Check out our congregation's website, especially our page of articles and resources. There you will find a number of documents which may be of interest, and which you are also free to use as needed in your own congregation too.
Hey why don't I just paste the thing here:
On the Practice of Close(d) Communion:
Our congregation's "Communion Statement" (printed each week in the bulletin):
Guests and Holy Communion:
Holy Communion is a gift Christ gives to His Church. In it, He offers His true Body and Blood, in, with and under the bread and wine. When received in faith, it brings forgiveness, new life and salvation. Holy Communion is also a statement of our unity in Christ (community). Those who receive the Lord’s Supper at Grace Lutheran Church are baptized Christians who have been instructed in and publicly confess the Evangelical Lutheran faith. For this reason only members of our congregation or sister congregations of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod are ordinarily communed at this altar. If you have any questions regarding the doctrine of Close Communion, please talk to one of the pastors before or after the service.
An excellent collection of articles and links regarding closed communion is available here, at the website of our sister congergation, St. Paul's, Kingsville, MD.
On "Every-Sunday Communion":
Grace's Resolution to Introduce Every-Sunday Communion (.doc)
Regarding Worship:
Children in the Divine Service (Pamphlet) (.doc)
Catechetical Inserts (.doc)
Other:
A Collection of Luther Quotes (.doc)
Grace Lutheran Church "Handbook" (Including Constitution and By-Laws) (.pdf)
2005 Annual Report (.pdf)
Wedding Manual (.pdf)
"Welcome to our Wedding" Pamphlet (.doc)
Endowment Fund (.pdf)
Wow ! Great Links Pastor, we especially appreciate the info because of our interest in the new book "The Fire and the Staff Lutheran Theology in Practice " by Rev. Preus
ReplyDeleteNaturally your pamphlet "Children in the Divine Service " caught my eye as being a pearl of wisdom for Windows Ministry , thanks for sharing it with us.
Thanks for resourcing the blogosphere with these. I have egregiously copied the wedding guidelines, children in worship, catechetical inserts, and Luther quotes to my computer for adaptation to my congregation.
ReplyDeleteA blessed Pentecost to you, and my prayers are for your confirmands. May God continue to enable and empower them to continue to confess the faith He has given them.