“It’s us and it’s now” speaker tells men’s gathering

More than 80 men gathered at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Regina to hear God's challenge for leadership

REGINA – Challenging men to take up the leadership roles to which God has called them in church, family and the world was the motivation behind a special event Sunday, September 27. More than 80 men gathered at Mount Olive Lutheran Church for worship, fellowship and spiritual instruction.

“We are at war” Central District President Tom Prachar declared in his sermon which drew parallels between St. Michael’s resistance of Satan and the challenges Christian men face everyday. “We are in a spiritual battle with the world, the devil and our own sinful flesh.” Men in the Church, he said, must stand ready to fight—equipped with the full armour of God and strengthened by Him through Word and Sacrament.

Pastor Prachar’s message is one Lutheran men need to take more seriously, says Pastor Ted Giese, Wascana Circuit counsellor who spearheaded the event. “I don’t see enough men in church,” he explains. “That’s the importance of an event like this. It brings together the men of our different congregations and encourages them to take on something challenging but amazing.”

Following the service, two guest speakers, Pastor Dong-Joo Kim and Richard P. Cohrs, highlighted the meaningful ways in which men can serve.

Rev. Kim, chaplain for the Regina Police Services and the Royal Regina Rifles Reserves (Canadian Armed Forces), focused on the plight of First Nations people in Regina. “We are in the mission field here,” he argued passionately. “We are in the middle of a battle here.” He encouraged those present to step up and make reaching out to these people a priority.

The call to action from Rich Cohrs was clear and concise: “It’s us and it’s now.”

Rich Cohrs, manager of District and Congregational Relations for Lutheran Hour Ministries and cofounder of the Men’s Network ministry, noted the importance male spiritual leaders play in the Church, saying that all men are called to provide leadership for their families and communities. While God alone is responsible for creating faith, Cohrs said, He still uses His people to plant, water and nurture the seeds of faith. The call to action was clear and concise: “It’s us and it’s now.”

While the September event focused on men, future circuit events plan to engage the rest of the circuit’s members. A women’s event is scheduled in May 2011, and a joint event for men and women is planned for sometime in 2012.

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