Summer in the Synods

It has been a full summer for Lutherans all across America.  Three of the major U.S. Lutheran church bodies held conventions or assemblies.  There was also a national youth gathering in the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, as well as a convention of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League.

Our prayers are with Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, Presiding Bishop-elect of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, as she transitions to this new and very important leadership role.  And our thanks to Bishop Mark Hanson as he completes his significant and impactful years of servant leadership to the ELCA.

There is no question that changes continue to take place in church denominations as they attempt to discern their place in a rapidly changing religious landscape.  Wonderful and exciting opportunities exist to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in word and deed.  At the same time, these opportunities require adaptation and change as our world becomes more diverse, as “churched” people tend to be less loyal to specific denominations and as church attendance decreases and congregations are often perceived as less integral to community life than they used to be.  As we respond to these changes, church body officials struggle with questions related to their authority and influence.  Should they exert control and require greater agreement around theology and practice or should they encourage more openness and variety of practice in an effort to serve an increasingly diverse population?

Thankfully, while our denominations continue to wrestle with these issues and questions, and while they pursue different paths, the Lutheran faith community continues to share some distinctive common hallmarks.  One of these is the strong desire to serve people in need.  Regardless of what our various church bodies call this response to the Gospel … social ministry, human care ministry, mercy ministry, peace and justice ministry … we seem to have in our DNA caring about and for the welfare of others, no doubt encouraged by Luther and others who describe so well the blessing of Christian vocation.  Efforts such as Stephen Ministries, parish nursing, Lutheran day schools, and deaconess programs are just a few of the countless expressions of this desire to serve.  And, of course, as Lutherans we can be very proud of the tremendous impact of our Lutheran social service organizations.  As you may know, 1 in 50 Americans are touched annually by the services of member organizations of Lutheran Services in America.

There are encouraging signs for the future of a church dedicated to service as Lutheran young adults and other young people of faith place high priority on personal involvement in service to others.  One of the programs that is causing much excitement among Wheat Ridge staff and board members these days is our Burst Grant program that provides initial encouragement and support for health and human care initiatives led by young adults.  We recently hosted a convening of some of the first recipients of this grant.  It was a high energy gathering as these talented leaders filled the room with their stories, experiences and questions, while at the same time building supportive relationships. 

Wheat Ridge Ministries is blessed to have a “bird’s eye” view of this service activity as we receive and respond to abundant opportunities each year to seed new ministries of health and hope from congregations and church agencies that are inspired by God’s Spirit to develop new ways to serve people in their neighborhood and community.

Wheat Ridge Ministries is privileged to connect and serve leaders young and old who are inspired to make an impact in the lives of others in the name of the healing Christ.  We are blessed to serve as a vehicle to connect these new ministries with generous people who serve and support these new ministries through their investment of resources.

Our staff just completed its annual planning retreat.  During our time together, Mark Schoepp, our Director of Congregation Engagement, led us on a wonderful journey through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.  Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians in Chapter 5 comes clearly to mind as we encourage one another in the important work of sharing the healing touch of Christ with others:

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever!

Amen!

Bombs Away!

My daughter, Katie, recently visited Portland, Oregon, and sent me the picture below.  If you live in Portland, you’re probably very familiar with these vending machines.  Maybe other cities have them, but it was the first time I had seen them. It reminded me of the “gumball” machines that were so plentiful years ago. Of course, in those days, you could buy a lot of gumballs for 50 cents.

I am really impressed by this creative approach to going green! What fun it must be to take the little bag and throw it on a patch of dirt with the hope that the seeds take root and grass and wildflowers emerge. From a Christian perspective, of course, these seed bombs are a great reminder of the parable of the sower.

