One way to support those in recovery

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Often when we think about supporting a group of people, we think about what WE can do for THEM.

It is counterintuitive to think, ā€œWhat can they do for us?ā€

But people from an addiction rehab near one WELS congregation have made it clear. They want opportunities to volunteer and serve.

In fact, one person said this: ā€œIā€™ve let a lot a people down.Ā You donā€™t know what it means to meĀ that you are giving me the opportunity to be responsible and give back.ā€

Based on the comments of those in recovery, CrossWalk Lutheran Church has begun to offer opportunities to serve including:

  • Monitoring the parking lot to prevent catalytic converter theft. (The congregation lost four over the last several months)
  • Helping to take down signs, canopies, tables, and chairs after church services
  • Delivering Thanksgiving meals to needy families through the churchā€™s Feed-a-Family program.

Providing opportunities to serve can be uncomfortable. Initially, congregations may find themselves feeling a bit like Peter before Jesus washed his feet. They may protest that it is improper or selfish to accept service rather than provide it.

But the risk of not providing opportunities to serve is great. The church could inadvertently reinforce what sociologists call ā€œlearned helplessness.ā€ And congregations might be preventing the needy from worshiping God with their gifts of service.

What can this mean for your church?

Your church may not have collaborations with local rehabs. But it is likely that you bless your community through a number of charitable acts of giving and service.

If you want to bless your community in this novel way, the first step is to make a mental shift. Instead of thinking about what your church can do for your community, think about what your community can do for your church.

By providing opportunities to serve, you are reversing learned helplessness and fulfilling the words, ā€œthe first shall be last and the last shall be first.ā€ You are denying yourself in order to provide someone else with the opportunity to learn that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

If youā€™re interested in learning about being spiritually supportive of people in recovery, see the Special Ministries video and study guide at welscongregationalservices.net/recovery.

Jason Jonker
CSM Mental Health Needs Chair

 

 

 

Stumped and full of hope

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A massive stroke. A profound birth defect. A house fire.

We donā€™t expect such things to happen to us. They sound to us like the end of hope, a devastating derailment of our dreams.

Isaiahā€™s picture of the ā€œstump of Jesseā€ captures the end-of-hope feeling. The glorious kingdom of David and Solomon was smashed into rubble and the people driven out with just a stump to mark the spot. Israelā€™s conquest and captivity appeared to be the unthinkable finale to happiness.

The imagery of the stump of Jesse could also symbolize earthly life when a person experiences something so terrible that every expectation of joy is erased. A productive career is cut short. The joy of childhood energy is stilled. Resources for old age are gone in an instant. We stare at the stump of what once was our lives, and we are stunned.

Special Ministries exists because the stump is not the end of the story for Christians. Isaiah prophesied, ā€œA shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.ā€ The stump is not where life ends; it is the beginning of his rescue. From that wrecked kingdom Christ came to seek and to save the lost.

In our darkest hour, our hope remains in God. Jesus told his disciples a manā€™s blindness would be an occasion to display what the Lord can do (John 9:3). Hope in the Lord drives Special Ministriesā€™ work. Whether you have a disability or a struggle, whether your life has hit a wall or seems to have lost its purpose, we know the God who rescues. The Lord who caused a shoot to grow out of the stump of Jesse has a glorious eternal plan for you.

The Savior healed the deaf and blind as well as restoring hope to sinners shattered by shame. Thatā€™s not a coincidence. His mission ultimately delivers not only from damnation but also from the effects of this fallen world. Those who cannot physically hear the gospel now, already hear his voice. The blind see their Savior already in his Word. Neither trauma nor abuse can stop his healing love. The Branch is already bearing fruit and we see it in Special Ministries. The stump is not the end of the story, itā€™s the place where hope springs up. See Special Ministriesā€™ information online for resources and guidance when you or someone you know is stumped!

Jim Behringer, director, WELS Special Ministries

 

 

 

The Charitable Gift Annuity: A Gift That Pays Income for Life

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After 35 years of teaching, Arnie Nommensen began serving in a different way: as a WELS Christian giving counselor. In his role, Arnie met a WELS member who made quite an impression on him. This member had seen firsthand the blessings of charitable gift annuities (CGAs), so Arnie helped him set up multiple CGAs to leave a legacy of faith.

Motivated by this example and out of thankfulness for Godā€™s blessings, Arnie knew that setting up CGAs to support the Lordā€™s work was also right for him and his wife, Carol. They knew that even after God calls them home, their CGAs will continue to support the ministries they love, like providing physical and spiritual support in Africa through WELS Christian Aid and Relief.

ā€œYou hear about things that WELS Christian Aid and Relief is doing in Africa for communities that really have a need, and that community then is also hearing the gospel from the people who are there to help them,ā€ says Arnie. ā€œThe support that we can give through a charitable gift annuity will help provide that, and thatā€™s something that can be carried on after weā€™re in heaven.ā€

CGAs are very popular since they provide quarterly income payments to the donor for life, in addition to significant tax benefits. When the Lord calls the donor home, the remainder will be distributed to the ministry or ministries of the donorā€™s choosing.

Carol appreciates how CGAs allow them to share their blessings with others: ā€œTheyā€™ve given us the ability to use our financial gifts from the Lord to help or give back to him in a small way, because he gives us so much,ā€ she says. ā€œAnd it really gives us joy to do that.ā€

Run a personalized gift annuity illustration based on your age

Learn more about charitable gift annuities by contacting your local WELS Christian giving counselor at 800-827-5482 or [email protected].

Watch Arnie and Carol’s full charitable gift annuity storyĀ 

A Smart Option for Giving

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If you are age 70.5 or older, you can support WELS ministries and churches through a gift directly from an individual retirement account (IRA) called a qualified charitable distribution (QCD).

Why is a QCD such a good giving option?

  • Giving directly from your IRAā€”rather than withdrawing these fundsā€”wonā€™t increase your adjusted gross income or subject your Social Security income to more taxes.
  • Such gifts can count toward all or part of your annual required minimum distribution (RMD). While IRA owners age 70.5 or older can make gifts directly to charities from their IRAs, the minimum age for taking RMDs has increased to 72.
  • QCD gifts can be especially advantageous for those who do not expect to itemize their deductions and for those whose deductions are limited.
  • You may make QCD gifts in any amount up to $100,000 per person per year or $200,000 for a couple with separate IRAs. Because of recent tax law changes, you may be able to continue to add to an IRA after age 70.5. If this is your situation, the amount of QCD gifts you can make will be reduced.*

Learn more about making QCDs from your IRA at wels.net/helpful-giving-tools or by contacting your local WELS Christian giving counselor at 800-827-5482 or [email protected].

*As a result of the SECURE Act, if an individual with earned income continues to make deductible contributions to an IRA beyond age 70.5, the individualā€™s maximum QCD amount will be reduced by the amount of deduction claimed for an IRA contribution.

Helpful Giving Tools

WELS Foundation provides resources to support you in your giving, such as:

Consider Being “Flexible” in Retirement

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For those looking for new ways to support WELSā€™ mission to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ while still providing for their retirement needs, they may be surprised to learn about a way they can do both: the flexible deferred charitable gift annuity.

