Christian Mission by CLB Network

Faith Fellowship Church of the Lutheran Brethren

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November/December 2012

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Vol. 79, No. 6

Christian Mission Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.”

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In This Issue 4 6 8 10 12

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The Kingdom is Coming Matt Richard

FAITH & FELLOWSHIP

What’s Next, Lord?

Volume 79 - Number 6

Jeff Seaver

Waiting

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Editor: Brent Juliot bjuliot@clba.org

Tony Rogness

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REGIONAL PASTORS

A Call to Pray for Missionaries James Erickson Faith Bob Schultz Christmas Coffee-Shop Conversation Cheryl Olsen

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Family Matters Roy Heggland

Faith & Fellowship Magazine Faith Fellowship Church of the Lutheran Brethren

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November/December 2012

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Vol. 79, No. 6

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Faith & Fellowship

Glimpse Christian Mission To say that John the Baptist was important might be an understatement. Jesus himself said, “Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11). John had purpose. He was chosen by God to prepare the world for the Messiah, the Christ, and John was faithful to his call. In a world full of darkness, he was light. In a world rotting with sin, he was salt. John’s entire life, from the way he dressed to the words he spoke, pointed to Jesus, and John’s witness changed the world. LUKE 3:1-6 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene—during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’” Just as John was called to prepare Israel for the arrival of the Christ, we have been called to prepare the world for the Christ’s return. As Christians we know that we are not saved by our actions. We know that we are saved solely by the work of Jesus Christ, but that does not mean that our actions don’t matter. In fact the Bible tells us the opposite is true. The Bible tells us, as Christians, that we are to be the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), to prepare and purify the earth by living out www.ffmagazine.org

our faith in preparation for the day when Jesus Christ comes again. We are people with purpose, people who point others to Jesus Christ, and in so doing, change the world. The life of John the Baptist looked different than the lives of the Pharisees, because John believed in the promise of God. John spoke by faith. He lived by faith. His life was a sermon. He was salt! If we are to be salt, our lives will look different than the lives of those who don’t know Jesus. Our lives will point others to Christ. Some time ago, I was in Subway with my father. A family came in—grandparents, children, and grandchildren, taking the place over, pushing tables, moving chairs. You know the type. After they were seated, the grandfather looked down the row of tables, told his family to fold their hands, and right there in Subway, they began to pray. They gave thanks to God, not only for their food but for each and every blessing in their lives. As they prayed, I looked around the restaurant. People were watching! The actions of that family, although not directed toward the world, reminded the world that there is something bigger. That family was salt! It’s a small thing, but small things that point others to Jesus Christ change the world. Jesus said, “Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). Inviting a neighbor to church—a small

TROY TYSDAL

thing! Calling your son or daughter who has walked away from the faith, and encouraging them to return—a small thing. But small things that point to Jesus change the world. John the Baptist lost his life for Christ. If we are going to live as salt in this world, we too will feel the wrath of the world. We will hear the world cry out, “Hypocrite!”, and we will be guilty, because following Christ, living for Jesus, is hard. We can’t live like Jesus; he is perfect, we are sinners. That’s why we need him, and that’s why those who don’t know him need to hear about him. We will hear the world accuse us of being intolerant, and we will again be guilty, because when we see people living in sin, we know the importance of pointing them toward repentance and salvation. The world might cry out, “Guilty!”, but the voice of Jesus is the only one that counts. He is the judge, and he tells us, those who turn from the world, those who call on his name, we are children of God, washed white as snow, pure and innocent—and those are exactly the words you will hear when he returns in glory. Rev. Troy Tysdal is Church Resource Coordinator for the Church of the Lutheran Brethren and serves as associate pastor at Stavanger Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls, MN.

The Role of John the Baptist in God’s Mission

“The Kingdom is Coming” MATTHEW RICHARD

he British are coming! The British are coming!” For those of you who are not history buffs, these words were attributed to Paul Revere. From my understanding, he most likely did not shout these words as he rode his horse on April 18, 1775 to tell the Colonial militia that British forces were approaching. Regardless of whether or not Paul Revere shouted or quietly spread the valuable military news, he was instrumental in warning the Colonial militia to prepare for the British king’s invading troops. Some 1700 years before Paul Revere 4

lived, another man announced another invasion. Living in the wilderness by the Jordan River, John the Baptist also announced a foreign invasion. John was not broadcasting the coming of a manmade foreign kingdom, but the coming Kingdom of God. By sending Jesus into the world, God was ripping open the heavens. The Kingdom of God was invading the world as Jesus was born in a manger and as Jesus journeyed towards the cross. God was doing a new thing, something that he had not done before, but something that was promised long ago. God was sending his only Son to

live a perfect life and then die on behalf of sinful mankind. How important was John the Baptist? In a radio interview about John the Baptist, Dr. Jeff Gibbs referenced Luke 3:1-6, saying, “John the Baptist was the most important human being to have lived up to that point.” Why was he so important? He was the one who announced the coming King. Nothing in the history of the world has been as important as the coming Messiah with the mission of redemption for you and me. John did more than simply announce the coming King, though. A plethora of Old Faith & Fellowship

