Why an Association and why one called the Association of Courageous Churches? The Bible passage featured in our logo is the key. Put yourself in Joshua's sandals for just a moment. The job before him was monumental, and not just because he was about to go to war against trained soldiers and strongly fortified cities. His challenge was one of leadership.
Moses, the one he was replacing, has seen God face-to-face. How could he ever measure up? The expectations of God's people were unrealistic and they had shown a propensity for whining. Left to himself, Joshua was doomed. God, sensing Joshua's insecurity, came to him with an important formula for GODLY success. "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go."
I know many strong and courageous people who are not godly. They may have success, but is not of any eternal significance. I also know many Christian leaders who are godly but not strong and courageous. They have the pearl of great price, but it lies buried in their hesitancy. Godly success, the only kind of success that matters involves both faithfulness to the Word and a courageous and faithful spirit by those called to leadership.
Our leadership team has made presentations across the country. We have encouraged, supported and shared. Our phones ring constantly for help. Without assistance, workshops have the potential to frustrate more than enable. It is time to help. The Association of Courageous Churches is established to provide practical, down-to-earth, tried-and-true assistance. Check it out. And welcome!
S. Hower
Pastor Stephen Hower
Senior Pastor, St. John's Lutheran Church
Joshua was a man of courage, and a man of the Law. He was not a prophet like Moses, however. And God did indeed promise him sucess. But it was success against the pagan, heathen enemies of God. Joshua did not seek to change the character, doctrine, law or the worship of Israel in order to defeat God's enemies. He did not destroy the church to become friends with the world.
Godly leaders are faithful to the Word of God.... all the Word of God and not just the parts that are pleasant for us to read and speak of success. Not all faithfulness leads to "success" as measured in terms of growth, peace and prosperity as the advertisements for these various workshops imply or even, in some cases, outright promise. Sometimes faithfulness to the Word of God leads to the cross because the worldliness of those who should be led is too much with them. The faithful leader cannot compromise the Word of God for the sake of peace.
This failure is not a failure of leadership, but of discipleship. Those who would not follow the Word of God will attack and persecute the faithful pastor out of his ministry. It has happened too many times in the last 15 years. If there is a failure in the leadership it has been in not providing instruction in the Word of God and the doctrine of the Lutheran Church drawn from that Word. Many pastors in their zeal "to succeed" in numbers short change the members, youth catecumens and adult seekers in their catechesis. They have all too common 6 hour adult confirmation classes. They have fun youth classes with little catechism, no memory work and no minimun standards for confirmation of the most holy Faith.
Is the ACC's advise in this situation: "Be bold. Try something new and different?" I am guessing that that is it. That is the cowardly and easy thing to do. The courageous thing is to return to Luther's catechesis as spoken about in his preface to the Small Catechism.
But one does not really know what the ACC really stands for from this brief welcome message. It all sounds great and wonderful and helpful. But what kind of help will one receive if he asks Hower and his associates for help? And how much will it cost? This reminds me of Luthers comment on the Pope. If the pope has the keys to purgatory, why does he not release all the souls for free? If I had the key to "GODLY sucess," I would give it away.
And the key is available to those who are not looking for the easy way to bring the Gospel to lost souls. Preach the Law and Gospel according to Scripture and Luther's doctrine pure; administer the Sacraments rightly and forgive and retain sins as would Jesus Christ. No seminars, no workshops, no programs, no cost, no pressure to succeed, no courageous leaders to look up to and pay. No one save Christ Jesus, the God/man, who was and spoke the Truth, and who does not expect success, but faithfulness.
From the above words, one can only deduce that this organization is misnamed, and that it should really be called "Pastors Who Want To Be Known as Courageous." Only churches who are aimless and lost in terms of their mission will need the kind of leadership that Hower says he want to help promote and train. His example of courage is not the church (the children of Israel), but Joshua (the military leader of Israel).