No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
The slow songs of Lent grow on us when we understand they tell us of God’s love.
Nathan W. Strutz
I will be honest. Growing up, I really didn’t like Lent. We had to go to church two times in one week! And then one week we went three times in four days! And the hymns were so slow. They took forever. At least we would stop for a Shamrock shake after a midweek service or two.
But as I got older, I began to appreciate Lent, maybe even look forward to it. For one thing, I cannot escape my sin in Lent. The terrible, horrible, awful price is on full display. I caused the death of Jesus. I swung the whip. I put the nails in his hands. I joined the crowd and yelled, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
Going to church twice a week cannot pay for my crimes. Trying a little harder to be a little better will not fix my problem. Only Jesus can fix my problem. Only the blood of God’s own Son can pay for me. And would you believe God’s Son loved me so much, he paid—in full—for all my crimes?
All the details of all those special services focus on just how much Jesus loved me. Betrayed for a measly 30 silver coins by a good friend! Spit on. Blindfolded. Struck on the head—again and again and again. That’s how much Jesus loved me. He paid the price I owe. He died the death I deserved. He went through hell so I will never have to.
And those hymns! Yes, those slow hymns! Now they’re my favorites. Now I sing those verses all year round. You might agree with my wife that “Oh, Darkest Woe” is not the best choice for singing your children to sleep, but what more wonderful words than those from Lenten hymns can we impress on our children and on our own hearts?
“What punishment so strange is suffered yonder!
The Shepherd dies for sheep that loved to wander;
The Master pays the debt his servant owe him,
Who would not know him” (Christian Worship [CW] 117:4).
“If you think of sin but lightly Nor suppose the evil great,
Here you see its nature rightly, Here its guilt may estimate.
Mark the sacrifice appointed; See who bears the awful load—
’Tis the Word, the Lord’s Anointed, Son of Man of Son of God” (CW 127:3).
So yes, now I love Lent. I long for Lent. The six weeks go by too fast, and I don’t even get Shamrock shakes out of the deal anymore. I know it’s a hassle to drag children to church in the middle of the week. But I’m so glad my parents did. It’s so worth it to hear over and over, year after year, just how much Jesus loves me. To see just how much he endured for me.
And as the services continue, the days start to get longer. Did you know Lent actually comes from a word that means “lengthen”? It’s light a little bit longer. That’s because light is about to burst from the tomb. The grave is not the end. The empty grave is the victory! And it will be my victory too.
Easter is coming! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
Nathan Strutz is pastor at Resurrection, a multisite ministry in Verona and Monroe, Wisconsin.
Do you have a manuscript, idea, or story from your own life you’d like to share for use in Forward in Christ or on wels.net? Use our online form to share it to our editorial office for consideration.
Get inspirational stories, spiritual help, and synod news from Forward in Christ every month. Print and digital subscriptions are available from Northwestern Publishing House.
Author: Nathan W. Strutz
Volume 105, Number 3
Issue: March 2018
Copyrighted by WELS Forward in Christ © 2021
Forward in Christ grants permission for any original article (not a reprint) to be printed for use in a WELS church, school, or organization, provided that it is distributed free and indicate Forward in Christ as the source. Images may not be reproduced except in the context of its article. Contact us
For the director of music. A psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.”
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Clark Schultz has taught theology at Lakeside Lutheran High School, Lake Mills, Wis., for the past 13 years. Here he shares his perspective on educating young Christians.
Q: What is your philosophy as you approach the teens in your classes?
A: I have adopted the philosophy that was impressed on me from little on “jump or get thrown into the deep end.”
This started with Pastor Richard Pagels asking me when I was in fifth grade, “What are you doing this Sunday?” My answer was, “Coming to church.” His response was, “Good! You’re going to help with liturgy.” So there I was at 10 or 11 years old, stumbling over words like “beseeching” and all the “thees” and “thous” of the old hymnal.
I spent my vicar year with Pastor John Parlow, who left me to go on a family vacation the first weekend I spent at St. Mark’s in Green Bay. So there I was, doing liturgy and communion at a congregation three times the size I was comfortable with. Talk about sink or swim! But it’s this idea that I throw to my students. God gave you a brain and gifts. Don’t be afraid to use them despite your age. For me, as for most, experience is the best teacher.
Q: What are some examples of the types of projects that you encourage/require your students to complete.
A: We like the flipped classroom idea. This idea involves students doing projects in groups. One project is to create their own church in a real town. They will research that area to look at demographics and then come up with a plan to share the gospel in that area. The students will then present their ideas to their classmates in a Shark Tank setting where fellow students get to evangelically ask questions of the presenters.
Another project we do is have students compile their own worship service. Again, they get into groups and craft their own worship service, from the theme of the service to selecting hymns, readings, and prayers. They also must come up with their own original bulletin cover that corresponds with their theme.
Other projects involve getting out of their comfort zone and volunteering to go to the Lighthouse Youth Center in Milwaukee, canvas in a town that is not their own, or help out at local church events like Christmas for Kids.
Q: How do your students react to these ministry experiences?
A: At first, they are like a deer in the headlights. There is often some, “What? Why? Huh?” reactions. But after they are done, it is such a joy to see the Holy Spirit work through their efforts and give them the confidence that mission/church work is not so intimidating or hard and can even be fun.
Q: Any final thoughts to share?
A: Teens are not the future of the church; they are the church now. We need to look for creative ways to get them plugged in.
To learn more about Clark Schultz and his students, visit wels.net/together and watch the March 13 edition of the “Together” video update.
Do you have a manuscript, idea, or story from your own life you’d like to share for use in Forward in Christ or on wels.net? Use our online form to share it to our editorial office for consideration.
Get inspirational stories, spiritual help, and synod news from Forward in Christ every month. Print and digital subscriptions are available from Northwestern Publishing House.
Author:
Volume 105, Number 4
Issue: April 2018
Copyrighted by WELS Forward in Christ © 2021
Forward in Christ grants permission for any original article (not a reprint) to be printed for use in a WELS church, school, or organization, provided that it is distributed free and indicate Forward in Christ as the source. Images may not be reproduced except in the context of its article. Contact us
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Pastor, teacher, and staff minister call report
3/6/2018 – 3/12/2018
The call report details when pastors, teachers, and staff ministers change positions within WELS. The Conference of Presidents oversees and coordinates the calling process.
NO DECISION REPORTED
| Pastors | Current call | New call | Date issued |
| Rev John Holtz | Malawi Mission | Friendly Counselor South Asia |
1/25/2018 |
| Rev Mark Luetzow | Bethel LC Bay City MI |
Michigan Lutheran Seminary Saginaw MI President |
2/7/2018 |
| Rev Michael Seifert | Living Hope LC Midlothian VA |
Michigan Lutheran Seminary Saginaw MI Professor; German |
2/7/2018 |
| Rev Matthew Schwartz | Good Shepherd LC Downers Grove IL |
St Luke LC Oakfield WI Pastor |
2/11/2018 |
| Rev Ross Else | Emmaus LC Phoenix AZ |
Trinity LC El Paso TX Pastor |
2/11/2018 |
| Rev Jonathan Enter | Divine Savior LC-West Palm Beach West Palm Beach FL |
St Croix Lutheran Academy West Saint Paul MN Teacher; Religion |
2/16/2018 |
| Rev Jeffrey Sonntag | Crown of Life LC Cadillac MI |
Shining Mountains LC Bozeman MT Pastor |
2/16/2018 |
| Rev Seth Dorn | St Stephen LC Beaver Dam WI |
Calvary LC Sheboygan WI Pastor |
2/18/2018 |
| Rev Stephen Kruschel | Trinity LC Grafton NE Grace LC Geneva NE |
St John LC Two Rivers WI Associate Pastor |
2/18/2018 |
| Rev Jonathan Schroeder | Faith LC Sharpsburg GA |
Bethlehem LC Menomonee Falls WI Associate Pastor |
2/18/2018 |
| Rev N Halldorson | Divine Word LC Nepean ON Canada |
Grace LC Scroggins TX Pastor |
2/18/2018 |
| Rev Jacob Behnken | Good Shepherd LC Midland MI |
New Hope LC West Melbourne FL Pastor |
2/18/2018 |
| Rev Thomas Spiegelberg II | Trinity LC Castries St Lucia |
Saving Grace LC Mobile AL Pastor |
2/18/2018 |
| Rev Robert Guenther | Grace LC Kenai AK |
St John’s LC New Ulm MN Associate Pastor |
2/20/2018 |
| Rev Michael Helwig | Crown of Life LC Hubertus WI |
Lakeside Lutheran High School Lake Mills WI Teacher |
2/20/2018 |
| Rev Justin Dauck | St Paul LC Roscoe SD St John LC Bowdle SD |
Good Shepherd LC Omaha NE Pastor |
2/21/2018 |
| Rev Jacob Scott | Zion LC Arlington WI |
St Paul’s LC Stevensville MI Associate Pastor |
2/22/2018 |
| Rev Ethan Cherney | St Paul LC Green Bay WI |
Our Savior LC Pomona CA Pastor |
2/22/2018 |
| Rev Matthew Minzlaff | St John LC Tomah WI St Jacob LC Norwalk WI |
St Luke LC Kenosha WI Pastor |
2/24/2018 |
| Rev Daniel Foelske | Trinity LC Mount Carroll IL St Peter LC Savanna IL |
Grace LC New London WI Pastor |
2/25/2018 |
| Rev Tim Gumm | Peace LC Loves Park IL |
St John LC Doylestown WI St Stephen LC Fall River WI Pastor |
2/25/2018 |
| Rev Brian Krueger | Bloomington LC Bloomington MN |
Good Shepherd’s LC West Allis WI Associate Pastor |
2/25/2018 |
| Rev Timothy Spaude | St Jacobi LC Greenfield WI |
Lord of Love LC De Forest WI Associate Pastor |
2/25/2018 |
| Rev Joel Jaeger | Retired | Shepherd of the Hills LC Fredericksburg TX Pastor |
2/25/2018 |
| Rev Mark Voss | Divine Grace LC Lake Orion MI |
St Matthew’s LC Niles IL Pastor |
2/25/2018 |
| Rev Benjamin Golisch | King of Kings LC Maitland FL |
St Paul LC Slinger WI Associate Pastor |
2/25/2018 |
| Rev Bryan Prell | Petra LC Sauk Rapids MN |
Resurrection LC Verona WI & Monroe WI Associate Pastor |
2/25/2018 |
| Rev Robert Jensen | Gethsemane LC Milwaukee WI |
Living Water LC Hot Springs Village AR Pastor |
2/25/2018 |
| Rev Paul Learman | Divine Peace LC Milwaukee WI |
St Paul LC Wisconsin Rapids WI Associate Pastor |
2/26/2018 |
| Rev Peter Hagen | Shepherd of the Lakes LC Fairmont MN |
Resurrection LC Maumee OH Pastor |
2/27/2018 |
| Rev Joel Gaertner | The Lutheran Home Belle Plaine MN |
Water of Life LC Las Vegas NV Pastor |
2/27/2018 |
| Rev Paul Schmiege | King of Kings LC Willoughby OH |
Hope LC Portland MI Pastor; Retirement Call |
2/28/2018 |
| Rev Kevin Boushek | Beautiful Savior LC La Porte IN |
Mount Olive LC Appleton WI Associate Pastor |
2/28/2018 |
| Rev Jonathan Bauer | Good News LC Mt Horeb WI |
Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Mequon WI Professor of New Testament & practical theology (homiletics) |
2/28/2018 |
| Rev Kevin Boushek | Beautiful Savior LC La Porte IN |
Mt Calvary LC Redding CA Pastor |
3/1/2018 |
| Rev Jason Oakland | Martin Luther LC Neenah WI |
St John LC Watertown WI Associate Pastor |
3/1/2018 |
| Rev Mathew Pfeifer | Lincoln Heights LC Des Moines IA |
Good Shepherd LC Sioux Falls SD Associate Pastor |
3/4/2018 |
| Rev William Mayhew | New Salem LC Sebewaing MI |
St Paul LC North Platte NE & Broken Bow NE Pastor |
3/4/2018 |
| Rev Dustin Blumer | Amazing Love LC Frankfort IL |
