Hope Lutheran halts funding to ELCA over decisions on gays in clergy

We used to be members at First Lutheran. This is really good news. About time people take a stand. From the Fargo Forum Newspaper:

Fargo’s largest congregation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has suspended its funding to the denomination because of controversial decisions regarding homosexuality made at the recent Churchwide Assembly.

A letter on the Hope Lutheran Church Web site states that the “leadership has suspended all financial support to the ELCA and will develop a process to define who our mission partners will be.” It also affirms that pastoral leadership at Hope Lutheran is to uphold the standard that human sexuality is “to be maintained within a marriage relationship between one man and one woman.”

The letter is signed “Hope Lutheran’s Church Council and Pastors.”

The Rev. Chuck Olmstead, Hope Lutheran’s senior pastor, did not immediately return calls asking for comment. Other church officials deferred comments to Olmstead. Eastern North Dakota Bishop Bill Rindy could not be reached for comment.

Hope Lutheran’s statement references recent ELCA Churchwide Assembly decisions related to homosexuality. In August, the assembly voted to find ways for congregations to “recognize, support and hold publicly accountable” committed gay relationships and to allow individuals in such relationships to serve in rostered ministry.

“What the ELCA vote has accomplished is to make each congregation even more autonomous,” the Hope Lutheran letter states. “That independence frees us to choose who we work with in mission and who we support financially.”

Hope Lutheran has two campuses in Fargo with more than 10,000 baptized members.

The church’s decision makes it the third such act in the Fargo ELCA community. Earlier, First Lutheran Church, Fargo’s second-largest ELCA congregation, opted to designate its benevolence funds so that they bypass the national ELCA offices. And Pontoppidan Lutheran Church in downtown Fargo has voted to suspend its benevolence giving to the ELCA while a committee studies the impact of the ELCA’s recent decisions on Pontoppidan.

This isn’t just a Fargo phenomenon; ELCA churches across the nation are protesting the assembly vote. Some congregations are acting more strongly.

The ELCA’s Office of the Secretary estimates that 50 of the ELCA’s 10,396 congregations have taken votes to leave the denomination or have scheduled them, according to an ELCA news release. Nearly all of those votes are related to the assembly’s actions on sexuality.

At least two unidentified congregations in the Northwestern Minnesota Synod have taken an initial vote to leave. Two such votes are required in order for a congregation to exit the ELCA.

About five congregations nationwide have taken two votes to leave the ELCA this year. The largest of those was the 6,800-member Community Church of Joy in Glendale, Ariz.

This isn’t the first time the ELCA has seen churches pull their funding. Some congregations left when the ELCA passed the controversial ecumenical “Called to Common Mission” agreement with the Episcopal Church in the 1990s.

But while conflict may be difficult, Michell Lelwica, an associate professor of religion at Concordia College, said a “conflict doesn’t necessarily need to be a division.”

“I think the word ‘crisis’ may tend to dramatize a very real conflict that has the potential for being an opportunity for new growth and doesn’t necessarily need to be approached in a kind of alarmist way,” she said. “I think it could be a time of deeper exploration, not just of the issue of homosexuality but also of the issue of what it means to follow the teachings of Jesus in this case.”

About Hope Lutheran

Locations: Hope Lutheran has two campuses, functioning as one church. One campus is at 2900 Broadway; the other at 3636 25th St. S. in Fargo.

Baptized members: 10,304 (2008)

Confirmed membership: 7,260 (2008)

Average worship attendance: 2,273 (2008)

Hope Lutheran Church is Fargo’s largest congregation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Hope was founded in 1958 on the north side of Fargo. The congregation opened its south campus on Christmas Eve 1995.

Ann Arbor for a Conference....

Barbara Yoder came to Howard City to be part of a Conference conducted by Bishop Brad. Now, I am going to be part of the conference in Ann Arbor. Part as in taking part. I'm not speaking. Just being there is enough.

Connections are important in the Spirit. E4 needs to be connected.

This is that.

Know the Difference between Cold and Swine Flu Symptoms

Fever
Fever is rare with a cold.
Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the flu.

Coughing
A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold.
A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough).

Aches
Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold.
Severe aches and pains are common with the flu.

Stuffy Nose
Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.
Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the flu.

Chills
Chills are uncommon with a cold.
60% of people who have the flu experience chills.

Tiredness
Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold.
Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu.

Sneezing
Sneezing is commonly present with a cold.
Sneezing is not common with the flu.

Sudden Symptoms
Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days.
The flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains.

Headache
A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold.
A headache is very common with the flu, present in 80% of flu cases.

Sore Throat
Sore throat is commonly present with a cold.
Sore throat is not commonly present with the flu.

Chest Discomfort
Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.
Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu.

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible not coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at using a Neti pot, but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton swabs dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C. *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

I suggest you pass this on to your entire e-list; you never know who might pay attention to it - and STAY ALIVE because of it -

Blasphemers in the Religion of Global Warming

The global warming religion is beginning to fall apart badly. Blasphemers are everywhere. If it wasn't a state sponsored religion it would not have traction at all except with a few lost souls who believe anything they hear from misleaders priests of this crazy religious system.

What is needed now more than ever is a continual drip drip drip of the doubtful and dubious.

The Freakanomic folks have made quite a stir.

Blaspheme away.

