Pastorates and D4D

Brothers and sisters in Jesus,

I have always longed for the church to become what the New Testament describes.  Last year as we preached and studied our way through the book of Acts, I dreamed time after time about a church that lives in community, gathers around God’s Word, shepherds its people, and pours the love of Jesus into the world.  This kind of church is what Jesus was talking about when he said, “the gates of hell will not stand against it.”  This is not a church hiding behind fear or cheap slogans, but rather a church that lives boldly in the name of Jesus and by the power of his Spirit, secure on the foundation of his Word, giving its life away so the world might know Jesus.  

We have seen glimpses of this kind of Jesus-following church off and on through the years.  At Central we’ve had different kinds of studies, classes, groups, and missions that point more and more toward this vision.  Each time we step out into a new mission venture or dig deeper into God’s Word, his Spirit shapes and forms and draws us along in Jesus’ wake.  We continue to see people equipped to share their gifts through these means.  As we grow together as God’s people at Central, we become better stewards of the most precious gifts entrusted to us — the lives of our children and youth.  

I recently had the privilege of speaking at the Confirmation Retreat at Timber Bay for our freshmen.  It was so exciting to see the adult leaders who came on the retreat not as chaperones, but as fellow followers of Jesus, modeling this Jesus-following life for our confirmation students.  The deep love I saw lived out that weekend between leaders and students is a clear beacon pointing forward to where God is leading this church.  It is not simply a life of individual belief, but of deeply rooted communities where we share life together.

That is why I am so excited about the direction we are heading at Central.  In the coming days you will hear more and more about two important movements that will shape us in the years to come: Pastorates and D4D groups.    

Pastorates will provide each person at Central the opportunity to be part of an extended family of Jesus-followers.  These mid-sized gatherings will be places to worship, to share life together, and to reach into the world with Jesus’ love.  

D4D groups will provide an opportunity to build a deep connection with two to four other believers.  In these cell-sized discipleship groups we can grow intentionally together as we dig deep into God’s Word.  Our goal is to sharpen each other “as iron sharpens iron,” as the Bible says, in an environment of trust, encouragement, and accountability.

During the last eleven years, I have spent more hours than I can count working with Alpha.  Many of you have participated in the Alpha course and you know the power of God’s Spirit working through those ten simple weeks of meals, talks, and conversation.  It was amazing last Sunday to see the number of people who stood in our morning worship services to indicate that they had participated in Alpha!  Statistically in the last seven years, well over 700 people have completed Alpha at Central.  Wow!  

The reason I point this out is that Alpha does not emphasize head knowledge about Jesus, or completing a program, or passing a class.  Rather, Alpha is about relationships.  Shared meals, hard questions, and good conversation provide a rich environment for people to grow closer to Jesus and to others.  These are the same elements that undergird our movement toward pastorates and D4D groups.  And like Alpha, these ventures will come to nothing without the power and presence of God’s Spirit moving through his people.  

Will you join me in praying for Central in these days as we anticipate what God will do in the next three to five years?  May we continue to be shaped and formed into the church of Jesus, sharing our lives together, growing closer in love with him, and building his kingdom!

Yours in Jesus Christ,

Jeff

Jeff Krogstad, Associate Pastor
Central Lutheran Church
Elk River, MN