Category: 1 Peter

Summer Training Report

7/30/2014

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2014 Summer Training Report

Prayers & News
News:

Summer Training Survey Results at a glance - 1,790 visits, spoke with 617 people, left literature at 1,173 homes. Of the 617, 194 knew Christ as their Savior, 94 were trusting their works to save them, 72 didn't know how they'd be saved, and 255 didn't answer. There were discovered 24 prospects and 62 unchurched whom we invited to local congregations.
Our 11 person Travel Team was sent through Kansas, Colorado, and north Texas, working toward interest in starting two new groups out of Broomfield, CO and Wichita Falls, TX. They were met with great interest and we are hopeful that this will produce new groups.
We welcome Mr. Mark Clemens as the new local director for the Texhoma Group based out of Wichita Falls.
We rejoice that Pastor Matthew Larson of Faith, OKC and the pastors of the Oklahoma district have taken up the task of organizing weekends in Oklahoma.
We rejoice that Pastor David Baumgarn is going to be working to organize and direct weekends in southern Minnesota.
We welcome our new Board for the 2014-2015 year: Pastor Matthew Tassey, Pastor & Rebecca Nehrt, Pastor Peter Kirby and Pastor Jacob Mueller, Roger Schafer and Paul Schlake, Sandra Hernandez and Jennifer Krupp, Nathan Nehrt and Gabby Mitchell, Collin Coats and Aaron Fosse, Lauren Sperry and Brittany Jennett.
Following Summer Training, Pastor and Rebecca Nehrt will be assuming the duties of Financial and Business Manager for OAFC. This will change our national office address and phone number, so we'll send out a mass update when this change is finalized.
We thank Nathan and Dorothy Ruppert for their faithful service as national Financial and Business Managers, even as they step down from these positions this Summer. We pray God continue to use them locally for OAFC.

Prayers of Supplication:

That God would continue to guide and bless our Travel Team as they finish their travels.
That God would open doors for local groups to have weekends across the country.
That God would continue to remind us of the importance of sharing our faith even while enlivening the hearts of unbelievers to hear.
That God would continue to raise up faithful volunteers to help both nationally and locally with the ministry of OAFC.
That God would provide a smooth transition to for our new offices.

Prayers of Thanksgiving:

That God so abundantly blessed our National Summer Training.
That God has so richly blessed us with new leaders and groups.
That God provided us with great hosts for Summer Training: Good Shepherd, Midwest City, Faith, OKC, Emmanuel, Kingfisher, and Trinity, El Reno.
That God continues to provide for our financial and prayer needs through volunteers like you.

This Summer, youth from across the country gathered in Oklahoma City to spread the Gospel with the Synod R.S.O. Ongoing Ambassadors For Christ (O.A.F.C.). This youth evangelism organization has been equipping youth and adults for sharing the Gospel for 44 years in the Missouri Synod, and this year was no exception. As with our outreach weekends, this Summer's weeklong evangelism conference didn't just sit around talking about sharing the Gospel – we actually got out there into the communities and spoke face to face with people about the saving word and works of Jesus Christ.

During the week of July 17-23rd, O.A.F.C. youth and adults worked with 4 local Oklahoma congregations to train almost 20 new youth and adults in sharing their faith while further equipping about 50 trained Ambassadors to be better leaders and teachers in their local groups across the country. This year's conference theme was PROCLAIM! From 1 Peter 2:9. In O.A.F.C., youth learn to PROCLAIM their faith through Christ-centered Bible Studies, Puppet Shows, Dramas, Songs, a Neighborhood Survey, and Personal Witnessing, so that any Lutheran youth can find a means of expressing their faith in a way that fits their personality and abilities. In the conference Bible Study, each day youth worked through the epistle of 1 Peter, learning how God has called every Baptized Christian to PROCLAIM! the excellent work of God in Christ through the daily opportunities God gives us through our vocations – in both the good times and the bad. Youth also learned the importance of being prepared in their witness; making the effort now to consider how they'd share their faith in personal situations so that when the time comes, they're ready to proclaim and defend the hope that they have. One of the keynote workshops was on witnessing in the digital age: where both youth and adults shared and prepared ways that we can use modern and trending means of communication to be witnesses of the faith within us. Yet, even in the digital age, youth and adults learned that nothing is as powerful as face to face, personal conversation and care. In further workshops, 3 new leaders were trained to start OAFC witness training groups in their local areas and a team of 10 youth and adults was sent out in the O.A.F.C. van to travel through Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Texas to work on starting other local groups, there.