Katie’s a big fan of Wheat Ridge Ministries. She keeps an eye out for things that she thinks might help me tell the story of seeding new ministries and she thought this was a winner! Indeed, Wheat Ridge is a seed bomber! We seed new ministries of health and hope, directing the resources God provides through generous people so that inspired leaders are able to develop and begin new ventures that help people experience the healing touch of Christ. As was the case in the parable of the sower, in spite of our best efforts, sometimes the seeds sown land in places and situations that just won’t allow for growth, and ministry projects never get off the ground. Occasionally, projects get off to a strong start, but the initial enthusiasm wears out or circumstances change and the effort stagnates. By God’s grace, though, the vast majority of the seeds we cast result in new ministries that bear fruit for a long, long time and impact the lives of hundreds, and often thousands, of people.

In a few months, Wheat Ridge Ministries will embark on a new way to help sow seeds of hope around the world. Rather than "seed bomb" vending machines, we will harness the power of the internet to seed an abundance of new ministries through a crowdfunding site. We see this as a "21st century" seeding tool and are very excited about the possibilities it offers!

In case you are saying to yourself, “crowd what?!,” here’s a quick explanation:  Crowdfunding utilizes the power of the internet to market innovative new ideas and projects, leveraging online relationships, especially through social networking, in order to share a need and raise funds. Many such sites exist, but none are dedicated to serving as a tool for people who are initiating new Christ-centered human care initiatives and those who would like to support these projects.  It is our hope and prayer that the "Starting Block" (the working title for our site) will help us significantly increase the number of new ministries we can seed. We envision large numbers of faith-based projects posted on this site, offering donors an opportunity to select and support projects that are consistent with their interest. Of course, “Starting Block” will complement the other grants and services that Wheat Ridge Ministries offers.

Thank you for being a seeder through your support for Wheat Ridge Ministries and through your daily encouragement of and involvement in new ministry efforts in your congregation and community. We are Lutherans seeding new ministries of health and hope in the name of the healing Christ.  Seed bombs away!

The Overhead Myth

During the years I’ve served at Wheat Ridge Ministries, I’ve grown increasingly concerned by the expectations that the leaders of non-profit organizations, including those whose new ministry efforts have been seeded by Wheat Ridge, face related to the allocation of organizational costs.  Indeed, Wheat Ridge faces these same pressures.  Unlike the for-profit sector, where investment in growth and development is expected, there has been increasing assumption over the years by the general public that non-profits should be able to be effective and able to grow their impact without that same investment.  In fact, expenses related to sound administration, communicating mission and impact to donors, as well as other services that do not directly impact those served by the organization have been given a very uncomplimentary name – overhead. 

 

As a result, many of the organizations we serve are tempted to arrive at creative definitions of what constitutes “program services” in order to show evidence of low overhead.  Many of these organizations get stuck in a cycle of ineffectiveness stemming from a fear that investing in the kind of capacity needed to be effective in today’s world – technology, development staff, financial planning, fund raising, impact evaluation, staff development – will reflect negatively on them and cause their donors to question their support.  Instead of investing in the talent needed to increase their impact, these organizations are often understaffed.  Their leaders experience burnout and ineffectiveness as too few people try to accomplish more than is possible.  While such investments are celebrated in the for-profit sector, in the eyes of many, non-profit organizations are accused of being wasteful when they invest in growth.

 

Given all of this, I was overjoyed last week to read a joint letter to the “Donors of America” published by the Presidents and CEOs of the three the major and most respected non-profit “watch dog” organizations – Charity Navigator, Guidestar and the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance – under the banner of “The Overhead Myth.”  In it, these CEOs warn donors about the damage that is being done to the effectiveness of many non-profit organizations by placing concerns about overhead ahead of interest in impact.  In this letter, they reference a phrase used by the Stanford Social Innovations Review to describe the results of such misguided thinking: “The non-profit starvation cycle.”  I encourage you to check out www.overheadmyth.com to learn more about this important issue.