Christ LC Juneau AK Pastor |
3/4/2018 |
| Rev Dustin Blumer | Amazing Love LC Frankfort IL |
Abiding Peace LC Simpsonville SC Associate Pastor |
3/4/2018 |
| Rev Kenneth Kratz | St Paul LC Green Bay WI |
Immanuel LC Kewaunee WI Pastor; Pulpit Assistant |
3/4/2018 |
| Rev Peter Metzger | First LC Lake Geneva WI |
St Peter LC St. Albert AB Canada Pastor |
3/4/2018 |
| Rev Joon Ho Chung | Apostles LC San Jose CA |
Peace LC Santa Clara CA Pastor |
3/4/2018 |
| Rev John Strackbein | Holy Cross LC Oklahoma City OK |
Bethel LC Menasha WI Associate Pastor |
3/5/2018 |
| Rev Christopher Esmay | Beautiful Savior LC Topeka KS |
Immanuel LC South Lyon MI Pastor |
3/6/2018 |
| Rev Paul Kuehn | Divine Savior LC Shawano WI |
Salem LC Loretto MN Associate Pastor |
3/6/2018 |
| Rev Paul Micheel | St Mark LC Wallace MI Holy Cross LC Daggett MI |
St Paul LC Grant Park IL Pastor |
3/6/2018 |
| Rev Nathan Strutz | Resurrection LC Verona WI |
Commission on Evangelism Waukesha WI Director |
3/8/2018 |
| Rev Peter Walther | St Paul LC Appleton WI |
Our Savior’s LC East Brunswick NJ Pastor |
3/11/2018 |
| Teachers | Current call | New call | Date issued |
| Ms Maria Gines | Zion LS Monroe MI |
Victory Preschool Jacksonville FL Director |
1/21/2018 |
| Mrs Stefanie Hill | Brooklyn Bridge Preschool Brooklyn Park MN |
Brooklyn Bridge Preschool Brooklyn Park MN ECM Director |
1/21/2018 |
| Mrs Anneliese Gumm | Trinity LS Nicollet MN |
Trinity LS Nicollet MN Teacher; Middle Grades |
1/28/2018 |
| Miss Cheryl Henckel | Good Shepherd LS West Bend WI |
Faith of a Child Daycare Oshkosh WI ECM Director |
2/4/2018 |
| Mr Daniel Bredendick | St Paul First LS North Hollywood CA |
East Fork LS Whiteriver AZ Teacher; Grade 8 |
2/5/2018 |
| Mrs Kristi Bredendick | St Paul First LS North Hollywood CA |
East Fork LS Whiteriver AZ Teacher; Grade 3 |
2/5/2018 |
| Mr Nathan King | Manitowoc Lutheran High School Manitowoc WI |
Manitowoc Lutheran High School Manitowoc WI Teacher; International Student Director, Provisional Call |
2/6/2018 |
| Mrs Kirsten George | Cross of Christ LS Coon Rapids MN ECM Director |
2/7/2018 | |
| Mrs Kelli Baas | Trinity LS Brillion WI |
Little Lambs Learning Center Danube MN ECM Director |
2/8/2018 |
| Mrs Janeen Roska | Star of Bethlehem LS New Berlin WI Teacher; Extended Learning Director, Part-Time Call |
2/11/2018 | |
| Mrs Bailey Scriver | Lord of Life LS Friendswood TX Teacher; Grades 2-3 |
2/11/2018 | |
| Mrs Jill Hagen | St Paul LS Green Bay WI Teacher; Grades 7-8, Part-Time Call |
2/11/2018 | |
| Mrs Terry Buske | St John LS Wauwatosa WI |
St Marcus LS Milwaukee WI Lead Teacher; Primary Grades |
2/12/2018 |
| Mr Jonathan Beilke | Salem LS-Greenfield MN Greenfield MN |
Grace LS Saint Joseph MI Principal & Upper Grades; Departmentalized |
2/13/2018 |
| Miss Naomi Vieth | St John LS Saginaw MI |
Good Shepherd Lutheran Academy Deltona FL Teacher; Grade 4 |
2/18/2018 |
| Mrs Kristine Wegner | St Marcus LS Milwaukee WI |
Bethlehem LS-North Germantown WI ECM Director |
2/18/2018 |
| Miss Jessica Neumann | Grace LS Glendale AZ |
St John LS Mukwonago WI Teacher; Grades 1-2 |
2/18/2018 |
| Mr Adam Pavelchik | Peace LS Kissimmee FL |
Mt Olive LS Mankato MN Principal |
2/18/2018 |
| Mrs Laura Heiman | Grace Lutheran Child Learning Center Sahuarita AZ ECM Director; Provisional Call |
2/18/2018 | |
| Mrs Molly Parsons | Faith LS Fond du Lac WI |
Faith LS Fond du Lac WI Teacher; Primary Grades, Provisional Call |
2/18/2018 |
| Mrs Michelle Schmidt | Faith LS Fond du Lac WI |
Faith LS Fond du Lac WI Teacher; Grade 3, Provisional Call |
2/18/2018 |
| Mrs Mary Harris | St Paul LS South Haven MI |
St Matthew’s LS Oconomowoc WI Teacher; Grade 5 |
2/22/2018 |
| Miss Kathleen VanOrman | Sola Fide LS Lawrenceville GA |
St Bartholomew LS Kawkawlin MI Teacher; Kindergarten |
2/25/2018 |
| Mr Nathan Deering | Trinity LS Marinette WI |
Lord of Life LS Thornton CO Teacher; Grades 4-6 |
2/25/2018 |
| Mr Dale Rundgren | St Paul LS Beverly Hills FL Teacher; Grades 5-6 |
2/25/2018 | |
| Miss Lindsay Sandwith | Redeemer Learning Center Tomahawk WI |
St Peter LS Weyauwega WI Teacher; Kindergarten |
2/25/2018 |
| Mrs Nancy Leifer | Faith LS Tacoma WA |
Shepherd of the Valley LS Westminster CO Teacher; Kindergarten-Grade 2 |
2/25/2018 |
| Mr Paul Leifer | Faith LS Tacoma WA |
Shepherd of the Valley LS Westminster CO Principal & Grades 6-8 |
2/25/2018 |
| Mr Kevin Bode | Emmanuel LS Tempe AZ |
Zion LS Columbus WI Teacher; Grades 5-6 |
2/25/2018 |
| Miss Megan Bauer | Beautiful Savior LS Grove City OH |
Divine Grace LS Lake Orion MI Teacher; Grades 3-5 |
2/25/2018 |
| Miss Emilee Plocher | Grace LS Saint Joseph MI |
Christ LS North Saint Paul MN Teacher; Grade 2, One-Year Call |
2/25/2018 |
| Mr Matthew Bauer | St Mark LS Citrus Heights CA |
Great Plains Lutheran High School Watertown SD Principal |
2/25/2018 |
| Mr Andrew Van Weele | Lord of Life LS Friendswood TX |
Redeemer LS Fond du Lac WI Principal & Grades 7-8 |
2/25/2018 |
| Prof Naomi Fritz | Luther Preparatory School Watertown WI |
Zion LS Chesaning MI Teacher; Grades 2-4 |
2/25/2018 |
| Mrs Laura Schultz | Trinity-St Luke Western Ave Campus Watertown WI |
Trinity LS Brillion WI Teacher; Grade 3-4 |
2/25/2018 |
| Miss Anne Marquardt | Gloria Dei LS Belmont CA |
St John LS Mukwonago WI ECM Director |
2/25/2018 |
| Mrs Ashley Phillips | St Matthew LS Janesville WI |
St Matthew LS Janesville WI Teacher; Grades 1-2, One-Year Call |
2/25/2018 |
| Mr Daniel Gawrisch | Martin Luther College New Ulm MN |
Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School Jackson WI Teacher; Physical Education |
2/26/2018 |
| Mr Matthew Rydecki | Trinity LS Waukesha WI |
Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School Jackson WI Teacher; Word of God & English |
2/26/2018 |
| Mrs Jamie Walta | Faith LS Fond du Lac WI |
St Paul LS Wisconsin Rapids WI ECM Director |
2/26/2018 |
| Mr Kristian Walta | Faith LS Fond du Lac WI |
St Paul LS Wisconsin Rapids WI Principal |
2/26/2018 |
| Mrs Destinee Fiecko | St Paul LS Wisconsin Rapids WI Teacher; Grades 3-4 |
2/26/2018 | |
| Mrs Jillian Igl | Trinity LS West Bend WI ECM Director; Half-Time Call |
2/27/2018 | |
| Mr Luke Scherschel | Zion LS Toledo OH |
St Mark LS Lincoln NE Principal & Grades 5-8 |
2/27/2018 |
| Mr Benjamin Schramm | First LS Elkhorn WI |
Samuel LS Marshall MN Principal & Grades 6-8 |
2/27/2018 |
| Miss Brittni Wentzel | Good Shepherd Lutheran Academy Deltona FL |
Samuel LS Marshall MN Teacher; Kindergarten |
2/27/2018 |
| Mr Paul Hoffman | St Paul LS Appleton WI |
Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School New Ulm MN Teacher; Science |
2/27/2018 |
| Miss Katherine Rath | Evergreen Lutheran High School Tacoma WA |
Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School New Ulm MN Teacher; English |
2/27/2018 |
| Mr Stephen Gurgel | St Paul LS Rapid City SD |
Lamb of God LS West Allis WI Principal & Grades 7-8 |
2/28/2018 |
| Mrs Erika Fletcher | Garden Homes LS Milwaukee WI Teacher; 3K, Provisional Call |
2/28/2018 | |
| Mr Paul Patterson | Wisconsin LS-Early Childhood Campus (K4-2) Racine WI |
Garden Homes LS Milwaukee WI Principal |
2/28/2018 |
| Mr Kurt Gosdeck | St Mark LS Green Bay WI |
Trinity LS Marinette WI Principal & Grades 5-8 |
2/28/2018 |
| Mr Kevin Needham | St Paul’s LS Saginaw MI |
First German LS Manitowoc WI Principal & Grades 7-8 |
2/28/2018 |
| Mr Daniel Rick | St John’s LS Sleepy Eye MN |
St Paul LS Muskego WI Teacher |
2/28/2018 |
| Mrs Elizabeth Loberger | Christ the King School Palm Coast FL |
Mount Olive LS Appleton WI Teacher; Grade 1, One-Year Call |
2/28/2018 |
| Mr Paul Huebner | Shoreland Lutheran High School Somers WI |
Illinois Lutheran High School Crete IL Teacher; Math |
2/28/2018 |
| Mr Joel Kramer | Fox Valley Lutheran High School Appleton WI |
Illinois Lutheran High School Crete IL Teacher; Dean of Students |
2/28/2018 |
| Mrs Beth Humann | Holy Trinity LS Des Moines WA |
Holy Trinity LS Des Moines WA Staff Minister; Grades 1-2 |
2/28/2018 |
| Ms Melody Krouse | Trinity LS Kaukauna WI ECM Teacher; Provisional Call |
3/4/2018 | |
| Miss Deanna Rahn | Wisconsin LS-Middle School (6-8) Racine WI |
Siloah LS Milwaukee WI Teacher; Grade 3 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mrs Jennifer Trimmer | St Paul LS Columbus OH |
Siloah LS Milwaukee WI Teacher; Grade 1 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr Daniel Grunewald | Salem LS Milwaukee WI |
Siloah LS Milwaukee WI Teacher; Grade 6 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mrs Michelle Schliewe | St Paul LS Livonia MI |
St Paul LS Livonia MI Teacher; Grades 1-2 |
3/4/2018 |
| Ms Sylvia Beahm | Risen Savior Christian Academy Pooler GA |
Bethany LS Hustisford WI ECM Director |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr John Martin III | St John’s LS Newburg WI |
St Paul LS Howards Grove WI Teacher; Grades 5-6 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mrs Jessica Figueroa | St John-St James LS Reedsville WI ECM Teacher; One-Year, Part-Time Call |
3/4/2018 | |
| Mrs Sarah Horn | St Matthew LS Iron Ridge WI Teacher; Grades 5-6, One-Year, Half-Time Call |
3/4/2018 | |
| Miss Stephanie Humann | Zion Lutheran Preschool Mobridge SD |
Zion Lutheran Preschool Valentine NE ECM Director |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr Christopher Denney | Bethany LS Port Orchard WA |
Trinity LS Belle Plaine MN Teacher; Grades 5-6 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mrs Beverly Bentz | Illinois Lutheran Elementary School Crete IL |
Trinity LS Belle Plaine MN Teacher; Grades 1-2 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr Bradley Jensen | Zion LS Valentine NE |
Morning Star LS Jackson WI Teacher; Grade 6 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr Daniel Kasten | Bethlehem LS Hortonville WI |
St John LS Montello WI Principal & Upper Grades |
3/4/2018 |
| Miss Kimberly Ehlke | Trinity LS Caledonia WI |
Peace LS Hartford WI Teacher; Grade 2 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr Paul Schulz | St John LS Manitowoc WI |
Peace LS Sun Prairie WI Teacher; Grade 6 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mrs Andrea Neumann | St Matthew’s LS Oconomowoc WI |
Trinity LS Kaukauna WI Teacher; Kindergarten |
3/4/2018 |
| Mrs Greta Scharp | Mt Calvary LS Waukesha WI |
Bethlehem LS-South Menomonee Falls WI Teacher; Grade 4 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr Duane Vance | Jerusalem LS Morton Grove IL |
Apostles LS San Jose CA Principal |
3/4/2018 |
| Mrs Katie Denney | Bethany LS Port Orchard WA |
Trinity LS Belle Plaine MN ECM Teacher; Half-Time Call |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr John Kaesmeyer | Christ the Lord LS Brookfield WI |
Emmaus LS Phoenix AZ Teacher; Grades 5-6 |
3/4/2018 |
| Miss Rachel Kramer | St John LS Redwood Falls MN |
Emmaus LS Phoenix AZ Teacher; Grades 1-2 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr Nathan Schultz | Peace LS Hartford WI |
Abiding Word LS Houston TX Teacher; Grade 7 & Vice Principal |
3/4/2018 |
| Mrs Lisa Mensching | Luther Preparatory School Watertown WI |
Trinity-St Luke Western Ave Campus Watertown WI ECM Teacher; Half-Time Call |
3/4/2018 |
| Mrs Corin Einhardt | St Luke’s LS Vassar MI |
St John LS Montello WI Teacher; Kindergarten-Grade 1 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mrs Marjorie Bentz | Peace LS Hartford WI |
Peace LS Hartford WI ECM Teacher; Part-Time Call |
3/4/2018 |
| Ms Hannah Stellick | Divine Savior Lutheran Academy Doral FL |
St Marcus LS Milwaukee WI Lead Teacher; Grade 4 |
3/5/2018 |
| Miss Anne Hagglund | Resurrection LS Rochester MN |
St Marcus LS Milwaukee WI Co-Lead Teacher; Grade 5 |
3/5/2018 |
| Mr Nathan Bauer | Garden Homes LS Milwaukee WI |
St Marcus LS Milwaukee WI Lead Teacher; Grade 7 |
3/5/2018 |
| Mr Levi Dunsmoor | St Peter LS Schofield WI |
St Marcus LS Milwaukee WI Teacher Middle School Lead Teacher |
3/5/2018 |
| Mr Michael Ash | Reformation LS San Diego CA |
Manitowoc Lutheran High School Manitowoc WI Teacher; Math |
3/6/2018 |
| Mr Scott Sievert | Illinois Lutheran Elementary School Crete IL |
Lord and Savior LS Crystal Lake IL Principal & Grades 5-8 |