“A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’” Luke 3:4-5

Testament prophecies were fulfilled in John’s calling and role. Zechariah, John’s own father, sings about the Messiah and John’s role as the one spoken of in the Old Testament, the one who was to prepare the way before the Lord. Even Jesus himself, in Matthew 17:12, says that John is Elijah, the one who was promised to come before the Messiah. Now, in addition to fulfilling Old Testament prophecies and announcing the coming Messiah, John’s ministry had some profound implications. His message not only prepared people for Jesus, but his message also prepares us daily for the Gospel. Can you imagine someone saying to you, “You are not a Christian! You’ve got it all wrong! Your parents, grandparents and ancestors may have been Christians, but you are not. Quit claiming your spiritual heritage as a basis of assurance. Repent, for you have gone wrong. You need to begin again.” That is what John essentially was saying. Some 1,400 years before John the Baptist’s ministry began by the Jordan, the Israelites originally entered the Promised Land by crossing the Jordan River (see Joshua 3). It is no coincidence that John was calling the people of Israel back out to the Jordan. Israel had drifted. They had gone astray and needed to be completely remade as a people. They were slothful and spiritually apathetic as they appealed to Abraham as their Father. Yes, their forefathers entered the Promised Land by the Jordan. Yes, they were children of Abraham. However, John was calling them back out to the Jordan because the Kingdom of God was at hand. Their spiritual apathy had to be shattered and they needed to go back to the Jordan and do it all over again. John was calling them to repentance. Creating more controversy, John spoke to the Pharisees and Sadducees, the religious elite, and called them to bear fruits of repentance. But weren’t both www.ffmagazine.org

the Pharisees and Sadducees already the most moral and upright people of the society at that time? Weren’t they already displaying good fruit through their good works? They were displaying outward righteousness, but this was not what was needed to be prepared for the Kingdom of God. John was not primarily calling for more good works; he was rather calling for the fruit of repentance—confession of sins. The real problem for the people of Israel and for you and me in the 21st century is not merely that we need to repent of bad choices, though this is good. Rather the much larger issue is that we are turned inward on self. As we turn inward on self we become self-reliant and trust in our own righteousness. This is selfjustification. Proper repentance, as John calls us, is not only to avoid sin and do righteous things instead. It is to confess that we have sinned, that we continue to sin, that we cannot stop ourselves from sinning, and that we actually like to sin because of the old Adam in us. To be sorrowful about our sinful longings is at the heart of John’s repentance. This repentance is about despising the unholy trinity of “me, myself and I.” This is the strange gift that John the Baptist brought to the Israelites and the same gift that the Holy Spirit must work in us through the Word. Our pride and self-reliance, our stubborn belief that by our own goodness we can please God—these are the things that need to be killed so that we can be prepared to receive the Kingdom of God. In this gift of repentance we are laid bare before the coming Kingdom. John was calling Israel to come into the Promised Land again not by physically crossing the Jordan, but this time by passing through the waters of the Jordan in baptism. Just as their forefather entered the Promised Land, they needed a new entrance into the coming Kingdom of

God. John proclaimed this new entrance as he proclaimed a message of repentance for sin and then baptized them in the Jordan. This was no empty baptism. He was not getting people wet in some symbol or formality. This was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, a baptism that pointed to Jesus, a baptism that would be expanded by Jesus and a baptism that was fulfilled by Jesus’ death and resurrection. The Israelites needed to enter through the coming King, Jesus; they needed God’s washing that came through Christ. The same is true for you and me today. Today and every day we need to be gifted with the fruit of repentance— confession of sins. As we confess our sins we are prepared to receive the King and his Kingdom of grace and truth. Take comfort, my friends, for God will not despise this status of brokenness and helplessness. God does not cast aside sinners, that is, those who recognize their sin. For it is in this very brokenness and fallenness that God meets us with his tender Word of Gospel and his Sacraments, reminding us that all has been forgiven and completed by Jesus Christ—the one who invaded our world to atone for our sin. “The Kingdom of God and Forgiveness is coming! The Kingdom of God and Forgiveness have come! Jesus has come for you.” Rev. Matthew Richard serves as senior pastor at Sidney Lutheran Brethren Church in Sidney, MT.

