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8/12/2019 2014 - Lutherans Engage the World - May-June
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May June 2014, Vol. 2, Issue 5
LutheransENGAGE the WORLD
8/12/2019 2014 - Lutherans Engage the World - May-June
2/24
42 Strengthened Faith, Fervent Love 4 Bringing Christ & Care to Inner-City Baltimore
7 Putting Up Walls toBreak Down Barriers19 Missing Mayberry
888-THE LCMS (843-5267)
www.lcms.org
May June 2014 vol. 2, no. 5
inspire
LutheransENGAGE the WORLD
Engaging the Church in the work of witness and mercy across the globe in our life together.
LUTHERANS ENGAGE THE WORLDis published bi-monthly by The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod.
2014 The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod. Reproduction for parish use does not require permission.Such reproductions,
however, should credit LUTHERANS ENGAGE THE WORLDas a source. Print editions are sent to LCMS donors, rostered workers and
missionaries. An online version is available (lcms.org/lutheransengage). To receive the print edition, we invite you to make a financial
gift for LCMS global witness and mercy work. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are property of the LCMS.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001
by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
19
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involve
engageinform
S T A F F
Mark D. Hofman executive director, mission advancement
David L. Strand executive director, communications
Pamela J. Nielsen executive editor
Erica Schwan manager, design services
Melanie Ave staff writer
Megan K. Mertz staff writer
Erik M. Lunsford staff photojournalist/editor
Carolyn A. Niehoff designer
Chrissy A. Thomas designer
3 10 Questions
12 Mercy Moment Philippines Update
14 Reviving Ministryon Americas
College Campuses
16 A Beacon for theCommunity
10 Philippine Disaster Recovery
E D I T O R I A L O F F I C E
314-996-1215
1333 S. Kirkwood Road
St. Louis, MO 63122-7295
www.lcms.org/lutheransengage
REVITALIZE verb,to restore vitality, liveliness
I MADE HE MORNING NEWS the literal collapse
of a Lutheran church building in a blighted north St. Louis
neighborhood. My first thought was, So sad! Another
abandoned Lutheran church, another neighborhood wher
the gifts of God are no longer received at a Lutheran altar.In cities, in small towns
and along country roads,
empty and dilapidated church
buildings dot the landscape.
Reasons vary as to why, of
course, but in every case, these
churches lost their vitality and
eventually closed their doors.
Tis issue of Lutherans
Engage the Worldis about REvitalizingour congregations
It celebrates the places where the Gospel is being
proclaimed in the midst of challenges large and small, in
places where many might have simply given up.
Te LCMS Office of National Mission is focused on
revitalizing congregations and even replanting them whe
they have breathed their last.
In partnership with districts, congregations, Lutheran
Housing Support and LCMS Recognized Service
Organizations, the people of God are working together
to proclaim the Word of life in dark alleys, a longside
cornfields, in challenged neighborhoods and on secular
university campuses across the country.
So, what about that crumbling church in north St. LouisTats a good news story of revitalization! Te congregation
is actively involved in improving the neighborhood, having
helped remodel nearly 250 homes. For safetys sake, worshi
services and church operations were moved long ago into
the congregations school building next door. Te Gospel o
Jesus Christ continues to be proclaimed there each week!
You can read about revitalization of another kind
in an infographic and photo essay on the continuing
disaster-relief efforts in the Philippines (Pages 10-13).
God is blessing your gif ts for LCMS disaster efforts and
to the Global Mission Fund, making church revitalization
possible at home and abroad. Tank you!In Christ,
Pamela J. Nielsen
Associate Executive Director,
LCMS Communications
Cover image:Acolytes light
altar candles before worship
at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Mobile, Ala.
PHOTO: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD
16
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hristians live outside themselves: they live in Christ
by faith and in their neighbor by love.Tat was one of Martin Luthers most brilliant ahas! It runs
right along with his observation that the nature of sin is to be
curved in on yourself.
Consequently, the effect of Christs Gospel in His appointed
Means of Grace seizing hold of you is that it begins unbending
you. It begins lifting up your eyes to behold with joy the certain
promises of God in Christ. o know them as true for you. o begin
to be filled with the hope that flows from them. And at the same
time, it opens your eyes to see
and meet the needs of
your neighbor with a
fiery love, a divinecompassion.
Strengthened Faith,
Fervent Love ... Luther encapsulated this aha in the words of the post-
communion prayer in our Divine Service. We give thanks to You,
almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift,
and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us
through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one
another .
Every time you gather with your fellow saints at the altar, your
Jesus comes to you in His body and blood to strengthen your faith
by His promises and to set your heart on fire with divine love. Which
is just another way of saying: He comes to give you a share in His
own divine life, for He IS perfect trust in the Father and perfect love
for the neighbor.
Because His life is given us as our own, the Church of Christ
remains an enigma in this world. Its a colony from the future, an
outpost of the age that will triumph when our Lord appears in glory.
When love will have vanquished all hatred. And thanksgiving will
have replaced all grumbling. Its true that we only experience that
in a fragmentary way due to the sin that clings to us right up to the
grave. Despite our weak grasp of the new life, the Holy Spirit still
causes the bright light of the coming age to shine through Gods
people. It is like a door to a room filled with light, opening to spill
out into the darkness outside, inviting those lost and alone in the
darkness to come in with us to the feast of joy that has no end.
Te LCMS Office of National Mission exists to serve our rural,
inner-city and suburban congregations, schools, pastors, youth and
youth workers, teachers and deaconesses in holding open the door
of the Kingdom, letting the light of the age to come spill out of each
unbent life, through strengthened faith and fiery, fervent love so
that congregations are revitalized and new outposts of the future
are planted and flourish.
In His name,
Rev. Bart Day
Executive Director,
LCMS Office of National Mission
We give thanks to You, almighty God,that You have rereshed us through this salutary gif,and we implore You that o Your mercy You wouldstrengthen us through the same in aith toward You and
in fervent love toward one another .
