Michael P. O'Connor

Each of your churches is independant of one another? I would think you’d want a circle of fellowship so you would know ehere you could go when you are away.

No they are not independant, it is just that many in the synod have gone away from sound doctrine, and the confessions. I should be able just to go to the LCMS’s web site and get a church, but that is not the case anymore, some have departed from the confessions

Isn’t this the wrong foot to start out on? What is the purpose of the Church (the Body of Christ)? To know and appreciate that would take the focus of what you need and want. You are there to give to God at His direction, you are not there to get anything – although you in teh process will pick up many blessed things.
No it is not the wrong foot because of what I need in a church, I need a good confessional church that will rightly administer word and sacrament.

Church growth CAN incorporate bad doctrine. God adds tot he Church those whom He will. I agree that many of the practices today are stripped right from the business world and do indeed water down the Word of God to attract outsiders.
When I talk about “church growth” I am refuring to the group that calls themselfs “church growth” it pure false doctrine, all they want are numbers and they will do anything for the numbers even not preach the word, no I can not go to one of those I need the word
Wouldn’t you rather go where they fully adhere to the Scriptures? I’m not saying your church is wrong, I don’t know it, but I ask regarding your comment and the fact you labeled it top priority.
If a church adhears to the confessions they by default they will be adhearing to the Scriptures, and I will go the other way around (since the confessions of the Lutheran church are in full agreement with Holy Scriptures) if a church does not adhear to the confessions then they will not be in adhearence to Scriptures

I’m neither liturgical (sp?) or contemporary. Worship is the response of the redeemed heart to its Redeemer. How then can I say one’s worhsip is better or worse than another? God judges. The Scriptures say alot about acceptable and unacceptable worship. Contemporary isn’t necessarily bad, nor is liturgical good. It’s about the heart. God sees the heart. I know you were commenting on your preference – and that’s ok.
As Pastor Tod Willins has said before the source and goal of the liturgy is Theology, bad liturgy bad Theology, good liturgy good Theology. I would place part of the blame of the problems of the synod right at the foot of contemporary and church growth.

Why wouldn’t a set of believer’s celebrate and participate in the Lord’s Supper as often as they could? I’ve often found this to be strange and sad that this get’s pushed back for some sermon (distraction).

Bad docterian, harrassy take your pick

Good. Just don’t make it a habit. Always feel the Spirit leading you there and opening your heart to worship.

It is the ONLY thing Christ Himself asked to be done. The rest was delivered through the apostles. I think that in add of itself gives a lot of insight into the problems the Church (as a whole) has today.
the others that Christ gave were, baptism (Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit) and confession (whose ever sins you lose on earth are lose in heaven whose ever sins you bind are bound in heaven)