Baby D - With Andy Stanley,Your Drive 09 Host

Babtist Andy Stanley with nominal Lutheran Ski.
Andy's Babtist minister father divorced his wife,
but still carries on his Atlanta ministry - Charles Stanley, an early follower of occultist Paul Y. Cho.

Ski's Drive 08 Journal: The final Main Session with Andy Stanley was just phenomenal. We began with awesome worship. Today though, they began with a Christian rapper, Toby Mac. Our school kids would have loved it. I’m not sure that they would have believed that it was church though.


When Andy began his session. He started by saying that he was not going to follow his notes in the Drive ’08 Journal Book. Instead he was going to do something that he called, “Recent Random Thoughts On Church Leadership.” He shared 5 points and 5 takeaways. I think that he was at his absolute best this afternoon.

Will Bishop Ski, Popcorn Cathedral of Rock, be at Drive 09? We know from the Suffragen Bishop's Tweet that she is going, with three pastors. Dying to know. Tweet me when you get a chance. Totally awesome if you would. Thnx, Dude.


Baby D at Northpoint Babtist Church/Buckhead Babtist

[What you can expect at the celebration]
We will reserve a table (seats 10) for your family and close friends. • We ask that the only other young children are the siblings of the new baby. This will ensure that you can focus on this special event with no distractions. • You will have an opportunity to share what you’ve decided from your homework assignment in STEP 1. • We will lead you in a prayer of dedication. • You will have time to eat cake and take pictures with your family. • We will have a professional photographer to take your picture with your child. • The event will last about an hour.

[Requirements]
• babyD is so much more than an event. You must complete STEP 1 and STEP 2 before your Baby Dedication Celebration registration is confirmed. [Temple Recommend?]
• You must be a church member, member of a community group, or serving on a volunteer strategic service team to participate in the Baby Dedication Celebration.
• There is no time limit to completing STEP 1.
• The only time limit you need to consider is that your child must be under two years of age to participate in the Baby Dedication Celebration.
• Space is limited for Baby Dedication Celebration and each event usually fills up quickly. This event is offered several times a year. It is very likely that the next available opening could be 6 months from the time that you sign up.

[Not Infant Baptism]
This event is not infant baptism. We believe that when people are old enough to understand what it means to put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, they should have the opportunity to make that choice for themselves. A preschooler is not able to understand sin, forgiveness, the sacrifice our Savior made for us, and what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This event is about your commitment as a parent to lead your child into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, so that as he gets older, you are able to guide him and to help him understand what that means.

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BONUS Track: Download Message These early years are unique in that they require your intentional love and attention. We know that parenting is not for the faint of heart, so we wanted to share what we think it takes to raise great preschoolers. [Finger-painting geniuses?]

This is by no means the complete word on parenting preschoolers. But it is an opportunity, an opportunity for you to be INTENTIONAL, an opportunity for you, at the very beginning of this new life, to begin with the end in mind. What do you hope they know and never forget?

This is not a guarantee that you will raise perfect children, but a promise that time WILL pass and you will be looking into the eyes of adults some day. What will you wish you had said or done from the very beginning to give them all of the tools they needed? [I woulda baptized them as infants, as Jesus commanded, "Let the children come to me and do not forbid them...Unless you believe as a child you shall in no wise inherit the Kingdom."]

We would like for you and your spouse to listen to each message, talk about it together, and complete the homework.

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I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord
The Lutheran Hymnal, #462

Should I with scoffers join
Her altars to abuse?
No! Better far my tongue were dumb,
My hand its skill should lose.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Baby D - With Andy Stanley,Your Drive 09 Host":

Here's five of my own between-the-lines take away points:

* 'A professional photographer will be available' means: no taking your own photos. Buy the package; we get a juicy kickback.

* '...must be a member or volunteer to participate.' After all, if a Baby Dedication actually had an eternal spiritual meaning, then they probably wouldn't deny it to strangers. For a donation in lieu of 10% hard tithe anyway.

* '...time for cake..' Whoopee! Let's be sure to focus on important details here people.

* '... a preschooler is not able to understand sin, or the sacrifice of a Savior.' I'm guessing that even a third grade Lutheran Elementary School student could tear this nonsense apart. Don't think a baby knit together in the womb by the very hand of God can be moved by the Holy Spirit? Luke 1:41-45 has a clarification on that point.

