On the 15^th of May we celebrated Pentecost Sunday, remembering that our beginnings are rooted in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to a faithful group of folk gathered for fellowship and prayer. In that upper room, God’s Spirit descended, and before the day was done, 3,000 souls were added to the church. Peter, who had once denied that he even knew Jesus, stood boldly and proclaimed the Good News, so effectively, that in one day the church greatly expanded its borders.

As I look at the biblical witness, it would appear to me that God is always calling the church to look outward, to search for the one who is not yet here. Matthew’s gospel ends with what we know as the Great Commission, which calls us to "Go make disciples." The Book of Acts tells us "after the Spirit has come upon us we will be witnesses locally, regionally, and around the world!" Again, the Spirit continues to move us outward.

As you probably know, we are considering one more way that Lake Street UMC might be able to move outward, namely beginning a new worship venue we are calling "contemporary worship." I’ll describe our vision of that in a separate article. Why would we consider this? Why would sane preachers even propose adding another worship service to an already busy schedule?

In my heart of hearts, I believe it is the Spirit pushing us to move outward. The service is not for those who find themselves comfortable and growing in a traditional worship setting. This service is geared for all those who have found traditional worship not so satisfying, boring in fact. This service is to reach some of those 32% of people in the Chippewa Valley who are completely un-churched, and another 35% who attend worship less than four times per year.

When we take a look at our worship attendance, our services are missing participation from many of our own youth. The age category of 25 to 40 years is also greatly missing. The church must do something to reach these people with the Good News. A new worship venue is definitely not the whole answer, but if we are able to reach some who would not otherwise be reached with the love of God and a loving community of faith like Lake Street UMC, then I’m interested.

It has been my experience over the past 25+ years of ministry, the greater variety of options you offer in worship, the more people you will reach. Other churches in our community have thought the same thing, and churches like Peace Lutheran and Trinity Lutheran have decided to make the bold move and diversify their venues. There are many other churches in town doing the same

One thing however is clear. I think it will be impossible to make changes without changing anything! I heard affirmation, as did others, that the Church Council affirms the need for a Contemporary Worship Venue, but so far, most of the feedback I’ve received is we want this without changing anything that is presently in place. Change of any measure requires flexibility of some measure on all our parts.

I trust that as we all stay at the table, name our concerns, and prayerfully consider our options, we will make a decision that will honor God’s call to reach out as well as meet our own needs. I hope you will write me, email me, call me with any concerns that you might have.

I think it’s best for me to answer publicly the questions being raised, as many questions are similar and everyone can benefit from the discussion. I will do this through the Circuit Rider as well as the Short Circuit. May we always share our concerns in the spirit of the one who once said: "If anyone would be my disciple, let him/her deny him/herself, take up their cross daily, and follow me." How do we live into this invitation to discipleship in light of our present decisions? I trust God will lead us in this journey…

Grace and Peace,