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Lenae Rasmussen

OUR COMMISSION: TO SERVE AND SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL

AUGSBURG LUTHERAN CHURCHES EXISTS TO SERVE AND SUPPORT our member churches and chapters in their proclamation of the Gospel. Our fellowship exists to support the people who carry out the Great Commission to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Mt 2819-20).

The Augsburg Lutheran Churches believe our proclamation of the gospel is the most important way God uses us as instruments to carry out his Great Commission. We understand that the most important words in religion, according to Luther, are the personal pronouns he, I, and you (my brother). There is no salvation by affiliation or through implicit faith in what the church teaches, but only through the explicit gift of faith in Christ. As Luther put it, “Everyone must do his own believing just as everyone must do his own dying.” Luther replaced the smooth Latin rational “therefore” (ergo) of scholastic theology with the paradoxical German agonizing “nevertheless” (dennoch) for it is only in spite of everything that a man can with the help of the Holy Spirit say, “Credo,” I believe.

One of the ways our fellowship serves and supports its members is by pooling our time, talents, and financial resources to encourage one another in proclaiming the good news that Jesus came to justify the ungodly. Luther once said the kingdom of God is like a besieged city surrounded on all sides by death. Each man has his place on the wall to defend and no one can stand where another stands, but “nothing prevents us from calling encouragement to one another.” Which is precisely why ALC exists—to encourage one another and work on larger tasks together. The following is a sample of what we’re doing now:

• Upholding our Lutheran confessional and theological foundations—ALC sponsors public gatherings to discuss the Holy Scriptures, the Lutheran confessional writings, Luther’s writings, our teaching documents, and our statement of faith. ALC is also working on a multi-media Bible study on Scripture and Sexuality for youth and young adults.
   

• Building a cadre of confessional Lutheran pastors—the fellowship of the cross—through weekly conversations with the Augsburg Pastor and the annual pastors’ retreat. We’re also actively recruiting more confessional Lutheran pastors to our List of Clergy.
   

• Providing a theological studies program to educate and train pastors—ALC is developing its own master of divinity curriculum through the new pan-Lutheran Claus Harms House of Studies and existing universities and seminaries around the country.
   

• Raising money for the Lutheran Mission Investment Fund to help our members have a place to worship by financing property purchases, new church buildings, and the improvement of existing facilities.
   

• Supporting mission churches and pastors—ALC helps mission churches find “Mission Partners” who provide regular financial support until the church is self-supporting, and the ALC Mission Fund provides funds for new mission starts.

We thank you for your generous support in the past, and ask for your prayers and benevolence this fall so the Augsburg Lutheran Churches can continue serving and encouraging one another for the sake of the gospel. Donations can be sent directly to the ALC Financial Secretary:

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