2015 - Lutherans Engage the World - September October by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Lutherans ENGAGE the WORLD September â&#x20AC;&#x201C; October 2015, Vol. 4, Issue 1

Lutherans

ENGAGE the WORLD September – October 2015

vol. 4, no. 1

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4 7 15 19

Anything but Typical Examining the Evidence for Faith

Military Chaplains Combat High Suicide Rates with Mercy Police Chaplain Provides Care during Tragedy

7 15 Engaging the Church in the work of witness and mercy across the globe in our life together. LUTHERANS ENGAGE THE WORLD is published bi-monthly by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. © 2015 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Reproduction for parish use does not require permission. Such reproductions, however, should credit LUTHERANS ENGAGE THE WORLD as a source. Print editions are sent to LCMS donors, rostered workers and missionaries. An online version is available (lcms.org/lutheransengage). To receive the print edition, we invite you to make a financial gift for LCMS global witness and mercy work. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are property of the LCMS. 888-THE LCMS (843-5267) lcms.org

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

engage NEVER ORDINARY! From my earliest memories as a child until now,

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Walking Together with Our Church Workers

10 Questions Become a Church Worker

New Pilot Project Sends Domestic Missionary into ‘the Margins’ Church-Worker Wellness: When One Suffers … The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation Is Near!

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Help! Our Church Just Got a Big Gift, and We Don’t Know What to Do!

S TA F F David L. Strand Pamela J. Nielsen Erica Schwan Megan K. Mertz Erik M. Lunsford Lisa Moeller Chrissy A. Thomas

executive director, communications executive editor manager, design services managing editor/staff writer photojournalist/staff writer designer designer

EDITORIAL OFFICE 314-996-1215 1333 S. Kirkwood Road St. Louis, MO 63122-7295 lutheransengage@lcms.org lcms.org/lutheransengage

as I enjoy being a grandparent, a most ordinary and constant presence throughout my life has been that of a pastor — 24/7, 365 days a year. There have been many: Some young, some old. Some single, some married with children. Some serving in second careers. Some were funny, others more stern. Each one of these very human men of God, by all appearances, could be described as rather ordinary. Yet appearances are deceiving, especially when it comes to men whose human ears hear the deepest and darkest sins confessed to God, whose eyes witness unspeakable sorrow and trials of every kind. On their lips is the forgiving and life-giving Word of God. Their mortal hands pour water and serve bread and wine — simple acts that give new life to condemned sinners and provide the very body and blood of Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. Extraordinary! This issue of Lutherans Engage the World peers into the lives of several pastors and the unique settings where each is called to serve. The account of a chaplain ministering to a soldier ready to take his own life is more common than we might dare to think. Lutheran chaplains, as part of LCMS Specialized Pastoral Ministry, serve uncommon flocks — working alongside prisoners and police, in hospitals and hospice care, among the homeless and hurting. There’s nothing ordinary about the domestic missionary — something you are going to be hearing more about in the coming months — who serves in a challenging urban environment in Ohio. And there’s an out-of-the-ordinary story about a congregation and pastor caring for pastors struggling with assaults of the devil in their lives and ministries. That’s just a glimpse of what this issue is about. As you read it, recall the extraordinary ways God has worked through the most ordinary of men to care for you. Pray for your pastors, both past and present, and thank God for them! In Christ, Pamela J. Nielsen Associate Executive Director, LCMS Communications

Cover image: The Rev. Peter M. Burfeind, new domestic missionary to Toledo, Ohio, navigates through a vacant house while looking for a potential site for a new church building. Story on Page 12. PHOTO: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

Walking Together

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t’s easy to take our full-time church workers for granted. Pastor is in the pulpit every Sunday. The organist

is on the bench every service. Christian educators are in front of the classroom throughout the week. They’re just always there. But what if they weren’t? What if there were no pastors to comfort you with Christ’s forgiveness? No deaconesses to sit at your bedside before surgery? No teachers to assist your child in learning about the world through a uniquely Lutheran lens? No directors of Christian education to teach about Jesus in your congregation? No directors of Christian outreach to help your parish reach out to the community with the Gospel? We too easily forget that those who care for our spiritual wellbeing need care as well, even as we fail to realize what our lives would look like without the care they daily show us! They bear our burdens, and yet their own concerns are substantial too. They sometimes struggle to make ends meet. They pray over their own wayward children. They fear their doctors’ diagnoses and wonder if God is truly good when the world and their own worries tell them otherwise. Here, though, is the beauty of the Christian life: When those who have given their lives in service to the Church suffer, we suffer too, and when they rejoice, we rejoice with them. We don’t let them go it alone. We don’t let them fend for themselves or turn a blind eye to their pain. Instead, we walk alongside them. We remind them that Christ’s

peace is their peace, that it passes all understanding. We give them home-cooked meals and keys to the lake cabin to remind them that the consolation we have in our life together is genuine and real. Yes, we show mercy to those who are suffering, even when the one hurting is the one who cares for us in our own grief. In this issue of Lutherans Engage the World, you will hear and see that the Lord is at work through His gifts of Word and Sacrament, through His Church, through His people to care for hurting and broken church workers. You’ll also hear about the work of our LCMS campus ministries, which are experiencing their own set of joys and challenges in the midst of a world thriving on conflict and chaos. Please pray for our young people and our Lutheran faculty members, that they would be willing to make a faithful confession of Christ even though they may be mocked and derided. This month, think on these. Consider how you can love and support them, how you can share in their joy and sadness. And as you do, give thanks that the Lord has given them to you. He has caused some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers, so that each one of us might be fed by God’s Word and built up in the body of Christ. In Christ, Rev. Bart Day Executive Director, LCMS Office of National Mission

“ And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” (Eph. 4:11–12) 2

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September–October 2015

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PHOTO: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

with Our Church Workers

Questions

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WITH NORTH WISCONSIN DISTRICT PRESIDENT

REV. DWAYNE LUECK

Pray for your church workers! The Rev. Dwayne Lueck, North Wisconsin District president, says prayer is important for all professional church workers as they struggle with the inherent challenges of their callings. Here he discusses those challenges and how his district strives to help church workers in their ministries.

by Roger Drinnon

What has been your overall experience as district president? It is an honor and a humbling experience to serve my Lord and the people of the North Wisconsin District. Every day there are new challenges, whether it be as ecclesiastical supervisor; liaison between the congregations, district and the Synod; or in carrying out the administrative duties.