 

What I’ve seen during my years at Wheat Ridge are organizations and their leaders doing heroic and miraculous work given the resources they have available as they make a difference in the lives of people.  The press certainly loves to highlight the exceptions, but they are few and far between.  Most organizations are extremely grateful for the support they receive from donors and they do all they can possibly do to use contributions wisely and efficiently.  Ironically, by having to be so concerned about perceptions about what is an appropriate use of charitable contributions, many of these organizations are distracted from important activities such as measuring their impact and communicating their impact to donors.  This can create another vicious cycle since evidence of impact is something in which donors should be keenly interested.

 

If you’d like to dig into this important issue, another great resource is the book Uncharitable: How Restraints on Nonprofits Undermine Their Potential, written by Dan Pallotta.  Dan is also featured in a great TED video of his presentation called “The Way We Think About Charity is Dead Wrong.” 

 

I want to express my appreciation and respect for the understanding of this important issue demonstrated by our Wheat Ridge Ministries Board of Directors.  Our board recently endorsed a significant strategic growth plan that recognizes and provides for investment in capacity that is necessary as we work to increase our impact and effectiveness.  Our staff and board want to build on our impact as a seeder of new health and human care ministries by increasing the resources we are able to share with churches and other Christ-centered organizations.  I’m confident that the growth and development investment we are making in all aspects of our operations will make us more impactful and more sustainable in pursuit of our mission.

 

The church and the entire non-profit human services community face ever-increasing and ever-changing challenges and opportunities as the need for care for the poor and underserved increases and available funding, especially government funding at the federal, state and local levels, is unable to keep pace.  Thank you for making a difference through your generosity, engagement and trust in the charities of your choice and, of course, for your generous support for the seeding of new ministries of health and hope through Wheat Ridge Ministries.  We are greatly blessed to serve with you and on your behalf so that more lives are touched by the healing hands of Christ!

Ingredients

I’m writing this “hot on the heels” of a very important meeting of the Wheat Ridge Board of Directors. During this meeting, our Board enthusiastically committed to a new strategic business model that will, God willing, significantly increase our mission impact over the next four years. More about our plans for the future appears elsewhere in our June eNewsletter.

The in-depth planning process in which we have been engaged for the past 12 months has served as a reminder to me of God’s amazing way of providing the right ingredients at the right time to accomplish His purposes. Here are three of the ingredients for which I am so very grateful:

A Community Dedicated to our Mission – The initial step in our strategic discernment process was to invite 25 “thought leaders” from among our many stakeholders and constituents to join our Board of Directors and senior staff for two days of intensive thinking, sharing and prayer. This “Future Summit” took place in April, 2012. During the Summit, we considered Wheat Ridge’s history of service from our roots as the Wheat Ridge Tuberculosis Sanitarium to our current work as seeders of new health and human care ministries. We explored the challenges and opportunities that face our organization today and into the future. And we identified trends in the church and world that may impact the future pursuit of our mission. It was an honor to be in the room with gifted leaders and to listen and learn as they shared their ideas, expertise and hopes for the mission of Wheat Ridge. A specific product from this gathering was a collection of seven “common ground statements” that represent the participants' best collective thoughts about what the staff and board should consider as we planned for the future. These statements served as an important base for the ideas and plans that we developed. Words of support and encouragement from the participants have continued since the time of the Summit, serving as a great reminder to our staff and board of the thousands of individuals and organizations who care about our mission and who want to be involved in pursuing it.

Leaders – If you have engaged in a planning process at your workplace or in your church, you know how important it is to have skilled consultants and facilitators guide the work. Extraordinary leaders blessed us throughout our planning process. Thanks to Chuck Dull, Les Stroh and Kurt Bickel for guiding us through the rigors of the Future Summit. Another very talented consultant, Gary Hubbell, used his unique talent and experience to help us develop our ideas and plans during the months following the summit. The chair of our Board of Directors, Kevin Boettcher, invested a great deal of his time and generously shared his expertise in strategic planning to help our plan come together. Likewise, our board members provided input and insight along the way, especially those who served on our board planning committee. Last, but not least, I have been inspired, but not surprised, by the tireless efforts of our staff planning team to develop a focused, creative and realistic plan for our future.

