Lutheran Men Have New Role in Church and Family

     CHICAGO (ELCA) --  "Men's ministry is about how men and women work and live together out of mutual reverence for Christ," said Douglas Haugen, director for Lutheran Men in Mission, the men's organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).  Lutheran men are defining their roles in church and family for the 21st century, Haugen said.
     "Build Up!  Build Up!  Prepare the Way!" was the theme of the Lutheran Men in Mission event held here at North Park University, June 26-28.  "Men from the United States and the Caribbean gathered to discover what it means to build a Lutheran men's ministry," said Haugen.  About 70 men "celebrated the fellowship of Christian men" with music, workshops and the "breaking of bread."
     "The event's theme expresses how God uses men to build up family and church," said Haugen.  "The event provided a place for a man to look at his own spiritual life and reflect on how God uses men to help build up family, church and community."
     "The church at the grass roots level has failed to appeal to men in our time," said the Rev. Ronald D. Martinson, a professor of pastoral care at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.  "Today's church attendance is made up of about 60 percent women and only 33 percent men and the rest are children.  My vision is to witness a day when a person walks into a Lutheran church and sees just as many men as there are women making music and worshiping.  God is looking for some extraordinary men for the next century."
     The event featured workshops on gender differences, creating a retreat experience for men and building a men's ministry for all ages.
     "Neither men nor women are complete by themselves, many have forgotten about God," said Don Wahlgren, a participant from Gowrie, Iowa. "In the capitalistic  structure, people have forgotten God.  The system is about getting the other guy before he gets you.  Any system that eliminates God is doomed for destruction."
     "The ultimate goal is that we care for the church, and a healthy men's ministry is good for everyone.  It's good for the young people; it's good for the family, congregation and the overall church.  When we get men actively engaged in their faith, it benefits everyone," said Haugen.
     The Integrity Praise Band led the worship at the gathering.  The band is part of the men's ministry of St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Arlington Heights, Ill.
     Lutheran Men in Mission events were held at Lutheran Bible Institute of Seattle, Issaquah, Wash., June 12-14, and at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pa., June 19-21.  A fourth event will take place July 10-12 at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas.

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html