Lutherans coming together - eventually

It's hard for anyone to acknowledge their current operations aren't working. For churches, it can be especially painful.

But two Missouri Synod Lutheran churches in Shreveport decided they might be stronger together than continuing to operate alone. Our Savior on Bert Kouns and Redeemer on Shreveport-Barksdale have already been sharing a pastor for about a year, so combining programs, congregations and eventually buildings wasn't much of a leap, said the Rev. Perry Culver, pastor.

"What it came down to was with me preaching at both churches, and the talk of not having enough resources, we realized it doesn’t have to be this way," he said.

They'll be able to eliminate some duplication in committees and councils and some of those folks can put their energies to outreach and growth. Together, the churches would have a congregation of about 250.

The next step is to choose a name and develop a mission statement. Then they'll start thinking about property. The plan is to sell the current buildings and build new -- probably in Southeast Shreveport.

For now, the congregations will continue to worship separately, although Culver expects some church mixers and combining some programs. When one of the buildings is sold, they will combine worship.

It takes a lot of guts to make these moves, and I know it’s hard for founding members to abandon a building they poured so much life into. But Culver said he's got great reactions from members.

"Everyday I get calls about names," he said. "People want to get involved where maybe haven’t been involved in the past."

Enlarging territory

Remember the "Prayer of Jabez" that was super-popular a few years ago?

That's how I've felt for the last week as I've tried to get used to my new temporary position. I've been expanding my territory and learning new skills and trying to think about issues in a different way. I'm really enjoying the opportunity, but I need to get back on track with my blogs. Keep passing me stories, and I'll do my best to make them reality.

So here's a few notes that I missed last week:

*Two Missouri Synod Lutheran churches have voted to merge. I've talked to the pastor and I'll have more on this in a later post.

* Update on Speed Sunday at Ellerbe Road Baptist Church: the church bulletin reported that 24 vehicles from as far away as Dallas participated in the car show. And they had an increase of 94 people in attendance compared to a normal Sunday service.

* Bishop Larry Brandon, pastor of Praise Temple Full Gospel Cathedral attended the 56th annual Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC on Feb. 7. It sounds like an amazing event with religious, governmental, business and military leaders present. President Bush addressed the group about the importance of prayer:

"The people in this room come from many different walks of faith. Yet we share one clear conviction: We believe that the Almighty hears our prayers -- and answers those who seek Him. That's what we believe; otherwise, why come? Through the miracle of prayer, we believe he listens -- if we listen to his voice and seek our presence -- his presence in our lives, our hearts will change. And in so doing, in seeking God, we grow in ways that we could never imagine."