Congregational Dialogues: Input for Call Process

The Associate Pastor Call Committee met for the first time to review the nature of their work together. Team members are: Ellen De Vries (Chair), Eric Bartosh, Bruce Feld, Michael Schaeffer, Kim Schilling, Cheryl Seely, Arlen Wilson, Nikki Zeches, Jennifer Maxwell (Director of Operations) and Jenny Buckley (Council President). They are very excited about the work ahead of them.

The Call Committee wants to hear from you. All are invited to attend either of the following Congregational Dialogues, to give their input:

• Saturday, April 11 at 5:00 pm in the Chapel
• Sunday, April 12 at 11:00 am in the Music Room

You can also reach out to any committee member or send an email to call@sotv.org with your thoughts, questions, or comments.

After gathering input from the congregation in April, they will move forward in working with the St. Paul Area Synod in the call process and keep you informed along the way. Thank you for your prayers and support as the committee does this important work.

Choosing Initiatives for Our Vision

By Kari Slotten
Project Manager: Vision Implementation

For the last several months, members of staff, council, and leadership teams have been expanding upon our vision of "Welcome, Transform, Send" by developing a revised mission statement with corresponding initiatives. Below is an update on this progress. You will have an opportunity to give your feedback at one of three upcoming Congregation Dialogues: Saturday, March 7 at 5:00 pm in the Atrium and
Sunday, March 8 at 11:00 am or 12:00 pm in the Chapel.

I’d especially like to hear your feedback on proposed initiatives by March 15, 2015. Council will vote on these at its March 19 meeting. You can contact me at (952) 985-7356 or kari.slotten@sotv.org. 

In February, Council approved our updated Vision and Mission. The Vision is aspirational, and reads as follows:

VISION:  We invite all people to experience the Welcome, Transformation, and Sending of Jesus Christ.

Welcome: We invite people in all stages of their faith journey to experience Jesus through our ministries in Christian community.
Transform: We are changed as we experience Jesus through our relationships and ministries.
Send: We are inspired to apply our faith daily by loving others and sharing the Good News of Jesus.

We will also have revolving focus years of “welcome, transform, and send,” when each component in turn receives special emphasis and targeted initiatives.

The Mission highlights why we exist, and will help us choose initiatives as we live into our Vision.  Our Mission reads as follows:

MISSION:  In community, we discover, grow, and live into our individual relationships with Jesus Christ.  Four core ministries support faith formation:

Worship: We praise God, and are spiritually fed, through God’s Word, music, prayer, and sacraments.   
Learn: We grow our Biblical knowledge, enrich our understanding, and apply our faith to daily life.
Connect: We develop and strengthen relationships in our congregation, local community, and global community through invitation and service.
Care: We offer compassion, companionship, and faith affirmation throughout life’s journey.

These statements come through congregational surveys and discussions, and many discussions with Council, Staff, and Leadership Teams.

Now, the goal is to choose initiatives.  

These are ways to focus our efforts within each area of our Mission, so that we’re working toward common goals.  After discussion with Staff, Council, and Leadership Teams, we’ve drafted some initiatives to share with you.

Recommended WORSHIP initiatives focus on growing worship:

• Explore new ways to promote worship and SOTV, especially Saturday
• Explore new ways to make worship more engaging to all ages

Recommended LEARN initiatives focus on creating goals and identifying gaps:

• Develop goals and strategies for cradle to grave learning
• Offer a variety of experiences to learn in different ways
• Examine Children, Youth, and Family programs and structure
• Identify and address perceived gaps
• Offer progressive courses

Recommended CONNECT initiatives focus on relationships: note this is a new pastoral role, and is under development.

• Within the congregation:
  • Evaluate current fellowship offerings, and explore opportunities to use them for reaching out to the community too
  • Explore ways to foster connections and relationships around SOTV, centering on “invitation” and “service”

• Within our community:
  • Work with civic, non-profit, and business leaders to better understand unmet needs in our surrounding area
  • Identify and strengthen partnership opportunities

Recommended CARE initiatives focus on promoting our offerings:

• Increase awareness and utilization (as needed) of care and support offerings
• Prayer chain
• Care available from lay leaders, parish nurses, and pastors
• Support groups
• Develop intentional connection to Worship, Learn, and Connect

Several initiatives that impact all areas are already in some form of development:

• Website – Especially important in connecting with visitors, and regulars wanting to register for events and classes. Website, database, and social media initiatives fall under the Engagement Team.
• Database – Consistent information that can be accessed by all staff as appropriate is important. Seeking improvement in maintaining current information and interests, promoting events in relevant ways, fostering connection and caring, facilitate volunteer registrations, among other things. The Engagement Team has recently begun work on assessing our database needs.
• Membership – Would like to explore rationale for membership, and promote ways that commitment (through membership or otherwise) can deepen faith and foster connection. Focus on responsibilities (like partners) vs. expectations (like membership). Consider task force, sermon series, etc.
• Simplifying communications and processes – Emphasize visitor-friendly resources, simpler bulletin/newsletter handout, common information for staff and volunteers to guide others, opportunities for cross-promoting worship and programs

What do you think about these initiatives?  Would you like more information?  Does something sound exciting and you’d like to get involved?  You can contact me at (952) 985-7356 or kari.slotten@sotv.org.

Why So Many Surveys?

Updated 1/16/14

Shepherd of the Valley will begin conducting an important online survey called the Church Assessment Tool (CAT). We need all adults to complete this survey including youth in 10th grade or older. The survey will take about 20 minutes to complete, and responses are confidential. Thank you in advance for your time and input.

A few of you have asked, didn’t we just conduct a survey recently? Why are we doing another one so soon? 