* '...No small children at the table to prevent distractions.' I guess when you think that childrens' souls aren't quite yet in need of salvation, they can be thought of as mere distractions at the party.


Where did I read, "Let the little children come to me." Where did I see that?!? Zut alors! Sounds really familiar, but I can't remember who said that.

I wonder if any synod/seminary employees are among the "3 pastors" ready to go?


+Diet O. Worms

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Baby D - With Andy Stanley,Your Drive 09 Host":

http://www.minnesotalutheran.com/2009/04/somebody-tell-me.html

Apparently the LC-MS is also in a quandry as to the fasination with famous Churh Growthers.

Measuring WELS by the Numbers

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Massive Cuts in WELS, But Safari Don Patterson and...":

So numbers do make a difference when you want them to make a difference.

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Ever since 1977, when the Shrinkers launched their hellish TELL magazine, the secret followers of Fuller Seminary have been nagging the innocent to look at the numbers. Their hero, Kent Hunter (DMin, Fuller) actually published a book with graph paper bound into the pages.

The Scriptures only teach faithfulness to the Word, but the wizards of Willow Creek misdirect our eyes, making us focus on something else.

But the Shrinkers do not want anyone to discuss what they have done to WELS since they usurped power dishonestly.

WELS has had fewer members each each year since 1977. I used to publish a graph on a website where I charted all the numbers in Excel and converted it into a graph. All the facts are in the WELS Book of Statistics.

As the membership numbers went down, The Love Shack staff members increased. WELS administration officials get more money than any other category on the wage scale, significantly more than the seminary professors. Needless to say, The Love Shack always voted for more staff and against the schools. The percentage of the budget given to the schools was strangled, ever so slowly.

The Church Growth Movement in WELS:

1. Closed three out of seven schools in the system.
   
2. Decreased the membership of the synod in all categories.
   
3. Increased the staff of The Love Shack.
   
4. Jacked up tuition so high that everyone finds it unaffordable.
   
5. Abused money entrusted by the membership.
   
6. Left the synod insolvent.

PS - Larry Olson's church never grew, so they made him the Waldo Werning Professor of Church Growth at Martin Luther College.

The best way to start a mission church, according to the Church Shrinkers, is to train and worship with the Babtists.

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Anonymouse has left a new comment on your post "Measuring WELS by the Numbers":

Same old, same old from you, GJ. What I think is so interesting is that you always talk about faithfulness to the Word, but I never EVER hear you share the gospel on Ichabod. You've replaced the good works of catholicism that you learned at Notre Dame with the "good work" of being faithful to the Word. A real Lutheran would always tie in faithfulness to God's Word with the gospel of Christ that Word contains. Your own words condemn you.

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GJ - Don't look now, Mouse, but your own publishing house distributes my book.

I publish a sermon every week, but I am sure you never ever discern the Gospel. We even had Advent and Lenten services, which are unknown at Rock and Roll Lutheran Church and The CORE Lutheran Church.

Your comments remind me of the Jehovah's Witness who came to my house. He said, "How can God pray to God? I can't understand that." He was speaking of Jesus praying to the Father.

I said, "My dog can't understand it either."

Your blind hatred does not prove anything, but I am glad you keep reading. Wesley said, "If you can't convert them, at least make them angry."

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Measuring WELS by the Numbers":

"The Church Growth Movement in WELS:
• Closed three out of seven schools in the system.
• Decreased the membership of the synod in all categories.
• Increased the staff of The Love Shack.
• Jacked up tuition so high that everyone finds it unaffordable.
• Abused money entrusted by the membership.
• Left the synod insolvent."
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When the above items are considered along with new synod budget measures, we finally get a picture of total financial incompetence and irresponsibility that must get turned around to refocus on the Work of the Lord.

Synod is out of control for very good reasons. Too many clergy/leaders treated it as their sandbox to play in and do as they will. Due to inadequate visibility and controls they got by with that reckless behavior for years. Instead of serving member congregations, member congregations came to serve synod by making up for misused monies and high-risk, losing investments. Still, how they managed to go through so much money amazes me.

Nothing will change significantly until member congregations stand up and demand improvement, for example, better visibility and explanation of how monies are used, the trends, an oversight committee staffed by representatives of member congregations, etc.

Synod leaders have shown themselves a clever bunch when it comes to shifting the burden and responsibility to members. Somehow they link the shifted burden back to showing love and gratitude to Christ. I wonder if Christ feels used.