WELS Documented and Pastor Steve Spencer Commenting - On Closing WELS Congreations - Your Mission Money at Work...Buy Bars Instead

WELS Documented

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Grass Roots Contribution: Crown of Life Transforms Yucaipa Church

Within hours of asking for grass roots documentation of what's happening in the WELS, one reader from Southern California sent us proof of transformation taking place at the former Prince of Peace Lutheran property. Left in the hands of multi-site Crown of Life Lutheran, here's what been taking place.

Give us your thoughts.


WD2

Dear members of God's family at Crown of Life,

On Sunday June 22, our sister church in Yucaipa, Prince of Peace, released their pastor from his call because they could no longer pay him.  They gave him a severance package and allowed him to stay in the parsonage from up to 90 days.  Prince of Peace congregation  has aged and shrunk in size so that continued ministry with their own pastor just is no longer feasible.  The last service with their own pastor was June 29. 

Yesterday, July 20th, I received this email from Bill Jacobs, the president of Prince of Peace following a voters' meeting on Sunday afternoon: 

"Dear Pastors,   At the voters meeting held on July 20 at Prince of Peace,  the voters

of Prince of Peace approved the following motion-  Motion to offer to Crown of Life the transfer of this facility to use as a preaching station.  This motion was passed unanimously. Please contact me with any questions. In Christ, Bill Jacobs, President Prince of Peace"

Our current situation in Beaumont

Crown of Life, Beaumont campus, currently rents Noble Creek Community Center in Beaumont for worship services.  We pay $75/hr with a usual monthly rent of about $750 although on a 5 Sunday month or a month with special services such a Christmas Eve or Good Friday, the rent will be about $1000 because it is an hourly rental.  The community center works pretty well for worship although Sunday School is limited to a corner of the administrator's office.  The facility on a few occasions has not been available to us because of other renters but to be honest, the staff and administration there has been very good to us and worked with us as much as we could have expected.   We are permitted signage only on Sunday morning.  There is a beautiful garden behind the community center that we have used for Easter worship.    Because we are renting, we are not responsible for utilities at the community center.  We carry liability insurance as part of our church coverage and insurance as well on our property that we use there.    Crown of Life also rents a house for Pastor Steve and Katie as part of his salary package for which we pay $1550 per month.  Sunday morning activities include set up and taken down each week as well as towing a trailer to and from the community center.

The Yucaipa property being offered to us

The property of Prince of Peace that Mr. Jacobs referenced in his email is less than a 10 minute drive on the 10 freeway from Noble Creek.   It is located at 31785 Yucaipa Boulevard and is a minute or two north of the freeway at the Yucaipa Boulevard exit.   It is completely debt free, unencumbered and paid for.   The property is in good repair although we would want to repaint inside and outside (facia, eaves and trim), replace the carpeting, replace the pews with chairs, put in an AV system that would meet our worship needs and a few other upgrades as well.  With that said here are the details.

--the property is just under 3 acres with about 1.25 acres undeveloped

--there is a 2368 sq ft, 3 bedroom, 2 bath single story parsonage on the property that also has an office, a two car garage and a fenced in back yard

--the sanctuary will seat 100 people on the main floor; there is also a balcony

--there is about a 1000 sq ft parish hall and a full kitchen

--there is a large mother's room with closed circuit TV of the service; there are also two offices in the building

--there are two 12 X 24 Sunday School classrooms

--the paved parking lot has 44 spaces and the grounds are nicely landscaped although the plants and trees could use a trimming

--there is a lighted sign

--there is a fenced in playground on the property although it is sized for school age children

Doing the math and doing the ministry

--Since there is no mortgage on the property, the only costs to us as far as operation are utilities (at Prince of Peace $205/mon electric and $200/water), taxes on the undeveloped property and parsonage (about $100/mon) and maintenance and insurance.

--The church would ask Pastor Steve and Katie to move in to the parsonage as soon as Oct. 1 and realize a monthly savings of $1550/month

--Pastor Steve and Katie would enjoy the benefits of a larger home than they  now have plus an office in the church building for Pastor Steve.

--The church would save the money used for Noble Creek rental although we would incur the operating expenses of utilities and taxes which just about offset each other.

--We would have a 24/7 presence on the main street in Yucaipa with the 10 freeway just a few minutes away.

--The location would make the property easily accessible from Banning and Beaumont to Redlands and San Bernardino.

