A reflection on our hours together

It's always a busy time as we in the synod offices prepare for the two to three days of meetings with the leadership of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren. We had the challenge over the last year of figuring out how to bring the planning of what used to be done by many boards into one board called the Council of Directors. Lutheran Brethren Seminary still reports to their own board, but Finance, International Mission, North American Mission and Church Services no longer report to a board, but to the president, and the president reports to the Council of Directors. It's an interesting new dynamic, but challenging.

The wonderful thing, above anything else, is that the Council is a group of leaders who desires to see the work of the Church honor and glorify God. God is the true leader of the Church, his Church, and we are merely a group of men and women who pray that we will be faithful to his calling as we make decisions and bring recommendations to the National Conventions.

Working with a single group while planning the vision and mission of the entire Church for the coming years can be difficult because there is so much to consider. It is, however, also a blessing and quite eye-opening because the Council sees the big picture as we watch all the ministries lay out their goals. We get to see how North American Mission fits in with the plans of Lutheran Brethren Seminary, and how they are able to support the mission of International Mission. There are a few new faces on the Council and it is quite exciting for them to see the larger mission of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren.

The last several meetings were learning experiences, as we wrestled with a new structure and a new constitution. But it was also an encouraging and enlightening experience, seeing the beauty of unity and mission in a family of churches called the Church of the Lutheran Brethren.

Please pray for the Council of Directors as we continue to process our role as servant leaders of our Church and seek God's will for each of us. It is crucial that we continue to pray for each other. The Council prays for you, our churches, as you reach out to your surrounding communities every day. The Council prays for our missionaries, our Seminary professors and students, our pastors and families, and all the other ministries that assist us in what we are called to do as the Church of the Lutheran Brethren. Thank you for all of your support and work within the ministries of your churches.

We are on the same mission. Together.

By Tim Mathiesen

Tim Mathiesen serves as Director of Communications and Prayer for the Church of the Lutheran Brethren.

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