Foundation, Folsom, Calif., is a WELS home mission that was determined to gather for worship, leading members to embrace “worship without walls.” Hear from Home Missionary David Koelpin about how this ministry began and how it’s developing.
Registration is now open for the second National Conference on Lutheran Leadership, which is taking place January 16-18, 2023, in Chicago. Learn more about what topics will be featured and why this conference is so important. For more details, visit lutheranleadership.com.
Thanks to the generosity of God’s people, WELS Foundation was blessed to distribute almost $1.2 million to gospel ministry in July through the WELS endowment funds. These funds were established by delegates at the 2005 synod convention to provide ongoing support for the Lord’s work in WELS Ministerial Education and WELS Home, Joint, and World Missions.
In addition to the WELS endowments, WELS Foundation also manages endowments that are set up by individuals, congregations, and other WELS-affiliated ministries. In total, WELS Foundation distributed $3.8 million from more than 375 endowments this year, providing ongoing financial support for Christ’s gospel work throughout WELS.
Several of the endowments managed by WELS Foundation benefit Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis., providing tuition assistance to students training to become pastors.
Seminarian Jacob Borgwardt, a member at Redeemer, Fond du Lac, Wis., shares one of the blessings of the tuition assistance he has received through endowments: “[It] helps me focus on training to be a pastor. Instead of having to work full time to pay off student loans and be a part-time student, it’s the other way around. Seminarians can be full-time students, spending the majority of our time studying God’s Word.”
He continues: “On the spiritual side, I’ll never forget something one of my professors once said in regard to tuition assistance: The people giving generously to these endowments see the support of seminarians as a tangible way to give to the gospel. What a blessing and responsibility!”
Borgwardt extends his gratitude to those who have supported him and his wife through their financial gifts: “We thank God that he has given you such Christlike generosity. You are a help and a blessing to us and to so many of my classmates. Your gifts and prayers are extremely encouraging! Knowing that there are so many people who support us in our pastoral training makes us that much more excited to serve a church someday.”
“An endowment is a great way to create a lasting legacy of Christian faith while providing for the Lord’s work—like supporting our future pastors,” says Mr. Jim Holm, executive director of WELS Foundation.
There are a variety of ways to give to an endowment: cash or appreciated assets; or through a will, trust, beneficiary designation on a retirement account, or insurance proceeds. To learn more about adding to an existing endowment or establishing a new endowment for a ministry close to your heart, contact your local WELS Christian giving counselor at wels.net/giving-counselors or call 800-827-5482.
The WELS VEBA Commission approved a full open enrollment period this November for new coverage effective Jan. 1, 2023. All eligible workers will have the opportunity to enroll for new coverage or make changes to their existing WELS VEBA coverage. Sponsoring organizations that do not currently participate in WELS VEBA will have the opportunity to participate by offering WELS VEBA to their eligible workers for 2023. Open enrollment materials will be mailed to eligible workers and sponsoring organizations by the end of October.
The 2023 premium rates for the WELS VEBA Group Health Care Plan will increase by 9.5% over the current 2022 rates. There are three main drivers of the increase:
“Although the 2023 increase is significant, the increase is necessary for the plan to maintain adequate projected long-term reserves and is in line with average expected increases in health insurance premiums nationwide,” explains Mr. Joshua Peterman, director of WELS Benefit Plans. “It is also important to remember that over the previous four years the WELS VEBA rates increased by a total of only 4%, and $4.2 million in savings was passed on to participating sponsoring organizations during the August 2020 premium holiday.”
View the 2023 rates at welsbpo.net.
Rev. Ben Foxen and Rev. Keegan Dowling were commissioned to join the One Africa Team as missionaries in Zambia, Africa, on June 11. The Foxen family arrived in Lusaka, Zambia, on Aug. 2. The Dowlings are scheduled to arrive at the end of August. See what Missionary Foxen and his wife, Becky, had to say following the commissioning. Learn more about their family, their plans to serve overseas—and how you can help them in their new ministry.
I’m happy to invite you all to the second WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership. It will be held January 16-18, 2023, at the Hilton Chicago. This conference is not only for those who serve in formal leadership positions in their congregation: called workers, church council members, school board members, and the like. This conference is for anyone who is passionate about the mission of the church. It is for everyone who, by encouragement and example, wants to lead others to engage in that mission. So, all are welcome—called workers and laity, men and women, retirees and high-school students, lifelong WELS members and those new to the church.
