Training disciples around the world

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Academia Cristo provides online and in-person training in doctrine, sharing Bible stories, leading worship, and discipling others. Activating people to share the Word with others is an emphasis from early on. For example, a Colombian man disciples men in other parts of Colombia and Venezuela. They, in turn, lead churches and train others to lead groups in other places. Some are churches with buildings, others are groups meeting in houses. WELS’ Latin America missions team mentors those identified, trains them to be faithful to Scripture, and trusts the leaders to then disciple others. In 2019, two missionaries on the Latin America missions team began working in Paraguay with students who are excited to share the gospel with their countrymen (pictured is one such student and his family).

The world’s best preacher

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WELS’ friendly counselor to South Asia shares this story: “As Hakim preaches a sermon to people sitting on the ground outside a house church, a cow stares at him intently. His friends tease this humble, faithful servant who is deeply loved and say, ‘You are the world’s best preacher. Even the cows listen to you.’ He is like a father-figure to many in the church. Hakim is also a filmmaker and has made many video vignettes of Bible stories such as the lost son in Luke 15. He is also a student in the first Pakistan Bible institute. He visits three to five house churches every week to teach what he learns in the Bible institute.”

New missionaries commissioned

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On July 13, 2019, three new world missionaries were commissioned at the first Taste of Missions event sponsored by WELS Missions. Pictured from left are Rev. Daniel Witte, missionary to Africa; Rev. Abram Degner, missionary to Paraguay; and Rev. Bounkeo Lor, who serves as coordinator of Hmong Asia Ministry and is training the leaders of the Hmong Fellowship Church in Vietnam. More than 400 WELS members gathered at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis., for Taste of Missions, which gave WELS members an opportunity to hear firsthand from WELS home and world missionaries, sample food from around the world, visit mission displays, and participate in a worship service during which these new world missionaries were commissioned. WELS Missions is planning the next Taste of Missions for July 11, 2020, at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Visit wels.net/tasteofmissions2020 for details.

Vietnam

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In 2018, God’s grace opened the door to an unprecedented mission opportunity for our synod. The communist Vietnamese government invited WELS to build a theological education facility in the capital city of Hanoi to train leaders of the Hmong Fellowship Church. In December 2018, WELS World Missions embarked on a synodwide campaign with the goal of receiving $2 million to pay for the land, building construction, and first two years of operating expenses. WELS members quickly responded with their prayers and financial gifts. In December 2019, that goal was met. Our Lord blessed this opportunity and moved his people to contribute or commit offerings totaling more than $2 million, which will allow WELS to provide seminary-level education for 350 pastors and catechism training for an additional 2,500 leaders. Countless others may be blessed by this training in the future.

“This is just the beginning,” notes Rev. Larry Schlomer, administrator of the Board for World Missions. “There are more than 120,000 members of the Hmong Fellowship Church in Vietnam and 2 million Hmong people throughout Southeast Asia. Imagine what the Holy Spirit can accomplish through the 2,800-plus pastors and leaders who will be equipped to share the truth of God’s grace with their Hmong brothers and sisters.”

Continue to follow along on this journey at wels.net/vietnamhmongoutreach.

Discovering True Peace

“I want to say thank you to WELS because you have given me peace,” says Pastor Chaplai, a Hmong pastor in Vietnam. “I did not have peace until I learned the gospel in these classes. All of us here are learning so many things. We take the things we learn here and teach them to our people. The printed materials, translated into our language, are very useful to us. All of us are baptized now, including our babies. We have peace and joy from the true teaching of God’s Word.”

Discipleship

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Responding to God’s grace

In 2019, WELS Commission on Discipleship unveiled a new congregational stewardship program called 10 for 10. After three weeks of preaching and teaching on the topic of giving, congregation members are asked to contemplate if they are able to give one-tenth of their income to the Lord for ten straight weeks—hence the name 10 for 10. This is based on the Old Testament practice of tithing.

Rev. Donn Dobberstein, director of WELS Discipleship, explains that the goal of 10 for 10 is much greater than amassing gifts. “10 for 10 is not a church fundraising program,” he says. “It is a gospel-centered stewardship emphasis that asks people to consider how to respond to all of the many graces that God has shown to them.”

10 for 10 opens the conversation on the often difficult topic of money in a Christ-like manner.

