"Your
September 21 article in Christian News perpetuates a lie, slanders
leaders of
your church and risks spiritual offense to weak brothers and sisters.
You
describe a conference on leadership in which fellowship lines were clearly
drawn and
at which testimony to the truths which separate Lutherans was publicly
given as
'a joint ministry conference with a liberal agenda.' Then you add,
'Months
later, the three groups [ELCA, LCMS, WELS] joyfully announced a joint
religious
radio show, Joy, also funded by Lutheran insurance money. WELS
participated
in 'Joy' from the beginning and continues to be a part of the
project.'"
Letter to
Gregory L. Jackson,
9-23-92.
"The
mistaken announcement by a reporter from another Lutheran body was
clearly
repudiated in the March 15, 1992 issues of The Northwestern Lutheran.
Yet you
boldly state that the WELS continues to be a part of this project, in
which it
never participated. Dr. Jackson, I ask you to repent of your slanderous
lie and
retract it publicly. Galatians 6:1-2 leads me to ask this of you, for
the sake
of your spiritual life. Titus 3:10 urges me to ask this of you for the
sake of
the church. cc: District President Robert Mueller, Vice President Paul
Kuske,
Vice President Gerald Schroer, Rev. David Grundmeier, Rev. Gary Baumler."
Pastor
Paul Kelm (WELS),
Letter to
Gregory L. Jackson,
9-23-92.
"Doctrines
in controversy and applications to those doctrines are a
disciple's
meat. They are swallowed only after
patient doses of discipling
milk. The art of mission work is to preserve that
sequence despite a prospect's
desire to
chew what he can't swallow."
Rev. Paul
Kelm,
"How
to Make Sound Doctrine Sound Good to Mission Prospects,"
p. 3.
"A
last word on sound doctrine is in place.
Sound doctrine must be
distinguished
from tradition, praxis and preference.
The liturgy, translation
of the
Bible, vestments and organizational policies of the church are not
equatable
with sound doctrine."
Rev. Paul
Kelm,
"How
to Make Sound Doctrine Sound Good to Mission Prospects,"
p. 3.
"Non-Christians
usually become good prospects for personal reasons or as
I like to
say: 'They come for sociological
reasons and stay for theological
reasons.'"
[Note: this is the felt needs approach of Fuller,
also endorsed by Pastor
Forrest
Bivens, now a professor at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary: "I went to
Fuller
Seminary and I happen to believe we can use sociological methods to bring
people to
church so we can apply the Means of Grace." Midland circuit get
together,
attended by Pastor - now DP - John Seifert.]
Rev. Paul
Kelm,
"How
to Make Sound Doctrine Sound Good to Mission Prospects,"
p. 4.
"Small
churches need not be small thinkers, but small-thinking churches
will
always remain small. Churches and
people seldom go/grow beyond their
expectations."
Rev. Paul
Kelm,
"How
to Make Sound Doctrine Sound Good to Mission Prospects,"
See Waldo
Werning and Robert Schuller for the same thought.
Did the
Apostles know this?
p. 6.
"Small
thinking churches typically budget to remain small."
Rev. Paul
Kelm,
"How
to Make Sound Doctrine Sound Good to Mission Prospects,"
See Waldo
Werning and Robert Schuller for the same thought.
Did the
Apostles know this?
p. 7.
"Thesis
One: Sound Doctrine Sounds Good When
Good People Sound it.
Normally,
people respond to other people before they respond to doctrine."
Rev. Paul
Kelm,
"How
to Make Sound Doctrine Sound Good to Mission Prospects,"
p. 7.
"Don't
let the world paint us into a corner of antiquarianism on subjects
like a
six-day creation or verbal inspiration."
Rev. Paul
Kelm,
"How
to Make Sound Doctrine Sound Good to Mission Prospects,"
p. 13.
