Trinity in Mission

Preparing to Pass on the Faith

These classes will serve as a starting point in our discussion

on what we as a congregation are planning to do next.
These courses are open to everyone without obligation.

There are two steps in the proposal: identification and understanding. Identification is recognizing that others need to be saved from their
sin. The pastor of Trinity will lead the adults in a Bible study on this topic, prayers will be offered for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and the
pastor will assist the congregation in understanding that salvation is for everyone. At the end of the twelve weeks, the congregation will
name at least one local group that they wish to learn about. The pastor will inform the council of the congregations’ decision.

Understanding is looking at a situation from every side. This action familiarizes us with others and makes us aware of their needs, wants,
and desires. The pastor and the council will choose twelve members that will go out in pairs and talk with members of the identified group.
Payers will be offered for the visitors and the visited. Using the input from the twelve members, the pastor will construct a report from this
step and it will be presented to Trinity’s council.

If we were to stop here after the problem has been identified and understood, then we would be like a physician who diagnosis a disease but
do nothing to cure it. Our salvation comes from the Lord and this message needs to be given to everyone. Therefore, the final step in
understanding is formulating a specific plan on how Trinity, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, will tell others about Jesus. This plan will be
prepared by the pastor and it will be presented at an adult education class and to the church council.
 Questions or Comments
If you have any questions or comments about this class,
contact either the church council or me.
Why are you here?
Name
Occupation
Faith journey
 Theology
Theology is about understanding my relationships to God, to
others, and to myself.

Everyone here is a theologian because theology is not knowledge about something. Instead, theology is about
taking a position. When I step on a “Lego” block, I take a stance toward that event, which probably injured my foot
more than it hurt the brick. This is what theology is all about; it is about being deliberate about how I think about
myself in relationship to others.

Theology is not only interested in the relationship between God and me but this discipline wants to understand our
relationship between each other and the environment that we find ourselves in.

We will spend time being deliberate on what we do and how we think.

 Questions for discussion
What is the “most important” aspect of your relationship
with this congregation? What is Trinity’s relationship with
our wider community?
 Change has never been easy
Then you scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions,
so that I would choose strangling and death rather than this
body. (Job 7:14-15)

As Job thinks about what God has told him, Job answers that these changes are very difficult, it not impossible.

We need to honestly talk about the two basic paths that we have before us. Of course, only God knows our outcome and we can
only proceed with God’s help.

One path is to do nothing. More than likely, if we take this path, this church will die. The other option is to talk to others about
Jesus. One outcome, is that we still stop functioning as a church. The other possibility is that people do join us. In all
probability, these others will not be exactly like us. In other words, there will be changes.

Are we ready for this?

 Questions for discussion
Given what you feel about Trinity’s future, are you scared?
Is this a “useful” fear?
 God’s Command
And you shall love the LORD your God with all your
heart and with all your being and with all your might.
(Deuteronomy 6:5)

The author of Deuteronomy commands us to completely dedicate our entire being to the love of God. This
dedication is to be total. There are no limits. No part of our being, no part of the world, no time is excluded from
our love of God.
This command must be tempered
with:
Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not
sacrifice.” (Matthew 9:13a)
 We are working for God.

As Lutherans, we believe and teach that the Holy Spirit is

responsible for opening the ears of the people to God's
Word, bringing these individuals into the true Church,
educating all of the believers about God's saving actions,
and keeping the church together.

This is a fundament statement that underlies all of our discussions. We cannot force God to move the church in any direction.
 How do we proceed?
In Matthew 10:16b, Jesus tells His disciples as they go out
to the lost sheep of Israel to, “be wise as serpents and
innocent as doves.” Wisdom is careful with what is
precious.

What is precious to this community?

 Questions for discussion
What is precious to this community? Who holds onto our
wisdom?
 People are precious
The trends at Trinity Lutheran Church are following many
other ELCA congregations. We are older than our
surrounding community and our membership is declining.