Prayer – As we were in the midst of our planning efforts last summer, I was contacted by Rev. John Denninger who, until recently, served as Senior Pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Springfield, Virginia (John now serves as President of the Southeastern District of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod). For years, the Southeastern District Board of Directors has wrapped their decision-making in a very intentional discipline of focused prayer. This process has had a powerful impact on their work and they were looking for opportunities to share the process with other ministry organizations. John and Phil Morrow, a past chair of the Southeastern District board, generously agreed to come to our board meeting to help use focused prayer in our discernment efforts. John and Phil drew from specific portions of Scripture as the basis for meditation and prayer before, during and after the discernment and decision process. Instead of asking for God’s blessing after we made decisions, we asked God to speak to us during our discernment process. Doing so was a profound experience. It changed our discussions and helped us stay focused on discerning God’s Will for our ministry. Our board decided that this important process needs to be a central component of future meetings. Indeed, focused prayer was used again this past April as our board prayerfully committed to a plan for the future.

Ingredients God provides: people, community and prayer. God’s resources offered and invested for the sake of seeding new ministries of health and hope. Awesome!

Light in the Darkness



My wife, Deb, and I were blessed in our Easter celebration this year by attending the festival worship at Grace Lutheran Church in River Forest, Illinois.  The music that supported and led the worship service was so good it is hard to describe.

Likewise, we were blessed by Pastor Bruce Modahl’s Easter sermon.  He concentrated on the portions of the Gospel that describe the events at the empty tomb on the first Easter morning.  As Pastor Modahl does so well, he led with a story from his own experience … a recollection of his invitation to accept the tradition of a local clergy association for him, as the new pastor in town, to deliver the sermon at a community-wide Easter sunrise service.  Quite funny!

Pastor Modahl’s sermon helped me think anew about Christ as the “Light in the darkness.”  He shared a quote from theologian Walter Brueggemann, and while I’m sure I’m not quoting it word-for-word, in essence it states that “the power of the resurrection shows in the darkness, not in the sunrise.”  This would certainly have been true on the first Easter morning.  While the sun may have been rising as the women and then the men went to the tomb, the evidence of Jesus’ resurrection was found inside the darkness of the tomb where His body no longer lay.

Thanks to Pastor Modahl and Dr. Brueggemann, I’ve been thinking a lot about the power of the resurrection in the world today.  The need for the light is evident, especially when our lives are dark, due to our sins, individually and collectively, that bring darkness of injustice, neglect, pain, illness, abuse and death into the lives of others. 

God gives to us, the same people who find ways to keep ourselves and others “in the dark,” the awesome opportunity to be bearers of light as we serve and assist others in the name of the risen Christ.  A great joy for me as I pursue the seeding ministry of Wheat Ridge comes from learning about, observing, encouraging and assisting the Easter people who are Christ-light bearers to the people they impact through their new ministry efforts.  The leaders, volunteers and projects that are bringing resurrection light to others are far too many to list here, but let me share a few that come to mind:

§  The SHAPE Center in Detroit, Michigan, that helps provide whole person wellness opportunities to children and teens in the inner city;

§  Pastor Ben Krey and his congregation, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as they provide free transitional housing for new immigrants and refugees;

§  The leaders of the Prostitution Survivors Project who bring hopeful alternatives to women lost in the darkness of prostitution in Seattle, Washington;

§  Cecilia Ng, who created a summer camp program for children with special needs in San Francisco, California;

§  Melissa Johansen, who is leading efforts at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Carol Stream, Illinois, to bring hope and employment training to homeless people and to provide for their wellness by helping them grow and harvest fresh food from a community garden.
 

During this season of Easter, let’s thank God for these light-bearers who reach into the darkness to share the light of Christ and for the gift we have each been given to do the same.  “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  John 8:12

Christ is risen.  He is risen, indeed.  Hallelujah!

