CONCORDIA LUTHERAN CHURCH
Louisville, Kentucky
Established 1878
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CONCORDIA LUTHERAN CHURCH |
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September 2, 2008
The following is a plan for the mission and ministry of Concordia as it moves into the next decade and as it approaches its 135th anniversary in 2013 and its 140th anniversary in 2018. It will replace the 10-year document that was adopted in 1998. This is a document which our boards have developed and which the Voters Assembly will be asked to approve in October as a long-range mission and ministry plan covering the next decade. This plan is a guide; circumstances may require modification so long as they are in keeping with the will of the congregation.
Mission and Ministry Plan Concordia Lutheran Church Louisville, Kentucky 2008
Preamble: Background and Current Status Concordia is the “Mother Church” of the Missouri Synod in Louisville. It was established in the near east side of the city on Clay south of Market and moved several blocks southeast to Broadway east of Barret in 1892. It has remained at that location at the edge of the Highlands ever since. From its inception Concordia had a Christian school. Ever since the school’s closing in 1957, the congregation has strongly supported the education of its children first at Martin Luther School and then at Our Savior Lutheran School. The congregation’s ministry has been extremely stable. Indeed, Pastor Peters is only the sixth pastor in its entire history. The present parish hall was built in 1892 as a school and worship center, and a new sanctuary was built in 1930. The sanctuary is an exquisite “English Chapel” form of Gothic Revival and was designed by a world-famous architect in Gothic Revival, Ralph Adams Cram of Cram & Ferguson, New York City. Spectacular stained-glass windows by Connick & Sons of Boston and equally spectacular wood carvings adorn the sanctuary, which has been maintained in excellent condition. In 2002 a major remodeling and expansion of the parish hall was completed which provided an elevator, nursery, three offices, a workroom, several Sunday School rooms, a meeting room, a kitchen, a conference room, a gathering area, a choir room and music offices, several restrooms, a youth room, a library, archivist space, and significant storage space. The church has parking for up to 75 cars, and it also has a terrace on the west and a fenced meditation garden on the east. The building and grounds are maintained very nicely, and improvements are made on a continuous basis. Concordia reached a peak in the 1950’s with an average attendance of approximately 250 and a baptized membership of 450, but urban decline, the growth of suburbs, and possibly other factors led to a gradual decline that lasted some 30 years until the early 1990’s. At its lowest point, the average worship attendance was in the low 80’s and baptized membership was close to 200. This decline in the congregation’s size also saw a gradual “graying” of the membership. In the last several years this trend has been reversed. Average worship attendance now exceeds 200, and a large number of people have joined the congregation, many of them young families or individuals; baptized membership is now about 480. Worship in the congregation is liturgical and quite formal. There are two services each Sunday morning (7:45 and 10:00) with an active Sunday School and Bible class period at 9:00. The various liturgies of the Lutheran Service Book are used on a regular basis. Worship includes chanting and the use of a chasuble. The music program features an adult choir, two children’s choirs, and a handbell choir. Soloists and instrumentalists are used as appropriate. The congregation has a paid part-time organist and a paid part-time adult choir director. The education program includes a year-around Sunday School of six classes, a high school bible class, a college bible class, three Sunday morning adult classes and a class that meets during the week. There are also two home bible study groups, one of which is for younger adults. In addition, there is a midweek bible study for college students at the University of Louisville. The congregation has a strong VBS program, a Sunday nursery, and other things for children including a Christmas pageant. The library has been expanded, and there is a summer Pastor’s Reading Club for children. Concordia has a book discussion group and a Luther’s writings study group. There are many active organizations at the congregation including a Braille Workers group, LWML, two youth groups, a sewing circle, In-Betweeners (a fellowship group for people between the youth group and the senior citizens’ group), Golden Agers, and other groups mentioned above. The fellowship activities include monthly fellowship meals, a softball team, a hiking group, caroling, and other special events. The evangelism efforts of the congregation focus on invitations members offer to others to attend worship and to participate in other activities. These are followed up with letters and personal contacts by the pastor. Concordia publishes an extensive monthly newsletter, maintains a web page, and advertises regularly in the newspaper and yellow pages. A series of Pastor’s classes is offered twice a year, and there are frequent adult baptisms and confirmations. Junior confirmation classes are offered for 7th and 8th grade students. In the last several years Concordia has become actively involved in ministry among African immigrants living in Louisville – particularly for those from Liberia, Cameroon, and Ethiopia. Concordia has also initiated a campus ministry in the Interfaith Center at the University of Louisville. Concordia is an Ablaze! Covenant Congregation and has recently started two church plants – one, Risen Lord, is in Spencer County, and the other, Resurrection, is in Louisville at the site of the former Pilgrim Lutheran. Concordia serves as the “mother church” for Risen Lord, and Divine Savior serves in this capacity for Resurrection. Concordia has just begun a three-year financial commitment to help Risen Lord. For the last two years Concordia has participated in the Synod’s vicarage program, but it does not have a vicar this year so that it can financially support Risen Lord. Concordia employs a full-time secretary, a part-time sexton, a part-time choir director, and a part-time organist. A retired pastor receives a stipend to help with visits to the homebound and some other calls. Three retired pastors also help with conducting worship. The financial condition of the congregation is quite strong and has improved substantially over the past several years. It will pay off its existing mortgage of $490,000 in fewer than ten years; this mortgage is all that remains from the expense of the remodeling/expansion project that cost nearly $2,000,000. Concordia contributes over $25,000 per year to Synod & District, and it also supports several mission/service endeavors. Concordia is blessed with a remarkable peace and harmony. The parish is also blessed with wonderful lay leadership and involvement.
