Stronger together: a reflection on the WELS Texas campus ministry retreat

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Looking back on our second annual WELS Texas Campus Ministry Retreat, Ephesians 4:3-4 comes to mind; “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called.” Through the Holy Spirit, that unity was reflected in the fellowship we had at our retreat.

At the beginning of our spring semester, 17 WELS college students from Baylor University, Tarleton State University, and Texas A&M University took a weekend away from our studies to spend time together at a retreat in Lorena, Texas. We played games, ate delicious food, showed everyone around Waco, and watched a heartbreaking triple overtime Baylor basketball loss on T.V. More importantly, we spent time in the Word with Bible study focused on how we can share Christ and his love in each and every one of our relationships.

On college campuses, even Christian ones like Baylor, sometimes you aren’t quite sure what the people around you believe or how it differs from your own faith. Even with a loving community of Baylor friends, who I know love Jesus, there can still be a disconnect between what we believe. This retreat was especially refreshing in that I got to sit down and dive into the Word with people who I know for a fact believe what I do. While I had never met half of the students there, our faith in the “one hope” of Jesus connected us and made it easy to talk to each other about everything.

I am certain that our hope in Jesus is one and the same. I have peace in knowing that outside of college, I am a part of a family of believers with whom I have complete unity. Our retreat was the perfect expression of that fellowship.

Written by Lilia Kasten, campus ministry student at Baylor University.

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Reaching the unreached souls in northern Wisconsin

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For Ann, Robert, Jennifer, Linda, Dave, Sue, Tom, Chris, Lisa, Dan, Andy, Nancy, Emily, Carol, Paul, Nick, Jace, Jon, Justin, Megan, Cheryl, Josh, Kathy, Gary, James, Kyle, Sophia, and Alice…

Why do we need another church in Wisconsin? What’s your church going to be like? How are you going to decide on a name? These are all legitimate questions. And I think I finally have a good answer: For Ann, Robert, Jennifer, Linda, Dave, Sue, and so on and so forth . . .

I just arrived at the new location the Lord has now placed me to share his Word – Kronenwetter, Wis. (think southeast Wausau, Wis. – east of Hwy 51, south of I 29, north of Hwy 153). For the first two weeks after the installation service on Sept. 15, I was welcomed into the homes of each family of our core group. We had a short devotion, got to know each other a little bit, and started sharing some initial gospel ministry thoughts of how to reach out to the unchurched in our target area.

I was also asked to conduct a couple of mission festivals in the area. During the sermon on Isaiah 6, I encouraged the congregations to work through the “Friends Who Need Jesus” diagram. It’s a common diagram that has been around for quite a long time, but every time I work through it, I think about another soul in my sphere of influence who doesn’t know about Jesus. And others were experiencing the same thing! (You should take 90 seconds and try it too!) In fact, several people gave me the contact information of their unchurched friend, relative, acquaintance, or neighbor who is living in our target area.

So I thought that would be a good way to start our first official meeting on Sept. 29. The group that gathered worked through the diagram. It didn’t take much effort ,and we filled the board with names! But they aren’t just names, are they? Those letters on the board indicate that there are dear souls in our area who need Jesus! And how can they believe in the one about whom they have not heard?

So right from the start, we were reminded why we need another church in Wisconsin and 99 other places as well. For Ann, Robert, Jennifer, Linda, Dave, Sue, Tom, Chris, Lisa, and Dan. We learned how we are going to pick a name and make all the decisions when it comes to starting this mission. For Andy, Nancy, Emily, Carol, Paul, Nick, Jace, Jon, and Justin. Because our synod is aggressively reaching lost souls, this will be another WELS congregation sharing God’s Word in its truth and purity for Megan, Cheryl, Josh, Kathy, Gary, and Lord-willing, many other souls who all need Jesus!

Written by Rev. Frederic Berger, home missionary at the new mission start in Kronenwetter, Wis.

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Partnerships lead to progress

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“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” (Philippians 1:3-4)

I love this verse from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Paul was known as the great missionary who took the gospel throughout the known world at the time. Yet, in these verses, God reminds us that Paul didn’t go alone; he had partners—those who supported him financially, prayed for him, sent him care packages, and shared the gospel themselves. Paul’s stories were their stories. Ministry is all about partnerships in the gospel.

I can still hear President Schroeder on assignment day in May 2015: “Stephen Apt. New mission start. Liberty Hill, Texas. South Central District.” I was so excited to be going to Texas, starting a mission church and telling people about Jesus. I quickly found out that we had one other family in our core group: Jerry, Laura, and their second-grade son, Christian. That made five of us. We rented space in a commercial storefront property where our nearest neighbors were a gas station, a survivalist store, and a BBQ restaurant. It seemed like a daunting task to start a church with just the five of us, but we had big dreams and an even bigger God.

Fast forward nine years, and our church now worships an average of 153 souls each Sunday. We have 83 adults growing in the Word during the week, whether in Sunday morning Bible study or in our small groups, along with 50 youth and teens in our teen ministries and 56 in our children’s ministries. In addition to our church, we have a school with an enrollment of 370 students, and we’ve completed two building projects. How did all of this happen? Through partnerships.

We have the amazing opportunity to share the gospel with many people from diverse backgrounds—some who didn’t know Jesus at all and others who have been away from the church for a long time. We’ve had the privilege to share Jesus with people who haven’t had a good walk with the Lord in the past, including Terri and her husband, Todd.

If you were to ask Terri and Todd about their walk with God prior to our church, they would say it wasn’t very good. But one day, they decided to give our church a try. They attended our Starting Point class and learned all about Jesus and what he has done for them. Four years later, Todd and Terri are now partners in our ministry. Todd serves as our church’s head usher, and Terri is currently taking classes to become synod certified to teach in our school. Terri recently said, “I feel so much closer to God than I ever have in my entire life.”

As I type this from my desk in Liberty Hill, Texas, I can’t help but feel thankful—not only for all that God has done but also for our partners in the gospel. These stories are not just my story, nor are they solely Divine Savior’s stories; they are your stories as well. The ministry and the gospel work here have only been possible because of the partnership of WELS supporting our mission in Texas. I am grateful for your partnership as you support the spread of the gospel ministry through the Board of Home Missions with your prayers, service, and offerings. Ministry is best accomplished through partnerships. Thank you for your partnership from the first day until now.

Written by Rev. Stephen Apt, home missionary at Divine Savior Church in Liberty Hill, Texas.