The conference includes five keynote presentations that will discuss the larger strategic issues and challenges facing every congregation. Attendees also will be able to choose from almost 50 breakout sessions. Some breakouts will focus on aspects of leadership: leadership development, planning, management, church polity. Others will share some “best practices” in various ministry areas: evangelism, worship, schools, youth ministry, adult discipleship. There will be a variety of panel discussions: teens, educators, worship leaders. Still other breakout sessions are purely devotional in nature. There is something for everyone and for every congregation. To take full advantage of all the breakouts, I’d encourage you to consider having a delegation from your congregation attend.
When WELS Congregational Services planned the first National Conference on Lutheran Leadership three years ago, it was hoping to have 400 people attend. In the end, 800 registered; the enrollment had to be capped due to capacity limits. This year’s venue has more capacity.
I believe the reason so many were interested in the conference is simple to understand. We all know the challenges confronting American Christianity. Our congregations were—and still are—experiencing those challenges. Coming together to hear God’s Word and to discuss our path forward was both edifying and encouraging. All the presenters at that first conference encouraged us to see those challenges as opportunities—opportunities to trust in the power of God’s holy Word; opportunities to explore new ministry tactics; opportunities to recommit ourselves to doing all we can with the gospel.
The second WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership will do the same. I look forward to seeing you there.
Serving together with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder
Learn more about the conference and register at lutheranleadership.com.
More than 330 women attended the WELS Women’s Ministry Conference July 21–23, 2022 at Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, Wis., to learn how to
The conference, under the theme “Won to be One,” dug deep into the book of Ephesians and God’s grace that gives us our identity in Christ. “As a woman, I constantly ask what my role is in the church and in the ministry. I cannot be a pastor and I am not a teacher, so how can I be an asset to my congregation and to the church of Christ as a whole? This conference put the Great Commission in the forefront of everything and refocused our place and identity as ambassadors of Christ. We minister in everything we say and in all we do,” says Janet Block, a member at New Hope, West Melbourne, Fla.
In his “Know the Love too Big to Know” presentation, Rev. Paul Wendland, professor at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis., examined Ephesians chapters 1 and 3, where Paul shares God’s perspective on our purpose grounded in his grace. In his presentation, Rev. Benjamin Kratz, pastor at Our Savior, Birmingham, Ala., reminded attendees that they are united in one Savior who gives us our identity. Rev. Snowden Sims, pastor at St. Paul, Columbus, Ohio, and Rev. Ryan Kolander, pastor at Palabra de Vida, Detroit, Mich., showed how unity with Christ and unity in mission are hard work, but God’s plan for ministry opens unexpected doors for opportunity through his grace. Prof. Tingting Schwartz from Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn., shared how she learned that her Christian identity unifies her other identities of being an immigrant, a mother, and an educator.
Tara Dezso, a member at Shepherd of the Hills, Tucson, Ariz., was thankful for these scriptural reminders from Ephesians. She says, “There just have been so many lessons I’ve taken away from the general sessions and the breakout sessions that I can apply to my life. When I go back home, it’s just going to be incredible.”
For the past 20 years, WELS Women’s Ministry, part of the WELS Commission on Discipleship, has nurtured, encouraged, and equipped women to use their gifts for joyful service in God’s kingdom. Learn more about Women’s Ministry and access conference resources and livestreamed videos. You can also sign up for a twice monthly newsletter to keep up to date on upcoming events and new resources.
Six new world missionaries, one world mission vicar, and their spouses attended world missionary orientation at the WELS Center for Mission and Ministry in Waukesha, Wis., from July 11-14. Attendees included
Rev. Paul Nitz, WELS World Missions’ One Team counselor and former missionary in Africa, organized the training. He notes, “Our missionaries are very excited to get out into the world and help get that sweet message of Jesus and salvation into the hands and hearts of the lost. They would be a bit odd if they weren’t also going out with a bit of worry. They will confront challenges. We can all imagine the physical challenges. We think of things like driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road, learning how to shop and cook, and putting kids into a school. There are also cultural challenges they will face. As we are sending out our new missionaries, we want to help them with some encouragement and some perspective.”
“The orientation was immeasurably valuable,” says Mrs. Kate Dowling. “Before that week, I was drifting in a rough sea. During the orientation I learned that there is an entire well-organized team behind all the missionaries. The Board for World Missions administration is made up of experienced missionaries and an operations director who know the concerns we have and who know what to say to calm our fears. The most valuable part of everything was making connections with other people and feeling supported as we go across the ocean to a new place with a new culture. And all of this to serve the Lord—what a privilege.”