Presuppositions (Prepared by the Board of Elders) 1. The mission and ministry of this congregation revolve entirely around God’s Word and the Sacraments. 2. Concordia values highly its membership in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. 3. The mission and ministry of the congregation are engaged in by all of the members; the tasks of the pastor are to nourish, equip, and enable. The other staff positions provide necessary support. 4. The peace and harmony in the parish are priceless blessings from God which must continue to be treasured. 5. The worship facility can accommodate continued growth with two services each Sunday. Membership of 900 to 1000 and worship attendance of 400 could be handled. Having more than two services on a Sunday morning can cause some problems with the education program and with parking, so growth beyond that point may not be so easy to support without further adjustments. 6. Concordia has reached out with a number of special ministries, and the congregation should continue to look for such opportunities. 7. Concordia should continue to look for opportunities in special ministry.
I. Basic Statistical Goals (Board of Elders) 1. Average Sunday worship attendance should increase to 245 in 2013 and to 280 in 2018. 2. Concordia should have as a goal 550 baptized members in 2013 and 600 in 2018. 3. Concordia should have average weekly bible study and Sunday school participation of 140 in 2013 and 165 in 2018.
II. Worship (Board of Elders) 1. Concordia’s worship is always to be grounded in Word and Sacrament and is to be Christ-centered. 2. Concordia should maintain its strong tradition of rich Sunday worship in a fairly formal and “classic” or “traditional” style with appropriate variety. 3. Consideration should be given to changing the worship times if that would help increase attendance at the early service. 4. Lay participation in worship and worship support should be encouraged in such areas as choir, soloists, lectors, acolytes (4th to 8th grade), crucifers (confirmed youth), altar guild, ushers, greeters, nursery care attendants, sound system operators, and finance committee. 5. Regular use should be made in the liturgy of a vicar, field worker, and retired pastors when they are available. 6. Members should be encouraged to plan funerals at the church whenever feasible. The gathering area may be used for visitations prior to funerals. A regular program of providing funeral luncheons should be maintained. 7. Weddings at Concordia are to be worship services with appropriate music and other features. Under normal circumstances, Concordia is used for weddings only by members and prospective members. 8. Concordia should observe such special non-festival Sundays as Rally Day, LWML Sunday, Braille Sunday, Founders Day, Life Sunday, Baptism Sunday, and Friendship Sunday. 9. Concordia should continue to have special worship services during Advent and Lent as well as at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Holy Week. Concordia may wish to continue to have special services for New Year’s Eve (a long-standing tradition) and Ascension (a recent offering).
