Groups Ablaze!
Developing small groups for outreach can aid and support our evangelism efforts as we speak the Good News to our unchurched friends and neighbors.
The Magazine
A Tool for the Toolbox
Through a chance meeting, a pastor discovers firsthand the spiritual benefits of a ‘little’ project on which he had worked.
The Hinge of History
The Reformation fueled significant changes in many aspects of life, and its effects still resonate with us today.
Confessing and Confirming the Faith
by Dr. John W. Oberdeck Luther planned the Ninety-Five Theses for academic debate. The popular document moved rapidly beyond Luther’s intention and became the rallying point of the Reformation. Soon Luther and the other reformers found themselves making public confession of what they believed and taught. Public confession of faith helps distinguish Scripture’s teachings from
Moving Tables
Some are called to ‘higher things.’ Others are called to move tables.
Rise ’n’ Shine?
by Dr. William B. Knippa My teenage daughter is difficult to get ready for school in the morning. I find myself becoming really stressed and irritable. What can I do? Your voice joins the not-so-pleasant chorus of many parents of teens who know firsthand that mornings can be stressful. It helps to look at the
Updates from the Districts
by Ron Nelson Fan Into Flame is different from previous Synod campaigns. The Forward in Remembrance and Alive in Christ campaigns were conducted nationally across the entire Synod. Fan Into Flame is being conducted district-by-district. Below is a summary of where participating districts are in the process. Texas. The district has concluded its participation as
Families Challenged
After reading the June/July 2007 Lutheran Witness, I am moved to write regarding the “Family Counselor” letter. A pastor was concerned for a family of adoption who struggles with behavior challenges and hence has limited church attendance. We could be that family. We are one of those families. We have lovely children who, when not
Have the Rules Changed?
When I was in confirmation class our pastor lectured us on the anti-Christian action of joining fraternal organizations such as Eagles, Elks, Moose, and Shriners, and especially the Masons. An elder in our church is a Mason, and every Sunday when he serves Communion, I notice the huge Masonic ring on his finger. Have the
Chaplains and “CRM” Status
The 63rd Convention of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod held in Houston approved one resolution of particular interest to me. “Resolution 1-06 recognizes more than 230 chaplains endorsed by the Synod’s Ministry to the Armed Forces, who “serve in arduous and dangerous arenas on land, sea, and air through lengthy and repeated deployments, separated from home
Shedding Some Light
What Teachers MakeThe dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One guest, the CEO of a local company, decided to explain the problem with education. “What’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?” he argued, reminding the others of the old
“Making Hay”
The answer given to the farmer troubled about missing Sunday services wisely avoids giving a general answer to a question that must be considered individually with each Christian struggling with the question of balancing work and worship. But the answer also fails to re-explain critical truths about how God works in the world, truths which