Confessions Reading Group Counter & List
While the Ablaze ticker is counting evangelism encounters, we here at BJS will be counting confessions reading groups. Each time someone reports to us an existing or a new confessions reading group we will add to the ticker. Once you start a reading group in your area, contact us with details on it so we can publicize it with the rest of the groups.
Click here to add your group to this list!
Number of Confessional Groups Counted as of Sept 10, 2009
30
Number of Confessional Groups Counted as of August 20, 2010
34
The “ticker” is on the way up!
Below is a map of the 35 reading groups as recorded by Brothers of John the Steadfast. You can locate the closest one to you, click on it, then read more information about it on the list below.
Click to Re-Center Map, use your mouse to reposition and zoom the map above interactively, or click on the numbers below to zoom to particular reading groups.
The below are sorted by state then city.
| #1 | Northern California Circuit 12 Reading Group, Chico, California Rev. Mark Stenbeck Contact: 530-342-6085 Circuit 12 (Northern California) monthly pastors conference of the California-Nevada-Hawaii District will read and study the Formula of Concord each month, beginning in November 2009, utilizing a downloadable Confessions study from CPH. Our circuit counselor is Rev. Mark Stenbeck and Rev. Robert Roberts is chairman. Circuit program committee is Rev. Mark Rabe and Rev. Donald Jordan. Monthly meetings are held at Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church, Chico, California. For more information see www.redeemerchico.org or Rev. Donald Jordan, |
| #2 | Tischreden, Cupertino, CA, Cupertino, California Lutheran Church of Our Savior 5825 Bollinger Rd. Cupertino, CA 95014 "Tischreden" - meets every other Saturday from 9-10:30 am to discuss the Lutheran Confessions. Each group member is presented with a Lutheran coffee cup upon which is imprinted: "This is most certainly BREW!" The group is led by one of our pastors and is currently reading/discussing the Smalcald Articles. For more info, call 408-252-0345 or check out www.lcos.org. |
| #3 | Mt Zion Reading Group, Richmond, California Pastor Tim Beck Contact: 510-233-2299 Mt Zion Lutheran Church, 5714 Solano Avenue, Richmond, California, 510-233-2299. LCMS. Church email is mtzionlutheran@sbcglobal.net. Pastor Tim Beck. The class starting tomorrow night at 7:30pm, is a study in Luther's small catechism, then other applications including confessions, the reformation, and various other categories of Lutheran doctrine. (Not sure how many weeks the class will go at this point). |
| #4 | Hope Lutheran Reading Group, Aurora, Colorado Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller Hope Lutheran Church, Aurora, CO Wednesday evening Bible Study on the Lutheran Confessions on September 10th (from 6:30p-8:00). Child care will be provided, extra copies of the BoC will be available, and we will end the evening with the order of Vespers. (During Advent and Lent the class will be replaced with our evening services.) Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller Hope Lutheran Church, Aurora, CO www.hope-aurora.org |
| #5 | Immanuel Reading Group, Pensacola, Florida Immanuel Lutheran Church, Pensacola, FL 10 am - 12 noon, first Saturday of each month; followed by lunch and the Lutheran beverage; currently studying the Large Catechism. |
| #6 | Divine Shepherd Reading Group, Bolingbrook, Illinois Pastor Mumme Contact: (630)759-5300 Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church, Bolingbrook, Illinois Tuesday nights at Divine Shepherd Pastor Mumme leads a reading group for his congregation. It is open to the public. |
| #7 | Calvary Reading Group, Elgin, Illinois Pastor Mark Bestul Contact: (847)741-5433 Calvary Lutheran Church, Elgin, Illinois Contact Pastor Mark Bestul for information. |
| #8 | Northern Illinois Confessional Lutherans (NICL), Lockport, Illinois Various Pastors We meet as a group of pastors each month on the 4th Wednesday. |
| #9 | Bethany Reading Group, Naperville, Illinois Pastor Tim Rossow Contact: 630/355-2198, ext. 230 Bethany Lutheran, Naperville, Illinois, Tuesdays, 7:30 PM Contact Information: Pastor Tim Rossow, 630/355-2198, ext. 230 |