“Jesus talked often about money because he knew the vicelike grip it can have on our hearts as it seeks to replace him as our greatest treasure,” Dobberstein says. “When it came to money, Jesus was blunt. He was bold. 10 for 10 strives to mirror Jesus’ biblical boldness.”

WELS congregations began to implement this stewardship program in the fall of 2019. Worship materials, midweek devotions, Sunday sermons, PowerPoint slides, videos, letters, and more can be downloaded for free at welscongregationalservices.net/10-for-10. 

Women’s Ministry

More than 300 WELS women from 17 different states gathered at Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, Wis., for the Women’s Ministry Conference from July 18-20, 2019. The event’s theme—“Living Stones: Positioned to Thrive”—explored God’s design and purpose for Christian women. A dozen breakout sessions and four keynote presentations discussed additional topics such as teamwork, evangelism, family, and more. Pictured: Marilyn Miller.

Evangelism

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WELS Commission on Evangelism built off of the success of the 2018 synodwide outreach campaign and designed a new campaign for 2019. Known as C19, the initiative included resources to encourage and equip congregations to invite the unchurched to worship for Christmas 2019. One highlight of the campaign was the social media video that WELS congregations and members could share to highlight worship service dates and times. New in 2019 were resources to offer a Christmas service for those with special needs.

Worship

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The New Christian Worship

The new WELS hymnal is scheduled to be released by Advent 2021. Between 15 to 17 books and 3 digital products will accompany the hymnal, according to Rev. Michael Schultz, director of the WELS Hymnal Project.

To begin introducing this hymnal to WELS members, the WELS Hymnal Project is releasing a preview booklet at the January 2020 WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership. Each congregation also will receive multiple copies of the booklet. A formal Hymnal Introduction Program will start at the same time, offering introductions to the products that are coming out, ideas for introducing the hymnal to members, as well as tips for funding. New hymnal materials also will be highlighted and featured at the WELS national worship conference in 2021.

“Check out christianworship.com to get an excellent taste of our forthcoming hymnal and its supportive resources,” encourages Rev. Bryan Gerlach, the director of WELS Commission on Worship. “It’s been a great joy to work with many talented and committed volunteers who are preparing the complete ‘hymnal suite.’ As our 1993 hymnal and 2008 hymnal supplement brought us many new hymns that became dearly loved, we can expect the same from our new hymnal. But, of course, the best of the old favorites will also be included. I’m especially excited about Christian Worship: Service Builder—a powerful software tool that will save pastors and church offices a ton of time and produce professional quality in design of worship folders.”

For more information, visit christianworship.com.

Lutheran Schools

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School Leaders

The 21st-Century Lutheran Principal Initiative helps to address the growing need for school leaders and involves cohorts of experienced teachers going through three years of training with the Commission on Lutheran Schools and Martin Luther College. The first cohort is scheduled to complete its training in 2020. The second and third cohorts have begun their training, and a fourth cohort is being recruited.

The Early Childhood Emerging Leader cohort is a similar program designed for current early childhood teachers willing to train to serve as early childhood directors. This year-long cohort includes professional development, a project in their current ministry applying leadership skills, support from an experienced early childhood director as their mentor, and monthly teleconferences covering practical topics related to the role of early childhood director. Six individuals completed the 2018–19 cohort in June.

Pictured above: Members of the first cohort of the 21st-Century Lutheran Principal Initiative meet for training with their mentors and instructors at the WELS Center for Mission and Ministry.

Early Childhood Education

On Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, Katie Kubat and her four children were baptized by Rev. John Melke (left) at Good Shepherd, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. Katie has enrolled three children in Good Shepherd’s 3K ministry. Katie is currently attending Bible information class with Melke. Also pictured is Rev. Paul Tullberg.

WELS EdTechLead Summit

The WELS Education, Technology, and Leadership Summit (EdTechLead) brought more than 400 teachers, pastors, and other synod leaders together at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., from June 25-27, 2019, to explore ministry tools, techniques, and best practices. The conference was a joint effort of the WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools and WELS Technology.

Special Ministries

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Prison Ministry

Wanda Markland (pictured, far left), warden of the South Dakota Women’s Prison, introduced WELS Prison Ministry materials to the inmates. Some are available to read in the library, and many can be taken for free—if the women get there fast enough. Amanda, an inmate working in the library, says that sometimes they have to fill the free rack two times or more a day with booklets from WELS Prison Ministry.

When asked what the books mean to her, inmate Katherine responded: “Everything.” The books have enabled her to understand the Bible. Others replied that the books help them to know that they are loved, they are not alone, and they are growing in their spiritual life. One inmate was even led to request baptism.

