In my previous two articles, I talked about the dilemma facing De-churched Lutherans. Some cannot find an orthodox Lutheran parish in their area. Some have been made to feel unwelcome in their former congregation. Others belong to a congregation that cannot find a pastor.
I have suggested that there is help for De-churched Lutherans. There is no reason that a group of Lutherans who have no congregation or who cannot find a pastor should give up. Lutheran lay people can gather together for prayer and Bible study. As I have mentioned before, there are services found within Lutheran hymnals that may be led by lay people. These include the prayer offices of Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and Compline, along with the Service of the Word. (Check the Table of Contents in the Lutheran Book of Worship or the Lutheran Service Book.)
This month, however, I want to discuss resources that are available for you from Lutheran CORE. First of all, there are Daily Devotions available for personal use. Dr. Jeffrey Greene writes Daily Devotions for Lutheran CORE. Dr. Douglas Schoelles hosts a podcast called The Daily Plunge Bible Study.
For adult education, Lutheran CORE has a Video Ministry that includes Book Reviews and series of videos in theological topics called “CORE Convictions”. In addition, Pastor Dennis Nelson, records a Weekly Bible Study on the Lectionary Readings each week.
For those who would like to hold a weekly worship service, Lutheran CORE has a Worship Page. Pastor Cathy Ammlung has developed Hymn Suggestions and Prayers of the Church for each Sunday of the Church Year. In addition, she offers Hymns and Liturgy Paraphrases for congregational use which she will be updating after Easter.
Finally, for congregations that are either too small or who have failed to find a pastor, there is hope. Small congregations and worshipping communities can raise up leaders from within. The Congregational Lay-Led Initiative (CLI) offers training and mentoring for lay leaders. The intent is not to replace pastors or seminary education but equip lay people for ministry in their own congregations and communities. If the lay leaders in your congregation need help, or if you would like to form a small worshipping community, Don Brandt would love to talk with you.
Of course, Lutheran CORE is not the only place you can go for help. Our ministry partners also have many resources that you can use. In particular, I recommend that you look at two independent Lutheran publishers, SOLA Publishing and ALPB Publicity Bureau. SOLA Publishing offers weekly worship resources, Sunday School, Confirmation, and adult education curricula in print and on video, and much more. ALPB publishes books that would be very helpful for adult education worship planning. Of most interest, however, is the four volume series on daily prayer called For All the Saints. A congregation that wanted to gather weekly for Morning or Evening Prayer would have all they need to make that happen, excluding hymns and musical settings for the services.
There is hope for De-churched Lutherans. Let us know how we can help.
Any confirmation curricula suggestions from CORE folks will be appreciated!
Have you taken a look at SOLA Publishing’s Confirmation curriculum?
Thank you so much for these words of hope, and, beyond that, for actual help immediately. Here in Knox County, Ohio, we have but two Lutheran churches remaining, and they are both ELCA. The closest NALC is in Mansfield, 35 minutes away, and in the winter for many, that is a difficult trip. The next closest is about the same distance the other direction for a two-point LCMS church in Newark. After that a very small rural NALC church that has had a need for a pastor for several years and worships about 20 near Mt. Gilead. We could use an NALC mission church to be sure, but understand that these need to be prioritized in terms of good stewardship and selecting areas that are likely to be more successful. How Lutheran CORE has adjusted in the past 15 years as the present circumstances have arrived sooner than many had thought is a blessing. Thank you for all you do for others and for recognizing the need.
Let us know if there is anything we might be able to do to help.
Raised in a Lutheran church, now at the age of 63 (march 12), help the local ELCA Church in Marysville Ohio vote to leave and become a member of the NALC. Even with the success we still had the dogma of the being Lutheran with only going back to the teaching of Luther. He was a man of conflict with the oaths he took and the core believes that he chose to be the core of what a Believer should know. They are good teaching and are found to be among one of the CORE teachings of the Apostles Act 2:42, 1 Cor 5, 1 Peter 2:1-2, and the List of these are Hebrew 6:1-2. Repentance from acts that lead to death, faith in God, Baptisms, Laying on of Hands, Resurrection from the Dead and Eternal Judgment these are the Core Teaching of Christ. This list what laid on my heart in 1982-83 time frame and chose to follow them. Amazing with my Lutheran up bring I saw them within the teaching in the Lutheran teaching but never brought to the forefront. But to my surprise only a couple of Lutheran pastors would acknowledge them but never bring them to the members of the congregation to have that personal relationship with Jesus and have the Holy Spirit teach them. With two Apostles Paul and Peter mention them in their Letters and the writer of Hebrews inspired to give us a list it is my believe that the NALC will be heading in the same path that all new synods throughout the ages have done running back to Luther instead to be taught by the Holy Spirit. We are said to have the mind of Christ 1 Cor 2:16 which to be is to know the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation illuminated by the Holy Spirit Jer 31:33-34; John 6:45. I have co-authored a book titled “Investigative Look into the Milk of the Word of God”. I am more than willing, to e-mail the soft copy to anyone that would like one. Please use the title as the subject line so I know to e-mail the soft copy. E-mail Joel@malachiltd.com. Forty years I have been teaching on them outside and mostly in the prison ministry the Lord and given me. The teaching of Jesus John 8:31-32 is to bring Unity Eph 4:7:16 not more division. My the Lord be with the Leaders of the NALC to bring these teaching to light of the members to come to the real core of the teachings of Jesus.
We could use an NALC start-up in Knox County, though I realize that in considering these things, the Church must prioritize with those areas they think will be most fruitful. Knox County has not traditionally been a hotbed of Lutheranism, with a strong Nazarene presence, as well as an abundance of Methodist, Baptist, other mainline Protestant denominations. It has been suggested in this and other spaces that there are enough disaffected and disconnected Christians from Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Episcopal traditions that do not have a church home that, if they got together in a vacant church could make a substantial congregation, but that does not appear to occur often likely for logistical and organizational issues. I think that the ELCA has clearly pursued a policy of just waiting out their orthodox members until they leave or die, and roll on with their misguided theology. The longer it goes without a viable alternative here, the worse it will get, among other reasons, with the invasion of Intel, land from New Albany to Mount Vernon will come dear. It is already happening.