C
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with the Rev. James Sharp
nform
The Rev. James Sharp
10
Questionsby Melanie Ave
3MayJune 2014 lcms.org/LUTHERANSengagelcms.org/givenow/globalmission
T R. J S is in thetrenches of daily ministry asone of about 6,000 pastorscurrently serving an LCMS
congregation. Leading a dual parish inMaryland Christ Lutheran Church in
Dundalk and Nazareth Lutheran Churchin Baltimore Sharp shepherds twocongregations, in two locations with twoschedules, and with two very different typesof members and needs. He is a busy man. Healso is a man committed to teaching andconfessing the faith with a lot of helpfrom God and a lot of energy from themassive amounts of black coffee heconsumes daily.
1. Whats it like leading adual parish?Its a lot like having two kids. I wantto love them both and treat them fairly.
It doesnt mean treating them the same,
necessarily.
2. Describe Sunday mornings.We have church at 9 at Nazareth. By the time Im done with church, I have
15 to 20 minutes to hobnob and head over to the other church, where we
have church at 11. I spend a lot of time driving back and forth between
two churches. I grew up in a larger congregation with two or three services.
Pastors were always running around. Its not too different from that.
3.How has being a pastor changed you?
Its forced me not to think about myself so much. Being a pastor in the cities
where I serve I have a much more clear desire to serve others than to
serve myself. Being a pastor for almost 10 years now has helped me be less
selfish and more loving and caring for other people.
4. Where does your energy come from?I drink an awful lot of coffee. I have a pretty good relationship
with the local roaster.
5. What do you enjoy in your time off?I have two boys and two girls. I try to spend
time with my family. Thats where I get a lot
of energy and joy for the ministry . Every
pastor, first and foremost, is a priest and
minister to his family. I take that very seriously.
6. Do you ever say no?No. (Laughs.) Ive been working on that. It
hard to say no to a congregation, church
members, to my family. There are things
that Ive decided not to say no to. When
my kids were little I said I would neversay no if they asked me to read a book or
to sit on my lap . Ive learned you dont
always have to give people what they ask fo
Sometimes you can offer something better an
give them what they need.
7. What do you want your congregations tobe like in 10 years?
Im hoping well work more closely together and with other congregation
in the area. Weve been looking at ways to extend the partnership.
8. What is your view on church revitalization?It doesnt mean we have to reorganize the church from top to bottom. Itdoesnt mean change everything. It means we can add something new,
and when the new ministry takes off, then the Lord blesses the new
ministry. It will change your congregation and change you in ways you
cant anticipate.
9. Any church revital ization tips you want to share?I definitely encourage congregations to look at multi-parish ministries.
My congregations were forced into it by decline. Both had full-time
pastors in the past but neither could continue to afford it. Churches
could work together before that point and share an outreach pastor. I
encourage congregations and pastors to cooperate and work together
more than we have in the past.
10. What is one thing you would like people who live andwork near your congregations to know about what goes on insideThese are places that really love people. Whatever they might have
heard about church or know about Christianity, if they walk into one
of my parishes, they will find people who will love them and love
them unconditionally. Thats something I dont think
people expect.
Melanie Ave is a staff writer and the
social media coordinator for LCMS
Communications.
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BringingChrist & CaretoInner-CityBaltimore
He pokes his head up the stairwell and calls the residents down,
partly in search of the cushions. Several men in their 20s and 30s
emerge. Clean of heroin or cocaine, one dons a tie for visitors.
A new man with a weathered face and a dirtied camouflage hat
arrives with the others. Clean from drug abuse for a week, he says he
needs a place to sleep. Wildner rattles off a list of rules, and the two
men hug. Te man will sleep with a roof over his head tonight.Earlier in the day, Wildner sits at the table of a small caf in
Baltimore and pokes at a crab cake sandwich. He pushes the bread
aside and dunks grilled veggies into ketchup. He recalls the beginning
of his inner-city ministry days.
I thought I would never be an inner-city pastor, Wildner says. He
adjusts his glasses and thinks for a moment. His salary could be double
in the suburbs, and it would be a comfortable life with great Lutheran
schools. He knows this.
One day, almost 40 years ago, while serving as a volunteer chaplain,
Wildner read a quote on a leaflet: I go where its most difficult because
thats where the Lord needs me most.
Someone made a copy of the leaflet for Wildner. He went where theLord needed him most.
St. Tomas is one of several Lutheran churches working to bring
Word and Sacrament ministry to residents of inner-city Baltimore. East
of St. Tomas sits Martini Lutheran Church, guided by the Rev. Elliott
Robertson. West of St. Tomas is the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer,
led by the Rev. Roy Axel Coats. When plotted on a map, the churches
form an almost-perfect westward line one of the migratory patterns
from the city to the suburbs. While many have looked outward, the
pastors of St. Tomas, Martini and Redeemer look inward.
Coats, a scholarly man with a caramel-orange beard, wears a beret
and walks quickly, as if theres always a pressing need at the end of
R. C W, pastor of St. Tomas LutheranChurch, opens the door to the drug recovery house he runs
next to the church in the inner city of Baltimore. Nearby,
trash blows across the street while prostitutes huddle on the
corner. As he walks inside, Wildner sighs and shakes his head:
Someone has stolen the couch cushions again.
T
by Erik M. Lunsford
Far left: St. Tho
Lutheran Church
seen on the Ba
skyline. Left: A
hangs above a c
void of cushions
the Concordia Hrecovery center
Right: The Rev.
Wildner, pastor
St. Thomas, hug
John McLeroy, f
camera , a resid
the Concordia H
recovery center
Bottom right: The Rev. Charles Wildner prays with
Faye Blasy, a homebound church member. Far right:
The Rev. Roy Axel Coats, center, leads a group in
prayer during a youth confirmation study session at
Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Baltimore. With
him, from left, are Princess Greah, 17, Samantha
Nah, 16, and the Rev. Steven Schave, director of
LCMS Urban & Inner-City Mission.