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Finding a place to stand

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There’s a lot going on in the fastest growing city in America. According to the 2023 U.S. Census Bureau, Celina, Texas, is the fastest growing city in America based on percentage change (in cities with a population of at least 20,000). Roads are being expanded and the city is breaking ground to build a Costco. Three years ago our city was just around 23,800 residents, and now it is splitting at the seams, sitting just north of 50,000 residents. But right in the middle of this rapidly changing community a small church named Divine Savior Church – North Collin County opened its doors in a small storefront unit on Sept. 8, 2024.

It was a special morning for us. A big step in the mission planting process! To finally throw open our doors, set up our signage outside, and invite the friends we’ve all made was fantastic. Seventy-one people came through the doors, and what made it fantastic was knowing that those individuals would hear the gospel of Jesus.

That’s what any given Sunday morning is all about. We confess our sins, we receive forgiveness, we hear God’s Word read and preached. We confess a common faith, we sing with joy, we pray, we receive the Lord himself in the Sacrament, and we receive God’s blessing. It’s just as important as it sounds. What an honor it is that God has afforded us this opportunity to participate in this ministry. A launch service presents a pastor with a unique opportunity to plan a service that sets the tone for a ministry. What better way to set the tone for a ministry than to be uniquely Lutheran, to be uniquely Christ-centered? Christ is our peace through his blood shed on the cross. The cross is where sins are forgiven. The cross is where we are at peace with God. The cross is where we find belonging. Beneath that cross is our place to stand.

In a rapidly changing community, identity is at stake. This small town is scared of losing its identity and its roots, and I can’t blame them. I’m concerned about it, too. My wife, Sami, and I have fallen in love with the small town we now call home. But we know that the small-town feel is rapidly changing. New people are moving here from all over the country. Where do they find a place to stand? The long-term tenants are mourning the loss of their small town. Where do they find a place to stand? Where does a small mission church find a place to stand in a place like this?

Thanks be to God we have the answer. We never had to find a place to stand in the first place, and neither does anyone else. God provides one, and it’s the best place. It’s beneath the cross of Jesus. So, we cling with an iron grip to that blessed cross. We fashion a service that is centered on the cross because it tells the story of Christ.

Truth be told, the fastest growing city in America is the perfect place for a small mission like ours to do what we do best not only on Sunday mornings, but every day. We engage one person at a time with the gospel so that they can know and trust the Savior that changes their life in Spirit-wrought faith. The privilege is ours and the praise is his. I can’t wait to see those who God touches through this ministry before the throne of our God.

Please keep us in your prayers as we move into post-launch mission life!

Written by Rev. Caleb King, home missionary at Divine Savior Church in North Collin County, Texas. 

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Tuning up before taking off

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What in the world is a mission enhancement? That was the first question on my mind after hearing about the details of my new call. Call Day at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary flew by in an instant, but that question stuck with me. I have heard of a new mission start . . . but an enhancement? That one was new.

Rev. Eli and Rachel Steinbrenner

When my wife, Rachel, and I got to our new home, it started to become more and more clear what it means to be a mission enhancement pastor. Unlike a new mission start, Good Shepherd already has a church building and a large core group of people. They even maintained regular worship throughout a long vacancy. The core group and I are eager to kickstart outreach efforts once again to take advantage of the gospel outreach opportunities the Lord is providing. As an enhancement, we have support from our District Mission Board, guidance from an experienced Mission Counselor, and some short-term financial support to help us get there.

In short, being a mission enhancement is all about tuning up before taking off. Because Good Shepherd has made so much progress earlier on, before the vacancy, many of the big projects to get a church going have already been checked off our list. Our goals over the next couple of months, and even years, are focused on updating how we do ministry, both for maintaining close-knit relationships and increasing fellowship as well as branching out and diving deep into outreach projects. But, before we hit the ground running, there are some preparations that need to be made beforehand.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have spent a lot of time getting to know the people whom I serve. I have had the opportunity to learn about the many gifts God has given them and the history that connects them to Good Shepherd and the community. On top of meeting my own people, I have been reaching out to our community’s leaders: other church’s pastors, local government, business owners, civil service personnel, etc. to get a better pulse as to what our community needs and how we can address those needs with our unique gifts and abilities.

In addition to doing information gathering, our District Mission Board is sending Rachel and I to a Church Planter Intensive specifically for mission enhancement pastors. The Church Planter Intensive is run by a group of home missionaries who have been in very similar situations as the one I am in. It is designed to help and instruct me on how I can use my gifts, the gifts of my people, and the information on my community to better serve my people and community. For a little under a week, Rachel and I will be learning from mission experts in Virginia and picking up a mentor along the way. The mentor will help give practical advice and encouragement as we “tune up” over the next two years.

This is all to say, mission work isn’t just outreach events and worship. There is a lot of learning and tuning that needs to be done before we can take off and make our ideas a reality. It has been a little overwhelming, but I am very thankful that there are so many people who support and encourage me throughout all of it. Praise be to God that there are thousands of people who pray for us and our ministry every day!

Written by Rev. Eli Steinbrenner, home missionary at Good Shepherd in Plymouth, Wisconsin.

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Where church planters go to die

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“That’s where church planters go to die!”

That’s what a man told me only months after I moved to Mississauga, Canada, when I mentioned that I was pastoring a church in the northwest part of the city.

Whether or not he knew what he was talking about, I think we can agree that planting a church in Mississauga looks challenging on paper. Mississauga is the third most expensive city in Canada (only behind Vancouver and Toronto), extremely transient (more than 50 percent of Mississauga residents have lived here for less than 5 years), and highly post-Christian (although about 50 percent of residents claim to be Christian, less than 25 percent of them are regularly in worship on a Sunday).

And the historical fact is that WELS has tried to plant a church in the Mississauga area two times previous to the current version of our congregation (in the 1970s and early 1990s), but both times the missions had to close. In some sense, that man was right.

But despite the challenges on paper and in ministry, our synod continued to “have concern for the great city.” (Jonah 4:11). And here we are! August 15, 2024, was the 25th anniversary of our congregation and many blessings accompany that celebration:

First, fruits of the gospel! Over Cross of Life’s history, 116 people have received the gift of Baptism and 216 have been confirmed in the faith after studying scripture with one of our pastors.

Second, a new population to serve. We have received over 70 new visitors in the last six months who are refugees from five different African nations. We were able to mobilize humanitarian aid and spiritual care for these folks. About 20 of them have joined our church, with more intending to join. Ironically, this started only a month after I said to a brother pastor, “We are a very multicultural church . . . except we don’t really have anyone from Africa.” Oh, how Jesus made me eat my words!

