How to Use this Report

REPORT TO REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH ABOUT ITS INTERVIEWS ON CONGREGATIONAL MISSION AND MINISTRY from The Congregational Discovery Reading Team How to Use this Report This report gives the major findings of a self-study by members of the congregation about the character of worship, education, and general involvement of members, as well as the congregation s responses to community and congregational changes. It is based on 24 interviews, gathered in Fall 2017 by several members of the congregation. Board of Directors The Rt. Rev. Mark MacDonald Bishop Callon Holloway The Rev. Bruce Modahl The Rev. Dr. Patrick Keifert Marie Failinger Gordon R. Engstrom The Rev. Wesley Granberg- Michaelson The Rev. John Strommen Linda Bergquist The Rev. Kathryn Brown The Rev. Jeanne Radak Dr. Alan Walter We believe these findings should be taken seriously even though they are based on information from a moderate number of interviews. Leaders should consider their own reflections and use common sense about the issues raised in this report, building on the strengths of Redeemer Lutheran Church while addressing problem areas as opportunities for further growth as a congregation. We believe that both the interviewers and those with whom they talked have the best interests of Redeemer Lutheran Church at heart and gave information they hope will help the congregation. Our recommendations are meant as questions, not to tell the congregation what to do. We believe that your congregation s continuing work in faithful conversations will help it address some of the opportunities discovered in these interviews. We also believe the congregation s leadership has the wisdom and ability to best address its own situation. All of the people who took time to answer these interview questions, and most certainly the Listening Leaders who did so many splendid interviews, should be commended for their willingness to think seriously about your congregation s members past and present experiences of worship, learning, change, and mission. Such careful and helpful work will be of dramatic value as we all consider what God is up to in the community and what God is calling Redeemer Lutheran Church to do here. As we seek to build on strengths, we remember that God equips us for every good work and that we lead by the grace of God s gifts to us. Dr. Robert Kolb!1

1. Describe this congregation to someone new and tell how they would be nurtured here. 24 interviews, 93 remarks (the number next to an answer indicates how many people mentioned it) Welcoming 8 Opportunities to connect and to learn 8 Friendly 6 Recently improved 6 (gone through a conflict but are much better now 4; leaders weren t welcoming for a while, but attitudes have changed 2) Accepting / non-judgmental 4 Caring pastor 4 We reach out to members and to the community 4 Youth are important 4 Youth are welcomed 3 Supportive 3 Caring 3 Good sermons that also challenge us 3 Bible studies 3 I talk to people I don t know 3 Laid back and comfortable 3 We step up to help 2 Happy 2 A variety of people 2 Dynamic young pastor 2 Open-minded 2 People of faith 2 Rooted in the Christ and Bible 2 mentioned once each (14): tough place to get in, but once in, you re in; don t rock the boat; almost a fraternity; people from other than our town; many are first generation to the church; challenge for someone with no member contact; services don t mix so don t know each other; families with kids to grow in the faith; aging; not fire and brimstone; not prone to cliques; use your talents here; get involved with council and committees; challenge to be nurtured; church helps us live a Christ-like life recommended questions to consider 1. Your reading team was curious about your welcoming ministry. What does your welcome desk look like? Who s visiting? How do you keep in touch with visitors? How many members are involved in your welcoming ministry? 2. You have dozens of friendly, accepting type descriptions in responses to this question. How specifically do your members embody this friendliness and acceptance? What stories might you tell? 3. There were a lot of descriptions of how your members experience this church. Very few people answered the question about how a newcomer would be nurtured at Redeemer. How might you think from such a newcomer s perspective? How might you experience Redeemer through their eyes?!2