Saturday Worship Survey

In November we asked the congregation to complete a Saturday Worship Survey. Almost 500 people completed the survey online or on paper, and we received a lot of great information that will help Shepherd of the Valley move forward with planning an additional service on Saturdays. Results from the surveys were discussed at a series of Congregation Dialogues on January 11 & 12, 2014. Thank you to all who attended and added to the discussion.

View a summary of the survey’s findings.

Other Recent Surveys

In addition to the worship survey, there have also been a few other ways we have asked for your feedback:

• Late in the year, a few staff and volunteers conducted informal interviews with about 30 members regarding their stewardship. 
• Some of you may have completed a brief paper survey recently regarding church communications.
• If you attended any of our Hot Breakfasts since June, you had an opportunity to complete a very short form asking you to rate the quality of your breakfast experience. 
• Also starting in June, we created two new ways for you to share your comments and questions with us, either by filling out a comment card at the Welcome Center or completing our online feedback form. 

Why are we constantly asking you for your opinion? Because we truly care what you think. Shepherd of the Valley is your church, and the pastors and staff are here to serve you. In order to do our jobs well, we need to know what your needs are, and how we can best serve them. The information we receive back from you is invaluable and has already had many positive impacts on our shared ministry.

Congregational Assessment 2014

This brings us back to the CAT, which will be conducted January 19 - February 16, 2014. The CAT is  different from any other survey we’ve conducted at Shepherd of the Valley. Our other recent efforts only measured a particular aspect of our faith community, such as worship, stewardship, communications, etc. The CAT measures across multiple dimensions of the church’s ministry to create a collective voice of the entire congregation. What we learn from this assessment will provide key indicators of our congregational health, guide us in decision making, and help discern where God will lead us in the next several years.

In order for the CAT to paint as clear a picture of the congregation as possible, we are striving for 1,000 of our members to complete it, including all youth in 10th grade or older. Click here to take the online CAT survey. Paper copies, and computer workstations will be available at church for those without internet access.

The CAT was created by the Rev. J. Russell Crabtree of Holy Cow! Consulting. We’ve partnered with Rev. Crabtree and with Rev. Charles Lane of Kairos and Associates in St. Paul to help guide this process. Rev. Crabtree and Rev. Lane both bring decades of experience in helping congregations assess their organization for the purposes of informed strategic planning.

Please watch this blog and our weekly News for the Flock for more information. If you have questions, please contact Jennifer Maxwell at jennifer.maxwell@sotv.org. Thanks again for your participation.

A Reflection on the Council Action on Same-Gender Marriage

Pastor Chris Smith
Senior Pastor

As reported on SOTV’s website, the Church Council met last Thursday and voted in favor of the resolution to authorize the pastoral staff of SOTV to officiate for same-gender marriages. The vote was six in favor of the resolution, four opposed, with one abstention. I offer here a few thoughts about the vote.

First, I want to offer my thanks to the Church Council. Members of the Church Council spent a great deal of time in prayer and deliberation. They took their task with utmost seriousness and were remarkably honest with one another. Their vote reflects genuine differences in their views on same-gender marriage. But, however they voted, their vote does not detract from their faithfulness to serving the Lord at SOTV. They all worship the same Lord and they all want the ministry of SOTV to make a difference in the world in the name of Jesus. As they serve together on the council they all serve the same crucified and risen Savior and their vote does not change that. In my own humble and bumbling Lutheran way, I am proud of the Church Council for voting honestly but also agreeing on the center of our mission in Jesus Christ and recognizing that that is what unites us.

We live in a highly divided and polarized world and a lot of important things don’t get done because of it. We are also susceptible to becoming divided when the call of God is to be united for the sake of Christ. The extraordinary genius of Jesus was to be able to call followers as different as Nicodemus the Pharisee, the extortionist tax collector Matthew, and the woman at the well with her many failed marriages. All three were remarkable in their imperfections. And yet Jesus still called them together into one mission that is still saving the world. He needs all of us.

I think that, as a community of faith, we have the capacity to do that – to be one people in mission even though we have differences that we need to respect. I believe such unity is possible for our church. I appeal to all in our Body of Christ to let the love of Christ bind us together in worship and service to a world in need. Most important, I encourage us all to pray without ceasing as we move forward as a church.

Churches that succeed best for God’s kingdom keep their eyes focused like a laser on the Lord Jesus. They recognize their brokenness and that the church is not a bastion of the perfect but a hospital for sinners. Their people have strong convictions but they also recognize that they don’t have all the answers. They differ in their perspectives, but they still worship together with joy. They are filled with gratitude for the forgiveness won by Jesus on the cross and they are energized to be ambassadors for Jesus, bringing good news to a hurting world. They gladly serve those in need and give for the sake of others. They value every gift and they cherish each volunteer commitment. They pray without ceasing. They stand together at the foot of the cross. And, they realize that they can do so much more together than they ever can if they are divided. All this is what I pray we can be.

I encourage us all to pray, to worship, to serve others in Jesus’ name, and to listen. Let’s move forward in faith. Let’s do it together.

See You in Church,

Pastor Chris Smith

Please note: All comments made below will be received and reviewed upon submission. Vulgar or offensive commentary will not be posted for public view. You may also send questions or comments to council@sotv.org.   

A Pastoral Letter on Upcoming Council Action on Same-Gender Marriage: Part 4

This is the fourth of a four part series. Please also read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. Council will vote on its proposed resolution on Thursday, November 21, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. All council meetings are open to the public. If you wish to communicate with council prior to the vote, please e-mail council@sotv.org.

Part 4: Two ways of reading the Bible and how they make same-gender marriage such a polarizing issue.

