UOJ Questions

C. F. W. Walther brought German Pietism with him to Missouri.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Will UOJ Faces Finally Blush As They Confront the ...":

I'm relatively new to your blog, so permit me a question that you may have answered a dozen times. I mean no disrespect, as I have heard your arguments that UOJ flows from Pietism, and that you equate UOJ with salvation without faith. But I've not seen these questions answered:

What is the non-UOJ explanation of 2 Corinthians 5:19, where it says that God "reconciled the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them"? "The world" sounds pretty universal to me.

And Romans 3:24, where "ALL are justified freely by his grace." The same "all" that "have sinned," are the "all" that "are justified." Can the 2 "all"s mean 2 different groups of people?

Thanks for your explanation.

***

GJ - I have covered all these issues in Thy Strong Word, so feel free to read the book from the links provided. I have also addressed the same questions on this blog, although I admit that posts are difficult to find once they are buried in the past.

Reconciliation, atonement, expiation, propitiation, redemption - all are terms used for the objective truth of Christ dying on the cross for the sins of the world.

The message of reconciliation is the Gospel. The Promises of God produce faith through the work of the Holy Spirit united with the Word. That is why we call the Word an instrument or Means of Grace. UOJ Pietists declare that God has given grace or forgiveness or absolution to the entire world without the Means of Grace, without the Word, without faith.

I suggest that you read the fine points in Lenski, who said, "In the New Testament, no one is justified apart from faith."

How does your precious all turn into "many?"

KJV Romans 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

KJV Romans 5:16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

Of course the Gospel has come to all men:

KJV Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

But the rationalistic UOJ explanation is to say everyone is forgiven without faith. I have read many UOJ classic statements. They seem to revolve around logic (if there is an exchange, then everyone is forgiven) or to circle around the Synodical Conference mummies, trying to outdo them in exaggeration.

KJV Romans 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Whoa. I thought everyone was declared righteous, forgiven, absolved. All--as in all--as in the whole world. But Paul says many, not all.

How would the Holy Spirit edit Himself? All who are justified are justified freely, without payment (pace, Holy Father in Rome). There is no way to modify that without destroying the clear meaning of the sentence. UOJ lenses find UOJ where no one else can imagine it, judging from the plain meaning of the verse.

First - the crucifixion of Christ paid the price for the sins of the world. Knowing I am a sinner, I approach God as the gracious heavenly Father who is already reconciled by the blood sacrifice of His only-begotten Son. That message of Atonement has to be universal to be in harmony with the Gospel of the Scriptures. Otherwise we have Limited Atonement, a key doctrine of traditional Calvinism.

Second - this divine gift is a great treasure, but it lies in one heap until distributed by the Holy Spirit through the Means of Grace. Those who believe the Gospel message and guard the Word, abiding in the Means of Grace, receive all the blessings of the Promises - from forgiveness of sin to eternal life. Others hear the Gospel message and find it a way to satisfy their bellies. Others fall away for many different reasons. I have known WELS and other conservative pastors who have fallen away and become haters of God, and several were Church Growthers on steroids.

Others have become Pentecostals. Professors like Valleskey owe WELS a contrite apology for thrusting Schwaermer books into the hands of impressionable students.

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "UOJ Questions":

Anonymous, it's important to see that where you quote Romans 3:24 there are these passages which also declare forgiveness, justification and righteousness only by faith.

Romans 3:22, "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:"

Romans 3:24, "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" This verse says that redemption is in Christ Jesus and verse 25 declares that Christ is our mediator (propitiation) against God's wrath only through faith, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Again, verse 26 confirms justification only comes through faith.

Romans 3:28, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."

Romans 3:30, "Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith."

In Christ,
Brett Meyer

Here are significant quotes where WELS AZ/CA DP Pastor Jon Buchholz teaches the false doctrine of UOJ to the WELS pastors and laity of the WELS 2005 Convention and admits that Scripture doesn't teach that God declared the whole world forgiven. He states that Scripture doesn't say what he's teaching everyone it says.

"God has forgiven the whole world. God has forgiven everyone his sins." This statement is absolutely true! This is the heart of the gospel, and it must be preached and taught as the foundation of our faith. But here’s where the caveat comes in: In Scripture, the word "forgive" is used almost exclusively in a personal, not a universal sense. The Bible doesn’t make the statement, "God has forgiven the world."

