CORE Report - Summer 2006

Dear Christian Friends,

The steering committee of Lutheran CORE met last month in Columbus. We had a very positive and productive time together. We spent much of our time refining the goals and strategies for Lutheran CORE for 2006 and 2007. A copy of these goals and strategies is appended to this letter (below). These emphases provide clarity and direction for where we are going in Lutheran CORE, and we hope you share a sense of excitement and confidence in what we are about in Lutheran CORE.

As participants in Lutheran CORE, we do not wish to be complainers and nay-sayers. We seek, rather, to speak affirmatively for the priority of God's Word for the church. We call for fidelity in marriage, because marriage is a gift from God. We are committed to working with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America at the beginning of a study process on the nature and interpretation of Holy Scripture. We seek to lift up the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the church's worship and Christian education. We want to listen to the prompting of the Spirit and elect persons to the leadership of our church who will reflect Biblical commitment and confessional loyalty.

The goals and strategies we have adopted, plus our support for the Common Confession, indicate who we are as Lutheran CORE. True, we are sometimes disappointed with our church. In many ways our church seems driven more by the day's cultural values, rather than by the authoritative witness of the Bible. We are often frustrated by some of the proposals and decisions of our church.

But, as Lutheran CORE, we are determined to work within our church and to labor for its reform. We strive to be a voice for the Word of God within the church. Lutheran CORE is a confessional and confessing movement within the ELCA. We have neither the desire nor the intention to leave the ELCA, but to stay within the church to which God has called us. And we are prepared to engage vigorously and confidently, over the long haul, for the reform of our church according to the Word of God.

It appears that, generally speaking, the synod assembly "season" was mercifully a peaceful time for our church. The Metro New York Synod rescinded its resolution from last fall calling for the exercise of restraint on discipline for rostered leaders not in conformity with ELCA policy. Only a handful of synod assemblies adopted resolutions favorable to the gay and lesbian agenda, and just as many synods refused to consider, or rejected, efforts to support the gay and lesbian agenda. A few synods took actions that reflect our concern for the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All synods elected voting members to the 2007 churchwide assembly in Chicago. We will be active in making contact with those persons. We will be introducing our mission to them, and we will be encouraging them to support the concerns and priorities we espouse.

We thank you for the support and encouragement that you give us in Lutheran CORE. It is a great comfort to us to know that you are with us. We ask that you continue to pray for us, for our church, and for our synodical and churchwide leaders. We ask that you speak with others about Lutheran CORE and invite them to be a part of this ministry. Others need to know who we are and what we are about.

We also ask that you support Lutheran CORE financially. Checks may be made out to "WordAlone Network" with a memo, "Lutheran CORE" and sent to WordAlone Network, 2299 Palmer Drive #220, New Brighton, MN 55112. As the churchwide assembly approaches, we will need significant funds to support our participation in that important event in our church's life.

We hope you can sense the confidence we have in Lutheran CORE's mission and ministry. Our hope comes from God, whose Word and Spirit sustain and empower us. But our hope is strengthened immeasurably by the support that people like you give us. We are not alone. And we are confident that God goes with us, as we strive for the reform of our church according to his Word.

Lutheran CORE Steering Committee:
Paull Spring, State College, PA, chair
Erma Wolf, Brandon, SD, vice chair
W. Stephens Shipman, Watsontown, PA, secretary
Mark Chavez, New Brighton, MN
Mark Graham, Roanoke, VA
Scott Grorud, Hutchinson, MN
Ken Kimball, Waterville, IA
Ryan Schwarz, Washington, DC
Paul Ulring, Columbus, OH

Lutheran CORE - Goals & Strategies

The over-arching goal of Lutheran CORE is to be a voice for the Word of God within the church. We are, therefore, a confessing and confessional movement within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. We seek the reform of our church according to Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, and we endorse the Common Confession as a summary of Lutheran convictions for our time and place. Lutheran CORE is open to all who share our commitment for reform - congregations, lay people, pastors, and other reform movements within the ELCA.