Pastor Chris Smith
Senior Pastor

The Bible is central to our life as a community of faith. We preach from it in worship each week. We offer multiple Bible studies each year. Our vision for ministry is based on core teachings of Jesus in the Bible. For us, as the ELCA constitution says, the Bible is the “inspired Word of God and the authoritative source and norm” for our life and faith. For this reason the Bible has been central in the discussion about same-gender marriage. This letter seeks to address two interconnected questions about the Bible: What does the Bible have to say about same-gender marriage? How can people on both sides of the controversy each use the same Bible to support their points of view?

Let me begin with two images – a chain and a target of concentric circles.* These images represent two different ways to read the Bible.

The chain on the left represents a more literal way to read the Bible. Readers who have this perspective value each verse of the Bible equally and are generally unwilling to regard some verses of the Bible as less or more important than others. If anyone considers a verse or book of the Bible to be less important or even irrelevant, then he or she is in effect breaking a link in the chain and the whole chain falls apart. In this representation, devaluing one verse devalues the entire Bible.

The consequences of this perspective are significant for the question of same-gender marriage. The Bible explicitly prohibits same-sex behavior in two places, Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13.** While some may regard Leviticus as less important for our life of faith, those who ascribe to the “chain” view of scripture do not. As a result, readers who abide by the chain view of biblical interpretation may be opposed to same-gender marriage because they value all of scripture equally.

The target on the right represents a contrasting way to read the Bible, one that is based on the idea that there are parts of the Bible that are more important than others. These readers place parts of the Bible that are more important to them at the center of the target. For example, they may place the Gospels very near the center of their target, with John 3:16 right on the bullseye, and they may place Leviticus farther away from the center. The Gospels are more important to them than Leviticus.

The consequences of this perspective are also significant. Readers who use the target model of biblical interpretation will take away from the Gospels core values of Jesus like inclusiveness, the golden rule (“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”) and loving your neighbor as you love yourself. They reason that if a church does not permit same-gender marriage, same-gender couples will not be fully included and will not be treated equally. For this reason, these readers may support same-gender marriage, even though Leviticus specifically prohibits same-sex behavior.

These two basic ways of reading the Bible tend to collide with one another. Let me use the less current issue of slavery to illustrate how these scriptural collisions work.

Slavery was enormously controversial in the church for centuries. In support of slavery the church cited many biblical passages. For example, the law code of Deuteronomy in chapter 20 approves of slavery and the holiness code in Leviticus in chapter 25 allows participation in the slave trade. Likewise in the New Testament book of Titus (2:3) the author writes: “Teach slaves to be subject to their masters and in everything to try to please them, not to talk back to them.” Proponents of slavery used passages from the Bible like these to support their positions. Those in the church who opposed slavery also used the Bible to support their position, most notably the Great Commandment of Jesus found in Matthew 22:

One of them, a lawyer, asked Jesus a question to test him. ‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ Jesus said to him, ‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’

You can see how these two scriptural viewpoints would collide. Verses in the Old and New Testaments specifically about slavery were used to legitimize and support slavery. By contrast, a more sweeping mandate not specifically about slavery (the Great Commandment) was used to oppose the practice of slavery. The reasoning of opponents went this way: If Jesus commands us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and we would not submit to slavery, how can we tolerate the enslavement of our neighbors?

What happened with regard to slavery is a typical scriptural collision: Specific verses were used on one side of the controversy, while more sweeping biblical mandates were cited on the other. I could review other examples, but you get the idea.

It should be noted that if you corner readers in both groups, they are forced to admit that neither group reads the Bible in an entirely consistent way and that both sides tend to select verses that are more important to them than others, even the chain readers.

Let’s return to the question of same-gender marriage which results from a similar scriptural collision. Some argue that passages in the Bible that prohibit same-sex behavior collide with core values of the Gospels and of Jesus that actually underpin marriage - values like sacrificial love of one’s neighbor, commitment, fidelity, and inclusiveness. Because same-gender marriage could not possibly have been even on the radar of our biblical forebears, they would not have even considered the possibility that people of the same gender could share marital commitment and fidelity like men and women did in their time. Nor would it occur to them that the radical inclusiveness of Jesus and his Great Commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves might mean that we afford our gay and lesbian neighbors the same prerogative to marry as their heterosexual neighbors do. This is one way to describe the viewpoint of many “target” readers regarding same-gender marriage.

On the other hand, others argue that the biblical witness in Leviticus is crystal clear about same-sex behavior. The core values noted above, while very important for our life of faith, do not provide specific and clear guidance about same-sex behavior or same-gender marriage. Instead they help us to be clear on the boundaries and limits by which God calls us to live our lives. To ignore Leviticus would also be to specifically disregard a portion of God’s Word, something we do not have the prerogative to do. This is one way to describe the viewpoint of many “chain” readers regarding same-gender marriage.

The controversy about same-gender marriage is made more complicated because the Bible does not talk specifically about same-gender marriage (that answers my first question). It talks about same-sex behavior. The reason why is simple. The concept of same-gender marriage would never have occurred to the patriarchal culture of Bible. Still, because sexual behavior and marriage are so closely related in the controversy, readers of the Bible easily transfer scriptural prohibitions of same-sex behavior into prohibitions of same-gender marriage.

I hope this letter has helped you understand why readers of the Bible can come to two entirely different views on a controversial topic like same-gender marriage. They are simply using two different models for how to interpret the Bible. The answer to the question how we interpret the Bible really is, “It depends.” It depends on the model you use to read it. Sometimes I wish the answer were not “it depends.” I wish it were so clear that no one had any doubt about what the Bible has to say about same-gender marriage or any of the other controversial topics that can occupy our attention. Topics similar to same-gender marriage have been the subject of arguments based on the Bible, many for centuries (the role of women in the church is an example). The witness of history is that people on both sides have been able with equal force to make powerful and compelling arguments based on the Bible.