3/6/2018 |
| Mr Gabriel Malliet | St John’s LS Burlington WI |
Luther Preparatory School Watertown WI Professor; Science |
3/6/2018 |
| Miss Jeanine Heller | Loving Shepherd LS Milwaukee WI Teacher; Grades 3-4 |
3/7/2018 | |
| Mr Steven Haag | First LS Lake Geneva WI |
St Lucas LS Kewaskum WI Principal & Grades 5-6 |
3/7/2018 |
| Mrs Amanda Humann | Lambs of Faith Preschool Tacoma WA |
St John LS Mukwonago WI ECM Teacher; Half-Time Call |
3/7/2018 |
| Mr Brian Humann | Faith LS Tacoma WA |
St John LS Mukwonago WI Teacher; Grades 3-4 |
3/7/2018 |
| Mr Scott Brown | St Paul LS Norfolk NE |
Prince of Peace LS Taylorsville UT Teacher; Grades 3-5 |
3/8/2018 |
| Mr Michael Chappell | Precious Lambs Preschool Jacksonville FL |
St John LS Hemlock MI Principal & Upper Grades |
3/8/2018 |
| Miss Amanda Koch | Bethany LS Manitowoc WI |
Holy Cross LS Madison WI Teacher; Upper Grades, Departmentalized |
3/8/2018 |
| Mrs Sarah Mayer | Luther High School Onalaska WI Teacher; Band |
3/8/2018 | |
| Mrs Alana Enger | St Paul LS Lake Mills WI |
Luther High School Onalaska WI Teacher; Physical Education |
3/8/2018 |
| Mr David Fulton | Grace LS Oshkosh WI |
St Paul LS Fort Atkinson WI Principal & Grades 5-8; Departmentalized |
3/8/2018 |
| Mrs Veronica Vilski | Prince of Peace LS Taylorsville UT Teacher; Kindergarten & Administrative Release-Time |
3/8/2018 | |
| Mr Justin Vilski | Prince of Peace LS Taylorsville UT |
Prince of Peace LS Taylorsville UT Principal & Grades 6-8 |
3/8/2018 |
| Mrs Carmen Ristow | Zion LS 3K-8th Grade Hartland WI |
Zion LS 3K-8th Grade Hartland WI Teacher; Grades 2-3 |
3/11/2018 |
| Mr Timothy Payne | St John’s LS Newburg WI |
Trinity LS Neenah WI Principal & Grades 7-8 |
3/11/2018 |
| Mrs Naomi Porth | St Philip LS Milwaukee WI |
Pilgrim LS Menomonee Falls WI Teacher; Grades 1-2, Half-Time Call |
3/11/2018 |
| Miss Emily Hunt | Christ Our Savior Academy Columbia TN |
St Paul LS Rapid City SD Teacher; Kindergarten |
3/11/2018 |
| Ms Laura Del Rio | Divine Savior Lutheran Academy Doral FL |
Faith LS Anchorage AK Teacher; Kindergarten |
3/11/2018 |
| Mr Joshua Gorske | St Croix Lutheran Academy West Saint Paul MN |
Trinity LS Caledonia WI Teacher; Grade 8 |
3/11/2018 |
| Mr Jason Rupnow | Risen Savior LS Mankato MN |
Trinity LS Caledonia WI Principal |
3/11/2018 |
| Mr Adam Reinhard | Little Lambs Preschool Mandan ND |
Grace LS Portland OR Teacher; Middle Grades & Staff Minister |
3/11/2018 |
| Ms Lynn Marggraf | Northdale LS Tampa FL |
Grace LS Portland OR Teacher; Lower Grades |
3/11/2018 |
| Mr Philip Haefner | Trinity LS Bay City MI |
St Martin’s LS Watertown SD Principal & Grades 6-8; Departmentalized |
3/11/2018 |
| Mrs Sarah Bauer | St Mark LS Citrus Heights CA |
St Martin’s LS Watertown SD Teacher; TP – Grade 4 |
3/11/2018 |
| Mrs Renee Jensen | Zion LS Valentine NE |
St Peter LS Weyauwega WI ECM Teacher & Remedial |
3/11/2018 |
| Mr Dane Mattes | Trinity LS Brillion WI |
Northdale LS Tampa FL Principal & Grades 7-8 |
3/11/2018 |
| Mrs Destinee Fiecko | Trinity LS Marshfield WI ECM Teacher |
3/11/2018 | |
| Mrs Lisa Herlich | Redeemer LS Tucson AZ Teacher; Grades 5-6, Provisional Call |
3/11/2018 | |
| Mr Michael Peek | Redeemer LS Tucson AZ |
Redeemer LS Tucson AZ Director of Christian Education |
3/11/2018 |
| Miss Meredith Moeller | St Matthew LS Janesville WI |
Redeemer LS Tucson AZ Teacher; Grades 3-4 |
3/11/2018 |
| Miss Rachel Petermann | Trinity LS Kiel WI |
Mt Calvary LS Waukesha WI Teacher; Grade 2 |
3/11/2018 |
| Mr Perry Lund | Evergreen Lutheran High School Tacoma WA |
Peace LS Kissimmee FL Teacher; High School Math & Science |
3/11/2018 |
| Miss Jennifer Hunt | Gethsemane LS Omaha NE |
Zion LS Monroe MI Teacher; Grades 1-2 |
3/11/2018 |
| Mrs Ruth Vogt | East Fork LS Whiteriver AZ |
St Paul LS Columbus OH Teacher; Kindergarten |
3/11/2018 |
| Mrs Kelly Loberger | Divine Savior Lutheran Academy Doral FL |
First German LS Manitowoc WI Teacher; Grades 1-2 |
3/11/2018 |
| Mr Joel Grulke | Our Savior LS Grafton WI |
Mt Olive LS Delano MN Principal & Grades 6-8 |
3/11/2018 |
| Mr Steven Bremer | Wisconsin Lutheran High School Milwaukee WI |
Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School Waco NE Principal |
3/11/2018 |
| Mr Darren Vogt | East Fork LS Whiteriver AZ |
St Paul LS Columbus OH Teacher; Grades 5-6 |
3/11/2018 |
| Miss Laura Dietrich | Prince of Peace LS Taylorsville UT |
Mt Calvary LS Waukesha WI Teacher; Grade 1 |
3/11/2018 |
| Mrs Kelly Loberger | Divine Savior Lutheran Academy Doral FL |
St John LS Manitowoc WI Teacher; Middle Grades & Extended Learning |
3/11/2018 |
| Mr Nathan Nolte | Fox Valley Lutheran High School Appleton WI |
Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School Waco NE Teacher; Math |
3/11/2018 |
| Mrs Nicole Maddox | St Paul LS Rapid City SD |
St Paul LS Rapid City SD ECM Director; Three Quarter-Time Call |
3/11/2018 |
| Mrs Jennifer Raasch | Pilgrim LS Menomonee Falls WI |
Pilgrim LS Menomonee Falls WI ECM Teacher |
3/11/2018 |
| Staff Ministers | Current call | New call | Date issued |
| Mr Jonathan Favorite | CrossWalk Lutheran Ministries Laveen AZ |
St Peter LC – North Campus Appleton WI Staff Minister |
3/7/2018 |
| Mr Steven Bruns | Prison Ministry New Ulm MN Administrator |
3/8/2018 |
CALLS ACCEPTED
| Pastors | Current call | New call | Date accepted |
| Rev Jeremy Mattek | Garden Homes LC Milwaukee WI |
Immanuel LC Greenville WI Associate Pastor |
3/4/2018 |
| Rev Jeremy Belter | Atonement LC Plano TX |
Shepherd of the Valley LC Westminster CO Pastor |
3/9/2018 |
| Rev Nathan Zastrow | St John LC Summit SD Peace LC Milbank SD |
Grace LC Yakima WA Pastor |
3/10/2018 |
| Rev James Castillo | Retired | St John LC Woodland WI Pastor; Retirement call |
3/11/2018 |
| Rev Jason Schulz | Christ LC Cambridge MN |
St John LC Stanton NE Pastor |
3/11/2018 |
| Rev Benjamin Kempfert | Grace LC Oronoco MN |
Immanuel LC Waupaca WI Associate Pastor |
3/11/2018 |
| Teachers | Current call | New call | Date accepted |
| Mrs Abby Truss | St Marcus LS Milwaukee WI |
Risen Savior LS Milwaukee WI Lead Teacher; Grades 6-8, Provisional Call |
2/23/2018 |
| Mrs Amy Bohme | Bethel Little Lamb Preschool Galesville WI |
St Matthew’s LS Winona MN Teacher; Grades 1-2, One-Year, Three Quarter-Time Call |
3/4/2018 |
| Ms Megan Leverence | St John’s LS Wauwatosa WI Teacher; Grade 5, Provisional Call |
3/6/2018 | |
| Mrs Marcie Kren | Wisconsin Lutheran High School Milwaukee WI |
Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School Jackson WI Teacher; Chemistry |
3/6/2018 |
| Miss Jessie Kempky | Trinity LS Marinette WI |
St Paul LS Moline IL Teacher; Kindergarten-Grade 3 |
3/6/2018 |
| Mrs Rachael Kreis | Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School Jackson WI |
Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School Jackson WI Teacher; Art |
3/6/2018 |
| Mr Darrell Berg | Michigan Lutheran Seminary Saginaw MI |
Martin Luther College New Ulm MN Professor; Art Education |
3/7/2018 |
| Mrs Rachel Frederickson | Risen Savior LS Milwaukee WI Teacher; Grade 7 |
3/7/2018 | |
| Mrs Lauren Hansen | Michigan Lutheran Seminary Saginaw MI |
Shoreland Lutheran High School Somers WI Teacher; STEM |
3/7/2018 |
| Mrs Elizabeth Marquardt | Cross of Glory Lutheran Preschool Peoria AZ |
Water of Life LS Las Vegas NV ECM Director |
3/8/2018 |
| Mrs Julie Krieger | St Paul LS Livonia MI |
St Paul LS Livonia MI ECM Director |
3/8/2018 |
| Mrs Jodi Rowe | Cross of Christ LS Coon Rapids MN Teacher; Grades 3-4 |
3/9/2018 | |
| Mr Eric Fillner | Zion LS South Milwaukee WI |
Star of Bethlehem LS New Berlin WI Teacher; Grade 6 & Upper Grades; Departmentalized |
3/9/2018 |
| Mrs Elizabeth Roecker | St Paul LS Wisconsin Rapids WI Teacher; Kindergarten |
3/10/2018 | |
| Miss Sarah Free | Mt Olive LS Delano MN |
St John LS Milwaukee WI Teacher; Grade 2 |
3/10/2018 |
CALLS DECLINED
| Pastors | Current call | New call | Date declined |
| Rev David Schneider | Cross of Christ LC Universal City TX |
Our Savior’s LC Port Orange FL Pastor |
3/6/2018 |
| Rev Aaron Weber | Zion LC South Milwaukee WI |
Zion LC Rhinelander WI Associate Pastor |
3/7/2018 |
| Rev Kenneth Jahnke | Zoar LC & Paul the Apostle LC Detroit MI |
Holy Cross LC Standish MI Pastor |
3/8/2018 |
| Rev Jason Strong | Light of the World LC Fairbanks AK |
Grace LC Oshkosh WI Associate Pastor |
3/8/2018 |
| Rev Jonathan Kehl | Crown of Life LC New Orleans LA |
Victory of the Lamb LC Franklin WI Associate Pastor |
3/8/2018 |
| Rev Jonathan Balge | St Matthew LC Milwaukee WI |
Zion LC Toledo OH Pastor |
3/9/2018 |
| Rev Alexander Groth | Beautiful Savior LC Cincinnati OH |
Crown of Life LC Corona CA Pastor |
3/9/2018 |
| Rev David Bivens | Christ the Lord LC Houston TX |
Grace LC Vail AZ & Benson AZ Associate Pastor |
3/10/2018 |
| Rev Zachary Pudlo | Crown of Life LC West Saint Paul MN |
Emanuel First LC Lansing MI Associate Pastor |
3/10/2018 |
| Rev Stephen Kuehl | Shepherd of Peace LC Powell OH |
Abiding Faith LC Fort Worth TX Pastor |
3/11/2018 |
| Teachers | Current call | New call | Date declined |
| Mr Glenn Metzger | St John LS Redwood Falls MN |
Holy Trinity LS Des Moines WA Teacher; Grades 5-6 |
3/3/2018 |
| Mr Matthew Willems | Divine Savior Lutheran Academy Doral FL |
Northland Lutheran High School Mosinee WI Teacher; Science |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr Travis Wendt | Bethlehem LS-South Menomonee Falls WI |
Trinity LS Waco NE Principal & Grades 4-8 |
3/5/2018 |
| Mrs Kayla Wilkins | Trinity LS Marshfield WI |
Mt Calvary LS Waukesha WI Teacher; Grade 1 |
3/5/2018 |
| Miss Amelia Nemmers | Divine Savior Lutheran Academy Doral FL |
St Philip LS Milwaukee WI Teacher; Grade 3 |
3/6/2018 |
| Mr Benjamin Edmundson | Arizona Lutheran Academy Phoenix AZ |
St Paul LS Columbus OH Teacher; Grades 5-6 |
3/6/2018 |
| Mr Ryan Oertl | North Shore Christian Academy Milwaukee WI Principal; Provisional Call |
3/7/2018 | |
| Prof Matthew Prost | Luther Preparatory School Watertown WI |
Divine Savior Lutheran Academy Doral FL Teacher; High School English |
3/8/2018 |
| Mr Scott Nerby | Zion LS 3K-8th Grade Hartland WI |
Shepherd of the Valley LS Menasha WI Teacher; Grades 5-6 |
3/8/2018 |
| Mr Daniel Carran | Trinity LS Kiel WI |
St Paul LS Onalaska WI Teacher; Grade 4 |
3/8/2018 |
| Mr Jeremiah Schmiege | Sola Fide LS Lawrenceville GA |
Lakeside Lutheran High School Lake Mills WI Teacher; Science |
3/8/2018 |
| Miss Ju Yeon Moon | Beautiful Savior LS Grove City OH |
St John LS Libertyville IL Teacher; Grades 1-2 |
3/9/2018 |
| Miss Sandra O’Laire | St Marcus LS Milwaukee WI |
Huron Valley Lutheran High School Westland MI Teacher; English |
3/10/2018 |
| Mrs Kimberly Gartner | St Paul LS Lake Mills WI |
Martin Luther College New Ulm MN Professor; Special Education |
3/11/2018 |
| Miss Vicki Jensen | St Paul LS Algoma WI |
St John LS Neillsville WI Teacher; Grades 3-5 |
3/11/2018 |
| Mrs Bethany Holter | St John LC Libertyville IL ECM Teacher |
3/12/2018 | |
| Staff Ministers | Current call | New call | Date declined |
| Miss Naomi Laabs | St Andrew LC Middleton WI |
Christ Our Savior LC Rockford MI Staff Minister Music; Children’s Ministry, ECM |
3/5/2018 |
RESIGNED
| Teachers | Current call | Date resigned |
| Ms Michelle DiGiovanni | St John’s LS Jefferson WI |
3/9/2018 |
| Mrs Connie Krueger | Trinity LS Jenera OH |
6/30/2018 |
| Mrs Patricia Koestler | Trinity Lutheran Preschool Caledonia WI |
6/30/2018 |
CALLED TO ETERNAL GLORY
| Teachers | Home church | Death date |
| Mr Gerald Hildebrandt | St Peter LC Weyauwega WI |
2/6/2018 |
RETIREMENT
| Teachers | Current call | Date retired |
| Mrs Ann Krentz | Westside Christian School Middleton WI |
6/30/2018 |
View a downloadable pdf version of the call report.
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One of the great uses I’ve found for technology is creating to-do lists. Shopping lists. Honey-do lists. Grocery lists. Project lists. And perhaps most important…prayer lists. We’ve all experienced the challenge of a good prayer life. It’s not for lack of things to pray for, but time, discipline, and remembering everything you want to carry to the Lord in prayer when you are ready to pray.
