It's an older Lutheran church, founded in 1882 as the first English-speaking Lutheran congregation in Davenport. Now worshiping about 3,500 persons each week, this church is not only vital to their community, but an example of what healthy and effective ministry looks like.
I am on a two-week immersion course held at St. Paul. My classmates are other Trinity Lutheran Seminary students, and we're taking this course to further our knowledge about church life and what things make for a healthy pastor.
St. Paul's senior pastor is a man named Peter Marty. A longtime ELCA pastor who has authored multiple books and articles, Marty is a strong example of a pastor who leads by being outward focused. He cares for his parishioners, and just genuinely loves people. But he's also authentic. Whether at a staff meeting or in the pulpit, you won't see a showman or entertainer. He's just a person who tries to love God and people well.
The learning style in this class reminds me of Jesus and his disciples. We're watching Peter Marty as he does ministry. We watch and observe. And we're seeing what makes for good ministry in a suburban congregation.
There are some specific things that I'm noticing that make St. Paul a healthy, successful congregation. Oddly enough, these specific things I have noticed don't include love of God or even prayer. You'll certainly find those things at St. Paul, but you can find many, many churches that are full of people that love God and practice prayer. St. Paul Lutheran embodies some simple qualities, and does them really well. These qualities include radical hospitality, intentionality, genuine love of people, complete inclusivity, extravagant generosity, creativity, and attention to detail.
None of these qualities are new or even unique. But at St. Paul, the staff and volunteers do these things very well. They take the extra time and effort required to provide excellent ministry. We observed a staff meeting that included a time dedicated to turning to a page in the photo directory, where then each person on that page was discussed and prayed for. And I believe—I truly believe—that this discussion of parishioners was just as important as the prayer said for them. What we observed was the care of the souls who belonged to that church. This type of care requires a lot of work, and a lot of attention to detail. If Ms. Daniels hasn’t been around lately, who is going to call her or make a visit to her house? If Mr. Matthews has lost his job, will a church leader put in the time to meet with him over lunch to see how he’s doing? It takes a lot of effort and attention to detail to make a successful church. It’s not easy, nor is it supposed to be. It’s a seed of love which a church plants and God then grows.
People need—and deserve—creative leaders who care about the details of their lives. Church leaders owe it to their parishioners, and themselves, to be their creative best. St. Paul lives out these qualities. There isn't any holy magic at St. Paul in Davenport, just hard work and dedication to the work of God that they do. And it's been beautiful to watch.
