A basic step has been to overcome the inward focus born of many difficult years. We're just focusing on the fundamentals, but we're taking them up another level. He taught us to pray. Leaders were encouraged to make a deeper commitment to their faith through Christian education, Bible study and devotion. When you spend 90 percent of your time in the secular world, its hard to come to church and make Christian decisions if you're not involved in Sunday school, Bible study and prayer.
Worship is central to that effort.
Rather than radically change the form of worship, Saboe worked on the fundamentals. Inclusive worship bulletins let even first time visitors participate fully. Saboe has also tried to educate the congregation about the fundamentals of their faith and Lutheran heritage, Fry says. Not surprisingly, education programs have blossomed. Confirmation classes that once had two or three students now have eight or 10.