PM Notes

www.pastormattrichard.com

What’s Next, Lord? JEFF SEAVER

he kingdom of God came to Fargo/ Moorhead long before Triumph Lutheran Brethren Church was born in 1954. Many people had already been called by God to prepare the way for Jesus to come to hearts and homes in our community. One of the wonders of God’s kingdom is the variety of the expressions of kingdom outposts here on earth. Each has a story. I’ve been blessed to be part of a Lutheran Brethren expression of the kingdom of God where we live. Our congregation is blessed today by the kingdom vision of those whom God used in 1954 to plant it. Pastor Joe and Estelle Rangen had a calling from God on their hearts to bring the Gospel to our part of the Red River Valley through a new “home mission” congregation. They lived simply, joyfully, and intentionally. They opened their rented home and gave themselves to the task of preparing the way for Jesus to come to individuals and families. And God worked through their work. God established a kingdom outpost where his Word was dispersed in a church family marked by intentional outreach and joy. Communities go through times of change. In 1984 God prompted the people of Triumph to move their building 6

to the growing south side of Moorhead, Minnesota. Just as God provided pastoral leadership through church planting pioneers like Joe Rangen, God also moved through the lives of committed lay people. With the blessing of the elders and the congregation, a couple of men rolled up their sleeves to help get a new building up. Stuart Ystebo and Larry Binford led the way in this mission move that would eventually result in hundreds more having access to the Gospel. Not long after Triumph relocated to south Moorhead, Pastor Burton Bundy stopped by with a file folder in his hand marked “West Fargo.” He was serving as Director of Home Missions for the Church of the Lutheran Brethren. He asked me if Triumph had ever considered helping plant a new congregation in West Fargo. My concern as a rookie pastor was more about what was going to happen that week in our congregation than it was about exploring planting another congregation. At the time I was unaware that Pastor Joe Rangen, many years previously, had expressed his sense that God would be pleased to have a Lutheran Brethren congregation planted in West Fargo. In the late 1990s the Church of the

Lutheran Brethren gathered for their annual convention in Triumph’s newly constructed sanctuary addition. John Heie, a layman from California who was on the Board of Home Missions, spoke from the convention floor. He challenged the larger congregations in attendance to pray about extending the kingdom of God by planting new congregations. He was part of a congregation in Rancho Cucamonga that had been planted by Pastor Vern and Casey Baardson. Triumph’s elders and pastors entered into a season of planning in 2003 that was called “What’s Next, Lord?” Out of that time of prayer, listening to the congregation, and discussion came the initiative to explore planting a new congregation or a second Triumph “campus” on the growing western edge of our metropolitan area. That summer a small group began meeting for prayer on Sunday evenings in West Fargo, praying specifically for God’s will regarding a new site. Later that winter the congregation voted and gave the necessary funds for a “pilot project” to plant a new campus in West Fargo. Pastor Vern and Casey Baardson “happened” to be living in Moorhead at the time, as Vern was engaged in a traveling evangelism Faith & Fellowship

ministry. The Baardsons were called as an outreach team to help prepare the way for Jesus to change lives in West Fargo. God used their church-planting gifts and honored their hard work. As Triumph’s West Campus was becoming a reality, another mission move was taking shape in the congregation. Lutheran Brethren International Mission was sharing the vision of preparing the way for Jesus to come to “unreached people groups” in Africa. Triumph’s Mission Society raised funds to send a team of lay people to Chad to explore how and where God might be calling Triumph to engage in this mission. This led to “adopting” the Bilala people of Chad. As a result Triumph has committed to pray and give and go as God directs in the mission of preparing the way for Jesus to come to the Bilala. This is all part of one congregation’s ongoing story. Triumph West has grown from the dozens that met in rented quarters in an office building and a hotel ballroom to the hundreds that meet in the new building situated in the rapidly growing southern edge of West Fargo. With the growth come the challenges of caring for and discipling a large congregation with two campuses. It is www.ffmagazine.org

easy for management issues to eclipse mission issues. And the resistance to the kingdom of God coming among the Bilala is sobering. The Holzners, who are our missionaries to the Bilala, are in the States as Marcos processes through citizenship. Persevering while waiting seldom seems as exciting as seeing dramatic kingdom advances. Yet the larger story of God’s kingdom coming reflects these realities in many places. It will continue to be both challenging and vital for Triumph congregation to faithfully face the future as God’s kingdom representatives. It is encouraging to see how other kingdom outposts in the community are doing their part. A church gathers in the Fargodome convention space with a focus on reaching those disillusioned by past negative church experiences. A newer church meets in a former retail space on a corner downtown. They see the center of their congregational life happening in home-based “missional communities,” where people are invited to follow Jesus with others. God’s kingdom is coming. I’m grateful for the story of what God has done through the people I serve with at Triumph. I’m grateful for our larger family of churches and our vision and

mission that we share as the Church of the Lutheran Brethren, planting new churches to reach North America with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What will that look like in ten years, as God reaches the lost through His Church? Who will ask, “What’s next, Lord?” At Triumph, we face the days ahead, praying for discernment and inspiration from God. I challenge you, to join us in this prayer as part of a family of churches. Whether you are meeting in a home or running out of space in your church building, God has uniquely gifted you as a body of believers and has placed you in your community for a reason. Let’s continue to ask, “What’s next, Lord?” What a privilege to be part of sharing the grace and truth in Jesus Christ as he’s changing our lives! Rev. Jeff Seaver serves as senior pastor of Triumph Lutheran Brethren Church in Moorhead, MN. VISIT ONLINE