Third, a subsidy-free ministry. This year, we chose to stop receiving subsidy from our synod to operate our church. After literally millions of dollars spent to keep a church in this city, we can fund ministry on our own now.

Fourth, a future home. We have made a deal to purchase a 10,000 square foot building to be our church home. We are waiting for city permission to close the deal, but things look promising at this point. Pray that God would give us this home or a better one, if it is his will.

Fifth, a future ministry. We have started two men on the path to becoming WELS pastors in Canada through a partnership with Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. We get to dream what God is planning for us in the next few years as those men near graduation and can serve full-time in the ministry!

Of course, all these blessings ultimately come from Jesus, so thank him as you hear how he is blessing us! But these blessings are also the result of the generous Congregational Mission Offerings of congregations like yours, and because of the commitment of our synod’s leaders to planting and supporting churches in major cities, despite the immense costs and challenges. So, thank you also for your offerings and your prayers, and please keep praying for God’s work to be done here!

Written by Rev. Caleb Schultz, home missionary at Cross of Life in Mississauga, Ontario.

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Supporting home missionaries: Church Planter Intensive and coaching program

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One of the ways WELS Home Missions works behind the scenes to support new home mission congregations and their missionaries is through a Church Planter Intensive (CPI) and coaching program. Brand new church planters gather together with experienced home missionaries for a Church Planter Intensive at Carbon Valley Lutheran Church in Firestone, Colo. Experienced church planter Jared Oldenburg (Eternal Rock – Castle Rock, Colo.) developed the program and Home Missionary Matt Rothe (The Way – Fredericksburg, Va.) now leads the training. This extended weekend seminar encourages and equips pastors who are called to plant brand new home mission churches. They are then paired with a coach from an established mission church to guide them for their first two years of launching a new church. Learn more about the program on the wels100in10.net website.

Here’s what three home missionaries had to stay about the program:

When I was approached about attending the Church Planter Intensive (CPI) in 2023, I had no idea how influential and vital it would be to my personal ministry and our mission start as a whole. Over the course of three days I was able to gather with other pastors in similar situations and explore church planting together. I’m brand new to church planting, and frankly had no idea where to even start. While there is so much to continually learn and no one perfect way to plant a church, CPI gave direction that would be missing otherwise. From finances to structure to leadership and beyond, CPI gave me peace of mind to know where to start, what to focus on, and what do in certain situations. I weekly refer to the CPI booklet. The Church Planter Intensive also connected me with other mission pastors who continue to talk, encourage, and bounce ideas off of each other. It’s a unique brotherhood that I don’t take for granted.

As much as the Church Planter Intensive was able to ground me, set our ministry on a good path, and send us out with valuable information, the coaching program is now my lifeline in an ongoing way. My coach is the most accessible avenue to bounce ideas off of, get input from, and help me grow as a pastor. We meet monthly to study aspects of church planting that I’ve never thought about. We also talk every week or two on the phone for feedback with our mission. I am so so grateful for my coach, the time he gives to me, and the huge heart that he has for missions. His brotherhood and coaching has transformed our new mission start and will continually be a blessing to me and many others. Thank you to everyone who makes the Church Planter Intensive and coaching program possible! It’s a massive blessing!

At the Church Planter Intensive, we developed systems and timelines which have helped us tremendously. We had some frame of reference and ideas formulated and ready to use when we got to Boston, and so many of the things we learned have been implemented. Someone told me that you have to be able to think inside the box to think outside the box. I think the analogy applies to CPI. Boston is a different home mission—WELS has never had a church in this city—and in some ways, you are forced to think outside of the box. CPI gave us the tools to orient ourselves to think outside the box and engage the city creatively and contextually. It was also incredible to network with the other church planting couples at CPI. The support that Katelyn and I felt after going to the training has been so helpful. I keep in touch with some of the guys from training, and we use each other as sounding boards and for support. It is wonderful knowing that there is a community of church planters all praying for each other and with a similar goal—to proclaim the peace only Jesus can bring to the ends of the earth!

I also can’t say enough about my coach, Rev. Lucas Bitter from Intown Lutheran Church in Atlanta, Ga., and his wife, Meredith. He and I both work in urban environments, and he has helped me think and rethink many ideas about working in the city. Meredith has also been outstanding in this process. She and Katelyn have a monthly call to discuss what it’s like to be a church planter’s wife and share experiences. My coaching calls with Pastor Bitter give me a chance to articulate what is going on in my ministry, ask questions, give comments, and voice concerns. His knowledge of church planting, his desire to reach those who are lost, and his love for Jesus is evident every time we talk. He’s been available, patient, and filled with wisdom. I look up to him as a mentor for ministry and life.

The Church Planter Intensive (CPI) coupled with the coaching program is incredibly beneficial for new missionaries. Throughout our schooling, you get a lot of exposure to what it’s like walking into an existing church. It’s a little different when you drive into a new city, and it hits you that you’re starting a new church plant there. There are SO many questions. Every church has the same mission, but each church carries it out in a different way. The Church Planter Intensive and coaching program didn’t necessarily tell me what to do, but exposed me to different ideas, experiences, and resources and provided me with a network of fellow missionaries to encourage and support me throughout this process. It helped bring so much clarity to my plans.

Each month I get to sit down for an hour or more with my coach where we talk about implementing part of what I learned at the Church Planter Intensive. He’s there to check in on how I’m doing spiritually, emotionally, and physically, and to be a sounding board for any ideas I have. It also gives me an opportunity to take a step back each month and look at our mission as a whole—where have we been, where are we going, and how we going to get there. He assists my mission so that I can really focus on Christ’s mission.

One of the greatest ways WELS Home Missions and the Church Planter Intensive are supporting their missionaries is putting a big value on the wife’s role in the mission plant process. My wife, Samantha, shares: “As a new missionary’s wife, it can be a little daunting to jump headfirst into the mission field since my husband was the one who went through the years of schooling, and he was the one assigned to our new mission church. I was encouraged knowing it’s not just the work of the pastor that’s important in starting a mission church. It also includes me, our core group, and the community we get to share Jesus with. Attending CPI encouraged me as a pastor’s wife to surround myself with a community of women who have gone through this before. They are sisters in Christ who I can lean on during the difficult times and celebrate with during the joyous times.”

The Church Planter Intensive establishes a brotherhood with other church planters right from the beginning. I have a network of people that care about me not just as a missionary, but as an individual. We remind each other that what’s at the heart of this work is individual souls who need to hear about their personal Savior. It charges me up to get back to that important work so that more lives can be touched by the life-changing power of Jesus.




