Cain and Swope on KFUO for CCLE: 6 May 2014

http://kfuo.org/2014/05/06/his-time-consortium-for-classical-and-lutheran-education-jesus-and-john-the-baptist/

Pastor Cain in the February 2014 Lutheran Witness

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In This Issue

 https://blogs.lcms.org/2014/lutheran-witness-february-2014

 

February’s The Lutheran Witness

Money seems like a private issue, one that’s best left undiscussed in polite company. But the money is the Lord’s, and He compels His children to give it to His work cheerfully and generously. Within the pages of the February The Lutheran Witness, readers will learn to look at stewardship in a new way. Young adults will learn from the Rev. Philip Zielinski how to give to their Savior’s work at a young age, even before they get a “real” job. Montana District President Terry Forke challenges the current understanding of stewardship, explaining instead that the gift God has actually given us to manage and invest is His Son’s Gospel.

The Rev. Heath Curtis reminds readers that “Christian stewardship is the free and joyous activity of the child of God and God’s family, the Church, in managing all of life and life’s resources for God’s purposes” while the Rev. Jason Braaten lends some practical advice on how to consider giving in the past and what made need to be changed in the future.

“We often think of stewardship as a necessary evil,” the Rev. Nathan Meador writes, “but Christ as actually set you free to give.” Understanding this, readers are able to help their children find joy in giving, even as Rev. Jonathan Connor encourages parents or pastors or teachers to pray for the ability to do so.

Readers can also look to the Rev. Paul’s Cain explanation of Second Corinthians 8 and 9, which have much to say about the gifts God has to give. The Rev. Jeff Hemmer explains what the Ten Commandments have to say about the matter, and the Rev. Jonathan Rusnak offers a helpful Bible study that teaches about the faithful use of God’s temporal blessings.

Subscribe at CPH.org

 

Pastor Cain on KFUO's Culture and Christianity on Wednesday, February 26

Culture and Christianity

Look into the vocations and the lives of today’s top musicians, artists, chefs and more.  This show deals with the Christian’s place in modern culture as they interact with it in their service to God and neighbors.
Hosted by Lori Lewis.
Wednesdays @ 2:04 pm CST. (Starts December 4th.)

Lori LewisPaul J Cain

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Looking forward to our Bach discussion!

Culture and Christianity

on Tuesday

Join us at 2pm CT. This Wednesday on KFUO Radio as we go from Bach to Rock in one hour! Our guest for our Bach discussion is Paul J Cain! Then the Culture and Christianity round table discusses pop and rock culture!

Bio: The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming (http://immanuelsheridan.blogspot.com), Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School (http://sheridanmlgs.blogspot.com), Yellowstone Circuit Visitor (LCMS Wyoming District), a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education (http://www.ccle.org), Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of Liturgy, Hymnody, and Pulpit Quarterly Book Review (http://lhpqbr.blogspot.com).

 

Pastor Cain and Pastor Kieser on KFUO's Faith'n'Family for National Lutheran Schools Week

Faith’n’Family

With Host- Andy Bates

 

January 29, 2014:Download Audio File

 

From Unity Lutheran Christian School in East St. Louis, Illinois, Paul Miller, development director and students discuss their perspective on Lutheran schools.

Rev. Paul Cain of Immanuel Lutheran Church & Martin Luther Grammar School in Sheridan, WY and Rev. Stephen Kieser of Trinity Lutheran Church Darmstadt in Evansville, IN discuss the benefits of a classical approach to Lutheran education as well as resources and support available through the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education.

January 30, 2014: Download Audio File

 

First Segment — Principal Brian Ryherd and students from Lutheran High School-South, St. Louis, MO discuss their perspective on Lutheran schools.

Second Segment — Rev. Paul Cain (from Immanuel Lutheran Church & Martin Luther Grammar School, Sheridan, WY) and Rev. Stephen Kieser (from Trinity Lutheran Church Darmstadt, Evansville, IN) discuss the benefits of a classical approach to Lutheran education as well as resources and support available through the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education.

Cain on KFUO for MLGS: 29 and 30 January 2014

http://kfuo.org/2014/01/29/faithnfamily-national-lutheran-schools-week-3/

http://kfuo.org/2014/01/30/faithnfamily-national-lutheran-schools-week-4/

Pr. Peters' Review of Caring Church: It ain't rocket science. . .

Pastor Peters…

Feed: Pastoral Meanderings
Posted on: Tuesday, January 14, 2014 5:00 AM
Author: noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Peters)
Subject: It ain't rocket science. . .