These women, who rejoice in the good news that they are forgiven, took up a collection from their meager funds and sent a donation to WELS Prison Ministry so that more people could benefit from hearing God’s good news through these materials.

Did you know?

WELS Prison Ministry administers an extensive ministry-by-mail program and provides training opportunities for laypeople and pastors who would like to begin a local jail or prison ministry. Hundreds of volunteers manage this ministry-by-mail program that has reached more than 70,000 inmates.

Military Services

WELS and Evangelical Lutheran Synod pastors serving military families met in May 2019 for the Military Contact Pastors Retreat at Risen Savior, Chula Vista, Calif., near Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. Under the theme “Serving those who serve our country,” the presentations provided insights into the unique challenges of the military lifestyle during and after deployment and how to reach military members and their families with the gospel. WELS Military Services, a part of WELS Special Ministries, supports servicemen and women with devotions and other spiritual care. Refer a military member at wels.net/refer.

Christian Aid and Relief

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WELS Christian Aid and Relief approved $466,212 for humanitarian aid work in fiscal year 2019–20.

Rev. Robert Hein, chairman of Christian Aid and Relief, says, “Humanitarian aid projects help our missions put Christ’s love into action by meeting community needs. As missionaries develop relationships with the people they serve, they also find opportunities to tell people about Jesus. In some world mission fields, hostile to Christianity, humanitarian aid is essential to keep the doors open to share the gospel.”

All projects originate in the mission fields as the missionaries discover opportunities to help. Then the projects are brought to the Christian Aid and Relief administrative committee as well as to the WELS Missions administrators for approval. Pictured is a project at Hope, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that welcomes new immigrants to the area.

To view a complete list of humanitarian aid projects as well as relief projects, visit wels.net/relief.

Ministry of Christian Giving

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WELS Ministry of Christian Giving serves on behalf of the Conference of Presidents to encourage every WELS member to “excel in the grace of giving” through Christ. In 2019 the Ministry of Christian Giving coordinated campaigns for several areas of ministry including Congregational Services’ “For the Generations to Come,” World Missions’ “Grace-Hmong outreach in Vietnam,” and Martin Luther College’s “Equipping Christian Witnesses.”

Christian Giving also refreshed its congregational planned giving manual and mailed a copy to every congregation to help church leaders share with members ways to support gospel ministry through planned gifts.

In 2018-19, WELS Christian giving counselors made 280 presentations to WELS congregations on topics such as smart Christian giving, will planning, and WELS ministry efforts.

To request free, confidential assistance with a gift, visit wels.net/Christian-giving or call 800-827-5482.

Communication Services

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WELS Communication Services helped coordinate WELS’ 65th biennial convention. It also kept the synod informed about the events of the convention through its various communications platforms. Some of those platforms include “Together,” an e-newsletter and video update; WELS’ Facebook page, facebook.com/welslutherans; wels.net, WELS’ official website; and Forward in Christ, WELS’ official monthly magazine.

WELS Church Extension Fund, Inc.

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WELS Church Extension Fund, Inc., (WELS CEF) provides financing through loans and grants to mission congregations so they can acquire land and ministry facilities to be used for gospel outreach in coordination with WELS Home Missions. WELS CEF also provides loans to self-supporting WELS congregations and schools for land and facility projects. The money to carry out CEF’s mission comes from investments and gifts from WELS members, congregations, and affiliated organizations.

In fiscal year 2018–19, $45.1 million of new loans and $2.3 million of new grants were approved to mission and mission-minded self-supporting congregations. In addition, WELS CEF provided a grant of $1.86 million to the Board for Home Missions from its annual endowment distribution and operating earnings. WELS CEF ended fiscal year 2019 with assets of $204.3 million and net assets of $104.9 million. More than 3,200 WELS members invested $94.1 million. The loan portfolio held $161.6 million in 217 loans to congregations and affiliates.

Pictured above is Rev. Stephen Apt, pastor at Divine Savior Church, Santa Rita Ranch, with his wife and daughter at the groundbreaking of their church supported by WELS CEF.

For more information, visit wels.net/cef.

WELS Foundation

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WELS Foundation exists to help God’s people support gospel ministry through WELS. WELS Foundation currently administers more than 1,100 donor directed planned gifts including endowment funds, donor advised funds, and gifts that provide income payments to the donor and/or their family members and loved ones. These planned gifts, generally established with the assistance of a WELS Christian giving counselor or other WELS advancement representative, benefit WELS congregations, schools, missions, and other affiliated ministries.