Trinity Lutheran’s demographics closely follow that of many other ELCA congregations. Because of this, Trinity's members are
generally older than the surrounding community is. The challenge for congregations like Trinity is to translate the faith that has
been given to them by the Holy Spirit into their specific situation. Even in the best of times, this outreach to others who do not
look like you is a difficult problem. Unfortunately, this fact is born out by the ELCA at large because the denomination lost about
1.6% of it membership in 2005. This problem is only compounded for Trinity since this area of the synod has never been a
particularly strong location for Lutherans.

Neither our age nor our skin color is our problem. They only provide us with clues that the world around us is changing.
 Questions for discussion
Should we “look” like our surrounding community? Is it an
advantage to be different?
 Even Moses asks for information
about the people and the land
... Go and see what the land is like, and whether the people
who live in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or
many, and whether the land they live in is good or bad, and
whether the towns that they live in are unwalled or fortified,
and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are
trees in it or not. (Numbers 13:18-20a)
 Questions for discussion
If we went outside and looked in our community with the
eyes of a spy, what would we see? Where do people need
our help? What would attract them to come to this church?
How are we different from everyone else? What are our
strengths and weaknesses?
 Who Attends Church
Not Attending
Conservative/Evangelical 1%
Roman Catholic
Mainline Protestant
1%
ELCA 3% 1%
Other Christian
6%
Non-Christian
Orthodox 80%
8%
Other

Estimated Percent of U.S. Population (Over the Age of Five) by Group in 2000

8% Conservative/Evangelical
6% Roman Catholic
3% Other Protestants (All lumped together)
1% ELCA

Source: C. Kirk Hadawayand Penny Long Marler, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, September, 2005.

Notice that the overwhelming majority of people are not associated with any organized faith tradition.
 Questions for discussion
Do these percentages surprise you? If we decide to reach out
to others, who should we talk to?
ELCA Attendance
 Questions for discussion
Are we doomed to exist as a “denomination”? In your mind,
why do we see this trend?
 Other “Close” ELCA Churches

We basically have a no other ELCA churches within a 30 mile radius, which holds at least 75,000 people.
 Population of Liberty County

80,000

60,000

40,000

20,000

0
1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005

Population has steadily grown in the county. However, we have not been keeping up with increasing growth around us.

Since 1998 our “official” numbers are near 125 members. Thus, our percentage served has been dropping.
 Demographics

78.90% White
12.82% Black or African American
10.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino
6.03% from other races
1.43% from two or more races
0.47% Native American
0.32% Asian
0.03% Pacific Islander

As of the census of 2000, there were 70,154 people, 23,242 households, and 17,756 families residing in the county. The
population density was 23/km² (60/mi²). There were 26,359 housing units at an average density of 9/km² (23/mi²). The racial
makeup of the county was 78.90% White, 12.82% Black or African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.03% Pacific
Islander, 6.03% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. 10.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any
race.

There were 23,242 households out of which 38.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% were married
couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.60% were non-families. 20.40% of all
households were made up of individuals and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average
household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the county, the population was spread out with 27.60% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 31.60% from 25 to 44,
21.40% from 45 to 64, and 10.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there
were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,361, and the median income for a family was $43,744. Males had a
median income of $37,957 versus $22,703 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,539. About 11.10% of
families and 14.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.30% of those under age 18 and 15.00% of those
age 65 or over.
 Nearby Population, Income, and Family of Origin

A more detailed look at population, income, and family of origin.

 Nearby Housing Information

Housing information
 Questions for discussion
If we were to reach out to others, in what direction should
we move? How many new members would be comfortable?
 Time is precious
If we keep following our trends, we do not have much time
left.
 Trinity’s Attendance

50.0

37.5

25.0

12.5

0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

2006 and later are estimates.