“To be welcomed and accepted by experienced missionaries like this was a very uplifting experience for all of us new to this calling,” says Rev. Keegan Dowling. “Priorities for what we should do when we first land on the field were clearly laid out. So were the core values of the WELS World Missions global team as well as our team’s goals and dreams of what we’d like to accomplish over the next few years—laying it all at the feet of our Father in heaven. For all these reasons, I came away from orientation feeling that we new missionary families were given clear and concrete direction.”
“Our prayer,” explains Rev. Larry Schlomer, administrator of WELS World Missions, “is that the Lord uses these few days as a way to help ensure our missionaries are not shipwrecked by difficulties that are common experiences for all missionaries. We want these families to be able to serve for many years in this most important task, to take the gospel to places and people that do not have it yet.”
For more information, including biographies about each family, visit wels.net/missions.
More than 330 women attended the WELS Women’s Ministry Conference held July 21-23 at Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, Wis. Hear attendees’ reactions.
Rev. Dan Sims, administrator for WELS Christian Aid and Relief, announced its annual grants for humanitarian aid. In contrast to disaster relief, which is given in response to various kinds of disasters when they occur, WELS Christian Aid and Relief also invites Home and World Missions to submit grant requests for various types of humanitarian aid projects as one way to show Christian love and compassion in a variety of ways. Here is his report:
At their May 17, 2022, meeting, members of WELS Christian Aid and Relief approved humanitarian aid grants totaling $628,480 for FY 22-23. This is the highest amount ever approved. These grants support projects developed by WELS home and world missionaries to reflect Christ’s love to the people of their communities. These acts of mercy and compassion regularly lead to opportunities to share the gospel.
Some examples of the compassion ministry being carried out in home and world mission settings include support for legal immigrants; Bibles for foster children and support for their families; books, backpacks, and other school supplies for underprivileged students; horseback riding for disadvantaged and differently abled children; food and personal items for struggling individuals and families; medical clinics; access to clean drinking water; mosquito netting; support for persecuted Christians; education for refugee children; vocational, technological, and agricultural training; scholarships for poor students; smokeless stoves for safer heating and cooking; and warm clothing for widows and orphans.
These Home Missions congregations received grants:
These World Missions fields received grants this year:
Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder
As Russia continues to wage war against Ukraine, the effort to support WELS’ brothers and sisters in Ukraine has been blessed by our Lord Jesus. WELS has received more than $1.4 million from individuals and groups to support the Ukrainian Lutheran Church (ULC), WELS’ sister church body in the Ukraine, and its efforts to help members and others affected by the conflict.
WELS has sent more than $300,000 in aid to Ukraine. Approximately $200,000 has been sent to the ULC (as it has requested it) for clothing, food, medicine, and other supplies. About $100,000 has been sent to Direct Relief, an organization equipped to provide emergency medical supplies to those remaining in Ukraine or who are refugees in Poland. As the conflict continues, and as needs arise, additional funding will be sent. WELS also is anticipating significant rebuilding costs when, Lord willing, the war ends.
Rev. Roger Neumann serves the Board for World Missions as the WELS liaison to Ukraine. He maintains regular contact with ULC leaders and provides updates about how the aid is being used and how doors are opening to share the gospel, even in trying circumstances. These are just a few examples of the many ways people are hearing about the love of Jesus through your gifts.
We thank our heavenly Father for the generous gifts that we’ve received, for Rev. Neumann’s faithful contacts, and for WELS World Missions’ partnership with the ULC.
To learn more or to support the relief efforts in Ukraine, visit wels.net/ukraine.
More than 2,200 teens and youth leaders traveled to Knoxville, Tenn., for the 2022 WELS International Youth Rally June 28–July 1 at the University of Tennessee.
The theme for the rally was “Here and Now,” inspired by Esther 4:14. Rev. Aaron Robinson, English professor and cultural diversity coordinator at Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn., and Rev. Jon Bare, who recently accepted a call to be president of Asia Lutheran Seminary, presented the two keynote addresses, which highlighted “Why not us?” and “Why not now?” Additional workshops addressed the challenges young Christians face in today’s world.
