CORE Voice Newsletter, Issue 2, March 2022 |
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In This Issue
- Bp. Eaton Should Clean Up Her Own House
- How to Get Social Media to Work for Us
- What Is Bp. Dan Selbo Saying about NEXUS?
- Can Small Churches Thrive without a Professional Pastor?
- The "Herr Pastor" Model of Ministry
- New Video Book Review for March
- Early Bird Registration for Pro Ecclesia Conference
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Communications to ELCA Leaders |
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I would like to tell you about two communications which I recently sent to ELCA leaders. The first one I sent to Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton. The second one I sent to a synodical bishop. As usual, I have heard nothing from Bishop Eaton. I am very grateful to the synodical bishop, who I feel has very graciously and respectfully listened to and heard my concerns.
My communication to Bishop Eaton had to do with the slowness of her response to a crisis brewing within the ELCA’s Sierra Pacific Synod (SPS - northern California and northern Nevada). Last December the SPS synod council took action to terminate the call of a Latino mission developer, and they implemented their decision on a day that is very special to the Latino community. Please notice that I am not taking a position regarding the action taken by the SPS synod council. What I am taking a position on is only the slowness of Bishop Eaton’s response – particularly in light of how quickly she will take a position and send out a communication on other matters that are not within her scope of authority, responsibility, and expertise. Here is what I wrote to Bishop Eaton. […]
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The life of a Christian isn’t always an easy one. Wasn’t it Jesus who said, “the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:14)? Not only that, but a cursory reading of the many letters of the New Testament, including Revelation 2 and 3, shows that life in the early Church was “everything” but idyllic. If that was the case 2000 years ago, why should it be any different today?
The challenges we face now, many of which we try to articulate and address at Lutheran CORE, are myriad: Critical Race Theory, soup-de-jour sexual ethics, finding a pitcher large enough to contain “gender fluidity,” the waning of Scriptural authority, substantial clergy shortages, a high degree of apathy among the “nones” in America (to say nothing about spiritual malaise among some of the faithful).
What if something else is amiss? What if we have gone too soft, lost our moxie, can’t find our “get up and go” because it “hurried up and went”? […]
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One Way to Reach Our Youth |
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by Ms. Kim Smith, President of the board of Lutheran CORE and editor of CORE Voice
Have you ever wondered what good it does to “like” something you read on social media?
Lutheran CORE mostly posts information, such as newsletter articles, devotions, and prayers, while others may post about their children or pets. We don’t see everything everyone posts and they don’t see everything CORE posts either. It turns out that each social medium platform (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are examples) uses math to decide who sees what.
So how do we reach people, especially our youth, who don’t already know about us? It turns out that each platform uses social signals (likes, comments and shares) in deciding what is popular and important. The mathematical formula tracks the social signals and the people doing the social signaling. It also tracks the posters’ friends and their interests.
Why? Because the platform tries to decide whether each post is of general interest or just of interest to your little corner of the Internet. It also considers whether people in other places are interested in the topic. Like it or not, you won’t see a post unless the platform’s math formula decides that it is right for you. […]
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The NALC Pastors' Conference: One of the Best |
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It is always a joy when you go to a Pastors’ conference and leave with a sense of energy and enthusiasm for ministry. Over my twenty-eight years of ministry, I have been to my share of such events. They have been a mixed bag. To quote Forrest Gump, they “are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’ll get.” Some are definitely worth your time. Others are mediocre, but since you have the chance to see old friends, you don’t mind. Others leave you positively frustrated. Of all the conferences I have attended, good, bad and indifferent, I must say that the NALC Pastors’ Conference held in Orlando, Florida, from February 15 to 18, was one of the best.
The theme of the conference was: “Always Be Ready: Apologetics in Real Life,” based on 1 Peter 3:15. The keynote address was given by the Rev. Dr. Mark Mattes, with plenary addresses by Rev. Dr. Maurice Lee, Rev. Dr. Dennis DiMauro, and Rev. Dr. Thomas Jacobson. Each speaker addressed the topic of apologetics from a different perspective. […]
While at the NALC Pastors’ Conference, I was also able to attend two break-out sessions. The first was led by Rev. Doctor Russell Lackey of Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. He spoke about the NEXUS Institute, a summer theological institute for high school youth, which is held each summer at Grand View. […]
In the summer of 2022, there are twenty-five spots for young people at NEXUS. Bishop Dan Selbo challenged the pastors at the conference to make sure that there will be fifty attending NEXUS in 2023. I was so impressed that I rushed home and [...]
