August 7, 2008

OMAHA, Neb. – The Lutheran Men's Gathering of Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM), the men's ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), featured several keynote speakers to talk about men's faiths, ministries and relationships spanning generations.

About 600 men were here Aug. 1-3 for the 2008 Lutheran Men's Gathering at the Hilton Hotel and Qwest Center. The event theme, "Coming of Age," focused on LMM's 20th anniversary, its new relationship with the ELCA and its emphasis on the spirituality of men ages 18-34.

The Rev. David L. deFreese, bishop, ELCA Nebraska Synod, welcomed the gathering to Omaha Aug. 1, wishing for participants "a freshened perspective on what it means to be a child of God, a man of God."

The Rev. Arnold R. "Ernie" Hinojosa, mission director, ELCA North Carolina Synod, Salisbury, opened the gathering by returning to the fundamentals of the Christian faith. You can't get right with God, so God got right with you," he said. He also conducted a workshop called "Evangelism for Scaredy Cats," providing advice on how Christians can share their faith in everyday situations.

The Rev. Marcus R. Kunz, executive for discernment of contextual and theological issues, ELCA Office of the residing Bishop, Chicago, represented the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, who was unable to attend the gathering. "Congratulations to Lutheran Men in Mission on formally incorporating and especially congratulations on meeting your $1.5 million goal," he said, calling it "a tremendous milestone" in becoming self-sustaining.

The Rev. Richard Hardel, senior fellow, The Youth & Family Institute, Bloomington, Minn., said, "Family is messy." The good news is that "God gets down in the mess," he added. He led a workshop, "The Family as Church," that introduced the model of the family as a child's first and most important church.

The Rev. Paul G. Hill, executive director, Youth and Family Institute, and the Rev. David W. Anderson, director of home and congregational renewal, Youth and Family Institute, Bloomington, Minn., demonstrated men's need to work together to accomplish discipleship among younger generations. Anderson said boys need both fathers and mothers in their lives, but it "takes a man to raise a boy to manhood."

The Rev. Lawrence J. Clark, executive director, Lutheran Theological Center, Atlanta, preached at the Aug. 3 worship service. He emphasized engaging young men in ministry and the visibility of men in the church. "This is an historic time in the life of the church – particularly the Lutheran Men in Mission," he said. "As you remember the past, celebrate the present. Not to stay here, but to continually plan and prepare and engage the future."

Clark also presented an interactive workshop exploring different methods of prayer. Participants looked at the relationship between prayer and an effective men's ministry.

Peter Mayer, lead guitarist and vocalist for Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band, provided music at the Aug. 1 opening. The band Dakota Road provided music at an Aug. 2 gathering session and at the Aug. 3 worship service.

Information about LMM is at http://www.ELCA.org/lmm/, on the Web.

ELCA News Service
Luke Tatge is a senior journalism major at Augustana College, Sioux Falls, S.D. This summer he is an intern with the ELCA News Service.