March 2024
With partnership as the focus, two of our LCMS Northern Illinois District congregations, Friends in Christ Lutheran Church in Morris, IL and River of Life Lutheran Church in Channahon, IL, have come together to form a dual parish.
When asked about the initial motivation for considering this kind of partnership, Circuit Visitor Pastor Bill Ryden responded, “I believe that it is important for our congregations to work together for the sake of the kingdom of God. I know these two congregations had talked in the past about a partnership, but those plans fell through. When the opportunity came about for our circuit to host a District-led Circuit Partnership Gathering, I intentionally invited Friends in Christ to attend, knowing that River of Life would be there. I hoped that the workshop might rekindle that conversation.”
There are various reasons to consider a dual parish scenario. In this particular situation, both congregations have had pastoral vacancies for several years, and neither were in a financial position to be able to afford a full-time pastor on their own. Their close proximity to one another additionally allowed for the idea to “seem a natural fit,” according to Pastor Ryden.
Venturing into such a partnership is not without its concerns. In this case, those concerns revolved around the practicality of a partnership and questions about how best to move forward. The beginning stages involved inviting as many people as possible to be a part of the conversation, including congregational leaders, circuit visitors, and District staff. The NID also offered guidance by providing a document which outlines steps to follow throughout the process. According to River of Life’s Congregational Chairman, Robert Grimm, Sr., “We depended mostly on the resources provided by the NID and advice from both circuit visitors for financial and logistical resources. The partnership forms provided by the NID proved invaluable for both congregations.”
In regard to the guiding principles for the decision-making process and working to ensure the identity of each congregation would be respected and preserved, Mike Kahn, Chairman of the Board of Elders at Friends in Christ, explained, “Throughout the process of this partnership and the calling of a pastor, we continue to pray for the leadership guidance to not only realize that the identity of each congregation was preserved, but also the individual needs of the members of both congregations and also the needs of the pastor (and his family).” Pastor Ryden also shared, “The one phrase that kept coming to my mind as we prepared for the Circuit Partnership Gathering and throughout the process of working with these two congregations was ‘for the sake of the Kingdom.’ What are we being called to do for the sake of the Kingdom? If we prayerfully keep that question in mind, we can be sure that God will guide His Church to accomplish His purposes among us.”
It seems that challenges were met and worked through with a spirit of cooperation throughout the process. When asked about steps taken to build a consensus among the leadership teams and members of both congregations, Mike Kahn commented, “Both congregations’ leadership met separately to determine if this was something that we should pursue. Then we had several meetings with both leadership teams together, alternating between church locations. When we had come to the consensus of what the needs were for both congregations, we brought back the results to each of the respective congregations, and each congregation voted whether to continue to pursue this partnership. At Friends in Christ, during these discussions, the question was asked whether we should continue as a church, since we have an aging congregation and some could not see a path for growth. After much self-examination and prayer, we voted overwhelmingly to continue with the church and the partnership with River of Life.”
Robert Grimm, Sr., commented on anticipated concerns, “We were able to agree on most challenges. The Divine Service times we thought would be our biggest challenge turned out to be the least of our challenges. River of Life wanted an early time and Friends in Christ wanted a later time.” Pastor Ryden commented as well, “There was an unexpected surprise when both congregations came to a meeting with a list of things they each wanted in the partnership. River of Life requested an earlier worship service and suggested that they worship at 8:00 a.m. and Friends in Christ worship at 10:00 a.m. Friends in Christ came to the meeting with the request to have a later service and suggested the same worship times. That was a wonderful confirmation that God was indeed blessing their efforts.”
These two congregations, as Pastor Ryden put it, are “evenly yoked.” Friends in Christ and River of Life are of a similar size, attendance, financial situation, and geographic location. Church leadership came together with a real desire to work for the good of both congregations and the hope for the Gospel message to continue to be proclaimed in their individual communities. Robert Grimm, Sr., agreed, “Both congregations had the same theological preferences for our future ordained pastor: theologically sound, strictly Law and Gospel, use the Lutheran Service Book (LSB) for Divine Services, and a more traditional service…In all, both congregations are on the same wavelength.”
When asked about significant lessons learned and any advice they would offer to other congregations considering a similar journey, Mike Kahn commented, “We are in the process of calling a pastor to our combined parish. We understand that God has someone in mind and we need to be patient. Without a doubt, prayer has been the most important tool that we have used. We recognize that God is in control and that he brought us together at that gathering in Shorewood (the initial Circuit Partnership Gathering), and he provides us the leadership from the NID. We would like to recognize the circuit visitors, Rev. Bill Ryden and Rev. Ray Krueger.”
Pastor Ryden added, “Prayer is essential in any endeavor like this. Jesus Christ is the Lord of the Church, not us. He accomplishes His own purpose in His own time. I’m sure it was disappointing that the congregations could not have begun this partnership several years ago when they initially had discussions, but today they can rejoice in the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness in bringing about this partnership.”
We celebrate with Friends in Christ and River of Life as they continue to work together to share the saving news of the Gospel in their communities and serve with one another in this new partnership! We are stronger together!
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