"God has forgiven all sins, but the unbeliever rejects God’s forgiveness." Again, this statement is true—and Luther employed similar terminology to press the point of Christ’s completed work of salvation.16 But we must also recognize that Scripture doesn’t speak this way."

"God has declared the entire world righteous." This statement is true, as we understand it to mean that God has rendered a verdict of "not-guilty" toward the entire world. It is also true—and must be taught—that the righteousness of Christ now stands in place of the world’s sin; this is the whole point of what Jesus did for us at Calvary. However, once again we’re wresting a term out of its usual context. In Scripture the term "righteous" usually refers to believers. "

http://www.wlsessays.net/node/390

Broken Record Cracks Me Up

Church and Chicanery readership is steady but somewhat critical.

Broken Record has left a new comment on your post "Adulterating the Word Means Replacing God's Word":

First of all, I will ask a question that it seems others have asked on this blog and I still haven't seen an answer to. That is, have you heard any of the people you criticize preach? Have you been to a service at their churches? If not, you are criticizing based on assumptions, misinterpretation and hearsay.

Second, find some new material please. I may sound like a broken record, but you all sound like broken records as well. We know you hate the world, we get it. I have an idea, why don't you go start your own synod and live angry divisive lives together?

***

GJ - First of all, not to sound like Broken Record, but...This blog is not required reading. Rather than change it for sourpuss Church and Chicaneries, I would rather expand it for those who were trampled by the clergy galloping to Fuller Seminary, Willow Creek, and Trinity Deerfield.

My researchers and I do extensive research, quote people verbatim, provide photos, and link to the material quoted. I do not have to sit down with a heretic, hold his hand, and explain where he is wrong - when he has published material mocking Christian doctrine. Therefore, I also do not have to attend his or her dreary services to know what they have published on their websites and blogs, especially when they copy the sermon titles, graphics, texts, and ideas of false teachers.

Joe Krohn--a favorite of Kudu Don Patterson--has a blog where he clearly disagrees with me but fails to link my blog. I can live with that. If that is your standard of excellence at Church and Chicanery, then ask Joe why he has to post anonymousely here.

Secondly, you just stated that you could read the hearts and minds of my favorite readers and Ichabod hisself. That is a clear violation of the Eighth Commandment, Luther's Small Catechism, Book of Concord. Repent.

Church and Chicanery Provides Upward Mobility

Kudu Don Patterson no longer gets a free vicar for his congregation.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Church and Chicanery Provides Upward Mobility":

So instead of free vicars Patterson brings in free-spending Karl Gurgel.

Watch to see how many more Rock and Roll churches show up in Texas.

Will UOJ Faces Finally Blush As They Confront the Facts about Their Precious Invention?

"This is very conveniently expressed by the terms objective and subjective justification. Objective justification is the act of God by which He proffers pardon to all through Christ; subjective, is the act of man, by which he accepts the pardon freely offered in the Gospel. The former is universal, the latter not." Translator.

Lectures on Christian Theology, Christian George Knapp (Halle University, the center of Pietism). Here is the link.

Translated by Leonard Woods Junior, one of the best known Protestants of the era.

This 1833 translation was used by all denominations until the 1890s. The book was in the libraries and used in the classrooms.

From the researcher:

His lectures that were given for years were finally
published in Halle in 1827:
Vorlesungen über die christliche Glaubenslehre

Also here:
Vorlesungen über die christliche Glaubenslehre (Halle 1827, 2 Bde.)
If you look in Google Books, they have an 1827
edition online, and also an 1836 edition.

The original was published in German, so one can see how easily the Pietism of Halle entered the old Synodical Conference.

C. F. W. worked with the Pietists before he came to America. He criticized every Protestant theologian except Spener.

Tholuck belonged to the next generation of Pietists at Halle. He taught Hoenecke.

More later. I owe this link to one of the best researchers around. We have been working separately but in harmony on this issue.

It's time to wake up and smell the Universalism.

UOJ = Enthusiasm.


"For God has already forgiven you your sins 1800 years ago when He in Christ absolved all men by raising Him after He first had gone into bitter death for them. Only one thing remains on your part so that you also possess the gift. This one thing is--faith. And this brings me to the second part of today's Easter message, in which I now would show you that every man who wants to be saved must accept by faith the general absolution, pronounced 1800 years ago, as an absolution spoken individually to him."
C. F. W. Walther, The Word of His Grace, Sermon Selections, "Christ's Resurrection--The World's Absolution" Lake Mills: Graphic Publishing Company, 1978 J-5 p. 233. Mark 16:1-8.

"Christ's Glorious Resurrection from the Dead the Actual Absolution of the Entire Sinful World Here I would point out two things: 1. That This Is Certain And True, and 2. That Therefore Every Man Who Wants To Be Saved Must By Faith Accept This General Absolution As Applying Also To Him,"
C. F. W. Walther, The Word of His Grace, Sermon Selections, "Christ's Resurrection--The World's Absolution" Lake Mills: Graphic Publishing Company, 1978 J-5 p. 230. Mark 16:1-8. [GJ - Does this sound like Decision Theology to you?]

"This doctrine of general justification is the guarantee and warranty that the central article of justification by faith is being kept pure. Whoever holds firmly that God was reconciled to the world in Christ, and that to sinners in general their sin was forgiven, to him the justification which comes from faith remains a pure act of the grace of God. Whoever denies general justification is justly under suspicion that he is mixing his own work and merit into the grace of God. [George Stoeckhardt, Concordia Theological Quarterly, April, 1978, p. 138.]
Pastor Vernon Harley "Synergism--Its Logical Association with General Justification," 511 Tilden, Fairmont, Minnesota 56031, August, 1984, p. 1.

"The chief purpose, however, is to keep this article (general justification) before the people for its own sake. It cannot be presented and studied too often. Its vital relation to the subjective, personal justification by faith, cannot be stressed too strongly. It forms the basis of the justification by faith and keeps this article free from the leaven of Pelagianism. Unless the sinner knows that his justification is already an accomplished fact in the forum of God, he will imagine that it is his faith, his good conduct, which moves God to forgive him his sins. And unless he knows that God had him personally in mind in issuing the general pardon on Easter morning, he will have no assurance of his justification." [Theodore Engelder, Concordia Theological Monthly, July/August/September, 1933. Reissued by the seminary printshop, Ft. Wayne, 1981.]
Pastor Vernon Harley, "Synergism--Its Logical Association with General Justification," 511 Tilden, Fairmont, Minnesota 56031, August, 1984, p. 1f.

"The entire Pauline doctrine of justification stands and falls with the special article of general justification. This establishes it beyond peradventure that justification is entirely independent of the conduct of man. And only in this way the individual can have the assurance of his justification. For it is the incontrovertible conclusion: Since God has already justified all men in Christ and forgiven them their sins, I, too, have a gracious God in Christ and forgiveness of all my sins." [Quoted with approval by Theodore Engelder, from George Stoeckhardt, Commentary on Romans, p. 264.]
Pastor Vernon Harley, "Synergism--Its Logical Association with General Justification," 511 Tilden, Fairmont, Minnesota 56031, August, 1984, p. 2.

"The resurrection is God's public absolution of the entire world: 'Your sins are forgiven, all sins of all human beings; and there is no exception.' This is the meaning of the technical term 'objective justification.' The objective justification is central to the doctrine of salvation and derives logically from the facts that God's reconciliation, forgiveness, and declaration of 'not guilty' in no wise depend on the attitude or behaviour of human beings. If objective justification is denied, then it must follow that those who are declared righteous in some way have contributed to God's change of heart; justification is then no longer solely the result of God's grace." [Theodore Mueller, Concordia Theological Quarterly, January, 1982, p. 29.]
Pastor Vernon Harley, "Synergism--Its Logical Association with General Justification," 511 Tilden, Fairmont, Minnesota 56031, August, 1984, p. 3.

"The starting point in presenting the doctrine of the means of grace must be the universal objective reconciliation or justification. This is the procedure of Scripture."
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., trans., Walter W. F. Albrecht, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1953, III, p. 105.

"Now, then, if the Father raised Christ from the dead, He, by this glorious resurrection act, declared that the sins of the whole world are fully expiated, or atoned for, and that all mankind is now regarded as righteous before His divine tribunal. This gracious reconciliation and justification is clearly taught in Romans 4:25: 'Who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification.' The term dikaiosis here means the act of divine justification executed through God's act of raising Christ from the dead, and it is for this reason called the objective justification of all mankind. This truth Dr. Walther stressed anew in America. He taught that the resurrection of Christ from the dead is the actual absolution pronounced upon all sinners. (Evangelienpostille, p. 160ff.)…Calov, following Gerhard, rightly points out the relation of Christ's recurrection to our justification as follows: 'Christ's resurrection took place as an actual absolution from sin (respectu actualis a peccato absolutionis). As God punished our sins in Christ, upon whom He laid them and to whom He imputed them, as our Bondsman, so He also, by the very act of raising Him from the dead, absolved Him from our sins imputed to Him, and so He absolved also us in Him.'" [Bibl. Illust., ad Rom. 4:25]
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1951, II, p. 321. Romans 4:25.

"Scripture teaches the objective reconciliation. Nineteen hundred years ago Christ effected the reconciliation of all men with God. God does not wait for men to reconcile Him with themselves by means of any efforts of their own. He is already reconciled. The reconciliation is an accomplished fact, just like the creation of the world. Romans 5:10: 'We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.' When Christ died, God became reconciled." pt. 1 of paragraph
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1951, II, p. 347f. Romans 5:10.

"The resurrection of Christ is, as Holy Writ teaches, the actual absolution of the whole world of sinners. Romans 4:25: 'Who was raised again for our justification.' At that time we were objectively declared free from sin."
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1951, II, p. 348. Romans 4:25.

"As Christ's death lies in the past, so also our reconciliation is an accomplished fact. 2 Corinthians 5:19: 'God was in Christ, reconciling' (namely, when Christ lived and died on earth) 'the world unto Himself.' The katallassein of Romans 5:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:19 does not refer--let this fact be noted--to any change that occurs in men, but describes an occurrence in the heart of God. It was God who laid His anger by on account of the ransom brought by Christ. It was God who at that time already had in His heart forgiven the sins of the whole world, for the statement: 'God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself' means--and that is not our, but the Apostle's own interpretation--that God did 'not impute their trespasses unto them.' And 'not imputing trespasses' is, according to Scripture (Romans 4:6-8), synonymous with 'forgiving sins,' 'justifying' the sinner." part 2 of paragraph
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1951, II, p. p 348. Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:19

Adulterating the Word Means Replacing God's Word

Cover art by Norma Boecker.
The NPH book will be republished on Lulu.com.
When I gave the Cure chapter at a conference, Wally Oelhafen and Fred Adrian wigged out, with Kovo screaming and tossing the paper.
QED: the Cure chapter on the Means of Grace is good.

John has left a new comment on your post "Liturgical Worship Dates Back to the Old Testament...":

I believe that they don't just water down the Word, they totally remove it from their 'worship' by dropping the liturgy. They also try to justify this by saying that all of this is adiaphora.

If something becomes a point of contention, doesn't it cease to be adiaphora?

***

GJ - One elderly man said, "WELS makes everything adiaphora. Soon there is nothing left."

I doubt whether I am the first one to notice how often the word Lutheran has disappeared from the names of congregations, synodical agencies, and even the hymnal.

"Luther didn't want his name used," they shriek or cavil. Church and Chicaneries do not stop to explain why the name Lutheran fills them with fear and loathing.

The Reformer (you remember him from Reformation Sunday) said, "The Antichrist gets his power from substituting for Christ." The Church of Rome substitutes everything Christian for some quasi-Christian but really anti-Christian. The Antichrist substitutes himself for Christ, and there are many little Antichrists to help Holy Father in Rome.

That is how Church and Chicanery earns its nickname. They do not lead by saying, "We hate Luther's doctrine" (but they do), or "We hate the historic, Biblical liturgy," (but they do) or "We trust in our own works," (but they do). They offer a church that is relevant, relational, and not boring. In A-town they spend oodles of money to "shine the Gospel light" while gathering current WELS members and calling it a big, booming mission success.