www.triumphlbc.org

Waiting Tony Rogness

t was early October when I saw my wife and daughter thumbing through a catalog and talking quietly. When I asked them what they were so interested in my daughter said, rather sheepishly, “Christmas music.” It’s not unusual to hear about Christmas music in October at our house. I often poke fun at those who “jump the gun” on the season. You see, I really like the Thanksgiving holiday and would love to see it take center stage throughout October and early November. So my daughter was ready for me when I made fun of Christmas music in October. Her response was, “Christmas music is 8

so great that I just can’t wait.” I couldn’t disagree with her, even if I wanted to. Much of the music of the Christmas season celebrates the incarnation, God coming to earth in human form, and it is as good as music gets. My daughter is not alone. There are a great many others who share my daughter’s enthusiasm for the incarnation. In the second chapter of Luke we read of two others who were waiting for the promised one—a man named Simeon and a prophetess named Anna. Simeon had been told that, before he died, he would see the “Consolation of Israel,” the

Messiah. I wonder what he was doing a few weeks prior to that day when he met Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the temple. Was he wondering how long he would have to wait? Was he disappointed that he had not yet seen the Messiah? Maybe he had days where he doubted if the Lord’s promise was real. Putting myself in Simeon’s place, there would have been times I was tempted to give up on the idea of meeting the promised Messiah at all. After all, Simeon might have been waiting a long, long time. And then there was Anna the prophetess, a widow who served night Faith & Fellowship

“Simeon took him (Jesus) in his arms and praised God, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’” Luke 2:28-32

and day in the temple. Luke tells us that, upon meeting Jesus, she not only began giving thanks to God, but she continued to speak of meeting the Messiah to “all those who were looking for the redemption of Israel.” How many were there who, like Anna, were looking for the redemption of Israel? I wonder how long they had been waiting. Had they ever had moments of despair when they wondered if redemption would ever come? Even those who had the privilege of seeing Jesus as newborn Messiah had to wait three decades to see the work of redemption completed on the cross. Throughout history others waited for the Messiah. Isaiah waited for him. Jacob did as well. I suspect that even in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve waited for the fulfillment of God’s promise. So many people doing so much waiting! What was God doing while they all waited? God’s Word indicates that he was doing what he always does. He was leading his people, speaking to them, speaking through them, healing them and showing them his love in a myriad of ways. The Old Testament is full of accounts of what God did while his people waited for the coming Messiah. These accounts prove to us that God is incredibly powerful, that he cannot tolerate sin and that his love for us is amazing. We might not have known these things about God if they hadn’t been written down by those who were waiting. In some ways, we are different from www.ffmagazine.org

Simeon, Anna and the others who were waiting. We live on the other side of the incarnation. We have eyewitness accounts of the birth, life, death and resurrection of the promised Messiah, the Redeemer. We know how the Messiah has come. We even have the opportunity to personally know God through the work of Jesus the Messiah. Yet even on this side of the incarnation, we also find ourselves waiting. Just as Anna and Simeon were waiting for the advent of the Messiah, we also wait for him and his promised return. Not only do we wait for him to return, but we wait for him to work in our lives, in the lives of those we love and in the world around us. Before that first advent, God did amazing things while his people waited. In our day, he still works while we wait. I often become impatient and anxious. Sometimes I am anxious because I forget that God is at work. At other times I find myself, like so many others before me, impatient because I have been waiting so long. Too often anxiety and impatience keep me from seeing what God is doing in and around me. But as always, God is at work while I am waiting. He is ministering his grace and mercy to me and to others around me. He is healing lives and relationships. He is calling others to himself and redeeming them from their sin. Sometimes I get to see what he is doing. But I know from his Word that he is doing much more than I can see, much more than I can even imagine. So even

when I am anxious and impatient, I can be confident that God is working in and around us all the time, even while we wait. The biggest question for us, as we wait, may not be “what is God doing while we wait?” but rather “what are we doing while we wait for him?” Perhaps we should take note of what Anna the prophetess was doing while she waited. Luke tells us that she was serving in the temple day and night. Maybe we should do the same. Maybe we should spend time in the Lord’s house, worshiping with others who are waiting for him. And we should be serving others. Anna met the Messiah while she was serving. For those of us who have already met the Messiah, is there anything better for us to do while we wait? Tony Rogness serves as operations director for Inspiration Point Christian Camp and Retreat Center in Clitherall, MN.

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Support the Ministry of Your Regional Pastor Obviously, your pastor does more than get up on Sunday morning and preach. He is called to be deeply involved in the lives of the members of his congregation, and no matter how well you take care of your pastor, and whether he admits it or not, there are times when he feels isolated and alone. The Regional Pastor exists to be a pastor to your pastor. They care for, and

pray for the pastors of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren, and they deeply care about the health and ministry of your congregation. This is an important position, but it cannot continue unless it is financially supported. We strongly encourage you to consider how you can contribute to North American Mission, directly supporting the ministry of your Regional Pastor.

