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~ RLC's Pastor Mark and Ron in Amudat ~ Through a new program called Congregation Connect, a Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS) congregation in the States can partner with a church body anywhere in the world for a commitment of five years of short-term visits with at least one visit per year. The basic idea behind this is to relieve some of the inherent issues that come up in short-term missions. With a long-term commitment to short-term mission trips, the American group can learn from each trip and apply what they've found to successive trips. Additionally, there is much more opportunity for a real relationship to develop between the American congregation and the local congregation(s). A long-term partnership allows both sides to grow together and learn together, confident in a future that will grow to adapt the changing opportunities for mutual support and encouragement.
Resurrection Lutheran Church (RLC) of Cary, North Carolina (where Krista and I hold membership) is beginning the process of becoming a Congregation Connect partner with the Lutheran Church Mission in Uganda (LCMU). This wonderful congregation has supported us at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and they are continuing to support us as Together in Mission partners. Their interest in God's work in Uganda has drawn them to pursue the next step in involving themselves in that work. After a period of training in the Congregation Connect model, RLC began communicating with the career missionaries in Uganda (myself and Rev. Jacob Gillard) to prepare for a fact-finding trip to Uganda. Their first assignment from the field was to read the following books: When Charity Destroys Dignity, African Friends and Money Matters, and Serving with Eyes Wide Open.
Today the RLC Advance Team of two arrived for their fact-finding tour of several regions in Uganda. I carefully selected regions that do not have any existing strategic partnerships. Each region has congregations in different circumstances. Kayunga has only a lay-leader in an area with 4 congregations. Busia has a vicar in an area with 2 congregations. Amudat has an ordained pastor who serves 10 congregations. Each region is in a different Ugandan kingdom (tribe/people-group) and each speaks a different language, so the Advance Team would also experience a variety of cultures. The fact-finding trip is just that - a short trip (in this case only one week long) to learn about the possibilities, strengths, and capabilities of the Lutheran church in each region. Over the course of this week together we'll visit each of these three areas. -Shauen