"Thesis
Seven: Sound Apologetics Can Make Sound
Doctrine Sound
Good...Logic
never converted anyone; but Christianity is logically defensible,
once one
makes reason ministerial to God and His Word...Read C.S. Lewis, Francis
Schaeffer
and Josh McDowell for practical apologetic tools. In fact, lend your
copy to
the prospect whose intelligence and education have become his curse.
Once
you've read Josh McDowell's 'Lord, Liar, or Lunatic' argument for the deity
of Christ,
you'll find yourself using it."
Rev. Paul
Kelm,
"How
to Make Sound Doctrine Sound Good to Mission Prospects,"
p. 14.
"Lifestyle
evangelism is the merger of visual and verbal witness, by the
people
Jesus intended, in the way that He modeled.
It's the primary element in
a church's
strategy to win the lost." [Other endorsements from Rev. Burton
Bundy,
Church of the Lutheran Brethren, and Dr. Erwin Kolb, LCMS]
Rev. Paul
Kelm, Evangelism, WELS
Your
Invitation!
Kent
Hunter, (D.Min., Fuller; S.T.D., LSTC)
Church
Growth Center, Corunna, Indiana 46730
Phone
219-281-2452
Invitation
for Heart to Heart Workshop,
"MOTIVATING
AND ORGANIZING THE CONGREGATION AROUND THE GREAT COMMISSION"
[This is
the Donald Abdon view of relating all church structures to evangelism,
as noted
in Valleskey's PT notes.]
Paul Kelm,
editor,
The
Evangelism Handbook, WELS Evangelism
"PLANNING,
long-range or short-range, should be
S-M-A-R-T...specific...measurable...accepted...realistic...timed...."
Paul Kelm,
editor,
The
Evangelism Handbook, WELS Evangelism
p. 3.
Finding
the Receptive: People in Transition, by James Witt - "The Bible
illustrates
the people-in-transition receptivity principle very well. Converts
such as
Naaman, a leper; Ruth, a widow; the woman at the well, a five-time
divorcee;
the thief on the cross, a convict near death; were all people who in a
period of
transition were receptive to hearing the Gospel. The
Receptivity-Rating
Scale shown at left...
Paul Kelm,
editor,
The
Evangelism Handbook, WELS Evangelism
Appendix
III,
"Church
growth theory suggests the need for seven fellowship groups for
every 100
members."
Pastor
Paul E. Kelm,
The
Evangelism Life Line (WELS),
Winter,
1985,
p. 4.
"Upside-down
evangelism follows the path of least resistance to the God
of
gracious acceptance."
Paul Kelm
The
Evangelism Life Line (WELS),
Fall, 1985
p. 5.
"It's
just easier for many people to work backwards from the subjective
to the
objective in their thinking. In fact, upside-down evangelism may start
with
gospel and work back to law, stating the solution as a prelude to the
problem
and clarifying both at the cross." [This is Moravian Pietism, as shown
by
Walther's Law and Gospel.]
Paul Kelm
The
Evangelism Life Line (WELS),
Fall, 1985
p. 5.
"Upside-down
evangelism doesn't begin with personal sin and guilt, but
rather
with the consequences of sin. Societal consequences (for which each day's
newspaper
provides evidence) are the 'perceived need' door to understanding the
alienation
of life and people from God."
Paul Kelm
The
Evangelism Life Line (WELS),
Fall, 1985
p. 5.
"Upside-down
evangelism may begin with different diagnostic questions.
What do
you want out of life? lets the other person pick the path for witness.
How do you
feel about where our society is heading? uncovers fears and needs
without
becoming too personal. What makes people happy (or unhappy) do you
think?
allows someone to express preceived [sic] needs in the third person."
Paul Kelm
The
Evangelism Life Line (WELS),
Fall, 1985
p. 5.
"Evangelism
upside-down is starting with the subjective issues of
perceived
reality and working back to God's objective truths of ultimate
reality -
sin and grace. It's offering the attendant blessings of salvation as
the 'hook'
to gain an audience for God's plan of salvation." [felt needs used to
sell the
Gospel]
Paul Kelm
The
Evangelism Life Line (WELS),
Fall, 1985
p. 4.