> Being faithful to our Lord and to His Word and the Lutheran Confessions when the culture around us appears to be walking away from what God’s Word has to say.

How does your district deal with these challenges? Over the years, pastors have received coaching, including for time management and devotional time … . When it comes to conflict, we need a better plan on how to prepare our church workers on how to handle it.

Is professional development a factor in caring for church workers? I believe the majority would prefer to continue their professional development, but many times the ministry demands their time along with time with their family, and so it gets pushed aside. The cost of it can also be prohibitive, and some congregations are more supportive than others for their pastor to receive more education. Hopefully, there is an advocate among the laypeople that encourages their professional church workers to continue their education.

What are some of the challenges your district’s church workers face? The challenges they face, I believe, involve tension between carrying out their call and the challenges in their personal lives. Some of their challenges include:

> Meeting the expectations of members or parents of school children, or the children themselves, as the expectations are high.

PHOTO: SANDI EISOLD

> Taking care of themselves and fulfilling their role in their own Christian family. > Coming out of the seminary or college with large debts from student loans.

What challenges do congregations face in caring for workers? For many congregations, income is not keeping pace, so many of our church workers are taking on more of their own health-care costs. There are congregations that are not keeping pace in paying their workers as suggested by district guidelines.

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re there issues that put additional A pressure on certain church workers and ministries? In May 2015, we sent out a survey to all our church workers, asking, “Where do you need encouragement in your life/ministry right now?” The top three answers were: getting in the Word (devotional time), handling conflict and teamwork.

Describe your district’s overall approach for caring for church workers. DJ Schult is my assistant who works specifically with our schools in encouraging the principals and teachers … . Pastor Mark Lundgren works with congregations to raise awareness of what their professional church workers are going through and also for ways to encourage and support church workers. Pastor Dan Kohn serves as a counselor for those workers in the district who wish to talk to him on a private basis. Lee Belmas, a retired [director of Christian education (DCE)], now goes around talking with and encouraging DCEs and youth workers.

Are there any specific wellness programs/events that you advocate? I personally believe in, participate in and encourage the [Concordia Plan Services]

“Be Well … Serve Well” program, as it encourages good health habits and participation in some retreats. Our workers need to take care of their minds and bodies.

What can congregations do to help ensure church workers are cared for? Take them out to coffee and ask them how they are really doing. Encourage them to take their day off and use their vacation time. Advocate for church workers on a leadership level: elders, board of education, personnel committee, etc. Write them a note once in a while to encourage them. Attempt to at least pay them according to the suggested guidelines.

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hat would you most like to W convey to readers regarding church workers? Pray for them. Encourage them. Ask them how they are doing. Believe in them. Trust them.

Roger Drinnon is manager of Editorial Services for LCMS Communications.

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Anything but

Typical Learn how one congregation has found a unique way to love and care for shepherds — those hurting and bearing deep wounds — without sheep.

by Adriane Heins

rinity is your typical Midwest congregation — largely white, aging, blue collar, many of German descent,” explains the Rev. Kent Tibben, senior pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Danville, Ill. “We are typical in almost every way.”

And yet, it turns out that Trinity really isn’t. The congregation has a special characteristic — and it’s not just that it’s 152 years old — of caring for pastors in a unique way.

Helping and Being Helped Tibben, who was called from the seminary to serve as assistant pastor, soon found himself sole pastor at Trinity. He quickly realized that he would need to rely on the help of other pastors, since the church couldn’t afford to call a second full-time shepherd. There were five other pastors who stepped in to serve and assist. One was retired. But the other four were different. Hurting in large part due to pain and frustration experienced at their previous parishes, they were now pastors without calls or congregations.

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September–October 2015

One man’s call had been rescinded by his congregation. Three others actually resigned their own calls, unwilling to continue undergoing “a difficult time” in their congregations, Tibben recalls. “The opportunity presented itself — or better yet, the Lord presented the opportunity — for them to help Trinity and for Trinity to help them,” he says. It was just what the pastors and congregation needed. “The pastors who assisted me were still able to exercise their office by preaching, teaching, administering the Sacraments and caring for souls,” Tibben explains, but “without the burden of administrative duties and the meetings where some of the controversy from which they suffered had found its fullest expression.”

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Trinity Lutheran Church in Danville, Ill., and its senior pastor, the Rev. Kent Tibben.

PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

Tibben distributes the Sacrament of the Altar during the Divine Service at Trinity.

Beyond the financial assistance provided by Trinity in exchange for the pastors’ service, Tibben noticed another benefit: They “had time to heal from the wounds they had suffered in their previous parish experience.

“Every vocation, every daily calling, is holy in God’s eyes and an opportunity to serve the neighbor.” — Rev. Kent Tibben “Serving with me at Trinity allowed them to regain both confidence and joy in doing the duties of their office and to experience a loving and supportive congregation that was welcoming and receptive to their ministry,” he says. The Rev. Mark Miller, president of the LCMS Central Illinois District, believes it was — and remains — a fitting pairing. “There is a true desire to not let pastors on candidate status

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languish in limbo or slip through the cracks unawares,” Miller says. And this anything-but-typical congregation serves as a prime example that such care works, especially when a “compassionate fellow pastor and his parish have seen fit to issue a part-time call to serve as a transition, not just to keep someone on the roster, but to help rebuild confidence, make use of pastoral skills and training, to provide some income and give a wounded ‘soldier of the cross’ a bit of a foundation until another full-time call comes along.”