It ain't rocket science but that does not mean it is not open to misinformation, confusion, and even mystery.  I had a pipe break in the yard and, since it was near a beautiful Japanese Maple, I dug it up by hand, carefully exposing the break for the plumber to fix.  When he came, he was at first disappointed that he was not going to be charging me for digging the hole with his backhoe and then proceeded to insist that we must dig a trench all the way to the house.  I listened as he insisted there was no other way.  I wondered aloud if we could just cut off the plastic pipe that brought water to the house, insert a coupling and a plastic union.  He looked into the hole for a while and then told me he did not have a plastic union with him.  I offered to pick one up while he prepared the water line.  And so it went... without digging up anymore of the yard. Those with fresh eyes often see what old eyes miss.  So it is when you bring up the subject of a welcoming church and a caring community of faith.  Sometimes those new to the congregation see us differently than we see ourselves.  With that in mind Concordia has put together a helpful series of "how to" books on various practical subjects (Five Things You Can Do...).  They are targeted largely to a lay audience but very helpful for pastors as well.  I received a review copy of the volume on making yours a caring church (by Paul Cain) but I already had ordered five or six titles from the series for our little parish bookstore. Most things related to "church growth" call upon the congregation to unlearn its identity and become something new.  Cain's little book does just the opposite. It sees the means of grace as the source of welcome and caring.  Sure, there is an abundance of common sense stuff urging us to see with fresh eyes everything from where you park to how you enter the building and how you make your way to the sanctuary but this is a much fuller approach and it all flows from the Word and the Sacraments. Cain gives us the helpful reminder that our caring neither supplements nor replaces the Lord's caring for us but is an extension of how Jesus continues to provide His care to His people.  It flows from the Divine Service itself.  Even the common sense issues of parking, facility, greeters, ushers, etc...all are servants of the Divine Service and not ends in and of themselves.  None of this matters unless we have the Lord's service to offer those whom He has called and gathered.  Cain also points out how the primary tool of our worship, the Lutheran Service Book hymnal is user friendly. The Divine Service is the font and source for all that a Lutheran parish does, according to Cain.  Even the love we express to our neighbors and the witness we share with those around us is formed from and directed toward the Divine Service where Christ serves us with His gifts.  Human care (a fancy term for works of mercy) is putting into action what we have received in the Divine Service.  Liturgy and witness, love and service, all have the same beginning, if not the same venue. Cain even includes a section on how we care for those who care for us with the means of grace.  Often congregations forget that how they esteem and care for the Lord's servants and his family is not unrelated to the larger issue of caring within the community of faith and caring outside toward their neighbors.  The end touches upon one of the hidden gems of Lutheranism -- talk of vocation.  We live out our baptismal life in various ways, in different settings, and in different roles, but they are all born of this new life which is God's gift in the water. Most of the time I find reading this kind of literature a chore.  Most of the time the author insists that we must forget who we are and what we do to become something different.  Only then will we be able to reach our goals.  CPH is trying to give Lutherans some resources that begin with the premise that who we are and what we do the means to genuine church growth.  These are not large or imposing volumes but if they can help us learn to use God's gifts in the means of grace as our starting point and ending point, this is encouraging.  Maybe if we read more of this kind of literature instead of the usual stuff from evangelical sources, we would be less tempted to discard our identity to improve our practice.  It is often those who are newest to Lutheranism who see this clearly.  Something about fresh eyes on old problems...

View article...

Dr. Veith's Review of Caring Church

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/geneveith/2013/12/church-growth-for-confessional-lutherans/

Church growth for confessional Lutherans

December 6, 2013 by Gene Veith 46 Comments

OK, I’ve been kind of hard on the church growth movement lately (e.g., here and here), but I acknowledge its good intentions and practical advice.  My CCLE colleague Paul J. Cain (not to be confused with Paul McCain), is a confessional Lutheran pastor in Wyoming who has published a little book entitled  5 Things You Can Do to Make Your Congregation a Caring Church.
He knows that God grows the Church by means of the Word and Sacraments.  But there are are some kingdom-of-the-lefthand aspects that can help encourage people to come to receive them.   He talks about common-sense things like parking and the state of the building, greeters and ushers.  But he cuts quickly to a far more important factor that can make a congregation attractive in a good sense (or, if this is not present, send both visitors and members screaming away).  Namely, the ethos of the congregation.  Do people here care about one another?  Does the congregation care about anyone besides one another, showing compassion to people in need and to others outside the church?  If not, how can that change?
The book is short, extremely practical, and illustrated with Pastor Cain’s personal experiences.  After the jump, the product description from Amazon and a link to buy it.
Discussion topic:  What are some things confessional Lutherans–or orthodox, traditionalist congregations of other church bodies–might do to “grow their churches” that would not compromise their doctrines or practice?


5 Things You Can Do to Make Our Congregation a Caring Church (You Can Do It): Paul J Cain: 9780758641939: Amazon.com: Books:

Our salvation is not dependent on how we feel, but certainly our relationships with one another very often are. Fostering and nurturing good relationships, removing stumbling blocks of perception and communication, and sweating the details, both inside and to the outside of the congregation, are key to having a caring congregation.
This volume will equip you to:Establish a pattern of caring that flows out of the Means of Grace

• Value taking care of the details as a means of showing care
• Find ideas and ways to care for the community around the church
• Care for the called, elected, and volunteer workers in the congregation
• Nurture and support the members of the congregation