With the witnessing survey, O.A.F.C. youth and adults partnered with local congregation members to visit 1,790 houses and to speak with 617 people about the Gospel. They shared with all who would listen that everyone can have the assurance of eternal life by faith in Christ and not by our own works or inventions. 70% of the people they spoke to didn't know or confess Christ as their savior, and so they had the opportunity to witness to them about the certainty of salvation in Christ and to encourage them to go to their local Lutheran congregation to be fed by the spiritual food of the Word. In these canvassing efforts, 24 people were found who were interested in learning more about Christ and their local Lutheran church and 62 people who weren't going to a church were invited to visit our L.C.M.S. congregations. These youth and adults even took that saving message to local nursing homes, reaching out to everyone with the Good News that God so loved them that he gave his only Son for them. Through the efforts of great pastors, youth, and adults, the O.A.F.C. Summer Training was a success - both in spreading the Gospel and in spreading the ministry of O.A.F.C.

For more information about this evangelism training ministry of the L.C.M.S., visit the website at www.OAFC.org, and consider inviting a team to your church this year for an outreach weekend.

Please consider printing and posting this newsletter on your church's bulletin board. Thanks and God bless.

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July 2014 Crier

7/1/2014

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Prayers & News:
News

It is with great pleasure that I report to you the acceptance of Rebecca Nehrt with the assistance of her husband Rev. Dr. Jeffery Nehrt to take over the business manager/ treasurer duties of OAFC. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Thank you Rebecca and Pastor Nehrt.
Summer Training is July 17-23rd, 2014 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Midwest City, OK .
Our Summer Travel Team is going to Colorado and North Texas, both of which have expressed interest in starting new local groups.
We've purchased a new van for our Travel teams to more confidently go out and share the Gospel. Look for it soon at a church near you.
The new 5th edition of the OAFC Songbook has finished production. We're planning to distribute them to local groups at Summer Training. (Everyone who comes to Training gets a songbook).
We're making room in our archives by digitizing our files. We've purchased a commercial document scanner and will be working on this project for the next few months.
Executive Director Matthew Tassey and wife Veronica are going to be bringing our new baby to Training, so come and see. (She'll only be a month old, so cute!)

Prayers of Supplication

That God would guide and bless our Summer Training preparations and conference.
That God would guide and bless our Travel Team.
That God would bless our local groups with weekends, youth, and leaders.
That people would be receptive to the Gospel.

Prayers of Thanksgiving

That God provided new business/financial managers in Rebecca and Pastor Jeffery Nehrt
That God continues to provide for OAFC's financial needs through our supporters.
That God blessed the production of the new OAFC Songbook and we give thanks to the CID LWML for their grant which provided the funding for this project.
That the Oklahoma District so graciously received us for Summer Training.
That God has given us many great leaders and volunteers to serve OAFC.

2014 Objectives

Sustain and grow our current groups
Add more local groups across the country
Equip youth and adults for witnessing in a cyber-based culture
Recruit a new Business and Financial Manager *

It's Vocation, not Vacation

As we continue looking at the Apostle Peter's first Epistle in preparation for our Summer Training, PROCLAIM! from 1 Peter 2:9, let's look at the teaching that forms the foundation for all of Peter's call for every Christian to share the Gospel: Vocation.

As with most classical Church words, Vocation is a Latin word, and it means "Calling." Throughout Scripture God calls many different people in multiple ways to do various things. It's the same God doing the calling, it's his same almighty plan he's accomplishing, but he calls each of us to do it a little differently according to who we - who he's made us to be - where we are in the world and where we are in our lives.