So where does that leave us? As a community of faith, we all have different views on a variety of issues. Truth be told, we each can and do read the Bible in different and more complex ways than what I describe here. But remember this: our unity is not based on how we each read the Bible. Our unity is founded in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is not just a figure we read about in the Bible. He is risen and He is here, with us, binding us together as one people who are empowered to worship God and be ambassadors to the world with His love. We do not worship the Bible, we worship Jesus, and in Him we find our unity.

See You in Church,

Pastor Chris Smith

Please note: All comments made below will be received and reviewed upon submission. Vulgar or offensive commentary will not be posted for public view. You may also send questions or comments to council@sotv.org.  

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*These images come from David Lose’s book, Making Sense of Scripture.

**There are other references in the Bible that some interpret as being about same-sex behavior, but they are more ambiguous and unclear. For further reading, I recommend Russell Pregeant, Reading the Bible for All the Wrong Reasons, and Dan O. Via and Robert A. J. Gagnon, Homosexuality and the Bible, Two Views.

A Pastoral Letter on Upcoming Council Action on Same-Gender Marriage: Part 3

This is the third of a four part series. Please also read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 4. Council will vote on its proposed resolution on Thursday, November 21, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. All council meetings are open to the public. If you wish to communicate with council prior to the vote, please e-mail council@sotv.org.

Part 3: Some personal perspectives on same-gender marriage

Pastor Chris Smith
Senior Pastor

I have had a lot of very personal and emotional pastoral conversations lately about same-gender marriage. Where people land on this question has a lot to do with personal experience. As with much in life, it’s often not about what you know; it’s about who you know.

As the congregation dialogues in October took place, I was impressed with the way the Church Council and its president facilitated the dialogues. By offering a few basic ground rules, most of the conversations, with a few exceptions, were caring and respectful. That is remarkable, considering how personal and emotional the topic of same-gender marriage is.

Dialogue participants shared perspectives about same gender marriage based on a variety of things. Some discussed biology and whether sexual orientation was innate or not. Some shared perspectives on sexuality that others had taught them as they had grown up. There was a lot of conversation based on the witness of the Scriptures (I’ll write about that next week). There was also a lot of sharing about personal relationships. People spoke about siblings, co-workers, friends, children, grandchildren, and other relatives who were gay or lesbian. That’s where I want to focus for a moment.

There are at least two impacts from these personal relationships. First, when people discover that someone they care about is gay or lesbian, it can change their perspective. Attitudes about same-gender relationships and marriage tend to shift when people we care about tell us about their homosexual orientation. People also begin to realize in a more concrete way that a person’s sexuality does not define their identity. The knowledge that someone is heterosexual or homosexual reveals absolutely nothing about that person’s identity, talents, gifts, insights, loves, vocation, or hopes. So, one impact I observe is that sometimes attitudes change when family members and friends learn that someone they care about is gay or lesbian. They can change because they love the person and see beyond sexual orientation.

The second impact I have observed when people discover that someone they care about is gay or lesbian, is that it can sometimes place them in a bind. Our perspectives on same-gender marriage come from all sorts of places and those perspectives can result in conflict within us. Someone might believe that the Scriptures prohibit same-gender marriage and yet they may also have a child who is gay or lesbian and wishes to marry. How do they deal with that? Their love and loyalty to that child are at odds with their interpretation of the Bible.

Over the years, I have visited with many families who are suddenly faced with the reality of a child who is gay or lesbian. The impact of this revelation is often to shake up long-held beliefs and sometimes to cause those families to re-assess their convictions. This is not easy stuff. Sometimes the result is an enduring feeling of being conflicted and even alienation within a family. Sometimes families reach a point of acceptance because they are able to see beyond sexual orientation and its implications.

The process that the Church Council and, really, our whole church is working through is also very personal. I know it has been for me. Working on these blogs and having conversations with people from SOTV whom I care about have been good experiences for me. They have made me realize how much I do not yet understand about the whole question of same-gender marriage. I also find myself humbled because I feel that I (along with the council, my colleagues and our whole church) am in a kind of bind as well. I have met with many people for whom I have great respect who are adamantly opposed to same-gender marriage. I have had similar conversations with those who are in favor of it. And, several on both sides have stated that if the council votes one way or the other, they will leave SOTV for other churches, either more progressive or more conservative.

Comments like that concern me. As I said in my second blog, your pastoral staff is dedicated to serving and supporting all the people of this church in the name of Jesus. That individuals or whole households would depart over a matter that is not central to our vision for ministry concerns me because we seek to welcome everyone, whatever your perspective is on the controversial issues of the day. We believe we are one family of faith, bound together by the love of Jesus Christ, and that there is a place for everyone.

One thing I know after being immersed in the question of same-gender marriage for so many months is that what I am writing here is not the last word. It is a beginning word. We do not know what pain or bind our neighbor is in amid the struggles we all share as human beings. Discussions about topics like same-gender marriage reveal our brokenness, our aspirations, and our longing for certainty. When we are dealing with people’s lives, hopes, dreams, and the care we have for one another, things are often less than certain and it is also personal. We need to be careful, loving and respectful in our conversations.