III. Bible Study and Christian Education (Board of Education) 1. Concordia should maintain and expand its adult Bible study program and encourage all adult members to participate in at least one Bible study group each week. 2. A strong Sunday morning Bible class for youth should be continued. 3. A Sunday morning parenting class should be continued. 4. A college-age Sunday morning bible class should be continued. 5. The Sunday School should be continued at the level of at least the six classes which the CPH material supports. 6. Unless there are special circumstances, CPH/Synodical materials should be used in Sunday School and VBS. 7. A strong VBS should be continued for age 3 through grade 6 with a large staff of teachers and workers. 8. Special Sunday School events such as the Rally Day picnic should be encouraged. 9. A two-year confirmation program should be continued for children in grades 7 and 8. 10. Concordia should continue to provide strong financial support for the education of its children in a Lutheran school. 11. Appropriate use should be made of crafts, videos, music, and other activities in Sunday School and VBS. 12. A “cradle roll” program should be restarted. 13. Installation and recognition of teachers should be emphasized. 14. Groups such as the book discussion group and the Luther’s writings study group should continue as appropriate. 15. Concordia should encourage people from the congregation to enter professional church work. 16. Concordia should strengthen its funding program to assist the education of future professional church workers. 17. Concordia should explore the establishment of a circuit scholarship fund for future professional church workers. 18. Concordia should explore the establishment of a scholarship fund for study at a Synodical school or at Valparaiso University. 19. Exploration should be given to beginning a congregation bookstore with appropriate books, videos, gifts, cards, etc. using CPH as the primary vendor.
IV. Music (Board of Elders) 1. Because of the traditional, formal nature of our Sunday morning worship at Concordia, the pipe organ should most often be used for preludes, postludes, and the like. Piano and keyboard may be used for accompaniment and other purposes as appropriate. 2. Instruments such as trumpets, flutes, and violins should be used in the Sunday worship as available and appropriate. 3. Hymnody should emphasize traditional hymns and chorales with other types of hymns used for appropriate variety. 4. A choir, small group, or solo anthem should be included in the late service on most Sundays. Special music can also be included in the early service as appropriate. 5. Lutheran Service Book liturgies should be used at most services. 6. Occasional hymn-sings should be included in the Sunday services. 7. Special emphasis should be given to having strong adult and junior choirs. Formation of a high school choir should be explored. The junior choirs and potential high school choir fall under the guidance of the Board of Education. 8. The bell choir should be continued. 9. Concordia should offer or host an occasional organ concert or cantata. 10. Efforts should be made to host an occasional touring group. 11. Instrumental groups such as a brass choir or string ensemble should be formed and used as possible and appropriate. 12. The pipe organ is to be enhanced by the addition of two new ranks of pipes.
V. Youth Ministry (Board of Education) 1. Two youth groups, one for grades 5 to 8, and the other for grades 9 to 12, should be maintained. 2. Youth ministry should emphasize the Sunday morning bible class. 3. The senior youth group should include, whenever possible, a monthly event; the junior youth group should have events at least every other month. 4. Youth activities should include fellowship, topics, and service projects. 5. An annual major summer youth trip for the senior youth group should be continued if at all possible. 6. Opportunities for youth to “earn” the majority of the expenses of a summer youth trip should be continued. 7. A group of youth counselors should work with the pastor. 8. The congregation should provide safe, dependable transportation for all youth events that are not held at the church. 9. The youth groups should participate in circuit youth events.
VI. Fellowship and Organizations (Board of Evangelism) 1. A strong LWML group should be maintained. 2. A strong Braille Workers group should be maintained. 3. A strong Golden Agers group should be maintained. 4. A strong Sewing Circle should be maintained. 5. Concordia should continue to make use of Thrivent opportunities and participate in Thrivent events. 6. The congregation should maintain athletic teams for members, members’ families, and prospective members. 7. Concordia should develop stronger support for LLL and explore forming a men’s club. 8. Concordia should maintain a 15-passenger van or other type of van or bus. 9. The congregation should continue the Valentine’s Banquet, Friendship Sunday, Thunder over Louisville, Father’s Day Bake Sale, monthly fellowship meals, Easter breakfast, workday meals, the wood-rubbing party, VBS closing, Sunday School Rally Day, Founders’ Day, the Christmas Pageant meal, and other fellowship opportunities. 10. The congregation should provide strong support for youth fund-raisers and special youth activities. 11. Special activities such as congregation caroling and hikes should be continued and promoted. 12. The congregation should continue to support In-Betweener activities. 13. Concordia should actively involve ALL new members in fellowship activities and in organizations. All new members, including those who join by transfer and profession of faith, should be oriented into the life of the congregation at the last Pastor’s Class. 14. Concordia should be open to additional fellowship needs and opportunities as they present themselves. 15. Use should be made of Camp Cedarbrook. 16. Concordia should continue to provide strong support for the Camp Cedarbrook board and should support the camp financially. 17. Awareness of the congregation’s rich history should be promoted through publications, special events, and a museum area. 18. Information on members’ interests, hobbies, talents, and the like should be brought out as appropriate. 19. Use should be made of the shuffleboard court, pool table, ping-pong table, etc. 20. Fellowship use should be made of the terrace, the Meditation Garden, and Rubel Park.