Worship was a highlight of the rally, with full opening and closing services and daily devotions. “There are no words to describe the feeling you get listening to over two thousand teens sing their praises to Jesus,” says Anna Gilgenbach, who served as a rally youth leader for the teens at St. Peter, Fond du Lac, Wis., a group that included her daughter, Natalie. “I attended the WELS International Youth Rally when I was younger, and I wanted Natalie to experience this as well,” she says.
The sheer number of people at the rally taught the teens an important lesson—that they are not alone. “It’s very encouraging to see so many other people who believe in Jesus and are part of your synod all together and just celebrating the love of Christ,” says Lydia Smith, teen rally attendee.
“It was a perfect experience to learn about God and create really great memories with your friends,” says Jordan Shepler, who came with the teen group from Holy Word, Austin, Texas.
Teens also appreciated the opportunity to serve. WELS Christian Aid and Relief offered a way for teens to get involved right at the rally by putting together care packages for kids in need, first responders, and the homebound. “I’m amazed at the response from our youth. Don’t sell the next generation short of what it can do now,” says Rev. Donn Dobberstein, director of WELS Discipleship. “We need to tap into the teens’ energy and faith and give them greater permission to act upon the faith that God has given them.”
He continues, “There is real concern about the increasing disinterest in church among youth, but then all of a sudden you get this light-bulb moment where God gives you hope. How can you look at an arena filled with 14- to 17-year-olds and not be hopeful? When God says my Word will endure and the gates of hell will not prevail against it, he’s talking about teens and the faith that he already has instilled in the hearts and minds of the next generation.”
WELS Discipleship plans to take more than half a dozen of the rally’s workshops and turn them into resources youth leaders can use at the local congregational level. Sign up to receive updates.
The next WELS International Youth Rally—the 50th—will be held in 2024 at Colorado State University.
After making the difficult decision in 2021 to hold the 58th annual Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society (LWMS) convention as a virtual event, LWMS was thrilled to again meet in person in Rochester, N.Y., on June 23-26. More than 500 attendees from WELS and Evangelical Lutheran Synod congregations joyfully gathered under the theme “Set Free in Christ,” based on John 8:32.
“What a joy it was to talk, laugh, sing, and worship together again. We even did some dancing! Our Freedom Circuit hosted an amazing convention, offering our members a time to rejoice in the blessings we have through Christ!” says Ms. Patsy Kramer, LWMS president.
The Rochester gathering contained all of the elements that make the convention such a moving experience, like the annual flag presentation. This year’s presentation included a flag from WELS’ newest world mission field—the United Kingdom. In addition, attendees were able to speak with missionaries face to face to provide encouragement, fellowship, and prayer.
During presentations, attendees learned about the expanding outreach by WELS’ One Latin America mission team using the Academia Cristo app and about the continuing growth of WELS’ mission field in East Asia. In addition, home missionaries shared their experiences with outreach in New York and Pennsylvania. There were also two virtual presentations with missionaries from Texas and Germany.
Convention goers were treated to the unique, worshipful sounds of Hope Sacred Steel Orchestra from Hope, Toronto, Canada, which provided entertainment for Saturday evening’s banquet in addition to the music for Sunday morning’s closing worship service.
Each year, the individual LWMS circuits gather offerings for Home and World Mission projects. This year, more than $110,000 was collected for WELS Campus Ministry Support and Native American Special Projects. In addition, just over $50,000 was collected through this year’s LWMS kids c.a.r.e. project, supporting gospel outreach to Roma children in Europe.
“The gifts, prayers, and support of LWMS for our mission efforts is tremendous,” says Rev. Larry Schlomer, administrator of WELS World Missions. “Beyond the joy and fellowship shared at the convention, our mission families have this very real example of how much members of WELS care for them and the work the Lord is doing through them. That is always a welcome shot in the arm for the important work we have asked them to do.”
Mrs. Marnie Ketterman, from Messiah, South Windsor, Conn., was among the 103 first-time convention attendees and was awed by her experience: “I loved seeing the faces of the missionaries as they talked about their mission work. Their faces radiated such a deep joy and peace. It makes you want that too.” She continues, “Meeting all of the women is fantastic, and seeing the mission work that is being done is what gets you to come back year after year.”
Next year’s convention, the milestone 60th, will be in La Crosse, Wis., June 22-25, 2023. The theme will be “Peace Like a River.”
Learn more about LWMS at lwms.org.
