Blog https://www.phillyministries.org Thu, 28 Mar 2024 13:16:42 -0400 http://churchplantmedia.com/ Rev Kieselowsky Interview on KFUO https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/rev-kieselowsky https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/rev-kieselowsky#comments Sat, 28 Dec 2019 11:00:00 -0500 https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/rev-kieselowsky Click here to listen to Rev. Kieselowsky's radio interview with Rev. Mark Zill.

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Click here to listen to Rev. Kieselowsky's radio interview with Rev. Mark Zill.

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Rev Kieselowsky Lutheran Witness Article https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/rev-kieselowsky-lutheran-witness-article https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/rev-kieselowsky-lutheran-witness-article#comments Sat, 28 Dec 2019 11:00:00 -0500 https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/rev-kieselowsky-lutheran-witness-article  

Death - Lutheran Witness

 

Death - Lutheran Witness 2

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Death - Lutheran Witness

 

Death - Lutheran Witness 2

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Interrupted https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/interrupted https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/interrupted#comments Sat, 28 Dec 2019 11:00:00 -0500 https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/interrupted Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means. I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous but sinners” (Matt 9:12-13). It’s not surprising that when a ruler of the synagogue approaches Jesus to ask Him to heal his daughter, Jesus goes. But before Jesus takes many steps to go to the girl, He gets interrupted.

Jesus, it turns out, is just fine with interruptions. He listens to pleas for mercy and has perfect timing. Remember when He chastised His disciples for preventing the little children from meeting Him? He loves others more than Himself and grants VIP status to those who are neglected and cast off.

This time, a woman interrupts Him. You can almost see her hunched over in the periphery of the crowd. Perhaps she thought to herself, ‘Jesus is going to be on the move. Let me shuffle over. If I can only get close to His divinity, my frail body will be healed.’ This weak, anemic woman knew this was a risk. At the time, women did not touch men, especially when disease made them ceremonially unclean. Yet this woman pushed her broken body into position and reached out a hand of faith.

All the doctors’ treatments had failed, she had no more money to spend. She saw herself as a drain on the community. She reaches for Jesus out of desperation. She is a beggar, but Jesus meets her with compassion. Indeed, His mercy will take Him to the cross to make a sacrifice this woman could never make.

Do you see yourself in this desperate woman? You should.

We may feel comfortable in this world, yet when it comes to things of God, we are terribly weak. We are unfaithful to that which matters most, devotion to our Heavenly Father and the life of the ones He has placed in our care.

To make matters worse, we know we find strength in God’s Word and His Sacraments but we let other things take priority.

There were others who brushed up against our Lord that day as He left the village, but this woman was the only one who was healed. Jesus said to her, “Take courage, daughter, your faith has saved you.”

She believed Jesus could heal her. She heard His words and clung to them in faith. The Small Catechism reminds us that when we approach the Lord’s Supper, we are just like the woman. We eat and drink by faith in the words of Christ:

Certainly not just eating and drinking do these things, but the words written here: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” These words, along with the bodily eating and drinking, are the main thing in the Sacrament. Whoever believes these words has exactly what they say: “forgiveness of sin.”

In Christ’s voice of compassion, you hear the fullness of the Gospel as He heals the interrupting woman, body and soul.

In this same chapter of Matthew, our Lord tells the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.

For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, rise up from your bed and go home.”

Take heart. The Great Physician has taken the full extent of the treatment to make you whole again, to heal you, restore you and take away your sin. And He looks on you with compassion and love. He saves you by His word.

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Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means. I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous but sinners” (Matt 9:12-13). It’s not surprising that when a ruler of the synagogue approaches Jesus to ask Him to heal his daughter, Jesus goes. But before Jesus takes many steps to go to the girl, He gets interrupted.

Jesus, it turns out, is just fine with interruptions. He listens to pleas for mercy and has perfect timing. Remember when He chastised His disciples for preventing the little children from meeting Him? He loves others more than Himself and grants VIP status to those who are neglected and cast off.

This time, a woman interrupts Him. You can almost see her hunched over in the periphery of the crowd. Perhaps she thought to herself, ‘Jesus is going to be on the move. Let me shuffle over. If I can only get close to His divinity, my frail body will be healed.’ This weak, anemic woman knew this was a risk. At the time, women did not touch men, especially when disease made them ceremonially unclean. Yet this woman pushed her broken body into position and reached out a hand of faith.

All the doctors’ treatments had failed, she had no more money to spend. She saw herself as a drain on the community. She reaches for Jesus out of desperation. She is a beggar, but Jesus meets her with compassion. Indeed, His mercy will take Him to the cross to make a sacrifice this woman could never make.

Do you see yourself in this desperate woman? You should.

We may feel comfortable in this world, yet when it comes to things of God, we are terribly weak. We are unfaithful to that which matters most, devotion to our Heavenly Father and the life of the ones He has placed in our care.

To make matters worse, we know we find strength in God’s Word and His Sacraments but we let other things take priority.

There were others who brushed up against our Lord that day as He left the village, but this woman was the only one who was healed. Jesus said to her, “Take courage, daughter, your faith has saved you.”

She believed Jesus could heal her. She heard His words and clung to them in faith. The Small Catechism reminds us that when we approach the Lord’s Supper, we are just like the woman. We eat and drink by faith in the words of Christ:

Certainly not just eating and drinking do these things, but the words written here: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” These words, along with the bodily eating and drinking, are the main thing in the Sacrament. Whoever believes these words has exactly what they say: “forgiveness of sin.”

In Christ’s voice of compassion, you hear the fullness of the Gospel as He heals the interrupting woman, body and soul.

In this same chapter of Matthew, our Lord tells the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.

For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, rise up from your bed and go home.”

Take heart. The Great Physician has taken the full extent of the treatment to make you whole again, to heal you, restore you and take away your sin. And He looks on you with compassion and love. He saves you by His word.

]]>
City Animosity https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/city-animosity https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/city-animosity#comments Sat, 28 Dec 2019 11:00:00 -0500 https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/city-animosity I have experienced a wide range of reactions from people as I try to explain for the first time why the mission of PLM is so important. Many people’s first thought is, ‘I hate the city.’

I sense that people think I might be a little crazy. When I first received my call to serve at PLM, a concerned individual said skeptically, “You are going to leave your current call for urban ministry?” As if to say, “That is risky. Are you sure you want to do that?” Without hesitation, I said, “Yes. Yes, I do.”

My wife and I spent the first years of married life in a two-room apartment in Center City Philadelphia. We love the city and are sometimes frustrated when people don’t share our enthusiasm. I understand some reasons people feel this way but have come to very different conclusions myself.

Decades of decline. The city of Philadelphia lost a third of its population over the course of the second half of the twentieth century. Consequently, the city suffered from increased crime and intense poverty. Many left for the safety, comfort, and strong schools of the suburbs. They wanted what was best for their families. But as a result, a number of churches declined over the years and eventually closed.

In reality, a famine of the Gospel exists in a city that draws its name from one of the churches addressed in the book of Revelation. Jesus says, “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again willthey leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down from out of heaven from my God” (Rev 3:11).

When did we develop the perception that the city is a Godless place? When we left.

But I love the city. More importantly, Jesus loves the city. For when He looks at it, he doesn’t see crime rates, poor parking, cramped square footage, or high taxes. Jesus looks on the city with His foremost quality: compassion. He sees 1.5 million souls for whom He shed His holy blood. Yes, He sees brokenness, but He also sees gas stations and condo buildings where churches once stood.

Where the Gospel is needed most, Jesus saw people pack up and head elsewhere. I am not suggesting that somehow this exodus has kept our Lord from accomplishing His saving work. No, rather I believe it grieves our Lord to see His people distance themselves from His work of salvation.

You don't have to live in the city, or even visit the city, to care and be involved. (Though I would gladly give you the grand tour.) But the work could not go on without your prayers and support.

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I have experienced a wide range of reactions from people as I try to explain for the first time why the mission of PLM is so important. Many people’s first thought is, ‘I hate the city.’

I sense that people think I might be a little crazy. When I first received my call to serve at PLM, a concerned individual said skeptically, “You are going to leave your current call for urban ministry?” As if to say, “That is risky. Are you sure you want to do that?” Without hesitation, I said, “Yes. Yes, I do.”

My wife and I spent the first years of married life in a two-room apartment in Center City Philadelphia. We love the city and are sometimes frustrated when people don’t share our enthusiasm. I understand some reasons people feel this way but have come to very different conclusions myself.

Decades of decline. The city of Philadelphia lost a third of its population over the course of the second half of the twentieth century. Consequently, the city suffered from increased crime and intense poverty. Many left for the safety, comfort, and strong schools of the suburbs. They wanted what was best for their families. But as a result, a number of churches declined over the years and eventually closed.

In reality, a famine of the Gospel exists in a city that draws its name from one of the churches addressed in the book of Revelation. Jesus says, “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again willthey leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down from out of heaven from my God” (Rev 3:11).

When did we develop the perception that the city is a Godless place? When we left.

But I love the city. More importantly, Jesus loves the city. For when He looks at it, he doesn’t see crime rates, poor parking, cramped square footage, or high taxes. Jesus looks on the city with His foremost quality: compassion. He sees 1.5 million souls for whom He shed His holy blood. Yes, He sees brokenness, but He also sees gas stations and condo buildings where churches once stood.

Where the Gospel is needed most, Jesus saw people pack up and head elsewhere. I am not suggesting that somehow this exodus has kept our Lord from accomplishing His saving work. No, rather I believe it grieves our Lord to see His people distance themselves from His work of salvation.

You don't have to live in the city, or even visit the city, to care and be involved. (Though I would gladly give you the grand tour.) But the work could not go on without your prayers and support.

]]>
Deliver Us From Evil https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/deliver-us-from-evil https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/deliver-us-from-evil#comments Sat, 28 Dec 2019 11:00:00 -0500 https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/deliver-us-from-evil It’s the reality of urban life. More people means more behavior in rebellion to the Law of our Creator. We may not be able to predict how human beings will act in a particular place, we know for certain that people are driven by self-interest. Even alone on a deserted island, I would find sin within myself. So, no matter where we find ourselves, we pray as our Lord taught us, “Deliver us from evil.”

Cities, of course, are full of broken and hurting people who live very near one another. And when newscasts about cities report crime, we hear how individuals disregard God’s law, failing to fully love one another and damaging property. So, as I move my family into Center City Philadelphia this month, I understand concerns about safety.

I have read the crime reports and seen the statistics. We will live in one of the most densely populated areas in our country. There will be days when we are distracted by crime in our neighborhood, but I do not fear this reality. When we pray each night as a family, the petition "deliver us from evil" will take on greater significance.

Do I worry about my family? Yes. My family is the greatest treasure I have in this life beside the grace that flows from my baptism. I do not want to be cavalier about this move. By God’s grace, we will be wise and vigilant in our care of our children. We will have to live differently than we did in the suburbs where our children were shielded more from the danger and suffering around them.

The fact is, the Lord already has preserved us from terrible evil—but we don't always feel the danger and are not always grateful for our Lord's provision. I pray that as the family sees tragedy and evil perhaps more vividly than before, we will turn to Christ, praying in faith for protection and deliverance.

As much as it pains us, we also are aware that our Lord may allow us to suffer evil. If this happens, we pray He will provide us the faith and conviction that great evil can be used for great good. For in our Lord's death, the greatest good was accomplished.

All of this can be prayed because we first pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.” I pray that the Lord’s kingdom comes to Philadelphia as people look to Christ in faith. As Luther reminds us in the Small Catechism, “The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also.”

My reasons for moving initially included wanting to better support Pastor DeGroot with his work in the Northeast, to work closely with our vicar in the city , and to cultivate the work of Logos Lutheran. I see this move in light of living out “Lord’s Prayer Christianity,” where our daily lives are centered around petitions to Our Father.

So, in a very real way, we request and plead for your prayers that Our Heavenly Father would daily preserve us from evil and strengthen our faith in the face of what we might encounter. Amen.

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It’s the reality of urban life. More people means more behavior in rebellion to the Law of our Creator. We may not be able to predict how human beings will act in a particular place, we know for certain that people are driven by self-interest. Even alone on a deserted island, I would find sin within myself. So, no matter where we find ourselves, we pray as our Lord taught us, “Deliver us from evil.”

Cities, of course, are full of broken and hurting people who live very near one another. And when newscasts about cities report crime, we hear how individuals disregard God’s law, failing to fully love one another and damaging property. So, as I move my family into Center City Philadelphia this month, I understand concerns about safety.

I have read the crime reports and seen the statistics. We will live in one of the most densely populated areas in our country. There will be days when we are distracted by crime in our neighborhood, but I do not fear this reality. When we pray each night as a family, the petition "deliver us from evil" will take on greater significance.

Do I worry about my family? Yes. My family is the greatest treasure I have in this life beside the grace that flows from my baptism. I do not want to be cavalier about this move. By God’s grace, we will be wise and vigilant in our care of our children. We will have to live differently than we did in the suburbs where our children were shielded more from the danger and suffering around them.

The fact is, the Lord already has preserved us from terrible evil—but we don't always feel the danger and are not always grateful for our Lord's provision. I pray that as the family sees tragedy and evil perhaps more vividly than before, we will turn to Christ, praying in faith for protection and deliverance.

As much as it pains us, we also are aware that our Lord may allow us to suffer evil. If this happens, we pray He will provide us the faith and conviction that great evil can be used for great good. For in our Lord's death, the greatest good was accomplished.

All of this can be prayed because we first pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.” I pray that the Lord’s kingdom comes to Philadelphia as people look to Christ in faith. As Luther reminds us in the Small Catechism, “The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also.”

My reasons for moving initially included wanting to better support Pastor DeGroot with his work in the Northeast, to work closely with our vicar in the city , and to cultivate the work of Logos Lutheran. I see this move in light of living out “Lord’s Prayer Christianity,” where our daily lives are centered around petitions to Our Father.

So, in a very real way, we request and plead for your prayers that Our Heavenly Father would daily preserve us from evil and strengthen our faith in the face of what we might encounter. Amen.

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Prayer and the Power of Unbelief https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/prayer-and-the-power-of-unbelief https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/prayer-and-the-power-of-unbelief#comments Sat, 28 Dec 2019 11:00:00 -0500 https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/prayer-and-the-power-of-unbelief I ate lunch recently with a man whose journey to the faith can only be described as miraculous. After living most of his life without any connection to the faith, he first encountered Christianity as a graduate student when a classmate began to talk to him about his church. Eventually, after reading the Lutheran confessions, he found a home in an LCMS congregation.

That story may not seem miraculous to most people. There’s no mention of visions, of choirs of angels singing, or of bright lights shining from heaven. But it is a modern day miracle.

The modern world creates significant obstacles to the Christian faith. Most Americans believe that people are innately good and that sin is really only a problem for bad people who have learned to hurt others. In this belief, people miss their own need for the forgiveness of sins. At the same time, people unquestioningly accept that science can fix society, and they put their faith in research and medicine. In the city especially, the realities of racial tension and social inequality work together to keep people from seeing the church as a place of Christ’s goodness.

Unbelief is an evil force of the modern age. The mindset of this world can easily squeeze out any interest in what Christ says about our condition. And we need Jesus.

In Mark 9:17-29, a father in distress brings his son to the disciples to cast out a demon. When they are not able to help the boy, Jesus says, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”

Bring him to Jesus. That is the work of Philadelphia Lutheran Ministries: bring people to Christ through His Word and in His Sacraments.

In Mark 9, the father begs Jesus to have compassion on them and to help his son. Jesus responds, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).

We can relate. We believe but struggle to see how bringing people to Jesus can do anything for them. Like the father, we struggle with our own unbelief and like the disciples, we are powerless to build faith in the unbelieving hearts of those around us.

Jesus, though, gives the gift of faith to all who come to Him. He commands the demon to leave and never return to the boy. Later, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” Jesus answered, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting (Mark 9:28-9).

The Gospel goes forth with prayer and fasting. The disciples didn’t have the ability to do anything for the boy. We don’t have anything to offer in the face of the demonic force of unbelief. Instead, they took the boy to Jesus. That is what we do. We petition Christ on behalf of the city. City life is full of people fighting their demons, and they are helpless in their unbelief.

Jesus looks upon them with compassion and gives them the gift of faith. Jesus continues to do miracles by casting out unbelief, cutting through the distractions of the modern world to create faith. We just bring them to Him.

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I ate lunch recently with a man whose journey to the faith can only be described as miraculous. After living most of his life without any connection to the faith, he first encountered Christianity as a graduate student when a classmate began to talk to him about his church. Eventually, after reading the Lutheran confessions, he found a home in an LCMS congregation.

That story may not seem miraculous to most people. There’s no mention of visions, of choirs of angels singing, or of bright lights shining from heaven. But it is a modern day miracle.

The modern world creates significant obstacles to the Christian faith. Most Americans believe that people are innately good and that sin is really only a problem for bad people who have learned to hurt others. In this belief, people miss their own need for the forgiveness of sins. At the same time, people unquestioningly accept that science can fix society, and they put their faith in research and medicine. In the city especially, the realities of racial tension and social inequality work together to keep people from seeing the church as a place of Christ’s goodness.

Unbelief is an evil force of the modern age. The mindset of this world can easily squeeze out any interest in what Christ says about our condition. And we need Jesus.

In Mark 9:17-29, a father in distress brings his son to the disciples to cast out a demon. When they are not able to help the boy, Jesus says, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”

Bring him to Jesus. That is the work of Philadelphia Lutheran Ministries: bring people to Christ through His Word and in His Sacraments.

In Mark 9, the father begs Jesus to have compassion on them and to help his son. Jesus responds, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).

We can relate. We believe but struggle to see how bringing people to Jesus can do anything for them. Like the father, we struggle with our own unbelief and like the disciples, we are powerless to build faith in the unbelieving hearts of those around us.

Jesus, though, gives the gift of faith to all who come to Him. He commands the demon to leave and never return to the boy. Later, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” Jesus answered, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting (Mark 9:28-9).

The Gospel goes forth with prayer and fasting. The disciples didn’t have the ability to do anything for the boy. We don’t have anything to offer in the face of the demonic force of unbelief. Instead, they took the boy to Jesus. That is what we do. We petition Christ on behalf of the city. City life is full of people fighting their demons, and they are helpless in their unbelief.

Jesus looks upon them with compassion and gives them the gift of faith. Jesus continues to do miracles by casting out unbelief, cutting through the distractions of the modern world to create faith. We just bring them to Him.

]]>
Launching Logos https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/launching-logos https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/launching-logos#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2015 22:00:00 -0500 https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/launching-logos Logos PLM Banner-2

I am excited to announce Philadelphia Lutheran Ministries’ latest project, Logos Lutheran, in Center City.

Philadelphia Lutheran Ministries seeks to establish a presence in Center City among a people our Heavenly Father loves and has sent His Son to redeem.

The board and staff at Philadelphia Lutheran Ministries seek to serve Christ and take His Word to the people of Philadelphia. We do not proclaim just any words but The Word, Christ Jesus, God and man (John 1:1).

Christ Jesus loves His creation and came to live among the people He had made. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

To focus our eyes on Christ, the Word made flesh, we are calling this project Logos Lutheran with the Greek word lógos (meaning word) at the center.

What is Logos Lutheran?

We seek to proclaim the Word of God and bring His sacraments to the city. There is a shortage of the Gospel of Christ in the midst of a rapidly growing young adult community.

We are beginning our work in Center City with services that proclaim the saving grace of the One who was made flesh and won the salvation of the world on the cross. We pray that God will draw young people and families to hear of Christ and eventually that Logos Lutheran will also offer the sacraments as an official church plant.

IMG_4867

Logos Lutheran meets at Historic Old Zion Church (628 N. Broad Street)

Why does Center City Philadelphia need Logos Lutheran?

From its beginning, the Board of Directors has recognized the tremendous need for Lutheran outreach in Center City Philadelphia where there has never been a Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod congregation. While working on other projects, the Board has looked for opportunities to reach the people living, working, and studying in Center City with the Gospel of Christ. The area is home to thousands of students, young professionals, and families.

Over the past three years, the initial phase of the Logos Lutheran project has taken shape. We have identified a central location on Broad Street in Center City and have begun to gather a core group of regular attendees

How can I support the Logos Lutheran project?

  • Pray for the students, young professionals, and families of Center City.

  • Pass along my contact information to anyone you know coming to Philadelphia to work or study. Encourage students from your congregation to attend services, come to our social events, or contact me with questions.
              Phone: 215-992-9102
              Email: RevRobert@phillyministries.org

  • Visit www.LogosLutheran.org for locations, times, and dates of events.

  • Support the work financially. 

 

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Logos PLM Banner-2

I am excited to announce Philadelphia Lutheran Ministries’ latest project, Logos Lutheran, in Center City.

Philadelphia Lutheran Ministries seeks to establish a presence in Center City among a people our Heavenly Father loves and has sent His Son to redeem.

The board and staff at Philadelphia Lutheran Ministries seek to serve Christ and take His Word to the people of Philadelphia. We do not proclaim just any words but The Word, Christ Jesus, God and man (John 1:1).

Christ Jesus loves His creation and came to live among the people He had made. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

To focus our eyes on Christ, the Word made flesh, we are calling this project Logos Lutheran with the Greek word lógos (meaning word) at the center.

What is Logos Lutheran?

We seek to proclaim the Word of God and bring His sacraments to the city. There is a shortage of the Gospel of Christ in the midst of a rapidly growing young adult community.

We are beginning our work in Center City with services that proclaim the saving grace of the One who was made flesh and won the salvation of the world on the cross. We pray that God will draw young people and families to hear of Christ and eventually that Logos Lutheran will also offer the sacraments as an official church plant.

IMG_4867

Logos Lutheran meets at Historic Old Zion Church (628 N. Broad Street)

Why does Center City Philadelphia need Logos Lutheran?

From its beginning, the Board of Directors has recognized the tremendous need for Lutheran outreach in Center City Philadelphia where there has never been a Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod congregation. While working on other projects, the Board has looked for opportunities to reach the people living, working, and studying in Center City with the Gospel of Christ. The area is home to thousands of students, young professionals, and families.

Over the past three years, the initial phase of the Logos Lutheran project has taken shape. We have identified a central location on Broad Street in Center City and have begun to gather a core group of regular attendees

How can I support the Logos Lutheran project?

  • Pray for the students, young professionals, and families of Center City.

  • Pass along my contact information to anyone you know coming to Philadelphia to work or study. Encourage students from your congregation to attend services, come to our social events, or contact me with questions.
              Phone: 215-992-9102
              Email: RevRobert@phillyministries.org

  • Visit www.LogosLutheran.org for locations, times, and dates of events.

  • Support the work financially. 

 

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Declare & Defend Seminar https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/declare-defend-seminar https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/declare-defend-seminar#comments Mon, 30 Nov 2015 21:00:00 -0500 https://www.phillyministries.org/blog/post/declare-defend-seminar On September 19, Rev Mark Jasa presented a seminar on evangelism at St John Lutheran Church (Springfield, PA). Over years of campus and parish ministry, Rev Jasa has developed a low-key approach to evangelism.

He suggested topics for effective evangelism:

- death and guilt are universal problems
- there are two kinds of religions, “not free” and “free”
- the Gospel of Christ is simple—“The next day [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29)

By simply putting out a box with the statement, “Religion is for the weak,” Rev Jasa has spent thousands of hours engaging people in discussions about the Christian faith. He uses the hymn “Jesus Loves Me,” which many people learned as children, to show the simplicity of the Gospel. We are weak and sinful and need the forgiveness of Christ.

Rob

Rev Kieselowsky talks to a Muslim man in a Center City park.

Following the seminar, a group traveled down into Center City to practice what they had learned. Many people stopped to discuss the “Religion is for the weak” box.

PLM strategically invited Rev Jasa at the time it launched Logos Lutheran. As PLM cultivates this new congregation, we will use tools presented in the seminar to engage people in the city.

Jasa

Rev Jasa discusses the statement on the box with a man in Center City.

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On September 19, Rev Mark Jasa presented a seminar on evangelism at St John Lutheran Church (Springfield, PA). Over years of campus and parish ministry, Rev Jasa has developed a low-key approach to evangelism.

He suggested topics for effective evangelism:

- death and guilt are universal problems
- there are two kinds of religions, “not free” and “free”
- the Gospel of Christ is simple—“The next day [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29)

By simply putting out a box with the statement, “Religion is for the weak,” Rev Jasa has spent thousands of hours engaging people in discussions about the Christian faith. He uses the hymn “Jesus Loves Me,” which many people learned as children, to show the simplicity of the Gospel. We are weak and sinful and need the forgiveness of Christ.

Rob

Rev Kieselowsky talks to a Muslim man in a Center City park.

Following the seminar, a group traveled down into Center City to practice what they had learned. Many people stopped to discuss the “Religion is for the weak” box.

PLM strategically invited Rev Jasa at the time it launched Logos Lutheran. As PLM cultivates this new congregation, we will use tools presented in the seminar to engage people in the city.

Jasa

Rev Jasa discusses the statement on the box with a man in Center City.

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