Roots, New Life. Week 1, What is our story yesterday and today? Study Guide. (Leader s Edition)

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1 Deep Roots, New Life Week 1, What is our story yesterday and today? Study Guide (Leader s Edition) ο1. Opening Prayer A Prayer for a Quiet Mind (from ) Lord, quiet my mind in this moment. Make fear disappear. In its place, plant truth. You are a God who saves, who loves, who comforts, who protects. Quiet my mind so that I can focus on you and your power. Make all thoughts that are not of you disappear. In Jesus Name, Amen. ͳ2. Getting Acquainted In the past when you invited friends over for dinner, have you ever experimented with fixing a meal which you ve never tried before? (Or, if you don t cook, Have you taken friends to a restaurant you ve never tried before?) What were the risks? How did it turn out? (Best meal ever, like shoe leather, lost some good friends, not bad, or?) ʿ3. Read the Scripture Matthew 14:22-33 ( NRSV ) 22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 2 4 but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. 2 5 And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. 2 6 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. 2 7 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." 28 Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." 2 9 He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. 3 0 But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" 3 1 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" 3 2 When they got into the boat,

2 the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." 4. Looking into the Word When Jesus sent the disciples on ahead, do you think he had foreknowledge that they would encounter a storm? Why did Jesus wait until morning to come and rescue them? What do you think of Peter asking the Lord to command him to come out to him on the water? Did Jesus approve or disapprove of this request? Are you more like Peter or the disciples safely on board the boat? What risks did Peter take? What caused him to start sinking? When Peter doubted and began to sink, how did he respond? How did this event impact all of the disciples? ɿ5. Getting into the Heart of the Matter Lutheran s Story Have your group watch the 4 min., 12 sec. video, History 101: The Protestant Reformation. (Alternatively, watch it yourself and briefly retell Martin Luther s story to your group.) video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/history-101-the-protestant-reformation After learning about The Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther, ask the following Discussion Questions: What compelled Martin Luther to work for reform? (Indulgences - wanting to move the Church back to an understanding of salvation by faith through grace over against salvation by works righteousness) What were the risks he took? (At Diet of Worms, Luther expected to be soon arrested and burned at the stake for heresy - yet would not recant his writings. At any moment, especially in the early years, Luther had to be concerned about going beyond where he was protected or he could have been arrested by the Roman Catholic Church authorities.) In a nutshell, what is our story as Lutherans? (A protest movement, a story of God s grace, immigrants in America sustained by a strong faith, etc.) Do you think that the Lutheran church today turned out the way Luther pictured that it would turn out? Why or why not? Our Congregation s Story Briefly, how would you tell the story of our congregation? What were the key turning points ( kairos moments) in the history of our congregation? Background Information : Kairos (καιρός) is an Ancient Greek word meaning the right, critical, or opportune moment. The ancient Greeks had two words for time: c hronos (χρόνος) and kairos. While the former refers to chronological or sequential time, the latter signifies a proper or opportune time for action.

3 What risks have the founders, leaders and the people of God taken in forming and growing our congregation? As a congregation, where would you say we are and who we are? 6. Close in prayer A prayer of Thomas à Kempis O God, full of compassion, we commit and commend ourselves to you, in whom we live and move and have our being. Be the goal of our pilgrimage, and our rest by the way. Give us refuge from the turmoil of worldly distractions beneath the shadow of your wings. Let our hearts, so often a sea of restless waves, find peace in you, O God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

4 Deep Roots, New Life Week 2, What do we hope the future holds for our congregation & church? Study Guide (Leader s Edition) ο1. Opening Prayer A Prayer for the Future Almighty God, you have built your church upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. Grant that the people of this congregation may be joined together as a holy temple, a place where you dwell. Send your Holy Spirit upon us that, guided by your word and strengthened by your sacraments, we may plan and do things that will be for the good of your church and the glory of your name; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. ͳ2. Getting Acquainted When you wake up on your birthday five (or 10) years from now, what do you hope the day will hold for you? What would be the best birthday present you wish for yourself in the not-to-distant future? ʿ3. Read the Scripture Matthew 6:19-34 ( NRSV ) 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 2 1 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; 2 3 but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 "No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more

5 than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 2 9 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 3 0 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you you of little faith? 3 1 Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' 3 2 For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 3 3 But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today. 4. Looking into the Word In Jesus Sermon on the Mount, he taught not to worry about (v. 31), but told his listeners to focus on (v. 33). Our economy seems to work best when there is a high confidence in the future and consumers are spending and saving very little. What do you think the economy of the Kingdom of God is based on? Jesus said, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. In other words, the heart follows treasure and not visa versa. What are the implications of that? Do you think it s true that the heart strings are necessarily connected to what we are invested in with our financial choices? Why or why not? Does investing and seeking first in God s kingdom and righteousness mean we should not be concerned about earthly matters like feeding one s family or investing in one s retirement account? Explain why you feel this way? ɿ5. G etting into the Heart of the Matter Luther famously said that if he knew the end was coming tomorrow, he d plant a tree today. With that in mind, based on the kinds of trees our congregation is currently planting, what sort of fruit will likely be harvested in the future? Imagine you are a time traveler and you set the dials for ten years from now. What do you HOPE to see happening in our congregation? What are the signs of success you are seeing? What is our congregation struggling with? Do you see our congregation (still) owning a church building? If so, is that building expanded from how it looks today?

