Christ through us

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Dear Friend,

We rejoice that over the past 175 years, our Savior has taken our synod from three congregations in Wisconsin to more than 1,200 congregations across North America, from one seminary in 1865 to a four-school ministerial education system, and from one world mission in 1893 to conducting and encouraging gospel outreach in 49 countries and exploring opportunities in 16 other fields.

We publish gospel materials in 56 languages and reach millions through the internet. A Milwaukee bookstore started in 1876 is now Northwestern Publishing House, which, along with WELS Congregational Services, provides ongoing support and resources for our churches and schools. We help lead a fellowship of 34 Lutheran church bodies. As a worldwide church body, we boldly proclaim Christ’s reconciling love in every hemisphere! Praise be to God!

WELS is coordinating a special anniversary offering to not only give thanks to our Lord for blessings throughout our history but also to fund the goals that we have humbly set in our next long-range (ten-year) strategic plan with the expectation that Jesus will do more than all we ask or imagine.

We want the proclamation of Christ to drive every decision and action in our lives and congregations. We want to be bold disciples willing to bear crosses so that we witness the gospel even when it invites opposition. We want to build community among members through our churches and encourage seeing every part of our lives as mission opportunities and every church as a mission church.

We’ll recruit more workers and find more pathways into ministry while valuing our current called workers. The synod will provide resources to free up congregational leaders for more frontline, face-to-face ministry.

We will promote discipleship starting in our homes and the strategic planting of churches to serve more people across North America.

We pray for a future where we increasingly coordinate with sister synods overseas to gather global support for mission efforts and train and send international church leaders into mission fields. We will utilize our God-given strength of training called workers to strategically plant seminaries for sister synods around the globe. We will pioneer missions to high-risk areas to ensure souls in difficult circumstances hear the gospel.

May God give success to these plans and grant even greater blessings than these according to his gracious care. Pray for his guidance and that he would open the hearts of his people to enthusiastically bring Christ’s good news to all through his Spirit. If you would like, you can give an anniversary thank offering for 175 years of the gospel to us and through us. Gifts to the WELS 175th Anniversary Fund will support North American ministry (Home Missions, Congregational Services), international ministry (World Missions), and worker training (Ministerial Education).

In his service,
Mark Schroeder
WELS President

P.S. To learn more about WELS’ 175th anniversary and see the status of this special offering, visit welshistoricalinstitute.org/175th-offering.

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Prayer: We praise you, Lord, for your holy, gracious plan to rescue sinners. We thank you for guiding the history of our synod by your Holy Spirit and blessing our gospel outreach so that many more people across the world have heard the good news of Jesus’ victory over sin and death. As we move forward, give us zeal for your saving Word and the Great Commission. Bless us and our service to you for your glory and the good of your kingdom. Amen.

Help a challenged church find new life

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Dear Friend,

All across our synod, some congregations are barely holding on. Worship attendance has dwindled. Finances are tight. Outreach has stalled. Their leaders are faithful, but overwhelmed. These congregations need help. And WELS Congregational Services is stepping in with a comprehensive consultation program that provides the tools and training to renew their ministry for Christ from the ground up. One lay leader shared, “Having Congregational Services provide objectivity and expertise as we redeveloped our ministry was so helpful. It has created great momentum.”

However, most struggling congregations can’t afford the costs associated with this redevelopment process. You can change that. A gift to WELS Congregational Counseling can sponsor a full consultation for a congregation in crisis. That includes pre-consult assessments, an on-site multi-day visit from trained consultants, and a full year of follow-up coaching to walk with them as they put their gospel ministry plan into action.

  • $500 helps cover assessment and travel costs
  • $1,000 brings the consultant team to a church in need
  • $2,500 sponsors a full year of the program, including post-consultation coaching

Every dollar helps a church take the first step toward revitalization. We’ve already seen the fruit: congregations regaining gospel focus, reconnecting with their communities, and rejoicing as God brings new life into their service to Jesus and others.

You already support gospel work through your congregation—thank you. Will you consider a special gift today to bring renewal to churches that need it most?

Gratefully in Christ,
Rev. Jonathan Hein
Coordinator, WELS Congregational Services

P.S. Your gift provides hope and help: $2,500 sponsors a full consultation; $1,000 sends a team; and $500 gets the process started.

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Clarity and courage for congregational ministry

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Dear Friend,

Congregations and schools across our synod face a rapidly changing world: shifting demographics, aging membership, questions of sustainability, leadership transitions, and worker shortages. Through it all, the urgent call remains to proclaim Christ in a post-Christian culture. Without clear direction, congregations risk missing ministry opportunities or even drifting from their mission. With your help, they can proclaim the living Lord to a dying world with renewed focus.