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Its something I wasnt expecting to
instantly have people to go and visit and
officially bring into the congregation,
with kids to be baptized theres a great,you know, excitement and energy to the
congregation. Te Lord, through him,
provided me an understanding of how to
reach out and visit with Jesus Christ the
people in my neighborhood.
Robertson, the cheerful, red-cheeked
pastor of Martini Lutheran Church, has
a soothing yet authoritative voice. On a
rainy Friday morning in March, Robertson
sits at a table in the fellowship hall of
Martini. Across from him is 54-year-old
Dennis Schramm, a man freed from drugaddiction, discussing donations to the
churchs food pantry.
Upon the 2008 death of his beloved
grandmother, Schramms drug addiction
ensnared him. Homelessness followed.
He eventually found work at a local
motel, but he continued to bounce from
shelter to shelter. One day several years
ago, Schramm crossed Robertson on the
street. Robertson invited him to church,
but Schramm felt self-conscious about his
appearance. His clothes were tattered, hishair a mess and his shoes full of holes. He
thought others might look down on him.
According to Schramm, Robertson said,
Well, Dennis, its not how you come to
church. Te Lord wants you as you are and
where your hearts at.
Several weeks later, Schramm came to
worship. I felt really welcome a warm
welcome and accepted, Schramm says.
Schramm plans to become a member of
Martini Lutheran Church. He currently
serves the church in a variety of ways.
Te church has restored his trust, which
was eroded by others in the shelters. Myfoundation in life isnt good but I do have
a foundation in the Lord, he says.
After a short breakfast on a rainy Friday
morning, Robertson walks with Betty
Bland-Tomas, an expert in community
redevelopment. She stresses the need for
church engagement and education in
urban renewal. Robertson nods in
agreement as a man drives a forklift down
the street in the mixed-use neighborhood
surrounding Martini.
When people hear the word missionarythey may think of church workers planting
churches and administering the Sacraments
in exotic foreign lands. But the Rev. Steven
Schave, director of LCMS Urban & Inner-
City Mission, wants to append that notion
to include inner-city ministry. Having been
an urban-ministry pastor for years, Schave is
acutely aware of the reality facing the church.
We cant afford to lose any more
ground in our cities, and we thank God for
these men who stand and fight to bring
Christ to those who so desperately need it,Schave says. Te new missionary field, he
says, is not only international missions but
missions in tattered neighborhoods in the
backyards of American cities.
Back at the caf, Wildner describes his
daily life as a pastor of an inner-city church.
On any given day, he may cook, cut the hair
of a member preparing for a job interview,
prepare music for worship, pick up men
recently released from jail and give them
bus fare home from his own wallet, or take
a call in the middle of the night from a
member on the precipice of a drug relapse.
Later that evening, just as they do eachevening, Wildner and his wife, Judy, invite
residents of the recovery house and other
church members to their nearby home for
dinner. Before dinner, some guests assist
in meal preparation while others gather in
the parlor. Here, at the warmly decorated
row house on a rough street in Baltimore,
fine china is meticulously set on period
furniture, prayer is said and a collection of
pastors including Wildner, Robertson
and Coats church members and recovery
house residents dine together. Conversationflows from aspirations to sports predictions.
Te split pea soup is a hit.
Coats, Robertson and Wildner form a
ring of ministry that serves neighborhoods
left behind by suburban sprawl and
development. Anchored by the altar, the
ministry is multicultural, focused on urban
renewal and giving care to the marginalized.
As Coats says, Its hard work, persistent
work, patient work and long suffering
you suffer with people, you keep visiting.
Teyre working through a lot of differentproblems. You hope they find their peace of
the Lord being part of the church.
Erik M. Lunsford is the staff photojournalist
and an editor for LCMS Communications.
Learn more:
Photo album:photo.lcms.org/
NationalMinistries/BringingChristandCare/.
LCMS Urban & Inner-City Mission:
www.lcms.org/citymission.
Far left: From
Jonathan OC
Daniel Broum
Robb Carr, Jo
McLeroy, the
Steven Scha
and the Rev.
Robertson co
before dinne
The Rev. ChaWildner, cent
end of table)
a prayer duri
fellowship di
his home.
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to Break DownPuttin Up Wall
BarriersSometimes He uses churches to do this work of revitalization.
Such is the case in Fort Wayne, Ind., where homes are being
rehabilitated through a partnership between LCMS National
Housing Support Corp., or Lutheran Housing Support (LHS), and
of the
Creed, Martin Luther acknowledges that God not only
creates His people, but He also sustains them.Iby Jeni Miller
three local LCMS parishes Redeemer, Emmanuel and Zion
located in downtown Fort Wayne.
Te project focuses on providing critical home repairs
to families in need. Te congregations send volunteers and
resources into the community to perform the needed repairs
for as many as 10 families in surrounding neighborhoods.
Te goal is to halt the deterioration of neighborhoods, build
connections between residents and service agencies and share
the Gospel through acts of mercy.
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Revitalization is part of the Churchs work of diakonia, works
of mercy, said James Kienker, director of advancement for LHS.
We believe that we are individuals of body and soul and you
cant care for the soul without caring for the body as well. Tese
revitalization and community development efforts are a piece ofthat, just like disaster relief and soup kitchens.
The Seeds that Started It AllLCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison began the process of
neighborhood revitalization near Zion Lutheran Church in Fort
Wayne in the late 1990s as a parish pastor. Tat work was the
precursor to todays joint revitalization efforts between Zion and a
neighboring congregation, St. Peters Catholic Church.