2. Tell a story about how you sense God s presence and activity in this congregation. 24 interviews, 59 remarks Outreach to the community 10 People here are moved to serve others 10 Worship 8 (the service in general 3; holding hands during Lord s Prayer 1; sharing of the peace; coordination of liturgy, music, and message 1; sermons that helped 1; Glen s children s messages 1) Love and grace shown by members to one another 7 Members are greeters 2 Addition to the building 2 Confirmation projects 2 mentioned once each (18) : decision to bring in a youth pastor; even without a pastor we kept giving; Brothers and sisters, grow in the faith as a motto; All Saints Day candles; educating kids; benevolence; Sunday School a joy so that kids want to go; kids experience God and talk with adults; Pastor Casey is getting kids involved; a good interim prepared us; game night; when we don t take ourselves too seriously; building is always in use; my spouse and I discuss the sermon; cheeriness; I feel good; feeling of belonging; my relationship with God is private and personal recommended questions to consider: 1. Your members find God s presence in action (outreach) and relationships (caring and serving) even more than in worship. How has this come to be? Was it always this way? How are Redeemer s action and relationships different from ones we might experience at the Lion s Club? 2. Do your members have the sense that God is with you as you do outreach to the community? Would they sense God less if your community service grew less? Would God seem to be with you more if you did more? Your church seems to enjoy having the reputation of community involvement. Your members seem to want that reputation to grow even stronger. How many persons actually participate in these outreach opportunities? 3. Since outreach to the community is so important to Redeemer, how do you look at and connect with neighbors who aren t members? Many of the people answering these questions seem to feel that they are God s children; how do they feel about those who are unchurched? If Redeemer s members believe that community members are also God s children, how might that affect how you do outreach? How might it help you connect in deeper and more meaningful ways with those you wish to reach as you do outreach?!3

3. What tells you God is present here in worship? 24 interviews, 69 remarks Music 11 (in general 6; contemporary is joyful 3; old hymns 1; music welcomes 1) Sermons 10 Children s sermons 7 We are renewed/rejuvenated weekly 4 Making it through tough times 4 (reconciling broken relationships; Chris s return may bring others back; people want to come now; recent upheaval brought stronger faith) Reverence toward communion 3 Scripture 3 First service more than second: deeper 2 Lay assistants willing to be here so often 2 No social issues in worship 2 Kids excitement 2 Feel God s presence all around 2 Sharing or seeing others emotional reactions to things in worship - 2 mentioned once each (15): sharing of peace genuine; older members tell younger/newer ones they have done well; the order of worship; acolytes raising offerings to the Lord; holding hands during the Lord s Prayer; set aside worldly stuff and focus on God; old timers; kids interacting with adults; fellowship; where 2 or 3 are gathered ; it s just not Sunday if you don t go to church; feel God s presence from within; pulling together to meet needs; study of the faith; love and service. recommended questions to consider: 1. Music and preaching are very important as a sign of God s presence in worship for your members. Music seems to bring you up and inspire you, and good preaching helps you go deeper and face real questions. Is that the case? People appreciate your pastor s honesty and humor we hear that here and in other questions. Is this a new sermon experience for you? 2. You offer both contemporary and traditional worship, and each has its audience. Your readers have the impression that the contemporary worship s purpose is to give joy. What is the purpose of the traditional service? Is it reverence, or perhaps grounding in long-time ritual and practice? What do people leave their chosen service with? How does joy indicate God s presence? How does reverence and rootedness indicate God s presence? 3. How did the folks who attend the contemporary service handle the years of uncertainty? How did the folks in the traditional service handle those same years? What might you learn from each?!4

4. Tell about how you and others feel about the changes in this community in the past 3-5 years. 24 interviews, 71 remarks Loss of pastors/leaders 12 (Chris 7; Jim Wilson - 5) Very tough period 11 (took 2 years to get a pastor; people left; much bickering; whining; people were controlling; judgmental; interim time was tough; change not accepted; if not immediately successful, change deemed unworthy; no teaching on living through change; unhealthy conversations tailored to control the outcome) Congregation was not told what was going on 9 Change is hard 8 Good pastoral change/going in right direction 7 Pastor Casey s focus generally positive 3 (traditional worship; common beliefs; good at church history and Gospel but young and inexperienced) Youth program needs rebuilding 3 Changes we made without a pastor were hard but good 2 Our pastor needs to be involved in this local community 2 mentioned once each (14): interim period forced us to look at ourselves; when there s going to be change, all sides must sacrifice; you can t take change personally; we were flourishing but the world changed things; people won t commit; people were focused on numbers; some just sit while others get things done; switching synods was disappointing; no young leadership; leadership during the change was good; God answered our prayers and chose Pastor Casey; more stable now; good mentor/mentee program; the meeting for this consulting process was very uplifting recommended questions to consider: 1. It seems to grieve people that it took so long to get your new pastor. Apparently many members feel that there remains much that is unknown. Is that the case? If so, what are your plans for coming to terms with these matters? 2. Grief came with these changes. What has the congregation done to process the grief they experienced with these losses? Is it taking a lot longer for some folks to deal with the loss, while others are more ready to move ahead? Might the difference in their grieving be causing some problems even now? Might some folks be holding onto their grief for some reason? 3. This time of change was a lot of work. Some people worked hard; some withdrew. Some behavior got bad. Now that you have a permanent pastor, are people so weary that they have simply sat down and exhaled, leaving current and future work to the paid staff? If that might be the case, will enormous expectations fall on the new pastor? What capacities did Redeemer grow while between permanent pastors? How can you keep those capacities growing so that leading is shared? 5. Tell about the ways people fight in this congregation. Tell about a situation where you and others were involved in a problem at church and how it was handled. 24 interviews, 65 remarks!5