In 2019, WELS Foundation was privileged to distribute $5.92 million in donor directed gifts to various WELS ministries. This included $2.17 million to WELS Missions and Ministry Support, $1.36 million to WELS Ministerial Education schools, $1.03 million to WELS Church Extension Fund, $840,000 to WELS congregations, and $520,000 to WELS-affiliated ministries and area Lutheran high schools.

Visit wels.net/foundation for more information.

WELS Investment Funds, Inc.

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WELS Investment Funds is a self-supporting subsidiary of WELS. Its mission is to provide cost-effective, professionally managed investment portfolios exclusively for WELS-affiliated ministries. By pooling investment resources through WELS Investment Funds, congregations can take advantage of lower cost, institutional priced investment alternatives that would not otherwise be available. As more congregations and WELS-affiliated ministries invest in WELS Investment Funds, the cost reduction benefits increase. It’s another way we can help support each other.

As of Nov. 30, 2019, WELS Investment Funds manages more than $230 million in assets, which includes $54 million for 188 congregations and 20 affiliated ministries.

Visit wels.net/welsfunds for more information. 

WELS Benefit Plans Office

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The WELS Benefit Plans Office (BPO) serves WELS and Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) workers and organizations through administration of the WELS Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association (VEBA) Health Plan, the WELS Pension Plan, and the WELS Shepherd Plan.

The WELS VEBA Health Plan provides benefits for church and school workers in accordance with God’s Word while remaining compliant with the federal health care reform law. The plan provides comprehensive, nationwide coverage. More than 80 percent of WELS workers and calling bodies participate in WELS VEBA.

The WELS Pension Plan provides WELS called workers with a valuable source of guaranteed income during retirement.

The WELS Shepherd Plan provides workers the opportunity to save and invest a portion of their earnings to provide income during their retirement years.

One important advantage of participating in WELS Benefit Plans is that the coverage and benefits provided are uniform throughout all 50 states. This supports the WELS ministry and call process because worker call decisions are not influenced by health insurance and retirement benefit decisions.

Visit welsbpo.net for more information.

Northwestern Publishing House

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Northwestern Publishing House (NPH) provides Christ-centered, biblically sound resources to the people of WELS and beyond. NPH publishes Forward in Christ and Meditations, elementary and Sunday school curricula, Bible studies, worship materials, music, and faith-strengthening books for WELS members. In 2019, NPH released more than 25 Christian resources in print and digital formats, including:

  • the Holy Bible: Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV), a fresh and complete translation of the Bible;
  • the EHV version of Luther’s Catechism;
  • Purposeful Grieving, a book with 56 devotions that recognize the challenges of grief but also point readers to the comforting cross of Christ;
  • Christmas and Lent service kits for churches;
  • a vacation Bible school program; and
  • 14 music offerings for organ, piano, and/or choir.

In addition, NPH published two Bible studies—Pray, Praise, and Give Thanks, a psalm-focused study to help students discover and apply to their own lives the meanings of nine psalms; and Politics Is Driving Me Crazy, a timely study that explains the separation of church and state and reminds us to listen to God, who rules over all things—as well as two professional books—A Christian Guide to Mental Illness, Volume 2, an informative and encouraging resource for church workers who want to help Christians obtain help for mental illness; and A Commentary on 1 & 2 Thessalonians, a comprehensive resource that looks closely at the Greek text of these two letters of Paul.

NPH also continued work on production of the new hymnal and its related suite of resources.

NPH serves our WELS church body through its website, nph.net, by phone at 1-800-662-6022, and through its displays at conferences and events.

Visit nph.net to learn more about the ministry of NPH.

Discipleship

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Small group ministry resonates with Millennials

“I started going to growth groups here, and that fueled my faith like never before,” says Jackie Huebner, a 29-year-old member of St. Marcus, Milwaukee, Wis. “Finding people who wanted to talk about Jesus was awesome as well as seeing firsthand how fellow Christians would filter their lives through what God says. And to dive deeper into his Word and become a closer community of Christians is such a powerful thing.” 

Rev. James Hein, a pastor at St. Marcus, says that Huebner is a good example of a Millennial—someone who was born from 1980–2000. “Millennials are looking for close relationships,” says Hein. “We try to ensure that small group ministries are an essential part of the St. Marcus culture. We currently have 12 to 15 small groups running, and virtually all of our leadership comes from and is involved in these small, relational study groups.” 

