This Afternoons Work

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This Afternoons Work

• Explore the Vision
• Share Stories
• Consider Purposes, Goals Strategies
• Unpack the Role of the Advocate
• Look at the Book of Faith Website

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That the whole church become more fluent
in the first language of faith, the language of
Scripture, in order that we might live into our
calling as a people renewed, enlivened,
empowered, and sent by the Word
Vision of the Book of Faith Initiative
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Deuteronomy 64-9 (Hebrew and NRSV) 4  Hear, O
Israel The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.
hw"ïhygt WnyheÞla/ hw"ïhygt
lae_r"f.yI mÞv. 4 5 You shall love the LORD
your God with all your heart, and with all your
soul, and with all your might. dlt)aom.-lk'b.W
ßv.p.n-lk'b.W ïb.b'l.-lk'B. 7 Recite them
to your children and talk about them when you
are at home and when you are away, when you lie
down and when you rise. B'_ T'ÞrgtBdIwgt
ynltëb'l. T'ängtNviwgt 7 m,(Wqb.W ßB.k.v'b.W
rltDltêb åT.k.l,b.W t,ybeB. ÜT.b.viB. 8
Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as
an emblem on your forehead, 9 and write them
on the doorposts (tzOðWzm) of your house and on
your gates.
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Luke 416-30 (NRSV) 16 When he came to
Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he
went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as
was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and
the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to
him. He unrolled the scroll found the place
where it was written 18 The Spirit of the
Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to
bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to
proclaim release to the captives and recovery
of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go
free, 19 to proclaim the year of the
Lord's favor. 20 And he rolled up the
scroll, gave it back to the
attendant, and sat down. The eyes of
all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
21 Then he began to say to them, Today
this scripture has been fulfilled in your
hearing.
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Luke 422-30 (continued) 22 All spoke well of
him and were amazed at the gracious words that
came from his mouth. They said, Is not this
Joseph's son? 23 He said to them, Doubtless
you will quote to me this proverb, Doctor, cure
yourself! And you will say, Do here also in
your hometown the things that we have heard you
did at Capernaum. 24 And he said, Truly I
tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's
hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many
widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the
heaven was shut up three years and six months,
and there was a severe famine over all the land
26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except
to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were
also many lepers in Israel in the time of the
prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed
except Naaman the Syrian. 28 When they heard
this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage.
29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and
led him to the brow of the hill on which
their town was built, so that they might hurl him
off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the
midst of them
and went on his way.
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That the whole church become more fluent
in the first language of faith, the language of
Scripture, in order that we might live into our
calling as a people renewed, enlivened,
empowered, and sent by the Word
Vision of the Book of Faith Initiative
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That the whole church become more fluent
in the first language of faith, the language of
Scripture, in order that we might live into our
calling as a people renewed, enlivened,
empowered, and sent by the Word
Vision of the Book of Faith Initiative
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Challenges We Face

• Busy-ness and multiple demands
• Scripture can be
• Reading the Bible can be scary
• Reading itself can be scary
• Shame
• Considered irrelevant
• Literalist Culture
• Secularist Culture
• Individualistic and Consumer Culture
• The violence and inconsistencies
• Theological language is confusing
• Bad history with the Bible
• Other?

moralistic
confusing
REALLY
boring!
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Some Ideas

• Use the assessment tools and make a
  congregational contract
• Begin all meetings with Bible study
• Get more folks engaged with the lectionary texts
• Listen to common texts on i-Pod www.fcbh.org
  http//www.faithcomesbyhearing.com/
• Explore many web conversations and tools
• Hook up with companion congregation

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Some Ideas

• Use the 4 methods creatively
• Dont hide under a bushel
• Write your own stuff
• Creative testimonials
• Give the Bible away early and often
• Fun for the Young

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That the whole church become more fluent
in the first language of faith, the language of
Scripture, in order that we might live into our
calling as a people renewed, enlivened,
empowered, and sent by the Word
Vision of the Book of Faith Initiative
13
That the whole church become more fluent
in the first language of faith, the language of
Scripture, in order that we might live into our
calling as a people renewed, enlivened,
empowered, and sent by the Word
Vision of the Book of Faith Initiative
14
That the whole church become more fluent
in the first language of faith, the language of
Scripture, in order that we might live into our
calling as a people renewed, enlivened,
empowered, and sent by the Word
Vision of the Book of Faith Initiative
15
That the whole church become more fluent
in the first language of faith, the language of
Scripture, in order that we might live into our
calling as a people renewed, enlivened,
empowered, and sent by the Word
Vision of the Book of Faith Initiative
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Key Purposes of the Book of Faith Initiative

• Open the Bible and Discover
• Whole Church Commitment
• Increase Biblical Literacy
• Deepen Understanding of Lutheran
• approaches to the Bible
• Renew and enliven the whole church

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Principle Goals of the Book of Faith Initiative

• 75 of congregations by December 2010
• 15,000 lay and rostered leaders trained
• Dramatically increase the numbers
• Act locally Grassroots ownership
• Learn from each other

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Role of the Advocates

• Lynchpin
• Point Person
• Cheerleader
• Midwife
• Community Organizer
• Telephone Operator
• Mezuzah
• Other Metaphors
• and Aspects of the Role?

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