Te St. Peter/Zion Project has been going for many years, 15
or so, said the Rev. Douglas Punke, senior pastor of Zion. In that
time, the neighborhood has been transformed into a place where
families can own their own homes and raise children, where one
does not have to be afraid to walk around the neighborhood.
Meanwhile, a few miles away at Emmanuel, church members
called on the LCMS as they hoped to reach out to their communiin a big way. Te Planting Gospel Seeds initiative, headed by
the Rev. Dr. Carlos Hernandez, helps congregations enable their
neighbors to break the cycles of poverty and struggle.
In June of 2008, Emmanuel began efforts in neighborhood
transformation with an initiative called Planting Gospel Seeds
in which Emmanuel members were trained and sent out into the
neighborhood with the simple goals of establishing connections
with our neighbors and getting their feedback on the key issues i
the community, recalled the Rev. Tomas Eggold, senior pastor
at Emmanuel. Tis was an important catalyst for breaking down
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barriers that kept us from working in our neighborhood.
Similarly, the Rev. David Petersen, pastor at Redeemer, and
his congregation sought advice from the Gospel Seeds initiative.
Hernandez visited in September 2012 to help them plan andtake action.
Its been very good for us to canvass the neighborhood again
and have an excuse to do that, explained Petersen. We went out
and said, Were from the church down the block and just want to
know what youd like to see in the neighborhood. Most of their
responses were human-care type stuff. Some ideas were well
beyond what we or anyone could do, like offer free day care or a
cure for Alzheimers. But what we consistently heard was that they
wanted ways to help improve the property values and make the
neighborhood safer, as houses were falling into disrepair.
Coming TogetherWith the three churches on board, LHS was called in to walkthrough options and connect the churches with other agencies
to enhance the process. LHS typically works by supporting the
community development efforts of local LCMS congregations,
districts, Recognized Service Organizations and their partners by
providing access to funding, customized consulting services and
training resources.
By working with Fort Wayne code enforcement, the churches
were able to identify at-risk homes in their areas that were in
violation of the citys building codes or had potential health or
safety-related issues.
According to Cindy Joyner, deputy director of Neighborhood
Code Enforcement for the city of Fort Wayne, the effort will make a
difference in these neighborhoods.
Lutherans have always done so much for the community in my
experience in Fort Wayne, so it wasnt a far-out plan when [LHS]
contacted me because of all the great things theyve done already,
Joyner said. Tere are lots of property owners right now, more so
than before, and a lot of people have come in to hard times and
may not have money to do work on their homes. When a group like
this comes in to do work to bring that [home] into compliance, its a
win for everyone the neighborhood, the homeowner.
Due to the scope of the project, the churches need volunteers
skilled in home repair. Most of the rehab work on the homes will
be carried out by Lutheran Church Extension Fund Laborers For
Christ (LFC), a group of retired, volunteer builders. Te Laborers
will work with the assistance of volunteers provided by the LCMS
churches and the community. A local construction manager will
oversee the entire project. Since the Laborers come to Fort Wayne
from all over the country, the Fort Wayne parks and recreation
department has agreed to partner with LHS and provide the Laborers
with a place to park their RVs during the duration of the project.
[Te Fort Wayne project] is an awesome opportunity for the
LCMS parishes to reach out and engage and connect with their
Three LCMS congregations in Fort
Wayne, Ind., are rehabilitating homes
in partnership with Lutheran Housing
Support.
surrounding neighborhoods, said Marcy Scholl, specialist for
Laborers For Christ. Tis initiative offers hands-on assistance to
improve their homes. It is walking alongside the people and offering
hope, just like Jesus did.Te project includes another benefit to the families who will
be served: financial management training from Lutheran Social
Services of Indiana. Tey will learn ways to save money and support
future home repair needs, ultimately becoming self-sustaining.
Nows the TimeIn these neighborhoods, especially recently, the communities
are declining significantly because of the economic downturn,
said Nicole Ridley, CEO of LHS. Tis is an opportunity for the
congregations to lend a hand and assist. Teres so much potential
there for them to be the catalyst for revitalization.
Joyner agrees that the moment is now, and the LCMS is well-positioned to help.
A lot of social agencies dont have the financial wherewithal
anymore to sustain this kind of work, Joyner explained. Something
as in-depth as this program with [LHS], you dont see this anymore.
Tese churches stepped up and this is what the community needs.
Why Revitalize?In this work, were not just addressing a community need; were
building relationships, said Petersen of Redeemer. It gives us
something in common, and were less scary to them. It humanizes
us, roots us here in the neighborhood. Tis project helps to establish
us in the minds of those in the neighborhood as a stable, reliable
place. If our neighbors find themselves in spiritual crisis or have a
need, they wont be afraid to reach out to us.
Tis partnership also gives us an opportunity to get to know
them, pray with them, share Christ with them, said Punke of Zion.
God places congregations in particular places with a particular
context and with particular needs. Not every congregation may
need to do work with housing, but surely there is some way that
every congregation can make an impact in [its] community.
Tis work is, Petersen said, the very definition of mercy: to
help people in need. Tere is real value in helping people.
LHS, together with the churches involved in this project, have
asked for prayers and support from those in the LCMS as the rehab
phase of the project begins on June 1. o engage with them in this
work, visit www.nationalhousingsupport.orgor call James Kienker
at 800-248-1930, Ext. 2823, for more information.
Deaconess Jeni Miller is a freelance writer and a member of Lutheran
Church of the Ascension in Atlanta.
Learn more: www.lcms.org/gospelseeds .
Contact: the Rev. Dr. Carlos Hernandez, director of LCMS Church and
Community Engagement, at 314-956-2005 or [email protected]
Explore other options for revitalization offered by the LCMS Office of
National Mission: www.lcms.org/revitalizing.
Te goal is to halt the deterioration of neighborhoods,build connections between residents and service agenciesand share the Gospel through acts of mercy.