Hein himself prepares the material for most of these groups, often based off of the previous Sunday’s sermon. A lay facilitator then presents the material to the group and helps group members work through it. Usually these groups meet in members’ homes over a meal, but they can also meet in coffee shops or restaurants. The location is not as important as the relationships that are built as members get to know one another and share life experiences with each other. 

“I attended a growth group at a friend’s house soon after I joined St. Marcus,” says Huebner, “and now I lead one with my husband. We get the opportunity to have real conversations about faith and how to put it into action in our lives in a like-minded Christian community. I depend on it.”

To watch a series of videos that discuss ministering to Millennials, as well as discussion guides and a playbook with tips for ministering to Millennials, visit welscongregationalservices.net. Choose the “Modules” dropdown menu and then “Discipleship.”

Teens learn they are never alone

From June 26–29, 2018, approximately 2,100 WELS teens and youth leaders attended the WELS International Youth Rally at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. Organized by the WELS Commission on Discipleship, teens gathered for praise, learning, and fellowship under the theme “Never Alone.” This theme was based on the message of Matthew 28:20: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Attendees were assured that God is ever-present in their lives and that they are not isolated in their belief. Teens sang their praises with worship band Koiné and worked on a collaborative piece of artwork that was coordinated by WELS artist Jason Jaspersen (both pictured, left).

Evangelism

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WELS Commission on Evangelism released To the Ends of the Earth, the fourth and final film in WELS’ outreach series, in September 2018. The four films in this series were a collaboration between WELS Commissions on Evangelism and Discipleship, Northwestern Publishing House, WELS Multi-Language Publications, and Boettcher+Trinklein Television, Inc. Encouraging witnessing is an important feature of the film, which tells the story of the apostle Paul and his work in Philippi. To view a trailer and learn more about the film, visit wels.net/totheendsoftheearth. 

Synodwide Outreach Campaign

WELS Congregational Services launched a synodwide outreach campaign called C18. The overarching goal of the program was to reach one million people with the gospel message during the 2018 Christmas season. Every commission from Congregational Services provided royalty-free resources that congregations and members could use in this effort.

“It all boils down to WELS members growing closer to Jesus so we have a heart that beats with a love and passion for the lost and we are willing to step outside our comfort zone to do whatever we can to share the gospel,” says Rev. Jonathan Hein, director of WELS Congregational Services.

To learn more about C18, visit wels.net/c18.

Special Ministries

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God’s Word—in Braille

“Her hands are her eyes,” says Timothy Redfield. He is talking about his six-year-old daughter, Libby, who was born blind due to an optic nerve condition.

Redfield and his wife, who are members of Trinity, Belle Plaine, Minn., are teaching Libby (pictured) how to read Braille. They are able to get free children’s books in Braille from the state and county, but they also want Libby to be able to read about her Savior, so they sent several of their favorite Christian story books to the Mission for the Visually Impaired. Volunteers then produced and positioned clear Braille stickers into the books so Libby could read along. The Mission for the Visually Impaired also provides weekly Christ-Light Sunday school lessons in Braille for Libby. 

Manned by volunteers and headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., the mission, which operates under WELS Commission on Special Ministries, produces devotional and other materials in Braille, large print, and on cassette tape. These are distributed free to WELS and non-WELS visually impaired people. The mission currently is working on a project to have downloadable Christian audio resources available online.

“Our goal is to spread his Word—in any way we can!” says Bill Bremel, director of the Mission for the Visually Impaired.

Learn more at wels.net/visually-impaired.

Organization of WELS Lutheran Seniors (OWLS) Conference

OWLS members greet Steve Schroeder and his wife, Sarah, who presented on the challenges they’ve experienced during Steve’s career as a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter pilot, which included a life-changing crash.

Worship

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WELS Hymnal Project

Committees have been at work on the WELS Hymnal Project since 2013.  Rev. Michael Schultz, director of the Hymnal Project, says, “Our focus continues to be on the scriptural integrity and Christ-centeredness of the resources we are seeking to provide, on both preserving and producing faith-strengthening materials for worshipers today and in generations to come. Our goal continues to be to bring forward texts and music that will serve people of all ages in a broad array of contexts, so that through Scripture and rites and hymns and psalms, God will be glorified and his people edified.”