We encourage you to talk to your pastor and find out how your Regional Pastor has had an impact on the ministry of your congregation. You will find updates below on each region. You can also watch videos online at clbnetwork.org/focus.

Canadian Region

ART HUNDEBY

The Church of the Lutheran Brethren Canada is a small region, with ten churches. One of the prayers for our region is to reach our culture, which is morally more liberal than our neighbors to the south. One of the things thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been exciting to me is to see our desire for pastors and elders in Canada to get more training. The people in Canada voted at our convention to purchase a house in Fergus Falls to provide housing for our seminary students, as well as others while they are taking classes. Our goal for the coming years is to focus on reaching our local communities for Christ. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great to be in congregations who have that desire to reach the lost.

Eastern Region

WARREN GERAGHTY

As I think about ministry in the Eastern Region, several blessings come to mind. Believe it or not, through the constitution of the region, we crafted a team, the mission subcommittee. We are charged with a couple things. One is to encourage church planting. We meet each month, sometimes by Skype, sometimes in person. The other area is to plan how we can come alongside churches to help them become more healthy. We have a passion to help churches grow in health, to help them reach out. To help them discover how to understand their community, and fold people into their church. But it starts with the church not expecting the people to come to church, but rather the church to understand that they must go to the people. 10

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JOEL NORDTVEDT

We have some great things happening around mission and youth ministry. Every year youth from several congregations come to Minneapolis to help with Mission Minneapolis, a ministry of Ebenezer Lutheran Brethren Church in Minneapolis. There is a week-long VBS, and also a neighborhood cookout, engaging many neighbors, many of whom are from unchurched backgrounds. There are also three congregations who have adopted the Bagirmi people of Chad, and joined together to send Nathanael and Carrie Szobody to be missionaries among them. Several men from this cluster of churches visited the Bagirmi people, and returned very encouraged by the open invitation to minister among this Muslim unreached people group.

Western Region

GARY WITKOP

One of the challenges in the Western Region is the distance between churches. It can be hundreds of miles, yet it’s amazing to see the desire to get together. And that’s one of the things that I try to help to facilitate. In the eastern part of North Dakota, a cluster of churches are coming together to send missionaries to an unreached people group in Africa. Down in Colorado, a cluster of churches are forming to plant a church in the Denver area. One of the challenges we face in the Western Region is that we have a lot of territory, a lot of distance between us, but we only have four states with Lutheran Brethren churches. We want to see that increase, through church planting, or other churches coming in to join our fellowship. We’d love to see more people, more fellowship and more churches to do the work of the Lord in the western part of North America.

Pacific Region

STAN OLSEN

One of the exciting things that’s happening in the Pacific Region is a restart project in Pasadena, California. Immanuel Lutheran Brethren Church will be celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2013. The idea is that, with this celebration, we will be launching this “new” congregation. It’s been great to see how God has put the pieces of this together. The transition leadership team and the cooperation of the existing congregation, who are being so gracious during the transition, is truly amazing. We are hoping to kick this off in September 2013, so maybe you can come down and celebrate the “R estart” with us in Pasadena, California. www.ffmagazine.org

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International Mission

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BRINGING THE GOOD NEWS TO UNREACHED PEOPLE

A Call to Pray for Missionaries JAMES ERICKSON

he 2012 Church of the Lutheran Brethren Biennial Convention has come and gone. It was a time of great blessing, fellowship and encouragement. I returned home encouraged and glad for the privilege of attending this year. There were many interesting and inspiring seminars that engaged us in considering the work of God’s Kingdom through the CLB today. I attended the seminar on Lutheran Brethren International Mission’s work in Chad. This seminar was led by Dan Venberg. I was helping to start this new ministry to unreached people groups when Dan and Rachel first went to Chad. Together we had traveled into some remote areas exploring ministry opportunities. We met many people. Many had never heard the truth about Issa Al Massih, Jesus the Messiah—that he had paid the price for their redemption. They wore amulets hanging around their necks or on their wrists, because they were fearful of what evil spirits would do to them. They did not know of the protection we have in Jesus Christ. We were coming to tell them the Good News about Jesus delivering us from the power of Satan and redeeming us to be his own people. Yet today we have three families from our mission in Chad who are back in the United States due to medical conditions affecting their children. Satan attacked our missionary families, particularly their children, successfully driving them back to the States, thousands of miles away from the people God had called us to evangelize. We had been excited to send these families with the message of Christ to unreached people groups. We pledged to support them financially and to uphold them in prayer. God is faithful. Were 12

Mosquito nets, donated by CLB congregations, delivered to children in Chad

we faithful in our pledge? God listens to us when we pray to him. Since three of these families have had to come home, I wonder if we were maintaining our promise to diligently and intelligently support them in prayer. I don’t know the answer to that question, but I do know that God impressed on my heart the tremendous responsibility that is mine to support our missionaries, daily, and sometimes hourly, in prayer. Will you join me in pledging a sustained effort to support our missionaries in prayer? Will you daily pray for their protection? Will you daily pray for opportunities to share the Gospel with these unreached people? Will you pray for those who hear the Gospel, that they may be open to receive and believe this Good News that we bring?