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The Clergy Availability Crisis: What are the Implications for Your Congregation's Future? |
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Lutheran CORE’s Congregations in Transition ministry (CiT) was launched back in 2019 to assist Lutheran congregations who are contending with the shortage of available pastors to serve their churches. This ministry challenge has only become more severe during the pandemic.
This crisis is so widespread it has now come to the attention of the mainstream secular press. A recent article, in the Wall Street Journal, is entitled, “Houses of Worship Face Clergy Shortage as Many Resign During Pandemic.” This article was just published last month, on February 21, 2022. […]
At this point I want to focus on those of you who attend smaller churches; let’s say churches with 100 or fewer members. I pick this dividing line because Mike Bradley, the Service Coordinator for the LCMC, just revealed that over 500 LCMC churches in the U.S. have 100 or fewer members. (This out of a total of 786 LCMC churches in the United States.) It is my conviction that with the combination of your congregation’s size and the clergy supply crisis, it is time for your lay leaders to consider and plan for a future where you might not be able to find and call a seminary-trained, experienced pastor. […]
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Video Book Reviews - "A Harvest of Lutheran Dogmatics and Ethics"
March 2022
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Lutheran CORE continues to provide monthly video reviews of books of interest and importance. Many thanks to Steve Shipman, NALC pastor and former director of Lutheran CORE, for his review of the book, A Harvest of Lutheran Dogmatics and Ethics: The Life and Work of Twelve Theologians 1960-2020 by Carl Braaten.
As Pastor Shipman points out, Carl Braaten personally knew or knows all of the people whose lifework is described in this book. His concern is that the contributions of this notable group may be forgotten rather than remembered and built upon.
Steve tells us, “The names are a Who’s Who of Lutheranism in my lifetime. [...]
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Don't Miss Out on Early-Bird Pro Ecclesia Registration |
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April 1 is coming, so don't be fooled and miss the end of the early-bird registration rate for our annual Pro Ecclesia Conference.
In case you forgot the details, a group of ecumenical scholars will reflect on the Christian figures from past times who have most greatly influenced them in a positive way and ask the question, "What did these teachers get wrong in the light of what they got right?"
The conference will again be at Loyola University of Maryland in Baltimore, and will begin in the evening of Monday, June 6, 2022, and end before lunchtime on Wednesday, June 8.
You can find full information regarding the speakers and the link to register on our website (click here).
We are often asked about COVID policies for the conference, and we can't answer those questions three months out. We can tell you that the city of Baltimore is loosening their requirements, and Loyola continues to reflect on what will be most responsible for them to do. We will keep you informed as the conference draws closer and more decisions are made. We have no control over these policies.
It looks more hopeful that we might be able to hold our annual banquet, but at this point the university is not able to make a commitment. If we are permitted to have it, all attendees will be invited, and we will ask for an additional voluntary donation for the cost of the meal. All we can say right now is, please bring your checkbook!
Regardless, we encourage you to register now and to share this link with others who might be interested. It helps us to plan if you register early, and therefore we offer you the conference at a lower cost. We will not be mailing a brochure given issues with the postal service and the costs involved. You can register online by credit card, or print out the form and mail us a check. Please contact me if you have any questions.
CCET Executive Director
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Pro Ecclesia Conference - Baltimore, MD - June 6-8, 2022. Click here.
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The NEXUS Institute - Des Moines, IA - June 12-18, 2022. Click here to register.
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2022 NALC Annual Convocation - August 5-6. (Online). Click here.
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ELCA Churchwide Assembly - August 8-13, 2022. Click here.
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LCMC 22nd Annual Gathering & Convention - Lakeville, MN - October 2-5, 2022. Click here.
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If you prefer reading the print version (PDF format), please click the button below. |
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© 2022 Lutheran Coalition for Renewal
PO Box 1741 Wausau, WI 54402-1741
1-888-810-4180
Lutheran CORE's mission:
- A Network for Confessing Lutherans
- A Voice for Biblical Truth
Our purpose can be summed up in two words– Network and Voice. As Network for confessing Lutherans, we support and connect Lutheran individuals and congregations who seek to live in accord with Biblical and confessional teachings and practices. As a Prophetic Voice, we advocate for Biblical authority and confessional fidelity among churches of the Lutheran community.
We communicate Biblical truth through our newsletter, mailings, and various forms of social media.
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