6 In worship, who do you see sitting around you? Does it look the same? Are the worshippers more multicultural? Do the people in worship reflect the surrounding neighborhood? What kind of ministries do you see happening in the neighborhood? Who are we partnering with in the future as we are ministering to our neighbors (other congregations, social agencies such as Lutheran Community Services, businesses which are like minded, local civic groups or schools, etc.)? 6. Close in prayer O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

7 Deep Roots, New Life Week 3: What obstacles does our changing society present to us today? Study Guide (Leader s Edition) ο1. Opening Prayer 1 Finally, A Prayer Request for Ongoing Ministry brothers and sisters, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified everywhere, just as it is among you, 2 and that we may be rescued from wicked and evil people; for not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will go on doing the things that we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. (2 Thessalonians 3:1-5, NRSV ) ͳ2. Getting Acquainted You have airline tickets for a two-week vacation in the Mediterranean! What would you most like to experience? What are the factors or forces that could affect your trip? ʿ3. Read the Scripture John 21:1-14 ( NRSV ) 1 After these things [Christ s resurrection] Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No." 6 He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped

8 into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. 9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 1 0 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." 1 1 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 1 2 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord. 1 3 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 1 4 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. 4. Looking into the Word Many of Jesus followers were fisherfolk. Why do you think they went back to fishing immediately following the resurrection? Jesus knew where the fish were, even when these expert fishermen did not. The net so full of fish it almost broke the net speaks of abundance. Then Jesus let the disciples fish all night long before telling them where to catch fish. This speaks of scarcity. How does the tension between abundance and scarcity affect the way we are doing ministry in our congregation? How did Jesus get the fish and bread he already had cooking on a charcoal fire (v. 9) when the disciples came ashore? Is there a hidden message there? In what ways did Jesus use this life lesson to teach the disciples about circumstances affecting their ministry and keys to getting back on track with their relationship with the resurrected Christ? ɿ5. Getting into the Heart of the Matter Recall the discussion last week (Week 2) when you discussed what your future hopes are for your congregation. What are the external factors and forces that could change or block your hopes? What are the internal factors and forces (within our congregation and within you personally) that could change or block your hopes? Is it possible God is trying to change, reshape or guide our congregation? In what way(s)? What role does God play in shaping the present and future condition of our congregation? Are there ways in which we resist the Holy Spirit s guidance for our congregation? Explain. How are newcomers/visitors experiencing our congregation? Do we have many visitors? How many end up staying? Why do they stay? Why do they not come back? If our congregation were a business, would it be a good business decision to invest in it? If our church were to close, who would notice? What would people miss the most (activities, community service, worship, relationships )?

9 6. Close in prayer (A prayer of Thomas à Kempis) Direct us, O Lord God, in all our doings with your most gracious favor, and extend to us your continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy name; and finally, by your mercy, bring us to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

10 Deep Roots, New Life Week 4: What would we be willing to do if we thought this could be the end of our church? Study Guide (Leader s Edition) ο1. Opening Prayer A Prayer for God to Lead Us 1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; 2 do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me. 3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. Make me to know your ways, O LORD; 4 teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, 5 for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long. 6 Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. (Psalm 25:1-6, NRSV ) ͳ2. Getting Acquainted What was the best vacation you ve ever taken? Now contrast it with the worst vacation you ve taken. What makes a vacation great, bad or disastrous? ʿ3. Read the Scripture 2 Corinthians 11:22-33 ( NET ) 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so: with much greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with more severe beatings, facing death many times. 24 Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with a rod. Once I received a stoning.three times I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I spent adrift in the open sea. 26 I have been on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own countrymen, in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in

11 the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers from false brothers, 27 in hard work and toil, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, many times without food, in cold and without enough clothing. 28 Apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxious concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with indignation? 30 If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying. 32 In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to arrest me, 33 but I was let down in a rope-basket through a window in the city wall, and escaped his hands. 4. Looking into the Word Background: The Apostle Paul traveled widely starting new churches. One of the churches he founded was in Corinth. As he writes this letter, his relationship with the church is very strained, especially because false teachers are opposing Paul and the gospel he taught them in the beginning. The church he began is in danger of going wildly off track. These false teachers are bragging about their superiority to Paul, forcing Paul to give his own credentials. Because of this, we get a window into what Paul s life was like as a sent-out one or apostle. If you were traveling along with Paul, would you think God is with him or against him? What was Paul willing to risk in order to establish the early Church? In Paul s day, Christianity was brand new. In what ways is our own day similar to Paul s? (We live in a Post-Christian World, and many people have never had a church experience and very few actively participate in a congregation.) Name some famous Christians who have also faced danger, risk or even death as they strived to build the kingdom of God and Christ s Church. (Many of the people we commemorate listed in our hymnal. Take a look at the List of Christian Martyrs in Wikipedia: ) ɿ5. Getting into the Heart of the Matter Agree or disagree with these two quotes and why: To dare is to lose one s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself. Soren Kierkegaard Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain What if this is IT? What if this is the kairos moment (refer back to Week 1) for our congregation -- when the past ends and the future begins?

12 Thinking about your hopes for the future and the gifts and resources you have, what are you willing to do? What are you willing to risk? What are you willing to lay on the line? When you are dead and gone, what will be your legacy? What do you feel we need to begin as a congregation to reflect further on this matter? In order to embrace God s future, what will you change or give up? What are you willing to invest in our congregation and the Synod? 6. Close in prayer Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.