A Woman with a Word for Change

Brenda Interviewed by John Dean. This is who she is. This is a critical message:

Dreaming Big - John Dean & Guest Brenda Graig! from Passion TV / Richard Boyd on Vimeo.

I wish I had the guts to say this to some people who voted for Obama

Why Conservatives will win over Liberal Republicans and Liberal Democrats

Gallup just released a poll that clearly demonstrates the truth. We are a conservative country. Most people see themselves as conservatives. Liberalism is subversion. Moderates are just confused.

See the chart here. It will encourage you.

Yea, like that's gonna happen

One of the craziest of the climate control idiots, Lord Stern of Great Britain has declared that the whole world must become vegetarian to stop global warming.

I am vegetarian once removed. I only eat things that eat only vegetable things....Grass for instance.

My lion consumption is way down.

How can these people be allowed to even speak in public. They should be locked up for terminal mental illness.

KOOKS!

Someone You Should Know

This is directed toward pastors, ministry leaders and others who want to see the people in their circles grow in Christ. Particularly Women. I have been in fellowship with Brenda for a few years. I find her solid and worthwhile to connect with. She is fully prepared to come up from Texas and do what she does best.

Here is a video of a teaching on "Joseph's Coat" she recently gave:

Brenda Craig - Josephs coat The dreamer from Passion TV / Richard Boyd on Vimeo.

If you want to invite her to do a meeting, a retreat or a special, I can put you in touch. I just think we don't have enough examples of strong women of God for us to emulate.

Vox Day's new book on the soon coming Great Depression

I'll bet that's a page turner.

The fact is, he has pretty much nailed what all of us know to be true.

It's gonna get pretty tough out there.

And Vox Day says so.

You can read a review of his new book here.

You are now warned. Buckle up, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

He has a blog if you want to get updates.

This advertisement doesn't amuse me

Someone sent this to me. At first I wondered if it was real. It isn't.

BUT

It disturbed me. I don't know why.

Buy a Bomb Shelter and Survive to.....What?

I know these people. They are more paranoid than I am. Fear nuclear attack.

So, they do what they can in the worldly way. Bomb Shelters, Thyroid Iodide Pills, Geiger Counters and a host of other gadgets to help them be among those surviving moles that emerge a few months after the big one.

If I figure this out right, they will emerge fairly well fed, armed and ready to take over.

From what? Nuclear winter? Death everywere? A collapsed society? Or Tyranny of a conquering oppressor?

OH, if they survive in six or seven generations there will be people who will become "Normal".

But I know these people and if surviving means I will have them as neighbors after the great conflagration, I think I will go on to Heaven and let them have this earth to themselves.

An interesting take on some of the five fold ministry

The Tipping Point
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman
10-26-2009

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers..." (Eph 4:11-12).

Malcolm Gladwell authored a secular marketing book entitled Tipping Point. A tipping point is when an idea, product or movement becomes accepted by the masses. Gladwell says "It is the best way to understand the emergence of fashion trends, crime waves, or unknown books becoming bestsellers." He says ideas, products, messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do but he has discovered there are usually three types of people involved in the marketing process for this to happen. He calls them connectors, mavens, and salesmen.

Connectors are people with a special gift for bringing the world together. They know lots of people who have an ability to make impact.

Mavens are people who accumulate knowledge about a particular area. They are information brokers who like to get information and share it with others to help solve their problems.

Salesmen have an ability to persuade when we are unconvinced of what we are hearing. They are critical to the tipping point for word-of-mouth epidemics.

I believe these three people correlate to the apostle (connectors), often defined as "one who is sent"; the prophet (mavens), defined as 'one who proclaims truth" and the evangelist (salesmen), "one who wins the lost" - all described in Ephesians 4:11.

John Wesley founded Methodism in the 1780s . He went from 20,000 followers to 90,000 in five years. However, he was not the most Charismatic preacher compared to Martin Luther or John Calvin who were recognized as the leading theologians. His genius was organizational. He was a maven (apostle) who stayed in a city after he preached to form small groups of the most enthusiastic of the followers. He used connectors (apostles) and salesmen (evangelists) to get people to his meetings. This created a community around his beliefs in order to practice those beliefs in the context of daily life. This contributed to his success and ability to start a movement.

Mavens, Connectors and Salesmen make an idea contagious by working together to spread the message. Consider bringing these three types of people together to see real success on your next project.

This video has the word "Damn" in it, it also contains the truth - Watch it

The left's disillusionment with the Amateur President - Step up (or step down?)

From the category of How long did you think it would take before serious discouragement set in by the left with the JR Achiever President

From the nearly bankrupt and out of business Huffington Post:

President Barack Obama is actively discouraging Senate Democrats in their effort to include a public insurance option with a state opt-out clause as part of health care reform. In its place, say multiple Democratic sources, Obama has indicated a preference for an alternative policy, favored by the insurance industry, which would see a public plan "triggered" into effect in the future by a failure of the industry to meet certain benchmarks.

The administration retreat runs counter to the letter and the spirit of Obama's presidential campaign. The man who ran on the "Audacity of Hope" has now taken a more conservative stand than Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), leaving progressives with a mix of confusion and outrage. Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill have battled conservatives in their own party in an effort to get the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Now tantalizingly close, they are calling for Obama to step up.

OR STEP DOWN??

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/24/leaderless-senate-pushes_n_332844.html