  1. With this creative plan (which is a variation of the simple charitable gift annuity), you can meet current and future income needs. While IRS regulations limit contributions to IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and other retirement plans, there are no such limitations with this plan.
  2. You can create a plan that maximizes your current income tax deduction while retaining the flexibility of receiving payments at the time you choose.
  3. Lastly, a flexible deferred annuity provides protection should an income need arise due to an uncertain future event (such as placing a relative in an assisted living facility or helping someone with in-home care). Payments can begin if or when the need arises.

A good example

As Bill and Jane prepared for retirement, they wanted to set aside resources to supplement their retirement income, while eventually benefiting a number of WELS ministries, including their home church. With the flexible deferred charitable gift annuity, they fulfilled these objectives.

Over a period of years, Bill and Jane created several flexible deferred charitable gift annuities and can begin receiving the payments in the future.

  • They met part of their Christian giving goals, named their favorite ministries to receive the remainder of the annuities, and had large deductions to use against their current income.
  • Annually they have the choice to begin receiving the payments.
  • When the payments begin, they may decide to use their payments to support the Lordā€™s work and would receive additional income tax deductions for those gifts.

Charitable gift annuity illustration

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information about this creative plan or charitable gift annuities, contact a WELS Christian giving counselor at 800-827-5482 or [email protected].

Called worker mental health

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Nearly 20% of adults in the U.S. were diagnosed with a mental illness in 2019, according to a recent study by Mental Health America. More than half of Americans reported that the pandemic had a negative impact on their mental health. Of these nearly 50 million people, over half went untreated. The study shows that many are uninsured and for those who have coverage, a large percentage are forced out of network for mental health care. This makes treatment harder to find and less affordable.

Depression and anxiety are often wrongly viewed as character flaws that can be cured through stronger faith. Many Christians consider the called workers to be on a higher level spiritually than themselves and not susceptible to these problems. We observe our spiritual leaders spreading Godā€™s Word and caring for the spiritual needs of the adults and children in our churches and schools. As well intentioned, but uninformed Christians, we assume that people who exhibit this type of faith would be immune to mental illness. Numerous studies and real-life experiences have shown us that Godā€™s dedicated servants are not exempt.

In order to better support our called workers, we need to change our own perception of mental illness and become educated on the causes, symptoms, and treatment of them. The Rev. Dr. Todd Peperkorn is an Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod pastor who wrote a book called ā€œI Trust When Dark My Road: A Lutheran View of Depressionā€ in which he shares his deep struggles with anxiety and depression. His struggle began when he was a talented, energetic young pastor, devoted to his family and flock. It is shocking to hear him describe the stages of his depression that eventually caused him to completely withdraw from his ministry, family, and friends. He describes his struggles with the shame of others finding out about his diagnosis and finally the decision to take a leave from his ministry. It is heartening to hear of his treatment and ongoing recovery.

For a called worker struggling with depression, it is crucial to have the support of family, friends, another pastor, and the congregation. If your church already has a Care Committee for Called Workers, consider discussing mental health issues as a part of the annual meeting. If your congregation does not have a CCCW, concern with mental health during these stressful times provides a strong argument to form one.

Once the decision has been made to support a called worker in need, the members of the CCCW may wonder where to start. Christian Family Solutions provides confidential Lutheran counseling care and services ā€“ at no cost to the called worker. Their mission is ā€œHealing and helping people in need through the ministry of Jesus Christ.ā€ Since they can only help those who seek treatment, we should make it a priority that every called worker needing such help receives it.

Kurt Holzhueter, chairman of WELS Care Committee for Called Workers

Christian Family Solutions provides mental health outpatient counseling, school-based counseling, day treatment, and intensive outpatient programs for individuals and families through its clinics in seven states, at partner schools, and through telehealth. Through its Member Assistance Program, Christian Family Solutions offers confidential counseling services for called workers in all 12 districts, WELS World Missions, and other WELS/ELS organizations, at no cost to the called worker. There is a limit to the number of sessions available and may require a referral from your organizational leader or district president.Ā  Please contact your organization for more information on how to participate in the Member Assistance Program.Ā  You can also visit the Christian Family Solutions website to find more helpful resources or to request an appointment online:Ā ChristianFamilySolutions.org. Or call 800-438-1772 to speak with the Christian Family Solutions intake staff about your care options.

Ā 

 

 

 

What that family wishes you knew

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Itā€™s impossible to miss us as we come into your church for the first time ā€“ three of us are walking upright while the fourth member of our family is being pushed in a wheelchair (or walking with a cane, or needing his/her hand held). And as you see us, you smile politely as you would to any other family visiting your church. But we can sense that youā€™re a little uncomfortable about approaching us. Itā€™s something that weā€™ve sensed from other people over the years as well. Youā€™re curious, and, as a Christian, youā€™re a caring person, but you donā€™t know what to say and you donā€™t want to offend.

Here are seven things we wish you knew about us.

  1. Weā€™re just like you. You canā€™t imagine dealing with our situation. But neither could we, not at first. We arenā€™t superhuman or specially gifted or anything like that. If you wonder how you would feel if you had to deal with a family member with exceptional needs day-after-day, know that we wonder the same thing about ourselves.
  2. We arenā€™t going to ask for your help, even if we need it. We donā€™t know the level of assistance you would be willing to give us, and we donā€™t want to impose on you. But we very well may need some help this morning, and for us to get it youā€™re going to have the make the first move.
  3. We arenā€™t going to be offended by any questions you have. We know youā€™re curious. We would be very happy to tell you about ourselves, our family memberā€™s diagnosis, and the challenges we face. In fact, we would be very appreciative if you asked.
  4. Each of us is an individual. It may be very hard for our exceptional family member to communicate with you. But they will perceive your concern about them in their own way. Please treat them the same way that you treat the rest of us, even if you donā€™t seem to get any response. They are Godā€™s child just as much as the rest of us are Godā€™s children.
  5. You donā€™t have to feel sorry for us. We experience many challenges, but God always keeps his promises ā€“ including his promise to bring good out of every situation for his people. As much as we appreciate being able to share information about our challenges, we also want to tell you about the special blessings God has given us.
  6. Each of us is a sinner forgiven by Jesus ā€“ just like you are. That forgiving love of Jesus has forged a bond in our family that is stronger than any disability, and it just might be that the Lord means for that bond to extend between us and you as well. Thatā€™s why weā€™re visiting your church this morning ā€“ weā€™re looking for a stronger connection with God and with his people.
  7. While sympathy and simple assistance is always appreciated, what we really long for is understanding and acceptance, rooted in the knowledge that each follower of Jesus carries unique burdens, just as he said we would.

We know that it might take effort on your part to welcome us into your midst than it would take to welcome a typical family. May the love of Christ move you to make that effort!

By Rev. Stephen Schmidt, chairmain of WELS Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Ministry

 

 

 

Focus on the church family

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Instead of saying ā€œcongregation,ā€ I prefer the expression ā€œchurch family.ā€ When we think of a congregation, we picture from an organization with a constitution and prescribed activities. When we think of a family, we see loving relationships that can vary, like parents, siblings, and spouses. Within the church family, youā€™ll find relationships like shepherd/sheep, church council/member in the pew, fellow members, choir members, altar guild members, and youth group members. The expression ā€œchurch familyā€ suggests a mutual love and commitment to each other with differing relationships.

