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Oh brother! I’ve hardly started and I’m already off on a side trip. Somehow, no matter what I’m looking at, it always turns into how the topic can be applied to Lay Ministry. Join me in my side trip.
On page 20 of the September issue of Forward in Christ (FIC) there is an article about the “International Lutheran Convention” and an acronym caught my attention. CELC: it is the acronym for Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference.
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The CELC is a world wide body of churches with whom the WELS is in fellowship. You might remember me talking about the CELC in the past. I found another essay on their website concerning Spiritual Gifts.
We have been waiting with anticipation for the new, revised 95 Thesis for the 21st Century. CELC has the 95 Thesis for the 21st Century posted on their site.
Speaking of Luther, have you ever wondered what his original Small Catechism said? Pay attention to the simple language he used.[/su_spoiler]
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The Forward in Christ article states “The convention welcomed these church bodies into the CELC: East Asia Lutheran Church, the Lutheran Church of Ethiopia, and Southeast Asian Lutheran Evangelical Mission (Hong Kong).”
It dawned on me we had done the same thing at WELS Synod Convention, but had we?
We formally accepted the East Asian Lutheran Synod into fellowship. East Asia Lutheran Synod is listed on CELC’s website. At convention was joined in fellowship with the South Asian Lutheran Evangelical Mission (Hong Kong) (SALEM).
What about the South Asian Lutheran Evangelical Mission (Hong Kong) (SALEM)? I wanted to figure out if this was FIC typo, or were we indeed in fellowship with the Southeast Asian Lutheran Evangelical Mission because they are a member of CELC.
The journey took me to some interesting places. I found SALEM’s website and discovered it is part of the Hong Kong Lutheran Association which is a member of World Association of Lutheran Church. Does this mean the WELS is in fellowship with these other synods?[/su_spoiler]
Asia Lutheran Seminary
Asia Lutheran Seminary (ALS) on WELS.net
Watch this introduction on Youtube
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The strong base God has provided in Hong Kong allows Life Net and Asia Lutheran Seminary (ALS) to share the gospel and train new believers to serve in gospel-centered churches. ALS professors serve more than 100 students on a regular basis. ALS professors teach 14 full-time students in East Asia through its satellite seminary.
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Five missionaries train new believers and support lay missionaries whose 600 students meet weekly around God’s Word in Bible classes. Over 70 students receive higher-level training through Christian Studies Institute classes, and 200 students study online weekly.
Six churches have been started by local leadership and three other groups meet together and are preparing to be organized.[/su_spoiler]
One of the exciting things I find about the Asia Lutheran Seminary is their focus on Lay Ministry. Watch this 3 partYoutube lecture on “Do We Really Need More Churches?” It tells how Apostle Paul’s ministry was to plant churches and equip the Lay People for acts of service. He equipped the laity for ministry!
This is a different spin on the study of Acts than I have ever had. Is this a model which should be followed in the US? We are going to look at WELS laity educational opportunities.
The Diploma of Christian Studies
The Diploma of Christian Studies (D.C.S.) program is designed to increase the student’s biblical, theological and practical ministry knowledge in a systematic way. Such a study will prepare a student for lay leadership in a Christian congregation.
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It will also help the student and ALS determine if a student has the requisite gifts for more full-time service in the church. After graduating with the 48 credits of the D.C.S., students may apply to enter one or more of the ALS degree programs which requires earning an additional 40 credits for the A.A.Th., 80 credits for the B.Th., or 140 credits for the M.Div. degree.[/su_spoiler]
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- – A secondary school diploma is required for admittance into the program.
- – Students must be able to follow classes in English or Cantonese.
- – No previous coursework in theology is required. Students who have had formal coursework in theology from a recognized institution of higher learning (Bible institute, Bible college, university, or seminary) may be able to have some credits transferred into the D.C.S. program at the discretion of the Academic Dean.
- – A recommendation from the student’s pastor is required.
- – Students normally will be members of a local congregation, and all who attend classes must demonstrate respect for the Lutheran character of the school. Students are to maintain good Christian character while enrolled. Online Application[/su_spoiler]
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One of the things I like about digging into other websites is discovering what free educational material is available to the Laity. Check this out Study of the Bible.
I think this Map Document is really neat. It is resources like this that can benefit our Lay Ministers (You) and the Pastors of our Synod. The Asia Lutheran Seminary also makes use of the Fourth Century website.[/su_spoiler]
Bible Background: Geography, History, and Daily Life of Bible Times
The book which they build their lessons on is “Bible Background: Geography, History, and Daily Life of Bible Times.” I could only find this book in Kindle format, not printed.
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Readers of the Bible are constantly brought into contact with the people, places, and cultures of the ancient Middle East. Making sense of geographical and cultural references can deepen the student’s understanding and appreciation of the divine plan which unfolds in the pages of Scripture.
In the first five chapters, the reader will learn how to draw a map of ancient Israel with twenty-six geographical features on it. In the following chapters that map will be used as a backdrop for the study of the nine important periods of Bible history.