I’ve found a good routine of praying in the car on the way to work. I have a 30 minute drive in which I listen through the Daily Devotion from the WELS Mobile app as well as the Through My Bible series. Following that I have some quiet time in prayer. What really helped me during that time was being able to have my prayer list available. Trying to keep things digital, as I am want to do, I went in search of a good system to have that list with me in an easy to use and maintainable format. My requirements were:
What I decided on was a simple checklist within the Trello project management tool. I have a “card” called “Pray” and on it two simple checklists called Weekly and Special. My weekly list has a rotation of items like family, co-workers, spouse, kids, etc. The special list has those items that come up that may not be regular items but certainly things I want to take to the Lord, like a friend’s illness, relationship issues, special tasks or projects, etc. As I pray through the list a simple tap on a check box marks it as done once I reach my destination. Be careful to obey prevailing traffic laws regarding interacting with electronic devices. I’m hoping that voice activated check lists are in the near future as well.
Other lists you might consider would be OneNote, Evernote, and Google Keep. These are all cross platform and would work well for simple checklists. The point is to find a system that will put those things you want to pray for in front of you at the time you want to pray. I’ve found that just having the list available and in a system I use everyday anyway is a nice reminder to pray. We all need that!
So I just wanted to share my experiences with a system that seems to work well for me as I try to remove as many barriers as possible for a consistent prayer life. If we talk at some point in the future and I commit to praying for you or something that comes up in our conversation, know that I have a spot ready for it on my digital list.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Very truly I tell you, all who have faith in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Pastor, teacher, and staff minister call report
2/27/2018 – 3/5/2018
The call report details when pastors, teachers, and staff ministers change positions within WELS. The Conference of Presidents oversees and coordinates the calling process.
NO DECISION REPORTED
| Pastors | Current call | New call | Date issued |
| Rev Jeremy Mattek | Garden Homes LC Milwaukee WI |
Immanuel LC Greenville WI Associate Pastor |
1/14/2018 |
| Rev Kenneth Jahnke | Zoar LC & Paul the Apostle LC Detroit MI |
Holy Cross LC Standish MI Pastor |
1/21/2018 |
| Rev John Holtz | Malawi Mission | Friendly Counselor South Asia |
1/25/2018 |
| Rev Jeremy Belter | Atonement LC Plano TX |
Shepherd of the Valley LC Westminster CO Pastor |
1/28/2018 |
| Rev Mark Luetzow | Bethel LC Bay City MI |
Michigan Lutheran Seminary Saginaw MI President |
2/7/2018 |
| Rev Michael Seifert | Living Hope LC Midlothian VA |
Michigan Lutheran Seminary Saginaw MI Professor; German |
2/7/2018 |
| Rev Matthew Schwartz | Good Shepherd LC Downers Grove IL |
St Luke LC Oakfield WI Pastor |
2/11/2018 |
| Rev Jason Strong | Light of the World LC Fairbanks AK |
Grace LC Oshkosh WI Associate Pastor |
2/11/2018 |
| Rev Nathan Zastrow | St John LC Summit SD Peace LC Milbank SD |
Grace LC Yakima WA Pastor |
2/11/2018 |
| Rev Alexander Groth | Beautiful Savior LC Cincinnati OH |
Crown of Life LC Corona CA Pastor |
2/11/2018 |
| Rev David Schneider | Cross of Christ LC Universal City TX |
Our Savior’s LC Port Orange FL Pastor |
2/11/2018 |
| Rev Ross Else | Emmaus LC Phoenix AZ |
Trinity LC El Paso TX Pastor |
2/11/2018 |
| Rev Jason Schulz | Christ LC Cambridge MN |
St John LC Stanton NE Pastor |
2/13/2018 |
| Rev Zachary Pudlo | Crown of Life LC West Saint Paul MN |
Emanuel First LC Lansing MI Associate Pastor |
2/13/2018 |
| Rev Aaron Weber | Zion LC South Milwaukee WI |
Zion LC Rhinelander WI Associate Pastor |
2/14/2018 |
| Rev Jonathan Enter | Divine Savior LC-West Palm Beach West Palm Beach FL |
St Croix Lutheran Academy West Saint Paul MN Teacher; Religion |
2/16/2018 |
| Rev Jeffrey Sonntag | Crown of Life LC Cadillac MI |
Shining Mountains LC Bozeman MT Pastor |
2/16/2018 |
| Rev Benjamin Kempfert | Grace LC Oronoco MN |
Immanuel LC Waupaca WI Associate Pastor |
2/18/2018 |
| Rev Seth Dorn | St Stephen LC Beaver Dam WI |
Calvary LC Sheboygan WI Pastor |
2/18/2018 |
| Rev Stephen Kruschel | Trinity LC Grafton NE Grace LC Geneva NE |
St John LC Two Rivers WI Associate Pastor |
2/18/2018 |
| Rev Jonathan Schroeder | Faith LC Sharpsburg GA |
Bethlehem LC Menomonee Falls WI Associate Pastor |
2/18/2018 |
| Rev James Castillo | Retired | St John LC Woodland WI Pastor; Retirement call |
2/18/2018 |
| Rev Jonathan Balge | St Matthew LC Milwaukee WI |
Zion LC Toledo OH Pastor |
2/18/2018 |
| Rev Stephen Kuehl | Shepherd of Peace LC Powell OH |
Abiding Faith LC Fort Worth TX Pastor |
2/18/2018 |
| Rev N Halldorson | Divine Word LC Nepean ON Canada |
Grace LC Scroggins TX Pastor |
2/18/2018 |
| Rev Jacob Behnken | Good Shepherd LC Midland MI |
New Hope LC West Melbourne FL Pastor |
2/18/2018 |
| Rev Thomas Spiegelberg II | Trinity LC Castries St Lucia Castries Saint Lucia |
Saving Grace LC Mobile AL Pastor |
2/18/2018 |
| Rev David Bivens | Christ the Lord LC Houston TX |
Grace LC Vail AZ & Benson AZ Associate Pastor |
2/18/2018 |
| Rev Robert Guenther | Grace LC Kenai AK |
St John’s LC New Ulm MN Associate Pastor |
2/20/2018 |
| Rev Michael Helwig | Crown of Life LC Hubertus WI |
Lakeside Lutheran High School Lake Mills WI Teacher |
2/20/2018 |
| Rev Justin Dauck | St Paul LC Roscoe SD St John LC Bowdle SD |
Good Shepherd LC Omaha NE Pastor |
2/21/2018 |
| Rev Jonathan Kehl | Crown of Life LC New Orleans LA |
Victory of the Lamb LC Franklin WI Associate Pastor |
2/22/2018 |
| Rev Jacob Scott | Zion LC Arlington WI |
St Paul’s LC Stevensville MI Associate Pastor |
2/22/2018 |
| Rev Ethan Cherney | St Paul LC Green Bay WI |
Our Savior LC Pomona CA Pastor |
2/22/2018 |
| Rev Matthew Minzlaff | St John LC Tomah WI St Jacob LC Norwalk WI |
St Luke LC Kenosha WI Pastor |
2/24/2018 |
| Rev Daniel Foelske | Trinity LC Mount Carroll IL St Peter LC Savanna IL |
Grace LC New London WI Pastor |
2/25/2018 |
| Rev Tim Gumm | Peace LC Loves Park IL |
St John LC Doylestown WI St Stephen LC Fall River WI Pastor |
2/25/2018 |
| Rev Brian Krueger | Bloomington LC Bloomington MN |
Good Shepherd’s LC West Allis WI Associate Pastor |
2/25/2018 |
| Rev Timothy Spaude | St Jacobi LC Greenfield WI |
Lord of Love LC De Forest WI Associate Pastor |
2/25/2018 |
| Rev Joel Jaeger | Retired | Shepherd of the Hills LC Fredericksburg TX Pastor |
2/25/2018 |
| Rev Mark Voss | Divine Grace LC Lake Orion MI |
St Matthew’s LC Niles IL Pastor |
2/25/2018 |
| Rev Benjamin Golisch | King of Kings LC Maitland FL |
St Paul LC Slinger WI Associate Pastor |
2/25/2018 |
| Rev Bryan Prell | Petra LC Sauk Rapids MN |
Resurrection LC Verona WI & Monroe WI Associate Pastor |
2/25/2018 |
| Rev Robert Jensen | Gethsemane LC Milwaukee WI |
Living Water LC Hot Springs Village AR Pastor |
2/25/2018 |
| Rev Paul Learman | Divine Peace LC Milwaukee WI |
St Paul LC Wisconsin Rapids WI Associate Pastor |
2/26/2018 |
| Rev Peter Hagen | Shepherd of the Lakes LC Fairmont MN |
Resurrection LC Maumee OH Pastor |
2/27/2018 |
| Rev Joel Gaertner | The Lutheran Home Belle Plaine MN |
Water of Life LC Las Vegas NV Pastor |
2/27/2018 |
| Rev Paul Schmiege | King of Kings LC Willoughby OH |
Hope LC Portland MI Pastor; Retirement Call |
2/28/2018 |
| Rev Kevin Boushek | Beautiful Savior LC La Porte IN |
Mount Olive LC Appleton WI Associate Pastor |
2/28/2018 |
| Rev Jonathan Bauer | Good News LC Mt Horeb WI |
Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Mequon WI Professor; New Testament and practical theology (homiletics) |
2/28/2018 |
| Rev Kevin Boushek | Beautiful Savior LC La Porte IN |
Mt Calvary LC Redding CA Pastor |
3/1/2018 |
| Rev Jason Oakland | Martin Luther LC Neenah WI |
St John LC Watertown WI Associate Pastor |
3/1/2018 |
| Rev Kenneth Kratz | St Paul LC Green Bay WI |
Immanuel LC Kewaunee WI Pastor; Pulpit Assistant |
3/4/2018 |
| Rev Joon Ho Chung | Apostles LC San Jose CA |
Peace LC Santa Clara CA Pastor |
3/4/2018 |
| Teachers | Current call | New call | Date issued |
| Ms Maria Gines | Zion LS Monroe MI |
Victory Preschool Jacksonville FL Director |
1/21/2018 |
| Mrs Stefanie Hill | Brooklyn Bridge Preschool Brooklyn Park MN |
Brooklyn Bridge Preschool Brooklyn Park MN ECM Director |
1/21/2018 |
| Mrs Anneliese Gumm | Trinity LS Nicollet MN |
Trinity LS Nicollet MN Teacher; Middle Grades |
1/28/2018 |
| Mr Ryan Oertel | North Shore Christian Academy Milwaukee WI Principal; Provisional Call |
1/31/2018 | |
| Miss Cheryl Henckel | Good Shepherd LS West Bend WI |
Faith of a Child Daycare Oshkosh WI ECM Director |
2/4/2018 |
| Mrs Abby Truss | St Marcus LS Milwaukee WI |
Risen Savior LS Milwaukee WI Lead Teacher; Grades 6-8, Provisional Call |
2/4/2018 |
| Mrs Rachel Frederickson | Risen Savior LS Milwaukee WI Teacher; Grade 7 |
2/4/2018 | |
| Mrs Amy Bohme | Bethel Little Lamb Preschool Galesville WI |
St Matthew’s LS Winona MN Teacher; Grades 1-2, One-Year, Three Quarter-Time Call |
2/4/2018 |
| Mrs Kayla Wilkins | Trinity LS Marshfield WI |
Mt Calvary LS Waukesha WI Teacher; Grade 1 |
2/5/2018 |
| Mr Daniel Bredendick | St Paul First LS North Hollywood CA |
East Fork LS Whiteriver AZ Teacher; Grade 8 |
2/5/2018 |
| Mrs Marcie Kren | Wisconsin Lutheran High School Milwaukee WI |
Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School Jackson WI Teacher; Chemistry |
2/5/2018 |
| Mrs Kristi Bredendick | St Paul First LS North Hollywood CA |
East Fork LS Whiteriver AZ Teacher; Grade 3 |
2/5/2018 |
| Ms Megan Leverence | St John’s LS Wauwatosa WI Teacher; Grade 5, Provisional Call |
2/5/2018 | |
| Mr Nathan King | Manitowoc Lutheran High School Manitowoc WI |
Manitowoc Lutheran High School Manitowoc WI Teacher; International Student Director, Provisional Call |
2/6/2018 |
| Mrs Kirsten George | Cross of Christ LS Coon Rapids MN ECM Director |
2/7/2018 | |
| Mrs Jodi Rowe | Cross of Christ LS Coon Rapids MN Teacher; Grades 3-4 |
2/7/2018 | |
| Mrs Kimberly Gartner | St Paul LS Lake Mills WI |
Martin Luther College New Ulm MN Professor; Special Education |
2/8/2018 |
| Mr Darrell Berg | Michigan Lutheran Seminary Saginaw MI |
Martin Luther College New Ulm MN Professor; Art Education |
2/8/2018 |
| Mrs Kelli Baas | Trinity LS Brillion WI |
Little Lambs Learning Center Danube MN ECM Director |
2/8/2018 |
| Prof Matthew Prost | Luther Preparatory School Watertown WI |
Divine Savior Lutheran Academy Doral FL Teacher; High School English |
2/8/2018 |
| Mr Travis Wendt | Bethlehem LS-South Menomonee Falls WI |
Trinity LS Waco NE Principal & Grades 4-8 |
2/11/2018 |
| Mr Benjamin Edmundson | Arizona Lutheran Academy Phoenix AZ |
St Paul LS Columbus OH Teacher; Grades 5-6 |
2/11/2018 |
| Mr Eric Fillner | Zion LS South Milwaukee WI |
Star of Bethlehem LS New Berlin WI Teacher; Grade 6 & Upper Grades, Departmentalized |
2/11/2018 |
| Mrs Janeen Roska | Star of Bethlehem LS New Berlin WI Teacher; Extended Learning Director, Part-Time Call |
2/11/2018 | |
| Mr Matthew Willems | Divine Savior Lutheran Academy Doral FL |
Northland Lutheran High School Mosinee WI Teacher; Science |
2/11/2018 |
| Mrs Elizabeth Marquardt | Cross of Glory Lutheran Preschool Peoria AZ |
Water of Life LS Las Vegas NV ECM Director |
2/11/2018 |
| Miss Jessie Kempky | Trinity LS Marinette WI |
St Paul LS Moline IL Teacher; Kindergarten-Grade 3 |
2/11/2018 |
| Mrs Bailey Scriver | Lord of Life LS Friendswood TX Teacher; Grades 2-3 |
2/11/2018 | |
| Mrs Jill Hagen | St Paul LS Green Bay WI Teacher; Grades 7-8, Part-Time Call |
2/11/2018 | |
| Mrs Terry Buske | St John LS Wauwatosa WI |
St Marcus LS Milwaukee WI Lead Teacher; Primary Grades |
2/12/2018 |
| Mrs Lauren Hansen | Michigan Lutheran Seminary Saginaw MI |
Shoreland Lutheran High School Somers WI Teacher; STEM |
2/12/2018 |
| Mr Daniel Carran | Trinity LS Kiel WI |
St Paul LS Onalaska WI Teacher; Grade 4 |
2/13/2018 |
| Mr Jonathan Beilke | Salem LS-Greenfield MN Greenfield MN |
Grace LS Saint Joseph MI Principal & Upper Grades; Departmentalized |
2/13/2018 |
| Mr Scott Nerby | Zion LS 3K-8th Grade Hartland WI |
Shepherd of the Valley LS Menasha WI Teacher; Grades 5-6 |
2/13/2018 |
| Miss Amelia Nemmers | Divine Savior Lutheran Academy Doral FL |
St Philip LS Milwaukee WI Teacher; Grade 3 |
2/13/2018 |
| Mr Glenn Metzger | St John LS Redwood Falls MN |
Holy Trinity LS Des Moines WA Teacher; Grades 5-6 |
2/14/2018 |
| Miss Naomi Vieth | St John LS Saginaw MI |
Good Shepherd Lutheran Academy Deltona FL Teacher; Grade 4 |
2/18/2018 |
| Miss Vicki Jensen | St Paul LS Algoma WI |
St John LS Neillsville WI Teacher; Grades 3-5 |
2/18/2018 |
| Miss Sandra O’Laire | St Marcus LS Milwaukee WI |