High Tech - High Touch!

I doubt that in my lifetime I will see an example of God’s creative power that has grown as rapidly and has had more of an impact on every aspect of people’s lives than the advancement of computer and internet technology.

Recently, I was trying to explain to my daughter what it was like to do a research paper for school 40 years ago.  I lost her at “carbon paper.”  Since then, however, the chronology of technological advancement as it has touched my life has included the wonder of transitioning from a mimeograph machine to multi-function printer/copier (I can send a document to our office copy machine from my cell phone from anywhere!).  My first “portable” computer back in the 1980s weighed about 15 pounds and required me to insert a floppy disk with the DOS operating system every time I used it.  And, how did I ever survive being limited to a rotary land line phone?  My iPhone has more bells and whistles than I’ll ever use.

In 1982, John Naisbitt wrote the huge best seller Megatrends.  In this book, Naisbitt identified the concept of “high tech – high touch.”  His contention was that as technology advanced and we became more dependent upon machines to help us solve problems, our need for hands-on relationships and experiencing a sense of community would also increase.

I wonder if back in 1982, Naisbitt knew that “high touch” for many of us would be delivered by “high tech”?  Say what you want about Facebook, it’s hard to deny that it, as well as other marvels such as Skype and LinkedIn, helps people stay in touch and create community in ways unimaginable 20 years ago.  I celebrated a birthday last week and enjoyed receiving a barrage of congratulatory Facebook messages from colleagues, old friends, former students and relatives.  A few years ago, I would have received birthday cards from my mother and my wife, Deb.  One of our daughters lives in Germany and Deb and I have often commented that thanks to Facebook, Skype, email and text messaging, we are in touch and know more about what’s going on in her life now than when she was living in our home!

Of course, it is amazing to see how God’s gift of technological advance is impacting the high touch world of health and human care ministry.  As a case in point, I saw a report on television not long ago about the use of technology to help older adults remain in their home rather than moving to an assisted living facility.  A live video and audio link is installed in the home and a trained professional in a care facility monitors it and is available to the individual or couple at all times.  This seems like a system that would also work well as a component of a congregation’s health ministry.  I hope Wheat Ridge Ministries has the opportunity to help seed the first attempt!

I am very excited that a component of Wheat Ridge Ministries’ strategic planning involves the use of technology in new and creative ways for seeding new ministries of health and hope.  One of these is “crowdfunding.”  Imagine large numbers of new ministry initiatives posted on a website by their leaders who are making their case for the new human care venture they are trying to initiate in their community.  Imagine being able to go to this site regularly and contribute to one or more projects that catch your interest and touch your heart.  We plan to build and test such a site during the next few months.  We see this as a 21st century way for Wheat Ridge to continue and expand its seeding ministry.  Please keep this endeavor in your prayers!

The possibilities of God’s high-tech creations are worth celebrating, but the ultimate celebration comes as we experience the blessing of God’s high-touch action.  Through the death and resurrection of His only Son, we look forward to the highest touch of our loving God for eternity.  This is indeed worth “tweeting” about!  Christ is risen!  He is risen, indeed.  Hallelujah!

By the way, I encourage you to connect with Wheat Ridge Ministries on Facebook and Twitter. You’ll be among the first to receive the latest information and stories about new ministry projects being seeded by Wheat Ridge; find out about upcoming webinars; learn about helpful articles we come across; and be alerted about grant deadlines and special grant opportunities. 

Wow!

I returned last week from our annual President’s Circle Retreat, a gathering of Wheat Ridge supporters who receive updates on our seeding ministry, hear from leaders of projects we are supporting or have supported, and enjoy Christian fellowship. This year’s retreat took place in Orlando, Florida, and we highlighted several ministries, many of them located in Florida, that were seeded by Wheat Ridge. What a joy it is to receive encouragement, ideas and perspectives from these people who support our work so generously.