So the Apostle in 1 Peter 2:13-17 tells all citizens how to live for God in their calling as citizens in the country in which God placed them. He says, "Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good... Fear God, honor the emperor." He then, 2:18-25, gives instructions to servants and masters just the same - to live for God in your callings. He then begins chapter 3 directing husbands and wives how to live in their callings to the glory of God in Christ: "Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives... Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life..." And Peter then says, 1 Peter 3:8, "Finally, all of you [that is, regardless of your particular Vocation/Calling], have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind." And in chapter 4 he goes on to describe how we do all of this in all of our Vocations because we know that "Christ suffered in the flesh" (4:1). Finally he speaks to those who have the Vocation of Pastors (5:1-11), encouraging them to be under-shepherds to the great Shepherd: Jesus.

All of that means for you that wherever you find yourself you are put there to serve God for the sake of the name of Christ. Whether you're a child, a parent, a student, a teacher, a worker, a boss, a citizen, a soldier, or whatever - you are called by God to proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light through your words and actions in those places. That's Vocation. And sometimes that's hard; but that's why it's a Vocation and not a vacation. That's the Calling of God.

For more about your calling from God, look at the Table of Duties in Luther's Small Catechism.

The Mission of OAFC is to equip youth and adults to witness more effectively of Jesus Christ through Singing, Bible Studies, Personal Witnesses, Dramas, Puppet Shows, and Neighborhood Canvassing.

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June 2014 Crier

5/28/2014

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Prayers & News:
News

It is with great pleasure that I report to you the acceptance of Rebecca Nehrt with the assistance of her husband Rev. Dr. Jeffery Nehrt to take over the business manager/ treasurer duties of OAFC. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Thank you Rebecca and Pastor Nehrt.
Summer Training is July 17-23rd, 2014 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Midwest City, OK and registration is open on the website.
We've purchased a new van for our Travel teams to more confidently go out and share the Gospel. Look for it soon at a church near you.
The new 5th edition of the OAFC Songbook has finished production. We're planning to distribute them to local groups at Summer Training. (Everyone who comes to Training gets a songbook).
We're making room in our archives by digitizing our files. We're purchasing a commercial document scanner and will be working on this project for the next few months.
Executive Director Matthew Tassey and wife Veronica are going to be bringing our new baby to Training, so come and see. (She'll only be a month old, so cute!)

Prayers of Supplication

That God would guide and bless our Summer Training preparations and conference.
That God would bless our local groups with weekends, youth, and leaders.
That people would be receptive to the Gospel.
May God strengthen each of us as we work through life's challenge in the death of Chelsea Jean Schofield our 18 year old ambassador. We in Ongoing Ambassadors For Christ particularly in the SE Illinois group who knew Chelsea were proud to have known and worked with her as she witnessed her faith in her Lord and Savior, Jesus with us and with total strangers. Her smile, friendly nature and God given talent in playing guitar and singing praises to the Maker of Heaven and Earth, her Creator were greatly appreciated. We in OAFC are assured of heaven when we die because of what Jesus has done in the suffering, dying and rising again in victory of Jesus for all of our sins. We morn this accidental loss of Chelsea and fondly remember her love for us and for her Savior.

Prayers of Thanksgiving

That God provided new business/financial managers in Rebecca and Pastor Jeffery Nehrt
That God continues to provide for OAFC's financial needs through our supporters.
Memorial was made by Brenda Drefs in memory of Anita Reimnitz.
That God blessed the production of the new OAFC Songbook and we give thanks to the CID LWML for their grant which provided the funding for this project.
That the Oklahoma District so graciously received us for Summer Training.
That God has given us many great leaders and volunteers to serve OAFC.

2014 Objectives

Sustain and grow our current groups
Add more local groups across the country
Equip youth and adults for witnessing in a cyber-based culture
Recruit a new Business and Financial Manager

Summer Training Registration CLOSES Thursday June 5th, 2014. REGISTER NOW at www.oafc.org if you plan to attend!

Should Christians Apologize for Jesus?

Paul says in 1 Corinthians that the word of the cross if folly to the Greek and a stumbling block - a scandal - to the Jews. In today's world, we see politicians, leaders, businessmen, athletes, and activists continually apologizing for every little thing they may have done to cause offense or scandal. Christians can be tempted in such a world to apologize for a Gospel that clearly says there is no other way to salvation except through faith in Christ - that is, all who don't believe in Christ do not receive salvation; are condemned. But should we apologize for the words of Jesus?

At this year's Summer Training, we're going through the book of 1st Peter, and in chapter 3 the Apostle best known for putting his foot in his mouth throughout the ministry of Jesus, Peter, says that we are to "be prepared to give an answer/defense for the hope that is within you." And that word for "defense" is actually the Greek word Apologia. Literally, it's "be prepared to give an apology for the hope that is within you." So is the Apostle Peter calling on Christians to apologize for the rather tactless, non-Politically-Correct, statements of Jesus? Well, no. Of course not.

In the Greek, Apologia means to make a defense against the prosecution. It means that whenever someone attacks or criticizes your faith in the Jesus who made such extreme statements, that you are prepared to defend him against such arguments. That's why we call doing just that Apologetics - answering the criticisms against the Bible, Jesus, even the Church. We don't apologize in such a way that we belittle Christ and his words and works, but we make an Apology so that we defend the words of our Lord. That's Apologetics.

In OAFC, we encourage Apologetics in one of two ways. We primarily train youth in the Bible and the consistency and Apologetics of the Bible, itself. So, through our different witnessing methods, we train youth and adults to defend the words of Christ with solid biblical teachings from Scripture. That's why the AH method is so solid and needed; it's a clear answer to the questions about what's in the Bible.

The other way of Apologetics is to use that which is outside of the Bible, like science and man's logic, to answer questions about why one should even read the Bible in the first place. We don't train youth to use these arguments at the door during our Witness Survey because that's not what the Survey is about. Yet youth are encouraged to delve deeper into this form of Apologetics through some of our Dramas and in using such in their everyday lives.

Both are important forms of Apologetics: the Biblical and the Extra-Biblical. Let me close with my favorite Biblical Apologetic: the empty tomb.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 - written 20-30 years after the resurrection of Christ - that he saw the risen Jesus and that he was not alone. He says that over 500 others saw the resurrected Jesus, too, and were willing to testify to what they saw, since most of them were still alive and able to be subpoenaed into court. If 3 witnesses agreed on the witness stand, you could believe it. If 10, there'd be no room for doubt. If 500 witnesses, one after the other marched into court, sat in the witness stand, and attested the exact same thing - that they'd seen the marks of the nails and spear in the resurrected Jesus - you would be laughed out of the court if you still refused to believe. So we know from the witnesses that Jesus appeared after his death to enough people to discount any type of stolen body or mass hallucination or any other naturalistic attempt to deny it. So he is risen, and risen, indeed! Alleluia! And since he died and rose again, God has made him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2), and given him authority over all the earth to judge all things. His resurrection proves that he is God and that what he said is true. And he says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14). So, if you desire eternal life according to the promises of Jesus in a place with no more pain or suffering or death, you must believe that he is your Lord and Savior. Let me show you how...

For God so loved ______ that he gave his only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer, die, and rise in victory for _____, so that, believing in Jesus as the Savior from sin, _____ shall not perish, but _____ shall have everlasting life.

This is God's promise to you and He cannot lie, as he says in Titus 1:2. If I promised that to you, I could be lying. But God, who cannot lie promised. And He promised eternal life to all who believe in Jesus as they're Savior. Isn't it great to know that Jesus died and rose again to guarantee this promise to you?

Sound familiar? That's Apologetics.

The Mission of OAFC is to equip youth and adults to witness more effectively of Jesus Christ through Singing, Bible Studies, Personal Witnesses, Dramas, Puppet Shows, and Neighborhood Canvassing.

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May 2014 Crier

5/2/2014

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Prayers & News:
News

Summer Training is July 17-23rd, 2014 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Midwest City, OK and registration is open on the website.
Our Business Manager and Treasurer (Nathan and Dorothy Ruppert), after blessed years of service, are stepping down. OAFC is looking for dedicated volunteers to fill their shoes by July 2014.
We've purchased a new van for our Travel teams to more confidently go out and share the Gospel. Look for it soon at a church near you.
Due to safety concerns, the Kazakhstan international team has been canceled.
The new 5th edition of the OAFC Songbook has finished production. We're planning to distribute them to local groups at Summer Training. (Everyone who comes to Training gets a songbook).
We're making room in our archives by digitizing our files. We're purchasing a commercial document scanner and will be working on this project for the next few months.
Executive Director Matthew Tassey and wife Veronica are going to be bringing our new baby to Training, so come and see. (She'll only be a month old, so cute!)

Prayers of Supplication

That God would provide our next Business and Financial Manager before July, 2014.
That God would guide and bless our Summer Training preparations and conference.
That God would bless our local groups with weekends, youth, and leaders.
That people would be receptive to the Gospel.

Prayers of Thanksgiving

That God continues to provide for OAFC's financial needs through our supporters.
That God blessed the production of the new OAFC Songbook and we give thanks to the CID LWML for their grant which provided the funding for this project.
That the Oklahoma District so graciously received us.
That God has given us many great leaders and volunteers to serve OAFC.

2014 Objectives

Sustain and grow our current groups
Add more local groups across the country
Equip youth and adults for witnessing in a cyber-based culture
Recruit a new Business and Financial Manager

The Church is the Root of Missions

As we prepare to gather for Summer Training July 17-23rd in Midwest City, OK, let's look again at our theme PROCLAIM! from the letter of the Apostle Peter to Christians scattered throughout the world. Especially in light of gathering in local churches for our Training, let's look at what Peter has to say about the Church and Mission.

Peter says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you... Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God... And this word is the good news that was preached to you" (1 Peter 1:3-4, 23, 25). The only place we find this phrase "born again" in all of Scripture is in John 3 - Jesus' discourse with Nicodemus - and here in 1 Peter. In John 3:3, 5-6, Jesus says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God," and again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Jesus is talking about Baptism here - the birth of water and the Spirit. Since Peter is quoting Jesus (there's no one else who says this, so he must be quoting Jesus), that's what Peter is referring to. And Paul speaks the exact same in Titus 3:4-8: "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things..."

The Church instituted by Jesus - that is, the place where those who stand in the office of the Apostles proclaim their witness and administer the Sacraments that proclaim the voice of Jesus to the congregation gathered by the Word of God in Christ - is the place of mission. Again and again throughout his letter, Peter will return to the Baptism we received through the hands of the elders and shepherds leading the Church (1 Peter 5:1-2). And that Baptism is never about leaving a person alone in their faith. We don't want to preach the Gospel to someone and just leave them on their own. Baptism unites us into the body of Christ, as a congregation of believers united around he who is our head. That means that in our witness and evangelism, we should always seek to connect people to the local congregation - a branch of the Church living in the vine who is Jesus (John 15:5) - where they can be fed and strengthened continually in Word and Sacrament as part of a body - not as a lone Christian.

That's why we insist on working with local congregations in our witness training in OAFC. We know that anyone can go out and PROCLAIM! to anyone, anywhere, about the Gospel. We know that everyone, no matter where they are, can believe - even if it's their last hours, lonely on a cross like the man next to Jesus. But we also know that the standard and expectation of Christ is bringing people into the Church. So OAFC always seeks to work with local congregations to connect the people with whom we share the Gospel to local congregations for Word and Sacrament ministry.

That's also why we in OAFC are so very grateful to congregations who open their doors to this ministry for the opportunity to give youth a place to grow in their faith and to share the Gospel. So we give a big Thank You to all of the congregations and members who have opened their doors and houses and neighborhoods to OAFC youth and adults over the years - because you've helped in the sharing of the Gospel as Jesus intended and also helped to instill in youth the love of the Church and the knowledge that the Church is the root of all missions. God bless. you as you and we PROCLAIM!

The Mission of OAFC is to equip youth and adults to witness more effectively of Jesus Christ through Singing, Bible Studies, Personal Witnesses, Dramas, Puppet Shows, and Neighborhood Canvassing.

