CONTENTSVolume F;fleen, Num~rThree November 2011 FEATURES 4 Life Together-Gift By Rev. J. Bart Day The Office of National Mission is doing the work of "Home Mission."' The world is at our door. The challenges facing the church in our post-Christian culture can appear overwhelming. In Ihe face of such challenges, the church must stand ready to proclaim the Gospel boldly. Being a faithful Lutheran has never been more critical. 6 Experiencing Life Together in Christ By Rev. Brian D. IRoberts God 's people are uniquely empowered to model life together in Christ. Not only is Ihe church where we abide in community with Christ (Matthew 18:20), but we also abide in communi ty with one another (E phesians 2: 19). And then, we take thai power of life together in Christ into a world around us (Matthew 22:39)-a world parched for meaningful relationships (Isa iah 32:2). 9 Philadelphia Lutheran Ministries: Witness, Mercy and Life Together in the City By Rev. Joshua R. Gale Philadelphia Lutheran Ministries (PLM), the organization that has recently called me as their mission developer, is a Recognized Service Orga nization (RSO) of the LCMS, daring to pursue Witnes.·, Mercy and Life Together in the name of Christ into tbe Philadelphia metropolitan area. The project at my direction, known as the "NOItheast Pbilly Project." seeks to real ize this purpose through reaching out to the homeless in and around the city of Philadelphia. Also in this issue: What Does This Mean? .................p. 13 Called to Serve ... ....................p. 16 In the Field...........................p. 18 Dr. Lawrence Rast Installed as Concordia Theological Seminary's 16th President ... . p. 20 Certificate of Occupancy for Library Expansion Granted ..............p. 22 A Journal on the Summer Trips to Japan, Korea and Haiti .................p. 23 Profiles in Giving ......................p. 28 In the Word ..........................p. 30 3 Is it a truism of American life that many, if not most of us, have lost the concept of being neighborly? Okay, reality check: What are the names of the peorle living two doors down from you? What are the names of the people who live across the street and two doors down? It is, too often, the case that we live our lives with our schedules so jam-packed that we have little time to get to know the people around us. As a result. we are missing out on many meaningful relationships and friendships. We also are missing out on opportunities to care for our fellow human beings, to help each other and to place ourselves in positions of support and encouragement for our neighbor. Yet, God's people are uniquely empowercd to model life together in Christ. Not only is the church where we abide in community with Christ (Matthew l8:20), but we also abide in community with one another (Ephesians 2: 19). And then, we take that power of life together in Christ into a world around LI S (Matthew 22:39)-a world parched for meaningful relationships (Isaiah 32:2). Initially, the Christian Church got a lot of traction from living their life-together in a manner that was a decided shift from cultural expectations. Their community was marked by a radical kind of love for one another with an attitude of free-wheeling seltlessness. The last verse of Acts 2 describes how Christians received the favor of "all the people," because of their genuine love, charity and care for one another. No doubt, like every congregation in our Synod, St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Oviedo, Florida, wre ·tles with how we model a life together in Christ, in a world of misplaced priorities and self-centeredness. St. Luke's, which celebratcs its lOOth anniversary next year, has seen tremendous blessings since its humble beginnings in J912. Slovak settlers from Ohio depended upon God and each other in order to carve out a life in the sand and swamps of Central Florida. As the popUlation swelled in Florida, so did the membership at St. Luke's until we reached our cun'ent size of over 4,000 members. However, this is not merely a factor of population growth, A sense of community and connectedness has been an ongoing and active part of St. Luke's ministry. The early members of St. Luke's demonstrated their strong sense of community by establishing the Lutheran Haven retirement community next door to the church in J 948. The Lutheran Haven was initially created as a retirement village for Lutheran pastors and teachers. It also included an orphanage, which revealed the heart of the founders to care for people at both ends of the age srectrum. In 1949, St. Luke's Lutheran School was launched. Since then, it has expanded both in buildings and enrollment to its current size of over 730 students from preschool through eighth grade. The spiritual formation of children in the academic setting has become a focu~ of ministry at St. Luke's. When children grow physically, they reach milestones along the way. They learn to walk and speak. They celebrate