Caring for Hurting Church Workers Bearing with those who are suffering is at the core of the Christian life, and the Rev. Michael Ruhlig knows firsthand that church workers are not immune when it comes to fear, pain and hurt. After what he calls “turbulent years” at a parish, Ruhlig resigned his call and began working part-time at Wal-Mart. He was then approached by Tibben, who offered him the opportunity to teach and preach at Trinity. The congregation eventually extended Ruhlig a call; two years later, he moved on,

September–October 2015

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t The Rev. Kent Tibben leads the Divine Service at Trinity Lutheran Church in Danville, Ill.

accepting a call to Faith Lutheran Church, Graham, Texas. “Trinity, Danville, was a tremendous help for us,” Ruhlig recalls. “Their love, care, concern and generosity helped us start the healing process from the conflict and hurt and from leaving our previous congregation.” They may not have even realized it at the time, but the congregation’s care had a lasting impact. “To know and feel the love of the body of Christ is both a joy and humbling at the same time,” he says. “To know someone cares is as helpful as receiving what they are offering.”

The Same but Different So, why is Trinity not that typical after all? “Instead of engaging in the perennial battle between who has supremacy — the congregation or the Office of the Ministry

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— I have tried to help my congregation see how the baptized people of God and those called to the Office of the Ministry have different, yet complementary, vocations,” Tibben explains. “All of us are called to proclaim the Gospel and to make Christ and His saving work known to our neighbors,” he reminds his congregation. “Pastors don’t have a better vocation; they have a different one. But every vocation, every daily calling, is holy in God’s eyes and an opportunity to serve the neighbor.” And Trinity hasn’t let those opportunities pass by. The congregation’s humble mercy work has already borne good fruit, even as it is once more caring for another hurting pastor. It is Miller’s prayer that God would use Trinity yet again, so that “another good pastor, having faced hardship and difficulty as a servant of the Word, may be spared for

September–October 2015

future work in the Lord’s kingdom.” “You don’t argue people into respecting and loving the office of pastor,” Tibben says simply. “You serve faithfully, and they will come to love the office of pastor. If we can lead our people to see the great blessings that God gives us in the Gospel and the Sacraments, then they will see the great blessing of the office that exists to put the Means of Grace into play for them and for their salvation.” And that, he says, will lead to something just as beautiful — “they will love and care for the man who holds that office in their congregation” — and the most wonderful kind of typical. Adriane Heins is managing editor of The Lutheran Witness and editor of Catechetical Information for LCMS Communications. ▶ View the photo gallery: lcms.org/photo/ trinity-danville

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THE

Examining Evidence for Faith “ The most important things in our society go back thousands and thousands of years, whether it’s democracy, science, the Bible. … We are part of a great tradition, and we ought to know it.” — Dr. E. Christian Kopff

PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

by Megan K. Mertz

He’s a college professor who’s fluent in ancient languages and an expert in history dating back to Genesis — a Lutheran Indiana Jones, of sorts. For Dr. E. Christian Kopff, the past matters — and it matters a lot. That’s why the LCMS Lutheran has spent the last 40 years studying and teaching about the ancient world as an associate professor of Classics at

the University of Colorado in Boulder, a state university with more than 29,000 undergraduate and graduate students. “The most important things in our society go back thousands and thousands of years,” he said, “whether it’s democracy, science, the Bible. … We are part of a great tradition, and we ought to know it.”

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“The result is that [students] get a feeling that this is a real document that is part of history as well as having religious and ethical significance.” — Dr. E. Christian Kopff

The Bible as History Kopff’s specialty is in ancient Greek manuscripts, and he knows both Greek and Latin — languages he sometimes teaches in the school’s Honors Program. He also teaches a course he designed called “Introduction to the Bible.” Unlike other courses on the Bible that are mostly meant to help students understand biblical references in the works of writers like John Milton and William Shakespeare, Kopff teaches his course from a historical perspective. Students read passages from the Old and New Testaments alongside parallel texts like the Babylonian creation story, the Code of Hammurabi and letters from Pliny the Younger. The Bible “was written in historical time, and there are historical parallels to a lot that’s in it,” Kopff said. “The result is that [students] get a feeling that this is a real document that is part of history as well as having religious and ethical significance.” His classes draw a wide range of students. Some know the Bible well; others have no understanding of the Bible. “Something that our society has gotten across to people who don’t know anything about the Bible is that they are all made-up stories,” Kopff said. “They are quite flabbergasted to discover that there’s rather good historical evidence for numerous parts

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of the Bible. The Assyrians, the Egyptians do mention people in the Bible. And the evidence on the New Testament, because that’s the time of the Roman Empire, is quite good.”

Confronting the Questions Many college subjects include topics that can be challenging for a Christian — whether it’s radioisotopes in chemistry or

evolution in biology — and Kopff readily acknowledges that the study of the Classics is no different. He has had to confront some questions that have challenged his own faith, both in the classroom and during independent research. “They do bring up questions of faith. They do challenge you. They do make you think about it,” he said. “Teaching the Bible means there are students who ask questions … and very often, good questions.”

September–October 2015

“How can anyone really believe this?” and — when examining the lives of biblical people like King David — “Should this really be a model for us?” are common questions asked in his classes. Even so, Kopff sees more opportunities than problems. What he wants above all else is for students to take the subject seriously and examine the evidence before making up their minds. “What I never tell them is that all reputable scholars think this or that. Because the fact is, reputable scholars sometimes think things for which the evidence isn’t very good,” he said. “I don’t force my own beliefs on students, but I do try and make sure they understand that there are open issues and they should look at both sides of these issues. I want them to look at the evidence and make up their own minds.”

Role in Campus Ministry In addition to challenging his students to think critically inside the classroom, Kopff also takes an active role at University Lutheran Chapel (ULC), the Synod’s LCMS U campus-ministry chapter at the University of Colorado, by serving as an elder. Kopff started attending the chapel after his children left the nest. At the moment, he is the only faculty member involved with the campus ministry.

