I have never been a part of any kind of team that achieved something great together without having everyone on the team pulling hard in the same direction.
Some of First Lutheran's staff and volunteer leaders made a trip yesterday to visit Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines. Hope is now the largest ELCA church in America (and growing), and we took some time to dialog with their leaders about their direction and practices of ministry.
I think the meetings were mutually useful conversations with both sides sharing and teaching and learning from each other, but the biggest single take-away lesson for me came from seeing the broad-based (unanimous even?) ownership of their mission. It seemed like everybody at Hope knows and embraces the truth that they are a "great commission, great commandment church." They exist to love their neighbors and reach the lost, and they are not interested in agendas, divisions, priorities, or practices that do not help move them toward obedience to that calling.
I feel both convicted and challenged about the critical importance of this issue for the future of First Lutheran. In order to move forward, we must move forward together. For all of you who are reading this blog and are connected with First Lutheran, let me reiterate my invitation to you to be part of this process. Please be a part of our listening groups later this summer. Please offer your feedback right here on this blog. Please pray and listen for God's leading.
God's call for First Lutheran is a call for all of us, and we'll never get where God is leading if we don't go there together.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment