Friday, August 30, 2019

WELS Member Responding to Article on Church Growth "Worship"




Joe Jewell "Any casual tour of my denomination’s [LCMS] churches will reveal how right we are. Rare — practically unknown — is the church that has not bent at least one knee to this movement. Some pastors meld contemporary songs with organ-led hymn singing and call it a blended service; others establish rival services, one for the traditionalists, one for the moderns. Who knows how many churches have installed the furniture of rock ’n’ roll in their chancels — the amps and music stands and keyboards and drum kits and microphones — and affixed disagreeable worship screens to the front walls...."



Joe Jewell The same is true, I would say, in the WELS. There are very few churches untouched by this (there are SOME--I have sought out and specifically visited them--but very few). The instinct seems to be blend, blend, blend...

 Start them young and invest in huge monitors all over the church auditorium and stage - the desolating sacrilege.
Watch us GROW!!!
much smaller.

News for Pastor and Mrs. Jordan Palangyos

Pastor and Mrs. Jordan Palangyos. Amabel just earned her PhD in linguistics. Her father just died, and we pray for the comfort and peace of the Gospel.

Gracious Heavenly Father, we join Amabel in her loss and find comfort in the peace and assurance of eternal life through faith in Jesus the Savior. In His Name, Amen.

The Bible Teaches Faith in Jesus the Savior is now in print and in Kindle. I am thinking of doing the same with Pastor Palangyos' translation. Let me know what you think about having it on Amazon and Kindle - greg.jackson.edlp@gmail.com

For their use at the mission, Pastor Palangyos has translated the little book. They will print it there, which is far more practical, but they need a printer. The approximate cost is $400. Any donations sent here will be sent (100%) to their mission via PayPal. If you want to send it yourself, this is the information.

The rainy season, which extends into October, kept them from finishing the church, but they got the first floor done. The roof must wait.

 Did you think these titles were going to the Philippines? Neither did I, but the Word travels around the world quickly. Every title is non-profit and published as a free PDF. Glen Kotten delivered these.

I reminded Pastor Palangyos that the Christian Church is built on the Word, and we have just begun with the Word. We already have a full color children's book (thanks to Norma A. Boeckler) and the black and white coloring book version (also thanks to her).

That reminds me. One of my friends from high school had a grandson in the hospital, and he has two brothers. They asked me to send the coloring book immediately (!) and so I sent the BW version for them to print and color in. That was such a good feeling, to know that the book helped a family during a medical crisis.

Springdale is in the rainy season. We just had six inches of rain a few days ago. Last night the skies opened up a new round of perhaps 24 hours of rain.

Glen Kotten would like to visit the mission again, God willing.