Prof Insights: Faculty-Led Workshop – Professor Nafzger in Tonawanda, NY

The Communal Shape of the Christian Life: Preaching From, In and Toward Community in an Age of Individualism

There is no such thing as an individual Christian if we take seriously one Baptism by one Spirit into one body (Eph. 4:4-6). Indeed, to believe in Jesus is to belong to the community of believers that includes all Christians of all times and places — including specific congregational members. But therein lies the problem. Many believers find themselves detached, disconnected and alone — even if they attend worship regularly. This is a cultural problem, too. Harvard Magazine recently addressed the more problematic “The Loneliness Pandemic” (2021), and The National Academy of the Sciences has begun measuring health based on a new “Social Frailty Index” (2023). These secular authorities are noticing what we, in the church, recognize to be a theological problem. As Concordia Seminary Professor of Systematic Theology Dr. Charles Arand put it, we Lutherans are often “ecclesiologically challenged” (Concordia Journal, 2008). But Lutherans also have the theological and biblical resources to rediscover our communal identity and help Christians grow closer together in faith and life. Central to this task is our preaching. In this workshop, we will:

1. Consider the causes, both philosophical and practical, of the rampant individualism infecting our culture and church.
2. Take a close look at how preaching has unintentionally contributed to the problem.
3. Discuss specific ways in which our teaching and preaching can foster a more communal life in the congregation.

This workshop includes an opportunity for preachers to review and reimagine some of their recent sermons to see how they could more intentionally build community in their congregations.

Dr. Peter Nafzger

Associate Professor of Practical Theology and Director of Student Life at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis

Dr. Peter Nafzger is associate professor of Practical Theology and director of student life at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He has been a faculty member since 2016. He is a gifted theologian and speaker who manifests what is best about The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). Nafzger joined the faculty here after serving as a pastor for nine years in Minnesota. While in Minnesota, he served as a leader, and continues to do so in planning of the LCMS Youth Gathering. His dissertation, and hence his expertise, centers on a Lutheran approach and the use of Scripture over and against the fundamentalist approaches that often dominate American Christianity.

Schedule

DAY	TIME
Monday, June 17	1-4 p.m.
Tuesday, June 18	9-11:30 a.m.
	1-4 p.m.
Wednesday, June 19	9 a.m.-noon

Registration cost: $150
Registration deadline: June 3, 2024
Location contact: Rev. John Pingel
 
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