Huron Valley Lutheran High School Westland MI Teacher; English |
2/18/2018 |
| Mrs Kristine Wegner | St Marcus LS Milwaukee WI |
Bethlehem LS-North Germantown WI ECM Director |
2/18/2018 |
| Miss Sarah Free | Mt Olive LS Delano MN |
St John LS Milwaukee WI Teacher; Grade 2 |
2/18/2018 |
| Miss Jessica Neumann | Grace LS Glendale AZ |
St John LS Mukwonago WI Teacher; Grades 1-2 |
2/18/2018 |
| Mr Adam Pavelchik | Peace LS Kissimmee FL |
Mt Olive LS Mankato MN Principal |
2/18/2018 |
| Mrs Laura Heiman | Grace Lutheran Child Learning Center Sahuarita AZ ECM Director; Provisional Call |
2/18/2018 | |
| Mrs Molly Parsons | Faith LS Fond du Lac WI |
Faith LS Fond du Lac WI Teacher; Primary Grades, Provisional Call |
2/18/2018 |
| Mrs Michelle Schmidt | Faith LS Fond du Lac WI |
Faith LS Fond du Lac WI Teacher; Grade 3, Provisional Call |
2/18/2018 |
| Mrs Bethany Holter | St John LC Libertyville IL ECM Teacher |
2/20/2018 | |
| Miss Ju Yeon Moon | Beautiful Savior LS Grove City OH |
St John LS Libertyville IL Teacher; Grades 1-2 |
2/20/2018 |
| Mr Jeremiah Schmiege | Sola Fide LS Lawrenceville GA |
Lakeside Lutheran High School Lake Mills WI Teacher; Science |
2/20/2018 |
| Mrs Mary Harris | St Paul LS South Haven MI |
St Matthew’s LS Oconomowoc WI Teacher; Grade 5 |
2/22/2018 |
| Miss Kathleen VanOrman | Sola Fide LS Lawrenceville GA |
St Bartholomew LS Kawkawlin MI Teacher; Kindergarten |
2/25/2018 |
| Mr Nathan Deering | Trinity LS Marinette WI |
Lord of Life LS Thornton CO Teacher; Grades 4-6 |
2/25/2018 |
| Mr Dale Rundgren | St Paul LS Beverly Hills FL Teacher; Grades 5-6 |
2/25/2018 | |
| Miss Lindsay Sandwith | Redeemer Learning Center Tomahawk WI |
St Peter LS Weyauwega WI Teacher; Kindergarten |
2/25/2018 |
| Mrs Nancy Leifer | Faith LS Tacoma WA |
Shepherd of the Valley LS Westminster CO Teacher; Kindergarten-Grade 2 |
2/25/2018 |
| Mr Paul Leifer | Faith LS Tacoma WA |
Shepherd of the Valley LS Westminster CO Principal & Grades 6-8 |
2/25/2018 |
| Mr Kevin Bode | Emmanuel LS Tempe AZ |
Zion LS Columbus WI Teacher; Grades 5-6 |
2/25/2018 |
| Miss Megan Bauer | Beautiful Savior LS Grove City OH |
Divine Grace LS Lake Orion MI Teacher; Grades 3-5 |
2/25/2018 |
| Miss Emilee Plocher | Grace LS Saint Joseph MI |
Christ LS North Saint Paul MN Teacher; Grade 2, One-Year Call |
2/25/2018 |
| Mr Matthew Bauer | St Mark LS Citrus Heights CA |
Great Plains Lutheran High School Watertown SD Principal |
2/25/2018 |
| Mr Andrew Van Weele | Lord of Life LS Friendswood TX |
Redeemer LS Fond du Lac WI Principal & Grades 7-8 |
2/25/2018 |
| Prof Naomi Fritz | Luther Preparatory School Watertown WI |
Zion LS Chesaning MI Teacher; Grades 2-4 |
2/25/2018 |
| Mrs Laura Schultz | Trinity-St Luke Western Ave Campus Watertown WI |
Trinity LS Brillion WI Teacher; Grade 3-4 |
2/25/2018 |
| Miss Anne Marquardt | Gloria Dei LS Belmont CA |
St John LS Mukwonago WI ECM Director |
2/25/2018 |
| Mrs Ashley Phillips | St Matthew LS Janesville WI |
St Matthew LS Janesville WI Teacher; Grades 1-2, One-Year Call |
2/25/2018 |
| Mrs Rachael Kreis | Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School Jackson WI |
Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School Jackson WI Teacher; Art |
2/26/2018 |
| Mr Daniel Gawrisch | Martin Luther College New Ulm MN |
Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School Jackson WI Teacher; Physical Education |
2/26/2018 |
| Mr Matthew Rydecki | Trinity LS Waukesha WI |
Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School Jackson WI Teacher; Word of God & English |
2/26/2018 |
| Mrs Jamie Walta | Faith LS Fond du Lac WI |
St Paul LS Wisconsin Rapids WI ECM Director |
2/26/2018 |
| Mrs Elizabeth Roecker | St Paul LS Wisconsin Rapids WI Teacher; Kindergarten |
2/26/2018 | |
| Mr Kristian Walta | Faith LS Fond du Lac WI |
St Paul LS Wisconsin Rapids WI Principal |
2/26/2018 |
| Mrs Destinee Fiecko | St Paul LS Wisconsin Rapids WI Teacher; Grades 3-4 |
2/26/2018 | |
| Mrs Jillian Igl | Trinity LS West Bend WI ECM Director; Half-Time Call |
2/27/2018 | |
| Mr Luke Scherschel | Zion LS Toledo OH |
St Mark LS Lincoln NE Principal & Grades 5-8 |
2/27/2018 |
| Mr Benjamin Schramm | First LS Elkhorn WI |
Samuel LS Marshall MN Principal & Grades 6-8 |
2/27/2018 |
| Miss Brittni Wentzel | Good Shepherd Lutheran Academy Deltona FL |
Samuel LS Marshall MN Teacher; Kindergaraten |
2/27/2018 |
| Mr Paul Hoffman | St Paul LS Appleton WI |
Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School New Ulm MN Teacher; Science |
2/27/2018 |
| Miss Katherine Rath | Evergreen Lutheran High School Tacoma WA |
Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School New Ulm MN Teacher; English |
2/27/2018 |
| Mr Stephen Gurgel | St Paul LS Rapid City SD |
Lamb of God LS West Allis WI Principal & Grades 7-8 |
2/28/2018 |
| Mr Paul Patterson | Wisconsin LS-Early Childhood Campus (K4-2) Racine WI |
Garden Homes LS Milwaukee WI Principal |
2/28/2018 |
| Mrs Erika Fletcher | Garden Homes LS Milwaukee WI Teacher; 3K, Provisional Call |
2/28/2018 | |
| Mr Kurt Gosdeck | St Mark LS Green Bay WI |
Trinity LS Marinette WI Principal & Grades 5-8 |
2/28/2018 |
| Mr Kevin Needham | St Paul’s LS Saginaw MI |
First German LS Manitowoc WI Principal and Grades 7-8 |
2/28/2018 |
| Mr Daniel Rick | St John’s LS Sleepy Eye MN |
St Paul LS Muskego WI Teacher |
2/28/2018 |
| Mrs Elizabeth Loberger | Christ the King School Palm Coast FL |
Mount Olive LS Appleton WI Teacher; Grade 1, One-Year Call |
2/28/2018 |
| Mr Paul Huebner | Shoreland Lutheran High School Somers WI |
Illinois Lutheran High School Crete IL Teacher; Math |
2/28/2018 |
| Mr Joel Kramer | Fox Valley Lutheran High School Appleton WI |
Illinois Lutheran High School Crete IL Teacher; Dean of Students |
2/28/2018 |
| Mrs Beth Humann | Holy Trinity LS Des Moines WA |
Holy Trinity LS Des Moines WA Staff Minister; Grades 1-2 |
2/28/2018 |
| Mrs Julie Krieger | St Paul LS Livonia MI |
St Paul LS Livonia MI ECM Director |
3/4/2018 |
| Mrs Michelle Schliewe | St Paul LS Livonia MI |
St Paul LS Livonia MI Teacher; Grades 1-2 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr John Martin III | St John’s LS Newburg WI |
St Paul LS Howards Grove WI Teacher; Grades 5-6 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mrs Jessica Figueroa | St John-St James LS Reedsville WI ECM Teacher; One-Year, Part-Time Call |
3/4/2018 | |
| Miss Stephanie Humann | Zion Lutheran Preschool Mobridge SD |
Zion Lutheran Preschool Valentine NE ECM Director |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr Christopher Denney | Bethany LS Port Orchard WA |
Trinity LS Belle Plaine MN Teacher; Grades 5-6 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mrs Beverly Bentz | Illinois Lutheran Elementary School Crete IL |
Trinity LS Belle Plaine MN Teacher; Grades 1-2 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr Bradley Jensen | Zion LS Valentine NE |
Morning Star LS Jackson WI Teacher; Grade 6 |
3/4/2018 |
| Miss Kimberly Ehlke | Trinity LS Caledonia WI |
Peace LS Hartford WI Teacher; Grade 2 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr Paul Schulz | St John LS Manitowoc WI |
Peace LS Sun Prairie WI Teacher; Grade 6 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mrs Greta Scharp | Mt Calvary LS Waukesha WI |
Bethlehem LS-South Menomonee Falls WI Teacher; Grade 4 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr Duane Vance | Jerusalem LS Morton Grove IL |
Apostles LS San Jose CA Principal |
3/4/2018 |
| Mrs Katie Denney | Bethany LS Port Orchard WA |
Trinity LS Belle Plaine MN ECM Teacher; Half-Time Call |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr John Kaesmeyer | Christ the Lord LS Brookfield WI |
Emmaus LS Phoenix AZ Teacher; Grades 5-6 |
3/4/2018 |
| Miss Rachel Kramer | St John LS Redwood Falls MN |
Emmaus LS Phoenix AZ Teacher; Grades 1-2 |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr Nathan Schultz | Peace LS Hartford WI |
Abiding Word LS Houston TX Teacher; Grade 7 & Vice Principal |
3/4/2018 |
| Mrs Lisa Mensching | Luther Preparatory School Watertown WI |
Trinity-St Luke Western Ave Campus Watertown WI ECM Teacher; Half-Time Call |
3/4/2018 |
| Mrs Marjorie Bentz | Peace LS Hartford WI |
Peace LS Hartford WI ECM Teacher; Part-Time Call |
3/4/2018 |
| Staff Ministers | Current call | New call | Date issued |
| Miss Naomi Laabs | St Andrew LC Middleton WI |
Christ Our Savior LC Rockford MI Staff Minister; Music, Children’s Ministry, ECM |
2/6/2018 |
CALLS ACCEPTED
| Pastors | Current call | New call | Date accepted |
| Rev Joshua Bishop | Peace LC Kokomo IN |
Grace LC Saint Joseph MI Associate Pastor |
3/2/2018 |
| Rev Seth Bode | Christ Alone LC Dardenne Prairie MO |
Bethlehem LC Carmel IN Pastor |
3/4/2018 |
| Teachers | Current call | New call | Date accepted |
| Mrs Rachel Hansen | Good Shepherd LS Burnsville MN Teacher; Kindergarten, Provisional Call |
2/26/2018 | |
| Mr Michael Pingel | Mt Lebanon LS-Alpha Campus PK-4 Milwaukee WI |
Mt Calvary LS Waukesha WI Teacherl Grade 4 |
2/27/2018 |
| Miss Miriam Schliewe | St John LS Redwood Falls MN |
St John LS Redwood Falls MN ECM Teacher |
2/28/2018 |
| Mrs Jennifer Carter | St Mark LS Eau Claire WI |
St Mark LS Eau Claire WI Teacherl Grades 3-6, Departmentalized |
2/28/2018 |
| Miss Katherine Szczepaniak | St Mark LS Green Bay WI |
St Philip LS Milwaukee WI Teacher; Grade 6 |
2/28/2018 |
| Mrs Ellen Stevenson | Pilgrim LS Mesa AZ Teacher; Grades 3-4, Part-Time Call |
3/1/2018 | |
| Mr Matthew Sonntag | Arizona Lutheran Academy Phoenix AZ |
Shoreland Lutheran High School Somers WI Teacher; Science |
3/2/2018 |
| Mr Patrick Carran | Mt Calvary-Grace LS La Crosse WI |
Good Shepherd Lutheran Academy Deltona FL Teacher; Grade 6 |
3/3/2018 |
| Staff Ministers | Current call | New call | Date accepted |
| Mr Jason Fry | Shepherd of the Hills LC West Bend WI Staff Minister |
2/26/2018 |
CALLS DECLINED
| Pastors | Current call | New call | Date declined |
| Rev Joseph Fricke | St Paul LC Mauston WI |
St Paul LC Saginaw MI Associate Pastor |
3/1/2018 |
| Rev Stephen Meyer | Resurrection LC Rochester MN |
Mt Olive LC Suamico WI Associate Pastor |
3/1/2018 |
| Rev Kyle Bitter | St John LC Wauwatosa WI |
St John LC Bay City MI Associate Pastor |
3/1/2018 |
| Rev Kyle Burmeister | Beautiful Savior LC Summerville SC |
Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School Waco NE Pastor |
3/2/2018 |
| Rev James Borgwardt | Redeemer LC Fond du Lac WI |
St Luke LC Watertown WI Associate Pastor |
3/3/2018 |
| Rev Darren Knoll | Shepherd of the Hills LC West Bend WI |
Our Savior’s LC East Brunswick NJ Pastor |
3/3/2018 |
| Rev Luke Boehringer | Gethsemane LC Davenport IA |
St John LC Peshtigo WI Pastor |
3/3/2018 |
| Rev Gregory Hein | Peace LC Gilbert AZ |
Cross of Life LC Mississauga ON Canada Pastor |
3/3/2018 |
| Teachers | Current call | New call | Date declined |
| Mrs Beth Rockwell | Immanuel LS Waukegan IL |
Mt Calvary LS Waukesha WI Teacher; Grade 2 |
2/27/2018 |
| Mrs Terri Elder | Michigan Lutheran High School Saint Joseph MI |
Luther High School Onalaska WI Teacher; Physical Education |
2/27/2018 |
| Miss Catharyn Waggoner | Our Savior’s LS Zion IL |
Divine Savior Lutheran Academy Doral FL ECM Teacher |
2/27/2018 |
| Miss Jennifer Birr | Redeemer LS Fond du Lac WI |
Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School Waco NE Teacher; Math |
2/27/2018 |
| Mrs Deanna Schneck | Peace LS Livonia MI |
Zion LS Monroe MI Teacher; Grades 1-2 |
2/28/2018 |
| Mrs Rachel Arndt | St John LS Mukwonago WI ECM Teacher; Half-Time Call |
2/28/2018 | |
| Miss Sarah Siegler | Shoreland Lutheran High School Somers WI |
Luther High School Onalaska WI Teacher; Band |
2/28/2018 |
| Mr Christopher Haring | Northdale LS Tampa FL |
St Philip LS Milwaukee WI Teacher; Grade 5 |
3/1/2018 |
| Miss Nicole Lehman | Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School New Ulm MN |
Divine Savior Lutheran Academy Doral FL Teacher; High School Math |
3/1/2018 |
| Ms Stephanie Kudek | Atonement LS Milwaukee WI |
Risen Savior LS Milwaukee WI Teacher Grade 5; Provisional Call |
3/1/2018 |
| Mr Christopher Holman | Crown of Life LS Warren MI |
St John LS Mukwonago WI Teacher; Grades 3-4 |
3/2/2018 |
| Mrs Sara Makinen | St Paul LS Columbus OH Teacher; Kindergarten |
3/2/2018 | |
| Mrs Rebecca Meyer | Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School Jackson WI |
St Marcus LS Milwaukee WI Lead Teacher; Middle School |
3/2/2018 |
| Miss Kathleen Siverly | Roots to Wings Learning Center Lake City MN |
Grace LS Oshkosh WI ECM Teacher |
3/2/2018 |
| Miss Elizabeth Henke | Risen Savior Christian Academy Pooler GA |
St Marcus LS Milwaukee WI Lead Teacher; Primary/Middle School |
3/2/2018 |
| Mrs Amy McCargar | St John’s LS Two Rivers WI |
First German LS Manitowoc WI Teacher; Grades 1-2 |
3/3/2018 |
| Mr Christopher Mueller | St John LS Watertown WI |
St Jacobi LS Greenfield WI Principal & Upper Grades; Departmentalized |
3/3/2018 |
