Values

• A world of lost people who yet are blood bought and precious to God
• LCMS churches with an abundance of members and God‐given resources
• Raising support for network supported church workers
• Lifting up LCMS ministries God is using to connect people to Jesus by means of the Gospel
• A church body more reflective of the demographics of our society
• Upholding our Pastors and the Pastoral Office
• Taking back the urban areas and cities for Christ and His Kingdom

• Seeing the Church as Jesus sees it – members of His body (1 Corinthians 12:12close1 Corinthians 12:12 One Body with Many Members 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. (ESV) close1 Corinthians 12:12close1 Corinthians 12:12 One Body with Many Members 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. (ESV) One Body with Many Members 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. (ESV) ‐13), sheep of His fold (John 10:14closeJohn 10:14 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, (ESV) closeJohn 10:14closeJohn 10:14 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, (ESV) 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, (ESV) ‐18), blood bought souls (1 Peter 1:19close1 Peter 1:19 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. (ESV) close1 Peter 1:19close1 Peter 1:19 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. (ESV) 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. (ESV) ), baptized into His name (Matthew 28:18closeMatthew 28:18 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (ESV) closeMatthew 28:18closeMatthew 28:18 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (ESV) 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (ESV) ‐20), gathered around His Word and Sacrament (Luke 11:28closeLuke 11:28 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (ESV) closeLuke 11:28closeLuke 11:28 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (ESV) 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (ESV) ), with a deep desire to testify to the One who died and rose for them (Acts 8:4closeActs 8:4 Philip Proclaims Christ in Samaria 4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. (ESV) closeActs 8:4closeActs 8:4 Philip Proclaims Christ in Samaria 4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. (ESV) Philip Proclaims Christ in Samaria 4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. (ESV) ) so that many can be brought into the Good Shepherd’s fold (John 10:16closeJohn 10:16 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. (ESV) closeJohn 10:16closeJohn 10:16 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. (ESV) 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. (ESV) ).  In response we:
• Provide a public forum for sharing and for encouragement in the Great Commission
• Share what we are learning about House Church planting so that we can grow through mutual encouragement and accountability among the members of Christ’s body.
• Recruitment of future leaders from beyond the current membership of our church body
• Partnerships with the Church, Community, Civic Organizations & Corporations
• Encourage the Priesthood of the Baptized (1 Peter 2:5close1 Peter 2:5 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (ESV) close1 Peter 2:5close1 Peter 2:5 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (ESV) 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (ESV) ‐10) also to consider public ministry.

Our Goals By God's Grace

• Enroll at least 500 LCMS House Church planters by the year 2017
• Share Level One of Congregational Prayer Ministry with 500 LCMS churches by 2017

• “We pray that God would prepare members of the Priesthood of the Baptized to plant House Churches by connecting people to Jesus Christ through the Word of God.”

We seek to do this work with the understanding of the Word of God set forth in our Lutheran Confessions, thinking here especially of articles 4, 5 and 7 of the Augsburg Confession:

Our churches teach that people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, orworks.  People are freely justified for Christʹs sake, through faith, when they believe that they are receivedinto favor and that their sins are forgiven for Christʹs sake.  By His death, Christ made satisfaction forour sins.  God counts this faith for righteousness in His sight (Romans 3:21closeRomans 3:21 The Righteousness of God Through Faith 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— (ESV) closeRomans 3:21closeRomans 3:21 The Righteousness of God Through Faith 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— (ESV) The Righteousness of God Through Faith 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— (ESV) ‐16; 4:5).

So that we may obtain this faith, the ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the sacraments was instituted.  Through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given(John 20:22closeJohn 20:22 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (ESV) closeJohn 20:22closeJohn 20:22 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (ESV) 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (ESV) ).He works faith, when and where it pleases God (John 3:8closeJohn 3:8 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (ESV) closeJohn 3:8closeJohn 3:8 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (ESV) 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (ESV) ), in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christʹs sake. This happens not through our own merits, but for Christʹs sake.

Our churches condemn (those) who think that through their own preparations and works the Holy Spirit comes to them without the external Word.  (AC 4&5 –Readerʹs Edition of the Book of Concord, p.59).

In other words, our House Church planting ministry exists to train people and pastors to bring the Word of God into the lives of people who do not know Jesus.  There is no other way for people to be saved than to hear the Word of God and by the power of the Holy Spirit to believe in Jesus.  We work with pastors to train church planters (who work with pastors) to bring the life‐giving Word of God into the lives of people who do not yet know or believe in Jesus. The Holy Spirit promises to work through this Word, when and where it pleases God.

We recognize, with the Augsburg Confession, that one holy Church is to remain forever. The Church is the congregation of saints in which the Gospel is purely taught and the Sacraments are correctly administered. (AC 7 – Reader’s Edition of the Book of Concord, p. 60). Therefore, we pray that our House Churches will be places where the Holy Spirit gathers people around the Word of God and draws them into the congregation of saints where Christ feeds His sheep with His Word and Sacrament under the care and supervision of the Pastor of the congregation.
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Editor’s Comment, the following is a quote from Rev Herb Mueller as he worked on this document, “[Note ‐ it’s my opinion we have abandoned the city – in 1960 on any given Sunday, there were between 25,000 of our LCMS people in worship attendance (membership of 63,000)  in the city of Chicago, a city of 3,000,000.  Today, Chicago has grown in population but the aggregate church membership of all our churches in the city is less than 3,000.]”