One other thing has become very clear to me, too. Precisely because the question of same-gender marriage is so personal, we will never all fully agree. Take a look at the resolution the church council is considering for its vote. If you do, you will get a sense of how the council has taken this question seriously and personally. The resolution acknowledges the differences among council leaders, and yet also names the unity in mission they seek to exemplify. The resolution also frames the question not as one where there will be winners and losers, but rather as one which gives us a way to move forward together. This has been a significant struggle and cause of anxiety for your council as they have striven to discern the best path and I have been impressed by how transparent they have been when meeting with one another in the past several months. In that context they are trying sincerely to model the potential we have as the people of God to do more together, under our unity in Christ, than we could ever do individually.

See You in Church,

Pastor Chris Smith

P.S.: I have received a few comments asking why the congregation as a whole is not voting on the question of same-gender marriage. There are three main reasons.

1. This is not a matter central to fulfilling our vision. While this question is briefly taking our attention now, there is much more to be done to invite all to experience the welcome, transformation and sending of Jesus Christ.  
2. As I said in my second blog, the question of same-gender marriage is really a question of pastoral practice. The council seldom exercises influence on the practice of pastoral staff at SOTV (only in this case, in my recollection). As such, matters of pastoral practice are not really subject to congregational vote. They are subject to pastoral judgment and only occasional council consultation.
3. On a matter that is so personal, all that a congregational vote would accomplish is to alienate those who end up in the minority. That does not serve the unity of the Body of Christ. 

Please note: All comments made below will be received and reviewed upon submission. Vulgar or offensive commentary will not be posted for public view. You may also send questions or comments to council@sotv.org.

A Pastoral Letter on Upcoming Council Action on Same-Gender Marriage: Part 2

This is the second of a four part series. Please also read Part 1, Part 3 and Part 4. Council will vote on its proposed resolution on Thursday, November 21, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. All council meetings are open to the public. If you wish to communicate with council prior to the vote, please e-mail council@sotv.org.

Part 2: How same-gender marriage is a matter of pastoral practice

Pastor Chris Smith
Senior Pastor

A big part of a pastor’s calling is taking care of the spiritual needs of the people in her or his community of faith. Pastors baptize, visit the sick, care for the bereaved, offer counseling, and celebrate Holy Communion. Recently I was involved in the blessing of a new home for a family. All of these duties, and others I haven’t mentioned, make up what we call pastoral practice. Officiating at weddings is part of pastoral practice as well.

What guides your pastors as they conduct their pastoral practice? This isn’t an easy question to answer because every situation is unique. Sometimes the need is simple, like a hospital visit with someone who will heal well and return to a full life. Sometimes the need is more complicated, like a hospital visit with a sorrowful family who has suffered a stillbirth. At other times the occasion is joyful, like a baptism in worship, celebrating Holy Communion with someone who can’t leave their home, or officiating at a wedding.

Based on examples like those and many others, I have formulated a few guidelines for our pastoral practice:

1. The central goal of our pastoral practice is to help people interpret their experience in light of God’s love for them and the core conviction that God is present and at work in the most intimate and important events and moments of our lives.
2. The message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ governs how we conduct our pastoral practice. Jesus was in the business of reaching out with reconciliation, healing, and joy.
3. We do not make judgments about people when we conduct our pastoral practice. In other words, we don’t try to judge whether someone deserves or doesn’t deserve the care we provide.
4. We do consider whether conducting a given pastoral practice makes sense or is appropriate in a given circumstance. There is nothing cookie-cutter about pastoral practice.
5. We always do our best to provide people with practical help, support, and resources.
6. We try to be good stewards of the church’s time and resources as we conduct our pastoral practice.

No doubt my colleagues and other pastors could tweak these guidelines and come up with others of their own. After all, pastoral practice is as diverse as the breadth of human experience. But these give you a good insight into the pastoral practice of your pastors at Shepherd of the Valley.

But here’s the thing. If you boil all these guidelines down, it’s really pretty simple: Your pastors are people who have been so grasped by the extraordinary love of God that we simply have to share it. In the name of Jesus Christ and by his grace, we love the people of Shepherd of the Valley and that love takes shape in our pastoral practice. And, that is exactly why the whole question of same-gender marriage is such a hard one for your pastors – because our pastoral practice is not about judging others but about making the merciful and gracious presence and power of God known to them.

Now that does not mean we are not thoughtful and very careful about our marriage ministry. In this case, our pastoral practice is not really about weddings – well, it is, but it really isn’t. Instead it is about marriage. We take delight in the formation of healthy, committed, faithful marriages. We require couples to complete relationship inventories and to meet with their officiating pastor to review the results. We require them to attend a day-long seminar with a well-qualified local counselor and faith leader. Finally, we also ask couples to attend worship and submit notes about their shared experience. It is not all cut and dried, either. Four times in my career couples in my care have discerned that they should not marry. At other times, my colleagues and I have asked couples to seek additional help to start their life together well. All this means that we consider carefully the guidelines for pastoral practice I listed earlier.

There are also different approaches among pastors in other contexts to the question of same-gender marriage as a pastoral practice.

Talking recently to several colleagues at other churches recently, the response of many of them has been to ignore the question. When approached by same-gender couples who wish to marry, they are not able to give a clear response.

Other colleagues, who choose to do so, officiate for same-gender marriages, but only away from the church buildings and faith communities in which they serve; they do not report this as part of their pastoral practice. This practice highlights the tension that can exist in pastoral practice when we ask the question, Are pastors free agents to conduct pastoral practice as they wish when they are not within the community of faith they serve? This is a hard question because pastors serve by virtue of the call they receive from a specific congregation. For that reason, one could argue that such pastoral practice is lacking in integrity (but that is certainly a matter of debate).

To deal with the question of integrity, still other colleagues have worked privately with their church councils. Often, the result is that their church councils authorize them to conduct their pastoral practice, including same-gender marriages, as the pastors see fit. Their pastoral practice includes same-gender marriage but that practice is not subject to consultation with their church council once the general authorization is given.

