LLM Foundation and the Future of our Ministry

Michael Lamson
September 26, 2012

As we process the hurts and anger at the actions of our senior pastor I would like us to also reflect on the ministry that she helped us create.

When In Jin Nim was appointed one of the first things she did was review the mountains of information collected through the Witnessing Summits held throughout America and talk with the people who lead these summits. What she did was take all the things we asked for and create teams and a ministry that reflected those dreams and wishes and that could move things beyond dreams on paper. LLM is the fruit of our requests through many world café sessions.

While it is true that some did not like the broadcasts we cannot deny the fact that what we did worked. Attendance has increased over the last three years, tithing has increased over the last three years and new members have joined over the last three years. The new members we have in our district are such wonderful gifts from heaven. Many are young and shine through the journey they have embarked on with us. Our youth have connected to our faith through this ministry like never before. We have a membership track, many amazing tools for local churches to use, GPA, Back on Track, Leadership College, Ballroom, Sports Fest, Galas, Workshops and many many other amazing programs have been built – by us!!!! Young adults in the teams that have built these tools.

I worry that in all our negativity we might lose something wonderful that we spent many years building together. LLM was not a top down ministry it was built from the bottom up based on our suggestions. It is ours, we built it and it is the best thing that ever happened to America.

The only thing we have lost is our senior pastor. She was not the center of this ministry. She was its biggest fan but if you visit NY and see the 80 plus members, young and old, that evaluate and create weekly you would fall in love with the ministry in a whole new way.

Hyung Jin Nim is our new senior pastor. He is listening to members suggestions in all 12 districts and he will make a decision based on what he hears. I have attended two of these events and will attend a third tonight in LA. Members are sharing their suggestions and their hurts but almost no one is talking about our ministry that he now leads. Almost no one has asked him to keep the ministry going forward. Almost no one has shared how the ministry and its programs have changed their lives and the lives of those around them.

He needs to hear how our kids have connected to our faith through this ministry, he needs to hear about GPA, he needs to hear how the tools LLM has developed has helped us to build local ministries through, greeters, small groups, team development and much needed materials.

Things will need to be changed but that happens naturally as the ministry is evaluated. Leaders come and go, ministry needs change members needs change. The broadcast may change to one each month, the name might change but the core of the ministry and the tools that have been and are being developed are powerful and they work.

I believe that we lost our senior pastor but not our ministry.