Other chapters focus on the culture (clothing, foods, occupations, etc.) of ancient Israel, and on the neighboring kingdoms that influenced its history. Written with non-native speakers of English in mind, Bible Background will bring the world of the Bible alive to Bible students and teachers alike.[/su_spoiler]
WELS Board for World Missions
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- serves 74,834 baptized members in Lutheran churches;
- serves 60,000 more souls through correspondence and workshops;
- is training more than 170 men to become pastors in their own countries;
- is assisting national pastors to train hundreds of people to be Sunday school teachers, liturgists, evangelists, and leaders in congregations in their home countries;
- is exploring outreach possibilities in 5 additional countries;
- supports 41 missionaries, 9 teachers, and more than 60 lay workers in our missions; and is reaching more than 194,000 via Internet outreach.[/su_spoiler]
Note that the BWM is “is assisting national pastors to train hundreds of people to be Sunday school teachers, liturgists, evangelists, and leaders in congregations in their home countries.” How does this apply to us, the Lay Person? Is this something we can do in the US?
What is Synod doing Educating Lay People who live in the US?
Here is the Offical WELS Directions for establishing a Lay Ministry.
Educational opportunities for the Lay Person are also offered at MLC. You can read the handbook detailing the programs. In all honesty, I found the WELS programs a nightmare to navigate. I had great difficulty in finding the information I was looking for. It is even harder to explain.
I also need to share a new resource I discovered. The World Seminary Digital Library. I think it is still in the developemental stage, but wanted to list it here so I don’t forget it.
Courses of Study
WELS Staff Ministry Certification
Prepares people to be a Worship coordinator . . . Sunday school director . . . church administrator . . . youth leader
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When a congregation or para-church organization has a need for a specific type of ministry that doesn’t include preaching, it may decide to fill that need by calling a staff minister.
At Martin Luther College, the WELS College of Ministry, we can prepare you for staff ministry in one of the 1200+ churches of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. We will give you the basic theological training and the practical skills you need to develop and use the unique ministry gifts God has given you.
Specifically, we’ll train you to serve in youth work, evangelism, family ministry, visitation, administration, and Christian education.[/su_spoiler]
I would be disqualified from this program. I don’t have a bachelor’s degree! You know what? I’m already doing some of this stuff…
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- Those who already hold a bachelor degree
- Older and second career students
- Called parish staff ministers
- Called non-parish staff ministers
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WELS Evangelism Certificate
WELS Evangelism Certificate
I was totally unaware that this program exists! I think it is worth looking into. It would be of aid to you, the Lay Minister, as you carry out your personal ministry. It is also a great way for your congregation to educate its leaders.
This certificate program is intended to be used by lay and/or called workers in congregations to gain the understanding and skills to lead, create, and participate in congregational evangelism efforts.
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The goals of the Evangelism Certificate program are to develop congregational evangelism leaders who understand the scriptural foundation for a congregation’s evangelism ministry, can evaluate and plan congregational evangelism efforts, are equipped to give an answer for the hope they have in Christ (1 Peter 3:15), and seize opportunities for personal evangelism in all aspects of their lives.
Participants in the program will complete three online one-credit courses to earn an Evangelism Certificate. These three one-credit courses were developed with the goal of keeping costs low and the time commitment reasonable for the participants.[/su_spoiler]
Congregational Assistant Program
Congregational Assistant Program
A curriculum to prepare men and women for service in their local congregations.
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A Congregational Assistant is a called worker who works within his or her own congregation assisting the congregation and its pastor in various areas of service. There are many areas of service to which an assistant can be called.
The work an assistant may do mainly depends on the needs of the congregation and the talents of the worker. Some of the areas of service that assistants have been called to include outreach and evangelism, senior ministry, youth and family ministry, adult spiritual growth, assimilation, visitation ministry, and mentoring and coordinating volunteers.
An assistant call could take the form of a volunteer position, a part-time salaried position, or a full-time salaried position. Because calling bodies may find needs for assistants of either gender, the program is open to men and women alike.
One strength of the program is that students are able to serve while they are studying, and what is learned can immediately be applied in the local setting.[/su_spoiler]
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The mission of the Congregational Assistant Program, under the guidance of Martin Luther College, is to assist pastors and staff ministers in training qualified and confident leaders in their Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) congregations.
CAP provides a range of biblical and practical courses available to all WELS members to help them grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. CAP also encourages and supports WELS members as they discover and develop their God-given talents and abilities to serve others and to glorify God in the church, community, and the world.[/su_spoiler]
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Nine of the twenty assistant courses are taken from the former WELS Curriculum for Congregational Service and Outreach. These courses are useful training for all congregational leaders.Taking these courses may also increase a leader’s desire to serve in the public ministry as an congregational assistant, staff minister or pastor.