None/can t recall any 7 How people fight (47) Retreat to one s group of friends/cliques 8 Leaving 4 I try to avoid problems 4 Problems remain unaddressed 2 He said She said 2 Taking things too personally 2 Able to be reasonable and honest 2 mentioned once each (15): leaders don t show respect; some people look for trouble; whining; go negative and political; opinionated; leaders could make whatever change they wanted to; leaders shot down member ideas; judgmental; looked down on others; sarcastic; unchristian behavior; secrecy; not handled directly; pretty compatible group; step up to solve the problem how we should behave (6): Go directly to person involved 2; work together toward resolution 2; don t dwell on problems or solutions you didn t like 1; get on the council - 1 how Pastor Casey does things (2): Pastor Casey is not coaching us in a particular direction; Pastor Casey is professional in handling sensitive issues. What we fight about (11) mentioned once each (11): UMOS; dropping youth pastor, which reduced outreach; council short on members; change to a new way of doing things; why and how much we give; maintenance/replacement of siding; synod conversion to East Central Synod of Wisconsin; ideas to improve worship; moving committee money to General Fund; pastor s decision to change who would play for a confirmation service; youth behavior recommended questions to consider 1. Your reading team is actually heartened by the large number of descriptions of bad behavior in answer to this question. You know things were not the way they should have been, and you honestly name them. How have you worked on disagreeing with one another well? How might you learn to encounter conflict faithfully, to use the energy it brings to press your church forward in God s mission for you? 2. Was your period of conflict and uncertainty begun by avoidance of honest confrontation and handling of issues by previous leadership? If so, what might you learn about the need for communication among the leadership and communication between leaders and congregation? 3. Since all congregations need to go through change which might bring conflict, what advice would you gave another congregation heading down the same path you have walked? 6. Describe an experience of profound worship you have had. 24 interviews, 37 remarks Retreat experiences 5 (including Via de Cristo, Bible study, labyrinth, mentor overnight)!6

Christmas Eve candlelight service 4 Sermons 4 (our obligations to the world; historical context; Pastor Casey s Christmas message about being a co-sinner; children s messages) Christmas Cantata 3 Prayer 2 (God answered my prayer twice; prayed for God s help and it went well) mentioned once each (19): relatable hymns from new hymnal; laying on of hands at ordination; a confirmation service that was just what the kids needed; All Saints candle lighting; focus on the cross; worship with 5-6 congregations Ascension; at a national convention; contemporary worship; funerals; kindness shown after a death; feels like home; when an experience is shared by everyone; worship changes; singing the Lord s Prayer; Baptisms when the kids watch; kids Christmas program; when pastor involves us with humor; can t think of one; can t think of just one they re all good. recommended questions to consider: 1. What can you learn from these many responses involving retreat experiences? The ability to get away, to focus, and to share with others provides profound worship for many members. Is there something that can be offered on a regular basis to allow more people these profound experiences? 2. Emotionally charged moments are experienced as profound here. Indeed they are deeply touching moments. Do you think they are moments when we feel vulnerable? People even see Pastor Casey s willingness to be honest and vulnerable as a profound moment here. What do you make of this? 3. In responses to this question there were stories about times of death and of connections with people despite or because of challenges. Although people avoid conflicts or disagreements or tough conversations, this question shows that profound meaning, even worship, is experienced when folks go deeper. What can we learn from this? 7. Tell a memory that gives you anxiety about the future of this congregation. Tell a memory that gives you hope. 24 interviews, 74 remarks No anxiety 1 Anxiety sources (35) Chris leaving 5 No youth pastor/program 5 Youth drawing away 3 No warning to congregation about big changes 3 Length of time before finding new pastor 2 Attendance drop 2 Members angry with each other and stewing about it 2 Personnel changes 2!7