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Why 100 Missions in 10 Years?

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An update from WELS Home Missions Administrator, Rev. Mark Gabb

Hear from Rev. Mark Gabb, WELS Home Missions administrator, as he reflects on the importance of the 100 Missions in 10 Years initiative and the gospel outreach opportunities it will provide.

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Navigating new chapters

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The book of Joshua opens with Israel on the banks of the Jordan River, a moment Joshua and the people had waited on for years. But Joshua’s journey didn’t start there. It began long before—training under Moses, climbing Sinai, wandering the wilderness. After crossing into the promised land, how quickly do you think time passed for Joshua?

In the days following Assignment Day at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, I found myself reading through Joshua during personal devotions. During the transition—new people, a new place, new work—I found comfort in how God used Joshua. But like Joshua, the story didn’t start in the new land. Here’s what life has looked like as my wife Grace and I walked toward our new journey:

April was full of studies with classmates. Studying Romans deepened our love for the message of forgiveness. The prophets reminded us of God’s faithful messengers. Projects and social events filled the calendar. We were all counting down the days until Assignment Day while making the most of the time we had left.

Rev. Jacob and Grace Ungemach at Ault Park in Cincinnati, Ohio.

May was busy. Classes wrapped up, countdowns began, and celebrations filled the days—a baby shower for friends and graduation at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minn. Meanwhile, excitement for the Call Day kept building.

Call Day was a blur. We started early with a devotion by Lake Michigan along with some classmates. At the Call Service, we sat nervously with family, waiting to learn where we’d go. We listened as friends were assigned to their new places. Then it was our turn: Beautiful Savior – New Mission Start; Oakley, Ohio. Neither Grace nor I knew where Oakley was, but we knew this: God would be with us there.

June began with a quick trip to Cincinnati to see where we’d be living. I’ll never forget driving into the city for the first time—rolling green hills and beautiful buildings rising into the skyline. We met a few members of our Oakley group during that short trip. Driving back to pack up, Cincinnati was already beginning to feel like home.

Moving day for the Ungemach’s!

July 1 was moving day! As we pulled into our apartment, we were greeted by members from Beautiful Savior ready to help unload. The congregation was excited to start work on the second site in Oakley, and so were we. Afternoons and evenings quickly filled with opportunities to meet new people in our core group and the community.

Today . . . things still haven’t slowed down. We’re just beginning to meet together, grow in the Word, and find ways to show this community the love of Jesus. There are still so many unknowns.

The greatest comfort I’ve found in Joshua isn’t in the change he experiences, but in the changelessness of God. Just as God was with his people in a new place and age, he will be with us in this new mission. And like his promises were fulfilled to his people before, the promise that his Word will not return empty stands with us today.

Please keep Beautiful Savior in your prayers as we begin planting a second site in Oakley, Ohio.

Written by Rev. Jacob Ungemach, home missionary at a new mission start in Oakley, Ohio.

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Faces of Faith – Lincoln

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“Praise the Lord!” I didn’t expect him to shout that over his shoulder as he sprinted down the mountain past me and my friend, who were hiking and talking about church that Sunday afternoon. After he stopped and apologized for interrupting us, my first conversation with Lincoln began. “I wouldn’t even tell a shrink half of the stuff I’ve done,” he admitted. I responded, “Would you tell a pastor?” After talking for a few minutes about God’s grace and forgiveness, I gave him my business card. He promised I’d see him next Sunday; but to be honest, I doubted I would ever see him again.

But there he was on Sunday and every Sunday after. “I feel accepted, welcomed, and loved. There’s a comfort in knowing that Pastor Jensen is always going to point me to Jesus,” Lincoln says. Lincoln was confirmed last year and enjoys growing in God’s Word through a midweek Bible Class. “I love how we get deep into the Bible, but I don’t feel overwhelmed or confused. It’s actually fun!”

As we get ready to start our new building project, Lincoln is all-in. “We’re blessed to have such an amazing church body working together to share the Word of Christ, and I’m grateful and excited to be part of it here in Las Cruces. I want everyone to be able to see what’s going on here and experience God’s love here like I do.”

From Nathanael Jensen, home missionary at Cross of Christ, Las Cruces, N.M.

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Faces of Faith – Bill

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“I’ve never heard that before.” That’s what Bill said after he attended worship the day his six-year-old grandson was baptized. “That” was a line which the pastor said, “Jesus died for all sins.”

Bill grew up attending Catholic schools, so he had knowledge of some of the Bible said. A section of God’s Word that he knew very well was what God said about divorce. So, when Bill got divorced over 20 years ago, he thought he was doomed. For twenty-plus years Bill had been carrying around guilt and fear. But on that Sunday, he heard, “Jesus paid for all sins.” Did that mean Jesus had paid for the sin of his divorce? Bill left his business card with me on his way out of church, saying, “Let’s do lunch.”

After numerous lunches and a few coffee meetings, Bill enrolled in our Bible information class. The first words he said were, “I know I’m going to hell, but. . . I have some questions.” By God’s grace and the power of the Word, Bill no longer thinks he’s going to hell. Now, he cherishes free forgiveness and that Jesus died for all sins, even his.

From Joel Heckendorf, home missionary at Light of the Valleys in Reno, Nev.

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Faces of Faith – Ruth

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Nearly ten years have passed since an email showed up in my inbox. At the time, I was deliberating a call to a new mission in Mt. Horeb, Wis. The email was from a WELS member who had family connections in Mt. Horeb and was delighted to hear about the new WELS mission opening in town. Her son’s mother-in-law, Ruth, was described as “a young 84, with a magnetic personality.” She hoped that if I took the call to Mt. Horeb, I would be able to connect and share the gospel with her.

For the past ten years, God has been busy: I accepted the call to Good News in Mt. Horeb. I looked up Ruth and quickly found out that the description I had been given of her was spot on. She had a young, magnetic personality—along with a little East-coast stubbornness. As a result, it took three years of conversations before she became a member of our church.

During Ruth’s time at Good News, God used her magnetic personality to connect with even more people. There are now three families who belong to our church and another that attends regularly that can all be traced back to Ruth. I’m certain God will continue to use the connections made through Ruth to bring people to Good News and to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

From Jonathan Bauer, home missionary at Good News in Mt. Horeb, Wis.