Special Ministries equips church families. Our mission is to provide resources and guidance for churches to care for their own.

Special Ministries sometimes serves an individual directly. We provide Christian audiobooks for the blind. We send seasonal Christian cards and letters to people with developmental disabilities. But the true goal of Special Ministriesā€™ work is to foster church members’ love and compassion and a commitment to meeting the spiritual needs of every member of the church family. Pastors may use the resources we develop and guidance we provide, but our hope is that other members of the church family will be able to serve, using Special Ministriesā€™ training and materials.

Another parallel between family and church: family members often bring home friends. People Mom works with become aunts and uncles. Classmates from school join the family on trips. These ā€œoutsidersā€ are drawn because the family has blessings to share. In a similar way, the church family grows to include people in the community. Just as the love between family members morphs naturally into compassion for others, so the church family grows. Special Ministries cultivates compassion ministry ā€“ why serve only one little girl with a developmental disability when the neighborhood has other children who need the same accommodation for Sunday School and worship?

Family takes care of each other. Itā€™s a family responsibility, and when it doesnā€™t happen, we call it ā€œneglect.ā€ Can we neglect our frail senior members who need help hearing the service or accessing the building? Can we ignore the spiritual needs of the young adult with autism, or our daughter who struggles with recovery from addiction? Of course not ā€“ these are children of our Heavenly Father, brothers and sisters of Christ our Savior. We have a commitment to bring the gospel and to love each other as the Lord Himself instructed us. If you need help for a member of your church family to worship and participate in the family, contact Special Ministries!

Rev. Jim Behringer, director of the Commission on Special Ministries

 

 

 

Ideas and resources for compassion ministry

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Compassion ministry has gotten a lot of attention in the past decade. It was even the topic of the 2022 Symposium at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. What is compassion ministry?

Maybe we should start by defining what it is not. Compassion ministry is not an activity that competes with proclaiming the gospel. It is not Social Gospel, which sets an agenda of achieving transformation of societyā€” focusing church work on achieving a better world in the here and now.

In contrast, compassion ministry flows from the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again. He loves us, body and soul. The gospels frequently comment on the compassion of Jesus for sinnersā€”for the broken, and those with disabilities and struggles. The apostles followed their Lord as they organized Christā€™s followers. The gospel was the priority, and yet they had compassion for the poor and people who had disabilities. After the apostles passed on, the compassion of Jesus was such a part of his followersā€™ lives that even people who rejected Christianity admitted that Christian compassion was genuine.

Hereā€™s my definition of compassion ministry: serving one another in love as we share and live the gospel. ā€œWe love, because he first loved us.ā€ Christian love shows itself in acts of caring for others as well as devotion to God. Compassion doesnā€™t pass by the hurting person on the road to Jericho. We see the need and recognize what Christ would do because he cares for the hurting and the lost.

In an age when ā€œthe love of most will grow coldā€ (Matthew 24:12), church leaders need to intentionally cultivate Christian compassion. How can churches and their leaders nurture compassion ministry? Try Special Ministries resources as a ready-made tool for compassion ministry.

Special Ministries has resources to help congregation members care for people who are:

  • Blind or visually impaired
  • Deaf or hard of hearing
  • Intellectually or developmentally disabled
  • Inmates in jails or prisons
  • Military personnel
  • Struggling with mental health needs
  • Struggling with porn
  • Struggling with addiction
  • Survivors of abuse
  • Homebound or in care facilities
  • Caregivers

Special Ministries has resources to train your members to serve as:

  • Parish Nurses
  • Chaplains
  • Mentors
  • Advocates to protect children from abuse
  • Care Committee for Called Workers

On the WELS Special Ministries web page, you will see links to information and resources for helping others. Many of these are tied directly to being able to share the gospel despite barriers. Youā€™ll also find encouragement to respond in love and include others in fellowship and service.

Congregations can also ā€œprime the compassion pumpā€ by organizing help for someone experiencing a medical or financial crisis. WELS Christian Aid and Relief can guide your members as they express their love and concern and join together to help someone who is hurting. Grant funds can also help serve someone with a disability or challenge with matching funds to get the congregation serve them.

Compassion ministry is Christian love and Christ-like service, flowing from Jesus who died that we might serve him now and eternally. Special Ministries is here to help you serve. Check out our resources, our training, and our programs!

 

 

 

 

 

Mentoring a Returning Citizen training

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God has richly blessed ministry to the incarcerated as an outreach to the lost. Whether it is WELS Prison Ministryā€™s correspondence Bible studies, Institutional Ministriesā€™ chaplain visitation and email devotions, or local efforts at jail ministry, the gospel has been changing hearts. In correctional facilities across this nation, the Spirit has opened the eyes of people who had no hope and showed them life in Christ, here and eternally.

What happens to these souls when they are no longer behind bars? Will they find the spiritual support they need to follow Christ in true freedom?

WELS Prison Ministry created an online mentoring course for returning citizens based on a successful mentoring model which Minnesota River Valley Mentoring Program (https://mrvmp.com/) that helps people who struggle with many different challenges. Our course videos and workbook are online and can be used at any time. But of course, the training experience is more enjoyable and effective when a facilitator leads a group through the training.

You can learn to provide guidance and encouragement to a man or woman returning to your community or church from incarceration. We call the people in this uniquely challenging category ā€œreturning citizens.ā€ A Christian friend and a congregation can be extremely helpful to such people. Theyā€™re the key to spiritual support as well as assimilation back into the community and the church.

Youā€™re invited to participate in a special group offering of online training, Mentoring a Returning Citizen, in the next few months. The training will help you evaluate whether you have the gifts and abilities to serve as a mentor and, if so, equip you to begin your service. There is no commitment to serve if you take the course. The skills that are taught and practiced have application in many areas including parenting and interacting with people at work. So the time you invest will be well spent regardless of whether or not you decide to pursue this ministry.

The facilitator for this course will be Prison Ministry Committee member Tom Koepsell. ā€œMentoring is a subject near to my heart,ā€ says Tom. ā€œHaving worked with the incarcerated for well over a decade, I have come to appreciate the challenges they will face upon release. But more than that, I have experienced the role their Savior is playing in their lives and what Jesus means when he talks about seeking and saving the lost. When you bring Jesus to such people, you learn to love them as Jesus does. Itā€™s a rewarding experience.ā€

The course will be a combination of online sessions with other participants, videos that can be viewed individually by the participants, and activities in a workbook with both individual and group exercises. You can view elements of the course atĀ welscongregationalservices.net/mentoring-a-returning-citizen/Ā Ā Details about the course can also be found there.

To register for the class or obtain more information, contact Prison Ministry Administrator Dave Hochmuth at [email protected] or Tom Koepsell atĀ [email protected].

 

 

 

Conversations about solutions and coping

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Joan, an elderly member of your church, is slowly losing her eyesight because of Macular Degeneration and now finds it difficult to read print. You may be aware that Mission for the Visually Impaired (MVI) has audio, braille and large print Christian literature for Joan. Did you know that MVI volunteers understand Joanā€™s challenges and welcome the opportunity to talk to her?