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“It helps me keep in touch with students on another level other than teaching,” he said. “Seeing them outside of that context teaches me things about them that I need to know and that I want to know.” It also gives him the opportunity to engage and encourage students on issues of faith in a way that he can’t do during class. Sometimes students even seek him out for guidance on personal matters because they know he is a Christian. “It was very meaningful to me to have Professor Kopff attend the ULC with us,” recent graduate Raymond Cox wrote by email. The Classics major and member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Highlands Ranch, Colo., took one of Kopff’s classes in addition to regularly attending the campus ministry with him. “It was also very wonderful to have him there to add this knowledge of antiquity to discussions about the day’s readings,” Cox continued, noting that Kopff’s presence at ULC inspired him to combine his study of Greek with the Bible by following along in his Greek New Testament each week. “LCMS college students and campusministry workers aren’t the only ones on our nation’s university campuses,” said the Rev. Marcus Zill, director of LCMS Campus Ministry and LCMS U. “There are a lot of LCMS faculty and other campus personnel who are teaching in the classroom and intricately involved in campus life. They are extremely valuable to the cause not just because of the support they can give to local campus-ministry efforts, but precisely because they are on the front lines in engaging the world in the incubator of ideas.” What keeps professors like Kopff excited about engaging new students in the study of these topics year after year?

CALLING ALL PROFESSORS Are you a faculty member at one of America’s colleges, universities or community colleges? LCMS U wants to hear from you! The Rev. Marcus Zill, director of LCMS Campus Ministry and LCMS U, is working to establish a network of Lutherans involved in higher education. “It is our hope to provide ways to not only encourage college faculty and staff to get involved in local campus-ministry outreach as much as possible, but also to encourage them in their vocations and connect them through LCMS U so that they can learn and grow from one another,” Zill said. Email Zill at Marcus.Zill@lcms.org to join the network.

“The past really matters,” he said. “This is where my beliefs certainly affect the enthusiasm and the commitment that I have to teaching.” Megan K. Mertz is managing editor of Lutherans Engage the World and a staff writer for LCMS Communications. Learn more: ▶ About LCMS U: lcms.org/lcmsu ▶ V iew the photo gallery: lcms.org/photo/kopff

SECONDARY EDUCATION

MIDDLE SCHOOL

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

EARLY CHILDHOOD

DIR. OF CHRISTIAN OUTREACH DIR. OF FAMILY LIFE DIR. OF LAY MINISTRY

DIR. OF PARISH MUSIC

DIR. OF CHRISTIAN ED. DEACONESS

PA S

DIR

EL TO

DIR.

. OF

DIR. OF FA

DA ES CON

CHO S E L MIDD

PAR IS I ST

IAN

OF LA Y MIN

U C AT I D E Y R A T N EME

TI DE UCA

ON ED

EARLY CHILDHOOD

ON UC

USIC

I S T RY

MILY LIFE

DIR. OF CHRISTIAN OUTREACH ATI O N SEWARD, NEB.

RIVER FOREST, ILL.

PORTLAND, ORE.

COLLEGE MEQUON, WIS.

IRVINE, CALIF.

AUSTIN, TEXAS

ANN ARBOR, MICH.

SELMA, ALA.

BRONXVILLE, N.Y.

PASTOR

BECOME A CHURCH WO CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY

ST. LOUIS, MO.

FORT WAYNE, IND.

ST. PAUL, MINN.

SEMINARY

Do you know someone who is considering a career as a Lutheran pastor, teacher, deaconess or other church worker? There are many different ways to serve the church and its vital ministries. Learn more about where the various church-work programs are offered around the country. CONCORDIA COLLEGE ALABAMA Selma, Ala. ccal.edu 334-874-5700, Ext. 19762 admissions@ccal.edu

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY, ST. PAUL St. Paul, Minn. csp.edu 651-641-8230 or 800-333-4705 admissions@csp.edu

CONCORDIA COLLEGE—NEW YORK Bronxville, N.Y. concordia-ny.edu 800-937-2655 admission@concordia-ny.edu

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY TEXAS Austin, Texas concordia.edu 800-865-4282 admissions@concordia.edu

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY Ann Arbor, Mich. cuaa.edu 888-282-2338 or 734-995-7322 admission@cuaa.edu

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY WISCONSIN Mequon, Wis. cuw.edu 262-243-4560

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO River Forest, Ill. cuchicago.edu 877-282-4422 admission@cuchicago.edu CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY Irvine, Calif. cui.edu 949-214-3010 admissions@cui.edu

CONCORDIA SEMINARY St. Louis, Mo. csl.edu 800-822-9545 admissions@csl.edu CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Fort Wayne, Ind. ctsfw.edu 800-481-2155 admission@ctsfw.edu

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY, NEBRASKA Seward, Neb. cune.edu 800-535-5494, Ext. 7233 admiss@cune.edu CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY Portland, Ore. cu-portland.edu 503-280-8501

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New Pilot Project Sends Domestic Missionary into

‘the Margins’

PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

by Erik M. Lunsford

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September–October 2015

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The Rev. Peter Burfeind, new domestic missionary to Toledo, Ohio, surveys vacant houses in an inner-city neighborhood with community advocate Alicia Smith.

“Everything I’m doing here, I love it. I love inner-city work, I love campus ministry; it’s everything I love doing all rolled into one.” — Rev. Peter Burfeind

he Rev. Peter M. Burfeind, pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Toledo, Ohio, and campus pastor at the University of Toledo, counted the days until the end. His congregation was almost out of money. They were worshiping on the university campus and living off the proceeds of the sale of their church building from 10 years ago. Burfeind needed a lifeboat, and he needed one fast. On a Friday this past March, a Toyota dealership offered him a job selling cars. Maybe this was the way out, he thought, a curtain coming down after years of being a parish pastor. Burfeind asked the dealership for a few days to make his decision. Two days later, on Sunday, former LCMS English District Bishop Rev. Dr. David Stechholz was visiting Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Toledo, where Holy Cross members attend when Burfeind has weekend duty as an Army Reserve chaplain. After church, the bishop visited with a handful of Holy Cross members, and they alerted him to the urgency of their situation. Burfeind’s oldest son — he has three sons and two daughters ranging in age from 5 weeks to 17 years — made an impassioned plea for the bishop to visit the ministry. Another member handed

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him a newsletter showcasing the ministry’s inner-city work. The bishop became convinced this was a congregation fit for renewal, but the clock was ticking. Seeing a perfect opportunity for the Synod’s new church-planting initiative to work, the bishop contacted the Rev. Bart Day, executive director of the LCMS Office of National Mission, and the Rev. Steve Schave, director of LCMS Urban & InnerCity Mission and LCMS Church Planting.

