WHY?

by Executive Pastor Kaitlyn Forster kaitlynf@lordoflife.org

A question that I have heard quite a bit lately has been, “Why?”

“Why have we been exploring an adoption of Peace Lutheran Church in Plymouth, MN?”

When I hear those questions, in my head I hear Lord of Life’s Council Vice President Matt Eich’s voice replying, “Why not?” He has been a part of Peace discernment process since the leadership at Peace Lutheran approached Lord of Life asking to become a satellite location and was one of the first people to wonder if God could be calling Lord of Life into something new. Like the disciples in the early church, Matt and the other council members had to be open to the Spirit’s presence. They found that the reasons to consider this possibility outweighed the reasons to say no to this exploration. It didn’t mean that they had all the answers, but that it would be worth the effort to figure them out.

This led the council to approve a six-month exploration period for the congregation to dive into the work as well. Six exploration teams were formed in May and are comprised of 25-30 Lord of Life members. Their work, while focusing on what a new campus could mean for Lord of Life is actually much larger than that. What they are discerning and wrestling with is how God is calling Lord of Life to be the church in a changing cultural landscape.

This work is important because the Covid-19 pandemic changed nearly everything about our lives for the past few years and that includes faith communities. It involves navigating new worship patterns and preferences, asking tough questions of the world around us, and seeking the hope of Christ in the midst of uncertainty. With that as the base for this process, we can be certain that God is at work no matter the outcome. God is leading Lord of Life into a new chapter of our lives together. The details may not have come into focus yet, but we know that God is; calling us to deepen our discipleship and to be open to the Spirit’s presence so that all may know the abundant and ever-present love of God.

For updates on the Peace Lutheran exploration process, visit lordoflife.org/peace.