There are many issues related to dropping attendance and these range from children in Sunday Church School to having the
same people do everything.
 Trinity’s Giving

50,000

37,500

25,000

12,500

0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

2006 and later are estimates. In order to afford a part time pastor, we need about 36,000 dollars per year. The last year that we
had this level of giving was in 2002.
 Questions for discussion
What should we do with our remaining time? Should we try
to “live” a bit longer?
 Christ’s Command
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have
commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20a)
 Our mission as Church
Everything that we do as a church must agree with this
command from Christ.
Questions for discussion
Are we doing what Jesus commanded us?
 The obvious part

Go into the world

Make disciples
Baptize them in the Trinity’s Name
Teach them about Jesus
Obey His commandments
 This work requires

Resources:
Money
Time
People
Support
 In other words ...

This is a long term commitment that

cannot be completed in a single day, year,
or even a lifetime.
An institution, the Church, is needed to
perform this command.
 Our resources are limited

We have a fixed amount of time and

money.
This brings us back to wisdom

How will we be “wise as serpents and

innocent as doves?”
 Possible Models

God has a place at the Table for you.

God wants you in the family.
Join the Circus
New Beginnings
 Rublev’s Trinity
Icon
God has a place for us at the
table.

Possible Model/Motto

From wikipedia:

Andrei Rublev (Andrey Rublev, Andrey Roublyov, Russian: Андре́й Рублёв) (1360? – 1430?) is considered to be the greatest Russian
iconographer.

Notice that there is a place at the Trinity’s Table for humanity.

 The Trinity as Family
John of Damascus developed the Orthodox view of the
Trinity as περιχώρησις (perichoresis). This word, which
means circulation, describes how the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit all exist as One. This view of the Trinity
emphasises how we are incorporated into the God's self. As
children of God who live with God forever, we have the
freedom to help others: the freedom to love and the freedom
to unite the divided.
John of Damascus (circa 676 – December 5, 749), was raised Christian in a community that was predominately Muslim. After
being educated by a Christian monk, John became world renown in the areas of algebra, geometry, and theology. His
contributions in theology are still used in the Eastern Church. They sing his songs and they still use his writings on th faith.

"The Father exists in the Son, the Son in the Father, and both of them in the Spirit, just as the Spirit exists in both the Father and
the Son. By virtue of their eternal love they live in one another to such an extent, and dwell in one another to such an extent,
that they are one." \footcite[174-175]{bib:MoltmannTheTrinityAndTheKingdom}
 Church as Circus
The Grim Brothers tell us that the German word for Church,
Kirche, is from the Latin word for circus. The reason for this
is that the early site for crucifixions of Christians in Rom
was the Circus of Nero.

The Circus of Nero was begun by Caligula and finished by Nero and the circus was the site of the first organized, state-
sponsored martyrdoms of Christians in AD 65. Two years later, Saint Peter among many less famous Christians shared their fate.

The Circus of Nero lay in the same axis as St Peter's. The site for crucifixions in the Circus lay along the spina (spine),
the central division of the track round which the races occurred. Early Acts of Peter describe the spot as inter duas
metas} (between the two metae or turning-post''), that is, in the spina or middle line of Nero's circus, at an equal distance from
the two end goals. Such a traumatic event for the Christian community is likely to have been correctly recalled.

Some time in the 5th century the exact spot was marked by a chapel “of the Crucifixion.” The origin and meaning of the name
were confused in the course of time with Christ Crucified and the chapel itself was lost.
 In the circus, no one is perfect
Christ’s circus is filled with those who do not fit in. This
includes the defenseless child, the weak, those who are in
retirement communities, the deformed, and the terminally ill.
Every one is welcome.
 The greatest show
We come and others come to the Christus Circus, not to
practice our acts of living but instead, because we believe,
we will be placed to death and raised from the dead. Our
trust is in God who brings us back to life. We do this time
and time again, not because the Word is weak but because
we do not see clearly what we need to do.
 Now appearing in your town
When we go into the world, we take the circus onto the road.
 A new beginning
As orthodox Christians we believe and teach that members
of this church here on earth are impefect. We all fall short of
our potential. The beauty of the faith is that God gives each
of us a new start.