When the Ohio District webmaster invited me to add a blog to the District’s website, I quickly checked Wikipedia. That site reports that by 12/07 112 million blogs were in some form of existence. Now, two years later with how many more floating around, is it possible for another to be of any possible value? In a word, loyalty won out even in the face of such odds.

One question being asked of me is: What have you been doing since you retired in 2005? Answer: Many of the same things that I did while on the District’s staff. But now I can say No! Activities in the area of stewardship, including Consecrated Stewards always energize me. Serving on the board of trustees at Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries in Cleveland is another. That has prompted writing a monthly column in the Cleveland Lutheran Messenger that attempts to bring a biblical foundation to social ministry. Strategic planning work continues with congregations in the Greater Cleveland area and even one in Chicago.

However, the overarching passion is a continuing attempt to gain understanding and practice in the subject of Congregations as Mission Outposts. Preaching that connects mission to the Propers for the Day, congregational skill building in understanding the cultures of a given community, and changing the culture of the local congregation to be doing God’s mission are some of the subheadings of this theme. Mission Outposts continually bring disciples back to daily contrition and repentance so that the new man will rise to newness of life in that daily return to baptism. And Mission Outposts continually go forth into the highways and byways and invite others to come in.

I would expect that blogs on a variety of these subjects will be appearing as time goes by. Let’s see what happens in the interaction this form of communication can bring. It will be a new and interesting experience for this retired guy.