The work of the Hymnal Project is closely coordinated with WELS Commission on Worship. As part of the hymnal’s development, surveys and field testing have been conducted. The executive committee plans to review and approve final content for all resources in 2019 so that the hymnal will be available for purchase in Advent 2021.

Lutheran Schools

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The Commission on Lutheran Schools began presenting its Ministerial Growth and Evaluation Process during the 2018–19 school year. Jim Rademan, director of Lutheran Schools, notes, “The Ministerial Growth and Evaluation Process makes use of Scripture and a variety of research-based educational best practices and tools to assist teachers, peer coaches, principals, and early childhood directors in encouraging and supporting one another for strengthening both student learning and our schools.”

The goal is to train all schools in the Ministerial Growth and Evaluation Process over the next 18 to 24 months. In November 2018, 50 school leaders in the Western Wisconsin District (pictured) attended a training session on the process.

Kirsten Duin, director of Grow in Peace Learning Center, Sun Prairie, Wis., says, “The Ministerial Growth and Evaluation Process training was an encouraging event for me because it gave me new tools to help me coach my staff and guide us to the goal of improving the way we serve our families in our center along with the quality of education that we provide to the community.”

Women’s Ministry

WELS Women’s Ministry is hosting a conference with the theme “Living stones, positioned to thrive” from July 18–20, 2019, at Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, Wis. Learn more about the conference and the other resources provided by WELS Women’s Ministry at wels.net/women.

Christian Aid and Relief

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WELS Christian Aid and Relief provided $850,000 in humanitarian aid and disaster relief grants in 2018. The organization works through WELS pastors and congregational leaders to assess needs, distribute aid, and bring in volunteers when requested.

Much of the money granted in 2018 was to help congregations recover from hurricane damage. Hurricanes Florence and Michael both damaged WELS churches and the homes of members and neighbors.

Christian Aid and Relief is also continuing to help with rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico following 2017’s devastating Hurricane Maria. Christian Aid and Relief approved a $150,000 hurricane relief grant for phase one of repair and rebuilding to help the Confessional Lutheran Church in Puerto Rico, WELS’ sister church body. This grant will help rebuild the church building in Humacao, the church in Guayama, and pastors’ homes. Volunteers are expected to begin work in Puerto Rico early in 2019. Pictured are WELS President Mark Schroeder, Board for World Missions administrator Larry Schlomer, and Commission on Inter-Church Relations member Tim Satorius.

For more information or to volunteer, visit wels.net/relief.

Ministry of Christian Giving

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WELS Ministry of Christian Giving serves on behalf of the Conference of Presidents to encourage every WELS member to “excel in the grace of giving” through Christ. In 2018, thanks to the support of WELS Foundation and others, the Ministry of Christian Giving created a planned giving newsletter, Grace of Giving, and mailed the initial edition to more than 13,000 households.

Christian Giving also represented WELS’ areas of ministry in 3,500 meaningful donor visits and partnered with Michigan Lutheran Seminary and WELS Congregational Services on special offering campaigns.

To request free, confidential assistance with a gift or Christian estate planning, visit wels.net/christian-giving.

WELS Benefit Plans Office

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WELS Benefit Plans serves WELS and Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) workers and organizations through administration of the WELS Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association (VEBA) Health Plan, the WELS Pension Plan, and the WELS Shepherd Plan.

The WELS VEBA Health Plan provides benefits for church and school workers in accordance with God’s Word while remaining compliant with the federal health care reform law. The plan provides comprehensive, nationwide coverage. More than 80 percent of WELS workers and calling bodies participate in WELS VEBA.

The WELS Pension Plan provides WELS called workers with a valuable source of guaranteed income during retirement.

The WELS Shepherd Plan provides workers the opportunity to save and invest a portion of their earnings to provide income during their retirement years.

One important advantage of participating in WELS Benefit Plans is that the coverage and benefits provided are uniform throughout all 50 states. This supports the WELS ministry and call process because worker call decisions are not influenced by health insurance and retirement benefit decisions.

Visit welsbpo.net for more information. 

WELS Investment Funds, Inc.

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WELS Investment Funds  is a self-supporting subsidiary of WELS. Its mission is to provide cost-effective, professionally managed investment portfolios exclusively for WELS-affiliated ministries. By pooling investment resources through WELS Investment Funds, congregations can take advantage of lower cost, institutional priced investment alternatives that would not otherwise be available.