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MERCY|MOMENT PHILIPPINES UPDATE
NOVEMBER 8, 2013:yphoon Haiyan barrels across the
Philippines, killing more than 6,000
people, displacing more than 4 million and
damaging or destroying more than
1 million homes. Te storm also damages
an estimated 33 million coconut trees,
taking away the livelihood of many coconut
farmers, a significant loss in a country
that is the worlds second-largest coconut
producer.
NOVEMBER 2013:
An LCMS team journeys to the Philippines
Nov. 15-22 to provide immediate relief and
begin planning for long-term recovery. Te
team is invited by the Rev. James Cerdeola,
president of the Lutheran Church in the
Philippines (LCP), an LCMS partner
church body.
Te LCMS OKs initial disaster grants of
$250,000 to help the LCPs relief efforts. Te
LCMS makes an additional $100,000 grant
to Lutheran World Relief in Baltimore for
immediate aid in the Philippines.
Seeing the damage firsthand enables
the disaster team to develop a Disaster
Action Plan that will include immediate,
intermediate and long-term assistance
aimed at relief, recovery and restoration.
Over the course of four days, a joint LCP-
LCMS team worships and meets together,
using the badly damaged Christ Lutheran
Church as a base of operations. Te churchs
pastor, the Rev. Xavier James Palattao, stresse
that nearly every resident of his community
affected by the typhoon.
Carrying backpacks filled with energy
bars, bottled water and other supplies, the
LCMS group treks by foot and vehicle in the
hot and humid tropical weather to visit with
Lutherans in Mahayag and acloban City,
located in the center of the storms fury.
In a nearby town, where St. James
Lutheran Church suffered significant damag
nform
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congregation and community members
gather to welcome the team, eager to tell
their typhoon stories.
Te principals of three public schools
attended by children of two Lutheran
congregations say the Lutheran team was
the first to visit and check on the schools,
and they indicate that school supplies and
health kits for school children are needed.
Te team purchases a chainsaw
so church members can turn downed
coconut trees into lumber to be sold or
used for repairs to homes.
March 2014:
A team from the LCMS travels to the
Philippines for three days to document
recovery efforts.
eam members interview storm victims,
spend time in the community and survey
the results of the LCMS recovery effort.
Months after the typhoon killed thousands
and displaced millions, they see the island
of Leyte springing back to life. Tey see
patches of green and hear the sound of
hammers, chainsaws and other tools.
More than 50 homes of Lutheran
families and others connected to the church
have been rebuilt, restored, new roofs
constructed or new walls installed. A new
roof, well, dormitory and parsonage will
soon appear at Christ Lutheran Church in
Mahayag. Before the LCMS group returned
to the United States, team members led a
spiritual-care retreat for the families of LCP
pastors and lay workers who responded to
the disaster.
You can see how there is hope in
peoples eyes, says the Rev. Ross Johnson,
director of LCMS Disaster Response.
Tere is joy that is being restored.
So far, the LCMS commitment to
the yphoon Haiyan recovery effort
stands at $1 million. Te LCMS, Johnson
says, is walking with the LCP during its
long-term recovery.
PHOTO: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/AL DOWBNIA
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nform
ccording to the Pew
Research Center, the
number of nones, Americans
who do not identify with any re-
ligion, is on the rise, especially
among young people.
Despite this, the Rev. Marcus
Zill, coordinator of LCMS
Campus Ministry, said the
future is bright for Lutheran
outreach to university students.
It is vital to not only support
campus ministry where it is al-
ready taking place, but the chal-
lenge is to help congregations
care for their own students who
are away at college, he said. It is
also important to reach out to
those who are in their midst at a
neighboring school.
In January 2013, LCMS
Campus Ministry rolled out
LCMS U, an initiative to expand
and support ministry on
Americas college campuses.
Currently, there are 175
LCMS U chapters around
the country, one of which is
University Lutheran Chapel
(ULC) in Boulder, Colo.
Of Students for StudentsTe Rev. Daniel Burhop was
called to ULC in Boulder,
Colo., in 2007 because of the
dedication of the LCMS Rocky
Mountain District, four vicars
and several Lutheran graduate
students at the University of
Colorado.
Teir efforts resulted in a
mission society originally
comprised of three area
churches committed to
supporting ULC and its full-
time pastor.
Since its founding, the mis-
sion society has grown, adding
an eighth congregation last year.
Te churches provide finan-
cial support. But their backing
of ULC doesnt end there. Tey
also send members to cook
meals and mentor students.
Te students, in return, give
back to the churches through
service.
Unlike many other campus
ministries, ULC is not a town-
and-
gown
congrega-
tion, where
a congregation
reaches out to
students of a nearby
college or university.
It is a congregation of
students for students.
Te students serve on the
church council and determine
outreach opportunities.
In September 2013, when
heavy flooding severely dam-
aged ULCs roof and building,
the student leaders took owner-
ship of the renovation.
Our students are trying to
figure out how to make this
building better for the next 20
years, Burhop said.
When I joined ULC, it was
the first time that the church
I went to was mine, wrote
Kyle Lampe, a 2009 graduate
of the University of Colorado,
in ULCs newsletter. What I
mean is that it was no longer my
parents church or just a church
I went to on Sundays. If there
were decisions to be made,
communion to be ushered,
paraments to be changed,
windows to be replaced or
REVIVINCOLLEG
on A
by Megan K. Mertz
The Rev. Daniel Burhop, left, and
graduate student Thomas Currey
hand out coffee outside of University
Lutheran Chapel in Boulder, Colo.
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lcms.org/givenow/globalmission
flowers
to be
planted,
we did it.
Tomas
Currey, a graduate
student in the
universitys law school,
is grateful for the mission
societys involvement.
Although our congregation
is primarily comprised of stu-
dents, it is also truly a blessing
to see how conventional area
congregations care enough to
actually engage us in fellow-
ship, Currey said. It is nice to
know we are not alone in our
desire to spread the Good News
of Jesus Christ.