birthdays. They begin sc hool; they graduate from school. The same is true when they grow spiritually I Of course. two very important milestones are Baptism and confirmation. However, there are other milestones that children reach that deserve to be celebrated. These Faith Milestones include leaming to worship, discovering how they serve the Lord and beginning to read the Bible. St. Luke's offers three-week, parentchild classes for any family in the church, which conclude with a special blessing event during worship. November 2011 God's people are uniquely empowered to model life together in Christ. Not only is the church where we abide in community with Christ (Matthew 18:20), but we also abide in community with one another (Ephesians 2:19). And then, we take that power of life together in Christ into a world around us (Matthew 22:39)-a world parched for meaningful relationships (Isaiah 32:2). 7 "Life Together" is a fundamental need for us all. It should be no surprise God designed humanity to live in community (Genesis 2:18). Christians are at their best when they experience, share and celebrate Life Together in Christ. The "Age 4 Milestone" coaches parents and prepares children to be involved in the worship event. The "Kindergarten Milestone" opens the concept of service to the Lord in all that the children do. The "Second Grade Milestone" provides basic instruction in how to use and read the Bible, and culminates with parents presenting their child with their very own Bible during a special worship service. Expanding the concept of recognizing. achieving and celebrating Faith Milestones throughout childhood and even through adulthood is an exciting work-in-progress at St. Luke's. Youth groups beginning at fifth grade seek to provide a sense of belonging and community for children who are pulled in many different directions in our culture these days. While being together is important for youth groups, we have found that sen'ing together takes it to the next level. A common purpose is very effective in uniting the youth. Local servant events, such as stocking food at a food pantry or doing yard work for a family in need, have been very effective in bringing kids closer together. At St. Luke's, members wl10 are experiencing some form of personal or family crisis can expect to recei ve a visit from Loaves and Dishes. Volunteers are dispatched to deliver a meal to members coming out of the hospital, or who are grieving, or have lost a job or are having a hard time. It's a way of saying, "we love you and care about you ," with more than words. For victims of cancer there are Chono Care Caddies, which are bags filled with gifts and useful items for anyone enduring chemotherapy. Every Wednesday is Com.rnunit)' Night at St. Luke's. Families are invited to come and relax and enjoy a meal together. Then following dinner, they are encouraged to partake of a variety of classes which are offcred for children through adults. These classes range from Bible studies to practical issues, such as parenting. We even had a cooking class once. With a desire to "be neighborly," St. Luke's invites our surrounding community to "our house" for a variety of events and activities, such as free concerts and an interactive Christmas pageant. However, in this day and age, we have to be thinking about ministry off of the church property, as well. We have to cross the street and get to know the neighbors two doors down, as it were. One of the ways that St. Luke's is accomplishing this is by partnering with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in a neighboring town. Utilizing the VFW property and hall, we have been able to sponsor fce Cream Socials, Vacation Bible School, Chili Cook-Oft's and other activities that introd uce us to the community and encourage new relationships. The Lutheran Haven retiremcnt community, which is now open to all Lutherans from any vocation of life, is a unique facet of ministry for mcmbers of St. Luke's. We are still learning how to accomplish Senior Ministry overall. Nevertheless, we have learned that the experience of "Life Together" as it pertains to senior ministry is particularly important. So many seniors are experiencing some sort of loss almost daily. Therefore, simply being with others is profoundly important. Whether it is being together, visiting together, enjoying experiences together: the key is "together." "Life Together" is a fundamental need for us all. It should be no surprise God designed humanity to live in community (Genesis 2: IS). Christians are at their best when they experience, share and celebrate Life Together in Christ. ~ Rev. Brian D. Roberts (CTS 1988) fi ves ill Orlando, Florida, with his wife, Ruth, and fOllr children, Becky, Eric, Mal/hew and Elizabeth. He is one of fOllr pastors at St. LlIke's LlItheran Church and serves as the Director of Outreach. Learn more aboUl ministry at St. Luke's by going to stlukes-oviedo.org. For the Life of the World8