Issue 6| November 2024

CORE Voice Newsletter, Issue 6,

November 2024

In This Issue


  • The definition of a religion other than Christianity
  • Expect Greater Conflict?
  • Escaping Egypt
  • Upcoming webinars follow the life of Moses from Egypt to the Promised Land
  • Confronting a ministry challenge
  • Latest video book review

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Who Is Like the Lord Our God?

by Pr. Brett Jenkins, NALC pastor from Pennsylvania and former board member of Lutheran CORE


[...] I ended my last article by saying, “Progressive Christianity quickly

ceases to be formally Christian precisely because it holds different

things to be sacred than does the Biblical, Apostolic faith … it represents

a different religion, not a different way to be Christian.”


Though I differ with his work on many points, one thing that the

enormously popular psychologist Jordan Peterson has helped me

understand is that human thought is intrinsically and inescapably hierarchical.[...]


In a hierarchy, whatever occupies a higher position determines the relative value of everything beneath it.  [...]

Read More ...

Escaping Egypt: Undeserved Loyalty

by Dr. Brian Hughes, Lutheran CORE Board Vice-President


 [...] Hi. My name is Brian and I’m an adult child of alcoholics (ACOA). I’ve had friends in ministry question why it took so long for me to finally exit the ELCA and roster with another church body, a fair question and one that needs to get lifted for those who are still inside. Make no mistake, as our director Dennis Nelson has begun to warn, the doors are likely to slam shut next August at the national ELCA Assembly. So why are you and your congregation still inside, especially if you’re a moderate, grace-filled compassionate confessional Lutheran? [...]

Read More ...

Is Even Greater Conflict on the Horizon?

by Pastor Dennis D. Nelson, Lutheran CORE Executive Director


Structural and governance changes will most certainly come about from the work of the ELCA’s Commission for a Renewed Lutheran Church. An all-encompassing redefinition of mission and ministry will most certainly result from the recommendations, expectations, requirements or whatever that will be laid upon congregations because of the DEIA audit which the ELCA had done of its governing documents. The provision for bound conscience will very possibly be eliminated as part of the review and re-evaluation of the 2009 human sexuality social statement. As I keep up on the latest of what may be coming for unsuspecting ELCA congregations, I realize that conflict within congregations might only become more severe leading up to and after the next ELCA Churchwide Assembly in August 2025. [...]

Read More …

The Existential Crisis Facing So Many Congregations

by Pr. Don Brandt, Congregational Lay-Led Initiative (CLI)


The Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC), on its website, lists the average worship attendance of each of their 818 U.S. congregations. This data represents a veritable “treasure trove” of information when it comes to how many of these congregations might be facing a crisis in the coming years concerning the viability of their ministries. (This kind of information, by the way, is not available on the NALC or ELCA websites.) Regarding the accuracy of these numbers, we need to keep in mind  [...]


Here is the “bottom line”; too many smaller churches are making the erroneous assumption that they can stake their congregation’s future on always being able to find, call and afford an ordained pastor.  This is simply not the case for most of these smaller congregations. When considering the LCMC, 60% of their congregations serve 75 or fewer worshipers in a typical week. And over one-third of their churches serve 40 or less worshipers.


It is time for smaller congregations to consider long-term ministry strategies that do not assume the ongoing availability of ordained pastors. Here—on a more constructive note—are some options that congregational leaders from these churches need to consider. And sooner rather than later. [...]

Read More ...

Free Webinar on Church Conflict

by Pastor Dennis D. Nelson, Lutheran CORE Executive Director


WEDNESDAY, November 20 – 11 AM EST

 

At the church in southern California where I served as pastor for forty years we had a large Christian day school that went from preschool to eighth grade. The Christmas programs put on by the students (preschool, K-3rd grade, 4th-8th grade) were always excellent and we knew that for many parents attending their child’s program would be the only time when they would hear the Christmas message. 

 

The reality was that rehearsals and preparations for the programs basically took over the sanctuary from late November through the middle of December. All the chancel furniture was removed and one hundred forty chairs were set up in the chancel. The chancel was set up for the rehearsals early Monday morning and it stayed that way throughout the week until [...]