The Hand of God at Work Day and Schave suggested that Burfeind participate in a new domestic-missionary pilot project, one combining inner-city work with campus ministry. “For the last two years,” Burfeind said, “the problem was I didn’t know I was going

to be here. My eyes were set elsewhere. Now I can finally focus. As a domestic missionary, I can focus on ministry.” Burfeind currently works in four main ministry areas. As campus pastor, he’s engaging students to join the campus ministry through projects like Engineers in Christ, which pairs students with inner-city and regional service projects requiring technical skills. This spring, they built an access ramp for an elderly homeowner in Appalachia. He loves LCMS U, which connects and supports Lutheran students in college. His second ministry is related: He witnesses to international students in their hunger for spiritual education. Third, Burfeind uses Bible studies and training events to link ROTC members and military veterans to a chapter of Operation Barnabas — the Synod’s network of care to the nation’s military members, families and veterans. The fourth ministry fits like a puzzle piece in the community as it looks to help revitalize inner-city neighborhoods through community partnerships and future internship opportunities for college students. Burfeind, who also serves as campus pastor at the University of Toledo, talks to incoming college students during an on-campus orientation session.

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Schave, a vocal proponent for urban and inner-city ministry and the necessity of planting new missions, said there is a critical need for missionaries in domestic inner-city mission fields. “There can be no doubt that the major cities of the United States are some of the greatest mission fields on the planet,” he said. “We expect our churches in the margins to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give shelter to the homeless. But quite often, our churches are starving and feel left out in the cold.” On a cloudy day in July, Burfeind visited the Junction community in Toledo with community advocate Alicia Smith. They walked together, surveying vacant homes for a potential new church building. The neighborhood is a mix of businesses and residences on the margins of the city. In several houses, Burfeind navigated between

piles of trash and moldy furniture. He sees possibilities everywhere, whether it’s the foundations of a building or a future ministry idea. The LCMS Office of National Mission continues to develop pilot projects that benefit pastors like Burfeind, while also enabling witness and mercy work to take place in some of the U.S.’s most difficult situations. “We have an opportunity,” Schave said, “to support international mission work in our backyards, to care for the least and to bring Christ to places that are literally groaning for the Gospel.” In the meantime, Burfeind, who hopes to become the first network-supported domestic missionary, will start fundraising. He plans to visit different churches in search of awareness and donors, and he calls the cooperation between the field

and the Synod “extremely encouraging and supporting.” It’s a radical departure from being a parish pastor, but it’s a new adventure. “Everything I’m doing here, I love it. I love inner-city work, I love campus ministry; it’s everything I love doing all rolled into one,” he said. Reflecting on a day that involved community surveying, speaking at a county planning commission meeting and repairing a young mother’s inner-city home, Burfeind knows the importance of working in the domestic mission field. “We need to be here,” he said. Erik M. Lunsford is the staff photojournalist and a staff writer for LCMS Communications. ▶ View the photo gallery: lcms.org/photo/ burfeind

The Rev. Peter Burfeind, new domestic missionary to Toledo, Ohio, speaks at a county planning commission meeting on a potential development project in the community.

University of Toledo student Gunther Ruck (left) and Burfeind work to rehab an area home as part of an Engineers in Christ project.

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September–October 2015

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MILITARY CHAPLAINS COMBAT

MERCY MOMENT

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High Suicide Rates

WITH MERCY

by Craig G. Muehler ◀ U.S. Navy Reserve Lt. Scott Shields, an LCMS chaplain, counsels Marines after the Divine Service.

PHOTO: SCOTT SHIELDS

Each day,

approximately 22 veterans kill themselves. Meanwhile, after decades of continuing armed conflict, the suicide rate among U.S. active-duty service members remains historically high for the fifth year in a row, according to statistics from the Pentagon.

oo many young men and women who have served in our military are taking their own lives, as they struggle with both combat stress and personal issues. Military chaplains are on the front lines — embedded with their troops — to combat this serious, lifeending trend. Regardless of a service member’s religious faith, or lack thereof, chaplains receive all troops with mercy and compassion. The military recognizes communication between chaplain and service member as being confidential. This gives the chaplain the opportunity and responsibility to engage with all of his personnel in times of personal crises. Chaplains are often the “first responders” for soldiers, airmen, Marines, sailors and Coast Guardsmen to come to in their hour of need. Recently, an LCMS chaplain on the front lines was able to prevent a suicide because of the bond formed with a

troubled soldier. For the sake of privacy, no names are used in this account. This chaplain received a text from a soldier he had previously counseled. When he arrived at the soldier’s barracks, he quickly realized that the soldier was intoxicated and actively talking about committing suicide. He followed the

and get the soldier the help he needed. This chaplain saved a soldier’s physical life, while also sharing the mercy of God in Jesus Christ. It is not a minor thing that in this soldier’s moment of crisis, he texted a chaplain. This service member was struggling with personal demons, and the person he reached out to in It is not a minor thing that in this soldier’s his darkest hour was his chaplain. Why? In moment of crisis, he texted a chaplain. their previous meetings, the soldier saw a person of mercy and soldier to his barracks room, where the compassion in the chaplain, as he conveyed soldier told the chaplain he was going to a message of hope to the young man. kill himself with a knife. As the soldier LCMS Ministry to the Armed Forces grabbed a sheathed knife, the chaplain supports and encourages some 170 LCMS wrestled it from his hands. He wanted the chaplains, as they share the Gospel and soldier to understand that this was not support military personnel in all kinds of the answer and that there was help for stressful situations around the world. him. The soldier wasn’t ready to hear it, so he ran into his bedroom and came out Chaplain Craig G. Muehler, U.S. Navy Capt. with two large machetes. The chaplain (Ret.), is director of LCMS Ministry to the continued talking with the soldier and was Armed Forces. finally able to defuse the tense situation Learn more: lcms.org/armedforces