MVI offers people with vision loss guidance and assistance in coping with the challenges they face. A new MVI ministry resource is a quarterly Zoom call to discuss how someone can overcome the challenges of blindness. The MVI Zoom session is open to anyone interested in learning about the resources available to live with physical blindness. We welcome people with vision loss and the blind to participate in these calls, but pastors, teachers, lay leaders, and family members are also invited and encouraged to join the conversation.

Few pastors or lay leaders are equipped to help a newly blind member or a potential member experiencing vision loss manage what may seem to be insurmountable challenges. MVI has several board members and leaders who are blind. As blind persons, they live with their physical blindness on a daily basis and have become experts on the challenges and resources for blind people.

Future MVI Zoom calls will discuss how a blind person can overcome the isolation and depression and managing daily tasks that comes with becoming blind. Another MVI call will showcase resources available to accomplish basic tasks, such as reading the Bible in an alternative format. Because the calls are not recorded lectures but real discussions, participants can ask specific questions. You can inquire about solutions tailored to your situation.

Our first quarterly MVI Zoom call will be Tues., Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. Central Time. For further information, please reach out to MVI Chairman, Larry Povinelli at [email protected] or (651) 291-1536.

MVI members are here to serve you. Their involvement in MVI demonstrates that losing physical sight does not mean the end of a productive life. By encouraging each other and helping one another through the challenges of vision loss, we can keep our focus on the cross as we follow Christ. Our ultimate goal is that the blind may see heaven. To God be the glory!

 

 

 

 

MDHH ministry in action

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ā€œGive praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoiceā€ (Psalm 105:1-3)

We hear these words of the psalmist and easily imagine their application: loud shouts of praise to God . . . singing beautiful hymns and anthems to Godā€™s glory . . . sharing and telling the whole world the life-changing news of the gospel . . . talking with other Christians as we remember Godā€™s goodness. . . .

But our praises to God are not acceptable because of our voices, or because of a beautiful hymn, or because of a rich blend of musical instruments. Our prayers and praises are the spiritual sacrifices we offer to God that are only ā€œacceptable to God, through Christ Jesus.ā€ (1 Peter 2:5).

Here at Bloomington Living Hope, we are reminded of that truth as our deaf and hard of hearing members and friends grow in Godā€™s Word through worship and Bible study. With hearts and hands they ā€œgive praise to the Lord, and proclaim his name.ā€ They ā€œtell of his wonderful actsā€ as they encourage one another. Their shouts of praise echo loudly through the new hearts and lives that the Holy Spirit has created by faith.

Each week at our Living Hope location, our 10 a.m. weekly worship service always has an interpreter. Our deaf members and the community can always count on having a live church service in which to worship each Sunday. The same service is streamed and archived on our website with a ā€œpicture in pictureā€ view. The interpreter is recorded with a separate camera, so there is always a clear view. It takes work, preparation, and many volunteer hours, but God has richly blessed our efforts!

Another blessing of God is our weekly deaf Bible study. On Tuesday nights our deaf members bring their friends together to study Godā€™s Word. Itā€™s a loose format. Pastor leads the study, with the interpreter close by. We sit close to one another. We pray together. Anyone can ask any question at any time. Itā€™s a bit different from the typical Bible study, but some things are the same. We open the Word and God richly feeds us.

Over the past two years, weā€™ve held our weekly deaf Bible study over ZOOM. Sometimes the screen is so full of people itā€™s hard to pick out the interpreter – what a blessing! The technology allows the deaf community to join us from anywhere. Deaf members in Illinois, Washington, South Dakota, and Arizona are brought together by the Spiritā€™s power to grow in faith week after week.

Starting in fall of 2022, our deaf Bible study is expanding to twice a week. Tuesday at 6 p.m. in person and Thursday 1 p.m. via Zoom. If you would like further information about these Bible studies or to view Sunday services signed by our interpreter, please go to our websiteĀ bllh.org.

Over the past years, it is incredible to recall how God Has grown our DHH ministry. God can do the same for your church too!

 

 

 

 

The ministry of presence

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The concrete chasm still outlined Champlain Towersā€™ footprint, but the 12 stories that had once climbed out of its basement had, a fortnight prior, crumpled into it. The acre-size void offered a metaphor for the emptiness that now filled multitudes of mourners.

In the early hours of June 24, 2021, the Surfside, Fla., condominium catastrophically collapsed, killing 98 inhabitants. The dead were far outnumbered by the living whose hearts were ground into grief. They included residents who had escaped, survivors whose loved ones had not, and neighbors who feared that their high-rise might be the next in the news. Add hundreds of adrenaline-amped first responders, who were less sapped by the summer sun than sobered by the sadness that recovery, not rescue, would constitute the majority of their mission.

So many distraught, despairing hearts. So many troubled, traumatized souls. Physical resources poured in, but pouring out their pallet of indescribable woes to a pallet of inert goods offered hollow hope. Hurting humans hunger for the emollient of empathy.

Chaplaincy is aptly described as a ā€œministry of presence.ā€ We chaplains could not solve the survivorsā€™ suffering nor repeal the respondersā€™ revulsion. We could listen to their anguished accounts. We could validate their emotions. We could offer our prayers and our presence. We could focus intently and thereby convey that no one meant more to us than they.

Parish ministry is more about talking and leading; chaplaincy is more about listening and learning. Pastors have a duty to unhesitatingly proclaim divine truth to an audience that demands it. Chaplains have a duty to attend patiently untilā€”ifā€”the sufferer grants leave for the solace-giver to deliver the message of incomparable comfort.

Serving as a chaplain for our countyā€™s jail, and later its fire department, has afforded me the privilege to practice ā€œpresence.ā€ This ministry reaches people who have known dark days yet may never darken the doors of a church.

Does working ā€œoutside the walls ā€œof your church intrigue you? Perhaps God is calling you to chaplaincy. Learn more at mlc-wels.edu/continuing-education/wels-chaplain-certificate.

 

By Rev. David Rosenbaum, pastor at Redeemer, Merritt Island, Fla.

 

 

 

All because of one referral

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To steal a quote from Colonel Smith of The A-Team, ā€œI love it when a plan comes together.ā€

WELS Military Services Committee has a plan to help military members receive religious services on base. Marine Corps Recruit, David, followed the plan.

It started with a simple text. ā€œHey Pastor Schulz, this is David. Iā€™ll be in San Diego for Bootcamp starting August 26. Iā€™m under the impression that you are my contact pastor that can visit me during basic?ā€ He was correct. I was the Military Contact Pastor. But to visit him on base was going to be up to him.

Fortunately, there is a specific document at welscongregationalservices.net/military-contact-pastor. It is titled: How to have religious services on base. Recruit David followed all the steps.

A few weeks later a Religious Program Specialist (RP) from Marine Corps Recruit Depot – San Diego called me and told me there was a recruit who requested Holy Communion. I was able to get on base and have a devotion and Holy Communion with Recruit David! I love it when a plan comes together!

