As my people and I
grew closer, they started to trust me.
standpoint and preaching as a kind of advertising. Gimmicky? Probably. But attendance grew. As my people and I grew closer,
they started to trust me. I made mistakes and they forgave me. One Sunday I used a sermon illustration that was obviously biased politically. A church council member called me to task and I apologized. Te sermon isn’t the place to advance a political agenda that can be divisive. Tat belongs in an open forum, where people can express their views and not have to sit mutely while listening to mine without opportunity to comment. Lose advocates for participatory
preaching. I invited members to engage with me in dialogue sermons. I also invited outside guests so
they weren’t hearing only my voice. One Sunday, with fear and trepida- tion, I invited a Christian motor- cycle gang to deliver the message, which was mostly in the form of personal testimonies. In a town of little more than 800 people, hearing 30 Harleys roar up to the Lutheran church drew a lot of attention. Together we developed specific
themes for Sunday morning ser- vices. On “Healthy Living Sunday” nurses took blood tests and blood pressure measurements. We hon- ored the local volunteer fire depart- ment, grandparents or teachers. On “Make a Joyful Noise Sunday” everyone was invited to bring an instrument or noisemaker. Te chil- dren paraded down the aisle with drums and a variety of instruments. During visits—in homes and at
Author bio: Lentz is a retired pastor in St. Petersburg, Fla. He served St. John (Ohio City) and Trin- ity (Middle Point)Lutheran churches in Ohio.
places of employment—I learned my members had stories to tell. Some talked about their conversion to faith. Others told about a miraculous event, struggles with doubt or the witness of a friend. With encourage- ment, they wrote about their experi- ences for our Lenten devotional. Tis ministry provided a modest income, but in retrospect these
were the 10 most satisfying years of my life. At times I wished we had a secretary to do the bulle- tin or newsletter. But these tasks got done. And as the combined attendance reached more than 100, volunteers began to step forward. It seemed we became a priesthood of all believers with many willing hands ready to volunteer.
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October 2015 35
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