mentioned once each (11): synod change; early meetings with interim; people distanced themselves during strife; money; 80 s choir dissention; kids behavior discussed at council causing unwelcome that persists; serving on council and making decisions in my place of sanctuary; sex scandals put you on guard when working with youth; Lutheranism roots traded for comfort; Pastor Casey s health; we struggle about surviving instead of thriving Hope sources (35) Pastor Casey brings hope and improved attitudes 7 Pastor Casey relating well to kids and adults alike 3 Chris returning 3 People returning after conflicts 3 Pastor Casey and Chris handled things 2 Pastor Casey strengthens our faith 2 Positive attitude prevails even through tough times 2 Children s messages 2 mentioned once each (11): growth in numbers; older congregation rooted in Christ; stability; 20+ kids in Sunday School; community engagement; got through a long time without a pastor; new members leading in choir and Sunday School; youth activities; a young member came back to share his talents; complaints addressed with clear reasons; unanimous vote to engage Church Innovations I hope that... (3) this Church Innovations project will succeed 2 congregation will be pulling together 1 recommended questions to consider: 1. Your anxieties seem to come from loss of both personnel and youth ministry and your lack of awareness of why it all happened. This makes sense. What can you learn about how these losses were handled for episodes in your future? What might lower anxiety as a change looms? 2. Your main source of hope is Pastor Casey. Look how prominently he figures. How likely are your hopes to put pressure upon him and his ministry? How might you wisely support his work so that the pressure is shared across your fellowship? What leadership resources does the congregation have? What risks does Redeemer face if leadership is not shared more broadly? 3. Are your community demographics such that there are a great number of young people and young families nearby who are likely to join Redeemer? That would be a wonderful thing to know. The purpose of having more young people in your programs is to pass on the faith to them. They need to be nurtured in a loving community like Redeemer. But that work will not ensure the vibrant future of Redeemer, since we have known for decades that most young people move to other places. What, then, do you think, given your town and your church, will you place your hope upon for a future?!8

4. There is not a lot of God language in the responses to any of these eight questions. God is hardly ever the subject of an action verb, nor are God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit mentioned more than a few times. Now, we must tell you that this absence of God-language is quite common in mainline Protestant churches. But in this particular question, about memories on which you might build your hopes, why do you think God didn t come up? 8. If you were to leave this congregation for five years, without any contact, what would you expect to see when you returned? What would you hope to see? 100 remarks 24 interviews, Expect to see (48) SAMENESS (25) Same people coming 6 Same outreach that welcomes 5 Pastor Casey still here 4 Still rooted in Gospel/proclaiming it 3 Same warm welcoming feeling 2 To be lovingly welcomed back 2 Same building 2 Great house of worship as comfortable as home 1 MORE (18) Growth 6 3 or more services 2 Youth pastor 1 More staff 1 Stronger Christian Education 1 Dedicated to teaching kids 1 Sunday School doubled 1 More people empowered to do ministry 1 Stronger youth group 1 Pastor living in town 1 Different pastor 1 Living out our faith 1 LESS (5) Half of congregation moved on 1 Another church in our building if things don t change 1 People will have forgotten me 1 I don t think you could come back - 1 Hope to see (52) SAMENESS (12) Continued outreach 4 Pastor Casey still here 3 same faces 2 same warmth 1 same house of God 1 loving, caring family you want to spend time with 1 MORE (40) Growth 10 Members growing in faith 6 (smitten with God s love; living out our faith; more personal witnessing; active adult fellowship; our focus on our calling instead of our building; community experiencing our love) Young new members 4 Great kids program led/supported by parents - 4 Vibrant youth and Sunday School program 4 Young people with the commitment level of older folks 1 Don t let the ship go down 1 Adapt to millennials without compromising belief 1 Strong youth minister 1 New pastor 1 Services on weekdays and weekends 1 Redeemer becomes pillar of community 1 Better in touch with what the town needs 1 Strong music with organists 1 Church running like well-oiled machine 1 Stronger, not necessarily bigger 1 Many who left will return 1!9

recommended questions to consider 1. Expectations and hopes are not wildly different from one another. We see you mostly expecting and wanting either what you have now or what you had some years ago. Is that true? Better but not bigger, same people, good programs these are all ways of staying the same. As change continues to happen around you, how might your wish to remain the same bump up against those changes? 2. How do you build relationships with people in Plymouth? You have good outreach to folks in your community. What do you know about these people and what they want and need? How might you connect with these neighbors to inform your outreach and energize your own members? How might you move from an excellent service mentality to being the living Body of Christ in your town?!10