and their thoughts are not His thoughts,
their ways are not His ways.
History of Church and Change
In 1995, a group of about 10-12 men gathered at Wisconsin Lutheran College to discuss current methods of sharing Jesus which were commonly being used in the WELS at that time. Many at the first meeting felt that those methods of sharing Jesus were not “keeping up with” the rate of change in society. The message of the Bible was not, therefore, penetrating society very well.
In 1998 two men who had attended the first meeting planned a Church and Change conference in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The next year there was a second conference in Green Bay. About 20 people attended each year.
In May 2001, WELS Parish Services applied for and received a Forward in Christ grant to conduct a three-year pilot program to address the issues surfaced by the previous two Church and Change conferences. The three-year pilot program was designed to be a grassroots gathering of individuals who were pioneering new innovative methods of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with a changing culture.
Three annual conferences were planned and held beginning in 2001. At the first conference, approximately 50 WELS members attended. The attendance grew to 150 in the second year and 180 in the third year. By the third year, the attendees included more than just individuals who were actively pioneering new and innovative methods for sharing Jesus. Many in attendance wanted to learn about how to better share the gospel with the changing culture in which they served. In addition to the three annual conferences a variety of other workshops and gatherings were held dealing with specific ministry issues such as leadership, worship, and women’s ministry.
At the final conference of the three-year pilot, held in November 2003, the conference participants enthusiastically encouraged the organizers to continue Church and Change. A steering committee was subsequently formed from among the participants to address the future direction of Church and Change.
From November 2003 until the present the steering committee has met and drafted a proposal that addresses the future of Church and Change.
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