Serving more souls in Europe

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Dear Friend,

“It was a great, pleasant surprise.” That was the reaction of Mike Perez, a WELS member serving in the U.S. Army, when he learned of WELS worship services being offered in Germany by the WELS European chaplain. He had previously served a tour of duty in Germany without realizing this was available to him and his family. “It’s great to be fulfilled with the sacrament,” said Mike. “That’s something that was missing the entire four years that we were here last time. It’s been a treat to be able to receive that on a regular basis.”

WELS has a chaplain (pastor) in Europe whose primary role is to bring through Word and sacrament Jesus’ victory over sin and death to active-duty WELS military members and their families like Mike Perez. The chaplain is based in Germany and has typically served people in Germany and adjoining countries. While the chaplain primarily serves active-duty military members, he also serves civilians such as retired U.S. military members who have married foreign nationals and now reside in Europe as well as WELS members who are working as contractors with the military in Europe or who are there for business or tourism.

The scattered worship groups served by our chaplain also gather for twice-a-year retreats at various locations in Europe. The large group celebrates Reformation and Easter services with worship, Bible study, and fellowship. During these retreats, the scattered groups essentially become one large European congregation.

Now, we’re hoping to grow the number of souls served by our European chaplain! In the past year, WELS Military Services has received requests to serve active-duty military members in a wider path across Europe in countries like Spain, Italy, and Poland. Recently Chaplain Weiss made several trips to serve a military family in Spain who was not able to travel to the Easter retreat in Germany because the father was deployed. Their daughter was a part of Weiss’ online confirmation classes. On the latest trip, Chaplain Weiss went to Spain to confirm the daughter.

Serving military members and others in these countries requires more travel on the part of the chaplain. One trip to any of these extended areas in Europe typically costs several thousand dollars to cover his flight, vehicle rental, and lodging and meals.

The vital work of the European chaplain is part of WELS Military Services and is supported by the prayers and generous gifts of God’s people who love or are served by this ministry. Please consider donating today to help expand the ministry of our WELS European chaplain.

This support not only brings the gospel to those who are far from home, it encourages them in their faith as they provide protection and security to us and our country.

In Christ,
Rev. Joel Gaertner
Director, WELS Commission on Special Ministries

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Prayer: Dear Lord, we thank you for the long-time blessing of a WELS European chaplain who provides spiritual support to civilians and military personnel living in Europe. We pray that people in Europe will know of the chaplain’s availability so that they can be strengthened by Christ’s good news in Word and sacrament. Bless the groups that gather regularly for worship, Bible study, and fellowship—as well as larger retreats twice each year. If it’s your will, please grant that the chaplain’s ministry may extend to more countries across Europe. Amen.

Equipping home missions for gospel ministry

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Dear Friend,

Seven. That’s the number of locations where Living Hope worshiped the living Savior before settling into our permanent worship facility. We worshiped in some of those locations only a couple of times and in others for a couple of years. COVID-19 disrupted many of our best-laid plans for planting a church in Chattanooga, Tenn. Thankfully we were able to adapt by utilizing the “Church in a Box” system.

“Church in a Box” is more like a “church in a trailer.” All of our audio-visual equipment, portable altar furnishings, Sunday school supplies, and staging, were rolled out of our trailer each Sunday and set up for worship. After worship and Bible study we’d then pack everything back up for next week.

About three and a half years after our grand opening, in 2021, God blessed us with a facility of our own. But even now we’re still using most of the equipment from our “Church in a Box” and have repurposed it for our permanent worship space. Last year, another new mission church started in our region (Christ the Rock in Canton, Ga.). Living Hope was able to gift them our trailer and some large portable storage containers that we no longer needed. It’s been great to see our “Church in a Box” system still being fully utilized between our two churches nearly six years after the initial purchase.

We were able to purchase our “Church in a Box” through a grant from the WELS Home Missions Equipment Fund. That single grant, which covered the whole purchase for Living Hope, has now made it possible for two mission congregations to hold worship services, and all of the equipment is still in use today. What a blessing!

Thank you for supporting WELS Home Missions with your prayers and offerings! If you’re looking for another great way to support our 100 Missions in 10 Years initiative, consider a gift to the Equipment Fund so other WELS church plants can have all they need to get started and, God-willing, serve their communities for many years to come. I think utilizing a “Church in a Box” system is one of the best ways we can be stewards of the resources with which God blesses our synod. Every dollar spent on a system like this is vital for new missions like Living Hope as they get started with planting a church.

Living Hope may have a permanent facility now but we’ve chosen to keep our mission spirit from those early days of being a mobile ministry. Instead of talking about our church facility as a fortress, we like to talk about it as a forward operating base. Our church isn’t a place where we seek refuge from the world but rather a place where the good news of Jesus refuels and equips us to go out and reach others with the message of “hope for every day” found in Christ.

