as congregations, large or small. The decline in congregational membership and average worship attendance in the United States is approaching European dimensions. Our Missions Committee is right now working with our colleagues in Lutheran CORE and is planning a series of regional mission conferences for next year. We re doing all of this in the North American Lutheran Church because we take the Great Commission seriously. We believe that Christ alone is God s gift of salvation for all people. We trust in His promise to be with us always, as we proclaim His name. In his name we go forth from His Table to tell everyone what He has done. Paull E. Spring Bishop N A L C N e w s 2 N o v e m b e r

3 New book to feature lectures from Lutheran CORE theological conference Seeking New Directions for Lutheranism: Biblical, Theological and Churchly Perspectives Orders are now being taken for a new book featuring the papers presented at the Lutheran CORE Theological Conference held Aug in Columbus, Ohio. The book shares its title with the theme of the theological conference, Seeking New Directions for Lutheranism: Biblical, Theological and Churchly Perspectives. It is being published by the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau. More than 800 people attended the conference, which may be the most significant theological conference on North American Lutheranism in many years. The unabridged texts of these papers are about 20 percent longer than the lectures as presented in Columbus, the publisher notes. The book was edited by the Rev. Dr. Carl E. Braaten. It includes an introduction by Professor Braaten and a preface by NALC Bishop Paull Spring. The publisher is offering a special pre-publication price of $15. Orders may be placed online at ALPB s website: alpb.org/seeking.html or by calling Here are the contents of the book: Lutheranism at a Crossroads Carl E. Braaten Holy Scripture and Word of God: Biblical Authority in the Church Stephen J. Hultgren Speech to, for and about the Triune God Robert W. Jenson Authority in the Church: A Plea for Critical Dogmatics Paul R. Hinlicky Renewing the Moral Vision for Lutheranism Robert Benne No Church of Christ without Christ Steven D. Paulson The book features the lectures presented at the conference expanded for publication. Sermon: Can anything Good Come out of Columbus? Frank C. Senn Mission: Gospel Roots with Global Reach Paul V. Martinson Women s group is being formed for Lutheran CORE and North American Lutheran Church A group of women is working to unite the women s organizations of the congregations of the North American Lutheran Church and of congregations that are members of Lutheran CORE. Organizers envision a new type of structure one that supports local congregations and communities as well as the mission of the wider church. They plan to offer resources to help women s groups organize or reorganize. They are encouraging all interested women to contact them and to provide input into the structure of the new women s organization. They want the new women s organization to be what best serves the women in our congregations. Congregational women s groups are asked to send them information about their group and to provide a contact person and contact information for their congregation. Please send the information to Jeanne Wallace jw@beecreek.net or Jane Tredinnick russjane1@comcast.net. N A L C N e w s 3 N o v e m b e r

4 National youth event set for Chicago A national gathering for Lutheran youth is planned for July 7-10, 2011, in Chicago. The four-day national youth event called Impact is being planned by Youth Encounter. Impact s emphasis will be on equipping young people to live out their faith in Jesus Christ. The national youth event is for high school students in grades The program will include messages from Christian speakers including Gemechis Buba, Jay Gamelin, Scott Phelps, and Bill Yonker. There will be music from nationally-renowned Christian bands including Daniel's Window and Echelon. Small-group workshops and a service project with Feed My Starving Children are also planned as a part of Impact. Captive Free, a Youth Encounter music ministry team, will also be performing and relating with the youth throughout the event. Impact will be held at the Holiday Inn Select in Naperville, Ill. The event runs Thursday evening through Sunday afternoon. Program fees are $189 per person for groups that register by the early-bird deadline of Feb. 9. Hotel rooms are $85 per room per night. Youth Encounter is a Christian non-profit youth ministry organization that has hosted events for Lutheran youth and sponsored traveling ministry teams for 45 years. The NALC Executive Committee has endorsed the youth ministry of Youth Encounter and encourages the congregations of the NALC to support and take part in the ministry of Youth Encounter. Youth Encounter sponsors regional events throughout the country for junior high youth, called Quakes, and for high school youth called Zones. Youth Encounter events have always been focused on encouraging youth and adult leaders to go deeper in their faith in Jesus Christ, said Lisa Rykken Kastler, Program Executive of Youth Encounter. Youth and leaders will have a chance to gather with other church groups as they worship, fellowship and serve as a larger community of Christ. Getting away from everyday life and journeying in Jesus name to a new place is a shared experience that God uses to draw people together as He draws them deeper in their faith. Youth Encounter s mission is to partner with Christian communities to strengthen their youth ministry. Youth Encounter confesses the Triune God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit revealed through Jesus Christ, according to the Christian Scriptures; submits to the Christian Scriptures as the inspired Word of God and the source and final norm of its proclamation, doctrine, faith, and life; subscribes to the Lutheran confessions; and upholds the historical Biblical moral positions of the Christian tradition. Youth Encounter works with congregations so that young people may be established in Christian faith, empowered for Christian living, engaged in Christian ministry, and equipped for Christian leadership. For more information on Youth Encounter go to N A L C N e w s 4 N o v e m b e r