But there was much more to the plan than I could have ever dreamed. As I was leaving that day, one of the RPā€™s pulled me to the side. ā€œYou are a Lutheran pastor. We donā€™t currently offer a Lutheran service on base. Would you want to start one?ā€

Since then, I have been leading a worship service on base every Sunday morning. An average of 30 Recruits and Marines attend every week. Because it is a training depot, there is constant turnover. The thirty in attendance are different Recruits and Marines every six weeks! Only a handful have been WELS. Many of the others havenā€™t been to church in a long time, and some never have. But all in attendance hear the gospel of Jesus Christ!

And this amazing blessing all started because of one referral. I love it when a plan comes together! And I love it even more when God grants his blessings upon that plan! To God be the glory!

By Rev. Paul Schulz, pastor at Risen Savior, Chula Vista, Calif.

 

 

 

Why a CCCW?

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To encourage, support, and enhance the physical and spiritual lives of members sounds like part of the job description of WELS called workers. Most members of a calling body take for granted that called workers will encourage and support them. However, many overlook the fact that these workers are also members and need the same support as everyone else. Who will be there to make sure that the physical and spiritual needs of these dedicated workers are met?

A Care Committee for Called Workers (CCCW) can address these needs. The main areas that a local CCCW would support include spiritual needs, continuing education, compensation and benefits, providing encouragement and showing appreciation, addressing practical matters (especially for new workers and those nearing retirement), and fellowship activities. The committee serves as an advocate for the called workers and can bring the workersā€™ needs to the appropriate group, such as a committee, board, council, or voters. The CCCW is not designed to be a problem-solving group. It exists to facilitate communication and called worker encouragement.

While many calling bodies informally provide support to their workers, having an intentional, structured plan and organization makes sure workers are heard and encouraged. The national CCCW focus is to help calling bodies establish or maintain a local committee. This is done by providing support and materials for congregational called worker care committees. Resources for this ministry are easily accessible on the CCCW webpage.

Once a calling body has a care committee in place, several activities can help them offer appropriate support to the called workers. The primary work is done through three types of visits ā€“ entrance, annual, and transition visits. The entrance visit is a time to get acquainted and aid in the transition to a new call. The annual visits provide a regular opportunity for the committee to offer encouragement and identify any areas where support is needed. The transition visit is used to express appreciation and assist with adjusting to a new situation.

Called workers are not likely to request the support that a CCCW can provide. Therefore, it is important that interested members take the lead in providing care for those servants that God has provided. Why not a CCCW?

 

 

 

 

Prepared to serve the military neighbor

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Most Americans assume that spiritual ministry to military members and their families is carried out by a U.S. military chaplain. In contrast, WELS Military Services strives to equip WELS congregations to serve military members when they are stationed nearby. It is rare to find a church body focused on equipping churches for local gospel and fellowship ministry to military personnel and their families, but civilian ministry to the military is a cornerstone of WELS Military Servicesā€™ work.

Across the nation, 125 WELS churches near military installations and their pastors (called Military Contact Pastors) are appointed to reach out to serve the men and women who serve in the United States Armed Forces.

April 26-28, the WELS Military Services Committee held its annual Military Contact Pastors Workshop at Risen Savior, Pooler, Ga., near Army Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield. Members of the Military Services Committee met with a group of WELS Military Contact Pastors to discuss ministry to the military with Fort Stewart chaplains and military personnel, including WELS members Lt. Col. Michael Hefti and his wife Katie, who described the stresses of military life and the importance of their WELS pastors and church family in supporting them spiritually.

Every year, attendees look forward to the opportunity to visit a military installation. Fort Stewart extended extraordinary hospitality to the group by holding a meeting attended by more than a dozen of the postā€™s military chaplains. The chaplains explained their work and the retreat attendees spoke to them about the unique needs of WELS military personnel for religious accommodation. Fort Stewart representatives explained family resources available to military members. The official program ended with a demonstration of how a worship service in the field would be set up, and a visit to 3rd Infantry Division Museum on the post.

The annual workshop is sponsored through a generous grant from the Lutheran Military Support Group, a national organization of WELS and ELS veterans. The Lutheran Military Support Group also sponsors free professional Christian counseling for military members served by WELS Military Services and WELS and ELS veterans.

Rev. Jim Behringer, director of WELS Special Ministries, said, ā€œOf all the Military Contact Pastors workshops, this yearā€™s meeting was superior. Fort Stewartā€™s chaplains went the extra mile to create mutual understanding. They were impressed by the WELS desire to serve military personnel and they made every effort to help us in that regard. Our attendees are always highly motivated by the speakers, but we had some outstanding presentations that I hope will improve our ability to serve military members with the gospel while helping them carry their burdens.ā€

Rev. Paul Horn, chairman of the WELS Military Services Committee, notes that the key to serving more WELS members in the military is through referrals from their loved ones, which they can do by going to wels.net/refer. “When we know who our WELS military members are and where they are stationed, we can better serve them with Word and Sacraments.” Horn adds, “When our congregations are aware that military families are in their church, the best thing they can do is to assimilate them into the mission and ministry of the congregation as quickly as possible. Military families move often. Making your church their church home will provide much needed encouragement and support.”

To learn more about WELS Military Services, visit wels.net/military.

For more information about the Lutheran Military Support Group, visit lutheranmilitary.org.

 

Godā€™s People Can!

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Itā€™s in our nature when we come across a person with physical or intellectual challenges to focus on what that person canā€™t do. Perhaps we even define them according to what they cannot do. This person cannot live independently. That person cannot walk. This person cannot speak. That person cannot hear.

In a sense, thatā€™s how God decided to define all of us when he planned to send his Son to earth to save us: he defined us by what we could not do. We could not come to God of our own will and serve him. We could not obey Godā€™s commandments. We could not make up for our sinfulness with good works of our own. Our Lord Jesus did what we could not do ā€“ living a perfect life and paying for our guilt.

Now God says that we can: we can serve him. We can obey him. And that spirit of ā€œcanā€ applies to all of Godā€™s people ā€“ including those with disabilities and challenges.

Take Amber Todor from St. Johnā€™s Lutheran Church in Oak Creek. As a young woman with autism, Amber and her family find ways for her to participate in congregational life and offer service to fellow members and, more importantly, to God. Amber assists her mother Shirley in assembling the monthly church newsletter. Amber attends worship and the monthly Jesus Cares program her congregation offers. Amber also comes to the monthly SMILES (Songs, Movement, Instruments, Learning, Encouragement and Signing) service that runs concurrently with the Sunday morning church service, and even pitches in with clean-up after congregational meals.

When asked why she likes doing things in and around her church, Amber simply says, ā€œEveryone is busy.ā€ And sheā€™s right on several levels. First, Amber recognizes that she has free time that others might not have. That time can be spent, as her motherā€™s schedule allows, in Godā€™s house, a place where Amber feels comfortable and close to her Savior. Secondly, and more importantly, Amber sees all the work her fellow Christians do for their congregation and wants to do her part as well. Amber is proof that Godā€™s people ā€“ ALL Godā€™s people ā€“ have a place in their local congregation and service to render to God and their fellow members.

One of the primary goals of WELS Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Ministry is to help congregations utilize their members who, like Amber, have unique challenges. Looking for ideas specific to your church setting? Contact WELS Special Ministries.

