1 A Secular Age A secular age? ● church and state ● unbelief ● contested Kenneth W. Inskeep, Research and Evaluation, ELCA, 2016.

Trends from 2007 to America’s Changing Religious Landscape, Pew Research Center, 2015.

Trends from 2007 to America’s Changing Religious Landscape, Pew Research Center, 2015.

4 Conservative Evangelicals, 41% Roman Catholics, 31% ELCA, 3% Mainline Protestants w/o ELCA, 14% Non-Christian, 3% Other Christian, 7% Orthodox/Other Catholic, 1% Estimated Percent of Worshipers by Group in the United States Source: C. Kirk Hadaway and Penny Long Marler, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, September, Prepared by Research and Evaluation, ELCA. American Religion?

5 Why are they Nothing in Particular? Religious people are hypocritical, judgmental, and insincere. Religions are too focused on rules particularly with regard to homosexuality, abortion, birth control, cohabitation, divorce/remarriage. Many religion are partly true, but non are completely true. Religious leaders and institutions want money and power, not truth. Religious people reject science in favor of superstition. Kenneth W. Inskeep, Research and Evaluation, ELCA, 2016.

Fragmentation

What Lutherans Are Not... The best at meeting people’s needs The best at worship The most friendly, caring people The most holy The most spiritual The most beautiful The most successful 7 Kenneth W. Inskeep, Research and Evaluation, ELCA, 2016.

So What DO Lutherans Have to Offer? It’s Theological... There is no way to God-period Jesus shows God is love Grace for Us Includes Hope for Others (When we are at our best and most clear about what we bring to the table, there is something in our core that will not allow us to pronounce ultimate judgment on someone else, now matter how easy, or desirable, it might seem to do so) The Vocation of the Baptized (Perhaps no aspect of the Reformation is more threatening to the previous status quo than the Lutheran notion of vocation. This is the doctrine that teaches that all people can be useful to God’s purposes in any place and at any time. There are not “holy” things to do and “unholy” things to do. Because God is concerned about everything and everyone, everything matters and everyone can be part of that.) 8 Dave Daubert, Day 8 Strategies, 2014:

It’s Theological The Priesthood of Believers (share the Gospel, pray for other, work for the well-being of others) Life is Sacramental (God is present in the creation) Worship is Horizontal (God comes close to us) Love the Bible, Don’t Worship It Perfection is not the Point Response is Freedom and Gratitude 9 Dave Daubert, Day 8 Strategies, 2014:

Lutherans Jesus is given to us as a gift from God. We come to know this gift through faith which according to Luther is nothing more or less than a "living, daring confidence" in the graciousness of God, "so certain that you could stake your life on it one thousand times". According to Luther this kind of trust in and knowledge of God will make us "joyful, confident and happy with regard to God and all creatures". According to Luther "through faith, a person will do good to everyone without coercion, willingly and happily; serving everyone, suffering everything for the love and praise of God, who has shown such grace". Martin Luther, A Brief Instruction on What to Look for and Expect in the Gospels, 1521

A Set of Lutheran Propositions God’s purpose is to reconcile us to one another and to all creation. God is not intent on doing us or our enemies in. We come to this faith not on our own but through a community and the graciousness of God. This faith will not make us rich or successful. Instead, it frees us from ourselves so we can serve others. We can do good without being good. We don’t get holy or sanctified. We don’t become God. Because we know we are simultaneously saints and sinners we are also free to tell the truth about ourselves. We also don’t have to believe silly things like the Biblical authors new or cared about science. As a church we embrace being different by American religious standards. Women often run things. Gay people are welcome. We are willing to work toward good with people who see the world very differently than we do. When we try to help people we want to know how they want to be helped. Kenneth W. Inskeep, Research and Evaluation, ELCA, 2016.

The Church We Want to Be We want to be a church that belongs to Christ with a place for everyone. We want to be a church whose unity is in Jesus, who gathers us around word and water, wine and bread. We want to be a church that believes Jesus is God’s “yes” to us and that our lives can be a “yes” to others. We want to be a church that believes God is calling us into the world--together (a church that rolls up its sleeves and gets to work (restoring and reconciling communities). Kenneth W. Inskeep, Research and Evaluation, ELCA, 2012.

The Church We Want to Be We want to be a church that is a catalyst, convener and bridge builder. We want to be a church that is energized by lively engagement in our faith and life (continually striving for a deeper understanding of what the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ means for the world.) We want to be a church that is deeply rooted and always being made new. Kenneth W. Inskeep, Research and Evaluation, ELCA, 2012.

Congregational Vitality Building and strengthening relationships between members (participants) and God (worship, spiritual growth and faith practices) Building and strengthening relationships (internal) among members (caring and supportive) Building and strengthening relationships between members and the community (external) (evangelism, social justice, local and global community service). Kenneth W. Inskeep, Research and Evaluation, ELCA, 2016.

Congregational Vitality The factors that influence a congregation's missional vitality are well known. Congregations with missional vitality have a widely shared commitment to reaching out into the community and a willingness to change as a means of reaching out. These characteristics are the product of strong adult faith formation programs that stress faith practices and spiritual growth. Kenneth W. Inskeep, Research and Evaluation, ELCA, 2012.

A Method to Change (Part I) Because people are set in their ways, change begins with defining a clear, positive direction. This often means moving away from trying to fix a problem and moving toward better understanding what is already working. Dan and Chip Heath, How to Change Things when Change is Hard, Crown Business, 2010.

A Method to Change (Part II) Change happens when it engages people's hearts and their emotions. People often know what they should do, but it is more comfortable emotionally (at least in the short-run) to follow habit. Change is hard because it goes against what is emotionally the easiest thing to do. Dan and Chip Heath, How to Change Things when Change is Hard, Crown Business, 2010.

Identity vs. Costs/Benefit 1.What does listening to scripture tell us about ourselves and about God? 2.What do our traditions tell us about ourselves and God? 3.What does listening to our neighbors and our communities tell us about the community and ourselves? 4.What is God calling us as a congregation to do in this situation as we participate in God's mission? Who are we as a congregation and who does God want us to be? Dan and Chip Heath, How to Change Things when Change is Hard, Crown Business, 2010.

A Method to Change (Part III) It is important to shape (re-shape ) the environment. Dan and Chip Heath, How to Change Things when Change is Hard, Crown Business, 2010.