Tanks to the support of the
district and area congregations,
ULC is a place where students are
equipped to move into leader-
ship positions at other congrega-
tions after they graduate.
It Takes a SynodAmericas college campuses
can be difficult places for
Lutheran students. And the
Synods campus ministries
face great challenges, financial
and otherwise.
But Zill said campus
ministries also have amazing
opportunities to support and
shape young people during a
time of great personal growth.
As ULC demonstrates, when
congregations, districts and ded-
icated people work together, they
can make a difference in the lives
of college students whether
those students are Lutheran or
non-Lutheran, from down the
street or around the world.
In addition to helping revital-
ize current campus ministries,
Zill sees a great opportunity for
the LCMS to be a trailblazer in
two new fertile mission fields:
urban college communities and
community colleges.
During the next few years,
hed like to see the number of
LCMS U chapters expand from 1
to 300.
We not only need to maintai
and build upon our traditional
town-and-gown campus
ministries, but we also need to
help everyone parents, pastor
congregations, students see th
part that they all play in campus
ministry, Zill said.
Te opportunity for mission
is breathtaking, he said, and th
Church needs to have a place at
the table of ideas in the academi
square.
Megan K. Mertz is a staff writer f
LCMS Communications.
Learn more or find a campus
ministry near you:
www.lcms.org/lcmsu
www.lcms.org/lcmsu/findcamp
MINISTRYCAMPUSES
ricas
During spring break, students from University Lutheran Chapel helped
with flood-recovery efforts in Estes Park, Colo.
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ABeacon
for the
Community
To the Streets
But Marshall and other concerned church
and community members were determined.
Tey coordinated a neighborhood watch
program and worked with the police to
drive out the dealers selling drugs on thestreet corners.
We started standing on the corners. We
thought, we have just as much right to stand
on the corners as the drug dealers. Tey
would go to another, and we would move
too, Marshall recalled. It was a dangerous
ministry, but we had the Lord on our side.
Eventually, the drug dealers left, and
community leaders turned their attention
to cleaning up urban blight, rebuilding the
neighborhood and caring for residents.
In the 1980s, rinity started a hot lunchprogram for senior citizens. Te program
regularly drew some 85 seniors before it
was moved from the church to a newly built
community center.
In 1997, rinity member Leevones
Fisher founded the Bay Area Womens
Coalition, a nonprofit committed to
improving housing and educational
opportunities in rinity Gardens. Since
its establishment, the coalition has
organized the planting of 4,000 trees and
hen the Rev. Ulmer Marshall came to rinity Evangelical LutheranChurch in Mobile, Ala., in 1973, no one expected him to stay long.
Te neighborhood, rinity Gardens, was in a downward spiral. Tere were
problems with drugs and crime. Many of the streets werent even paved.
rinity Gardens was like a dirty word, Marshall said.
by Megan K. Mertz
nform
helped rescue more than 60 houses from
dilapidation and foreclosure.
If the owner of a run-down building
cant be identified, the organization works
with the city to tear it down so a new house
can be built. Church members have pitchedin to build 12 houses in the area for low-
income families.
Before, it was a disaster with houses
collapsing in, people still living in them,
Fisher said. We still have people who
need help but the good part about it is
the people act like they have some sense of
hope now.
Te congregation continues to seek new
ways to serve the community.
One summer several years ago, rin-
ity received a grant to pay approximately25 young men to mow grass and do other
tasks to clean up the community. Marshalls
only requirement was that the youth attend
Sunday school at rinity every week.
We had one of our young men teach
them about starting a business, Marshall
said, and we got to tell them about the love
of God.
For the past 17 years, rinity has held the
Summer Enrichment Program for commu-
nity children. Grant money from the state
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enables rinity to hire teachers and provide
meals to students during the free summerschool. Last year, 186 children attended.
In February 2014, the church held a
job-training seminar to help Mobiles
young people get jobs with new companies
moving into the area. Te event included
information about how to dress for job
interviews and fill out applications.
Even though rinity did not advertise the
event, more than 200 people showed up.
A church is in a community to serve that
community, Marshall said. Its our job.
A Legacy of Education
Over the years, Marshall has fought to keeprinitys day school open, despite times of
struggle during its 62-year history.
As a historically black Lutheran school
in Alabama, rinity Evangelical Lutheran
School has special significance for Black
Ministry in the Synod.
In 1877, just 30 years after the Synod was
formed, the LCMS officially began outreach
to the countrys black population when the
first missionary was sent among them to
Top: The Rev. Ulmer Marshall preaches at Trinity
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mobile, Ala. Left:
Trinity member Leevones Fisher has been instrum
in revitalizing the surrounding neighborhoods. Sh
pictured in the revitalized neighborhood of Richar
Heights. Right: Students hug teacher Jonathan C
near the end of class at Trinity Evangelical Luthe
School. Opposite: Preschooler LaTerry Kennedy p
during school at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Scho
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proclaim the Gospel. Tat missionary, the
Rev. J.F. Doeshcher, established the first
black Lutheran church and school in Little
Rock, Ark.
Almost 40 years later, in 1916, the Synod
partnered with Dr. Rosa Young, an advocate of
education for African-Americans in the South,
to help start 37 schools in the Black Belt. Un-
der her initiative, Concordia College Alabama,
Selma, Ala., was founded in 1922. It continuesto hold the distinction of being the nations
only historically black Lutheran college.
oday, the LCMS works with 258
congregations in Black Ministry that serve
blacks and African immigrants in a variety of
ways, including through education, mercy
projects, and Word and Sacrament ministry.
Marshall says rinitys school the only
one of the 37 schools started under Youngs
initiative that remains in operation has
been one of its greatest outreaches, noting
that thousands of people have come throughits doors. It currently has about 130 students
in preschool through seventh grade.