5 St. Timothy Lutheran Church Charleston, West Virginia St. Timothy Lutheran Church was founded as a mission congregation in South Charleston, W.Va., and the first service was held on Jan. 11, In December 1945, it was organized as an autonomous congregation with 48 charter members. In 1948, ground was broken on Ohio Street in South Charleston for construction of a church building. Over the years, there were several expansion projects to allow for additional sanctuary seating and for an educational wing. On Sunday, Sept. 29, 2002, ground was broken for a new church to be constructed at 900 Lawndale Lane, Charleston, W.Va. The purchase of the original Ohio Street property by an adjacent hospital made it possible to meet the expanding needs of the growing church community. The new sanctuary seats 450, and the attendance averages about 300. Our larger facility has also allowed us to multiply our mission and witness to those in need. The first worship service in the new facility was held Sunday, Nov. 21, Later that day with over 600 members and friends in attendance, the new church was dedicated to the glory of God and the salvation of man. St. Timothy has had only six pastors in almost 69 years, and Pastor Richard Mahan has served the church faithfully since 1972, for over 38 of those years. St. Timothy has a vibrant Revival ministry, wherein their pastor, praise band, and many members go to other churches in West Virginia or nearby and hold an updated version of an old-time revival meeting. The mission is to revive congregations and encourage them to go out and evangelize. Generally it is a 2-to-3- day weekend event, and they are very well received by the congregations who have invited them. Another interesting mission is hosted by a couple from the congregation who own a Coffee Continued on Page 6 N A L C N e w s 5 N o v e m b e r

6 Getting to know other NALC congregations As we begin life together in the North American Lutheran Church we want to get to know each other. To help with that process, the NALC News will publish a series of profiles of our congregations. This month we feature two of the first congregations to join the NALC: St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Charleston, W.Va., and Saint Luke s Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs. All NALC congregations are encouraged to send a profile introducing their congregation to others in the NALC. Please share whatever you d like others to know about your congregation, your area, and especially your mission. Send the article and a few photos to news@thenalc.org. St. Timothy Lutheran Church - Charleston, West Virginia Continued from Page 5 Shop/Café in downtown Charleston. Several times a year, they turn their facility into a Spirit and Soul Café and the Praise Band leads singing for 90 minutes, followed by a short sermon by the Pastor. It is a great opportunity to leave the walls of the church and reach out in ministry to others. In addition, the owners donate 10 percent of the proceeds from the day s sales to Union Mission Ministries. It is our fervent hope and prayer that this church will stand as a witness for mission, not only for today, but for generations still to come. May our merciful God bless this House, built to His glory, so that long after we are gone, our children s children may here encounter the Lord who graciously comes to His people in W ord and Sacrament, for the forgiveness of our sins and strengthening of our faith. In the life of St. Timothy Lutheran Church, one thing remains certain: God is faithful and he blesses those who truly love Him and strive to do His will. W e do not know what the future holds for St. Timothy, but we do know W ho holds the future, and we trust our Lord Jesus Christ and eagerly look for His return. You can learn more about St. Timothy Lutheran Church at NALC News 6 November 2010

