“Behaving your way into a new way of thinking”

Bible Study Resource
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

The teaching of Jesus challenges the way in which we think and act. In most instances, we invest in efforts to convince people to “think” in a new way, assuming that their behavior will be adjusted accordingly. Jesus, however, calls us to behave our way into a new way of thinking. “For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also”, says our Lord.

· Prepare a simple list of the ways that you allocate your personal financial resources. Where is most of your treasure directed?

· How much of your personal income do you share? Save? Spend? What does that say about your heart?

· How might you want your allocations to change?

· What behavior can you change that will allocate resources in more God pleasing ways?

The Mission on the Move designated giving appeal of the New Jersey Synod takes seriously Jesus’ admonition to behave our way into a new way of thinking by gathering and investing our treasure in the expansion of missionary work on the territory of New Jersey. In a rapidly changing world, God’s church needs to be nimble in responding to the mission opportunities that arrive on our doorstep. By heeding the call to gather available resources and inviting them in mission outreach, we will soon become passionate in our missionary zeal and spirituality. Jesus knew that we would not put our treasure in some form of ministry or witness without our heart quickly following.

The most effective way to grow strong congregations of believers who can change and save the world is to behave our way into a new way of thinking. Mission on the Move, is nothing more than a call to change the behavior of this church and people. Mission on the Move places our treasure in three significant areas which have the greatest potential to change our hearts and culture.

· Supporting mission outreach ministries in local congregations.

· Nurturing congregations in times of transformation and critical need.

· Developing new ministries and congregations on the territory of the Synod.

Sharing gifts in support of MOM will be a new behavior for you. Join your brothers and sisters across the Synod in behaving your way into a new way of thinking about God’s work, God’s gifts, God’s mission.

Mission on the Move God’s work, God’s gifts, God’s mission
New Jersey Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
1930 State Highway 33 Hamilton Square, NJ 08690
609-586-6800
www.njsynod.orgmom@njsynod.org

“Claiming the Home Field Advantage”

In the midst of a radically changing world, we find hope in claiming our rightful role as witnesses to the transforming love of Jesus. The purpose of the church is to change and save lives. Any New York Yankee fan knows how difficult it is to score on a run from a single to left in Fenway Park. A short 310 yard left field line with a 37 foot green wall topped by a 23 foot screen, gives the Boston Red Sox a decided “home field advantage” in their baseball contests.

The world in which we live has changed dramatically in recent decades. The culture has impacted many areas of church life and created monstrous challenges to the traditional ways in which we witness and minister at the start of this 21st century. Our church seeks to claim our nimble and resourceful character in response to the mission challenges God places before us. Mission on the Move (MOM) is a proactive means by which the New Jersey Synod seeks to rightfully claim our “home field advantage” rooting and strengthening our ministry by faithfully tending to God’s work with God’s gifts, to fulfill God’s mission. By heeding the call to gather available resources and allocating them for mission outreach, we will affirm and strengthen the missional impulse at the heart of our Church.

The most effective way to grow strong congregations of believers who can change and save the world is to boldly claim our home field advantage and root our church in a culture of mission outreach and witness. Mission on the Move, is nothing more than a call to change the behavior of this church and people. Mission on the Move places our treasure in three significant areas which have the greatest potential to change our hearts and culture.

· Supporting mission outreach ministries in local congregations

· Nurturing congregations in times of transformation and critical need.

· Developing new ministries and congregations on the territory of the Synod.

Sharing gifts in support of MOM is an opportunity to testify to the changed life that you are living, and to claim the power of the home field advantage for God’s work, God’s gifts, God’s mission.

1. What stories do you recall from the Bible that tell of the changing and saving of lives?

2. How has your life been changed by Jesus?

3. How might your congregation more effectively be engaged in missionary work to change and save the lives of persons in your neighborhood?

Mission on the Move God’s work, God’s gifts, God’s mission
New Jersey Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
1930 State Highway 33 Hamilton Square, NJ 08690
609-586-6800
www.njsynod.orgmom@njsynod.org

“Learning to Trust With Wiggly Squiggly Worms in the Manna Bread”

“But they did not listen to Moses; some left part of it until morning and it bred worms and became foul.” Exodus 16:20

As the Israelites made their way through the wilderness and prepared for God’s new venture in the promised land, God provided sufficient and sustainable resources to feed the people. This abundant food was called manna. The admonition was to daily collect only a portion of manna that would provide for their needs for one day. God asked the people to place their trust in a God of abundance for daily food and sustenance. Any attempt to horde more than their share would be an act of greed or hoarding and would result in the arrival of worms and the destruction of the manna.