Let us remember the words of James 5:16, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (NLT). Rev. James Erickson is senior pastor of Calvary Community Church in Fullerton, CA.

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any of our friends and family members gave us strange looks when we announced that we were leaving Canada to move to Fergus Falls, Minnesota to continue my seminary education. One of the council members of our church even shared his thoughts, asking, “Has he gone crazy?” And there have been many times that my wife Melonie and I have questioned our decision. We were heading into so many unknowns. Questions arose. “Can we really afford this?” “Will our family adjust?” “What is God’s will?” I know it hurt many of our congregation and family members. There were many tears, even some angry moments, but mostly a great sadness at losing a friend and pastor. Thankfully, most of our congregation and friends eventually let go and sent me with their blessing, prayers, and much love. They trusted God and us in the most difficult decision we’ve ever made. We lived in Estevan, Saskatchewan for almost 14 years, longer than anywhere else. We watched our children grow up in the only house they remember. The closest friends I ever had were there. I had a successful ministry. We were leaving home. As we enter the Advent season in preparation for Christmas, I reflect in wonder on what it was like for the Son of God to leave his heavenly dwelling. He left the perfect relationship in unity and love with the Father and Spirit, and the perfect job, creating and reigning over this universe. I am a sinful human being who left an imperfect and temporal home behind in exchange for a new imperfect 14

Adrienne, Bob, Bobby, Melonie, and Paige Schultz

and temporal residence. How much harder would it have been for Jesus? But he did it anyway. He did it for you and me. From his royal throne in heaven to his incarnation, Jesus was born into the cold night in Bethlehem. I’m reminded of Philippians 2:6-7, where Paul, possibly using an early hymn about Jesus, wrote, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” He is the God who left home. We’ve been in Fergus Falls for a number of months now, and we have little doubt that we made the best decision to continue my seminary education. There is not only an education, but much fellowship and joy for me here. Hillcrest

Academy has been amazing for my kids, and I pray for many more to join me here in this great community. I do not know where my next temporal residence will be after seminary, but I take comfort in these words from Jesus: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). So no matter where I am living, as long as the Lord has his home in me, then I truly am home! Have a blessed Advent season! Pastor Robert Schultz served as senior pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Estevan, Saskatchewan before moving, with his family, to Fergus Falls, MN to attend Lutheran Brethren Seminary.

Faith & Fellowship

Women’s Ministries Church of the Lutheran Brethren

Christmas Coffee-Shop Conversation (a fictional tale—but you could make it real)

CHERYL OLSEN

t was their usual city coffee-shop, all three sipping their usual hot drinks and nibbling on scones, but their Saturday morning Coffee Bean Bible Study had morphed into discussing the upcoming holidays. “I’m so stressed! I never know what to buy for my mom,” Chris complained. “I feel your pain,” Tara sympathized. “Grandma is my problem: seriously, she doesn’t need anything! But I can’t give her nothing…” her voice trailed off, as she took another sip of her Candy-Cane Latte. “Remember when we were kids? Christmas was the season we looked forward to all year, right?” Amber’s eyes sparkled with the memory. “But now, sometimes I dread it. How could this have happened to the best time of the year?” “Commercialism!” Chris slammed her cappuccino-filled mug on the table. “It’s turned my kids into whining, nagging toy-beggars! Displays and commercials assault us for two whole months before Christmas!” Tara smiled wryly, “Take it easy! You know we’re not any better! We didn’t resist them marketing to our ‘doit-yourself’ selves for Christmas projects three months ahead of time either! Forget about actually making the stuff we bought weeks ago…” “I know,” Amber dejectedly warmed her gloved hands on her Caramel Macchiato, “I bought yarn to make scarves for my co-workers, but now I’m out of time, and no money for anything else.” “Question:” Tara began, “All this stress is about gifts. Why do we give gifts, anyway?” The other two exchanged looks. Chris retorted, “Are you for real? We have to give gifts at Christmas. That’s what it’s all about!” Tara stared thoughtfully into Chris’s eyes. “Is it?” Amber broke in, “Well… of course not! www.ffmagazine.org

But remember when we were kids? It was definitely the gifts we looked forward to!” Tara met her gaze, “But in our homes it wasn’t only about gifts, was it? For us, the day of gift-giving was the summit of a whole journey of preparation. Think about it. Sunday Advent candles and Scriptures; opening daily Advent calendar doors at home; finding symbols of the salvation story to hang on our trees, like Noah’s Ark or Isaac’s Lamb; parents reading bedtime stories about a promised Savior. Sunday School Christmas carols engraving words into my mind so that even now, when I hear instrument-only versions in the mall, I’m thinking of Jesus’ birth, not just warm fuzzy feelings. How about you?” Chris looked up sheepishly, “Wow, Tara. I recreate some traditions for my kids, but that thread of preparation being part of the whole celebration—I’ve totally lost that. It’s a jumble of obligations, chores, and checklists to get through. It’s exhausting.” “It’s a sacrifice! And God’s gift was a sacrifice for him.” Tara’s eyes widened, “But he gave out of love, and it gave him joy. When we give, we’re grumbling, stressed, and annoyed.”