7 St. Luke s Lutheran Church Colorado Springs, Colorado Saint Luke s Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2012! Having joined the North American Lutheran Church in 2010, there is a sense of excitement and energy within the congregation that might be described as something of a new beginning, certainly a blessed renewal at the possibilities for mission and ministry that arise from being a part of the new NALC! Saint Luke s is known for being decidedly evangelical and catholic. Worship at Saint Luke s is lovingly described as all traditional all the time! At a time when many congregations are experimenting with many kinds of worship styles and formats, Saint Luke s celebrates the richness, depth and breadth of the Great Tradition within western Christianity. With Word and Sacrament offered at each weekend service, liturgy and music heighten the worship life of the congregation, which draws folks from all over the Pike s Peak region who desire the historic liturgy, and a warm, welcoming community of faith. At the same time, Saint Luke s congregation is deeply involved in love of neighbor, as well as love of God, through support of local social service ministries, and global reach through support of a nurse missionary in China through Evergreen Family Friendship Service. Continued on Page 8 N A L C N e w s 7 N o v e m b e r

8 Children s Center a part of St. Luke s outreach Continued from Page 7 The greatest outreach of the congregation, however, happens through Saint Luke s Children s Center. A ministry of the congregation since 1995, the Children s Center had its beginning in three small classrooms in the first unit of the church building, serving 20 preschoolers, ages 2-5 with Christcentered. full-time educational childcare. In 1999, the congregation expanded its facility to increase worship space, as well as space for the Children s Center. At that time, the center was licensed for 59 preschoolers. Again, the congregation expanded its facility in 2008, adding all new Sunday School classrooms, as well as rooms built especially for childcare, and a large multi-purpose fellowship hall where children can play indoors during inclement weather. The Children s Center now serves 110 children, with 18 spaces for infant care. The center provides hot breakfasts and lunches daily, to make sure all children receive nutritious meals. The church and center strive to care for little ones in the name of Jesus. The center is Qualistar rated, and anticipates receiving the prestigious accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children in The congregation is proud of the large number of households who are active duty or retired military, or who work in civil service jobs. Saint Luke s is located on the north side of Colorado Springs, minutes from the United States Air Force Academy, with many members working at the Academy. Members also serve in the U.S. Army at Fort Carson, Peterson Air Force Base, and other military installations in and around Colorado Springs. With an average of 200 in worship, and three services each weekend, Saint Luke s is a growing, exciting congregation which is proud to be a part of the new NALC, and warmly welcomes all who might visit the beautiful Colorado Springs and Pike's Peak Region! Find out more about Saint Luke's at N A L C N e w s 8 N o v e m b e r

9 How the size of your congregation can impact worship outreach By Pastor Don Brandt One of the pitfalls of sharing ministry ideas with hundreds of congregations is this: What might be a great outreach strategy for one congregational size could be totally inappropriate for another. In other words, an idea worth pursuing for a congregation averaging 400 people in total weekly worship attendance might be a mistake for a congregation worshiping less than 100. So obvious it s not worth mentioning? Then let s consider an example of how we often fail to consider the full implications of a congregation s size. Specifically, let s consider the subject of appropriate worship music. More specifically, let s consider when worship hymns and songs are participatory or not. Here is an area of congregational life where larger churches definitely have an advantage! Let s get even more specific. Consider the advantages of a particular worship that averages 150 or more in attendance compared to one that averages less than 50. (In this matter you will need to evaluate each of your worship services separately.) If your congregation averages 150 or more people in attendance in the service you are evaluating, here are your advantages in regards to having more participatory hymns, songs and liturgical music. Because you have more worshipers who are comfortable singing in public, you are in a position to introduce new (i.e., unfamiliar) music more frequently. With a larger worshiping community it s more likely you can afford to hire more competent musicians, and have a larger pool of musically gifted volunteers to draw from. With a larger worship attendance you don t have to be as concerned as a smaller congregation when it comes to being confident your worship selections have a reasonable range; i.e., are not too low or, worse yet, too high. As a larger congregation you have the freedom to employ more liturgical music, which is often more complex and difficult to sing than most familiar hymns and songs. As a larger congregation you have the option of offering multiple worship times on Sunday morning. This means that when it comes to worship music style (e.g., traditional or contemporary), you don t have to please everyone in just one worship hour. So what does all of this mean for the smaller congregation? Smaller congregations need to be very conservative when it comes to hymn and song selections. Conservative in this case means to err on the side of what s familiar and popular among your members. And when it comes to new, completely unfamiliar music, be cautious. Give your people a great deal of musical support as they learn an unfamiliar hymn or song. As they learn, you might want to have one or more singers up front leading them. Try to avoid compositions that are too complex musically. Also, if the new song is somewhat difficult, and has verses and a chorus, consider teaching just the chorus at first. You can teach the verses on a subsequent Sunday. When it comes to your primary worship musicians you need to hire or enlist the best possible. You might think this is self-evident. However, some small congregations think that, because they are small, everyone will understand if their worship music is a bit sloppy. Wrong! You don t honor either your members or visitors and certainly not God when you settle for sloppy. N A L C N e w s 9 N o v e m b e r