We are committed to prayer for the ELCA and its leaders and to remain within the ELCA. We seek for ways to dialog with both synodical and churchwide leaders. We will continue to support our church, when its decisions and actions conform with the Word of God. We will provide criticism and serve as a loyal opposition, when our church diverges from the Word of God.

I. Human Sexuality
Lutheran CORE will...
● Monitor the implementation of the Orlando churchwide assembly decision on human sexuality by synods and churchwide leaders;
● Prepare model resolutions for synodical assemblies on marriage, the family, and human sexuality. Such resolutions will lift up the Biblical understanding of marriage as a gift from God;
● Participate actively in the development of a proposed social statement on sexuality. We will sponsor conferences and seminars and will prepare theological papers related to marriage, family, and human sexuality.

II. Biblical Interpretation
Lutheran CORE will...
● Encourage and support the ongoing churchwide study on Biblical interpretation. We will learn more about the process and time line. We will be in contact with members of the working group and will seek clarity on the intended results of this study;
● Prepare a series of papers on the authority of the Bible from a Lutheran perspective;
● Plan a series of "letters to the editor" for The Lutheran and Lutheran Partners;
● Develop articles in Lutheran Forum, Word and World, and in other journals;
● Sponsor regional and other conferences on how Lutherans understand Holy Scripture.

III. Naming of God
Lutheran CORE will...
● Develop a plan and design that will advocate for the use of the name of the Holy Trinity in worship, Christian education, and theological education.

IV. Leadership in the ELCA
Lutheran CORE will...
● Secure names and addresses of 2007 churchwide assembly voting members and be in communication with them on a regular basis;
● Arrange for a Lutheran CORE representative to attend meetings of the Church Council;
● Monitor issues that will come before the 2007 churchwide assembly;
● Focus on the election of presiding bishop, secretary, and Church Council at the churchwide assembly, and will work toward sharing information with voting members;
● Develop a churchwide assembly budget, including expenses for transportation, registration, accommodations and office and staffing matters;
● Work in close cooperation with WordAlone Network staff leaders regarding churchwide assembly matters.

Special Emphases:
A. Synod Contacts. Lutheran CORE will strive to expand the number of synodical contacts to include all synods; will develop a job description for synodical contacts; will maintain a plan for regular communication with them; and will seek for regional coordinators for synodical contacts.
B. Communication Team. Lutheran CORE will sponsor and publish a book on the church and its reform; will develop means of sharing the message of Lutheran CORE with the wider church (a DVD, a brochure, managing and updating a website); and will explore advertising in The Lutheran and other journals.
C. Fund Raising. Lutheran CORE will develop a plan for securing funding for its ministry - with the goal of raising at least $100,000 by the time of the 2007 churchwide assembly.

One Pastor’s Feedback on the CC Bible Study

A group of about fifteen people in my congregation at Holy Cross Church just finished the seven-part Bible Study on The Common Confession. It was a very positive experience for all of us who were involved.

For one thing, the seven topics chosen are basic to our faith as Lutheran Christians, and are being discussed in the church and in society. The two Scripture passages in each lesson speak to the topics, and the quotations from The Small Catechism and the ELCA Confession of Faith are helpful in interpreting the meaning and making application of the Scripture readings. Those attending the study felt that the discussion questions were neither too difficult nor too simple, but stimulated group discussion. This study clearly deals with issues of concern within the ELCA, but the study encourages honest debate and discussion among members of our denomination, rather than engaging in fruitless bashing of differing positions.

The people of any congregation can benefit from this study, whether those persons have been involved in Bible studies before, or are just beginning a group study. Those who participate in this study of The Common Confession will understand our Christian faith better, will be better informed on issues in our church, and will grow closer to each other in the process.

Rev. Peter J. Martinson
Associate Pastor
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
Maple Lake, MN

Back from Hiatus

If the last month or so has seemed a little slow in terms of LC3 news and activity, we all have been on a little hiatus.  Between vacations, trips, VBS, special summer events, and all the other little unexpected things that come up at this time of year, our attention has been elsewhere temporarily.  As we start gearing up for the Fall, look for some new resources to come on this website, as well as some specific project proposals in which congregations of the LC3 will be able to work together.