| Mr Nathan Livingston | St John LS Caledonia MN |
Mt Olive LS Delano MN Principal & Grades 6-8 |
3/3/2018 |
| Mrs Lisa Dunsmoor | Christ LS Eagle River WI |
St John LS Manitowoc WI Teacher; Middle Grades & Extended Learning |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr Mark Kutz | St John LS Dakota MN |
Faith LS Antioch IL Principal & Upper Grades; Departmentalized |
3/4/2018 |
| Mrs Sara Makinen | Martin Luther LS Oshkosh WI Teacher; Grades 1-2 |
3/4/2018 | |
| Mr Philip Stuebs | St John-St James LS Reedsville WI |
Lakeside Lutheran High School Lake Mills WI Teacher; English & Religion |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr Matthew Nottling | St Mark’s LS Watertown WI |
St Paul LS Fort Atkinson WI Principal & Grades 5-8; Departmentalized |
3/4/2018 |
| Mr David Porth | Pilgrim LS Menomonee Falls WI |
St John LS Libertyville IL Teacher; Grades 7-8 |
3/5/2018 |
RESIGNED
| Teachers | Current call | Date resigned |
| Mr Mark Otte | Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School Waco NE |
3/3/2018 |
| Miss Jessica Seiltz | Redeemer LS Tucson AZ |
6/30/2018 |
| Mrs Ashley Renstrom | Westside Christian School Middleton WI |
6/30/2018 |
| Mrs Anna Duppong | Bloomington LS Bloomington MN |
6/30/2018 |
| Mrs Amanda Kroll | Christ-St Peter LS-East Campus Milwaukee WI |
6/30/2018 |
| Staff Ministers | Current call | Date resigned |
| Mr Saynousone Vanissaveth | Camp Phillip Wautoma WI |
1/1/2018 |
CALLED TO ETERNAL GLORY
| Pastors | Home church | Death date |
| Rev Lloyd Hohenstein | St Mark LC Watertown WI |
2/27/2018 |
| Rev James Radloff | Holy Word LC PflugervilleTX |
3/2/2018 |
RETIREMENT
| Pastors | Current call | Date retired |
| Rev Darryl Kenagy | St Paul LC Stratford WI |
6/30/2018 |
| Teachers | Current call | Date retired |
| Mrs Sue Strieter | St John LS Manitowoc WI |
6/30/2018 |
| Mrs Susan Marose | Christ the Lord LS Brookfield WI |
6/30/2018 |
View a downloadable pdf version of the call report.
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A family finds joy when they discover the truth of God’s Word.
John A. Braun
“When we got married, we decided to find a church where we could worship together,” Kimberly begins. That search came to an end when Chris and Kimberly Zak joined a nearby Lutheran church. “It was comfortable. We made a good connection with the pastor, and they had a strong children’s ministry,” she says. The church was not a conservative confessional church, however.
For 12 years they made friends and were active in the church. The congregation was large, and it took over one hundred volunteers doing various tasks each weekend to ensure the services ran smoothly. Eventually Kimberly became the coordinator of those volunteers. “It was a tight fit for us for 12 years,” she says. They felt comfortable with their choice. Soon Chris and Kimberly added a son, Adam, and a daughter, Kate, to their family.
The year of politics
But things changed for them in 2016. They call that year “the year of politics.” The political divide was evident then as it still is today. We may all have memories of the division and rhetoric of the campaigns. For the Zaks, politics invaded their church. Sermons became political. “The weekly sermon at our previous church touched on social and political issues often. This was disturbing to us,” says Chris. “We wanted to hear about the Word and the amazing gift we have been given by Jesus, not lectures on how social and political issues fit into our Christian lives.”
Kimberly agrees: “We wanted to grow in our faith. We did not want to hear politics in the pulpit.”
They had already noticed the messages they heard in Bible class were not clear. That year of politics brought those disturbing messages into focus. “We were frustrated with our Bible study, because there were never any real answers,” says Kimberly. “The Bible was always a matter of interpretation.”
Chris agrees, “We had numerous experiences in Bible studies where the consensus of the group was that you can take part of the Bible literally and then, at your convenience, take other parts of the Bible figuratively. Whenever you personally didn’t like what the Bible passage conveyed, you could just wash it away by saying, ‘Well, that didn’t really happen’ or ‘That was just a figure of speech.’ ”
When they talked with others in the church, “there was a consensus that some of the Bible was true, but it was all a matter of interpretation,” says Kimberly. They were confused instead of satisfied. Exactly what did the Word of God say? The answer often was vague and unclear. It seemed that it was all part of the approach in their previous church.
An eternity of joy
The Zaks decided it was time to search for a new church home. That meant researching other Lutheran churches. Kimberly did the research, finding a couple of more conservative Lutheran churches in the area.
This search for a church home ended suddenly when they stepped through the doors of Resurrection, Verona, Wis. It was the first church on the list. Kimberly says that it was “like a light bulb went off.” The message they heard was different from what they had heard for 12 years. “We heard the Word of God, not interpretation,” she says.
The entire family was amazed. Kimberly said, “This is where we belong. But we should check out the other churches on our list.” Chris, Adam, and Kate all disagreed and said they did not need to look any further. They had found the pearl of great value (Matthew 13:15,16)—the Word of God, the gospel of Jesus. It brought them joy. They had found their new church home.
They met with Nathan Strutz, pastor at Resurrection, who assured them that the Bible is the true Word of God. Together with Strutz, the Zaks began a Bible information course. For three months he met with them once a week in their home to share the truths of the Bible. Kimberly comments, “We talked about Jesus, sin, grace, faith, works, the Bible, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and all the important topics.”
The light bulb that had been ignited on that first visit grew brighter. Kimberly says, “We learned more in those three months than we did in 12 years at the previous church. We heard the Word of God.”
Chris adds, “We were dead in sin, but because of God’s grace, through faith in Jesus, we are saved. The message is steadfast and clear, without social and political commentary.”
The assurance of heaven is especially important. Kimberly shares that lesson: “I’m going to heaven. Period! In those Bible classes, Pastor Strutz would regularly ask if we knew we are going to heaven. The answer is yes, and the reason is Jesus lived, Jesus died, Jesus rose. It’s amazing. It’s that simple.”
Their joy in finding the truth of God’s Word brings them to church every Sunday, “Now attending Resurrection Lutheran, the message every Sunday is very clear,” says Kimberly. They are growing in their faith and continuing to learn about God and what Jesus has done for them.
They still miss the people they grew to know during the 12 years they were members of their previous church. But now they have found the peace, joy, and comfort of God’s love. “Now it is unbelievably awesome. Every Sunday is exactly what we need to hear,” they say.
Every Sunday! What an important reminder for all of us. We all have the opportunity to hear the gospel every Sunday. The place and the pastor may be different, but the gospel is the pearl of great value that fills us all with joy and peace. The example of the Zaks can encourage us all to walk through the doors of our congregations and hear such great news every week. How thankful we are to the Holy Spirit who continues to work through the gospel.
When I asked the Zaks what they would like to tell others about their journey, they both agree: “We are blessed that God has shown us the truth of his Word at Resurrection and that he has led us to our new church home.”
John Braun is executive editor of Forward in Christ.
Do you have a manuscript, idea, or story from your own life you’d like to share for use in Forward in Christ or on wels.net? Use our online form to share it to our editorial office for consideration.
Get inspirational stories, spiritual help, and synod news from Forward in Christ every month. Print and digital subscriptions are available from Northwestern Publishing House.
Author: John A. Braun
Volume 105, Number 3
Issue: March 2018
Copyrighted by WELS Forward in Christ © 2021
Forward in Christ grants permission for any original article (not a reprint) to be printed for use in a WELS church, school, or organization, provided that it is distributed free and indicate Forward in Christ as the source. Images may not be reproduced except in the context of its article. Contact us
Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. Genesis 28:10
Peter M. Prange
When St. Paul penned Philippians, he was languishing in prison. Life had not been easy for this witness of Christ Jesus, and it wouldn’t get easier. But that didn’t come as a surprise to him. The Lord Jesus had promised as much, even before Paul became an apostle. The Lord even said, “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:16).
Paul was living in exile, and he knew it. Through his suffering he had come to appreciate that “our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). But until the day of Jesus’ glorious coming, he would be living away from his heavenly home.
Experiencing suffering in this world
The Old Testament believer Jacob had a similar experience. He was the one who received the birthright, not Esau, his brother. Jacob was the one through whom the Savior of the world would be born. He was the one whom God chose for this blessing, even before he and Esau were born (Genesis 25:23). Yet it was Jacob, not Esau, who was driven away from his homeland to live in exile. He received the divine promises, only to be sent out into the wilderness.
Near the end of his life, Martin Luther remarked on Jacob’s plight. “God seems to be a liar, because he promises in a kindly manner and puts forth good words but gives things that are evil. He gives Jacob a blessing and, on the other hand, allows it to be taken away. On the contrary, Esau, who has been cursed, remains in the house with his children, his wives, and his whole relationship, and governs everything just as previously he was head of the household and a priest of the church. Jacob goes into exile and abandons his blessing” (Luther’s Works [LW], Vol. 5, p. 202).
Luther discovered in Holy Scripture that what was true for Jacob is true for God’s people in general. “This is the constant course of the church at all times, namely, that promises are made and that then those who believe the promises are treated in such a way that they are compelled to wait for things that are invisible, to believe what they do not see, and to hope for what does not appear” (LW, Vol. 5, p. 202).
Using trials to exercise our faith
But why? Why does God deal with his dear people this way? Why does he allow his people to endure such pain, such persecution, such pushback from an evil world? Why doesn’t he turn the tables and send the unbelievers into exile and allow his children to live in peace in this world?
Why? Because Jesus wants us to trust him. He knows how faith works and how faith is worked. Faith needs to be exercised just like our bodies, and it is exercised through resistance, through trial. Luther explained that “faith is not a laughable, cold quality that snores and is idle in the heart. No, it is agitated and harassed by horrible trials concerning the nothingness and the vanity of the divine promises. . . . [So often in this world] I see nothing of what he promises. Indeed, I feel the opposite in my flesh” (LW, Vol. 5, p. 205).
But that’s exactly when faith in God’s promises kicks in! That’s when faith is exercised. Jesus pushes the seed of his gospel deep into our hearts through the crosses we carry. The heavier the cross, the more we treasure his promises
Like Jacob, we are living in exile. Thank God for it.
Contributing editor Peter Prange is pastor at Bethany, Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Do you have a manuscript, idea, or story from your own life you’d like to share for use in Forward in Christ or on wels.net? Use our online form to share it to our editorial office for consideration.
Get inspirational stories, spiritual help, and synod news from Forward in Christ every month. Print and digital subscriptions are available from Northwestern Publishing House.
Author: Peter M. Prange
Volume 105, Number 3
Issue: March 2018
Copyrighted by WELS Forward in Christ © 2021
Forward in Christ grants permission for any original article (not a reprint) to be printed for use in a WELS church, school, or organization, provided that it is distributed free and indicate Forward in Christ as the source. Images may not be reproduced except in the context of its article. Contact us
What should we do when our children grow silent?