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September–October 2015

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CHURCH-WORKER WELLNESS:

When One

SUFFERS…

by Jeni Miller

Mission (ONM) is able to grant financial sustenance to three key partners in this work: DOXOLOGY, Grace Place Wellness Ministries and Shepherd’s Canyon Retreat. In addition to these Recognized Service Organizations (RSOs), the ONM also assists the Soldiers of the Cross and Veterans of the Cross programs, which offer

financial support for active and retired church workers in the midst of financial or personal crises. “This year, the amount [of the grant] will be around $850,000 to be shared between Soldiers of the Cross, Veterans of the Cross and those three organizations: DOXOLOGY, Grace Place Wellness and Shepherd’s Canyon Retreat,” noted the Rev. Bart Day, executive director of the ONM. “Veterans of the Cross gives out basically as much as is requested. In recent years, the requests are diminishing, but you never know when we will be asked for more. Soldiers of the Cross receives a good portion of that total as well, and could be nearly doubled based on the needs and requests we receive.”

Help and Hope for Church Workers and Families Grace Place Wellness has held retreats around the country for thousands of

PHOTO: DOXOLOGY

ired out, burned out, kicked out, down and out. It’s no secret — or shouldn’t be — that our LCMS church workers are susceptible to suffering just like those they serve. Sometimes this suffering is connected with health or financial issues. Other times it can be traced directly to the daily stress of caring for sinners — and unfortunately, some church workers suffer due to the unloving words and actions of their own congregations. But Scripture is clear: If one part of the body suffers, we all suffer (1 Cor. 12:26). And so together — as the Church — we seek to care for our faithful servants who are suffering. Thankfully, the LCMS helps facilitate tangible ways in which this care can take place. Through the generous donations and support of individuals, congregations, districts and others, the LCMS Office of National

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September–October 2015

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LCMS church workers and their spouses since 1999, and they won’t be slowing down anytime soon. According to Randy Fauser, Grace Place Wellness president and CEO, the “stressors on our church workers are getting more intense. “Spiritual warfare is in full gear, from the outside and from within,” Fauser explained. “Grace Place Wellness is a ministry that teaches a model of preventive self-care so that our pastors, teachers, deaconesses, missionaries and chaplains will stay in ministry longer and serve with joy. We focus on spiritual, relational, financial and physical wellness. Our mission at Grace Place Wellness is to nurture vitality and joy in ministry by inspiring and equipping church workers to lead healthy lives.” Similarly, Dave Anderson, president of Shepherd’s Canyon Retreat and a member of the organization’s board of directors, also expects that church workers will continue to experience increased stress and difficulty as ministry becomes exponentially more challenging in our anti-Christian culture. “When a pastor — or a person in another field of full-time ministry — is in the midst of various stages of burnout, stress, depression and conflicts, the wounds can sidetrack ministry, impact the person’s family and even lead one to leave ministry,” Anderson explained. “Since our first retreat in March 2009, Shepherd’s Canyon Retreat has been privileged to provide an experience of restoration and healing to men and women in ministry, including pastors, teachers, missionaries,

DCEs, music ministers, youth directors, camp directors and military chaplains. All restoration is the result of the work of the Holy Spirit.” Shepherd’s Canyon Retreat has hosted nearly 275 men and women from 27 states through 44 retreats. Beginning late fall 2015, the Fellowship House at its Arizona retreat center, Standing Stones, will house retreat participants in addition to providing group and private counseling space. The Rev. Dr. Harold Senkbeil, executive director for Spiritual Care for DOXOLOGY: The Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care and Counsel, agrees that the stressors on our church workers come from both within and outside of the church. “We all know that it’s getting increasingly difficult to confess and live the Christian faith as our world becomes increasingly chaotic, its moral fiber unravels and religious belief is called into question,” Senkbeil said. “In such an environment, our church needs to pay special attention to its called workers. These faithful saints of God experience special emotional and spiritual stress as they strive to serve His people with confidence in a world that continually undermines their joy.” Founded in 2007, DOXOLOGY specializes in continuing education for pastors but also offers two-day “Insight” conferences so that other church workers and laity can develop competence and confidence in their specific vocations. The RSO has served more than 600 pastors and the congregations and agencies they serve with retreat seminars geared around

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COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT CHURCH-WORKER WELLNESS

$850,000 — amount of

grants provided by the LCMS toward Grace Place Wellness, DOXOLOGY, Shepherd’s Canyon Retreat, Soldiers of the Cross and Veterans of the Cross

$365,000 — separate

amount dedicated to missionary care and support

quality instruction in skills for the care and cure of souls, enriching worship and collegial conversation.

Wellness and Hope Extend Overseas Through the LCMS Office of International Mission (OIM), church-worker wellness is strongly supported and nurtured through several different avenues. One of those avenues includes free Employee Assistance Program counseling for missionaries, carried out on behalf of the OIM through Lutheran Counseling Services in Orlando, Fla. The organization has eight therapists available to speak confidentially with missionaries via Skype or over the phone.