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April 2014 Crier

3/28/2014

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Prayers & News:
News

Summer Training is July 17-23rd, 2014 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Midwest City, OK and registration is open on the website.
Our Business Manager and Treasurer (Nathan and Dorothy Ruppert), after blessed years of service, are stepping down. OAFC is looking for dedicated volunteers to fill their shoes by July 2014.
We've purchased a new van for our Travel teams to more confidently go out and share the Gospel. Check out the pictures.
Due to safety concerns, the Kazakhstan international team has been canceled.
The new 5th edition of the OAFC Songbook has finished production. We're planning to distribute them to local groups at Summer Training. (Everyone who comes to Training gets a songbook).
We're making room in our archives by digitizing our files. We're purchasing a commercial document scanner and will be working on this project for the next few months.
Executive Director Matthew Tassey and wife Veronica are going to be bringing our new baby to Training, so come and see. (She'll only be a month old, so cute!)

Prayers of Supplication

That God would provide our next Business and Financial Manager before July, 2014.
That God would guide and bless our Summer Training preparations and conference.
That God would bless our local groups with weekends, youth, and leaders.
That people would be receptive to the Gospel.

Prayers of Thanksgiving

That God continues to provide for OAFC's financial needs through our supporters.
That God blessed the production of the new OAFC Songbook and we give thanks to the CID LWML for their grant which provided the funding for this project.
That the Oklahoma District so graciously received us.
That God has given us many great leaders and volunteers to serve OAFC.

2014 Objectives

Sustain and grow our current groups
Add more local groups across the country
Equip youth and adults for witnessing in a cyber-based culture
Recruit a new Business and Financial Manager

The new OAFC van - coming to a church near you.

Proclaiming the Excellencies

We're going to take a break from our Life series as we prepare for the upcoming Summer Training by looking in the next couple of months leading up to Training at what God's Word has to say about witnessing and how we can respond in confidence and certainty.

Our theme this year is PROCLAIM! from 1 Peter 2:9, "... that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light." And that is the task of every single baptized Christian: to proclaim.

Though sometimes this gets confusing and confused, especially when we put this beautiful teaching of Scripture next to another blessed teaching; that of the office of holy ministry. Some would make this verse say that the office of the holy ministry has been given to every baptized Christian, and therefore every baptized Christian has the same call and sending to preach as does the pastor. However, that's not what the text says. And let's delve into why it doesn't say that.

First of all, God instituted the office of the holy ministry through his Son to his apostles to be an office of preaching, teaching, and administering the Sacraments publicly in the Church. Paul many times will say that there is a difference between pastors and laity as some are called to the office and others are not. The pastor is called to act publicly on behalf of the Church and in the stead of Christ for the people. If everyone was a pastor, where then would the congregation be? Who would be served? If there was no pastoral office, who would serve (and with what authority)? That's why Paul says in Romans 10, "How can they hear unless one preach, and how can they preach unless they are sent." And at the end of this same epistle of Peter, he addresses the pastors (shepherds) separately from the congregation - because there is a godly-instituted difference.

So the pastor is called to preach, teach, and administer the Sacraments publicly for the congregation. But then what do we do with 1 Peter 2:9 and the commission of all the Baptized to PROCLAIM!? Simple; just answer the question: is the congregation in worship and study the only place where you can hear or read or discuss or live the Word of God? No. God has called each and every person to do his will for the care and stewardship of his creation wherever you are: be that as a student, a child, a brother or sister, worker, friend, husband, wife, boss, you name it. If you're there, God has called you to work for him there. Colossians 3:23 "Work as for the Lord." And that includes working to share the Gospel of what Jesus Christ has done for you by calling you out of the darkness and into his marvelous light.

So you may not have a pulpit, font, or altar at the front of the church, but you have been called to that place where you are in order to speak, to work, to live, to suffer, and to bless as Christ living through you and in you because you have been Baptized into Christ. What an awe-inspiring calling that we all have been given by Christ. It's not a calling at odds with the Call of a pastor, nor does it nullify the Call of the pastor, but it works side by side with him to be the light of Christ to this dark world.

Let that whet your appetite for some of the deep and awesome teachings that we'll encounter as delve into this wonderful text of 1 Peter leading up to and during Summer Training. Until then, go register and get ready to join us in Proclaiming His Excellencies to a world that needs to know.

The Mission of OAFC is to equip youth and adults to witness more effectively of Jesus Christ through Singing, Bible Studies, Personal Witnesses, Dramas, Puppet Shows, and Neighborhood Canvassing.

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Summer Training Report

2014 Summer Training Report

July 2014 Crier

It's Vocation, not Vacation

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