Parenting is a balancing act in so many ways. For example, each day I try to help my kids balance their sleep. If they go to bed too early, they’ll wake up too early and be ready for a nap before school. If they go to bed too late, they’ll have trouble waking up and functioning the next day.
Character traits are like that too. We want our children to be strong-strong Christians, strong citizens, strong students, strong friends. Yet we also want them to be gentle-gentle Christians, gentle citizens, gentle students, gentle friends. How do we help our children see that balancing act in action? How can we show them that gentleness and strength are both qualities to be admired-in the right circumstances, in the right amounts? Three Christian parents share their takes on this topic. If you have thoughts you want to share, comment on these articles at forwardinchrist.net.
Nicole Balza
Sometimes we forget that Jesus is both strong and gentle.
The One who commanded the wind and waves—“Be quiet!”—also let little children clamber onto his lap for a blessing. The One who started crying at the sight of his beloved Jerusalem also strode into the Court of Gentiles with a whip, toppling tables, spilling coins, and driving out the merchants who didn’t belong there.
It’s a good reminder that a Christian man can be both strong and gentle, recognizing that strength is not brutality and gentleness is not weakness.
I still like the old term “gentleman.” I want to raise up sons who are gentlemen, whose gentleness is actually strength wrapped in wisdom. My picture of a gentleman is based on my gentleman father.
A gentleman cries. Let’s never say, “Big boys don’t cry,” if crying is exactly what a situation calls for. If we have an overly sensitive child on our hands, though, one who cries at the drop of a hat, well, that’s a whole different article.
A gentleman respects others. This plays out in a number of ways.
Finally, a gentleman keeps his word. He’s trustworthy. He has integrity. The whole world can depend on the word of a gentleman.
Your picture of a gentleman might be different than mine. That’s okay. Hopefully we all agree, though, that our boys can be both gentle and strong, just like Jesus—the One who said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18), and also “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29).
Laurie Gauger-Hested and her husband, Michael, have a blended family that includes her two 20-somethings and his teenage son.
Teaching our kids to find a balance between strength and gentleness is tough, because there’s a tension, isn’t there? On the one hand we’d like to see our kids strong—leaders making use of their gifts. On the other hand we want them to understand the value of gentleness—a humility, putting others first.
As Christians we know to look to God’s Word for answers, and what we find is very satisfying. Whether we’re talking about the strength side of the scale or the gentleness side, it’s not about us; it’s about God. That takes the pressure off.
For example, a child who is strong in an area tends to gain a level of notoriety. If the child takes credit for the strength, there is a lack of consideration toward other children who don’t have that strength. There is an unspoken condescension, a misunderstanding that she somehow achieved things on her own to be better than other kids. God’s Word tells us that our talents and abilities are gifts from God and it is God who should receive the glory. A child who properly understands this can be strong and gentle, humbly thanking God for opportunities and acknowledging that other kids, through their own strengths or even weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9,10), are equally blessed with opportunities to glorify God.
A child’s acts of gentleness can also be flawed. He may figure that niceness should earn him niceness in return. If that doesn’t happen, the child might decide there is no longer any advantage to being nice. The Bible teaches that since God has shown us undeserved love in forgiving our sins against him through Jesus, we are called by God to show love to friends and enemies alike. A child who properly understands this can be gentle and strong, showing the grace of God even in the face of resistance.
As parents it’s beneficial to be regularly in God’s Word ourselves and with our kids to grasp God’s strength as well as his grace and to see how both affect our lives. The Bible is full of good examples, but perhaps the best place to start is with Jesus himself, our perfect model of strength and gentleness. His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5–7) offers a great perspective.
Remember how it felt to be kids dealing with social pressures? We can pray that God through his Word will help us relieve our kids’ stresses by teaching them that they aren’t alone when it comes to demonstrating strength and gentleness. Rather, God through Jesus has blessed us with the privilege of sharing his strength and gentleness with others.
Adam Goede and his wife, Stephanie, have four children ranging in age from 5-12.
How wonderful it is to have the opportunity to teach gentleness and strength to our kids. However, I have to admit, I wonder how my wife, Kelly, and I are fostering gentleness and strength in our kids within a culture that seems to encourage one over the other: “Be strong!” “Be assertive!” “Teach your kids not to cry!” “Don’t give in!” “Win at all costs!”
Gentleness can be seen by some as weak, vulnerable, or cowardly. Kelly recently witnessed this at our local drug store and shared it with the kids and me when she got home. A customer in line ahead of her became verbally abusive to a cashier when an incorrect amount was accidentally charged on her debit card. The customer accused the cashier of intentionally trying to steal money and provided some extra choice words to enhance her position. Kelly noted, though, that the cashier was cool and calm, gently responding to the customer. The cashier acknowledged the customer’s concern, reassured her, and made the adjustment or refund—even thanking her for shopping at the store as she left.
When we talked about the event, I asked, “How did that cashier not get angry?” I think that in that instance the cashier was using more strength than the customer.
We can appreciate our culture’s understanding of strength, but we shouldn’t use it as an excuse to be abusive and go well beyond appropriate assertiveness. As we consider the example of Christ Jesus and are motivated by his love for us, a simple act of gentleness can be an unselfish act of love that so many people are yearning to see.
Consider the strength it takes to “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3,4).
The amazing thing about this is that the strength it takes to be gentle and unselfish is given to us by God—it’s a natural result of our faith and love for him. After thinking about Kelly’s experience, I can now better appreciate the essence of a gentle response in the face of what some view as a “strong” approach. I can’t help but apply this to my own parenting and my temptation to sacrifice gentleness for strength or control.
I’m convinced that experiences similar to what Kelly saw in the store are all around my kids on the episodes of the latest Netflix series, in school, or on the “funny” YouTube video shared by friends. These poor examples of people being strong or selfishly stronger than others won’t teach appropriate boundaries or proper assertiveness to our kids, but they can be opportunities to give to others what is so desperately needed—an example of strength in gentleness as a result of a loving faith.
Dan Nommensen and his wife, Kelly, have a teenage daughter and a pre-teen son.
Do you have a manuscript, idea, or story from your own life you’d like to share for use in Forward in Christ or on wels.net? Use our online form to share it to our editorial office for consideration.
Get inspirational stories, spiritual help, and synod news from Forward in Christ every month. Print and digital subscriptions are available from Northwestern Publishing House.
Author: Multiple Authors
Volume 105, Number 03
Issue: March 2018
Copyrighted by WELS Forward in Christ © 2021
Forward in Christ grants permission for any original article (not a reprint) to be printed for use in a WELS church, school, or organization, provided that it is distributed free and indicate Forward in Christ as the source. Images may not be reproduced except in the context of its article. Contact us
Science had helped us to expand our knowledge. But how reliable is scientific truth?
Arthur A. Eggert
Mathematics and formal logic are examples of deductive reasoning. When using deduction, we learn no new information. We are working within a well-defined box with well-understood tools. If we begin with premises that are true, then our conclusion will also be true. This is of great value for business and engineering, but it does not meet the needs of scientific investigation.
The driving motivation for scientists is to expand knowledge. Therefore, they need to reach beyond the boundaries stated in the premises of what they are studying. This involves what is called “inductive reasoning,” which goes from specific cases to a more general conclusion. For example, “It snowed in February this year, last year, and every year that I remember. Therefore, it will snow next February.” Next February, however, is not within the set of initial information, so we are drawing conclusions when we state something about it. Such generalized conclusions run the risk of not being true, even though all the premises are true. Perhaps unusual conditions will make next February without snow.
Scientific fact
Virtually all science is based on inductive reasoning. This is because scientists can usually study only a small fraction of the cases that occur in nature (e.g., all the stars in the Milky Way). Only in the rare instance when they are able to actually investigate every possible case can they say with certainty that something is true.
To understand the nature of scientific truth, one has to avoid being taken in by meaningless statements, such as “It’s a scientific fact that . . .” This statement claims that the information being put forth is absolutely true. But how do we know the “fact” is true? Establishing that it is true might take considerable time and effort. Consequently, scientists regard something as a “fact” only if its probable truthfulness is accepted by everyone discussing it. If some people reject it, it is not a “fact.” Such a “fact,” whether true or not, becomes a part of one’s set of unproved assumptions.
“Evidence,” which is the heart of scientific investigation, is obtained through making observations of the physical world. Unfortunately, collecting evidence or data can be affected by physical limitations, such as, the precision of the instrumentation or the bias
of the observer. For observations to be considered evidence, they must be made and validated based on a set of rules or standards that have been agreed upon before observations are made. For example, archeological findings are sometimes announced that “disprove the Bible,” only to have those findings later discarded once the observations are reviewed according to the accepted standards.
The goal of scientists is to create models that explain all their observations in terms of the natural properties of matter, energy, space, and time. Because the conclusions of inductive reasoning can never be absolutely certain, scientists have developed a method of determining which models are more likely to be true than others. “Scientific truth” is therefore the result of the scientific method. This method requires that observations be made; a theory (model) be formulated to explain the observations; the model be submitted for review by the scientific community (falsification challenge); and the model be modified, as necessary, based on any criticism. The process is then repeated until sufficient evidence exists for it to be generally accepted (i.e., scientifically true) or rejected. Because science does not have the absolute certainty of deductive reasoning behind it, the falsification challenge is critical to guarantee that the best analysts in the field see no reason that the theory is not true. Without this, one has only pseudoscience. Even still, scientific truth can be overturned if new evidence is found that does not fit the model.
Three kinds of science
There are basically three kinds of science. In the hard sciences like chemistry and physics, it is possible to isolate the entity being studied (e.g., oxygen atoms) from the environment, thereby eliminating interferences. Experimenters then hold constant all independent variables except the one of interest (e.g., temperature) to study a dependent variable (e.g., pressure). The experiments can be exactly duplicated by others with similar equipment, thereby removing investigator bias and providing an easy way to falsify incorrect theories or verify correct ones. Scientific models are developed using mathematical models that seem to fit the evidence. The mathematical models are reliably valid, but the scientific models they are used to underpin might not be. Mathematical models are completely under the control of mathematicians, but natural phenomena are under the control of the Lord, not scientists. In general, models in the hard sciences do not pose a challenge to a Christian’s faith.
Researchers can also do experiments in the “soft sciences” like psychology or pharmacology, but they cannot completely isolate the entity being studied, for example drug metabolism, from other factors, such as emotional stress. Experimental
environments are extremely complex because they involve living beings who respond to multiple equilibria and stimuli with various reaction speeds. Experimental results are often sensitive to the exact composition of the population (e.g., age, sex, culture, disease status) being studied. Repeating experiments can, therefore, yield significantly different results. This is why medical guidelines often change. Because it is so susceptible to variations in experimental conditions, “scientific truth” from the soft sciences is not nearly as reliable as that from the hard sciences. Challenges raised by the soft sciences to Christian beliefs include the way researchers conduct experiments on living beings, including humans; the methods they use to collect their research materials, like aborted fetuses; and their assumptions about the nature of man, for example if humans are capable of moral improvement.
Finally, in observational science like astronomy and paleontology, the investigators are limited to what they happen to encounter. They can search where they hope to find new or confirmatory information, but they cannot produce new cases to study through experimentation. For example, economists cannot start financial depressions to experiment with methods of recovering from them, and astronomers cannot create new earthlike planets to test their models. Because its models often change due to new discoveries, the reliability of observational science research is generally overstated in the media. Theories of macroscopic evolution that are inconsistent with the Bible come primarily from the observational sciences. Since there is no rigorous way to test observational science models, they will always remain relatively weak. Moreover, any effort to introduce acts of God into such models makes them completely unfalsifiable and turns them into pseudoscience.
When we are dealing with something that is claimed to be scientifically true, it is essential that we look at the type of science that is involved and ask, “Is it reproducible?” “Can it be tested by falsification?” While all scientific models are somewhat fragile and susceptible to being overturned by new discoveries, scientific truth in the hard sciences is more reliable than in the soft sciences and much more testable than in the observational sciences.
The Christian should not be troubled by “scientific truth” because it is only a human explanation of the world. The Lord is in control.
Dr. Arthur Eggert is a member at Peace, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
This is the third article in a four-part series on different ways the world finds truth and where we as Christians should look for truth.
Do you have a manuscript, idea, or story from your own life you’d like to share for use in Forward in Christ or on wels.net? Use our online form to share it to our editorial office for consideration.
Get inspirational stories, spiritual help, and synod news from Forward in Christ every month. Print and digital subscriptions are available from Northwestern Publishing House.
Author: Arthur A. Eggert
Volume 105, Number 3
Issue: March 2018
Copyrighted by WELS Forward in Christ © 2021
Forward in Christ grants permission for any original article (not a reprint) to be printed for use in a WELS church, school, or organization, provided that it is distributed free and indicate Forward in Christ as the source. Images may not be reproduced except in the context of its article. Contact us
Nourished by meals with the Messiah
Joel S. Heckendorf
The last supper (John 13:1-15)
Ding-dong. It’s Mike and Maggie. Handing you a bottle of wine, Mike says, “Here. It’s for you.”
Ding-dong. It’s Mike and Maggie. Handing you a bottle of hand soap, Maggie says, “Here. This is for you.”
Mike and Maggie never show up at our door empty-handed. There is always a “for you.”
Can’t the same be said of Jesus? Every time he showed up as a guest, he came bearing gifts. But there is no bigger “for you” than the gifts we see him bring to the upper room.
His first “for you” comes wrapped in a towel. Nobody expected this gift. Peter almost refused it because he was so offended by it. But what a gift it was! After Jesus bent down to wash his disciples’ feet, he asked, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” (John 13:12, emphasis added). He showed them—and he shows us—what serving love looks like. “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15, emphasis added).
Consider how valuable it is to be shown how to do something. A coach is a good coach if he shows you how to shoot a lay-up. Parents learn from their parents how to parent. The old adage, “More is caught than taught,” rings true. So when God in his Word says, “Love one another,” how valuable it is to have this picture of a towel-wielding Savior in our mind. Our world and even our churches talk much about love, but they know so little about it. But Jesus does know. Jesus shows us that to love means to put others first.
But Jesus gives us another gift in the upper room. We open Jesus’ second “for you” gift as we get to see and taste his saving love wrapped in a wafer and wine. Many of you have heard “for you” hundreds of times as an observer from the pew or as a participant at the communion rail. “Take and eat, this is my body for you. Take and drink, this is the blood of the new covenant poured out for you for the forgiveness of your sins.”