WELS Discipleship has released a new teen ministry program—WELS Youth Night, a series of youth-focused events for high school students and youth leaders from local WELS congregations.
“God created us to be in community with each other. We belong to him. We belong together. That is the idea of WELS Youth Night—to bring teens and youth leaders from area churches . . . together,” says Rev. Donn Dobberstein, director of WELS Discipleship.
The program was introduced for the first time at the WELS International Youth Rally earlier this summer. While the WELS International Youth Rally provides an opportunity for youth from all over the country to grow in their faith together, it happens only every other year and is difficult to replicate. WELS Youth Night is meant to create that community at a local level, offering area teens and youth leaders a way to encourage and support one another in their faith on a more consistent basis.
“[These events] are meant to supplement the youth ministry that is happening at the local level,” says Dobberstein. “It’s about building relationships, creating a community, experiencing faith together.”
WELS Discipleship provides all the resources for congregations to hold a series of three WELS Youth Nights, with suggested dates of mid-October, end of January, and post-Easter. At each event, teens from the area’s churches can experience an evening of games, music, prayer, a keynote address, small group discussion, and fun with other high school youth. Resources include a keynote address video presentation, small group discussion guides, training for youth leaders, a planning timeline and guide, a promotional media kit, as well as ideas for music and games.
Learn more about WELS Youth Night and download resources for the first event.
Sign up for youth leader resources updates.
Read about a Martin Luther College student who is part of the WELS Youth Night Committee and his commitment to reaching out to the next generation.
The 2022 WELS International Youth Rally brought together more than 2,200 WELS teens and youth leaders from across North America. The rally, held June 28-July 1, at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn., included time for worship, educational workshops, fellowship, recreation, and service projects. The Youth Rally committee produced this recap video of the rally experience. The song featured in the video was written for the rally by Koiné, a Christian band made up of WELS members.
We hope to see you at the next Youth Rally in 2024 at Colorado State University where we’ll be celebrating 50 years of equipping and encouraging our youth through this event. In the meantime, resources for connecting with this age group at your own church can be found at welscongregationalservices.net.
Each of WELS’ 12 districts met in convention this June, discussing local ministry topics and hearing from synod leaders on broader topics that affect the synod as a whole. Delegates of the North Atlantic and Southeastern Wisconsin Districts elected new presidents to replace Donald Tollefson, who is retiring, and David Kolander, who stepped down as district president. Michael Seifert is now leading the North Atlantic District, and Daniel Leyrer is president of the Southeastern Wisconsin District. Learn more about Pastors Seifert and Leyrer in this Together video update.
Read Forward in Christ‘s complete district convention coverage online.
All 12 districts held their conventions during the last two weeks. The conventions reviewed the reports submitted by all areas of ministry and provided reaction and input to those reports and to future plans that have been made.
Districts also held elections for district officers and for other board and committee positions. Two of those elections resulted in new district presidents.
Rev. Don Tollefson, president of the North Atlantic District, retired as of the end of June. Rev. Michael Seifert, serving at Living Hope, Midlothian, Va., was elected as the new district president. Rev. David Kolander, president of the Southeastern Wisconsin District, chose not to run again. Rev. Daniel Leyrer, serving at St. Marcus, Milwaukee, Wis., was elected as the new district president. Because of the size of the district in terms of congregations and called workers, Kolander has accepted a call to serve as the assistant to the new district president in addition to his current call as pastor at Christ the Lord, Brookfield, Wis.
Both new district presidents will serve on the Conference of Presidents.
We thank God for the faithful service of Revs. Tollefson and Kolander and pray for God’s continued blessings as they serve him in the future.
Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder
Coverage of the district conventions will be included in the August issue of Forward in Christ magazine.
The complete 2021 Statistical Report as well as the 2021 Statistical Summary are now available at welscongregationalservices.net/stats.
“Statistics are one of the tools believers use as they seek to steward God’s blessings wisely,” says Rev. Jonathan Hein, coordinator of WELS Congregational Services. Hein explains that each year, WELS congregations track certain statistics—membership totals, attendance figures, ministrations, offerings, types of gains and losses, etc. That information can help churches with their ministry planning. WELS compiles all that congregational information in its annual statistical report, which aids WELS’ leaders as they plan the synod’s collective ministry. The complete statistical report is hundreds of pages of information. WELS Congregational Services annually produces a briefer statistical summary report. This year’s summary is 19 pages long and contains information such as:
“The statistical summary gives us reasons to praise the Lord of the church,” says Hein. “It also identifies challenges that deserve prayer and planning.”