--It would be farther away by 10 minutes from the Palm Springs area but Crown of Life is planning to begin work with growth groups in the Palm Springs area this winter and those growth groups could also include worship time.

--It would provide a debt-free building that would be available for our use any time we want or need it.

The process

The Crown of Life Board, comprised of representatives from all our campuses, has approved the following process.

1.       Sam Kleinschmidt and a task force will investigate the property and report to the Board to determine financial feasibility.

2.       The COL Board (which is responsible for the "business" side of our work) will receive Sam's report and determine financial feasibility.

3.      If the Board finds the property acquisition financially feasible, we will give it over to the people of our Beaumont campus to discuss the matter.  We very much want all of our Beaumont people to make the move to the new property if we decide that is what we should do.

4.      If the Board and our Beaumont campus people decide we should move forward, the accepting of the property will finally come to the annual meetings of the congregation since our constitution calls for the acquisition of real estate to be a matter approved by the church as a whole.

5.      If the decision is made to move forward, we would do the legal work to take title to the property and secure the tax exemption that Prince of Peace has also enjoyed from San Bernardino County.

6.      We would also make the necessary upgrades to present a fresh face for the property to the people who pass by.  We would anticipate services would begin sometime in October.

Would you please pray about this?  It may be a gift from the grace of God to solve long-term the facility issue for what is now our Beaumont campus without much cost to Crown of Life.  Would you please think about this, especially if you attend the Beaumont service?  We are planning cottage meetings to give you the chance to ask questions, to express yourself and to get answers to your questions.

Some photos of the property are attached but remember that we are planning some upgrades as well.

In Christ,

Pastor Rick

Projects Update 
1. The Yucaipa remodel has begun with a number of misc tasks; we were able to pull a permit over the counter (thank you City of Yucaipa); flooring and AVL has been ordered and painters start on Monday.

2. The packet for the CUP major modification is ready for submittal to the City of Corona. This is to give the KidMin building a permanent CUP, update the site plan, get rid of the grove.

3. The masonry contractor should be at the Corona campus next week to pour the footings for the new sign.

And God be praised because we were notified by WELS Home Missions yesterday that we have been given a grant of almost $10,000 to buy specified equipment for the Yucaipa property.

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• ▼  2014 (13)
  • ▼  December (13)
    • Grass Roots Contribution: Crown of Life Transforms...
    • Finally, Introducing the WELS Documenters
    • The Future of Worship in the WELS
    • DP Buchholz Responds to Christian Leadership Exper...
    • Crush Cancer for WELS School Teacher Paul Krause
    • "Time of Grace" with Mark Jeske: WELS affiliated?
    • WELS Lutheran church serves at center of growing H...
    • In Memory of Karen Schroeder
    • Comfy chairs important in WELS advertising
    • Watch "Karate Kid" during WELS Sermon
    • NEW Religious Experience at WELS Church
    • From Nightclub to WELS Church
    • Church Growth: By the Gospel or By Gimmicks?

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The Second Sunday in Advent, 2014. Romans 15:4-13

The Second Sunday in Advent. Romans 15:4-13

Romans 4 establishes justification by faith,
with Abraham as the example,
repeated in Galatians.

The Second Sunday in Advent, 2014

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10AM Central Time

The Hymn # 58 – Gerhardt              O Lord     4:49

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual      Romans 15:4-13

The Gospel            Luke 21:25-36 

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #71            Watchman         4.9 

Patience and Comfort

The Hymn # 304 An Awesome Mystery              4.6

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn # 647 O Little Town                             4.13

Second Sunday In Advent

Lord God, heavenly Father, who by Thy Son hast revealed to us that heaven and earth shall pass away, that our bodies shall rise again, and that we all shall appear before the judgment seat: We beseech Thee, keep us by Thy Holy Spirit in Thy word; establish us in the true faith, graciously defend us from sin and preserve us in all temptations, that our hearts may not be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, but that we may ever watch and pray and, trusting fully in Thy grace, await with joy the glorious coming of Thy Son, and at last obtain eternal salvation, through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

KJV Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. 8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: 9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. 10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. 11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. 12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. 13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

KJV Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. 29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; 30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. 33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Patience and Comfort

KJV Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 

We should realize now, more than ever before, that the ancient writings of the Old Testament were the first Gospel messages and prophecies. The work that brought that to my mind was Lord of the Rings, by Tolkien. By creating a pre-history of England, before the legends of King Arthur, Tolkien offered a model of the Old Testament - which is naturally altogether different in nature.

