<2022-06-29T00:41:06.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: Hiya, I was listening to a recent Godcast where you mentioned that you were doing stuff related to setting up new churches? I think you've also mentioned that you're working in or around the church planting and evangelism space.
<2022-06-29T00:42:01.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: If there is any support that I, or others can provide in terms of resources (financial, educational, etc) or simply guinea pigs please let me know.
<2022-06-29T00:43:41.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: I'm in a similar-ish boat where I, and a couple of others, are attempting to find a future for the Lutheran church in our country. Mostly it's Boomers giving us a thumbs up and telling us how important doing something about the coming collapse of the church (from age), and not much help
<2022-06-29T00:45:21.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: I can be lonely and frustrating to actually try and do something when everyone's solution is to join the Evangelical Industrial Complex or focus only on expanding schools/aged care/etc (implying the kids don't just apostasy)
<2022-06-29T00:45:32.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: God bless
<2022-06-29T02:04:46.000Z> SuperLutheran: I'm about to head to bed, 
<2022-06-29T02:05:11.000Z> SuperLutheran: But this is really important. Pls remind me tomorrow so I can get back to you on it fren
<2022-06-29T02:08:16.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: Ok
<2022-06-29T02:08:35.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: I'll ping you in 9 hours
<2022-06-29T02:08:49.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: And then go to bed, lol
<2022-06-29T11:35:19.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: Ping 
<2022-06-29T13:34:44.000Z> SuperLutheran: Okay, 
<2022-06-29T13:34:55.000Z> SuperLutheran: So the plan is to set up a house church network for /ourguys/
<2022-06-29T13:37:49.000Z> SuperLutheran: It's gotta start with house churches because we have approximately zero capital to actually get buildings, qualified ministers, etc.
<2022-06-29T13:38:25.000Z> SuperLutheran: I plan on training lay leaders and deacons myself who can lead a tiny congregation and help it grow through dissident right networking, 
<2022-06-29T13:38:49.000Z> SuperLutheran: but the main reason house churches typically fail (imho) is that they lack actual qualified ministers to feed the flock. 
<2022-06-29T13:39:36.000Z> SuperLutheran: So having a website where lay leaders can download audio sermons, Bible studies, etc. from yours truly will help them on the theological side, and I'll be easily available for sticky counseling situations, Bible questions, etc. 
<2022-06-29T13:41:12.000Z> SuperLutheran: Meanwhile, the Very Lutheran Project LLC that I established is going to be the shell company which helps to fund this. Since there will be a "pay what you want" option through Gumroad for all sermons/study materials on the website once it's up, people can give freewill offerings that way and we can start using it to train legitimately ordained pastors (including seminary costs, if we're successful enough).
<2022-06-29T13:41:26.000Z> SuperLutheran: Since you asked how you can help, 
<2022-06-29T13:41:57.000Z> SuperLutheran: Finances would be a bit rough to do - at this point I have to do it 2017 TRS style with checks and money orders mailed into the PO box. 
<2022-06-29T13:42:34.000Z> SuperLutheran: But I do need guys who want to volunteer for the initial Diaconate/Lay Leader training cycle. If you or anyone you know is interested in being a guinea pig for the first set of classes, lemme know
<2022-06-29T21:54:46.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: The short answer is: yes, I am willing to be a guinea pig for lay leader training. I'm not in the States, but I'm in a small church with no pastor so your training would be very helpful and appropriate.
<2022-06-29T21:55:01.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: Long answer, do you have a telegram?
<2022-06-29T21:56:34.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: We might find this a lot easier if we can just chat. FYI myself, TinyFern, and Crux Invictus are all in Australia and attempting to address similar problems to you. Crux and I are both interested in further training, crux specifically wants to become a pastor and is taking steps to engage in seminary.
<2022-06-29T21:58:40.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: The Lutheran church of Australia (LCA) currently has 65 open calls, and 2 pastors in training. They're expecting half of all their pastors to retire in the next decade (~125). Churches here are having to learn how to function without a full time pastors and how to train up leadership in the absence of physically attending a seminary 
<2022-06-29T21:59:29.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: (there is one seminary in the country and its 1250 miles from my house)
<2022-06-29T22:00:46.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: We've identifed that "churches" (now that every church is becoming a house church with a building) need to have lay leaders who can fulfil the needs of the church (things that would normally get heaped on the pastor)
<2022-06-29T22:06:40.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: Specifically catechism, evangelism, pastoral care, visiting old people, delivering the lay liturgy, either preaching a prepared sermon or creating one, and basically every other non-sacramental thing that a priest would normally do
<2022-06-29T22:10:46.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: TinyFern is extremely interested in developing educational resources and is currently trying to get involved in stuff that's happening locally, but is very keen to help develop resources to take people beyond "babies first communion". She has experience as an educator. I believe her thinking was something in a similar format to the small and large catechism but for addressing things like: contemporary beliefs systems (syncretism, UFOs, liberalism, etc), apologetics for the Christian way of life, description of more complex doctrine and the themes of scripture, and polemics against many of the falsehoods of the modern world (e.g. hookup culture)
<2022-06-29T22:12:24.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: Our time zones work out so that your evening is our morning, so 9am here is probably (I can guess) around 5pm where you are. So chats in our morning or very late in our evening will work
<2022-06-29T22:13:39.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: I do have some questions 
<2022-06-29T22:15:20.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: Is the end goal house churches? Or is it that rather than going from nochurch>church>cathedral you want to do nochurch>house church>church>cathedral? 
<2022-06-29T22:17:16.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: Are you ok? From the emanations and penumbras it seems that you've been having a hellish time. How is the family holding up? Is it rice and beans at this point?
<2022-06-29T22:18:26.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: How public are each of the components of this? Obviously superlutheran will remain a no face project, but will the resources from the verylutheran project be normie enough that I can propose them to regular conservative churches?
<2022-06-29T22:23:16.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: Lastly, are you familiar with Missionary Methods by Rolland Allen? It's prescriptions are not perfect and his exegesis is motivated at time, but he possibly had similar concerns and issues that you have with parts of the church establishment. The main point I want to bring up is his conviction (which I think is well founded based on Timothy and Titus) that if you select good mature wise Christian men as church leaders then the actual formal training they require is relatively small. If you pick the right people then you're 90% of the way there. Obviously this strongly aligns with right wing priors, that it's not the education and the paper but the man and his character that determines the success of an endeavour 
<2022-06-29T22:23:28.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: Sorry for the spam, but y'know we all have a lot to say
<2022-06-29T22:50:25.000Z> SuperLutheran: I'm super_lutheran on telegram 
<2022-06-29T22:51:09.000Z> SuperLutheran: The speaker channel is here:
<2022-06-29T22:51:13.000Z> SuperLutheran: The Very Lutheran Projectt.me/VeryLutheran
<2022-06-29T23:00:55.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: I meant a private one where we can do a voice call. But thanks anyway, I'll subscribe 
<2022-06-29T23:09:56.000Z> Christ_is_Lord: I'm a big dingus, and I've messaged you