Hein concludes, “The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians, ‘You do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed’ (1:7). God has richly blessed our congregations and our synod with every type of resource we need to proclaim his gospel. May the Spirit give us the faith and the wisdom to steward those resources well.”
For more details, visit welscongregationalservices.net/stats.
WELS Missions held its annual Taste of Missions event June 11, 2022, at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis. Hear from attendees about why they appreciated this opportunity to get a “taste of missions.” Missed it? You can still watch recordings of all the day’s events online at tasteofmissions.com.
The Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC) is a worldwide fellowship of Lutheran church bodies committed to the teachings of the Lutheran church found in the Book of Concord of 1580. WELS and 12 other church bodies established the CELC in 1993. Since then the CELC has grown by God’s grace to include 34 church bodies today.
Every three years, representatives from all CELC churches gather for fellowship and theological study at an international convention. In addition to the full meeting, various regional meetings are held in alternate years. One such regional meeting of our sister church bodies in Europe took place recently in Durres, Albania. Thirty-two representatives and guests met May 20-22 under the theme “Triumph together in Christ.”
Professor Mark Paustian of Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn., led participants in a study of Romans chapters 7-8 and Exodus chapters 3-4. Churches presented reports highlighting blessings and challenges from their fields and invited the conference to give thanks and pray for specific blessings. The conference concluded with a festival worship service and sermon based on Acts 1:1-8, “You will receive power!”
Participants found time for informal fellowship at the nearby beach, during a walking tour of downtown Durres, and on an excursion to Kruja, with its market, cafes, restored fortress, and historic museum.
Immediately after the conference, a dozen guests remained in Durres for a two-day workshop on 1 Thessalonians. Participants discussed the letter’s original impact for believers enduring persecution and considered contemporary blessings as we serve souls and await Christ’s return.
We give thanks to God for blessing the participants in this conference, and we pray that he will use it as a means to strengthen our fellowship and our commitment to the mission he has given us.
Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder
On May 11, Rev. Nixon Vivar and Rev. Carl Leyrer were commissioned as new missionaries on the Latin America mission team. Hear from Vivar on what his role on the team will be and how WELS is reaching out in Latin America.
Assignment Day at Martin Luther College (MLC), New Ulm, Minn., is one of the highlights of the year. Last Saturday, May 14, 2022, in a special service, candidates for the teaching ministry learned where they will be serving. All 74 teacher candidates who could go anywhere—57 from the graduating class and 17 previous graduates—were assigned. In addition, 51 teacher candidates who were limited geographically received assignments. Total assignments this year were fewer than in the two previous years; 116 requests to the Assignment Committee for teachers could not be filled.
There are still 140 teaching vacancies in the synod. District presidents will be working with calling bodies and with MLC to address this significant need.
It should be noted that 48 men graduated from the pre-seminary program at MLC, a significant increase over previous years. This will be a real blessing at a time when pastoral vacancies have also increased.
Jesus encouraged us to pray for workers in his harvest field. God’s people have prayed, and God has answered those prayers with young people saying, “Here am I; send me!”
Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder
Through its new Community Care & Compassion Matching Grants Program, WELS Christian Aid and Relief is offering matching grants to congregations that want to reach out in their community through a compassion ministry. Grants are available up to $2,500.
Grants can support any compassion ministry in a community, such as a Christmas toy drive or a Thanksgiving meal at your church. It can also support those who need encouragement, like seniors, veterans, or victims of domestic violence. WELS Christian Aid and Relief Director Rev. Daniel Sims recommends that a good place to start is to determine the particular needs in your community. If there is a local charity working to serve those needs, find ways to assist them.
“When we act with compassion and love, it gains us opportunities to talk about our Savior,” says Sims. “I encourage congregations to find the people who are hurting in your community, formulate a plan to help them, and get in touch with us. Let us help you reach out to them in love.” To learn more and apply for a grant, visit wels.net/relief.
One example of a congregation taking advantage of this new grant program is Bethlehem, Richland Center, Wis. In 2020, this exploratory mission was looking for a ministry space to call home. God provided a perfect fit: a former elementary school that had just come on the market.
The building was more than just a former school. It was also home to a county-run program that provides hot meals each week to senior adults. “We didn’t just purchase a facility,” says Rev. Daniel Lewig, pastor at Bethlehem. “We got a ministry right along with it—and an open door to see where God leads.”
