Final Contribution Report! 9:04 AM

From the depths of our hearts, we want to thank our family of churches for their support and encouragement – expressed most recently by the outpouring of financial support in our fiscal year ending month of April. By any of our historical contribution standards, it was an excellent month, allowing us to end the fiscal year at 95% of our contribution support goal when we entered April at just 73%.

But the really exciting news is that, after tallying up all other sources of income and factoring our actual expenses, we should end up with an overall fiscal year “bottom line” surplus of right in the vicinity of $176,000 – just enough to cover (wipe out) the combined carryover negative fund balance of $175,727. So for the first time in about 20 years or so, our operating ministries (as a whole) are NOT IN THE RED. It’s as though God’s intention was to give us just enough to poke our nose above the water…after all, holding your breath underwater for 20 years gets a little exhausting! Praise be to Him!

Brad Martinson
Director of Finance and Personnel

Building a Vision. Together. 2:45 PM

With only a week left in our fiscal year (ending April 30th), we are 80% to our goal. Please prayerfully consider how God is calling you to give to the ministry of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren (CLB).

as of April 16th, 2010

The incredible thing about our vision as a Church is that we get to build it together! The mission of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren lies in your congregation. The question for the Synododical ministries is, how can we assist you in your mission? What can we do to support your ministry in reaching your neighbors? How can we help your church educate your lay leaders theologically? How can we supply you with the tools that you need to teach your children and engage your teens? We want to know and we desire to be part of your ministry. The wonderful fact is that God is in control. And this is ultimately God's Mission! We are his family, a family of churches, and we desire to be faithful to his calling. We have been called. How is he calling you?

Thank you for the contributions that have come in so far. We appreciate your support and invite you to build our vision with us. We are on the "Same Mission. Together."

How to mess up your witness 11:03 AM

Last week in Louisville, KY, there was a large gathering of Reformed/Evangelicals called Together 4 the Gospel. Over 7,000 people (mostly Pastors) attended the event! From all reports, it sounds like there was some great teaching, preaching, worship and fellowship.

Where it seems some may have fallen short is in their witness to the host city, Louisville; in particular, with servers in the city's restaurants. Jared Wilson shares:

While I was in Louisville I kept hearing horror stories. One waitress told us that one party she waited on left her a $7 tip on an $80 bill but also left one of those fake million-dollar-bill gospel tracts. Another got "Way of the Master"ed while she served a table. She was in tears relating this to another pastor, who ministered to her more gently. I abominate whoever left the fake money tract. The lines for service were long last week, so there was a lot of sighing and eye rolling and short temperedness from Christians who forgot they were there to serve.

I have to say, the language of abomination might be a bit too harsh here (see Justin Taylor's blog), but Wilson is absolutely right. I have nothing against leaving tracts @ restaurants for servers, but if you claim to be a Christian (especially if you pray before you meal), then you need to tip well. End of story, no debate. You are not just another consumer, you are a witness of the Gospel. Therefore, bear bad service w/ joy for the sake of the gospel; do not give your server what they deserve, go above and beyond what they deserve! Be Generous, as Christ has been generous to you.

Same Mission. Together. 10:51 AM

This video has been sent as a DVD to all Lutheran Brethren congregations. 
We are encouraging pastors to show the video and hand out the bulletin inserts that accompany the DVD.

The Church of the Lutheran Brethren is a family of churches. On the same mission. Together!

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