 

The retreat was a “Wow!!” experience for me again this year. It’s so great to hear from leaders whose hearts God has touched with a passion for serving others. As is always the case when I’m around such leaders, I came away inspired by their commitment to impact lives by sharing health and hope in Christ’s name. These leaders all have questions on their hearts and minds and are determined to pursue answers …

 

• How can we help new people who have fled their homeland due to war or persecution and find themselves in prison-like detention centers in the U.S., often times for years, while they wait for a resolution? Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service’s CEO, Linda Hartke, and her team answered this question by designing a training program for volunteers from congregations who enter detention centers to visit with and offer a caring presence to people who, through no fault of their own, find themselves in this lonely and vulnerable situation. 

• How can our congregation take seriously its commitment to reach out to homeless and disenfranchised people in our community? Buy a strip mall and fill it with a variety of needed services! That’s what Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Lake Mary, Florida, with help from some partner congregations, has done. One of the ministries in the mall is called “The Oasis.” It’s a drop-in center for homeless people who need a safe place to take a shower, access the internet, or get referrals for needed services available elsewhere in the community. Another ministry in the strip mall is “Shepherd’s Hope,” a fully equipped medical clinic staffed by volunteer doctors and nurses.  

• How can we help young adults who have never been exposed to the Good News of Jesus or who have been hurt or disillusioned by the organized church, or have never been exposed to a worshipping community? Young pastor Ben Hoyer has answered this question by starting “Downtown Credo,” a coffee shop designed with intention to create and nurture authentic relationships among young adults. This commitment to building relationships has resulted in a growing Christian community called, “The Cross.”

• What do we do with the lessons we learned after a tragedy struck our congregation in the form of a loved family of the congregation viciously murdered in their home? Rev. Rick Armstrong and school psychologist Ann Eissfeldt decided to help other congregations and schools develop crisis plans so that people in communities impacted by such tragedies can be ministered with love and in appropriate ways as they experience loss and grief. Leaders of hundreds of congregations and schools around the country have benefitted from “God’s Care in Times of Crisis” training. Rick and Ann have also provided needed assistance for caregivers in places like New Orleans, Louisiana; Columbine, Colorado; and, most recently, Newtown, Connecticut.

• How can the church serve older adults who can no longer manage their own lives and resources?  This question resulted in the development of a guardianship program that became one of the initial services provided by Lutheran Services Florida in the early 1990s. This important service continues to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of older adults who do not have family or loved ones to help care for them. 

• What do I do when I visit a city in Ghana, Africa, and find tons and tons of plastic water bags littering the street? And what do I do after I learn of the plight of hundreds of young women with babies who are living on these same streets? And what is my response when the poor and orphaned children of Lesotho, Africa, capture my heart and seek ways to serve their needs? Rebecca Brandt and her college friends founded “A Ban Against Neglect,” a non-profit organization that provides shelter, education, vocational and parenting skills to help young women and their children live full and productive lives. Andrew Steele and his friends started “Bloom Africa,” a new organization that is helping children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic access educational opportunities.

• How can my congregation serve the caregivers of elderly adults who require full-time care from family members? Terri Ziegler and Jane Corcoran of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Largo, Florida, answered this question by starting “Ruth’s Promise,” a community of care for senior adults that provides a safe and caring environment several days a week, thus allowing family members of these older adults an opportunity to renew and take care of important chores and commitments that are otherwise difficult to accomplish when their loved one requires full-time care.

I was also “wowed” during our President’s Circle Retreat by the reminder our participants provide of the awesome blessing of thousands of other people whose generosity makes possible the seeding ministry of Wheat Ridge. We have been able to seed all of the ministries described above, but only because of the support we receive from so many who believe in the importance of assisting inspired leaders during the fragile initial stages of new ministry development. If you are reading this, you are most likely one of these generous people. Without you, our ability to seed new ministries in Florida and around the world simply would not be possible. Thank you!!  

Blessings as you continue your journey through Lent on the way to the empty tomb. Wow!!