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Equipping Lay People for Service is definitely a good thing. Unfortunately it doesn’t always happen… Here are available resources.
The Church of the Lutheran Confession Material for Lay Ministry
The Church of the Lutheran Confession (CLC) website provides some good resources for Lay Ministry on .
The following is Sunday School material created by the CLC. It is great for homeschooling. It might even interest your congregation.
I like what the CLC website says about it.
“Please feel free to use the material here to help in instructing your children. There is no charge, as this important message was given freely to us by our Savior. So we pass it on to you.”
[su_spoiler title=”God’s Hand in Our Lives for Sunday School” icon=”arrow”]
This could be an awesome resource for homeschooling!
http://godshand.clclutheran.org/godshand.htm[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title=”They also offer freely offer their VBS material.” icon=”arrow”]
clctvbs.org/tvbs/?page_id=327[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title=”They even offer free Bible Information Class material.” icon=”arrow”]
http://www.clclutheran.org/lfm/index.html[/su_spoiler]
There are other neat resources on the CLC website including great Bible maps and teaching resources. It is worth checking out.”
As you know, the WELS is not in fellowship with the CLC. This is why the “Joint Statement of Fellowship” was presented to the Convention.
You may find the CLC’s perspective on the WELS fellowship issue interesting.
[su_spoiler title=”Still a Difference” icon=”arrow”]Click here to read online
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[su_spoiler title=”It should be noted that the Synod BORAM included this note in it’s printed copy of the joint statement. ” icon=”arrow”]
Those who adhere to false teaching in spite of admonition are regularly refereed to as “persistent errorists” in the ELS and WELS, while in the CLC they are referred to simply as “errorists.”
This document uses the phrase “those who adhere to error” because it communicates the truth adequately and is has been used in the same manner in all three synods.”[/su_spoiler]
It seems to me that the words persist and adhere are part of the problem. It adds an element of human subjectivity to the equation. The CLC believes this makes it a doctrinal issue.
I ran across some WELS related resources in my journey. Note that not all of these are directly connected to the WELS, but they have connections to the WELS.
THE CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Their website says “This is a joint effort of Grace In Action, Kingdom Workers, The Lutheran Home Association, Time of Grace and Truth in Love Ministry together with the Antioch Foundation will have specific value for each attendee.”
You can read a review of this at Intrepid Lutherans
[su_spoiler title=”About the 2017 Christian Leadership Experience” icon=”arrow”]
The 2017 Christian Leadership Experience is a gathering of Christ focused service organizations to exchange ideas on a variety of leadership topics.
The event will provide tangible, real world leadership tools which attendees could implement in their congregations, organizations and communities immediately.
http://www.christlead.com/[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title=”The review gives examples of Worship Leaders” icon=”arrow”]
- Example 1 – Rev. Jon Buchholz is District President of the CA-AZ district of the WELS.
- Example 2 – Rev. Charles Degner is District President of the MN district of the WELS.
- Example 3 – Pastor Don Moldstad is Chaplain, Director of Campus Spiritual Life at Bethany Lutheran College (ELS).
The reviews says “As evidenced by representation from the high levels of leadership in WELS and ELS, this event implies the full backing of these synods’ leadership.”[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title=”A look at the speakers might explain some of the reservations.” icon=”arrow”]
http://www.christlead.com/speakers.php[/su_spoiler]
It is always interesting to see who sponsors an organization.
[su_spoiler title=”Sponsors” icon=”arrow”]
http://www.christlead.com/Confirmed-Sponsors.php[/su_spoiler]
CATALYST CONSTRUCTION is one sponsor. Now take a look at who they partnership with. I think there is a lot of Lay Ministry going on here.
[su_spoiler title=”Partners of CATALYST CONSTRUCTION ” icon=”arrow”]
https://www.catalystbuilds.com/partners[/su_spoiler]
The Antioch Foundation
I got the name of this organization from the information about the 2017 Christian Leadership Experience. I found myself a bit concerned when I first visited their site.
[su_spoiler title=”Then I read” icon=”arrow”]
According to the wishes of the founders, faith-related grants will only be given to the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) and other church bodies in fellowship with it (Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Lutheran Church of Africa, etc.).”[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title=”What we do” icon=”arrow”]
https://www.antiochfoundation.org/what-we-do[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title=”They go on to say” icon=”arrow”]
“Special note to organizations associated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod: While The Antioch Foundation supports a number of organizations and programs associated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), it does not make grants to organizations or programs that also receive operating budget subsidies directly from WELS corporate.
If you are seeking a faith-based grant and receive an operating budget subsidy from WELS, you may qualify for a grant under Antioch II. Click here for the Antioch II grant application instructions. If you do not receive any operating budget subsidy from WELS, you may the standard grant application link found on the How to Apply page. “[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title=”It sort of sounds like Thrivent.” icon=”arrow”]This is their Mission Statement: The Antioch Foundation exists to benefit the areas of faith, education, medicine, and humanitarian need.
The foundation gets its name from the ancient city of Antioch, located in Syria on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It was here, in the earliest center of Gentile Christianity, that the followers of Jesus were first called “Christians” and where St. Paul began his missionary journeys.
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.[/su_spoiler]
WELS.net Resources
I have to be honest and tell you I found it difficult to find information on WELS.net. Below are links to pages which I felt might apply.
[su_spoiler title=”About Adult Discipleship” icon=”arrow”]
https://wels.net/serving-you/christian-life/adult-discipleship/
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[su_spoiler title=”Online Study of Luther’s Small Catechism” icon=”arrow”]
https://cad.welsrc.net/download-cad/interactive-faith-luthers-small-catechism/[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title=”WELS Resource Center” icon=”arrow”]
https://cad.welsrc.net/[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title=”Serving You” icon=”arrow”]
https://wels.net/serving-you/[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title=”Christian Life” icon=”arrow”]
https://wels.net/serving-you/christian-life/[/su_spoiler]
[su_spoiler title=”The WELS does offer an online tool for discovering you Spiritual Gifts.” icon=”arrow”] https://wels.net/wp-content/uploads/sgt/sgdt-1.html[/su_spoiler]
In all honesty, I don’t think it comes close to the one offered at
Discovering God’s Vision for Your Life: You and Your Spiritual Gifts.
Their motto is “Mobilizing Ministers Instead of Finding Volunteers.”
[su_spoiler title=”God’s Vision for Your Life: You and Your Spiritual Gifts” icon=”arrow”]
https://www.stephenministries.org/courses/default.cfm/751[/su_spoiler]
I encourage you to “Be a Berean” in any and all material you use. That includes material put out by Synod. After all, you are the checks and balances of Synod.
[su_spoiler title=”The Bereans Search the Scriptures” icon=”arrow”]Acts 17:10-122
As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea. On arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 The people here were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, since they welcomed the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.[/su_spoiler]
This concludes the opening documents of the three ring binder I got at Convention. Next week I will get going on the information handed out at Convention concerning specific ministries.
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