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Faces of Faith – Steve and Tammy

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Back in 2017, I did some door-to-door canvassing in a neighborhood near my house. I met Steve and Tammy who told me that they were looking for a church. I added them to our prospect list and kept in touch through monthly mailings and invitations to our church, but I never saw or heard from them after that. Six years went by before Steve and Tammy finally decided to attend. When I met them in our parking lot, they said, “You’ve been sending us mailings and invitations every month for the past six years, so we finally decided we wanted to take you up on your offer and attend your church.” By God’s grace, Steve and Tammy have not stopped attending The Vine since. In fact, I had the privilege of baptizing both Steve and Tammy during one of our Sunday services in 2023. And, several months later, they joined us as fellow members of The Vine. Praise God for the means of grace and for giving our congregation the opportunity to be a blessing to them as they are to us.

From Kevin Schultz, home missionary at The Vine in Hayden, Idaho

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Faces of Faith – Bruce and Sheryl

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Northwest Wisconsin is known for its vast resources for hunting and fishing. The members at Our Redeemer in Ladysmith hosted an outreach event and decided to combine two things they do well, cooking wild game and being friendly. One couple in the congregation had befriended their neighbors, Bruce and Sheryll, and invited them to the annual wild game dinner. Not only did they enjoy a great meal of bear, venison, rabbit, elk, fish and more, but they were also welcomed with open arms by the members. Before going they received an invitation to come back for worship and they came. They saw the same welcoming congregation at worship and never stopped coming. After going through a Bible information class, they knew Our Redeemer was their church family. Two people loving Jesus, hearing the Word, and enjoying the fellowship of a new church family; all because they were invited for supper.

From Christian Christenson, home missionary at Our Redeemer in Ladysmith, Wis.

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Faces of Faith – Brandi

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On Easter Sunday 2024, several local families brought their children to the waters of baptism. One woman, Brandi, brought her two sons, Ryan and Ryley. Brandi has been working her way through Bible basics class in preparation for her adult confirmation. Here is what she says about our church: “Intown is not just a church, it’s a home for us – with family, unconditional love, and spiritual healing. It’s our safe place when we don’t know where to go. It’s like a life coach who never lets us feel alone. To sum it all up, it’s life, growth, and creation for the better.”

Our connection with Brandi and her family began at a community service event called the Christmas Store. Their family is an example of how compassion ministry and providing physical aid can create loving relationships, which ultimately lead to deep spiritual growth.

Written by Lucas Bitter, home missionary at Intown, Atlanta, Ga.

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Faces of Faith – Joann

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Fairview Lutheran Church tried a new way to connect to its school families. Everything was ready, but when the event began, only current church members were there. Five minutes after the event started, evangelism began. Three minivans with over 20 school family members emptied and overfilled the bingo space. Fairview members quickly set up more tables, distributed snacks, and sat with families to assist some of the younger students who had never played bingo. It was busy, loud, and a bit chaotic. It was also blessed.

One of the school moms, Joann, stayed after the event and with her six children, cleaned up the area and made connections with some of the church ladies. They invited her to come to Fairview’s outdoor worship and picnic the following weekend. Joann and her family not only came to worship but found her way into helping serve the main course and clean up after. Before leaving she scheduled her first Bible information class for the upcoming Tuesday.

Despite having a car out of commission, Joann and family have been coming to worship and sitting up front ever since. The entire family was baptized, and the middle school children are enrolled in youth confirmation class. Joann has recently agreed to be trained and begin making evangelism calls to her fellow school families.

From Paul Steinberg, home missionary at Fairview in Milwaukee, Wis.

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Faces of Faith – Paul and Carmen

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Paul and Carmen are my neighbors and quickly becoming our friends. One morning, on a walk with our kids, we met Paul and his wonderful wife, Carmen, on their front lawn. They welcomed us to the city and asked, “What brought you to Marquette?” We responded, “We moved here to start a church.” His reaction was priceless. The Folgers coffee can in Paul’s hand was thrown to the ground in excitement, “You have no idea how hard we’ve been praying to find a church home! Are you going to be a church that brings us Jesus every Sunday?” I responded, “You can count on it.” Since that time, they have joined our core group and are actively participating in the ministry leading up to our launch. God is moving, there’s no doubt about it. How many other “Paul and Carmen’s” are there in Marquette? We can’t wait to find out.

From Joseph Lindloff, home missionary at Anchor Church in Marquette, Mich.

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Life changing Christian education

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To some, an affordable Christ-centered education is a given. To others, it is an incredible blessing miraculously provided by the work of the Holy Spirit.

Palabra de Vida Lutheran Church in Detroit, Mich., has been serving the community of Springwells in Detroit for over 15 years. And while amazing outreach events like soccer camps, Vacation Bible schools, Easter for Kids programs, and many more help to spread the gospel with new families, the Crossing Bridges program impacts the lives of existing members.

The Crossing Bridges program was established around the promise given to us in Proverbs Chapter 22: “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old, he will not depart from it.” The program aims to do just that, by creating a partnership between Palabra de Vida and two local area schools, Hope Christian Academy (6-12th grade), and Peace Lutheran School, Livonia, Mich. (Pre-K-5th grade). Through this partnership, each year the Crossing Bridges program is able to help provide a Christian education to 10-12 children from Palabra de Vida.

Unlike some public schools, these two schools provide a positive, and most importantly, Christ-centered learning environment, where they can come and learn about Christ’s love every single day. A place where they can not only grow in their faith, but also make life-long Christian friends. Hearing the gospel message everyday doesn’t just impact the kids, but it strengthens the faith of the whole family as well. Children come home from school and share with their parents and siblings the truths of God’s Word that they learned in school that day.

It is truly by the grace of God that a program like this can even be offered in the first place. In a state where there is no school choice program and very little financial aid, private Christian schools just aren’t feasible to most people. That’s why the Crossing Bridges program covers approximately 95% of the students’ tuition. How is the program able to do that? By the Grace of God moving the hearts of his people to generously give money to his kingdom. Every year, the Holy Spirit moves the hearts of people around the country to give towards this mission, which is able to keep a program like this running.

Please keep Palabra de Vida and the Crossing Bridges program in your prayers, as we aim to continue to share the Word of God through Christ-centered education in the Detroit area and train children in the truth.

Written by Mr. Lucas Martin, staff minister at Palabra de Vida and teacher at Hope Christian Academy in Westland, Mich.

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It’s about a lot more than soccer

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For six of the past seven years, Foundation Lutheran Church has been holding a soccer camp each summer on the school grounds where we hold our worship services. Soccer camps are not new. Soccer camps as outreach opportunities are not new.

