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Here is my proof that I’ve been busy with other stuff the past couple of weeks after convention. Twelve grandkids, all under the age of ten.
My knee was doing pretty good… until we played hide-and-seek, etc. Somehow I always seemed to be “It.” Once again my body reminded me that I am no longer ten years old.
I attended convention, enjoyed two weeks of company, took one week to recover, and now it is back to Synod Convention information!
Northwestern Preparatory School
The campus is gorgeous. I haven’t been on it since the late 1970s when I visited my brother. It is like a huge park. Rolling lawns and huge shade trees grace the campus. As nice as it is, there isn’t anything I would call extravagant. The campus is very functional, but very nice. It almost made me wish I was back in highschool…. almost.
The Highlight
If I had to name a highlight of the convention I would say it is when other delegates spoke on the convention floor. It was very neat to be part of a body whose parts came from many different walks of life. They came together as the body of Christ. There were many members, but one body. There were disagreements, but that unity never faltered. What an awesome experience!
The Delegates
Men from all walks of life were there and they all brought their unique perspectives. One fellow, age 69, was a self-described hippy who’s passion is driving race cars at the tracks. This lay delegate brought wisdom to the convention floor which I never even thought about.
It was also neat seeing the range of ages. They weren’t all old retirees. There were young men in their 20s who came energized with new ways of approaching ministry. It was wonderful to see the “new” generation picking up the ball and running with it.
A couple of Conversations
Another highlight was having one-on-one conversations with other delegates. So much information to absorb and so little time to do it.
I was involved in some conversations with other delegates which I found of special interest. They sort of go hand in hand.
[su_spoiler title=”Called Worker Shortage” icon=”arrow”]
I think we have all heard about the shortage of Called Workers. This was a topic which received special attention at Convention. We have more Pastors than WELS congregations, and yet we have a shortage?
Some of the large congregations have a very large membership. A lot of duties and responsibilities for a pastor, or several pastors, to handle. What’s the solution?
There was discussion about how to interest more men into going into the work of the church. How could they be enticed? Education expenses and remuneration were two issues discussed and acted upon. However, it was underscored that these were secondary. The most important factor was finding men who want to serve. Men who want to serve, not because of cheap education opportunities or good pay, but because they love their Savior.
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[su_spoiler title=”Is there another solution?” icon=”arrow”]
We have a lot of Lay People in our churches. We have a lot of Lay People who have been equipped with special, unique gifts. In fact, every Christian possesses spiritual gifts. Are these specially gifted people being fully utilized? There are a lot of areas of ministry where they could and should be? The question was asked why aren’t they better utilized?
Some pastors told me that pastors are often afraid to give up control. They are afraid to admit they don’t know everything. They want to make sure things are “done right” and it is often easier to do it themselves that spend the time and effort to equip somebody else. I believe this to be true. Not every pastor, but the mentality does exist. I also believe it is impossible for a pastor to know or be good at everything. That’s where we come in.
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[su_spoiler title=”Pastors can’t do it all” icon=”arrow”]
I was particularly interested in educational opportunities available to the laity . It seemed that if we can educate and empower the laity a lot of duties could be taken off the backs of our Pastors. This would free up pastors to serve more congregations.
I’ve already spoken about some reasons this isn’t happening. One thought which I heard was there has to be a shift in the paradigm of how we think about ministry. Right now it is felt by some that only the pastor can do shut in calls. The shut ins will be disappointed if their pastor doesn’t visit.
This is something the layperson can do. A shift in paradigm would require that people “expect” visits from fellow church members and it doesn’t have to be the pastor who fills their physical and spiritual needs. In fact it can be argued this is a better approach. After all, Pastor is being paid to visit them.
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[su_spoiler title=”Special Ministries” icon=”arrow”]
Special Ministries is something which has always been with us. It is also a ministry which changes over time. It has recieved more attention in recent years.
Special Ministries is simply ministering to those with special needs. Many of your church’s members might benefit from the special ministries services provided by Synod. I think Special Ministries offers the best opportunities for the layperson to serve. Synod supports many special ministries.
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There were many information booths and pamphlets made available at Convention. One of these dealt with:
Citizens of Heaven: Elder Care Ministry
This is a program I had never heard of. I always say “The journey is more important than the destination.” This is something I learned about on my Synod Convention journey.
The brochure says this is “A new way for lay men and women who are members of Michigan WELS/ELS congregations.” I love that word “Lay.” What does this program mean to us? Note: even though it mentions Michigan, the program is available to everybody nationwide.
