Description
You are loved more than you can imagine and sent with more purpose than you thought. I’ve come to know who I am in two words. They guide everything that I believe, think, and do.
I am loved by God in Jesus. I am sent by God into the world.
-from the author
So many people are starving for identity and meaning today. Loved and Sent describes how God took extraordinary action to address those two fundamental human needs. The author walks through his own quest for identity and meaning, revisiting core Christian convictions in a narrative style and making sense of why they matter today. As Christians, we often stutter when someone asks, “Who are you? What do you believe? Why does it matter to you?” We get a unique chance to share our heart, and we say too much—or nothing at all. Discover in this thought-provoking book who you are and why you matter, and then you’ll have something of greater value to share with someone else.
Jeff Cloeter
Jeff Cloeter is Senior Pastor of Christ Memorial Lutheran Church in St. Louis, Missouri. His ministry has taken him from camps to youth ministry and church planting. As a sixth generation Lutheran pastor, he blogs at sixthgen.com. Jeff and his wife, Bobbi, have four children – Bella, Joshua, Emily, and Jacob.
Who are you? What are you made for? They seem like simple questions, but their answers are quickly convoluted and confusing. What a blessing Jeff shares in reminding us that at our core we are “Loved and Sent” by God in Christ Jesus. Jeff argues for the importance of every follower of Jesus to speak his or her faith clearly, concisely, consistently, and in a compelling manner. In this book he helps us by doing so himself. What a great guide to employ as we make disciples of Jesus who make more disciples!
Aaron Putnam
City Director, LINC Bay Area, CA
Loved and Sent is an engaging story with a very rich, yet simple to understand message. Jeff Cloeter addresses two of life’s most pressing questions: Who am I? Why am I? He provides meaningful insight both to people wrestling with what it means to be a Christian, as well as to people who are active in their Christian faith.
Andrew Neumann, Ph.D.
CEO of Open Sky Education, Milwaukee, WI
Jeff Cloeter is a leader who knows a lot about standing on the threshold. He stands on a generational threshold as a young Gen-X and old Millennial. He leads a multi-faceted congregation engaging the thresholds of a community. Jeff raises a family in an urban location that is moving through the doorway of blighted to thriving. This context provides insight for helping people loved by God become sent by Him. Jeff has anchored us to the most trustworthy foundation for thriving in thresholds. We are loved because Jesus has come. We are sent with purpose and promise for the days ahead.
Rev. Dr. Scott Seidler
Senior Pastor, Concordia Lutheran Church, Kirkwood, MO
Loved and Sent is all about the work of Jesus in your life and in the lives of the people around you. Cloeter will help you take the basics of the Christian faith and use them to tell your story in a compelling way. Since Jeff is my pastor and close friend, I can personally attest that this is just how he and his family live every day . . . loved and sent.
Rev. Ben Haupt
Professor of Practical Theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO
This is a great book! Identity. Purpose. Vision. You’ll see yourself differently. You’ll see the world differently. You’ll see the church differently. Cloeter makes words sing and carefully fuses them together to stir your soul. It will move you to action. “For every Christian, there exists a point where who God is intersects with who I am.” I recommend this book!
Dr. Jock Ficken
Executive Leader, Pastoral Leadership Institute
This book is profoundly personal. The stories of real people searching for real meaning and identity will instantly draw you in and keep you engaged. These personal stories, however, have a subtle way of inviting you to explore your own life as well. Cloeter makes a compelling argument for how two simple words—Loved and Sent—can be a clear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Rev. A. Trevor Sutton
author of Being Lutheran and Why Should I Trust the Bible?
When I first met Jeff Cloeter, I was 22, searching for direction, and in need of something to hold onto. When he asked me if I wanted to grab a cup of coffee, I did not hesitate to say “yes.” Jeff reminded me I was loved by God and sent by him. These two words shifted the entire trajectory of my life. Through this book Jeff helps us discover who we are and why we matter. Through story and vulnerable honesty he shares the same beautiful truth he once shared with me: you are loved by God and sent by God.
Tanner Olson
Writer, Writtentospeak.com, Austin, TX
With personal and poignant stories, Cloeter unpacks the fundamental truths of God’s love for us in Christ and of his sending us into the world as his special people. This is effective catechesis through storytelling, fully informed by biblical theology, that brings God’s truths about life into the very real contexts of our day-to-day living.
Dr. Andrew Bartelt
Professor of Exegetical Theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO