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Manhattan Mission Minute

One small step for man, one giant leap for Manhattan. Alright, it’s probably not as dramatic as walking on the moon, but it’s still exciting. The Manhattan Mission Small Group has completed its first phase of training and participants will soon begin the second phase by taking turns facilitating the Bible studies for the next six weeks. By the beginning of November we hope to have six Small Groups with a total of 30 to 50 participants in those small groups. That will be an exciting step in the growth of this new mission.

Before the Small Group participants moves into the second phase of their training though, they decided to take some time to do a little dreaming. On September 18th they gathered for a brainstorming session to come up with ways that they can reach out to the unchurched and uncommitted people of Manhattan. There were a lot of great ideas that came out of that meeting. Many of them will find their way into a comprehensive plan for moving forward. Among the ideas put forth were opportunities to come together for fellowship, events to which the community can be invited, and ways to let the community know about our mission. They even dared to dream about that day when they would celebrate the official beginning of a new congregation with their own pastor, worshipping regularly, and engaging in Word and Sacrament ministry.

There will need to be a lot of thoughtful planning and hard work before we get to that point. That’s where another special group of people comes in. A grant committee comprised of representatives from the small group and steering committee has been formed to lay out the plan for moving forward with the Manhattan Mission in a grant application. They will be requesting grant money totaling $200,000 over three years to support this mission. That money, along with funds and in-kind support from supporting congregations will help the dream of a Lutheran congregation in Manhattan to become a reality.

It will certainly be exciting to see where God leads us in this mission endeavor. As this mission moves forward there may be opportunities for you to use your talents to help build God’s kingdom. Watch your congregation’s bulletin or newsletter for requests for help with upcoming events. Above all, pray that the Lord of the Harvest will grant his blessing upon the work being done in Manhattan. Pray that many will come to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ to the honor and glory of our God. After all that’s what it’s all about.

If you live in the Manhattan area and would like more information about the Small Group ministry, you can contact Pastor Bill Ryden at (708) 479-5600.