I should mention here that our pastoral practice at SOTV, in my recollection, has not previously been subject to consultation with our church council. But after a lot of thought, I have concluded in this case that our pastoral staff really cannot either operate as free agents without council consultation or request that our church council simply grant us carte blanche in our pastoral practice. SOTV is a large congregation. When on vacation, without planning to do so, I have encountered SOTV members in four different states and in foreign countries as well. The global reach of our congregation is a metaphor for me that wherever our pastors go to serve others, our whole church really extends there, too. It simply makes more sense to me that we all be transparently honest about what we do in our pastoral practice, without of course ever violating confidentiality.

For that reason, the process the council is going through leading up to their vote on November 21 is a good one. It respects their governance role as those entrusted with creating policy for our church. The process has also respected your pastors in their pastoral practice. The council has long known the insights and perspectives I have shared here and affirmed the thoughtful ways in which we conduct our pastoral practice. We have a good and positive relationship with SOTV’s church council, who display great trust in our judgment as pastors. As the council concludes this chapter in our life as a congregation, I would also ask you to trust your pastors as we receive the wisdom of the council and seek to conduct our pastoral practice with love and integrity.

See You in Church,

Pastor Chris

Please note: All comments made below will be received and reviewed upon submission. Vulgar or offensive commentary will not be posted for public view. You may also send questions or comments to council@sotv.org. 

A Pastoral Letter on Upcoming Council Action on Same-Gender Marriage: Part 1

Pastor Chris Smith
Senior Pastor

This is the first of a four part series. Please also read Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. Council will vote on its proposed resolution on Thursday, November 21, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. All council meetings are open to the public. If you wish to communicate with council prior to the vote, please e-mail council@sotv.org.

Background
During the first two weeks of October this fall, the Shepherd of the Valley Church Council led three congregation dialogues on the question of whether or not SOTV pastors may officiate for same-gender marriages. Thank you to all who participated. The Council is currently reviewing your comments from those dialogues in preparation for a vote at its next meeting on Thursday November 21, 2013. Read the proposed resolution. All Council meetings are open to the public. In the meantime, I sense that it would be helpful to share some thoughts from a pastoral perspective about this process. My thoughts here are deeply informed by many conversations with my pastoral colleagues at SOTV.

With that in mind, for the next four weeks I will address four areas related to SOTV pastors and same-gender marriage, one topic each week:

1.    Why pastoral staff have not spoken publicly about same-gender marriage.
2.    How same-gender marriage is a matter of pastoral practice.
3.    Some personal perspectives on same-gender marriage.
4.    Two foundational ways of understanding the Bible and how they can make same-gender marriage such a polarizing issue.

Part 1:  Why pastoral staff have not spoken publicly about same-gender marriage.

During and after the congregation dialogues I heard from many people who asked why members of the pastoral staff were not addressing the question of same-gender marriage publicly in worship and in their teaching. Here are three key reasons.

1. Such communication tends to divide and polarize more than unite us in our mission. This is the case especially if pastors advocate for one perspective. Since the ELCA first approved its social statement on human sexuality back in 2009, many pastors in the ELCA have chosen to speak publicly in worship and other venues about human sexuality and same-gender marriage. Their comments have usually divided congregations and created a sense of opposition among church members with differing perspectives. The outcomes often look like the way things have worked recently in our nation’s legislative system: polarized and unproductive. It makes me sad to think about the number of churches I know of that have divided. The results have been misused resources, and years of lack of focus on the real mission of the church. When pastors publicly and divisively speak about same-gender marriage, they place at center stage an issue which, though important, is by no means central to our life in Christ and the mission we share in Him. Doing so also makes pastoral staff the key drivers of policy decisions in congregations, which leads me to the second reason.

2. Pastors aren’t permanent residents in a congregation. Think about it this way: If I, as your senior pastor, stood before the congregation and advocated a particular viewpoint on same-gender marriage and that resulted in the church council choosing to go in a particular direction with its policy, what happens when your next senior leader arrives? Will that person’s viewpoint on the matter then result in a different policy approach for SOTV? The bottom line is that developing and communicating policy regarding any question or concern at SOTV is a matter for the Church Council. That is the role of the Council: gather information from the congregation (including the pastoral staff as appropriate), deliberate with the information it receives, develop the best policy it can for the time, and direct and support the pastoral staff in their work. All this helps pastors give proper attention to the work that should be their focus, which leads me to my third reason.

3. The preaching and teaching of your pastors should not be driven primarily by polarizing, controversial topics. Make no mistake: these topics are important and very personal. But when you come to worship or a bible study, you should not expect topics like same-gender marriage or abortion or capital punishment or war to be featured week after week in the pastors’ preaching and teaching. The Bible certainly has something to say about each of these topics, but none of them holds a key role in the central witness of the Bible in Jesus Christ. I’ll say more about this in part 4 when I write about interpreting the Bible. For now, I will simply say that the message of Jesus – his death and resurrection and the life and forgiveness he gives us – governs how your pastors preach and teach. These gifts from Jesus also enable us to be part of a community of faith in which controversial topics can be discussed with respect and caring, even if we disagree. Our unity is in Christ.

Three additional points in closing:

First, even though pastors are not permanent residents, let me assure you that your pastors do not intend to base their tenure at SOTV on the question and the vote your council faces regarding same-gender marriage. Your pastors, who have a combined 70+ years of service just here at SOTV, love the people of this congregation and appreciate serving here. That said, even a pastor who has been serving a congregation for 20 years or more cannot claim to be a permanent resident. Through the work of the church and the Holy Spirit, on whom the church relies to choose its leaders, pastors are subject to what we call “mobility.” The reasons pastors come and go are not predictable and are personal and complex, and are an attempt to seek faithfulness to God’s calling.