 

 

 

Do not Despise a Little One

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See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. Matthew 18:10.

When Jesus urges us not to despise the little ones, he is advocating that we listen to children, keep them safe, and support them spiritually when they have been harmed.

When it comes to child abuse, though, the signs are all too easy to ignore. A childā€™s voice is often disregarded or not believed. Why?

No children in my church have abusive families

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last year about one in seven children experienced abuse and neglect. One in seven. Like all sin, this one does not stop at the church doors.

I have not seen any kids with bruises

The number one type of abuse is neglect, the failure to meet a childā€™s basic physical and emotional needs. This include providing adequate housing, food, clothing, education, and access to medical care.

Neglect looks like ā€œTommy,ā€ a child in my first-grade classroom. Tommy always had body odor, his teeth were all silver because of extensive tooth decay, and he reported going to the bar his parents owned after school. Tommy was neglected, and he needed someone to intervene. You have children like Tommy in your church. Find them.

I donā€™t want to cause trouble in the family

I felt this way once, too. It comes from good, but misplaced, intentions. Our responsibility lies with the childā€™s well-being, which means abuse must be reported to authorities. They have the knowledge needed to investigate and address any family interventions needed. Reporting is a loving action. It ensures that children are safe, and it may provide parents with additional resources they need.

God has blessed you with resources to help. Here are some steps a church can take, along with resources to help you get started.

  • Talk about abuse – frequently. Define what abuse is and its effects. Condemn it as a sin. Children and adult survivors need to hear that abuse is not okay and that the church has safe adults for them. The Freedom for the Captives website has information about abuse.
  • Mandatory Reports. Make reporting abuse a non-negotiable expectation for all called workers and volunteers at the church. Be clear with all parents and guardians that this is a policy at your church or school.
  • Start creating a child safety policy. A child safety policy is your plan for keeping children safe while they are in the care of the church.
  • Refer survivors to resources. Victims of abuse, including adult survivors of child abuse, may need additional help with community resources. The local domestic abuse shelter has free information. The Freedom for the Captives website has spiritual and factual information as well as information about Christian therapists.

Become familiar with abuse, its effects, and how to prevent it. Encourage children to have a chance to speak to safe adults who are ready to listen and believe. Do not despise the little ones; make them feel welcomed and help them be safe in their church.

By Michelle Markgraf

Ā 

Freedom for the Captives offers resources for congregations and schools to assist them in identifying and addressing suspected child abuse. In addition, resources are available to help those who have experienced abuse.

freedomforcaptives.com

 

 

The Donor Advised Fund: One-Stop Giving

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WELS member and attorney David Nommensen and his wife, Bonnie, knew that setting up a donor advised fund was an ideal and tax-wise way to support ministry at their home congregation, First Lutheran in Elkhorn, Wis.

David likes the fact that their donor advised fund provides predictable, ongoing support to ministry at First, helping fund programs that spread the gospel both inside and outside the church and school. He also likes the tax benefits of the donor advised fund. ā€œIt was just part of good stewardship,ā€ says David. ā€œBonnie and I could look at the taxes that we had saved and do a little soul-searching and perhaps give a little more.ā€

Donor advised funds are very popular since a donor can give a gift now and recommend the ministries that benefit later. The gift can be divided among the ministries the donor cares about, and a single receipt will be provided for income tax purposes.

In addition to ongoing support for their church and school, the Nommensens know that their family donor advised fund is a wonderful way to involve their kids and grandkids in the joy of giving since they can be included in the decision-making process for the grant recommendations. Itā€™s another way to pass along Christian values to the next generation of believers.

ā€œOur prayer is that the donor advised fund is around a lot longer than Bonnie and I are,ā€ says David. ā€œAnd itā€™s a nice opportunity for us to have these conversations with our children about the needs of our favorite church organization. Iā€™m really hoping that someday my grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be donating to this fund and having those same conversations.ā€

How does a donor advised fund work?

 

Learn more about donor advised funds by contacting your local WELS Christian giving counselor at 800-827-5482 or [email protected].

See David’s full donor advised fund storyĀ 

Why a Donor Advised Fund?

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From time to time, a WELS member may be faced with a larger than expected financial blessing that opens the door for giving to the Lordā€™s work without enough time to distribute the extra blessing nor the desire to engage in multiple transactions to help several charities. Enter the donor advised fund (DAF), which permits you to make charitable gifts to those organizations you care about most, at the time you choose, often with expert advice and assistance.

The ABCs of a DAF
A DAF is like a charitable investment account for the purpose of supporting the WELS ministries you care about. When you contribute cash, securities, or other assets to a DAF, you are generally able to take an immediate income tax deduction as well as avoid capital gain taxes from the gift of appreciated property. Those funds may then be invested for tax-free growth, and you have the flexibility to recommend distributions from time to time to qualified WELS ministries. (Requesting distributions from your WELS Foundation donor advised fund is easy. Simply fill out WELS Foundationā€™s online request form.)

If you have a DAF, consider what will happen to the funds in the future when you are no longer there to make decisions about the disposition of funds. Either you can entrust the decision-making to your heirs on how the funds are to be distributed, or you can designate the remainder from a terminating DAF to create an endowment or fund a special project.

Using a DAF to itemize
With recent tax and economic changes, many people no longer itemize their deductions. With a DAF, an individual can bunch several years of charitable gifts into a single year, allowing them to itemize in that year.

More information
Over the past several years, there has been a substantial increase in the popularity of DAFs, and more people are giving to WELS in that way, which means a blessing for those who receive the Word of God through us. If we can provide more information about supporting your congregation, WELS, and WELS-affiliated ministries through a WELS Foundation DAF, please contact us at 800-827-5482 or [email protected].

Making Distributions from a Non-WELS Foundation DAF

To make a gift to support the gospel of Jesus Christ through WELS from your non-WELS Foundation DAF, contact your sponsoring organization to recommend a grant and give them the following:
ā€¢ Our legal name: WELS Foundation, Inc.
ā€¢ Our federal tax ID #: 39-6084446
ā€¢ Our mailing address:
WELS Foundation
N16W23377 Stone Ridge Drive
Waukesha, WI 53188-1108

Charitable Remainder Trusts: A Gift with Multiple Benefits

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There are many ways you can support WELS and its mission to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. One wise tool for personal financial planning may be a charitable remainder trust (CRT). These trusts are used to convert appreciated property into a gift to advance the gospel while providing an income for the donor(s) for life or for a term of years.

For example, a WELS member purchased an asset (stock, real estate, rental property, etc.) that has grown in value so much that rebalancing the portfolio or reducing the holdings has become financially prudent. By giving the appreciated asset to WELS Foundation to be put into a CRT, the Foundation can sell the asset within the CRT and create a balanced portfolio that pays an income to the beneficiaries for life or a term of years. The member receives an income tax deduction and spreads out the capital gains over the term of the trust. Furthermore, these deductions can eliminate tax on a significant portion of income for up to six years. They may also make it possible for you to itemize where it would otherwise not be feasible.

One additional benefit that may apply is that the trust remainder that distributes to ministry is excluded from any potential estate taxes. But most importantly, the gospel is advanced because of the gift. WELS Foundation has established a minimum gift for such an arrangement at $200,000 in fair market value.

