Where there is no prophetic vision the people perish but blessed is he who keeps the law. Proverbs 29:18 KJV
During the most recent NALC Convocation, Bishop Dan Selbo shared his vision for the future of the North American Lutheran Church. The 2020 Vision, as he called it, is a ten-point vision of what and where he sees as the next set of building blocks for the NALC as we grow into the future of our mission and ministry. Reflecting upon Bishop Dan’s vision, I spent time in prayer and study concerning a vision of what and where I believe God is calling us at St. Jacobs to be as we grow into the future of our mission and ministry here. What follows is the fruit of this prayerful study. I hope and pray that our church family is willing and able to embrace this six-point vision for our future so that we truly become faithful participants in God’s mission for the sake of the world. I am convinced that each point within this vision is central to the future growth and ministry of St. Jacob’s. As with the bishop’s 2020 vision, each vision point carries with it an associated goal for the future.
Point #1 – That St. Jacob’s develops an intentional Disciple Making Culture. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is more than simply calling yourself a disciple. Disciples continually learn from their teacher. They embrace a way of life where one lives in the world but not of the world. It is my hope that St. Jacob’s develops a culture where our church family members learn the importance and benefit of living as disciples of Jesus Christ. Becoming students of God’s Word through reading Scripture daily, engaging in Christian education opportunities of the church on a regular basis. This vision includes helping people develop an intentional prayer life, teaching church family members how it is they might share their faith with others outside St. Jacob’s, and growing in a deeper, more personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. The Goal: That St. Jacob’s would develop a small group ministry dedicated to assist members as they grow in discipleship and relationship with Jesus Christ.
Point #2 – Growing the Christian Education Ministries of our Congregation. It is becoming more and more common that children do not know the great stories of the Bible. This is an issue that has not just popped up overnight, it has happened because all too often parents have not stressed the importance of Sunday school and Christian education. It has been increasingly difficult to provide Christian Education for people of all ages due to a lack of willingness of adults to serve as Sunday school teachers for our young people. My vision for St. Jacob’s Christian Education includes classes where I might help equip and empower adult members of our Congregation to become faith leaders for our children. This is why I have begun the St. Jacob’s Online campus. Learning more about the Biblical narrative will provide others with the confidence needed to relate the biblical story to our life today and help our children to grow in faithfulness and love for the Lord. The Goal: That the majority of church family members embrace Christian learning and become active participants in studying the Scriptures together in Bible studies and Sunday school.
Point #3 – Raising up Leaders for the Church. While St. Jacob’s does support our NALC Seminary system through benevolent giving, I believe we are well equipped to help the NALC raise up the next generation of Pastors. The evidence for this is how the congregation welcomed and provided a place for NALC Candidate Philip Sandi to come and begin developing skills and confidence as he discerns his call to ministry. St. Jacob’s has previously served as an internship site and would provide an excellent contextual education opportunity for an intern of the NALC to come and learn and growinto the vocation of pastoral ministry. The Goal: That St. Jacob’s would discern the importance of this ministry and become an internship site for the NALC.
Point #4 – That St. Jacob’s would Grow in our Focus on Mission and Outreach. One of the CORE Values of the NALC is that the NALC is a Mission Driven Church. Since its founding by the apostles, the Church of Jesus Christ has existed for the sake of her neighbor. In Matthew 25, Jesus calls his followers to minister to the poor, the needy, hungry, sick and marginalized. The North American Lutheran Church calls upon congregations to engage this mission by participating in Local ministries, NALC mission partnerships, and at least one global ministry. Certainly, we do these things through our benevolent giving, but participating through “hands on” projects will help us grow in our sense of mission and ministry. We have plenty of resources at our disposal for use in active participation within several ministries such as NALC disaster response, WE CARE of Chapin and, Congo Mission International. The Goal: That St. Jacob’s church family members would lend their talents to working on mission projects regularly and the Outreach Team would become leaders in Mission projects throughout the year.
Point #5 – That St. Jacob’s develops a Welcoming and Inviting Culture through which the surrounding community is able to come and hear the Gospel and find a community of believers that shares their life together in Christ Jesus. So many studies have been conducted in recent years that point to the fact that most people come to a new church because they were personally invited by its members. Another study by the Barna group points to the issue that average Christian today only invites 1.2 people annually to their church for Sunday worship. As Chapin continues to grow in population and diversity, I believe we are uniquely situated to provide a community for worship for so many who do not have a church home of their own. When is the last time you invited someone to come to worship at St. Jacob’s? You might just want to begin with those family members who have been missing for a number of months or years. The Goal: That St. Jacob’s becomes known as an inviting congregation throughout Chapin and the surrounding community.
Point #6 – That St. Jacob’s grows in our Sense of Christian Fellowship. When I first came to St. Jacob’s, I was told that I shouldn’t go hungry because we are a congregation that likes to eat. This is music to the ears of those who enjoy a robust time of fellowship with family and friends. Sadly, even before the pandemic, fellowship opportunities at St. Jacob’s have been fewer and farther between. I’m not sure why this is the case, but it goes without saying that a congregation that enjoys lively Christian fellowship also enjoys a healthy relationship and life together. The Goal: As we emerge from the global pandemic, St. Jacob’s schedules frequent events during which we would enjoy fellowship among our church family.
I believe these vision points are central to the mission and ministry of St. Jacob’s future. With God’s help we will grow and become a house of prayer for many to call their church home. As the proverb says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” I believe living as a disciple of Jesus Christ is the key. If we attempt to build our ministry on our own, we will surely stumble. This vision for our congregation is not something That I offer on my own, but it is offered to you as I have prayed for God’s guidance in leading St. Jacob’s into the future of our life together in Christ. Having a vision for ministry is crucial to any congregation. We need to understand the direction in which we are traveling, that is if we are traveling at all. The desire here is to help us move forward. If we don’t know what it is that we are moving toward, it will be increasingly difficult to recognize the destination when we finally arrive.
Thank you for indulging me in this rather lengthy installment of my monthly column. I ask you all to prayerfully consider each of these ministry points and discern your role within them.
Grace and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