If a student begins taking the courses with a desire to become an evangelist, it is strongly encouraged that the practical courses in evangelism also be started from the very beginning so that it can be seen whether the Lord has given the necessary gifts for outreach. The sample charts give scenarios for completing the program in three years, four years, and five years.[/su_spoiler]
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The majority of the courses are taught by the student’s local pastor or called worker, and they are often scheduled as part of the congregation’s offerings for adult spiritual growth; this minimizes the additional work of the called worker and expands the variety of opportunities for nurture within the congregation.
Where there are interested individuals and congregations in geographic proximity, pastors are able to take turns and share the teaching load of the courses. Some of the courses can also be taught by an outside instructor as weekend seminar.
The final component of the program, the only element that is not offered locally, is a 10-day CAPstone Session split between New Ulm, Minnesota and Milwaukee and Mequon, Wisconsin. Students typically participate in CAPstone after completing the other program requirements over a three or four year period.
The assistant courses do not earn credit toward any other form of synod certification except the Pastoral Studies Institute of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary.[/su_spoiler]
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The only cost for the courses is the cost of the books and materials. The cost for one complete set of materials is under $100.00. The materials may be purchased from the program administrative assistant.
For the two-week CAPstone Session there is a minimal fee for the courses taught, a fee for room and board, and whatever the student’s transportation costs might be.
Hosting a one-day seminar requires a $300.00 fee from the host congregation and $10.00 from each participant. Congregations may work together and co-host a seminar and share the $300.00 fee.[/su_spoiler]
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Since the assistant position is a form of local ministry, each local congregation and pastor will approve candidates for the program. Materials are made available through the program administrative assistant. The program is under the supervision of Martin Luther College.[/su_spoiler]
I hope you don’t forget about the other Ministry Opportunities mentioned in an earlier post.
I’m not trying to bash Synod or MLC, but I had a really tough time trying to make sense out of their programs. I appreciate having access to the free courseware offered online to our pastors, but wish the educational courses available for Lay Ministry were easier to find. Maybe this ease of finding the information is what makes 3rd party resources so appeling.
Once again, I’m not bashing Synod. They have a LOT of information to share. I don’t envy their job. But is a real challenge to find information. The only reason I found some of this information is because I am so bull headed when looking for something.
The Journey Continues
Now that I have taken an honest stab at figuring out WELS education opportunities let me share some third party resources.
You have heard me talk about The Jesus Film Project. Check out the course they offer on Evangelism. I think it could make a neat Sunday Morning Bible Class. I think it is better than some of the popular “18 minute” Bible study series’s lessons. I like there outlook on Lay Ministry.
World Lutheran Deaf Outreach
This week I had a man from Liberia “like” one of my posts. His “like” is what took me to the following information. I tell you folks, the journey continues to be more important than the destination. Thank you Mr. Arku for sending me on this journey.
Just a bit of trivia: Mr. Arky graduated from Evergreen Lutheran Highschool which is located in my home state of Washington.
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The heart language of the Deaf community in the United States is American Sign Language (ASL). ASL is the language of worship for Deaf people.
The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod has had indigenous deaf churches that communicate the Gospel in ASL since 1894. In 1994 it was estimated that approximately ninety percent of Deaf people in the United States did not attend church.This was, in part, due to the limited number of indigenous deaf churches. In 2009 the estimate has risen to ninety-eight percent.
In 1994 we had we had sixty-one indigenous deaf churches in the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, and a number of interpreted ministries. The number of full-time pastors serving indigenous deaf churches has decreased since 1994.
While the number of full-time pastors serving Deaf churches has decreased, the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod has seen an increase in the number of Deaf pastors, deacons, deaconesses, and lay leaders who use ASL to communicate the Gospel message.
This has happened because of programs like Deaf Pah and the Deaf Institute of Theology. We praise God that He continues to use His people to share the love of Jesus with Deaf and hard of hearing people.[/su_spoiler]
This is another example of 3rd party resources you can make use of. In the past I have created my own large print hymns for use in assisted living facilities.
The World Lutheran Deaf Outreach program has some hymns from “The Lutheran Hymnal” available for free. All I need to do is print them out. I still need to get the music from another site. The nice thing is they give the hymnal and hymn number from which the hymn was taken!
They have an interesting history.
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They offer things like the Liturgy from The Lutheran Hymnal. Page 5., Page 15, a “How to Understand the Bible” course and other courses. Have you ever wondered about Everyday Life in Bible Times? This is a good course for those of us who can hear.
I can’t vouch for the Biblical accuracy of the signed lessons. Maybe some of you can.
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Are you interested in starting a ministry for the deaf? Here is a plan.
Please note: I’m not belittling Synod’s Special Ministries programs. This is just another source. This specific ministry is what these people are dedicated to. This is the ministry all their resource go into. As a result, they can produce more resources for use by us.
I know this post covered a lot of information and is full of links. Personally, I don’t like posts which just contain links. There was just so much information to share…
Not everybody will read or make use of what I have share. My biggest desire is that I have made you aware of the fact that resources are available to you. Resources which can be used in Your Personal Lay Ministry.
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