Supported by offerings and a pandemic relief grant from WELS Christian Aid and Relief, Bethlehem members upgraded the former classroom in which the meals are served to make it more welcoming and encourage conversation and connections.
The revitalized dining area also serves as Bethlehem’s fellowship hall, and seniors from the community are invited to all church activities. In addition, Lewig visits with guests each week and leads them in prayer. Bethlehem members help serve the meals or simply spend time getting to know their neighbors.
Once the seniors are in the building, it’s a natural progression to introduce them to the worship space in the gym. Through God’s blessing, several of the seniors have attended worship, and some have taken Bible information classes and become members.
Bethlehem plans to apply for a new Community Care & Compassion Matching Grant through WELS Christian Aid and Relief to offer even more fellowship opportunities for local seniors, like dinners and movie nights.
“It’s not the food that brings them together,” Lewig says. “It’s the connection. Our members help with that connection and connect it to a higher purpose. We created an environment where you’re not just eating a meal for a day but a meal for eternity.”
Sims discussed the Community Care & Compassion Matching Grants Program in last week’s Together video update.
WELS Military Services assists WELS congregations serving military members when they are stationed nearby. Civilian ministry to the military is a cornerstone of WELS Military Services’ work by equipping churches for local gospel and fellowship ministry to military personnel and their families.
Across the nation, 125 WELS churches near military installations and their pastors (called military contact pastors) are appointed to reach out to the men and women who serve in the United States Armed Forces.
April 26-28, 2022, 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 and a group of WELS military contact pastors met to discuss ministry to the military with Fort Stewart chaplains and military personnel. WELS members Lt. Col. Michael Hefti and his wife, Katie, shared the stresses of military life and the importance of their WELS pastors and church family in supporting them spiritually.
Fort Stewart held a meeting attended by more than a dozen of the post’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 a museum on the post.
The annual workshop is sponsored through a grant from the Lutheran Military Support Group, a national organization of WELS and Evangelical Lutheran Synod (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, “Of all the military contact pastors workshops, this year’s meeting was superior. Fort Stewart’s chaplains went the extra mile to create mutual understanding. They were impressed by 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.”
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 made at 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,” says Horn. “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.
WELS Christian Aid and Relief is launching a matching grants program to partner with WELS congregations as they carry out compassion ministry in their communities. Learn more about the Community Care & Compassion Grants Program from Rev. Dan Sims, director of Christian Aid and Relief. Find more information and learn how to get started at wels.net/relief.
We are in constant contact with the bishop (president) of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church (ULC). He reports that thus far no members of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church have lost their lives or been injured. Some of their homes have been damaged or destroyed. None of the ULC churches have been destroyed in the conflict, although three parsonages have been damaged.
The bishop (whose congregation is in the capital city of Kyiv) has been staying outside of Kyiv for safety reasons. Last Sunday he was able to return to Kyiv temporarily to lead worship and to deliver much needed supplies of food and medicine. Yesterday he provided this report: “People were very happy to see each other again especially after recent missile attacks, although we did not have as many people at the worship service as on Easter. Shut-ins also rejoiced to be visited and communed and are grateful for the food aid received. Thank you very much! Many thanks to all brothers and sisters in WELS, to the U.S., and praise to the Lord!”
Generous WELS donors have provided significant funds to enable the ULC to purchase supplies of clothing, food, and medicine. Those supplies are provided to refugees from different places around the country and for the people of the communities in which ULC congregations are located. Our synod has forwarded funds to the ULC upon its request. It’s important to note that these requests are coming to us in amounts that enable the ULC to purchase what is needed and what it can distribute. To date, $66,000 has been requested and sent directly to the ULC. We are ready to send more as soon as the ULC requests it. Another $100,000 has been sent to a reputable agency (Direct Relief) that is assisting Ukrainian refugees in Poland and other countries. We are also making plans to provide funds to our sister church in Bulgaria, which is caring for Ukrainian refugees arriving there.
The synod is also ready to provide help to Ukrainian refugees who are able to come to the United States. Ukrainians who come to the U.S. as refugees need to work with the U.S. State Department, and we are looking for ways to assist in that process.
We are also looking forward to the day when the war is over and resettlement and rebuilding can begin. Because of the generosity of WELS members, we believe that some of the funds already given will be able to be used for those efforts.
Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder
Another successful year of Celebration of Ministry retreats is complete. From April 25–29, Grow in Grace, the institute for continuing education at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis., hosted more than 400 people for the ninth annual retreat. Four retreats were held at the Drury Plaza Hotel on the Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas, for pastors who are celebrating 3, 10, 25, and 35 years since graduating from the seminary. After a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic, it was a blessing to be able to again offer encouragement and support for pastors and their wives in this way.
These retreats build relationships with ministry peers and offer encouragement through worship, Bible studies, workshops, and presentations. Bible study topics covered Ezekiel, the pastoral epistles, Psalms, and Colossians. Separate and joint workshops were offered for pastors and their wives and covered topics such as time management, caring for others and yourself, focusing on your own gifts, and financial challenges and opportunities.
Though these workshops and Bible studies are a key part of the retreats, fellowship with classmates, worship services, and a beautiful location also play a part in the experience.
When Grow in Grace initially began the Celebration of Ministry retreats, only pastors celebrating 10 years since graduation and their wives attended. In more recent years, the event has included pastors celebrating three years; 25 years; and, in 2018, 35 years since graduation.
The 2023 retreat plans are already underway, with the retreats set to take place in San Antonio from April 12–14. To the graduating classes of 1988, 1998, 2013, and 2020, make sure to check your mailboxes this month for your save the date to your Celebration of Ministry retreat.
Join your brothers and sisters in Christ from around the world for Taste of Missions on Saturday, June 11, 2022, at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis., starting at 11 a.m. CT.
Here are 10 great reasons you should register today at tasteofmissions.com/register:
Registration is $15 per person, with children 13 and under attending for free. Or attend virtually for free! Learn more at tasteofmissions.com.
On May 2, Mr. Jeremy Angle began serving as the president of Northwestern Publishing House (NPH). As president, Angle will focus on supporting the mission of NPH—delivering biblically sound, Christ-centered resources within WELS and beyond. Angle will oversee all the functional areas of this ministry such as product development, production, distribution, customer service, human resources, accounting, technology, and sales.
“NPH is without a doubt a mission,” says Angle, “but also a business. I see my job as combining the two and being a steward to NPH—the mission, the business, and all its team members.”
His predecessor, Mr. Bill Ziche, retired at the end of 2021 after eight years in that role. Ziche helped NPH pivot from operating out of a physical storefront to a digital one. At its February meeting, WELS’ Synodical Council noted that Ziche displayed “outstanding leadership in strategically repositioning NPH to support the gospel ministry for years to come.”
Angle is focused on continuing that support for gospel ministry. “I look forward to building on the traditions and legacy of NPH while adapting to best deliver the resources and teachings,” he explains. “Having worked in the secular business world my entire career, I find myself asking the questions, ‘What can NPH do and build on to support the leaders of today and tomorrow in both the church and secular world? How do we more closely link the two?’ ”
Helping Angle navigate which resources NPH should produce going forward is Rev. Chris Cordes, who began his work as NPH’s editorial vice president in February after Rev. Curtis Jahn retired after serving NPH for 29 years. Cordes and Angle will work closely on developing future projects.
“I am really looking forward to working with the team at NPH and its board of directors, learning and getting to know them and their growth desires,” says Angle, “as well as working with the synod, our congregations, and our schools on how we can best serve all and help grow. I am also excited about looking beyond and how we can best serve the world keeping to God’s true Word and teachings.”
Visit Northwestern Publishing House online at nph.net.
The 2022 Report to the Twelve Districts is now available online. Report to the Twelve Districts contains current information from WELS areas of ministry and committees that help guide district convention delegates. Each WELS congregation will receive one printed copy at the end of May. Copies will also be available at district conventions.
All of WELS’ 12 districts hold a convention in even-numbered years. (The synod convention takes place in odd-numbered years.) Each male called worker, in addition to a lay delegate representing each congregation, attends his district’s convention as a voting delegate. District conventions are held to carry out the business of a district, such as electing district officials, as well as to hear updates on synodical ministries and to react to synodical initiatives. Delegates also enjoy worship and fellowship during their conventions.
“District conventions offer delegates the opportunity to learn, to ask questions, to debate issues, to offer advice and guidance to those called to serve them,” says WELS President Mark Schroeder. “In the end, delegates have the opportunity to see God at work, uniting WELS members in a stronger faith and in a greater commitment to carrying out his work together.”
View Report to the Twelve Districts online.