1. What does daily bread look like in your personal life?
2. What does that look like in the life of your congregation?

Even though we live a land of abundance, our consumer culture has created a climate of fear and scarcity among many of the followers of Jesus. Scarcity thinking causes us to be cautious about sharing for fear that there will not be “enough” to provide for our basic needs. This anxiety can plague individuals as well as congregations. Moses’ instructions to the Israelites may be of value to us in discerning our ability to support Mission on the Move. Placing our trust in a God of abundance liberates us from fear of scarcity and provides all that is needed to engage in God’s word and fulfill God’s mission. Manna in the desert strengthened God’s people for witness and for the journey of faith. The abundant sharing of God’s gifts strengthens us for God’s work and God’s mission. Sharing gifts in support of MOM is an act of worship and dedication. Joining the followers of Jesus who support MOM demonstrates trust in a God who continues to provide all that is needful to sustain God’s work, through God’s gifts, for God’s mission.

Mission on the Move
God’s work, God’s gifts, God’s mission
New Jersey Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
1930 State Highway 33
Hamilton Square, NJ 08690
609-586-6800
www.njsynod.org
mom@njsynod.org

Starting New Missions:
A 21st Century Primer

Faithfulness to God’s claim on our lives impels us to reach out to all people with the story of Jesus. As communities grow, the ability of existing congregations to witness to those who are geographically distant is diminished. So we extend our reach by establishing new missions. God is already there calling us to come and follow Jesus for the sake of the world. 

The mission history of Lutherans in North America is complex. Immigrant populations desiring to worship as they had in their homeland, gathered together, brought pastors from Europe and built churches. Passionate evangelists such as Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, traveled thousands of miles along migration routes, establishing worshipping communities along the way. Lutherans have followed more recent migration waves as populations relocated from the Northeast and Upper Midwest to the Florida and the Southwest. Sometimes individual congregations have noticed a need as members move out of population centers, and they have planted congregations in new developments, thus becoming “mother churches.” In the last 50 years, mission development has been largely driven from the top down. The ELCA and its antecedent bodies selected mission fields, provided financial resources and sent a developer to start a new church. That day has passed. 

Mission Development today is a partnership enterprise. Synods discern new mission fields and invite the ELCA to partner with them in beginning a new congregation. In the New Jersey Synod the Mission Director is alert to population trends, demographic change, new housing development and multicultural/ethnic opportunities. Selection of a new mission field is done in consultation with the Outreach Team, the Office of the Bishop, Cluster Counselors and local pastors. It is grounded in prayer and Bible study. A mission field might be in an urban area undergoing regentrification, a rural area that has been reclassified by the state as town and country, a suburban area experiencing rapid growth, or an area that has begun to support a large number of recent immigrants or a particular ethnic population.

Starting a new mission in the 21st Century in New Jersey is a costly endeavor. Land and construction are expensive. Refurbishing old buildings for new uses is also very expensive. Add housing costs for a pastor/developer and the capital investment is enormous. Training, start up costs and salary for a number of years until the ministry is self sufficient increases the total cost of a new mission. The ELCA willingly partners with synods when a good mission site is identified and a solid plan is in place. But the synod is required to put financial resources into the project as well. Congregations and individuals can be Mission Founders, making significant contributions to the establishment of a new church. To paraphrase an African proverb: it takes a whole church to raise up a new mission. 

A new mission starts with a vision of possibilities grounded in God’s call. It continues to develop through prayer and discernment with an ever widening circle of partners. When a site is chosen and a developer called, the joyous work begins of witnessing to Jesus and gathering a community of disciples. The project continues with prayer, discernment, many partners and financial support through the time of organization as a congregation of the New Jersey Synod. Mission on the Move is the intentional effort of the New Jersey Synod to launch mission initiatives on our territory. Your support of MOM advances God’s work, with God’s gifts for God’s Mission.

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

“The church may be the only organization on the planet that exists entirely for the sake of those people who don’t belong to it yet.  In fact, as soon as we forget this and start making it all about ourselves, we stop being the church.”
- Kelly Fryer, Reclaiming the “L” Word:  Renewing the Church from its Lutheran Core

Did you know that 50% of the United States, 42% of New Jersey, and 35% of the people in Union county are unchurched?  God is calling us to be a church in mission right here in our own neighborhoods. 

Understanding all people’s need to hear the good news of the gospel, ELCA Bishop Hanson at the 2007 Churchwide Assembly encouraged us all to be “sent” and not “settled”.  And at the 2007 New Jersey Synod Assembly, the Mission on the Move (M.O.M.) campaign was approved as a way to recommit ourselves to mission.  Zion Lutheran Church is joining with other ELCA congregations throughout the New Jersey Synod in this effort as we seek to increase our own emphasis on mission.   

I am so hopeful about what Mission on the Move can mean for this congregation that I have accepted the invitation to be the M.O.M. chairperson.  I look forward to sharing more information with you about this important opportunity so that you can become as enthusiastic as I am. 

This is a chance for us to have some dessert, pray and talk together about our congregational and personal call to be engaged in mission.  Even though the topic is serious, we plan to have fun, and I hope that you will be able to join us.

In a couple of months we will be hosting several “M.O.M. and Apple Pie” events.  If you would be interested in hosting one of these events in your home or at the church, please let me know.   

Yours in Christ,
Luann Albanese
M.O.M. Chair