Our goals are much bigger than soccer. This year, we hit our camp capacity of 60 kids, had over 30 (all local) volunteers, had three days of great weather, filled 1500+ water balloons, and so much more. Our camp teaches soccer skills, but also basic athletic movements, teamwork, sportsmanship, and – most importantly – Jesus. We want every kid to leave every day with the simple truth that God loves them and Jesus saved them.

After six years, we have parents who sign their kids up as soon as registration opens. We have excited and eager kids for our camp. But we don’t want the opportunity with those families to end when camp ends, especially since on average 25% of the families that come don’t have a church home. We want to get to know them and share with them the Good News of a Savior who loves them. That’s why we bribe them with ice cream!

Our last camp session ends on Wednesday morning, but we invite all of the parents to come back with their kids that evening. The kids showcase some skills they learned, play a couple of short games, and then head into the school gym for ice cream. We show our soccer camp video with highlights from the week and encourage parents to watch it and share it from our YouTube page (@foundationlutheranchurch). We sing a song for the parents that we learned at camp. And – most importantly – we share the reason for all that we do: Jesus. We want the parents to hear the Good News that their kids heard that week. We want them to know that God loves them, that Jesus saved them, that there is no baggage too heavy for their Savior to shoulder and no pit he can’t rescue them from. We want to send the kids home singing a song about God’s love for them. We invite them to come back any Sunday.

This year, over 150 kids, parents, grandparents and siblings packed the gym for our “closing ceremony” and ice cream. More than 20 Foundation members came to serve ice cream, mingle with the families, get to know them, and invite them to learn more about Jesus with us. We don’t want the opportunity to end just because soccer camp ended.

Last year, one family came to worship the following Sunday. A few weeks later, the mom invited a friend to come with her. Two months later, they both went through classes to become members. From this one connection, three girls were baptized. God-willing, two of those girls will start Confirmation classes this fall to continue to grow in faith.

That is why we mingle and meet, why we intentionalize inviting these families for a next step.

Because this is about a lot more than soccer.

Written by Rev. Steven Prahl, home missionary at Foundation Lutheran Church in Peyton, Colo.

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Faces of Faith – Sean

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“It was amazing. It was the greatest thing. . . just to know that Jesus still loved me and still cared about me and wanted me to be part of his family again, that meant the world to me.”

Hear more from Sean O’Doherty, member at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Nampa, Idaho, about how the gospel shared with him through a WELS home mission congregation brought him back to his Savior.

Learn more about the WELS 100 Missions in 10 Years initiative at wels100in10.net.

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The impact of fellowship

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As a new mission start, you ought to be focused on outreach, right? Yes, but there’s more to it than that.

In our first few years as a mission, we focused heavily on outreach. We held kids’ events, we organized other events, we piggy-backed off of community events, we canvassed, and I went to just about every community networking event that I could find. And this was good. It was extremely beneficial because we met a lot of people and had opportunities to invite someone to come hear the gospel and even opportunities to share the gospel then and there.

Before I write the rest of this, I want to say that we will continue to keep doing this outreach. It is important.

But, outreach is not the only thing that a mission church should be paying attention too and, as we would come to find out, our in-reach directly impacted our outreach.

Between 2020-2022, Sure Foundation grew relatively fast. Adding roughly 50 people within those years that came from a variety of backgrounds. Some of these additions were WELS transfers (people moving to South Dakota from other places of the country); some of these additions were adult confirmands; and a few of these additions were new births.

This was an amazing blessing and exciting times, especially for a new church. However, there was a struggle that came along with this growth. The core group of people that started this church, that had gotten to know each other really well, didn’t have the same sort of friendships with this mass of new people that had come into the church. What were we to do?

Well, we continued to do outreach, but we started to make a focused effort on in-reach. Lots of fellowship opportunities were offered – many, many potlucks. New members were slowly integrated into volunteering efforts. And do you know what happened? Relationships began to form. People knew each other’s’ names. They had shared experiences and familiarity with each other. The overall vibe (to use young person’s slang) of the congregation improved and prospects/visitors could feel this.

Here’s an example. . . Bob and Virginia started visiting worship sometime in the spring of 2023. Later that Fall, they took our Faith Builders Class and became members. At one point I asked them, what was it about Sure Foundation that they valued? They responded quickly saying two things: 1) they know that what they are receiving on Sundays is the Word of God and they didn’t have to doubt that, and 2) they felt like they were welcomed into a family, that people of this church genuinely enjoyed being together.

That warms a pastor’s heart, but it’s one thing to say that, it’s another thing altogether to mean it. Bob and Virginia meant it. They invited their family to come too. They loved their church and they couldn’t imagine not inviting their loved ones to come and hear the Word of God and experience the fellowship of a body of believers. Their invite led to two teenagers being baptized and two adults being confirmed. Praise be to God!

Their story has taught me something and that is that outreach is important, friendship evangelism is crucial, and also, that the love expressed in fellowship within a congregation has a bigger impact than you may ever realize.

Written by Rev. Craig Wilke, home missionary at Sure Foundation Lutheran Church in Brandon, S.D.

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Flyover country

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When I was assigned to serve in South Dakota back in 2007, the first images that floated through my mind as I sat in the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary gymnasium were from the TV series Little House on the Prairie. Cue the theme song and little Laura Ingalls running through the grasses. That’s where I was about to go . . . somewhere in South Dakota. People came up to me afterward and said, “Oh, you are going to love it there!” Little did they know how much their words were fighting with the stereotype in my head. But, I do love it here! I love serving God’s people here, raising my family here, and reaching the lost here. I love seeing the people he continues to send here from all over the country.

I am blessed to serve on the Dakota-Montana District Mission Board, and when I travel for meetings and visits, I can’t help but stare out the window during take off and landing and think of my old silly stereotype.

Many people consider this district flyover country. How much mission work is there really to do in Montana and the Dakotas? There are rural areas that are losing population. But I have only seen the population of towns and cities grow in my 17 years here, and I don’t see any end to the mission work that needs to be done. What seems like rural America is growing. Families are moving here from all over the country looking for something better. Praise God that he would include the gospel among those better things to be found! Praise God that he would not just fly over “flyover” country, but use his people here to know the names of those living and moving here. There is just as much sin-brokenness and need for the gospel here as anywhere else. People moving here are coming along with the same hurts and burdens that weighed heavily on their hearts while living on either coast. If they were worth reaching there, they are most certainly worth reaching here.