“We count on our pastors and other church workers to be ready to minister to us on a moment’s notice and to be always filled with hope, compassion and joy. When church workers are enjoying a full and rich spiritual life, family life and are physically vibrant and energetic, we all benefit.” — Rev. Dr. Darrell Zimmerman, vice-president of Programs for Grace Place Wellness

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September–October 2015

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“To provide Christ-centered care is the call of the church,” said the Rev. Dr. Richard Armstrong, executive director of Lutheran Counseling Services. “Our missionaries, as with all of us, face pressures, frustrations and struggles as they live out their calling and service. Not to mention, issues and problems in relationships, parenting, health and loss at various levels, together with transitions into new cultures and situations of extended families back home and so much more.” Care for missionaries in the field, however, doesn’t end there. “Our missionaries are our most important assets in the field,” explained the Rev. John A. Fale, executive director of the OIM. “First and foremost, we strive to provide them with good pastoral support for the care of their soul — someone who will listen to their cares and struggles without judgment, comfort them with God’s Word, pray with them, absolve them and lead them in worship. Also, each regional director provides annual retreats for the regional team to come together for mutual support and encouragement, relaxation, worship and professional development.”

Everyone Engaged “The care for its workers is serious business for our church body,” said the Rev. Dr. Carlos Hernandez, director of LCMS Church and Community Engagement, which includes administration of Soldiers and Veterans of the Cross. “In a critical sense, our church workers serving their congregations and communities are in the front lines of Gospel proclamation, the Gospel of peace. Through the preaching

and teaching of the Word and the administration of the Holy Sacraments, they equip us with the whole armor of God. When they are in crisis and not, understandably, fully functioning, the Gospel is muffled. The devil has a field day when the worker is not fully functioning because of a personal crisis. Oh yes, we need to care for our workers, our front-line troops in the battle against the devil, the world and our sinful flesh.” Since we all suffer when one member suffers, it is truly the responsibility and privilege of all the baptized to care for the body of Christ and engage in support of those who serve that body. How can we do this? First, pray for your pastors and other church workers. Tell them you’re praying for them. Also, pray for the missionaries serving the LCMS. “Our missionaries represent the entire LCMS where they serve,” Fale added. “It is so very reassuring to them to know that their brothers and sisters of the LCMS pray for them regularly. I also ask that members of the LCMS give prayerful consideration to supporting opportunities for missionaries to retreat, that they may be refreshed and renewed periodically so they can continue in their service with renewed zeal.”

when needed. Point them to Christ, and suggest that they speak with their own pastor and have the Word preached and administered to them just as they share it with others. Finally, act. Financially supporting organizations that bring relief and restore wellness to suffering church workers ensures that those who are there to serve you and the church at-large can continue in this work. Of course, even a simple act of kindness can go a long way. “Congregations should be encouraged and reminded to do the little, simple things to love and support their church workers,” Day said. “It doesn’t have to be big and showy. The little things go a very long way, like letting the pastor use your vacation condo, baby-sitting their kids so they can have a date night, etc.” Deaconess Jeni Miller is a freelance writer and member of Lutheran Church of the Ascension in Atlanta. Learn more: lcms.org/sotc lcms.org/votc doxology.us graceplacewellness.org shepherdscanyonretreat.com

Next, look out for the well-being of your church workers. Be mindful of the signs of stress and difficulty in their lives. Encourage them, and remind them to seek help and resources

PHOTO: ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK

“Words of appreciation are not enough to express my gratefulness to have attended the DOXOLOGY retreat. My awareness of my personal, spiritual and psychological well-being has been enhanced, and I’ve been helped to be a better pastor.”

— DOXOLOGY retreat attendee

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September–October 2015

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WITNESS MOMENT nspire

Police Chaplain Provides Care during Tragedy

by Megan K. Mertz

“ It reminds you that however short your contact is with a person, you may be playing a very significant role in their faith life in the future. It gives you energy to keep doing what you do.” — Rev. William F. Engfehr III

PHOTO: ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK

“

haplain, will you handle the death notification?” asked the chief of the Collinsville, Ill., police department. It wasn’t the first time the Rev. William F. Engfehr III, then senior pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Collinsville, was asked to break difficult news to a family during his 20 years as a volunteer emergencyservices chaplain. In this case, he had to tell the parents of an 18-year-old girl that their daughter had been killed in a car crash on the way to school one fall morning. Engfehr met with the parents in a private room at the police station, where he provided what he calls “very simple care.” He told them what had happened, consoled them, listened to their stories and contacted a few of their family members and friends. At their request, he also arranged for them to view the body, which had already been moved to a local funeral home. In these situations, Engfehr said he usually contacts the family’s pastor or lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

clergy, but the girl’s parents said they did not have a church home. Later in the day, the parents went home with some family members, and Engfehr returned to his work at Holy Cross. “When you work as a chaplain, you come into people’s lives during a moment of crisis, serve them and then never see them again,” he said. But to his surprise, he did see them again, although it wasn’t until eight years later when the girl’s younger sister came to youth group at Holy Cross. Eventually, she started coming to worship services, joined an adult instruction class and asked to be baptized. The entire youth group attended her Baptism and hosted a reception, where Engfehr was able to connect with her parents again. “One of the things we remember of that day was your concern and care for us. You helped us in a very difficult time,” Engfehr recalls the parents saying to him. In his role as a chaplain, Engfehr serves through LCMS Specialized Pastoral Ministry (SPM), which trains and endorses ordained and commissioned church workers to serve the ill, imprisoned, aging, troubled, conflicted and isolated. Through chaplaincy, pastoral counseling and clinical

education, these specialized pastoral ministers encounter people in the midst of a variety of settings, as they bear witness to the love of God in Christ Jesus. “Specialized pastoral ministers are blessed to be called by God to serve in the corners of life that initially may seem to be devoid of God’s presence,” said the Rev. Joel Hempel, interim director of SPM. “In emergency rooms, in prisons and rehab centers, and certainly on our streets, God sends chaplains to be Christ to those who are scared, hurting and going through crisis and trauma. Filled with compassion and accompanied by experience and the necessary skill set, those in SPM seek to provide a ministry of presence that is grounded in the promises of God’s Word.” For Engfehr, the experience provided the joy of seeing God at work — first in the younger daughter’s life and later in the parents’ lives — when the entire family joined Holy Cross. “It reminds you that however short your contact is with a person, you may be playing a very significant role in their faith life in the future,” he said. “It gives you energy to keep doing what you do.” Learn more: lcms.org/spm

