Article: 9 Surefire Ways to Make Your Church Ineffective

Just before Christmas we said goodbye to our beloved Siberian Husky named Trinity. She was our three legged dog whose personality (read: sassy) dominated any room she occupied. She also occupied a large part of our hearts.  Trinity received her name from my morning Bible Study group when I served Trinity Lutheran Church. When they…

Last week (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) I was in Mesa, AZ for our annual synod assembly. Community Lutheran Church is connected to a larger church body known as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Within the ELCA, we are located within a synod (think area or district) in which we are connected to other…

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”  “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  Genesis 4:9  This comes from one of the oldest stories in the Bible. The story of Cain and Abel. If you haven’t read this story, take the time to read it. You can find…

For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach…

What does the face of Jesus look like in the world? It looks like this… Please click on the play button and watch. You will not regret it. https://www.cbsnews.com/video/students-raise-funds-to-make-playground-inclusive-for-those-with-disabilities/ It resembles Jesus whispering into the ears of children to help other children. It looks like the Holy Spirit giving power to an idea that becomes…

Most of you know I am a voting member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s (our church body) churchwide assembly. We gathered in Phoenix, AZ for this important work. The “national church” does its business every three years in an assembly format. In between those three years, the ELCA church council acts on behalf…