Celebrating the freedom that is ours in Jesus Christ, and the freedom that is reflected in the governing documents of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, the Evangelical Renewal District is open to all Christians who share the following values, for the purposes listed at the end of this document.
Download a copy of the ERD Brochure HERE
Values:
- It’s about Jesus. (Matthew 22:34-40; John 14:6) Jesus is the head of the Church. As such, he receives all the glory and calls all the shots. Unity among the various expressions of the body of Christ is best achieved through focusing on Jesus Christ, who alone is able to draw all people to Himself. The Great Commandment, to love the Lord Jesus with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, is the center and purpose of who we are and how we are to live.
- Passion for the Lost. (Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 4:18-20) Because of Jesus’ Great Commission to the church, the church is the only organization who exists primarily for the sake of its non-members. Passion for the Lost must affect the congregation’s budget, small groups, worship, Bible studies, and every aspect of congregational life. Christian congregations expect and organize to grow, not only in depth, but in breadth also.
- Renewal through the Holy Spirit. (John 14:26; 16:7-15; 1 Cor. 12; Galatians 5:22-26) We affirm the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, and look to Him to bring renewal to our lives, both individually and as congregations. We seek the Holy Spirit’s power to bring people to faith, to convict people of sin, and to restore the joy of salvation to convicted sinners. We acknowledge and desire both the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit to be manifest in our lives.
- High view of Scripture. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 15:4; Psalm 1) We accept on faith that since all Scripture is inspired by God, all Scripture is also without error, and is a living Word that is always relevant. Not all interpretation of Scripture is without error, and therefore we uphold the interpretive functions of studying the original manuscripts, the original audiences and purposes of a text, and a thorough comparison with the whole canon of Scripture.
- Passionate worship. (1 Peter 2:9; John 4:23-24; Psalm 98:8-9; Psalm 105:1-6) Worship in the first place is for God, and only because God is so self-giving and loving toward His children does worship also bless the worshipers. Worship involves the whole person – body, mind, and emotions. Forms of worship are optional, and to be chosen to best enable those present to unreservedly show their love for their Lord and Savior, while experiencing God’s presence through His Word and sacraments.
- People of prayer. (James 5:13; Matthew 6:9-13; 7:7-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) God’s plans for us will always exceed our plans for God, and the chief way for Jesus to function as the Head of the church, and for the Holy Spirit to renew His church, is through prayer. Quite often prayer is not intended by God to be a means to an end, but an end in itself, as He seeks an intimate and personal relationship with His children.
- Sanctity of marriage and life. (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:24; Jeremiah 1:4-5; Romans 12:1-2) We believe that it is necessary for Christians to stand up at times and speak to the evils that befall our world. We affirm the pastoral admonition regarding marriage that was passed at the LCMC national convention in October of 2001, and we also affirm the sanctity of all human life, from conception to grave. God’s desire is to sanctify and conform us to His good, pleasing, and perfect will, and so we seek to live out these Scriptural values not only in our policies but in our teaching.
Purposes:
As an evangelical/renewal district of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, we are eager to join with others who share the above values as foundational and integral to their lives. Time, money, and energy that in the past might have been spent debating these values, can instead be spent evangelizing the lost and discipling the believers.
While the specific purposes of what we can do together will change over time and with the size of the district, initially the following purposes are identified as reasons for coming together:
- Pray. All believers need brothers and sisters in Christ with whom they can pray and seek the Lord’s will together. Church leaders especially need to be able to do this not only with those from their congregation, but from other congregations. Through the phone, internet, and in person meetings where and when possible, we pray with and for one another.
- Share resources. Programs that have been beneficial in one congregation can be freely shared, adapted, and used in other congregations. Through the listserv and other communication, we share tools and resources for worship, education, evangelism, stewardship, and every function of the church.
- Share knowledge. Through internet and email, we engage in ongoing theological discussions and Biblical interpretation to assist in our teaching, preaching, and leadership skills.
- Be accountable. As believers with a common set of values, we invite the pastoral concern and admonition from brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we have grown in relationship and trust.
- Plant new congregations. We hope to pool resources and storm the gates of heaven through prayer as we discern open doors where God would lead.
- Recruit and support seminarians and new pastors. As our district and LCMC grows, new seminarians and pastors will be needed. We seek to identify seminarians in existing seminaries, as well as pastors in existing congregations, who share these values and would be open to ministry within LCMC. We also desire to recruit new seminarians, and enthusiastically support The Master’s Institute as one viable seminary option.
- Support international mission. We desire to share information with one another on short-term mission trips, as well as new church plants in foreign countries.
- What we don’t envision, at least for the near future: Extra committee meetings and conventions. Lutheran Renewal’s annual Holy Spirit Conference, LCMC’s annual fall convention, and LCMC’s annual spring leadership event function as places where many of our district members will be able to meet with one another without the time and expense of an extra trip. Additionally, our annual district gathering meets in January, dates and location TBA.
How to join
Congregations may join through whatever local decision-making processes seem most beneficial (i.e. church council, congregational meeting, etc.) Individuals may also become a part of the mission and ministry of the Evangelical/Renewal District. To officially join, send a note to Dave Drum at dmdrum@juno.com. A roster of members will be established and sent out to all members as needed. To join a discussion listserv, visit the LCMC website (lcmc.net) or the ERD website (www.lcmc-erd.net) and click on the links. For more information, you may contact David Drum at Community of Hope, Tucson, AZ (520-743-7359).