Second, I think your pastors do have a place in the conversation about same-gender marriage, but we can’t drive policy; that is the church council’s job. This four-part letter is a witness that we are not trying to avoid the question. However, we must provide a shepherding and unifying voice for Christian community in a culture that lately seems to be stuck in a divisive and polarizing way of talking.

Finally, one of the things I really appreciated about the recent congregation dialogues is that discussions among people with differing perspectives on same-gender marriage were, for the most part, respectful and caring. This tells me that as a community of faith, we have the capacity to deal with the question of same-gender marriage well. I believe that, even if we differ in our views, we can still be one church, precisely because same-gender marriage is not the main thing in our mission. Instead, it is one aspect of pastoral practice, which I’ll talk about next week.

See You in Church,
Pastor Chris Smith

Please note: All comments made below will be received and reviewed upon submission. Vulgar or offensive commentary will not be posted for public view. You may also send questions or comments to council@sotv.org.

June is Almost Here!

June brings big things to SOTV and our excitement is building to a crescendo as we begin to implement Our Vision! Since May is a busy time for many of us, we thought a recap and some short updates were in order.

• Our Annual Congregational Meeting is Sunday, June 9 at Noon. Together, we will enjoy a delicious lunch and discuss Our Vision and what's in store for the fall and beyond. Please RSVP at the Welcome Center or online so we can plan enough food.

• Beginning in June, all weekend services will be in the Sanctuary. Worship times remain the same: Saturdays at 5:00 p.m., Sundays at 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 a.m.

• Our popular summer "Cabin Worship" returns, Mondays at 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel, beginning on June 3.

• Our band-led worship, The Table, will move from the Great Hall to the Sanctuary at 11:00 a.m. Last week the Table band had a dress rehearsal in the Sanctuary, and everything sounded great, transitions worked smoothly, the band is pumped. Exciting times at SOTV!

• Major technological enhancements are underway over the next few weeks to bring the Sanctuary up to the 21st century including video cameras, video screens, improved sound, and lighting.

Omar Reyes

• This process has been overseen by our new resident tech mastermind, Production Manager Omar Reyes. Three new HD cameras are now installed and look great! They are mounted in different parts of the Sanctuary and will be operated by volunteers. Pretty soon you won't have to squint or crane your neck to see what's going on in the front of the church from the back rows, like a baptism or children's production. We can't wait for you to see these new worship enhancements in action!

• In June, the Great Hall will be transformed into a place for fellowship. Coffee and donuts will remain available for a freewill offering. No more will you have to fear getting trampled in the busy Narthex when reaching for a chocolate-frosted donut.

• In addition, we will have a full, hot breakfast once a month this summer (June 2, July 14, and August 18) and in the fall on dates to be announced. Guests and visitors eat for free! Kids (3-10) & Seniors: $4, Adults $6, Kids 2 and under: free. Fellowship in Christ: priceless! For the first time ever, we will be able to take debit and credit cards in the church. The finalized menu for June 2 includes cinnamon swirl french toast, bacon, sausage, eggs, hash browns, yogurt, fruit and cereal. Mmmm... are you drooling yet?

With the thrill and excitement of new ministries, comes the realization that things won't stay the way that we're used to. Hey, we get it, change is hard. So we appreciate your willingness to try something new or step out of your comfort zone.

We also really appreciate all of the comments and feedback we've heard over the last couple months, including the comments at our Congregation Dialogues. Please know that we value each and every one of them. If you still have questions, see if Pastor Chris answered them in any of our videos from last week or if they are on our list of Frequently Asked Questions.

We, the pastors and staff of SOTV, are so very honored to serve you. Our goal is to live out Jesus' Great Commission to "go and make disciples." We believe June is a great first step into making our church more welcoming to newcomers and more worshipful for all of us.

Come Sunday, though (or Saturday, or Monday), this is still YOUR church, and we want you to be just as excited as we are. So please come to our Annual Meeting on June 9 to dream along with us, or drop us a line with your thoughts and ideas.

See you in church!

Pastor Chris Answers Your Questions

Since many of you had similar questions and concerns at our recent Congregation Dialogues, we thought we would answer them in a series of videos. Don't see a question that you have answered? Ask away on our website, or scroll back through this blog. Thank you again to everyone who attended our dialogues!

Why Do We Need A Vision?

Was the Vision Created with Any Direction from Members?

How Will New People Find SOTV?

Besides Worship and Fellowship, How Else Will We Reach People with the Gospel?

Why Are We Changing "The Table?"

Frequently Asked Questions

Thank you everyone who attended and participated in a Congregation Dialogue! We heard a lot of great comments and ideas from you and we value each and every one of them.

If you missed the Dialogues, here is Pastor Chris Smith's presentation in its entirety.

Here is a list of Frequently Asked Questions that may answer some of the questions that you have. Pastor Chris has expanded on some of these answers in a series of videos.

If you don't see a question that you have answered, please let us know.

Some of you have inquired how you can get involved in some of the exciting new transformations happening at Shepherd of the Valley. Here are just a few immediate volunteer needs. We will update this list as needs change. Thank you in advance for your help!

Again, thank you to everyone for your feedback. It is very much appreciated!

Video: Implementing Our Vision

Many transformations are happening soon at Shepherd of the Valley.