Find out more about the CRT by consulting with a WELS Christian giving counselor at 800-827-5482 or [email protected].

Helpful Giving Tools

WELS Foundation has made it easier to access resources to support you in your giving, such as:
ā€¢ Letter of Instruction form
ā€¢ Gifts of Securities Procedures document
ā€¢ Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) Procedures document
ā€¢ Link to the online Gift Options Tool

To access these resources, visit wels.net/helpful-giving-tools.

 

A man bows his head over a smart phone in his hands apparently listening to the Listen Library. An image of the library webpage is inserted in the picture.

Listen Library shares Godā€™s Word

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As a young, sighted child, I remembered the excitement of getting a new book. As I grew older and lost my eyesight, I mourned the loss of access to printed materials. I read using cassette tapes, live readers, or by learning braille. In the 80ā€™s I began receiving Meditations on cassette tapes from the Mission for the Visually Impaired (MVI), part of the WELS Commission on Special Ministries.

Over the last 40 years technology improved and rapidly grew in ways never imagined. Blind people have benefited exponentially. The first braille display was invented in 1982. The accessibility features in the iPhone in 2009, cheaper braille displays, and the ability to easily convert digital information into an accessible format, made access to the printed word easier. The stage was set for online access to many of our WELS theological books, the Peopleā€™s Bible Commentaries, Meditations, and Forward in Christ.

I had a vision to create an online library containing many of our WELS resources. This library would benefit both the visually and print impaired by providing a vehicle to learn about Godā€™s amazing love and be able to worship the Lord alongside our sighted congregants.

My venture began with a meeting with the director of Special Ministries, WELS technology folks, and the MVI board. This meeting led to the best methods to convert the cassette books already at MVI into an online resource. With software such as Amazon Polly, we were able to convert text files into a text-to-speech file with minimal reformatting. MVI has recruited volunteers working from their homes to bring this dream into reality. In 2019, the Listen Library (listen.wels.net) commenced with a few Peopleā€™s Bible Commentaries and a novel from our tape collection. We now have 18 volumes of the Peopleā€™s Bible Commentaries, about a dozen Christian audiobooks for all ages, and the current issues of Meditations and Forward in Christ available in the Listen Library. Our online catalog offers hundreds of titles available on thumb drive or cassette.

With the release of Christian Worship 2021, weā€™re working on providing access to all the hymns and liturgies on the Listen library. No longer will a visually impaired member be denied full access and participation in a service. This will allow the blind or print impaired member immediate access so they can participate fully in worship. This would have been impossible in the past. Technology has changed the playing field. For this, we give GOD the glory!

The Listen Library is small, but it will continue to grow. We especially need volunteers to edit the sound for our recorded audio books (nearly 200 books await sound editing!) and to work with Amazon Polly. If you know friends or family who can help in the production or program management of our service, please contact MVI at [email protected]Ā or by phone at (651) 291-1536.

By Susan K. Povinelli

 

Visit listen.wels.net

 

 

MDHH to offer grants for hearing loops

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As congregations implemented livestreaming for the first time, many people experience instances of being unable to hear everything in the service. Perhaps your church had issues with the audio for the livestream, and the sound cut out for a portion of the sermon. Maybe the microphones werenā€™t set up to hear people singing.

These isolated problems serve as a good reminder not to take the ability to hear for granted. And while volunteers have likely worked tirelessly to enhance the audio for online services, the struggle to hear continues to be a common occurrence for hard of hearing people.

This, unfortunately, can put up barriers between sinners and the gospel. People with hearing loss may miss a phrase that would have been the exact thing their heart needed that day. Or worse, they may choose to stop coming to church because they are frustrated or discouraged by the amount of effort required to catch the full message.

Thankfully, modern technology has solutions to alleviate this problem. One of these is to install a hearing loop in your church. A hearing loop works with peopleā€™s hearing aids to provide a clearer sound directly into their ears. Watch this brief captioned video where church members describe the difference a hearing loop made for them.

WELS Mission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MDHH) is encouraging looping projects by offering a grant for such projects. If your congregation is planning or has already begun any kind of building or renovation project, this is an especially great time to consider installing a loop. Or if you are looking for an excuse to suggest replacing the dated flooring in your sanctuary, the opportunity for a grant might be the reason you need.

As part of their mission to provide all people easier access to the gospel, MDHH is offering $500 grants towards the installation of a hearing loop to WELS/ELS congregations that apply for it. MDHH is also able to point congregations towards additional research, contacts, and other resources about hearing loops.

If your congregation might be interested in installing a loop in your sanctuary, please reach out at [email protected] for more information.

Learn more about the Mission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

 

 

 

The Beatles Were Wrong!

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Jack and Cathy* brought two children into their family through international adoption. The couple was assured by their adoption worker that the children, who had challenges from years of orphanage life, just needed to be loved.

Pete and Stephanie* did foster care for two children. The foster care went fairly smooth, and they were experienced parents of three older children. So when the foster children became eligible for adoption, the couple gladly made them permanent members of their family. They were confident that with their parenting experience, plus love and stability, the children would thrive.

Neither of these couplesā€™ dreams turned out as they expected. They showered their children with love and used traditional parenting methods, having clear, consistent expectations, disciplining children for breaking rules, and rewarding them for obeying rules. Yet their days became filled with challenges: almost nonstop lying; stealing; outbursts that included kicking, hitting, and breaking objects; angry screams of “I hate you,” hiding food in bedrooms; disrespect; bullying of siblings; and more. When Jack and Cathyā€™s children reached their teen years, the family was dealing with substance use, addictions, running away, visits from police officers, and self-harm.

How could things go so wrong for such loving parents? The truth is that the Beatles were wrong when they sang, ā€œAll you need is loveā€ā€”at least when it comes to adopting children. Children who have been adopted have experienced trauma by losing their original family, and many have experienced other traumatic events as well. They do need loveā€¦plus co-regulation, self-calming skills, understanding of sensory needs, to experience safety, connection before correction, healthy attachment, trauma-sensitive homes, and much more.

Should this scare Christian parents away from adoption? Absolutely not! God commands us to care for orphans (James 1:27), and he promises to give us strength to carry out his will (Philippians 4:13). Adoptive Christian parents may, however, need extra training and support. Providing this is one of the goals of Light for Parents, a ministry of support for parents of children with extraordinary needs.

Recent research has shown the effect of trauma on childrenā€™s brains and the best parenting methods to promote healing. Light for Parents will soon be making available a training course in those methods as well as a Bible study to accompany that course. It is our prayer that this will enable families that include children from hard places to find the peace, connection, and joy that God wants for all of his children. See the website lightforparents.com for more information or e-mail [email protected].

With understanding and support, adoption can be a beautiful blessing for children from hard places and their new families. The Beatles may have been wrong, but caring for all of Godā€™s people is right.

*not their real names

 

 

 

 

A Radical Change for the Better

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Can 40 days change your life or the life of someone you care about? Absolutely! If God is there.