Long before the Incarnation of Christ, the Holy Spirit revealed the coming of the Messiah, revealing salvation to the Jewish people and to the world. The Hebrew scriptures were rather obscure for most people, since few read that kind of writing. 

But centuries before Christ, and long after King David, the Greek language became the language of commerce (Athens) and then the language favored by the world conqueror - Alexander. Because Alexander took his language and culture across the world, Greek became the international language and the language of culture and commerce.

The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Old Testment, created so the Jews and other people could read the Old Testament. You can observe the same trend today. Jews do not all read Hebrew. Many know very little Hebrew, so learning a little for the coming of age ceremony is a big deal. Some famous adults have enrolled in classes so they can also have their Bar Mitzvah.

So the conquering of Alexander created a universal language, and the New Testament was written in that language. I agree with those who think Jesus normally taught in Greek, because large crowds could all understand Greek, only a percentage Aramaic (a form of Hebrew).

Much has been made of an Aramaic version of this and that, including the Lord's Supper, but there are only the Greek versions - not the imaginary Aramaic ones used to deny the Real Presence.

Paul's one verse tells us why we should immerse ourselves in the Old Testament Gospel, since there is so much of it and since it is all true.

When we recognize the hundreds of prophecies fulfilled in the birth of Christ, it shows us how God plans for our future and provides for our forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life.

Whatever questions and doubts we have - they are answered by the Old Testament. The more we see that, the more we realize how much of a foundation for the New Testament is there in the Old Testament Scriptures.

For example - what did Jesus mean by the Scriptures? All His references are to the Old Testament because there was no New Testament until after His resurrection. Those dates are debated, but I believe they are confined to the First Century, making the New Testament the most historical and precise account of all world religion about its Founder. Nothing else compares. That is so often forgotten or hidden by those who love every religion except their own.

Also - what Scriptures did the apostles preach? They preached the Old Testament plus their eye-witness accounts. The Greek Old Testament was vital to every mission church, and it was a big expense. Mother churches like Ephesus provided them. That was their First Unit.

The apostles and their subordinates preached what the Old Testament taught and showed how that was fulfilled by Jesus in so many astonishing ways. Jews knew those passages but not necessarily their Christian application. They were like those on the Emmaus road. When their eyes were opened to the meaning of the Word, they were filled with joy.

The more learning we have, the more resistant we are to temptations to doubt the wisdom and compassion of God.

Human reason is funny. We can see that more clearly in children at times. I had a paper bag and said to a group of kids, "Inside is something with teeth. Anyone want to reach in?" No, they did not. It was a comb. As soon as they heard teeth, they thought of something biting them. They could not see it, so they were not going to reach in and find out.

Our brains can work overtime to see things the wrong way, to take counsel of our fears, as George Patton said. The wisdom and comfort of the Old Testament replaces our natural, weak tendencies with the Teaching (Torah) of God.

How many Old Testament passages say, "Do not be afraid, for I am your God"?

Isaiah 41:10King James Version (KJV)

10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Fear is the opposite of faith, so one drives out the other. We cannot manufacture faith, but God's Word does in fact create and sustain faith. 

5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Man's universal temptation is to drive others with the law, to flog them into obedience. And it does work to a small extent. Instead, Paul moved people through the Gospel, reminding his congregations of God's mercy and love, urging them to keep that in mind in all that they did together. And that teaches us to govern ourselves the same way. Unity does not come from the lash, but from believing and teaching the same spiritual wisdom from the Word.

There are many people with various perspectives, but only one Word of God. That is why the Word must be the unifying force because it conveys Christ to us. No institution does unless it is faithful to the Word. No individual does that either, unless it is in harmony with the Word of God. Therefore, that is the only possible force for unity that will work in the long run.

We can see that at work in that all who believe in the Scriptures as having a unity of spirit that no one can generate. It is instantly felt. When I speak to strangers in a group, I can see who is in agreement in the congregation (such as at weddings) because of their expressions, no matter where they belong officially. And the same thing is true in conversation. And there can be disagreement about individual things to be worked out over time, if possible, but still a unity of spirit.

That was always used by ecumaniacs, to force an institutional unity in the name of division being a "scandal" in the church. And - we can do more together than apart. Yet the ecumenical dream is fulfilled. All the Lutheran sects are united, with their trotters in the Thrivent trough, and yet they are all falling apart - because they have abandoned the Word of God in favor of universal forgiveness without faith. What a hollow victory!