BUILDING HOPE in the CITY

When I was still directing the Sanctuary Choir in 2003, I indicated to Marcia that I wanted to form a Genesis group within our choir, since her vision for the Genesis program was that it was not intended to be a Promise-only initiative.  She said, “Great, I’ve got just the church that needs your help.”  That began a partnership that continues to this day with a church that is quite a bit different from the other churches in the Genesis program.  I think it would be interesting to explore those differences.

First, it is not a church on the precipice of dying.  It was about to die in the ‘90’s, but an enthusiastic young minister, Jeff Johnson, breathed new life into the church.  How?  By returning it to its roots of serving the community around it, rather than just hanging on with a diminishing congregation who came in from the suburbs on Sunday morning.  Although it still has a wonder-ful traditional Lutheran service, it has added two contemporary worship services and has a growing youth ministry.  He also started “Building Hope in the City” to provide many programs to the community and to other struggling Lutheran churches.

Second, it is Missouri Synod Lutheran!  We had some adjustments to make in our attitude toward a different kind of worship and, to some degree, theology from our Reformed background.  But it proves that we can be about God’s work in other than Presbyterian churches.  We can go wherever we are needed.  In discussing our pending denominational vote with Brian Upton, Jeff’s right hand man at Trinity, he said that “authority of the scriptures” was the primary reason for the Missouri Synod split from the main-line Lutheran church.  Hmmm, sound familiar?

One thing that is not different from the other Genesis churches is the opportunity to get involved in the church’s mission.  In addition to singing in the choir, several of us tutor inner city kids on Thursday night (why I’m always late to rehearsal!) and help out with the clothing ministry for the homeless.  I have looked into the eyes of the kids who benefit from the tutoring and seen their spirit nurtured as they not only improve their grades, but also know that there is an adult who cares about them.  We are, indeed, building hope in the city.