Rev. Jonathan Steiner

It can be so easy for us to spend our energy on supporting the church, that we have nothing left over for the mission of the church. As Christians, we are called into discipleship, to follow Christ and invite others into that same journey. But as members or leaders of churches, we get tunnel vision about what is going to happen to “MY church.” Have you ever gone through a church meeting, and realized you barely talked about the love of Jesus, or about what God wants us to do? That’s what I’m talking about.

We need to constantly remind ourselves and our communities that the church is not ours, it is Christ’s. In times of stress, we tend to turn inward, focusing on what WE need to keep going. But the Gospel does not need us, we need the Gospel. The whole point of the church is to tell us and the world that God loves us, no matter what.

I invite you as the South Dakota Synod, and as a congregation based on grace through Christ, to renew our focus on discipleship. Let’s make sure we are making decisions out of faith and not fear, that we ground ourselves and our communities in scripture, that we are growing in relationship with God and inviting others to do the same. God is calling us, and thanks be to God that the Holy Spirit sweeps us into action!