Seven locations, one message. No matter where we worship, this is the same: “In [God’s] great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade” (1 Peter 1:3-4). Let’s work together as we mobilize to reach people with this living hope!

In Christ,
Pastor Eric Melso
Home Missionary, Living Hope, Chattanooga, Tenn.

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Prayer: Lord God, we praise you for your grace that sought us while we were still sinners and cleansed us from our sins through faith in the saving work of Jesus. We rejoice to hear of people discovering this grace in new places served by our home mission congregations, such as Chatanooga, Tenn. Bless Pastor Eric Melso and the members at Living Hope as they use their gifts to serve their community. We also ask you, Lord, to guide all our WELS home missions efforts, including our goal of opening 100 new missions and enhancing 75 existing missions in ten years. Amen.

Sharing Jesus through early childhood ministries

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Dear Christian Friend,

Our WELS early childhood ministries are in great demand, which has led to the opportunity to teach more children and their families about Jesus!

But where do our congregations get the extra workers to meet the opportunity? Many times congregations hire staff who are qualified but who lack official credentials. How are we going to help these workers achieve state or ministry certification?

Martin Luther College (MLC), the WELS College of Ministry, has developed a four-tier system of training early childhood workers right where they are working.

  • Tier One: Free resources directors can use to onboard new hires for ministry and teaching. Twenty-five free training modules in five high-need areas. Located on the MLC website.
  • Tier Two: Three one-credit courses to earn the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential in one semester. Training includes the preparation for the test, portfolio, and classroom visit needed to earn the credential. The CDA credential is a nationally accepted first step in professional recognition for early childhood teachers.
  • Tier Three: A revamped teaching ministry certification for early childhood teachers provides theological and professional training for ministry in a Lutheran context. This 18-credit program, together with the CDA credential, can qualify a teacher to be locally called by a congregation.
  • Tier Four: An Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood degree for existing lead and assistant teachers. The ideal candidate has some college background already.

Martin Luther College exists to meet the ministry needs of WELS. As we see more opportunities, how will MLC have the resources to develop programs like these for state and ministry certification?

One answer is the WELS Ministerial Education Endowment Fund. With an endowment, dollars are not spent immediately but are placed in a diversified investment portfolio, and the annual distributions are designated toward gospel ministry.

Every year the Board for Ministerial Education designates some of the proceeds from the WELS Ministerial Education Endowment so that MLC can fund their most pressing ministry needs.

It’s an excellent way to support gospel ministry now and into the future. Would you give to the WELS Ministerial Education Endowment Fund today?

Cordially in Christ,
Rev. Paul Prange
WELS Administrator for Ministerial Education

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Prayer: Dear Jesus, we praise you for bringing people of all ages to know of your holiness and of your love in forgiving our sins. Thank you for the great demand at our early learning centers. Bless our congregations with the teachers they need to serve interested families. Also bless Martin Luther College as it aims to provide the appropriate training for early childhood workers. May the children and families we serve grow in faith through the gospel we proclaim so that they can spend eternal life with you. Amen.

Beautiful feet

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Dear Friend,

God has given us great promises in his Word: the message of salvation through Christ will go out to all the world, the Holy Spirit will work faith, and Christ’s Church will grow. Do you know what I always find most amazing, though? God has mighty angels—perfect messengers who do his bidding—yet this most important task he leaves to us to carry out.

God wants us to train and send workers to places where you and I cannot go. Paul, writing to the Romans, describes the importance of this work: And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? (Romans 10:14-15).

This is where the work of Asia Lutheran Seminary (ALS) comes in. In 2023, ALS became part of the Asia One Team—a group of WELS world missionaries called to bring God’s grace to Asia. Whereas the seminary initially worked with Chinese-speaking students, ALS has now pivoted to serving students throughout Asia. To accomplish this, we’ve created a new branch of ALS: the Regional Theological Education Program (RTEP). This program partners with sister churches throughout Asia to provide continuity in training through consultation, curriculum, and visiting instructors.

Through our core program, and now through the work of RTEP, we continue to raise up confessional Lutheran leaders who will take the message of Christ to their communities. Here’s how Paul goes on to describe those leaders: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! (Romans 10:15).

We agree! We teach men like Marzan in the Philippines. He has known the true gospel his entire life. He also knows how desperately his community needs the good news. Ask him why he is studying through Asia Lutheran Seminary, and he’ll answer, “I want them to see Christ.” He wants to be equipped to preach and teach so they can know Christ too. Beautiful feet.