| #10 | Immanuel Lutheran Reading Group, Steger, Illinois Pastor Craig Meissner Contact: (708)754-2345 Immanuel Lutheran Church, Steger, Illinois Pastor Craig Meissner is leading a Sunday morning Bible Class on the Confessions using Robert Preus's book Getting Into the Theology of Concord as a guide. The class is from 9:30 - 10:30 AM. |
| #11 | Grace Lutheran Church, Columbus, IN, Columbus, IN Staff The staff of Grace Lutheran Church in Columbus IN are reading through the Book of Concord as our opening devotions. We have concluded the Smalcald Articles and are working slowly through the Large Catechism. The pace is slow and deliberate and is fortifying our understanding of our grandfather's church. We encourage all members and those curious of the depth of heritage we inherit to likewise crack the cover of this foundational tome. http://www.gracecolumbus.org/ |
| #12 | St Paul BoC Reading Group, Evansville, IN Randy Fischer, Jim Claybourn The Book of Concord should be in every Lutheran home. If a person isn't familiar with this book, he'll think, 'That old book is just for pastors. I don't have to preach. After working all day, I can't sit down and study in the evening. If I read my morning and evening devotions, that's enough.' No, that is not enough! The Lord doesn't want us to remain children, blown to and fro by every wind of doctrine; instead of that, He wants us to grow in knowledge so that we can teach others. - Dr. C.F.W. Walther, first president of the LC-MS We will begin a study of the Augsburg Confession this Saturday, August 21st. At the Synod Convention in July, a resolution was passed to encourage members and congregations to study the Lutheran Confessions contained in the Book of Concord in anticipation on the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation. Here is a chance for us to do just that. President-Elect Harrison was asked what the biggest challenge facing the LC--MS will be in the next few years. He responded "How we deal with being Lutheran". In a culture of watered-down Christianity and pop Evangelicalism we need to be ready to make a stand and defend what it means to be Christian and to be Lutheran. The Augsburg Confession is the foundation of the Book of Concord and gives us a clear exposition of Holy Scripture. Hope you can make it, and bring a friend! We meet the first and third Saturdays each month in one of the meeting rooms . Randy Fischer Jim Claybourn St Pauls Lutheran Church Evansville, Indiana |
| #13 | St Paul Reading Group, Evansville, Indiana Pastor Walt Ullman Contact: 812-422-5414 St Paul's Lutheran Church 100 E Michigan St Evansville IN Pastor Walt Ullman Mondays at 11:30 - 12:30 We been through the AC, SC, LC and is now going through the Apology. |
| #14 | Seymour Indiana Reading Group, Seymour, Indiana Pr. Daniel Lepley Contact: (812)522-1837 BoC group in Seymour, IN led by Pr. Daniel Lepley of Redeemer Lutheran Church. We meet on the 2nd and 4th Tues. of each month @ 8:00pm. We are currently studying the Apology. For more info call Pr. Lepley at (812)522-1837 |
| #15 | St Johns, Audobon, IA, Audobon, Iowa J. Wheeler Contact: jrwheeler@iowatelecom.net 1st Monday of the Month, 9:30 - noon, informal conversation after lunch. |
| #16 | Holy Cross Reading Group, Carlisle, Iowa Rev. Kevin Johnson Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Carlisle, Iowa Every Tuesday night at 7:00 pm we have Table Talk, a study of the Book of Concord, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 1040 Market Street, in Carlisle Iowa. Carlisle is a small community on the southeast corner of Des Moines. Our website is www.threesolas.org. We have studied the Augsburg Confession and Large Catechism. We are currently studying the Smalcald Articles. During the summer we move the study to Wednesday night, following our weekly vespers service at 6:30 pm. Rev. Kevin Johnson |
| #17 | Augsburg Reading Group, Shawnee, Kansas Pastor J. W. Watson Contact: (913) 403-6194 Augsburg Lutheran Church, Shawnee, KS Thursday Night Theology Studies of the Lutheran Confessions Thursdays 7pm (Advent and Lent Services replace our study) Pastor J. W. Watson (paterjww@sbcglobal.net) http://www.augsburglutheranchurch.org/ |
| #18 | BJS At Emmanual Lutheran, Dearborn, MI Ed Popyk / Ron Pieran Contact: Ron Pieran We meet the second Saturday of every month from 7-9am in the Media Center of the Church. Please park along the Morley Street side of the church and enter through the second door to the West in the School building. See the website for more information. Fifteen hungry beggars ( hungry for the word ) attended the April meeting . Articles 4,5,& 6, ( justification, ministry, new obedience ) where read and discussed .. Next meeting date is May 8 th. |