The Chicaneries hate the Gospel and love themselves, so they take away the instruments of the Gospel to glory in themselves. Those instruments are the Means of Grace, which Chicaneries despise. God appointed those instruments for the benefit of mankind, so we know exactly where we obtain His grace and forgiveness.

Here is more information and a PDF or two about Ski's installation.

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Freddy Finkelstein has left a new comment on your post "Adulterating the Word Means Replacing God's Word":

John states: "I believe that they don't just water down the Word, they totally remove it from their 'worship' by dropping the liturgy. They also try to justify this by saying that all of this is adiaphora."

I completely agree with this. It has long been acknowledged by Lutherans that our liturgy and hymnody so consistently carry worshipers through the teachings of Scripture, and with such depth and force, as to be of equal or greater benefit than the preaching. It is said of our hymnody,

"But especially in sacred song has the Lutheran Church a grand distinctive element of her worship. 'The Lutheran Church,' says Schaff, 'draws the fine arts into the service of religion, and has produced a body of hymns and chorals, which, in richness, power, and unction, surpasses the hymnology of all other churches in the world.' 'In divine worship,' says Goebel, 'we reach glorious features of pre-eminence. The hymns of the Church are the people's confession, and have wrought more than the preaching. In the Lutheran Church alone, German hymnology attained a bloom truly amazing. The words of holy song were heard everywhere, and sometimes, as with a single stroke, won whole cities for the Gospel'” (Krauth, C.P. The Conservative Reformation. pg. 154).

And this is what the Church Changers eliminate from Divine Worship, leaving only the preaching left as a source of the message of Law and Gospel. Not only do they know this, not only do they admit it, they point to the preaching in defense of themselves, saying, "See, we still have the Word -- we've got good preaching."

The fact is, passing off their Sunday morning entertainments as Divine Worship, they empty the Service of an essential source of the Gospel's message, and its most consistent source -- the liturgy and our time-proven hymnody. In doing so, they claim the right of adiaphora, but I can think of no justifiable reason for eliminating the teaching sound doctrine from the Divine Service -- not even to replace it with seeker friendly entertainments.

John's right. By dropping the liturgy, the Church Changers are not just watering down the Word, they are eliminating the sound teaching it conveys. They know it. But for the love of numbers, they don't seem to care.

Freddy Finkelstein

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Adulterating the Word Means Replacing God's Word":

I have to agree with my friend "Freddy." I was a member of a WELS church who's pastor boasted of attending Willow Creek and spoke of his reasons for doing so....to learn how to reach more people etc.

In the end, a good friend of mine still attending that particular church will say, "But he still preaches Law and Gospel." My friend is even concerned about the new "pop culture" that has infused the services. My response is: I hope he is still preaching Law and Gospel! But where do we get the idea that the sermon is the only place to make clear the Law and Gospel? It is, or used to be, reflected in the way we Lutheran's worshipped and shouldn't be limited to 15 minutes of the service. I believe that every moment of a public meeting and worship service should be completely devoted to exclaiming the truth of Scripture in every way, song, action and confession. If it doesn't, at minimum it falls short of it's duty and calling. If this is done knowingly, we are abandoning the Grace of God, on an "as needed" basis in an effort to make our actions and efforts more relevant and in the process we replace God's. Remember "anti-Christ" also means "instead of" not just "against."

What's Cooking, Doc?

Installation Service Pastor Jason
On February 8th, our new shepherd, Pastor Jason, was installed. The service took place at the Summit Town Hall at 3:00 pm. Many area pastor participated. It was an exciting time for our Hope members and friends to be able to welcome Pastor Jason and his family to Hope.

Pastor Jason is the one wearing the tie.
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "What's Cooking, Doc?":

Duh....there's like four guys wearing ties in the picture...

GJ - So you get the joke or not?

Hope in Jesus--WELS--extended a call to Ski at the same time he got the call from Tim Glende to start The CORE.