Starting in June: 

• All weekend worship services will be in the Sanctuary.
• We will begin using the Great Hall as a space for food and fellowship. 
• Our service times will remain the same: 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, 8:30, 9:45 and 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. 
• The Table, our band-led worship service, will move from two worship times in the Great Hall to a single time at 11:00 a.m. in the larger space of the Sanctuary. 
• We will continue our organ and piano-led worship at all other times besides 11:00 a.m. 
• We will add a Monday night “Cabin Worship” at 7:00 p.m. during the summer months. 
• A hot breakfast will be served in the Great Hall once a month during the summer, and in the fall on dates to be announced.

Looking Toward the Future

Other transformations will be happening soon including substantial upgrades to our technology, and better utilization of our building and parking lot. We will also be reshaping our fellowship, welcome, and learning programs. While a lot of thought has already gone into these exciting plans for the future of our ministry, we all need to work together to make it a reality.

Congregation Dialogues

If you haven’t already, please try to attend one of our upcoming Congregation Dialogues, where Pastor Chris Smith will present our entire Vision for Worship and Fellowship. There will also be a time for you to ask questions and share ideas.

• Saturday, May 4 at 6:00 p.m.
• Sunday, May 5 at 11:00 a.m. & Noon

We Want to Hear from You

If you cannot attend one of these meetings, you may contact Pastor Chris Smith or Pastor Randy Brandt. You can also send us your feedback online or by filling out a comment card at the Welcome Center next time you are in church.

How Was Our Vision Created?

By Kari Slotten, Vision Implementation Project Manager

Whether you are new to Shepherd of the Valley, or you’ve been here for a while, you’ve probably heard words like "strategy" and "vision" thrown around, and maybe don't understand what they entail. Hopefully, I can help shed some light on this process.

I have been a part of the strategic planning/vision effort at Shepherd of the Valley during my six-year tenure on the Church Council, which recently came to an end. During these six years, I was Vice President, President, and then Past President – a pattern being followed by our current President and Past President, Steve Mueller and Todd Sipe.     

I was new to council when Chris Smith, our newly-minted Senior Pastor, started talking about strategic planning. Soon there was a group assembled to read, pray, and discuss taking our ministry in a new direction. We conducted focus groups that reached over 500 people within SOTV to learn our strengths, weaknesses, and ideas for change.

Using that knowledge to create mission statements and action plans, we quickly realized these incremental changes were less impactful than we desired. Our group evolved into a "Vision Team" task force consisting of myself, Steve, Todd, Pastor Chris, Pastor Randy Brandt, and Jennifer Maxwell, our Director of Operations.

We also enlisted the expertise of Pastor Merv Thompson. Merv was senior pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, a congregation of similar size and mission as SOTV, for over 21 years.  Merv is currently a consultant for Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, IA - the fastest growing ELCA church in the country. He helped us to look outward, to see what is working at other growing churches. So in addition to more reading, praying, and discussion, we began visiting other churches to research their strategies for success.

In 2012, and after careful thought and discussion, this team crafted a new Vision and Mission for SOTV, which was accepted by the Council in May, and approved by the congregation in June.  

Over the summer, the Vision Team enlisted the help of Christine Fifield, to do further research and analysis at specific churches in the Twin Cities Metro, and at large, growing churches in other parts of the country. 

This brings us to today. We are just beginning to implement aspects of Our Vision in worship and fellowship, transformations that will arrive the first weekend of June. We are also investing in the areas of welcome and learning, with more transformation on the way!

Even though this process has taken several years, the Vision Team believes it has taken very thoughtful and intentional steps in terms of gathering data to make informed decisions. 

Internal feedback + external investigation + guidance from scripture = a Vision ready to grow into.

I've been a stay-at-home mom for a while, so I've enjoyed using my "work brain" to think about the future of SOTV over the last couple years. My time with Council and the Vision Team has been great to dream big, study hard, and think creatively – all with the goal of helping more people experience Jesus!

I'm back to work now in a part-time role at SOTV, helping to implement the vision. I'm so excited to see what the future holds for us! I'm hopeful that we can be an excellent 21st century church that keeps my three boys (and all young people) growing their faith, and reaches new people for Christ. Please pray for the church - its pastors, staff, lay leaders, and worshipers - that we may all partner together to help more people experience Jesus!

Get Involved!

• Attend a Congregational Dialogue

• Fill out a feedback card at the Welcome Center this weekend

• Leave feedback on our website

New Worship Times: Same as the Old Worship Times

This year, we will retain our times for Celebration and Table worship from the school year throughout the summer.

Beginning June 2, our schedule will be:

Saturday: 5:00 p.m. Sanctuary — Organ and Piano-led worship 
Sunday: 8:30 & 9:45 a.m. Sanctuary — Organ and Piano-led worship 
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. Sanctuary — Band-led worship 
Monday: 7:00 p.m. Chapel — Organ and Piano-led worship

The Table is moving from the Great Hall at 9:45 and 11:00 a.m. to the Sanctuary at 11:00 a.m. There are many reasons that led to this decision. Because we'd like you to hear the entire plan and the research behind it, we encourage you to attend one of our upcoming Congregation Dialogues.

We also recognize you may have questions and concerns about this schedule, and there will be time at each Dialogue for you to ask these questions, and share your own ideas.

New Congregation Dialogue Announced

Thank you to everyone who attended our Congregation Dialogues last Sunday at 11:00 a.m. and Noon in the Chapel. We have five more Dialogues in the weeks to come, with a new date and time just added this week. We hope you can join us to hear Pastor Chris present his Vision for Worship, ask questions, and share your ideas.

Congregation Dialogues 

Sundays April 28 and May 5 at 11:00 am & Noon in the Chapel

Just added: Saturday, May 4 at 6:00 pm in the Chapel