John’s gospel doesn’t record the Words of Institution. But cherish how this inspired writer captures the extent of Jesus’ for you gift that he brought to the upper room: “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1). When John wrote those words, no doubt his mind went past the serving love he saw on display in the upper room. His mind went to the Garden where he saw Jesus’ soul overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. His mind went to the court, where he saw Jesus mocked and beaten. John’s mind went to the cross where the words still echoed, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” knowing that he was the one who deserved to be separated.
This month, many of you will have the opportunity to attend Maundy Thursday worship. As you prepare for that meal, Jesus is the host. But might your prayer still be, “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let these gifts of your serving and saving love to us be blessed. Amen.”
Food for thought
1. What is the most special “for you” gift you have received?
Answers will vary. Readers may want to consider some of the most personal gifts they have received. Perhaps someone went way out of their way for you, devoting hours of time and research to come up with something that was extremely meaningful to you. Apply that to Jesus’ gifts that he gives in the upper room. His service and his sacrifice and the lengths he went to give them to us enrich the “for you” we hear in Holy Communion.
2. Do we have a tendency to look past the gift of Jesus’ example of serving love? If so, why?
We are blessed to know all that Christ has done for us. That continues rightly to be the emphasis of our teaching. But sometimes, perhaps, in fear of swinging the pendulum too far, we don’t spend much time considering how Christ works in us and through us. We maybe also choose not to dwell on the example of Christ’s serving love because we see how often we fail to get down on our hands and knees with a towel. The more we look at Christ’s saving love, the more we will be compelled to also demonstrate his serving love.
3. How does Holy Communion bring Jesus’ “for you” home for you personally?
When one worshiper was recently asked, “How would you depict peace,” he said, “Standing at the communion rail and hearing the words, ‘All is forgiven.’ ” Our God knows us. He knows that he made some of us visual learners, others audible, and others action. In Communion, he simply employs other senses to bring home the truth of his forgiveness. Each communicant receives the wafer and wine; each one personally receives the assurance of the forgiveness of sins “for you.”
Contributing editor Joel Heckendorf is pastor at Immanuel, Greenville, Wisconsin.
This is the fourth article in a 11-part series that looks at Jesus as a mealtime guest and how he blessed his fellow diners—and us—with his living presence. Find the article and answers online after Mar. 5 at wels.net/forwardinchrist.
Do you have a manuscript, idea, or story from your own life you’d like to share for use in Forward in Christ or on wels.net? Use our online form to share it to our editorial office for consideration.
Get inspirational stories, spiritual help, and synod news from Forward in Christ every month. Print and digital subscriptions are available from Northwestern Publishing House.
Author: Joel S. Heckendorf
Volume 105, Number 03
Issue: March 2018
Copyrighted by WELS Forward in Christ © 2021
Forward in Christ grants permission for any original article (not a reprint) to be printed for use in a WELS church, school, or organization, provided that it is distributed free and indicate Forward in Christ as the source. Images may not be reproduced except in the context of its article. Contact us
We begin to understand God’s will through his love at the cross of Jesus.
Chris A. Cordes
Ponder something with me for a while.
People scold and scoff about God’s will being completely, constantly, and totally dominant.
Some years ago a friend of mine was feeling an itch to get serious about Christianity. But he wasn’t quickly buying into everything Christian. As he considered the biblical idea that God has numbered the days of every person’s life, news at the time was heavy with an airline disaster in which all the people on board perished—a loss of more than one hundred lives. “Incredulous,” my friend scoffed. “I cannot believe God preplanned the time for all those people to be up simultaneously.”
And what about evil in this world? Some in governments abuse power. Terrorists detonate bombs in which even Christians are killed. And then there’s the drive-by bullet that pierces a house wall and then a child’s heart as she sleeps innocently in her crib. How can so much evil exist, dominating news and life, if God’s will is really sovereign?
Do you wonder if the disciples were asking the same questions when they watched the wicked betrayal by Judas and the brutal sufferings lashed against the One in whom they had invested their messianic hopes?
God’s will determines all things
The Bible doesn’t bat an eye when declaring, “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him” (Psalm 115:3). All things are under his feet (Ephesians 1:22). The plans of the Lord reach across time; they “stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations” (Psalm 33:11). Even King Nebuchadnezzar, made beastly and then restored, learned at least this much: “He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?’ ” (Daniel 4:35).
God’s will brings out the constellations at his timing and in the places he chooses in the expanses beyond us. Any shifts in them over the millennia are caused by his will as he brings them out, one by one, night after night, each named and nudged by his interested, determining mind (Isaiah 40:26).
Job had it right: God has outlined our lives and placed the limits on our times (14:5). He coordinates all the details of each individual life, orchestrating so that specific people end up traveling together on the same doomed airliner. His sovereign will extends down to the very molecules in your body—every single one of them. “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). When the Bible says everything is under his feet, it does not leave room for even the tiniest exception. He adjusts and alters all matter, even at the subatomic level. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight” (Hebrews 4:13).
But his all-controlling will reaches even deeper, down to the subconscious, moving the ideas and plans of the human heart. If you want to see how a king’s heart is like a watercourse, directed by God’s hand wherever the Almighty pleases (Proverbs 21:1), read the thwarting of Ahithophel’s advice (2 Samuel 15:31) or the census of Rome’s Caesar that ultimately resulted in a pregnant virgin being in Bethlehem just at the time of giving birth in the fullness of time according to God’s prophecy.
Did you think it was coincidence that Caiaphas, the callous high priest, managed to prophecy something so beautiful as God’s plan of redemption—without even realizing it (John 11:50,51)? Or maybe you yourself have experienced a strange turn of events, obviously orchestrated beyond your ken. I once was about to make an observation to someone I was sitting next to, but something happened around us and the opportunity disappeared. Shortly afterward, I realized that if I had made that light-hearted comment, it would have done great damage to the other person’s spiritual well-being.
The mystery of God’s love
Now, don’t be afraid. Ask the question buzzing around like a gnat swarm: If God is so fully, deeply involved and controlling everything and everyone, even Satan and his evil hoards, why does evil seem to get its way? It’s a difficult question to consider. Perhaps one we will never answer. It’s above our pay grade. Our hearts just accept and trust his love in Christ.
In a world where the sun was designed to appear in the east and gravity pulls things downward, the power to make choices was created too. The human will was designed in harmony with the song of God’s heart, but since the fall into sin, humans can use their will for evil, heinous evil. It’s part of the fallen world. People can do unspeakable things to children; they can choose orientations that undermine faith; they can pit their plans against the Almighty’s.
But God controls even this. “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21). He may allow people’s evil for a time, but he is always turning it for his mighty purposes. Joseph, abused by his brothers, ends up in desolate loneliness in Egypt. But that whole story is Romans 8:28 in action, as God uses even person’s evil for the good of those who love him.
It is especially when you ponder Jesus’ sufferings and death—as we are doing in this Lenten season—that you can see how God’s will prevails even in the height of human wickedness. When they killed the Author of Life, we sinners walked out of the jaws of death. Evil doesn’t really prevail, not in the end.
We can’t always see good in God’s decisions—when cancer comes knocking or a criminal gets to take something precious from us. Sometimes God truly is hidden (Isaiah 45:15), and his judgments are unsearchable, his paths beyond tracing out. And yet we can actually love God’s will.
When Jesus was nearly dying for sorrow in Gethsemane, he yielded to his Father’s will, resolute in its big-picture wisdom and its eternally faithful love. If you’re tempted to wonder if God is just toying with you, if he is juggling your times or rolling your circumstances like dice on the board of life, if you fear he is marginally concerned about you or begrudgingly cares, trust the heart behind his will.
He absolutely cannot do anything in an unloving, unfair way, because he is love and he feels love for you down into his deepest essence. Do you want proof? Jesus willingly was abused and murdered. His passion paints the perfect portrait of what love really looks like. “I love you this much,” he said, as he stretched out his hands to die. And when God’s hand is stretched out, “who can turn it back?” (Isaiah 14:27). His sovereign will decided, and that is why, when we ponder his will in the light of his passion, we can rest our very souls in his sovereign choice. We can even pursue his will as our life’s ambition because, under the lamp of Lent, we find it only, always good, pleasing, and perfect (Romans 12:2).
Chris Cordes is pastor at St. John’s, Sleepy Eye, Minnesota.
Do you have a manuscript, idea, or story from your own life you’d like to share for use in Forward in Christ or on wels.net? Use our online form to share it to our editorial office for consideration.
Get inspirational stories, spiritual help, and synod news from Forward in Christ every month. Print and digital subscriptions are available from Northwestern Publishing House.
Author: Chris A. Cordes
Volume 105, Number 3
Issue: March 2018
Copyrighted by WELS Forward in Christ © 2021
Forward in Christ grants permission for any original article (not a reprint) to be printed for use in a WELS church, school, or organization, provided that it is distributed free and indicate Forward in Christ as the source. Images may not be reproduced except in the context of its article. Contact us
Years ago, Christians considered tattoos to be wrong. Nowadays, it is common to see Christians, even students preparing for the public ministry, with tattoos. Did the Bible change? Did people change?
James F. Pope
The answers to your questions send us to both the Old and New Testaments. Ultimately, we arrive at a conclusion that puts tattoos in the area of Christian freedom.
Idolatrous images
When Christians in the past considered tattoos to be wrong and appealed to Scripture, they pointed to Leviticus 19:28: “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.” The words are very straightforward, but we need to consider them in context. The surrounding verses contain God’s instructions to the people of Israel as they traveled to the promised land of Canaan.
Heathenism was synonymous with Canaan, and God did not want the Israelites to exchange his truth for the lies of idols. God’s wanted his followers to keep their identity as his people and reject false ideas that could infiltrate the heart. That called for avoiding outward identification with those false religions. Because Canaanite practices included tattoos, God instructed his people to avoid them. As that prohibition is limited to Leviticus, God’s directive involved only the Israelites and targeted the First Commandment, not the Fifth Commandment, which concerns our physical well-being.
We are to take good care of our bodies. Consider this question and instruction: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19,20). Can Christians honor God with their bodies by injecting ink into them? This is where Christians may disagree as citizens of God’s kingdom.
Considerate choices
Christian freedom is a significant theme in the apostle Paul’s epistles. In Galatians, Paul directs Christians to be careful that others do not rob them of their freedom in Christ (Galatians 5:1). In 1 Corinthians, Paul instructs Christians to think of others when they exercise their freedom in Christ (1 Corinthians 8:9). Going beyond that, Paul revealed how he was willing to give up his Christian freedom if that were in the best interests of others (1 Corinthians 8:13).
How might these thoughts apply to tattoos and Christians—especially the young people you mentioned in your question? Those serving in the public ministry and those preparing for such service definitely want to think of others. They do not wish to be a distraction in any way to the message of God’s Word. That would suggest they evaluate the long-term meaning and visibility of potential tattoos. No doubt, a Christian symbol on a wrist can spark a spiritual conversation in a way similar to how a dubious marking on a neck might prevent a conversation from taking place.
So, could I ever give an unqualified approval of a body marking? Absolutely! The Lord used the prophet Isaiah to relay this message to us: “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:16). Imagine your name inscribed on God’s hands. That imagery illustrates how you and I are always in God’s thoughts and on his mind.
If you ever question that, ponder what this season of Lent is all about.
Contributing editor James Pope, professor at Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minnesota, is a member at St. John, New Ulm.
James Pope also answers questions online at wels.net/questions. Submit your questions there or to [email protected].
Do you have a manuscript, idea, or story from your own life you’d like to share for use in Forward in Christ or on wels.net? Use our online form to share it to our editorial office for consideration.
Get inspirational stories, spiritual help, and synod news from Forward in Christ every month. Print and digital subscriptions are available from Northwestern Publishing House.
Author: James F. Pope
Volume 105, Number 03
Issue: March 2018
Copyrighted by WELS Forward in Christ © 2021
Forward in Christ grants permission for any original article (not a reprint) to be printed for use in a WELS church, school, or organization, provided that it is distributed free and indicate Forward in Christ as the source. Images may not be reproduced except in the context of its article. Contact us
Joel: Deliverance for God’s people
Thomas Kock
Tears formed in Joshe’s eyes as he overlooked the devastation. The locusts had eaten everything! The two olive trees—his chief source of the so-often-used olive oil as well as a critical food-source—were stripped bare. Not only had the locusts devoured every leaf, they’d even attacked the tree bark! The grain had been gnawed to the ground, and the grape vines had fared no better.
And it wasn’t just Joshe’s property; the locusts had invaded the entire land. Devastation was rampant! What would people eat? How could they survive?
“Joshe” helps us to envision the situation when the book of Joel is written. A locust plague had devastated the land! Thousands, millions of locusts would eat voraciously and reproduce quickly. (There are even stories of clothing being eaten off people’s backs!) And, while it’s unclear, it seems as if an invading army—of humans—is on the way too, bringing even more devastation. How would the people respond? How would the Lord respond?
Our devastation
Lent reminds us that sin has devastated humanity. Selfishness, anger, timidity, greed, lust, fear, substance abuse, rebelliousness—those things have devastated individuals, families, and nations! Only if you deny it will you claim to be untouched. Our heads and hearts contain devastatingly sinful thoughts and desires, earning us damnation.
How will we respond? Joel called to the Israelites: “Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD” (1:14).
Cry out to the Lord for help in time of distress! For rescue! The Israelites desperately needed God’s help both for their physical needs and for their spiritual needs. Our need is just as desperate.
And, God wants us to turn to him! “ ‘Even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning’ ” (2:12).
God’s deliverance
The people seemed to listen! And how does God respond? “Then the LORD was jealous for his land and took pity on his people” (2:18).
God pitied his people! He then promised to restore their fortunes, replenishing the grain bins and the olive oil. Joshe’s fortunes were looking up! And in amazing grace God promised, “Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed (2:27).
And yet it gets better.
“I will pour out my Spirit on all people. . . . And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance” (2:28,32).
Deliverance! The message of Lent! You and I need deliverance; Jesus came to win deliverance for us!
And so when the final day of the Lord comes? “The LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel (3:16).
Contributing editor Thomas Kock, a professor at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wisconsin, is a member at Atonement, Milwaukee.
This is the second article in a 12-part series on the minor prophets.
Joel
Background: Son of Pethuel. (We know nothing more about either man.)
Time he prophesied: Perhaps 722-586 B.C. (The Northern Kingdom is not mentioned; temple worship is taking place.)
Key phrase: The day of the Lord.
The book’s major truth: Rescue for repentant, distressed sinners.
Interesting fact: Peter “preached” on Joel 2:28-32 on Pentecost Day.
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Author: Thomas Kock
Volume 105, Number 3
Issue: March 2018
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