The former pastor was a chef, who subsequently resigned from the ministry.

http://www.hopeinjesus.org// - [Cached Version]
Published on: 11/2/2007 Last Visited: 11/2/2007
Pastor Al Schleusener A native of Tomah , Wisconsin, Al enjoyed sports, outdoor activities, sports cars and art while growing up.As a young adult, his passion was culinary arts, which motivated him to earn a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, leading to a career as a chef. Although Al had a successful "first" career he decided to return to school and embark on his true vocation, the ministry.From Martin Luther College (where he met his wife, Chanda), Al attended the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, along the way serving a one-year vicarage at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
...
Al and Chanda were married in 1998. After their wedding, they served for two years as missionaries in Taiwan, and had numerous opportunities for travel and exploration.But the ultimate highlight of their life together came in January 2003, when God blessed Al and Chanda with their first child, Kyla Marie.
...
Al is excited and committed to serving his God as Pastor of Hope Lutheran Church.And we are grateful and fortunate to have him and his family with us as we pursue our mission. Blended Worship Everyone has his or her vision of worship.
...
Pastor Al SchleusenerBlended Worship

HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH

Worshiping in the Summit Town Hall

2911 N. Dousman Rd

Office: 143 N Main Street, Dousman

262-965-5762

Sunday Service – 9:00 AM

At Hope, the Bible is the foundation of our faith. We believe that

Christ, through the teachings of the Bible, guides us through all

our actions. We strive to bring to the community real world applications

of the Word of God. Our services are easy to follow and

our messages are relevant to today. Visitors are always welcome!

Baptism Sunday

October 22, 2006 at 9:00 am

Hope Lutheran Church will be holding a special Baptism Service.

Christian Baptism will be offered to any in the community who

desire it. This offer is extended to both adults and children who

have never had a Christian baptism. Those interested in baptism

for themselves or for their children are asked to contact Pastor Al

at 262-965-5762 or PastorAl@hopeinjesus.org.

Pastor Al will be available in the weeks ahead of the service to sit

down and discuss the Biblical meaning of baptism with any who

are interested. A special reception will be held following the service

in honor of those who are baptized.

“Unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the

kingdom of God” John 3:5

Upcoming events include:

• Women’s “Advent by Candlelight”, an evening to prepare your

hearts and minds for the coming Christ Child -

November 26

• Hayride/Children’s Costume Contest - October

• Nature Hike – Early November

• Bread and Bible cooking class/Bible study – Oct-Nov-Dec

classes.

For more information on these and other activities please call the

church office – 262-965-5762


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Evidence of Schwaermerism goes beyond the Pietistic cell groups being formed:

Fellowship Team Faye Frederich

Outreach Team Mike Thiele

Powerpoint Team Liz Silkey

Praise Team Dale Dahlke

Prayer Team Vicki Beck and Pam Strunk

Resources Team Scott Wood

Stewardship Team Les Strunk

Worship Team Jeff Neuberger

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From the website:

Dousman Chili Contest - Meet and Greet
We are so excited that our First Chili Tasting Contest - Meet and Greet was a HUGE success! Over twenty Hoper's participated in inviting the Dousman Community into our Dousman Office. As an added bonus we won second place for Curly and Kathy's Wild Game Chili!!!!

Advent by Candlelight 2008
On Sunday, November 30th, the Ladies of Hope held their 5th annual "Advent by Candlelight" program. This program has been a wonderful way for Hope's women to prepare their hearts for the coming of their Savior. This year Wendysue Fleugge led the women in our celebration of the Advent of Christ with song.

In His Wake
The Thursday Small Group sponsored this tremendous event this summer. Invitations were given to youth from the ROC (Watertown's Recreation Outreach Center) to attend this day of Christian Fellowship and fun on the water. The event was held at the home of members, Cathy and Brian Porter. The day began and ended with prayer and devotion. Inbetween was packed with FUN!

Dousman Parade 2007
Flag Distribution - Hope members walked in the Oconomowoc Independance Day Parade, the Pretty Lake 4th of July Parade, and the Dousman Derby Days Parade. Over 4,000 flags were handed out. Each flag included an invite to our Baptism Sunday. Our Baptism Sunday offers Christian baptism to any in the community. People wishing to be baptized were asked to attend informational meetings with Pastor instructing them of the grace recieved through this gift of God.

***

GJ - Does anyone else suspect there is a database of Growth-Ideas-That-Work?

You Bring the Popcorn, I'll Bring the Fire Tunnel

The fire tunnel developed from the Pentecostal Toronto Blessing, where the ministers told jokes and the audience rolled on the floor laughing.

Here is one account, which may explain where all the mortgage brokers went.