Tis year, Marshall and other leaders will
officially change the name of the school to
the Rosa Young Academy to celebrate its
historical significance.
Te school also has a public library
branch on its campus.
When rinity expanded its school
facilities in 2005, leaders saw the opportunity
to partner with the public library to add a
branch for the rinity Gardens community.In exchange for providing the space, Mobile
Public Library provides computers and staff.
Tis unique partnership brings people
to the church property every day and gives
our children access to a public library right
here on our campus, Marshall said.
In the future, the Rev. Roosevelt Gray
Jr., director of LCMS Black Ministry, hopes
to use rinitys historic school as a model
LCMS BLACK MINISTRY
for starting new schools and revitalizing
existing ones that can, in turn, renew black
churches and communities.
Word and Sacrament ministries willcome out of these educational opportuni-
ties, Gray said.
The Life of the Church
Keeping people engaged is a priority for
Marshall, who shepherds Bethel Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Point Clear, Ala., in
addition to rinitys 350 members.
rinity offers opportunities for every
age group. Te youth and mens groups go
into the community to clean up yards, paint
houses and build wheelchair ramps. Eachyear, rinity hosts at least two church groups
that come to volunteer in the community.
In addition, rinity has the largest
Lutheran Womens Missionary League in
the LCMS Southern District. One of the two
groups is specifically for younger women.
Te church celebrates its life in Christ
during worship each week. Tere are four
different choirs, including a Gospel choir,
The Rev. Ulmer Marshall greets Valarie Floyd-
Bridges after worship at Trinity Evangelical
Lutheran Church.
and several different dance groups that
praise God through movement.
During his 40 years of service, Marshall
has served the Synod locally, regionally and
nationally. He has the distinction of being
the first black member of the Synods Board
of Directors and the LCMS Commission on
Worship. He also has served as second vice-
president of the LCMS Southern District
and as chairman of the Black Clergy Caucus,among other roles.
o recognize Marshalls many years of
service, Concordia Teological Seminary,
Fort Wayne, Ind., awarded him an honorary
Doctor of Divinity degree in May.
Of Marshall, Gray said: He has been a
steady foundation of spiritual stability, hope
and optimism in serving rinity and the
LCMS through some of the most challenging
times of change in our church, country and
his community. His pastoral leadership and
longevity have been a model for how pastoralministry and visionary leadership can
positively affect the mission and ministry of
a local congregation serving its community
with the Gospel of Christ.
Although rinitys previous pastors
came and went, Marshall has dedicated the
last 40 years to building up the church and
community. Now, he said, hes proud to say
hes part of the rinity Gardens community,
despite its rough past.
Getting involved in the community
and seeing the great needs and seeing theprogress weve made over the years, thats
one of the things thats kept me here, he
said. Our church has been a beacon for this
community.
Learn more about LCMS Black Ministry:
www.lcms.org/blackministry
blogs.lcms.org/2014/commentary-black-
history-month
Going forward, the ministry plans to focus on:
Informing, educating and motivating LCMS members and
districts to plant new congregations;
Providing leadership and training opportunities through
conferences and workshops;
Revitalizing less-engaged and declining congregations to refocus
on Christs mission;
Supporting and strengthening school ministries and assisting in
the accreditation process; and
Maintaining a scholarship fund for urban children in need.
In November 2013, the Rev.
Roosevelt Gray Jr. took the helm
of LCMS Black Ministry as its
director. Gray says that his priority
is to revitalize congregations
in black ministry as 21st-century
mission and ministry outposts for
their communities by providing
training resources in strategic
planning, community outreach and
collaborative partnership.
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It aint Mayberry anymore!exclaims the Rev. Luke Brown, pastor ofSt. Johns Lutheran Church in Aliceville, Kan. Hes speaking of peoples perception of rural
and small-town America, that iconic place immortalized in Norman Rockwell paintings
where everyone knows the difference between a Holstein and a Hereford, where retired
men meet downtown for weak coffee and donuts each morning, and where lemonade
stands are perched on every corner.
But the perception isnt necessarily the reality. Rural and small-town areas are
changing, he admits, and there is significant poverty, ethnic group changes, stresses on
families, crime, deteriorating infrastructure and housing, limited access to health care and
mass transportation and other challenges.
Missing
Mayberryby Adriane Heins
St. Pauls Lutheran Church along
Main Street in Concordia, Mo.
The Rev. J. Patrick Niles, associate pastor at
St. Pauls Lutheran Church, outside of Concordia, Mo.
nspi
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Brown would know. Te pastor of an
extremely remote parish in Kansas, he
shepherds a congregation in a community
where the population sign reads 25.
But the challenges of rural life are
more than just ones of travel, weather and
agriculture.
Te church has its share too.
Te Rev. J. Patrick Niles, associate pastor
of St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Concordia,
Mo., explains, In a larger city or a suburban
context, it is easy to assume that there isa constant mission field in which you can
do ministry . You lose this perception in
many small towns.
So often we measure the success of a
church and the ability or competence of a
pastor by church attendance, Brown adds.
In a rural and small-town environment, that
can be discouraging. In these areas, funerals
may outnumber Baptisms 2-to-1 and the
Sunday school may have a small handful of
kids no matter what the pastor does.
Tats why Brown and his congregationhave both been helped by and are actively
involved in LCMS Rural & Small own
Mission (RSM), a ministry of the LCMS
Office of National Mission, which is the
Synods effort to support congregations in
rural and small-town settings in the work to
which God has called them.
And on the flip side, Brown and his
congregation are exactly the reason RSM
is focusing on the triennial theme of Strong
Faith, Fervent Love, a purposeful emphasis
on the gifts Christ has given in His Word
and Sacrament, and the way in which
those gifts embolden Christians to bear
witness to Him no matter where they live.