WELS Investment Funds currently manages more than $200 million in assets, which includes $48 million for 180 congregations and 20 WELS-affiliated ministries.

Visit wels.net/welsfunds for more information. 

Northwestern Publishing House

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Northwestern Publishing House (NPH) provides Christ-centered, biblically sound resources to the people of WELS and beyond. NPH publishes Forward in Christ and Meditations, elementary and Sunday school curricula, Bible studies, worship materials, music, and faith strengthening books for WELS members. In 2018, NPH released a total of more than 50 Christian resources in print and digital formats, including:

  • Growing in the Word and Growing in Grace, two catechism curricula designed to incorporate Bible history into catechism instruction;
  • We Still Believe and Confess, a Bible study that takes a careful look at the Lutheran Confessions;
  • a popular prayer collection—There’s a Prayer for That—that has sold more than 7,000 copies to date;
  • several titles intended to reach a broad audience, such as Ten Things to Tell Your Grandkids Because You Love them So Much, From Dirty to Dancing: God’s Grace for Those Struggling With Pornography, and Look Up From Your Phone So I Can Love You;
  • Christmas and Lent service kits for churches;
  • a vacation Bible school program; and
  • 17 music offerings for organ, piano, and choir.

In September, NPH closed its store location and now offers its merchandise solely online at nph.net and through its displays at select conferences and events. NPH’s website saw nearly 60,000 visitors in July, August, and September alone, more than 50 percent of whom were new visitors. The staff at NPH continually tests and adjusts the site’s design and organization to provide the most intuitive and pleasant shopping experience for customers.

Visit nph.net to learn more.

WELS Foundation

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WELS Foundation exists to help God’s people support gospel ministry through WELS. WELS Foundation currently administers more than 1,200 donor directed planned gifts including endowment funds, donor advised funds, and gifts that provide income payments to the donor and/or their family members and loved ones. These planned gifts, generally established with the assistance of a WELS Christian giving counselor, benefit WELS congregations, schools, missions, and other affiliated ministries.

In 2018, WELS Foundation was privileged to distribute $5.7 million in gifts to various WELS ministries. This included $1.84 million to WELS ministerial education schools and $480,000 to WELS Missions.

Visit wels.net/foundation for more information.

WELS Church Extension Fund, Inc.

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WELS Church Extension Fund (WELS CEF) provides financing through loans and grants to mission congregations so they can acquire land and ministry facilities to be used for gospel outreach in coordination with WELS Home Missions. WELS CEF also provides loans to self-supporting WELS congregations and schools for land and facility projects. The money to carry out CEF’s mission comes from investments and gifts from WELS members, congregations, and affiliated organizations.

In fiscal year 2017–18, $26.7 million of new loans and $2.3 million of new
grants were approved to mission and mission-minded self-supporting congregations. In addition, WELS CEF provided a grant of $837,070 to the Board for Home Missions from its annual unrestricted net asset grant program. WELS CEF ended fiscal year 2018 with assets of $208.3 million and net assets of $104.3 million. Three thousand four hundred WELS members invested $101.6 million. The loan portfolio held $159.4 million in 208 loans to congregations and affiliates.

For more information, visit wels.net/cef.

 

WELS Church Extension Fund has supported Beautiful Savior, Lakewood Ranch, Fla., with grants and lower-interest loans to help the congregation build its worship facility and early childhood center.

WELS Church Extension Fund provided a loan to Atonement, Milwaukee, Wis., that helped the self-supporting mission-minded congregation build an addition to alleviate crowding in its school’s classrooms. Before the space was even complete, some teachers began taking advantage of the extra room to spread out for certain projects.

Communication Services and Technology

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WELS Communication Services coordinates the various WELS communications platforms so they have a recognizable look and feel and layers communications across those platforms. Some of those platforms include Forward in Christ, WELS’ official monthly magazine; “Together,” a bi-weekly e-newsletter and a bi-weekly video update; WELS’ Facebook page, facebook.com/welslutherans; and wels.net, WELS’ official website.

Communication Services also coordinates synodwide events such as the biennial synod convention and WELS’ annual night at Miller Park (pictured), which was attended by more than 2,400 WELS members in 2018.

In 2018, WELS released a new version of the WELS mobile app. This version replaces WELS Mobile. Now called WELS App, this progressive web app still offers a quick and easy way to get WELS news, devotions, and information but also now includes expanded content and new features like sharing and favoriting. Find the app at https://wels.app.