The Road Less Traveled

Family Care Plan at Our Savior Lutheran

At Our Savior Lutheran Church we so deeply value the importance of a Family Friendly church that we are restructuring our entire system of member care( aka Elders) to reflect our commitment to the God given institution of family by implementing the biblical model of The Family Care system throughout our congregation.

This is a system that has been in development for over a year. The pastors in conjunction with the Spiritual Life Team(Elders) and other leaders of Our Savior, have been searching Scripture, praying, planning and fine tuning a Biblical model for the increased care and shepherding of God's flock.  We have asked God how we can best serve Him and one another, and we believe that He has provided for us with a refocus of the way we care for one another. What has been developed and will be presented on March 30th at Our Savior Lutheran will impact not only the current family, but will open new doors for many more new family.

Being a member is often associated with a club or a group that singles out people. Often you have to have a special card, even meet certain qualifications for membership. At Our Savior we would like to view our selves as family, not members. True we are all members of one body as St. Paul states many times in the New Testament, but that definition of "member" is quite different and actually reflects a family structure more than an exclusive club.

This shift in thinking and practice is by no means perfect nor will not happen overnight, but it is start as we journey together, as a family, seeking God's will, looking to be transformed by Christ, and reaching out with arms wide open ready to welcome people, not just into our family, but more importantly into God's family.

At both our 8 am and 10:45 am services we will share our mission to reach into and out to families. Special emphasis will be shared on our 9:30 am Adult Bible Class as we explain details how the impacts everyone in the family.

The Joy of New Family Members

It is that time of year when the pastors sit down with people that have gone through our Discover 101 or new family member classes. These are some of those moments that you live for as a pastor. To be able to sit with new people and connect our lives together. To sit and share with a new member of the family the beginning of a great journey that God has for us. What an honor it is to be a part of the joys and sorrows of a new family.This is just the start of a journey that God has by putting us together. It will be fun to discover what this new relationship means.

I love to learn new things about people and begin to explore a new bond of friendship and family brought together by the work of the Spirit.To even think about how God has brought us together, what work He has done, to connect us, is down right amazing. It is hard to put into words the sheer joy in connecting our lives in Christ.

What joy it brings to the gates of heaven when a mother sits down and shares with you that she wants herself and her children Baptized. To be a part of God's plan for this young family : Awesome.

My heart fills with joy for the Lord and shouts of thanksgiving to Christ when a family comes and shares that they felt like part of the family the first time they walked in the door and were greeted by so many people. To quote one of these people, "It made us feel like we had a home already." I can not begin to express what that does for a pastor to know that the spirit of hospitality is extended to new friends and new faces.

When one of the teachers introduces me to a new family who wants to have their children baptized. Once again it demonstrates how we work together teacher, pastor, parent to secure the future of these young ones entrusted to our care. It is a partnership.

God is working in our midst. He promises that where His Word is proclaimed and His Sacraments given, He is alive. HE IS ALIVE AT OUR SAVIOR LUTHERAN! We have a long way to go, and our congregation is anything but perfect. I know as a pastor, I have much to learn, but life is about learning and growing in the wisdom and strength of the Lord. May we continue to grow together. May we continue in our battle against that old evil foe, Satan and may we continue to build one another up in love as we each are every one unique but transformed by the ONE who continues to do a new work in us and through us.

AMEN.