VII. Ministry to the Sick, Homebound, Grieving, and Hurt (Board of Elders) 1. Regular hospital calls by the pastoral staff should be made. 2. Prayers, visits, and cards from elders and all members should be encouraged for the hospitalized and those in need. 3. Monthly pastoral visits to the homebound should be continued. 4. Congregation members should be encouraged to visit the homebound. 5. Tapes or CD’s of Sunday services should be made available to the homebound and to others. 6. A food ministry should be provided for funerals and to others in need. 7. When appropriate, financial support for people in need should be continued. 8. Special Thrivent benefits for people in need should be continued. 9. Concordia should be involved in the Highland Community Ministries services and should continue to hold the HCM clothes closet. 10. A support group for African immigrants should be continued. 11. Support should be given to Lutheran Family Services, and appropriate referrals should be made. 12. Concordia should continue its strong support for Cedar Lake.
VIII. Sharing and Inviting (Board of Evangelism) 1. All members should be encouraged to invite the unchurched to worship and Bible study. 2. The Pastor’s Class series should be continued at least twice a year for prospective members and current members. 3. Friendship Sunday should be continued. 4. Frequent invitations should be given to new members and prospective members to participate in various activities. 5. Information on organizations and activities should be provided to new and existing members. 6. Concordia should maintain a current and attractive congregation brochure. 7. Current and attractive pictorial directories and non-pictorial congregation directories should be maintained. 8. Concordia should continue to publish monthly an attractive and informative newsletter. 9. Our signs at the site and at other key locations should be maintained or improved. 10. Local and area hotels should be stocked with an appropriate brochure from Concordia unless the Federation does this. 11. Concordia should continue to maintain an attractive and informative web page. 12. Community services and events such as the election site, clothes closet, bloodmobile, and Thunder over Louisville should be continued and expanded. 13. Concordia should support and expand its internet ministry and other uses of media. 14. Exploration should be given to the production of DVD’s of worship. 15. The greeters program should be continued. 16. Children’s evangelism should be emphasized. 17. Concordia should sponsor sharing and inviting workshops. 18. Use of the meditation garden should be promoted by signage and having the area open when someone is at the church.
IX. Stewardship (Board of Finance) 1. Efforts should be made to increase the percentage of contributions to Synod and District to 12 or 15% of general fund offerings. 2. Support in addition to this should be given to specific mission projects locally and beyond. 3. Concordia’s members should have talent profiles and be helped to use their talents fully in service to God. 4. Efforts should be made to remove all debt within the next ten years. 5. An annual stewardship emphasis with a Pledge Sunday should be continued. 6. Opportunities for children to make pledges and to have offering envelopes should be continued.
X. Facilities (Board of Trustees) 1. The facilities should be maintained and cleaned through an appropriate sexton/custodian agreement. 2. Maintenance contracts should be continued for the boiler, elevator, alarm system and other systems as appropriate. 3. The wood in the sanctuary should be cleaned on an annual basis. 4. Repairs should be made on all facilities in a timely way. 5. A healthy insurance program should be maintained. 6. Volunteers should be sought for mowing, flower care, and snow removal. 7. Clutter should not be allowed to accumulate in any areas inside or outside. 8. Regular workdays should be scheduled and publicized. 9. Appropriate equipment for cleaning and maintaining the property should be purchased and maintained. 10. The meditation garden could be improved to include an altar and small worship area. 11. Appreciation should be extended to all volunteers for the assistance in maintenance and cleaning. 12. The parking lot needs to be sealed and striped on a timely basis. 13. The sanctuary walls need to be repainted and some of the ceiling beams dusted at the same time. 14. The van should be maintained (and, when necessary, replaced) for its vital use in youth ministry, Golden Agers activities, immigrant ministry, and the like.
XI. Special Ministries 1. For the past few years Concordia has reached out to several African immigrant families and now has several people from this group as members. Emphasis to this special ministry should be continued. 2. An Immigrant Ministry Committee should continue to help the pastor with this ministry. 3. The congregation’s participation in University of Louisville campus ministry through the Interfaith Center should be maintained and, if possible, strengthened. 4. Concordia should seek the participation of other congregations in this ministry, |
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