Our Goal: |
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"To Bring the Light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the
Foothills"
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Rationale... |
We believe that a great spiritual
harvest exists among the unchurched population along the foothill
area bounded by Grass Valley to the north and Sonora to the south.
We also recognize the need for pastoral care among
the small churches and preaching stations along the Highway 49 corridor.
These convictions have melded us by the Holy Spirit's
conviction into a Foothill Mission Society. |
Why a mission society?
Because...
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It is grass roots... it is owned by those local to
the ministry.
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It can be chartered with the specific focus of insuring
an outreach orientation.
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It is comprised of both clergy and laity and, as such,
it need not be tied to any one church or policy-making entity.
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It is Lutheran and carries with it the values of the
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and partnership with the California-Nevada-Hawaii
District.
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It is able to mentor lay leadership.
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It can handle much of the administrative duties.
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It can help provide funding.
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It can provide prayer support.
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It consists of both churches and individual members.
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It can be organized without incorporation.
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Participants... |
Eight congregations
are members of the Foothill Mission Society.
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Light of the Hills Lutheran Church, Cameron Park
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Grace Lutheran Church, Grass Valley
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First Lutheran Church, Placerville
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St. Paul Lutheran Church, Auburn
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Lutheran Church of the Divide, Georgetown
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Foothill Lutheran Church, Valley Springs
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St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Sonora
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Cordova Lutheran Church, Rancho Cordova
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Funding... |
The annual budget
for the Society is derived from a generous grant from the CNH District,
from member congregations which pledge 1% of their annual budget
to the Society, from individual gifts, and from per diem contributions
from the small congregations which use the services of the circuit
rider. It is expected that the budget for all expenses of the Society
will be about $90,000 annually. |
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Core
Values... |
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We value the establishment of centers of outreach
in the foothill areas in order to reach the unchurched.
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We value Word and Sacrement ministry in the
foothill communities.
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We value raising up sufficient leadership
-- both professional and lay -- to accomplish this.
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We value the contributions of the existing
foothill LC-MS congregations as important partners in this ministry.
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We value the establishment of a network of
foothill churches to make available the necessary resources.
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Mission
Statement... |
Our mission
is to provide Word and Sacrement ministry in the existing Highway
49 corridor preaching stations and to establish missions in communities
with no Lutheran presence, utilizing lay-led ministries which result
in serving Lutherans, in seeking the unchurched, and in raising
lay leadership all for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
The
Circuit Rider... |
The concept of a called and
ordained full-time pastor to lead this mission is not new. In California,
many areas were opened to the Christian faith by a circuit rider
who divided his time between mission work in new areas while serving
existing preaching stations and small congregations. We believe
it is still an effective way to spread the Good News along the Highway
49 corridor. |
Pastor Gene Davidenas
Circuit Rider
erdavidenas@d-web.com
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