WELS Congregational Services is here to help. When a congregation is planning for the future, sometimes it helps to have someone from the outside ask the right questions and offer a clear-eyed perspective. That is exactly what Congregational Services does through a number of tailored consultations. Whether it’s a church seeking renewed purpose, a school aiming to engage its community, or nearby congregations exploring partnerships via our Mission Together program, our team walks alongside leaders with encouragement and Christ-centered guidance.

We don’t offer one-size-fits-all answers or cookie-cutter solutions. Each consultation is customized to the unique local context. We take time to gather data, listen carefully, assess needs, and help local leaders shape a thoughtful, Spirit-led ministry plan. Our role isn’t to promise growth; only the Lord of the Church can provide growth. Our role is to help congregations faithfully steward the people, resources, and gospel opportunities God has already placed in front of them.

I have seen the Lord bless these efforts. One congregation shared, “We were spinning our wheels. The consultation gave us clarity and courage to move forward.” Another said, “We were doing the same things we’d always done. It was so helpful to look at everything and put a new ministry plan in place.”

But this kind of ministry takes time, prayer, and resources. We never want finances to stand in the way of a congregation receiving help. That’s where you come in.

Would you consider supporting this work of gospel encouragement and ministry revitalization? Your gift helps cover travel, training, and the development of tools and resources that bless congregations and schools across the country. More importantly, your gift supports the vital work of helping churches clarify their mission and move forward with confidence in Christ’s powerful Word.

This work—assessing and planning ministry—doesn’t always grab headlines. But it matters! When congregations are renewed in purpose, when leaders find clarity and unity, and when local ministries are aligned with the gospel’s priorities, Christ is honored. Congregational consultations are ultimately about helping God’s people serve with greater focus, boldness, hope, and joy. The fruit belongs to the Lord. Our role is to encourage, equip, and lift up those called to carry out his work in their communities.

Please keep this work in your prayers. And if you are able, consider making a gift to support it. Your partnership helps ministries move forward—not with fear, but with faithful purpose—trusting Christ to do more than we ask or imagine.

In Christ,
Pastor Jonathan Hein
Director, WELS Congregational Services

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Prayer: Lord Jesus, we praise you that you have made each of us members of your body. Thank you that our churches can work with each other and our synod for additional support. Bless WELS Congregational Services as it supports congregations through Mission Together meetings to work collaboratively within a geographic region, through long-term planning, and school accreditation. May these resources offer fresh perspectives and ideas for better serving people with your gospel. Lord, continue to give us zeal and strength through your good news in Word and sacraments, and encourage us through the fellowship of believers. Amen.

Why we do what we do

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Dear Friend,

WELS often communicates the “what” of our work—what we are doing for the Lord with the offerings his people provide. But even more important is the “why” of what we do. So I’d like to take this opportunity to review our motivation.

It starts with the blessings of our almighty Heavenly Father whose fingerprints are evident in the complexity at every level of his design. He created a special relationship with human beings. But pride led to our fall from this relationship. It brought on the devastating struggle with sin and death. Amazingly, as soon as we had fallen, God was there to catch us with his promise of a coming Savior.

It’s hard for us to believe that God didn’t simply crush the human race when, throughout the history of the Old Testament, the waves of our rebellion kept crashing at his feet. Still, his saving promises proclaimed through the prophets persisted and were fulfilled in the arrival of Jesus the Son of God.

Jesus has wowed audiences through the ages with his righteous life, authoritative teaching, miracles, and even spoken endorsements from God. He had to shift the thinking of his followers from earthly glory to an even greater spiritual victory. He did not come to be served but to serve—and to give his life as a ransom for many.

And that is what happened when he died on the cross. At the cross, God’s justice and love came together powerfully. Through the eternal Son of God, our sins were eternally punished, and his righteousness eternally credited to us. His resurrection from the dead loudly proclaims to all that the curse of sin is broken, that we have been declared not guilty, and that heaven is our home. It beckons us to follow Christ for safe passage through mankind’s ultimate obstacle.

Christ’s victory has a definite impact on our earthly lives. He calls us through his good news of forgiveness of sins to “go and make disciples of all nations.” WELS bases its mission statement on this Great Commission, aiming to allow “congregations and their members to extend the reach of their God-given mission of proclaiming the gospel in Word and sacrament.”