The First 40 Days is a new devotion book from Conquerors through Christ, the WELS Special Ministry dedicated to helping Christians fight against porn and for godly sex. This book invites you on a 40-day journey that can bring you to a whole new place where the good news of Godā€™s saving grace generates potent motivation for change, a place where Satanā€™s lies lose their power and Godā€™s law becomes a trustworthy guide.

Will this trip be easy and enjoyable? Not likely. Make no mistake, it ends in joy, but fighting sin and Satan is never easy or fun. Porn use is addictive and undoing the damage often takes time, effort, and counseling. And remember, this is an invitation to the first 40 days. Defending Godā€™s design for sex is a lifelong battle, but many who have traveled this road have found that in Godā€™s time, they arrive at a place where they genuinely enjoy Godā€™s breathtaking gift of sex.

The First 40 Days devotional is also helpful for people who donā€™t use porn. The devotions encourage those who have been hurt by the actions of someone using porn. Those who seek to help someone they know will gain insight and understanding into the struggle. We are all seeking a life that trusts Godā€™s promises and rejoices in his ways regardless of all the false messages sent by the world. The path to rejoicing includes rejecting Satanā€™s lies about the short-term pleasure, learning to resist temptation, and finding ways to recover from the wounds inflicted by oneself or another. Your path just might start with The First 40 Days.

More than anything, The First 40 Days brings Godā€™s precious Word into everyday life, where the day-to-day struggle can be overwhelming. On every page, youā€™ll meet Jesus, our 24/7/365 Savior. His promises apply to every detail in our lives, and they never fail. So whether your struggle is with porn itself or forgiving the person whose porn use has hurt you, on every step of your journey, Jesus is there to forgive us, pick us up, dust us off, and give us his own heart to love those around us. Every. Single. Day.

Download a copy of The First 40 Days.

 

 

 

 

Parents Behind Bars

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Parenting is a tough job! It looks easy from afar, but not so much when you have to make the decisions and solve the problems in real life.

Imagine being a parent long distance. You have very limited and irregular contact with your children, who are being raised by someone else. Because of your separation, your kids view you with suspicion or anger, or doubt your love for them. You live with regrets and guilt and bouts of depression, all complicated by legal difficulties.

Very excellent book . . . You covered all the bases and in the gray areas you gave it to God. This study brought tears to my eyes.

Thomas, inmate

This could, in part, describe a military family with a parent on deployment, or a family broken by divorce. But only a parent who is incarcerated faces all the above challenges.

WELS Prison Ministry has added a new booklet, Parenting from Prison, to the 23 other titles in its Level 1 Self-Study series. Inmates can request a Bible study, complete a final test, return it for correction, and then request another topic.

Parenting from Prison revisits the root of the problem: the first sin by our first parents. That transgression separated them from their Heavenly Father, leaving them in a prison of pain and regret for having ruined the relationship. But God was determined to restore the father-child trust, which he achieved by sending his only Son.

Incarcerated parents are directed throughout the volume to focus on Jesus and his grace. They are also advised to be honest about their feelings; to be realistic about the challenges; to address their stress by talking with others; and to be patient, trusting God to accomplish what they cannot.

Practical, common-sense, straight forward approach. Teaches how to overcome obstacles of separation, and build a solid plan for the future. Doesn’t belittle or talk down to prisoners, but helps recognize past mistakes, discourage self-doubt, and foster relationships of growth in faith, love, understanding and forgiveness. Thank you for loving me with the truth!

Kelly, inmate

Simple suggestions are offered for communicating with children, such as weaving Godā€™s Word into letters and phone calls; being truthful about mistakes that were made; consistently expressing their love for their sons and daughters; inquiring about events in their lives; and using positive words in all their interactions.

A chapter is devoted to what happens upon release and reunion. The parent in custody will have to readjust to freedom and responsibility, but the entire family will need to readjust their thinking, their behavior, and their priorities when mom or dad returns home. That calls for patience, love, wisdom, and forgiveness by everyone involved.

The study closes with a look at what the Bible says about parenting, including a study of Mosesā€™s mother, Jochebed, and what we can learn from her.

Do you know any parents who are incarcerated? You can submit their contact information to WELS Prison Ministry at wels.net/refer. Please ask the Lord to bless this new resource, helping mothers and fathers to do what is possible in a task that seems impossible: parenting from prison.

By Pastor David Rosenbaum, Prison Ministry publications editor

 

 

 

Just Ask!

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Cynthia had no car. The elders did not want that to be a barrier to attending church, so they recruited members to bring her on Sundays. Imagine their surprise when the recruits discovered that Cynthia was not available on Sundays. She was willing and interested in attending the Monday evening service! No one had asked her about the plan to provide her with a ride to Sunday morning worship.

WELS Special Ministries offers many solutions to help congregations serve people who have obstacles to gospel ministry. For the right solution, you start with this: just ask what a person needs. Finding solutions doesnā€™t start with Special Ministries. It starts by asking the person.

When a WELS church wanted to reach out to the Hmong community, their pastor contacted a few reputed cross-cultural ministry experts about the best way to connect. The experts responded, ā€œJust ask them!ā€ It sounds obvious, ā€œJust ask!ā€ We complicate the process when we donā€™t start by asking.

When you encounter someone with a disability, struggle, or other barrier to worship, just ask them, ā€œWhat can your church do to help you spiritually?ā€ At first you might not get an answer, because so few people ask. When you earnestly pursue an answer, however, youā€™ll learn the difference between helping someone who was born deaf and someone who lost their hearing in old age. Youā€™ll discover that one young person with autism loves to participate by lighting the candles in worship and another needs a seat at church shielded from loud music.

When it comes to volunteers, just ask. Provide clear expectations and look for someone qualified to help, but no one volunteers without being asked. Often helping a member at church is a task that suits people who donā€™t get asked to be a church leader, choir member, or Sunday School teacher. You donā€™t know until you ask!

Sometimes the congregation needs to provide a solution and the cost is not in the budget. Just ask the members about the solution. You may find that an anonymous donor or a memorial will provide funds for an electronic solution, a ramp, or other accommodation.

Some solutions are complicated. You donā€™t know where to start. Just ask Special Ministries. We have teams of experienced and knowledgeable volunteers and resources that you may not realize exists. We are committed to helping churches serve everyone. Just ask!

Some challenges seem to have no solution. Sometimes we know what the solution should be, but it seems impossible. Jesus invites us to just ask him! Pray for volunteers. Ask the Lord for help. Pray with the person you want to serve. Be persistent in asking. You know that the Lord of the church will not allow a barrier to gospel ministry to stand.

While you are trying to find help for someone, you may not realize you have an opportunity for asking that person to help, too. Special Ministries has found that some of the most active volunteers are people with special needs and challenges. The passion of a senior who is a recovered alcoholic, the talent of a woman who is blind, the mission zeal of a young adult with autism ā€“ you never know where the Lord might provide the gifts your church needs ā€“ so just ask them, ā€œHow would you like to serve?ā€

I once asked a man, ā€œHow can I help you?ā€ He responded, ā€œDonā€™t ask if you donā€™t mean it.ā€ If you want to help someone hear the gospel and be part of your church family despite the obstacles, just ask!

By Rev. Jim Behringer, director, WELS Commission on Special Ministries