10 Small congregations can excel in hospitality ministry Continued from Page 9 For example, some smaller congregations simply cannot afford (or perhaps even find) a competent organist. In fact, they can t afford a decent organ! If this is your situation you might need to consider going with piano or a top-of-the-line electronic keyboard as your primary worship instrument for two reasons: First, competent pianists/keyboardists are easier to find and less expensive to hire than competent organists. Second, quality pianos and electronic keyboards are less expensive than quality organs. (If your hymns are led from the piano, search for appropriate piano arrangements for the hymns. Hymnbook accompaniments are often not suitable for piano.) As a smaller congregation your worship can be just as liturgical as a larger church. However, liturgical in your case might not include a great deal of liturgical music. Why? Because your congregation might not sing liturgical music as well as you hope. Liturgical music selections tend, in most cases, to be more difficult to sing than familiar, popular hymns. Many of these liturgical compositions are, in fact, composed with larger worshiping communities in mind. So, instead, design your service so that most (if not all) of your liturgy is spoken, not sung. Or, if you have gifted singers among your members, have them lead the liturgical selections from the front. Or, consider using popular and familiar hymns as your liturgical selections. Simply find familiar hymns with appropriate lyrics for that portion of your liturgy. You could even rotate these hymns monthly with other familiar hymns. Finally, now for the greatest advantage smaller congregations have when it comes to their worship outreach. I am referring to your hospitality ministry. In a smaller faith community there is no difficulty identifying your visitors and making them feel welcome and included. It s also easier for members to invite, bring and help integrate unchurched friends into the life of your congregation. So don t neglect this exciting opportunity for outreach! Ultimately, all this is about so much more than doing all we can to make our worship more edifying. This is about understanding that the quality of our worship life can impact our ability to attract and make a positive impression on visitors; increasing the odds they, ultimately, will come to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Sometimes we become so comfort-able with our worship services that we fail to evaluate whether we are doing all we can to not only inspire our members, but also reach out to and connect with our visitors. Pastor Don Brandt is senior pastor of Our Savior s Lutheran Church in Salem, Ore. He serves on Lutheran CORE s discipleship task force. You may contact him at DonB@oursaviorssalem.org. Pursuing Great Commission Evangelism in your congregation This is the first of a series of articles on the theme Pursuing Great Commission Evangelism in Your Congregation. This column will lift up Great Commission evangelism as one of the top priorities for Lutheran CORE and the NALC. In pursuit of that goal, we will share practical articles focusing on congregational outreach and evangelism. Most of these articles will be unapologetically pragmatic in content, while at the same time stressing the importance of congregations seeing evangelism as their top ministry priority. Pastors and lay leaders are encouraged to contribute articles to this column in the firm conviction that we can learn from one another. We are looking for how-to articles that describe a particularly effective ministry in the life of your congregation. Please send articles to Pastor Don Brandt at DonB@oursaviorssalem.org. N A L C N e w s 10 N o v e m b e r