Just as Important
As rural and small-town congregationsrediscover how the Lord is at work
through them to serve their neighbor, new
questions arise.
Tats when RSM comes alongside.
While there is no one picture of
what a healthy, revitalized rural or
small-town church looks like, they will
share a very distinct and important set of
characteristics, explains the Rev. odd
Kollbaum, director of RSM. Tese
congregations will primarily be outwardly
focused. Tey will not be so concernedwith how they can protect themselves
but will consistently be striving to engage
those around them with the Good News of
the Gospel.
Understanding this is a game changer
for many small-town churches. We can
be sure of Gods activity in our midst for
the exact same reasons we can be assured
of His activity anywhere else, Niles says.
Do His people gather together around His
Word and Sacrament? Are sins forgiven?
Are people being taught to daily die to sin
and through baptismal grace rise to new life
in Christ? Yes!
Jesus spent time in rural areas, Brown
agrees. Our mission is just as important
as what happens in the biggest church in
the Synod.For members of St. Johns that mission
the desire to serve both their fellow
members and the community around
them flows from what happens in the
Divine Service on Sunday morning.
A healthy, revitalized congregation is a
congregation rejoicing in who the Lord has
called them to be, explains the Rev. Bart
Day, executive director of the LCMS Office
of National Mission. Tey wont measure
themselves against others. Revitalization is
about daily dying and rising in Christ.Healthy congregations will be faithful,
receiving Gods gifts, showing love and
mercy to those in their community, sharing
the Gospel with those who are still in
darkness, Day says. Tey will be the body o
Christ in the building and out of the building
Teir daily vocation will be shaped by
the cross.
Understanding the value and worth of
a congregation in this way sets a refreshed
tone for work in rural areas.
Teir daily vocation will be shaped bythe cross. Rev. Bart Day, executive director of the LCMS Office of National Mission
Congregants listen
during a Lenten
service at Lutheran
Good Shepherd Home
in Concordia, Mo.
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Many new pastors are placed in rural
and small-town churches and may see them
as stepping stones to the big time and to
glory, Brown says. Tat may happen,
but my hope is that they just relax,
enjoy where they are, love and serve
the people in their church and their
community, respect and honor their
traditions and history, celebrate small
victories, and know that God is at work
just as much in a rural and small-town
church as in a big suburban church.
No One-Size-Fits-AllModelEncouraging the revitalization of
congregations in Strong Faith, Fervent
Love in rural and small-town areas
may seem like an insurmountable
endeavor, Kollbaum confesses. But
RSM staff witness just the opposite.
Tis is why we have placed all of our
time and resources in assisting and
equipping congregations through their
respective districts to handle these
challenges.
Its worth it, he explains, so that we
do not lose our presence in what makes
up over half of our Synods congregations
and membership. It would be a travestyto cease to be able to deliver faithful
Word and Sacrament ministry to what
has become a most vulnerable and often
underserved part of our mission field.
St. Johns is proof. Working with
RSM has caused Brown and his
congregation to change how they view
themselves, their congregation and those
around them.
I visited with a pastor who kind of
hung his head and said his church had
increased attendance from 20 to 22
in the previous year, Brown recalls.
Browns response? Wow! Tats a
Above and right: The Rev. Dr. Lee Hagan
of St. Pauls Lutheran Church greets
congregants following a Lenten service at
Lutheran Good Shepherd Home and reads
to students at St. Pauls Lutheran School.
10 percent increase!
Brown also assisted with an Engaging
Your Community event, hosted last spring i
the LCMS Kansas District.
It was an invitation and
encouragement to be more outward
focused rather than inward focused,
he explains.
Focusing on Christs gifts of Word an
Sacrament and the gifts that flow fromthem can and does change how rural
and small-town churches understand th
Lord is at work in them to serve others.
Tis, in turns, helps congregations let
go of preconceived notions of what a
successful congregation must look like
and instead embrace that there is no on
size-fits-all ministry model and rejoice
in the fact that they are the Body of Chr
in that place to do the work He has calle
and equipped them to do, Kollbaum sa
It can be easy to get into ruts, to
grow discouraged or complacent, to
feel isolated and that nobody knows if
youre even alive, admits Brown, who
says that much of the life together of a
rural congregation nobody else will ev
see and probably wont be appreciated
by the world.
But, he says, God sees.Plus, We have the promises of God
that tell us His Word will not return to u
empty, Niles says. And that, it turns out
is even better than the stuff of Mayberry
after all.
Adriane Heins is managing editor of The
Lutheran Witnessand editor of Catechetical
Information.
Learn more: www.lcms.org/rstm.
Above and left: The Rev. Harold Block,
visitation pastor at St. Pauls Lutheran
Church, visits a 103-year-old church
member outside of Concordia, Mo.
http://lcms.org/lutheransengagehttp://www.lcms.org/givenow/globalmissionhttp://www.lcms.org/rstmhttp://www.lcms.org/rstmhttp://www.lcms.org/givenow/globalmissionhttp://lcms.org/lutheransengage8/12/2019 2014 - Lutherans Engage the World - May-June
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Permit No. 12
W E L C O M I N G L U T H E R A N S H O M E
To Gather To Learn To ConfessThe vision of establishing a distinctly Lutheranpresence in the very cradle of the Reformation has
been on my heart and mind for some time. As we
anticipate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in
2017, it is time to renovate and transform the Old Latin
School in Wittenberg, Germany. The Wittenberg
Project will provide the place, the opportunity and the
inspiration for people to gather and learn about the
Gospel Luther preached there. It will give the LCMS
a unique venue, attractive to all of our existing and
emerging partners worldwide, to help us share
the Gospel that Luther rediscovered in the 16th
century the Gospel our world desperately
needs to hear today.
We are almost there. Join me inrealizing a distinctly Lutheran
presence in Wittenberg.
Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison
President The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod
A
B M ,
The ittenberg ProjectC