tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post447821771322178755..comments2024-03-27T15:47:46.091-05:00Comments on Pastoral Meanderings: The Long Shadow of a Small PresencePastor Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-87716334415834066422011-09-08T13:32:21.067-05:002011-09-08T13:32:21.067-05:00"Through the Word and Sacraments, as through ..."Through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given. He works faith *when and where it pleases God* in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who believe they are received into grace for Christ's sake" (AC V: 2,3; emphasis added).Rev. Allen Younthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00211830350490559932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-74487887653309143632011-09-07T13:21:21.826-05:002011-09-07T13:21:21.826-05:00The no adult baptism statistics is generally true,...The no adult baptism statistics is generally true, however, it does include all parishes of Synod -- including those in remote and rural locations where population decline is the norm and it does not note the number of adult confirmations where adults baptized before are catechized. Statistics can be brought to bear toward many different conclusions and we need to be circumspect about basing conclusions on the popular attestations.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-39143981487105401812011-09-07T12:58:49.727-05:002011-09-07T12:58:49.727-05:00"It is
sad that a majority of our LCMS
parish..."It is<br />sad that a majority of our LCMS<br />parishes have no adult baptisms or<br />adult confirmands each year."<br /><br />Is this even true?<br /><br />Does this include parishes in tiny rural towns that no one moves to and people keep moving out? Explaining is not the same as a cop out. <br /><br />Also, if we can't reach our own kids, are we really so dynamic that we are going to reach strangers?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-35447233606576194742011-09-07T11:51:35.407-05:002011-09-07T11:51:35.407-05:00It is amusing that we have all kinds
of excuses fo...It is amusing that we have all kinds<br />of excuses for Synod's loss of<br />members. God would have all men to<br />be saved and come to the knowledge<br />of truth in Jesus Christ. It is<br />sad that a majority of our LCMS<br />parishes have no adult baptisms or<br />adult confirmands each year.<br /><br />Yet we hear the cop-out about the<br />elect being saved and no body else<br />has to work hard to spread the gospel as we hinder the work of<br />the Holy Spirit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-76046762885097193072011-09-07T11:48:56.874-05:002011-09-07T11:48:56.874-05:00In response to the Rev. Richard A. Bolland's c...In response to the Rev. Richard A. Bolland's comments above: Well said and AMEN!Irenaeusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-51934449458676180272011-09-07T10:29:38.582-05:002011-09-07T10:29:38.582-05:00"To lose almost 1/2 million members
is not a ..."To lose almost 1/2 million members<br />is not a healthy sign."<br /><br /><br />Healthy populations reproduce.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-20874482169261411362011-09-07T09:38:25.040-05:002011-09-07T09:38:25.040-05:00I would suggest that a study of those dropping num...I would suggest that a study of those dropping numbers might attribute most of them to congregations on the large side... it is much harder to lose track of people in a smaller congregation than it is in a large one.<br /><br />For my own case, some of our "losses" represent people who move and we never find out if they joined another church or which one and often do not even get an accurate forwarding address.Pastor Petershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-75855084572472165862011-09-07T05:04:16.266-05:002011-09-07T05:04:16.266-05:00I am often amused that folks like "Anonymous&...I am often amused that folks like "Anonymous" see dropping numbers and assume that the Church just isn't doing her job. In fact these numbers simply indicate that we are living in an increasingly secular culture. "Success" as a pastor or as a congregation cannot be accurately measured by the number of people coming in the door on Sunday mornings. (If that were the case, then the Mormons ought to be emulated.) Rather the measure of "success" is to be found in the faithful preaching of God's Word and the right administration of the Sacraments. <br /><br />The numbers concern is for God to deal with. He knows who His elect are and He won't loose any of us. We cannot increase the population of heaven nor can we decrease the population of hell despite our best evangelistic efforts. God knows His own. However, it is our joy to faithfully preach and administer so that those (unknown to us), who are elect will be called by Christ to Himself.<br /><br />What the decline in numbers tells us is about our culture, not the efficiency or inefficiency of the Church. We really do need to believe that God's Word and Sacraments will accomplish what God has promised they will do.Rev. Richard A. Bollandhttp://www.acelc.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-22179673707718440062011-09-06T15:17:14.324-05:002011-09-06T15:17:14.324-05:00In 1970, the Lutheran Church Missouri
Synod had 2,...In 1970, the Lutheran Church Missouri<br />Synod had 2,788,536 baptized members<br />In 2010, the LCMS had 2,310,235<br />baptized members.<br /><br />This is a loss of 478,301 members<br />in the past 40 years.<br /><br />To lose almost 1/2 million members<br />is not a healthy sign. There is a<br />need for self-evaluation on the<br />Synodical and District level.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-57285343497569308832011-09-06T12:02:23.215-05:002011-09-06T12:02:23.215-05:00"Churches" with less than 50 people
in a..."Churches" with less than 50 people<br />in attendance are merely "playing<br />church." Without a ordained pastor<br />they have no Sacraments administered,<br />and there are no sermons preached<br />with any theological depth and law/<br />gospel dynamic.<br /><br />To have lay-led worship services is<br />not the same as ordained pastors<br />conducting the worship services.<br />This is a sad situation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-29744844856156368592011-09-06T09:15:39.631-05:002011-09-06T09:15:39.631-05:00Fr. Peters,
A "full service" congregat...Fr. Peters,<br /><br />A "full service" congregation/parish was where Word and Sacrament were rightly administered. (God serves us, and His service is 'full.')<br /><br />If mega-pastors would stop trying to be CEOs and Rock Stars, and pay attention to what God has called them to do (preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins)...<br /><br />Also if we the parish would stop expecting our pastors to do everything in the church except what he's called to do...<br /><br />Whatever happened to the "cure of souls?"Janis Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02947508427040251166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-79424517508224403092011-09-06T08:23:37.145-05:002011-09-06T08:23:37.145-05:00Nationwide most of the parishes with
attendance un...Nationwide most of the parishes with<br />attendance under 100 are led by<br />non-ordained leaders who have a <br />regular job during the week for their<br />income. Some of them are storefront<br />churches, others are simply getting<br />by in old church buildings.<br /><br />These lay-led small churches are<br />often a few families who refuse to<br />surrender their past heritage and<br />are proud of their family name.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com