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Fourth Annual Augsburg Gathering
July 25-28, 2004STAND AND CONFESS: Sure and Certain Hope4

Featured Speakers

Dr. Mark Mattes
Justification By Faith Alone: Our Sure and Certain Hope
9:00 a.m. Monday and Tuesday morning
Workshop Monday afternoon

Mr. Lou Hesse
A Clear Eye From the Pigsty
1:00 p.m. Monday afternoon

Bible Study - Romans 8:18-39
“Sure and Certain Hope”
11:15 a.m. Mon-Tues-Wed
Rev. Dick Smith

Worship Open to the Public Every Day

Evening Preachers:

• Rev. John Rasmussen

• Rev. Dr. Dennis Bielfeldt

• Rev. Dr. Larry Gedde

• Rev. Mark Beebe

Morning Preachers:

• Rev. John Fahning

• Rev. Jack Torgersen

• Rev. Perry Toso

Consensus Topics:

• New Worship Resources

  • real worship for real people

  • new contemporary settings

  • traditional favorites

• Ministry Standards

  • “A Search for Clarity”

  • Standards for pastors under call

  • “Our Declaration” for today

Workshops:

• Building Strong & Ready Families (PREP)

• Conflict Management & Problem Solving

• New Confirmation Resources

• New Bible Study on 1 Peter

• Planning Dynamic Worship

Registration:

$75.00 in advance (includes meals and materials)
$30/day at the door

You can Register Online and mail your registration fee to:
Old Sanctuary - 910 Fourth Street - Brookings, SD 57006

For more information including schedules and registration forms, click here.

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Augsburg Pastors Called to Congregations in Iowa

In April 2004, the Rev. Mark Jamison received a letter of call to serve as the senior pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Harlan, Iowa. He will be installed on May 23, 2004.

In February 2004, the Rev. Ron Rasmussen received a letter of call to serve as the senior pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church (Jacksonville, Iowa) and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (Irwin, Iowa). Ron will be installed as their pastor in June 2004.

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LETTER FROM OUR MISSIONARY IN JAPAN
HELPING THE POOREST OF THE POOR IN INDIA
Rev. Aaron Albrecht — Tokyo, Japan

At the end of February, I traveled to India with several others from the JELA (Japanese Lutheran Church Association) office at Ichigaya to look into the possibility of doing a work camp with Japanese volunteers. We went to Mumbai (Bombay) first. There we talked to officials from the Japanese government about how to apply for funding for relief projects. Also in Mumbai we saw the world’s largest slum. We learned that many of the poor people in Mumbai are from Bangladesh. They live in very small hovels pressed side by side. These little shacks open directly onto the street and they line the road for miles. The roofs are sometimes covered with sheets of black plastic. In the Indian summer when temperatures reach 145 degrees I imagine the inside of these shacks must be like an oven. The main focus of our visit was the Comprehensive Rural Health Project in Jamkehd. Dr. Arole, an Indian and a Christian, put this project together with his wife two years ago, starting with just a hospital. From there, the project has grown. It now includes a center for battered women, a farm, schools, and educational outreach to the surrounding area. When we first arrived we joined a ceremony to give out artificial limbs to people who had lost legs to disease or accidents. The legs that we helped give to about a dozen people have a special design. Most artificial legs are made for western people who sit in chairs. However, like Japanese, Indians often sit on the floor. Dr. Arole discovered a design for a leg with a joint that allows peole to do this. We saw people walk, kick start a motorcycle, and a drive a car with these legs. Some of these people had lost both legs, so they were using two artificial legs. While we were with Dr. Arole we ate some native bean pods called “drumsticks.” Later we were able to see these being grown at the farms. Dr. Arole explained that in a way they are a miracle plant. Not only can the beans be eaten, bot the pods themselves can be put into water to purify it. On the last night at the project, students at the school treated us to a program of music, dancing, and drama. The students go to nearby villages and present these programs along with simple lessons about health care. For example, one short skit we saw explained the symptoms of AIDS. Dr. Arole told us that the programs have to be a mix of entertainment and education or no one would attend. At the same program we also saw a demonstration of martial arts (judo and karate). A group of adolescent girls at the center was trained in martial arts by a second or third generation Japanese American. Now these girls have taken over as instructors for the classes. Dr. Arole explained that violence against women is a big problem in India. Based on what I saw, nobody is going to beat up any of these students! They can defend themselves! All in all it was a very inspirational visit. Dr. Arole explained that he and his late wife felt compelled to minister to the poorest of the poor because this is what Jesus did. When Jesus was told that his family was looking for him, he turned to the poor people and outcasts gathered around him and said, “This is my family.”

We hope to return to Jamkehd, India, and take a small group of Japanese volunteers with us to help out at the Comprehensive Rural Health Project sometime next year.

Rev. Aaron Albrecht interned at Elk Horn Lutheran Church in Elk Horn, Iowa, under Rev. Michael Williams. Albrecht and his wife, Lynette, now serve the Japanese Lutheran Mission in Tokyo, Japan. As part of our benevolence program, Elk Lutheran Church and Augsburg Lutheran Churches send over $5,000.00 per year to support this mission church.

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LUTHERANS IN MISSION INVESTMENT FUND (LMIF)
New Fund to Finance Mission Churches Launched April 25, 2004

The Lutherans in Mission Investment Fund has been established to help new mission churches and churches in redevelopment buy property, build churches, remodel buildings, or refinance existing loans.

Many mission churches do not meet the stringent requirements for commercial loans, and churches in redevelopment often find themselves in the same position. An alternative to commercial financing and loans from large denominational funds was needed to help Augsburg and LCMC churches.

On April 25, 2004, the Lutherans in Mission Investment Fund articles of incorporation were signed and filed with the Secretary of State in Minnesota. LCMC and Augsburg are incorporated in Minnesota, and the state has favorable laws with regard to non-profit corporations so it made sense for LMIF to be incorporated there, too.

Mr. Harold Lewis was elected President and Chairman of the Board. At this early stage of our ministry, LMIF needs a major influx of investment capital to enable this vision to materialize, and an energetic campaign to raise funds for the LMIF is already in motion. A series of letters will be sent to all LCMC congregations over the next three weeks (May 2, May 9, and May 19) to make people aware of LMIF, its purpose, and the National Day of Prayer on May 23, 2004.

LMIF has been established to support our mission to proclaim the gospel that sinners are put right with God by grace alone, that is, by faith alone in Christ alone. By helping our congregations obtain a place and space to worship, we further the unfettered proclamation of this Good News to the world.

Please send pledges and donations to:
Lutherans in Mission Investment Fund
444 Walnut Street
Florence, AL 35630

"Built on the Rock . . . "

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens of God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ himself as the keystone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22

With the creation of the LMIF, individuals and churches have a tool that enables the fruitfulness of financial security for themselves, their families, and their congregations while providing them with the opportunity to put their talents to work to spread the gospel message.

We invite all members of the household of faith to join LMIF in supporting new mission churches and churches in redevelopment as they “are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

We are asking every congregation in LCMC to donate $10,000.00 to LMIF. Our goal is to raise $1,000,000 in pledges on May 23, 2004.

Please pray for the vision and email your pledge today: LMIF@hiwaay.net

“Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?”
“ . . . it is I!”

Yours in Christ,

Harold W. Lewis, Chairman
Phone: 256-764-0536
Fax: 256-760-0495
Email: hwl@hiwaay.net

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