[su_spoiler title=”Why Michigan?” icon=”arrow”]
Two things jumped out at me. The first is “who are members of Michingan WELS/ELS congregations.” I’m in the MN District. Doesn’t this program apply to me? It turns out there is special financing available for people who are part of the MI District.
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[su_spoiler title=”What is this About?” icon=”arrow”]
The brochure makes references to the the “Geriatric and Care Facility Ministry Course” offered by MLC. It is an online course; so is the registration. I went to the site give: www.mlecm.org. It sure looks like a WELS website.
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[su_spoiler title=”Martin Luther Elder Care Ministries (MLECM)” icon=”arrow”]
The stated mission, as found on it’s website, is: “MLECM exists to serve the spiritual needs of the aging with emphasis on those who are in care facilities or homebound. We will do this by working with congregations in Michigan and Ohio for the purpose of sharing the message of the gospel.”
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Martin Luther Elder Care Ministries (MLECM) was formed by Martin Luther Memorial Home
Martin Luther Elder Care Ministries (MLECM) was formed by Martin Luther Memorial Home to fulfill a singular mission. That mission is to serve the spiritual needs of the aging with emphasis on those who are in care facilities or homebound. We will do this by working with congregations in Michigan for the purpose of sharing the message of the gospel.
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[su_spoiler title=”Two ministries are being developed” icon=”arrow”]
Sharing the Words of Life with those nearing the end of life—that is what MLECM is all about. To do this, two ministries are being developed.
- Pastor Elder Care Ministry—a growing network of both active and retired WELS pastors across Michigan. Each pastor who is part of this program conducts weekly worship services in elder care facilities that are located in the area in which they live.
- Citizens of Heaven Elder Care Ministry—a new program to train lay men and women to assist their pastors in ministering to the aging who live in care facilities or who are homebound. The key component of this program is new online training course developed and offered by Martin Luther College.
This course is also available to pastors, teachers and staff ministers. For more information go to the Citizens of Heaven Elder Care page or click the learn more/register in the box on the right.
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[su_spoiler title=”What is the Martin Luther Memorial Home?” icon=”arrow”]
I noticed the web address mlecm.org is on the brochure handed out at convention. The contacts mail is also mlecm.org. I went out to their web site and this is what I found. One of the service they offer is “Spiritual Support, Caring Ministry (individual spiritual visits by volunteers), One-on-One Pastoral Visitation, Mass & Church Services weekly, Bible Studies.”
Thier site also states “Luther Memorial Home is a Non-Profit Corporation owned and operated by Lutheran Church Congregations .” We are owned by 13 area Lutheran Congregations and are an ELCA affiliated home.
“For the past 60 years Luther Memorial Home has been providing services to and caring for our senior citizens. Luther Memorial Home was incorporated on May 15, 1957 as a non-profit corporation, owned and operated by Lutheran Church congregations and certified by The American Lutheran Church. It is the intention of Luther Memorial Home to maintain an organizational framework which includes members of Christian congregations outside the confines of The American Lutheran Church.
“Luther Memorial Home serves as a tangible expression of God’s love by responding to the needs of the aging, ever mindful of the worth and dignity of the individual. We address ourselves in both traditional and innovative ways to meeting the needs of the aged who are best served in a residential setting without regard to national origin, race, color, creed, sex, or handicap.”
“We seek to minister to the whole person, offering a full range of progressive care, from retirement housing through skilled nursing. We seek furthermore to represent the concerns of all aging to the society of which we are a part. Our Board and Staff dedicate themselves to making Luther Memorial Home a place where our residents will live in comfort in a community that is shaped by Christian concern.”
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The Bottom Line
Citizens of Heaven: Elder Care Ministry seems like a neat resource which is worth pursuing. In all fairness, I need to point out that stephenministries.org has an awesome program along these lines. It has been used by WELS pastors and congregations. The Stephen Ministries program takes a large commitment on the part of the congregation.
I like the Martin Luther Elder Care Ministries. It is a wonderful opportunity for a congregation to “take the plunge” and start equipping its members for service.
It seems to me this information will go to our Board of Elders. They are responsible for the Spiritual Care of our members.
[su_spoiler title=”Links used in this post” icon=”arrow”]
Citizens of Heaven Elder Care Ministry
Pastor Elder Care Facility Ministry
Martin Luther Elder Care Ministries Home Page
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