Maybe the biggest difference is that you can see more of the sky while talking with someone about the God who created it for them. You can feel more grass under your feet when you talk with someone about the one who took on human flesh and felt the grass under his feet as he made his way to the cross for them. And you probably hear more wind while the Holy Spirit creates and strengthens faith through the same means of grace that are needed everywhere.

Who knows, maybe you and your family might even consider moving to Montana or the Dakotas to reach these people, too.

We are excited to welcome Joshua Schroeder as our missionary to Kalispell, Mont., this year. Our new mission in Williston, N.D., will begin calling from the field this summer, too.

We are so thankful to be a part of a synod that sees the value in reaching the lost, wherever they may be!

Written by Rev. Mark Schutz, District Mission Board (DMB) chairman of the Dakota-Montana district and pastor at Hope Lutheran Church in Spearfish, S.D. 

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Vicars and graduates assigned to home and world mission fields

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Martin Luther College graduates to world mission fields

  • Borgwardt, Matthias P. – Peridot-Our Savior’s Lutheran School – Grade 6
  • Vilhauer, Jake L. – Lusaka, Zambia – One Africa Team Outreach Missionary

Seminary pastoral assignments to home mission congregations

Six pastoral graduates from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary were assigned to serve WELS home mission congregations.

  • Bitter, Benjamin D. – Peace, Trinity, FL
  • Fury, Clayton J. – New Start, Conway, AR
  • Pankow, Tristan J. – Living Shepherd, Laramie, WY
  • Schroeder, Joshua M. – New Start, Kalispell, MT
  • Steinbrenner, Eli E. – Good Shepherd, Plymouth, WI
  • Ungemach, Jacob D. – New Start, Cincinnati (Oakley), OH

Vicar in a Mission Settings program assignments

29 Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary students were assigned to serve as vicars through the Vicars in a Mission Setting program, and one additional vicar was assigned to serve a WELS World Missions partner in Colombia. The Vicar in a Mission Settings program allows third-year seminary students experience ministry in a mission-minded congregation thanks to financial support from WELS Home Missions and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. *Denotes home mission congregation

  • Backus, Jonah A. – Apostles, Billings, MT
  • Bain, Abel B. – Christ, Denver, CO*
  • Balge, Philip R. – Beautiful Savior, Marietta, GA
  • Boulden, Nathan B. – Amazing Grace, Myrtle Beach, SC*
  • Brauer, Nathaniel A. – Living Savior, Asheville, NC
  • Dimke, Alexander M. – Faith, Anchorage, AK
  • Fix, Jon P. – Beautiful Savior, College Station, TX
  • Fluegge, Eric M. – Immanuel, Findlay, OH
  • Friesenegger, Michael F. – Abiding Grace, Covington, GA
  • Gensemer, Daniel R. – Tree of Life, Cary, NC
  • Heichelbech, Gregory J. – Zion, Denver, CO
  • Helmer, Eric. M – St. Peter, Schofield, WI
  • Lewis, Jacob H. – Trinity, Kiel, WI
  • Lindemann, Kyle D. – Christ Alone – Keller, TX*
  • Loersch, Josiah L. – Light of the Valleys, Reno, NV*
  • Melso, Noah J. – Gethsemane, Omaha, NE
  • Mittelstadt, Josiah S. – Our Savior, San Antonio, TX
  • Neumann, Micah C. – Carbon Valley, Firestone, CO*
  • Nguyen, Minh T. – Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel, Madison, WI*
  • Nordlie, Noah P. – Grace, Sahuarita, AZ*
  • Prins, Ethan D. – Resurrection, Verona, WI
  • Rugen, Matthew A. – Santísima Trinidad, Medellín, Colombia (World)
  • Schroeder, Justin M. – Good News, Mt. Horeb, WI*
  • Schulz, Jonah W. – Sure Foundation, Woodside, NY*
  • Sims, Marcus J. – Hope, Toronto, ON, Canada*
  • Vogt, Noah J. – Abiding Faith, Smyrna, TN
  • Westra, Caleb L. – Foundation, Peyton, CO*
  • Zabell, Jacob D. – Risen Savior, Chula Vista, CA

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Faith beyond four walls

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As a mission congregation with no permanent facility, Peace Lutheran in Gilbert, Ariz., has had to adapt.  We have worshiped in a number of different locations—member’s homes, school cafeterias, classrooms, etc.  In 2022, our Sunday morning services were being held in a high school auditorium.  But that Fall, we were notified that some renovations were going to be taking place and we would have to find another place to hold our services.  Our leadership came up with the idea of setting up a tent on the land we had purchased for our future church home.  The property already had an older barn structure on site.  We poured a concrete pad, extending off of the barn and set the tent up for services, with the barn acting as our “fellowship hall.”  The members instantly loved it!  Despite the fact we had heavy rain the first few Sundays, God’s people gathered around Word and Sacrament.  Despite the fact at times it got windy and chilly, God’s people invited their families and friends.  “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’” (Psalm 122:1).

By the Spring of 2023, the renovations in the high school auditorium had been completed and we moved back inside due the Arizona heat.  However, it didn’t take long before people started to ask, “When are we going back to the tent?”  So in the Fall of 2023, we did just that—we went back to our church home.  And it has been a wonderfully blessed experience!

Over the course of the past two years we have been working on the building project for our permanent church home.  Our building plans have been completed and submitted to the county for approval.  God’s people have been incredibly generous. We’ve raised enough money to put a shovel in the ground.  We are excited to finally have a permanent church home and during this planning process we have decided that we will incorporate outdoor services as a regular part of our Sunday services because people loved them so much.

This entire experience has highlighted for all of us at Peace that church isn’t just a building or a structure. Church is God’s people gathering around his means of grace. Church is God’s people celebrating and sharing the news of Christ’s empty cross and tomb. Church is God’s people proclaiming the forgiveness Jesus brings to souls aching for peace. And that’s something we can do, wherever we are.

“Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9

Written by Rev. Mark Schroeder, home missionary at Peace Lutheran Church in Gilbert, Ariz. 

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A new city, the same gospel

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“Here in Bread of Life: the Church of the Lord, members of his body, by God it was formed. Reunited family, branches of the Vine, reconciled people, declare his love divine.” On November 19th, 2023, over 80 individuals gathered to celebrate the reality of these beautiful words, an English translation from the hymn “Aquí en Pan de Vida” adapted and translated by Pan de Vida’s longtime worship coordinator and staff minister, Amy Reede Nuñez. Pan de Vida Iglesia Luterana in Garden Grove, Calif., celebrated its 20th anniversary on that night with a special worship service followed by a meal and a mariachi band.