| #19 | Hope Lutheran Confessional Reading Group, Dewitt, Michigan Pr. Tony Sikora Anyone is welcome. We meet on the third Thursday of every month at Hope Lutheran Church in Dewitt. Matins begins at 10:00 am, followed by reading and discussion of the Confessions. Lunch at a local pub follows at noon. The meeting date is occasionally changed due to conflicts, such as the Ft. Wayne Symposium. Pr. Tony Sikora Hope Lutheran Church Dewitt, MI |
| #20 | Book of Concord Reading Group, Bonne Terre, Missouri Pastor Charles Henrickson Contact: (573) 358-3105 St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Bonne Terre, Missouri Book of Concord Reading Group: Mondays (usually), 9:30-11:00 a.m. 340 Summit St, Bonne Terre MO Pastor Charles Henrickson |
| #21 | St Paul Reading Group, Jackson, MO, Jackson, Missouri Pastor Al Wollenburg We have a Confessions Study Group which meets (usually) on the Second or Third Thursday of the month (but it is a flexible date in order to accommodate busy schedules). We typically gather at 11:30 a.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson or at Tractor's Restaurant in Jackson by about Noon. After lunching together, we return to the church and study until 2p-ish. It is mostly designed for clergy but laity would be welcome. Contact: Pastor Al Wollenburg, Sikeston, MO |
| #22 | Peace Reading Group, Lemay, Missouri Mark Dowell Contact: (314) 892-5610 or dowell@htc.net Peace Lutheran, St. Louis/Lemay, Mo. 737 Barracksview Rd St Louis, MO 63125 - (near Hwy. 255 and Telegraph Road in South County) We meet every other Friday at 6am; our next meeting will be on Aug 8th. We are currently studying the "Book of Concord." In the past we have read together the "Fire and Staff" by Pastor Preus (highly recommended for other groups), "How We Got Into This Mess: A Brief Survey of LCMS History" by John C. Wohlrabe, and the Issue Etc. transcripts from the broadcast on the round table discussion of Rick Warren's book titled "The Purpose Drive Life." We are blessed to have both of our Pastors in attendance and all are welcome. |
| #23 | Confessions and Theological Book Study, Liberty, Missouri Rev. Mark Stirdivant We've met most recently at Perkins restaurant at the corner of MO hwys 152 and 291. Books studied include the Confessions, Sasse's Lonely Way, Singing the Gospel, Bach and Leipzig, Several Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics volumes, Quest for Holiness, and Fire and the Staff. Most of us are from west central Missouri and the Kansas City area, but we also attract an occasional Kansas refugee! Rev. Mark Stirdivant Holy Cross Lutheran Church Kansas City, Missouri |
| #24 | Ecumenical Lutheran Pastors Reading Group of Bagley, Bagley, MN Rev. Joshua V. Scheer and Rev. Shawn Stafford Contact: pastorscheer (at) gmail.com or 218-694-6258 This group is for pastors from any church body using the name "Lutheran". It meets every 3rd Tuesday of the month at 9:30 am at Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bagley. So far we have had pastors from the LCMS, ELS, ELCA, AFLC, and Lutheran Brethren. This year we are going through the Augsburg Confession. |
| #25 | Sidney, MT Reading Group, Sidney, MT Rev David Warner Contact: dsw1988@hotmail.com A new Lutheran Confessions Reading Group has started in Sidney, MT, and it includes participants from the LCMS, the Lutheran Brethren Church, and one Christian Missionary Alliance member who is a fan of Luther. (I know, go figure...) While we are far from Altar and Pulpit fellowship, our reading and discussion of the Smalcald Articles has been edifying and encouraging, and surely will do more to bring us closer together than all the efforts of those whose ecumenism means "lets pretend God's Word doesn't matter." We meet the last Wednesday of the month, and as host so far none of the beer has been from my fridge! Pastor David Warner, Trinity and St. John Lutheran Churches, Sidney and Fairview, MT |