We teach men like the church leaders enrolled in our seminary training program in Nepal. In one class, as we discussed these verses from Romans, we talked about the persecution they could face for sharing their faith. Their concern? Reaching more people with the gospel. Their prayer? That God would give boldness to Christians around the world as they share the gospel. Beautiful feet.

By God’s grace, you are partnering with the work of ALS. Your prayers that God would raise up workers and that his Word would go out to all the world are working. Your financial support—whether direct or through your congregation—is a blessing, and we are so grateful.

Today I ask for your help with our current needs: more teaching trips need to be made, more local leaders need to be trained, and many more need to be reached with the gospel! How might you consider stepping with your beautiful feet into the circle today?

In Christ,
Rev. Jon Bare
President, Asia Lutheran Seminary

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Prayer: Lord of the Church, your Spirit is working in the hearts of people across Asia to want to serve you by proclaiming your gospel. We thank you that, through Asia Lutheran Seminary and its new Regional Theological Education Program, we can train these people in their various life situations. Bless the leaders of Asia Lutheran Seminary and their students so that the message of your grace in Jesus Christ may spread to many more people still lost in the hopelessness of sin and death. Amen.

A day of encouragement

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Dear Friend,

We all could use some encouragement. That’s why Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn., has adopted the theme of “Encouragement” for this year’s MLC Day. Join us today in this annual day-long celebration where thousands of friends of MLC and WELS across the globe encourage the work of our College of Ministry. The three pillars of MLC Day are: pray for MLC’s work of training gospel proclaimers, share messages of encouragement online, and give to support its ministry.

  • Pray for students, faculty, and staff, and for their mission of training the next generation of pastors, teachers, and staff ministers who will teach us and others about God’s love in Jesus. Pray also for those young people and second-career adults who are considering enrolling at MLC.
  • Share a message of encouragement. Record a short video with your message (printable MLC Day signs are available at mlcday.com) and share it on the MLC Day Kudoboard or post it on Facebook and Instagram using #MLCDAY2024.
  • Give to MLC. Your donation will provide tuition assistance to MLC students by helping fund MLC’s Congregational Partner Grant Program. Two generous donors are matching all donations up to $60,000 to help us reach our $120,000 goal.

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

Cordially in Christ,
Paul Prange
Administrator, WELS Ministerial Education

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Utilizing our schools for outreach

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Dear Friend,

Would it surprise you to learn that there are a growing number of unchurched families from the community in our congregations’ schools? If you are a member of a congregation that supports an early childhood ministry, Lutheran elementary school, or an area Lutheran high school, statistics show that 20 percent of those enrolled are families without a church home. This is the largest percentage in the history of our WELS school system.

More parents from the community are enrolling their children in WELS schools for safety, a great education, and Christian values. Is it possible they could also find more than they were initially looking for? Could these families also find a caring group of Christians who would love to share with them the good news of our restored relationship with God through the work of Jesus?

Some of our schools have had many years of experience working with unchurched families; for other schools it’s relatively new. We have learned specific approaches that have helped welcome these families and open the door to conversations about the gospel.

This is the role of the WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools as part of WELS Congregational Services: to encourage and equip congregations for faithful and fruitful gospel ministry. We recognize the wonderful outreach opportunities present in our schools and are here to assist.

One of the services we provide is called Telling the Next Generation. This is a day-long training to help church and school leaders develop a specific plan (called a “harvest strategy”) that includes building relationships with school families and encouraging them to hear the Word and join the congregation. In this way Lutheran Schools is not only providing Christian education for the children, we are also partnering with congregations to bring Jesus to the entire family. This Telling the Next Generation training is available to all school ministries, early childhood through high school.

You can partner with us in this ministry as well! We invite your support to train more ministry consultants to not only guide congregational leaders in intentionally building relationships and sharing the Good News of Jesus with unchurched families but also to periodically help schools review and assess their efforts. We are seeking gifts totaling $110,000-130,000 over the next year to allow an expanded schedule of on-site Telling the Next Generation training as well as follow-up visits with congregations that have previously participated in a presentation. Can you help?

Thanks for prayerfully considering how we can work together in the rich harvest fields God has blessed us with at our schools!

In Christ,
James A. Rademan
Director, WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools

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Prayer: Lord Jesus, we praise you for your amazing, unchanging truths revealed in the Bible—your perfect law and your gracious fulfillment of the law, suffering, death, and resurrection from the dead for our salvation. We thank you for churches and schools where fellow Christians walk with us as we grow in your grace and teach it to the next generations. We also thank you that neighbors are finding peace in the clarity of the Christian values we teach in our schools. Enable us to provide enough teachers to meet the needs of our students, and may your Holy Spirit lead families to trust in you through your gospel in Word and sacraments. Amen.