by Frank Imhoff, ELCA News Service
Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM), the men's ministry of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, has three emphases: the
distribution of Bibles, young men's ministry and inspirational
events. To jump start its emphasis on young men's ministry, the
Rev. David W. Anderson, the Rev. Paul G. Hill and the Rev. Roland
D. Martinson conducted a spirituality project on LMM's behalf.
As part of the project, 88 young men participated in extensive
interviews across the United States. From 18 to 35 years of age,
the men represented various cultures and classes and a range of
religious commitments from fully engaged to completely absent
from church life. The results of the project are available in
"Coming of Age: Exploring the Identity and Spirituality of
Younger Men" from Augsburg Fortress, the publishing ministry of
the ELCA, Minneapolis.
"The overriding message of the 88 interviews was the openness and
struggle of young men who described the power of relationships,
delight in nature and sports, the influence of life-defining
experiences, the presence of crises and stress, the importance of
service, and the (quandaries) of their work," wrote Anderson,
Hill and Martinson. Each one-hour interview employed open-ended
questions and the freedom to follow the answers regarding life,
faith and faith practices. The book outlines many of the
research's "implications for the church and its ministry" as the
church comes of age with the young men it hopes to reach.
The authors wrote a summary article in the September-October 2005
issue of Lutheran Partners, a magazine for the ELCA's clergy and
lay professional leaders.
Links:
Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM)
http://www.ELCA.org/lmm/
"Coming of Age: Exploring the Identity and Spirituality of
Younger Men"
http://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/item.asp?ISBN=0806652241&CL
SID=163209&PRODUCTGROUPID=-1
Augsburg Fortress
http://www.augsburgfortress.org/
September/October 2005 issue of Lutheran Partners
http://www.ELCA.org/lutheranpartners/archives/050910_05.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