September–October 2015

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PHOTO: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

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The 500th Anniversary of the by Randall Golter

careful reading of a letter Martin Luther wrote to Cardinal Albert of Mainz on the same day (Oct. 31, 1571) he nailed the 95 Theses to the door of Wittenberg’s Castle Church shows his pastor’s heart. This letter delightfully details Luther’s deep concern for the laity.

and aggressively hostile attack. God’s weaponry — the church’s surgical sword — remains the same. “It pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:21). And the apostle John chimes in some 40 years later, “They have conquered [the devil] by the

“The first and only duty of the [pastors], however, is to see that the people learn the gospel and the love of Christ.” — Martin Luther What was his concern? For their clean conscience and that they remain clean, a cleansing made possible by hearing the comforting Word of Christ! Luther simply asks: “How can the [indulgence agents] then make the people feel secure and without fear [concerning salvation] by the means of false stories and promises of pardon?” Luther goes on to identify what is most crucial: “The first and only duty of the [pastors], however, is to see that the people learn the gospel and the love of Christ.” For Luther, the fundamental issue for the church of his time was proper pastoral care, that is, the sweet and clear preaching of Jesus Christ alone, without addition. The church in America is under fresh

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blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Rev. 12:11). Right around the corner is the 500th anniversary of the Reformation! Some people will consider this event an opportune time to highlight Luther’s heroism. Others might complain about his later caustic words or the church division that resulted. Fundamentally, the anniversary is not about Luther but the One who forgave Luther freely by grace through faith. It’s the perfect time to confess Jesus Christ alone as our conscience cleanser! In other words, it is still all about Jesus! “The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7b). This remains the Father’s way of bringing everyone home to Him.

September–October 2015

The Rev. Randall Golter is special assistant to the LCMS president. He is responsible for leading the Synod in planning the 2017 Reformation-anniversary celebration. Learn more: Reformation 2017 website: LutheranReformation.org Grant opportunity: lcms.org/standgrants

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PHOTO: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

Reformation Is Near!

Make plans for how you and your church might magnify the Savior’s name inside and outside the walls of the church. Take a look at LutheranReformation.org, and mark your calendar for the four dates of celebration that begin in November 2016 (Nov. 10, 2016 — Luther’s birth; Feb. 18, 2017 — Luther’s death; June 25, 2017 — Presentation of the Augsburg Confession; and Oct. 31, 2017 — Reformation Day). Along with Reformation opportunities and resources, a renewed focus on preaching is starting called “Preach the Word.” This effort will provide pastors an opportunity to improve on the craft of preaching and the laity in their hearing of it. Oh, how the devil hates this focus on the communication of God’s enlivening Word! Luther says it so well: “The Word is so effective that whenever it is seriously contemplated, heard, and used, it is bound never to be without fruit [Is. 55:11; Mark 4:20]. It always awakens new understanding, pleasure, and devoutness and produces a pure heart and pure thoughts [Phil. 4:8]” (Large Catechism I 101).

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The LCMS Foundation provides the resources and expertise to help

your congregation implement an effective plan to receive bequests and other estate gifts from members. The Foundation also can manage these funds on your behalf according to your time frame for use and your level of risk tolerance. Please contact Ralph Simon for more information on the LCMS Foundation’s investment management services. Or contact Allen Helms regarding Christian planned-giving programs that can be used to help the members of your church make the very best gifts to family and ministry. Ralph Simon Congregational Funds 314-996-1056 Ralph.Simon@lfnd.org

Allen Helms Gift Planning 314-996-1684 Allen.Helms@lfnd.org

Learn more about the LCMS Foundation, its many services and its impact on ministry by visiting its new, redesigned website: lcmsfoundation.org.

Help!

PHOTO: ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK

he sole pastor of a medium-size LCMS congregation can still hear the voice on the other end of the line. It was an attorney calling. “Pastor,” said the attorney, “we’re settling the estate of a man who passed away in the spring. He was one of your members, and he left $450,000 to your congregation.” Great news, right? It would seem so, but the pastor received the news with trepidation. He had encountered this sort of situation at a previous parish, when an unexpected gift produced what he called the “most challenging time” of his ministry. “Suddenly, competition sprang up about how the money was to be used,” he recalled. “One group wanted it for a new roof. Another thought it should be used by the school. Others believed it ought to

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OUR CHURCH JUST GOT A BIG GIFT, AND WE DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO! by David Fiedler

go right into the bank. Real dissent and unhappiness arose out of what should have been a beautiful thing.” The good news is that congregations can avoid many of these problems by having two things in place: a fund set up to receive estate gifts (even if there is no money in it to start) and a gift-acceptance policy that directs what will happen when such a gift is received. These plans also can help encourage future generosity among members by giving them confidence that their gifts will be a true blessing to their congregation and will not be used by the devil to create larger problems. The fund can be set up as an endowment, where only the income earned on the investment is spent each year. Separate sub-accounts also can be created for more specific ministry areas, such as the school,

the youth program, building improvements and so on. The accompanying gift-acceptance policy complements the church’s endowment fund. It governs what happens when an estate gift or other large contribution is received that is not otherwise directed to some area of ministry. It ensures that the gift is applied according to parameters already established in the fund’s governing documents. This helps prevent competition and conflict as to how it is used, minimizing dissent and keeping the Lord’s work and the congregation’s existing priorities at the forefront. David Fiedler is president of the LCMS Foundation.

September–October 2015

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NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID Burlington, WI Permit No. 12

LET’S TALK

life, marriage religious liberty AND

Join the discussion on significant public-square issues while learning about opportunities to make a difference for generations to come. Find articles, archived webinars and other resources for use in your church or home. Learn more: § Free to be Faithful: lcms.org/freetobefaithful § The Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty: lcms.org/lcrl