11 NALC is experiencing rapid growth More than 80 congregations have voted to join NALC in first two months The North American Lutheran Church has been experiencing rapid growth since it was constituted on Aug. 27. The NALC has formally received 66 congregations during its first three months of existence. Seven are new mission starts. Another 15 congregations have passed a congregational resolution indicating their intention to join the NALC upon completion of their departure from their current church body. Many more congregations are expected to vote to join the church body in the coming weeks and months. North Carolina is the state with the most NALC congregations at this early point in the life of the new church body, with nine congregations. Ohio is second with eight churches. Texas, Pennsylvania and South Dakota, each have six congregations. The current list of NALC congregations is available online at It is updated as new congregations are received each week by the NALC Executive Committee. If you are looking for a NALC congregation and do not see one in your area, please contact the NALC office. They will provide information on congregations in your area that are considering joining the NALC or connect you with others in your area who are considering forming a mission congregation. Alaska St. Paul Lutheran Church Kodiak, Alaska Arizona St. Peter Lutheran Church Mesa, Ariz. Colorado St. Luke s Lutheran Church Colorado Springs, Colo. Florida Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Dade City, Fla. Oasis Church Lake Mary, Fla. San Pedro Lutheran Church Miami, Fla. Georgia Christ the King Lutheran Church Evans, Ga. Word of God Lutheran Church Peachtree City, Ga. Illinois First Lutheran Church Kirkland, Ill. American Lutheran Church Rantoul, Ill. St. John Lutheran Church Royal, Ill. Immanuel Lutheran Church Thomasboro, Ill. Indiana St. Mark Lutheran Church Auburn, Ind. Iowa Mission in Christ Lutheran Strawberry Point, Iowa Michigan Redeemer Lutheran Church Owosso, Mich. Minnesota Immanuel Lutheran Church Crosby, Minn. Grace Lutheran Church Erskine, Minn. Faith Lutheran Church Mentor, Minn. Riverside Lutheran Church Wannaska, Minn. Missouri Trinity Lutheran Church Ava, Mo. New York Nile Lutheran Mission Rochester, N.Y. North Carolina St. John Lutheran Church Asheboro, N.C. Mount Calvary Lutheran Church Claremont, N.C. N A L C N e w s 11 N o v e m b e r

12 Miller s Lutheran Church Hickory, N.C. New Jerusalem Lutheran Church Hickory, N.C. Trinity Lutheran Church Landis, N.C. Grace Lutheran Church Newton, N.C. Christiana Lutheran Church Salisbury, N.C. St. Matthew Lutheran Church Salisbury, N.C. Union Lutheran Church Salisbury, N.C. North Dakota First Lutheran Church Washburn, N.D. Ohio Upper Arlington Lutheran Church Columbus, Ohio St. John Lutheran Church Greenville, Ohio St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church Grove City, Ohio Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Mansfield, Ohio Oakland Lutheran Church Mansfield, Ohio Resurrection Lutheran Church Port Clinton, Ohio Grace Lutheran Church Springfield, Ohio Trinity Lutheran Church Springfield, Ohio Pennsylvania Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Abington, Pa. Church of the Cross Covington, Pa. Dunmyer Lutheran Church Johnstown, Pa. St. Stephen Lutheran Church Pittsburgh, Pa. St. Paul Lutheran Church Sarver, Pa. One in Christ Lutheran Mission Telford, Pa. Puerto Rico Iglesia Luterana Resurrección Carolina, Puerto Rico South Dakota American Lutheran Church Castlewood, S.D. Hayti Lutheran Church Hayti, S.D. New Hope Lutheran Church Hayti, S.D. Trinity Lutheran Church Lake Norden, S.D. First Lutheran Church Philip, S.D. Immanuel Lutheran Church Whitewood, S.D. Tennessee Faith Lutheran Church Chattanooga, Tenn. Word of Life Lutheran Church Maryville, Tenn. Texas Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church of Welcome Brenham, Texas Holy Ghost Lutheran Church Fredericksburg, Texas Peace Lutheran Church Rockdale, Texas Our Savior Lutheran Church Three Rivers, Texas Our Saviour s Lutheran Church Tyler, Texas St. Paul Lutheran Church Yorktown, Texas Virginia Lebanon Lutheran Church Lebanon Church, Va. Advent Lutheran Church Winchester, Va. Washington St. Mark Lutheran Church Seattle, Wash. West Virginia St. Timothy Lutheran Church Charleston, W.Va. Wisconsin St. John s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Nekimi Oshkosh, Wis. Wyoming Christ the King Lutheran Church Newcastle, Wyo. N A L C N e w s 12 N o v e m b e r

13 2299 Palmer Drive, Suite 220 New Brighton, MN Presort Standard Mail US Postage Paid St. Paul, MN Permit #7149 NALC Contact Information NALC Administrative Office 2299 Palmer Drive, Suite 220 New Brighton, MN Phone: Lutheran CORE Director Pastor Mark Chavez 295 Stony Battery Road Landisville, PA Bishop Paull Spring 956 Stratford Court State College, PA NALC News Published monthly by North American Lutheran Church 2299 Palmer Drive, Suite 220 New Brighton, MN Phone: Pastor David J. Baer, editor Please copy and share this newsletter widely.