 

But one year the ninety-nine-year-old mother of a prominent member died in early December. My first thought was, “I am toast. No matter what happens, I will not survive this one unscathed.”  [...]

Read More ...

Video MinistriesUnderstanding Evil

by Pastor Dennis D. Nelson, Lutheran CORE Executive Director


Many thanks to Ken Coughlan for giving us a video review of his recent book, “Understanding Evil from a Christian Perspective.” Ken is a Christian apologist and religion teacher at St. Paul's Lutheran School in Glen Burnie, Maryland.[...]


A link to Ken’s video book review can be found [...]

Read More ...

SIMUL: Summer 2024

by Pastor Dennis Di Mauro, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church (NALC) in Warrenton, VA


Dear Friends, 

 

The latest issue of SIMUL, the Journal of St. Paul Lutheran Seminary, on “Pre-Reformation Theologians,” has dropped! And best of all, it’s free!

 

Click here: https://issuu.com/stpaulsimul/docs/issue_12_v4

 

      This edition delves into the historical roots of Lutheranism with several insightful articles about pre-Reformation theologians. In this volume, Mark Menacher begins our study with a well-researched article on the life and work of John Wycliffe. Menacher examines the similarities and differences between Wycliffe’s theology and later Lutheran thought, while also lamenting his acceptance of the prevailing justification theology of his day. St. Paul Lutheran Seminary graduate and pastor Leah Krotz offers a beautifully written essay on the work of 15th century Czech theologian Jan Hus. Krotz explains how Hus’ courageous search for the truth of scripture still resonates today. Mark Ryman takes a somewhat broader approach to the topic, exploring how Hus’ and Wycliffe’s works personally influenced Luther, especially in the formulation of the Reformation doctrines of Sola Scriptura and Semper Reformanda. Ryman also contributes a beautiful hymn entitled “Wyclyf,” sung to the tune of the 1887 hymn “Wycliff,” written by John Stainer. And I finish out this issue with a book review on Lauro Martinez’s history (that reads like a novel), entitled Fire in the City: Savonarola and the Struggle for the Soul of Renaissance Florence published by Oxford University Press (2007). What can this little monk from Ferrara teach us about having the courage to stand up against corruptions that might arise in the Church?

 

     SIMUL can be read three ways. One can enlarge and read through the flip book on the top of the webpage (there is a full screen button that can be clicked on the lower right-hand side of the flipbook, and you can double-click or use the zoom slider at the bottom of the page for even more magnification), or one can scroll down and read each individual article. This second option allows readers to share individual articles (that can be read on a cellphone) without sending the entire issue. You can also download a pdf to your device and keep it forever!

 

Enjoy!

 

Dennis


Coming Events
  • Free Webinar "Church Conflict" - November 20, 2024 at 11 AM EST. Click here.
  • Free Webinar “Vision Casting” — February 19, 2025 from 11 am—12 pm EST. Details TBD.
  • Free Webinar “Grief and Change” — March 19, 2025 from 11 am—12 pm EST. Details TBD.
  • Free Webinar “Organizational Structure and Succession Planning” — April 23, 2025 from 11 am—12 pm EST. Details TBD.
  • BYLD: Building Youth As Leaders Who Are Disciples of Christ—Geneva College, Beaver, PA. July 7-12, 2025. Click here.
  • 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly—Phoenix, AZ. July 28 - Aug 2, 2025. Click here.
  • NALC Lutheran Week 2025. Pittsburgh, PA. August 3 - Aug 8, 2025. Click here.
  • LCMC 25th Annual Gathering & Convention — Lakeville, MN. October 5-8, 2025. Click here.
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© 2024 Lutheran Coalition for Renewal

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  • A Voice for Biblical Truth


Our purpose can be summed up in two words– Network  and  Voice. As  Network  for confessing Lutherans, we support and connect Lutheran individuals and congregations who seek to live in accord with Biblical and confessional teachings and practices. As a  Prophetic Voice, we advocate for Biblical authority and confessional fidelity among churches of the Lutheran community.


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