| #26 | Nebraska Lutherans for Confessional Study (NLCS), Lincoln, Nebraska Rev. Clint K. Poppe Nebraska Lutherans for Confessional Study (NLCS) Nebraska Lutherans for Confessional Study (NLCS) meets each month, generally the 4th Thursday of the month, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 3825 Wildbriar Lane (just north of 40th and old Cheney) in Lincoln, Nebraska. Matins at 10 am followed by morning topic, lunch, and afternoon topic; meeting concludes by 2:30 pm. Both pastors and laity are invited; free will offering is received. Contact: Rev. Clint K. Poppe |
| #27 | Grace Lutheran Church Reading and Book Review, Neligh, Nebraska Georg Williams Contact: 402-887-4791 or dkuhfal@yahoo.com This group meets on the second Tuesday of each month from 10:00-3:00 at Grace Lutheran Church. Following Matins, the group studies the Confessions (currently the Large Catechism). After going out to Pizza Hut for buffet we do a book study (currently Martin Chemnitz' "Examination of the Council of Trent" volume 1). Georg Williams discussion facilitator of the group also hosts a yearly Educational Event for Pastors on the third Sunday-Tuesday of September in Ainsworth, Nebraska (This year's event is September 21-23 and our teacher will be Dr. Naomichi Masaki). Pastor David Kuhfal Grace Lutheran Church Neligh, Nebraska |
| #28 | Confessions Doctrine Class, Tulsa, OK Rev. Tiews Contact: Grace Lutheran, Tulsa Every 1st and 3rd Tue evening and then again on every 1st and 3rd Wed morning, a total of about 20 people Grace Tulsa members meet to study the Confessions. In the past 1 1/2 years we have done the AC and then the FoC (CPH Bible studies). The classes are popular with people of all ages. The best comments come from people orginally from other denominations who are now so glad to finally understand the Christian faith--through the lense of the Confessions, and Law and Gospel. |
| #29 | St Paul Reading Group, Wellston, Oklahoma Rev. Andrew Eckert Saint Paul's Lutheran Church, 706 Birch Ave., Wellston, Oklahoma "Highlights of the Lutheran Confessions," every Sunday, 9:15 a.m. |
| #30 | Resurrection Reading Group, North Bend, Oregon Pastor Jim Wilson Resurrection Lutheran Church, North Bend, Oregon, 11 AM Wednesdays This is our regular Bible study, where we regularly take up parts of our Book of Concord- we have copies for anybody who wishes to join in. |
| #31 | Faith BoC Reading Group, Plano, Texas Larry Everett Faith Lutheran Church, Plano, TX This weekly study of the Book of Concord began two years ago (2006). It is held during the Sunday School Hour. Our BOC Study Leader is a layman who is the product of Catholic Schools. He was a very regular Catholic Churchgoer for many years. Thirty-some years ago, he married a confessional/liturgical LCMS Lutheran, and the rest is history. He is currently an Elder at Faith who brings a lot of insight into the discussion. We have about 15 that participate in the class discussions… Received from Larry Everett, McKinney, TX |
| #32 | St Athanasius Reading Group, Alexandria, Virginia Rev. James Douthwaite Contact: revjdoc@gmail.com St. Athanasius Lutheran Church, 703 N. Mansfield Street, Alexandria, VA 22304, Rev. James Douthwaite Usually meeting on the third or fourth Monday of the month at 7:30 pm Currently reading through Article IV (On Justification) in the Apology |
| #33 | Messiah Lutheran, Seattle Reading Group, Seattle, Washington Pr. Ernie Lassman Contact: (206) 524-0024 Messiah Lutheran in Seattle will start our confessions reading group on Monday the 21st at 7:00 PM Pr. Ernie Lassman Messiah Lutheran 7050 35th Avenue NE Seattle, WA 98115 |
| #34 | St John Durand WI Reading Group, Durand, WI Pastor Dan Pfaffe Contact: 715-672-8787 St John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Durand, Wisconsin 54736 St. John's has a study group that meets every Wednesday at 8:30 AM in the Church basement. We invite all who are in the area to attend. We are in the study of the Book of Concord. Matins service follows the study at 10.45 AM except during Lent and Advent when a Service is at 6 PM. We have studied Walther's Law and Gospel and several books of the Bible. Group has been meeting for many years. Contact is Pastor Dan Pfaffe—pfaffe@nelson-tel.net |
| #35 | Redeemer Reading Group, Jackson Hole, Wyoming Redeemer Lutheran Church, Jackson Hole, WY A Confessional Reading Group was started at Redeemer on 10/13/2008. Our pastor the reading and discussion with several of our members on Mondays at 1pm. |
Page last updated August 20th, 2010