To proceed with the mission, believers faithfully—trusting in the Giver to continue to provide—donate their possessions to the Lord’s work just like Jesus’ disciples (Luke 8:1-3) and the early church (Acts 2:44-45). We do this especially through our congregational offerings, which fund nearly three-fourths of the synod’s work. Direct gifts to WELS are also factored into our church body’s ministry plan.

Since our Savior’s vision to reach lost sinners is boundless, we are committed to expanding synod ministry as support increases. Since 2023, there have been 45 new home mission starts and enhancements. World Missions is exploring outreach opportunities in 16 fields and has placed missionaries in new locations like London, Australia, and the Philippines. And we are grateful that this month’s ministerial education school graduations will increase the number of teachers, staff ministers, and pastors serving our congregations.

It’s a beautiful privilege that God allows us to work intimately with him to reach out to and disciple others. Even now—just like we’ll be doing in heaven—we can glorify his name! What better way to steward our lives and our resources during our short time on this earth?

Yours in Christ,
Kurt Lueneburg
Director, WELS Ministry of Christian Giving

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Prayer: Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—we praise you for mercifully fulfilling your promises to provide us undeserving sinners with a Savior. Thank you, Jesus, for giving up heaven to live with us on earth and carrying out a holy life for us amid sin and temptation. Thanks also for suffering hell for us as the deserved punishment for our sin and giving us your innocence so that, by trusting in you, we stand holy before God. May your Spirit strengthen us to live in joyful thanks to you by obeying your commands and sharing the good news of your salvation with others. Amen.

MLC Day 2025 – celebrating blessings!

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Dear Friend,

Our gracious Lord has certainly blessed our church and school ministries through the work of MLC graduates serving as pastors, teachers, staff ministers, and lay leaders! That’s why Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn., has adopted the theme “Celebrating Blessings” for this year’s MLC Day. We invite you today to join thousands of friends of MLC and WELS from across the globe in encouraging the work of our College of Ministry.

The three pillars of MLC Day are: pray to the Lord with thanks for our congregational servants and the students at MLC, share celebratory photos and videos online, and give in honor of their ministry and to support MLC.

  • PRAY – Celebrate blessings at your churches and schools through prayers of thanks for the work of pastors, teachers, staff ministers, and ministry leaders. Post your prayers on MLC’s Pray Kudoboard.
  • SHARE – Join friends of MLC in sharing photos and videos that express thankfulness for our Lord’s blessings. MLC’s campus family loves seeing your posts from family members, churches, elementary schools, and high schools on their Share Kudoboard! Follow MLC’s Facebook and Instagram for more photo and video-sharing ideas.
  • GIVE – Contribute to MLC’s Congregational Partner Grant Program (CPGP) as a tribute to those who have blessed you through their public or private ministries. With your gifts, MLC hopes to add another $130,000 to the CPGP matching fund so that more students will receive financial assistance for their journey to the public ministry. Visit the MLC Day Give page for donation updates and a link to donate.

MLC will be posting photos and stories and updating progress reports on the MLC Facebook and Instagram pages. They will also have extensive Facebook Live posts of life at MLC! Have fun—and may God bless MLC to his glory!

Rev. Duane Rodewald
Chairman, WELS Board for Ministerial Education

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Your partnership in the gospel

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Dear Friend of Missions,

It’s amazing to see a new believer “get” the gospel for the first time. There’s excitement, joy, and appreciation from understanding that Jesus saved them. It’s one of the main reasons I enjoy being a missionary. I have the great privilege of being front and center as God’s gospel brings more people into his family.

I’ve also enjoyed working with our ministry partners. God has blessed us with mature Christians who are willing to lead a group, host a Bible study, and share the gospel with others. The excitement they have witnessing God work through a breakthrough conversation, experiencing a great Bible study moment, or even planning future work is inspiring and encouraging.

And God has blessed us with ministry partners like you, located far away but united with us through Christ and the Holy Spirit. We are incredibly blessed and grateful for the prayers and offerings given by WELS members. Thank you! My appreciation for these partnerships reminds me of Paul’s emotion in the start of his letter to the Philippians.

We know we can’t do this work as just two families. But, if we model gospel work in simple ways and equip and encourage others, with God’s gracious blessing, our reach multiplies, and the excitement does too.

If you haven’t already done so, please prayerfully consider making a gift to support this new outreach effort. To get to be a part of this mission work is an honor, and to get to do it with all these brothers and sisters in Christ in Australia and in the U.S. is humbling and exciting. Praise God for the good work he is doing in us and through us—together.

Serving the Risen Savior,
Peter Janke
Missionary to Australia

P.S. Read more about the Australian mission and the service of my fellow missionary Matt Doebler and his wife, Christine, in this Forward in Christ article.

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