“Hmmm,” Chris mused. “And God didn’t give humanity what we asked for; even what we deserved. He gave us what we needed. What if we gave our family, our friends, our co-workers what they really need?” “You mean, time?” Amber winked, “Which we have even less of than money?” “Seriously,” Tara began, “Women’s Ministries at church has encouraged mentoring, you know. We could invite Chris’s mom and my grandma to join us for one of our Coffee Bean Bible Study Saturdays—even once a month. We’re already here every week. Learn from them; give them unstructured time—our Christmas gift to them.” Amber sighed contentedly, “I know your grandma would like that. I’d like that, actually. Do you think she would help mentor my co-workers? They’ve wanted to learn to knit. I’ve got yarn…” Cheryl Olsen is Information Coordinator for Women’s Ministries of the CLB. VISIT WMCLB ONLINE

www.WMCLB.com

Explanation of Luther’s Small Catechism translated into Japanese

CLB Japan: Growing in Christ WITH KOUKI ZENIYA

ouki Zeniya graduated from Lutheran Brethren Seminary in the spring of 2008. He returned to Japan with a desire to lead the Japanese church into a deeper understanding of their identity in Christ. Faith & Fellowship asked Pastor Zeniya about his time in America and his passion for the Explanation of Luther’s Small Catechism. F&F: When did you begin to read the Explanation of Luther’s Small Catechism, and how was it significant for you? Pastor Zeniya: I lived in the United States in 2007-2008. During that time, I learned many things from American Christians in the Church of the Lutheran Brethren. I was deeply impressed by them, and I felt that they were very mature in their Christian faith. I will never forget their love and kindness toward me. When I say I was impressed by their maturity, I was particularly impressed by their Christian education using the catechism. During my stay in the U.S., one day I overheard a conversation between two seminary students. One of them asked the other, “Who taught you Luther’s Small Catechism, your father or your pastor?” I was very shocked! It was quite surprising to me that fathers would teach the catechism to their children by themselves. Because in Japan, usually only a pastor can teach Luther’s Small Catechism. A father would normally not teach the catechism to his children himself. Rather, he would take his children as teenagers to the pastor for confirmation instruction. This experience helped me learn that a father’s leadership in the home involves being a spiritual leader. I believe Luther 16

Junichi Kudo studies the Japanese translation of the Explanation of Luther’s Small Catechism

himself focused on the father’s spiritual leadership in the family. So when I returned home, I hoped that the Japanese Church would become more like the CLB in America in this sense: If Japanese fathers could teach Luther’s Small Catechism by themselves, the Japanese Lutheran Brethren Church would certainly be blessed. I also appreciated, while I was at Lutheran Brethren Seminary, that Dr. Boe taught us repeatedly to read the Book of Concord and to study our Lutheran Confessions—because the content is very rich. I was thus taught the importance of the Augsburg Confession and Luther’s Small Catechism. F&F: Why did you feel that it was important for the Japanese Church to

have the Explanation of Luther’s Small Catechism in Japanese? Pastor Zeniya: We in the Japanese Lutheran Brethren Church face the question, “What are we?” or “Who is the Lutheran Brethren Church?” For a long time we have discussed these questions. But we could not get a good answer. The question concerned me very much and was one of the reasons why I wanted to go to the U.S.A. The experience of studying at the Lutheran Brethren Seminary in America was a big help to me. As I said, Christians in the CLB used the catechism very well in their teaching. They are well trained and understand the concept of the Law and the Gospel. This makes a lot of sense. I noticed a huge difference between the

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American Church and Japanese Church in the attitude toward the small catechism (our confession). We in Japan are behind in that respect and need to catch up. I think the confession is very important. The confession (what we believe) is the main part of the identity of the church body. Since returning to Japan, I have talked about this many times with Pastor Kiyoshi Taguchi. We have started to emphasize our confession as the main part of the identity of the Lutheran Brethren Church in Japan. We know the Church is in this world to bring the Good News of forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ. I hope the Japan LBC will be catechized for the mission (to bring the forgiveness of sin to this world). F&F: Can you explain how the book was translated and published? Please describe the process.

