NALC New Starts Team

About the NALC New Starts Team

In Luke 10:2 it is written, “And he (Jesus) said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest” (ESV). Christ is calling believers to share the Good News so others will come to saving faith in Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the mission of the Body of Christ: to make disciples of the Lord and plant churches, so the world will come to know Jesus. The North American Lutheran Church takes this mandate seriously through Life-to-Life Discipleship and Mission-Driven efforts. One of those efforts is church planting.

Throughout the NALC, groups of passionate individuals and churches are being moved to start new congregations. Whether it begins as a mission post, house church, mission fellowship or a mission congregation, we follow the biblical imperative from the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:6-7: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (ESV).

Do you want to see the Word of God spread in your community? Do you want to see individuals receiving that free gift of grace through faith in Christ? Do you want to help make disciples so individuals and families will know the love and hope of Jesus in their lives? If so, please pray and consider being a part of the church planting movement in the NALC.

We know that there is a feeling of stepping into the unknown when you are pondering the work of starting a new church, so we are here to guide, encourage, and pray with you along the way. We are grateful for the hard work of so many in gathering resources and publishing them — especially the work of the NALC communications staff.

We encourage you to look through some of the resources on the newly updated portion of the NALC’s website — thenalc.org/new-mission-starts — attend a webinar, or connect with your local mission district dean to continue this conversation.

In Acts 13:2, as Paul and Barnabas are “set apart” to share the Good News and plant churches, we are also being called to grow the kingdom of God. Please consider this great opportunity for church planting, as the Lord will use it in a mighty way to touch and transform lives.

Bishop Dan Selbo Invites You to the DiscipleLife 2020 Conference

Bishop Dan Selbo of the North American Lutheran Church encourages congregations to consider attending DiscipleLife 2020. He emphasizes that both pastors and lay leaders will benefit from this joint conference between the North American Lutheran Church and Anglican Church in North America.

NALC Launches Life-to-Life Discipleship Movement

Imagine what it would be like, and what Jesus would do through us in the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) if we collectively renewed our commitment to our Lord’s commission to make disciples, and if we together reaffirmed our desire to become the fulfillment of his commandment that we love one another as He has loved us? Imagine what might happen, if every pastor and every congregation and every member in our church body made this same personal commitment to be living witnesses to and for our risen Lord Jesus?

NALC Life-to-Life Discipleship

The NALC has launched a vision to reclaim the confessional Lutheran emphasis on ongoing catechesis and intentional faith formation in the life of all of its congregations. This same disciple-making identity will permeate every NALC congregation, be adopted by every NALC pastor, and become part of our church body’s DNA. Our vision also includes becoming known to the ecumenical community as a church body that takes seriously its calling to make disciples and intentionally cultivates a framework to do so in its congregations. Learn more about the call to discipleship and this Life-to-Life movement in the NALC.