Investing in the Foundation
I am so grateful to my home congregation for sending me to seminary. Harold Revne, an elder in Bethesda, told me, “David, it’s time for you to go to get better prepared for ministry. And we’ll pay the tuition.” That’s just what they did. They set up a scholarship fund...
Keep Your Eyes Open
As I visited recently with Mary Rodgers and Mary Helwagen from Mentor, Ohio, they shared the passion of Pilgrim Lutheran Brethren Church (PLBC) for making disciples and encouraging women through Women’s Ministry to their Northeastern Ohio area. Here’s what they had to...
Jesus is the Foundation
In 1902 Joakim Gundersen received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. From that day forward, he made it his life’s mission to tell others of his Savior. On October 30, 1959, Joakim wrote the letter below to encourage his grandson and to share his testimony. Dear...
Winter Youth Retreat
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). On January 5, 2018, around forty youth and youth leaders arrived...
Laughing at God’s Plan
In Genesis 17 and 18, on separate occasions, both Abraham and Sarah struggle to contain their laughter at God’s promise to bless them with a son. The childless couple are nearing 100 and 90 years old, respectively. What a ludicrous idea! God has been too slow to keep...
Wrestle with God
No one lives in such solitude that God has not entrusted to him or her the responsibility for someone else. He leads people into our lives. One day we will have to give an account for them. Many try to isolate themselves so that they may evade responsibility for...
Rebuild It
My oldest son loves playing with Lego blocks. He likes to build airplanes, cars, castles, and homes. He constructs small cities and develops complex story lines in which each Lego character plays an important role. It seems there is no end to his creativity. My...
You Can’t Go to Church
The world is changing. I’m sure you’ve noticed this. School is different for your kids than it was for you. The political environment is unlike anything you’ve seen before. Societal values have shifted radically. And something about your church is different, too....
Transformational Church
https://vimeo.com/252937259 Church Planting and the Mission of God For some, the word planting comes across as insider language. In the sub-culture of the church planting world there is an entire language mostly unknown to the outside. We’ve all heard planters talk...
Resilience in Ministry: Three Action Steps
Pastor Jacob looked at the email, grimaced, and thought, “Not another one.” His heart sank a bit. Another individual was contacting him after visiting the church on Sunday and asking for a pastoral visit, ending his email, “And my wife and I are very interested in the...
God Provides: CLB Contribution Report
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19, ESV). Imagine with me what our churches would look like if we actually lived out the truth of this verse. Of course, we confess that it is, in fact,...
You are Making a Difference!
Each New Year causes us to reflect: What happened last year? Did I make a difference in my home, in the community I’m a part of, or in the world? Here’s a look at what God has done through you, as part of Women’s Ministries (WMCLB) this past year. SWEET Retreat:...
Addressing a Crucial Need
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” — Hebrews 13:8 hat a comfort to know that Jesus is always the same, that he never changes and that we can always depend on him to love us and forgive us! We have many such blessings because of his unchanging...
He Leadeth Me
In the fall of 2008, Caleb Larson and I attended Oak Hill Lutheran Brethren Church in Bloomington, Minnesota for the first time as husband and wife. There we discovered a renewed desire to serve in our church, not just as individuals, but now as a unified couple. Our...
The Shrinking Pie
Statistics tell us 80% of North American churches have either stopped growing (plateaued) or are actually shrinking. We’re talking all churches, including those with a high view of Scripture. Just the other day I heard a pastor of a very conservative Lutheran church...