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Pastor Zeniya: We suggested to our Annual Convention in 2010 that we should return to and emphasize our confession. So the Japanese seminary and synod chose four young pastors (in their 30s and 40s), including me, to work as a team to translate the Explanation of Luther’s Small Catechism from English to Japanese. The project was completed, and last year we printed 1300 copies and gave them to members of our churches. Then we invited Dr. Masaki Makito, who is a professor of Kobe Lutheran Seminary, to come to our pastors’ retreat. He presented a special lecture about Luther’s Small Catechism. We were very impressed. For a long time, the Lutheran Brethren Church of Japan did not emphasize Luther’s Small Catechism. But now, little by little, we are realizing that we have a wonderful spiritual treasure, and we are starting to teach this catechism in every church. Kouki Zeniya serves as pastor of Minami Yoshinari Church in Sendai, Japan.

LBIM

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Fellowship with one another Purifies us from all sin

Walk in the light

The blood of Jesus

1 John 1:7

Hope Restoration

Missionaries Called to Chad, Africa

Hope Lutheran Brethren Church in Appleton, Wisconsin, held a dedication service on Sunday, September 16, 2012. The congregation celebrated the completion of a new entry area and classroom spaces. This is phase two of their renovation plans, which includes a new sanctuary in the future.

Iverson Installed On August 12, 2012, Rev. Rich Iverson was installed as Associate Pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church, in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Pastor Iverson has served Hope LBC in Barnesville, Minnesota for the past 12 years.

Bridston Retires Rev. Richard Bridston retired, beginning July 1, 2012, after nearly forty years of full-time ministry. Bethany Lutheran Brethren Church held a retirement party for Pastor Richard Bridston. 18

On October 12, 2012 the Council of Directors called Zachary and Alissa Schroer to missionary service in Chad, Africa. Lutheran Brethren International Mission will be placing them among the Fulbe people, where Dan and Rachel Venberg had previously been working. Dan and Rachel are mentoring Zachary and Alissa, and will be assisting in orienting them to ministry in Chad. The Schroers are expected to come on staff in July of 2013. In the meantime, they are continuing French and Islamic studies while living and working in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Zachary is a 2011 M.Div. graduate of Lutheran Brethren Seminary and Alissa is a registered nurse.

Council of Directors The Council of Directors reviewed the 2012 Biennial Convention, accepted reports from each Ministry, Lutheran Brethren Seminary, and CLB Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ministries. The council also approved the ordination of Ryan Nordlund and Zachary Schroer. Other business included a presentation of a rolling five-year operating ministry budget projection, amendments to the CLB Plans and Goals document, an annual sole member meeting of Hillcrest Lutheran Academy, and the decision to hold the 2014 Biennial Convention on July 31st in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Download the Minutes: www.CLBA.org/resources Faith & Fellowship

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

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Sessions: 1:30 p.m. Jan. 21 - noon Jan. 23 Phone: 218-739-3375 • Website: www.LBS.edu

EMBRACING THE WORD. REACHING THE WORLD. Faith & Fellowship is the official publication of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren, 1020 W. Alcott Ave., P.O. Box 655, Fergus Falls, MN 56538-0655, issued six times a year (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December) by Faith and Fellowship Publishing, 1020 W. Alcott Ave., P.O. Box 655, Fergus Falls, MN 56538-0655. Phone (218)736-7357. The viewpoints expressed in the articles are those of the authors and may or may not necessarily reflect the official position of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America (CLBA). Periodicals Postage Paid at Fergus Falls, Minnesota 56538.

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Family Matters ROY HEGGLAND

Does our giving to the ministry of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren really matter? Aren’t the obstacles to advancing God’s Kingdom too big for our small ministry to overcome? Sometimes when we look at life, we can come to the conclusion that God is not involved in our world like we think he should be. When John the Baptist appeared on the scene, it had been 400 years since the Lord had spoken through a prophet. Don’t you think the Israelites, who had been waiting for the Messiah to appear for all that time, had given up hope? Just look at the mess the Israelites were in—politically, nationally, economically and spiritually. Yet along came John the Baptist, “a voice of one calling in the desert,” urging the nation to repentance and promising the coming of a Savior. Through John, the Lord revealed to the Israelites that things were not hopeless, that one day all people would see God’s salvation. We have that prophesy fulfilled in Jesus. What did Jesus do for the Israelites and for us? Let’s look at Isaiah 40:1-2. “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned...” (ESV). Through Christ, God has ended our warfare with him and pardoned our iniquities; we are given the kingdom—as heirs to all that Christ possesses! Just as God promised the Messiah through the preaching of John the Baptist, he has entrusted us with the message of Christ’s return. Isaiah 65:17 says, “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” Our hope is not in this world. Our treasure is not in this world. Our inheritance is not in this world. We are free to give ourselves, and all we possess, as a love offering to God. We are given the privilege to participate in “preparing the way of the Lord” by supporting the ministry of the Gospel. There is no higher calling for our resources than this. Thank you for your gifts to our CLB Ministries.

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Roy Heggland serves the Church of the Lutheran Brethren as Associate for Biblical Stewardship.

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