All Nations Sunday at King of Kings Lutheran Church.

Although this Spanish outreach mission currently calls Garden Grove its home, most of its rich history occurred about five miles east of its current facility. Pan de Vida launched in Santa Ana, Calif., back in 2003 under the leadership of Pastors Brian Doebler and Chris Schroeder, recent Seminary graduates who did six months of language training in Mexico. English classes and Bible studies blossomed into Spanish worship services, first in the pastors’ homes, then in local elementary schools, and finally in Pan de Vida’s own building that they purchased and renovated in 2008.

In all of these different locations, the Holy Spirit quietly worked through the means of grace as his church proclaimed Christ’s message of reconciliation. Individuals who came to learn English stayed after class to hear about God’s Word, and the Holy Spirit planted and grew faith in their hearts. Families invited their friends, and their friends kept coming back to hear about their heavenly Father’s infinite love for them in Christ. A couple walked across the street from their apartment one Sunday morning to inquire about this new church and kept coming Sunday after Sunday to hear the good news of the gospel. To this day, the highlight of their week is when their pastor comes to their home to feed them with Word and Sacrament, and then they get to feed him with home-cooked food that is way too spicy for him to handle. One of my favorite parts of my first nine months as pastor at Pan de Vida has been getting to hear everyone’s story of how God worked through the faithful proclamation of his Word to connect them to this body of believers. He blessed so many people through the ministry that took place in Santa Ana.

In 2021, due to a number of factors, Pan de Vida had to sell their longtime home. However, God provided for his people once again, this time through the brothers and sisters at King of Kings Lutheran Church in Garden Grove, who graciously opened their facility for Pan de Vida’s use. Although many changes have occurred for Pan de Vida in the last couple of years, the celebration of its 20th anniversary reminded us of one thing that will never change. The same gospel that called, gathered, enlightened, and sanctified this family of believers in Santa Ana is the gospel it continues to proclaim in Garden Grove. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. May the Lord of the Church bless his people as we strive to faithfully carry out his ministry and declare his love divine to those around us.

Written by Rev. Grant Hagen, home missionary at Pan de Vida in Garden Grove, Calif.

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Small in number, mighty in love

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Crosspoint Church  in Georgetown, Tex., has been putting on an Easter Eggstravaganza event for over four years now. Each year it has become bigger and bigger, yet membership has stayed at 40 members. In 2023, the event attracted nearly 1,000 people. Rev. Mike Geiger and the members at Crosspoint were expecting just as big of a turnout, if not bigger, for this year as well. However, being a congregation consisting primarily of retirees, they needed more resources than what they had available to help this event be another successful one. The University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire’s campus ministry was asked if they would be willing to go down to Texas during their spring break. Four students volunteered and spent the week going door-to-door handing out invitations to both the Easter Eggstravaganza event and the Easter Sunday service, doing the heavy lifting of tables, tents, and signage to set up for the event, running different stations at the event, and helping take it all back down at the end of the day to get the church ready for service the next morning.

While Crosspoint may be a small church in number, it is still mighty in love and God’s grace. I don’t think there was one member who didn’t contribute in some way to the event, whether it was helping host the college students, stuffing all 14,000 eggs, setting up the event, lending tables or tents for the event, running the event, or helping take it down. There was so much love and hospitality everywhere you went. While planning and putting on the long-awaited event, the congregation was so full of joy and hope, praying that the Holy Spirit would use it as an opportunity to bring some more people closer to Jesus. After a week full of work by the campus ministry students and months of work by the congregation, the event was finally able to commence.

There were 817 people in attendance at the Easter Eggstravaganza, enjoying the event and learning more about what Crosspoint stood for. On Easter Sunday, four new families joined us. The families had either been at the event the day before or had gotten an invitation during our canvasing earlier in the week. We hope that through the Holy Spirit these people will come back and learn about Jesus, and eventually be led to become members at Crosspoint. May God bless all the work Crosspoint is doing to expand their ministry and grow their congregation in one of the fastest-growing areas of Texas.

Written by Ally Veley, member of In Christ Alone, the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire WELS Campus Ministry.

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Multiple home missions under one roof

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St. John’s Lutheran in St. Paul, Minn., is an old congregation established by German immigrants over 150 years ago. It was the second WELS congregation started in the Twin Cities area. In the 1980s, the neighborhood demographic started to change. Asians and African Americans moved in while Caucasians moved to the suburbs. Throughout the 1990s and in the 2000s, the change continued as Hispanic immigrants moved into the area.

In 2005, St. John’s opened their facility to Immanuel Hmong, a WELS congregation focused on reaching out to the local Hmong community. As the neighborhood around St. John’s changed, so did the congregation. By 2015 the membership had decreased to about 300 souls. Enrollment in the school continued to decline throughout the years. In 2017, St. Johns made the difficult decision to close the school.

Over the next three years, St. Johns considered merging with other area congregations or closing their doors as they could no longer completely support a full-time pastor. Then, in 2020 a member of the church passed away and left a large bequest to the congregation. With the help of District President Rev. Dennis Klatt and Rev. Tim Flunker, Hispanic Outreach Consultant, the members of St. John’s “opened their eyes and looked at the fields” around them and decided to move forward in a new direction. They decided to ask WELS Home Missions for some financial help to call a bilingual pastor with the goal of starting a Hispanic ministry in addition to the English-speaking community.

In spring of 2022, St. John’s installed Rev. Tim Otto to serve as pastor to focus on outreach to the Hispanic community. What a joy to see God answer in a greater fashion than we could ask or imagine: the building now hosts worship in three languages every weekend!

Check out below some of the recent activities happening at St. John’s facility.

Hispanic Services in St. Paul, Minn.

Over the past year, St. John’s has started up Hispanic services and held various local community events under the name of Iglesia Lutherana San Juan.

In September, San Juan had a table at Fiesta Latina. It served to create a prospect list of around 100. The group gave away over 100 Bibles and a lot of flyers advertising their Hispanic ministry. This event was held by CLUES (Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio) at a building next door to the church.

In January, San Juan started an evangelism program to the community called Kicks and Conversations (Patear y Platicar). They invited the community to come out of the cold and to play soccer or basketball in the gym. Attendees could also practice their English on Wednesdays in January and February leading up to Ash Wednesday. There was good participation and attendance from the community varied from 10 to 30 people.

In summer 2023, San Juan started a summer evangelism program partnering with Raices y Ramas, a Hispanic pregnancy counseling organization. The program is called Community Thursdays (Jueves en comunidad) and ran for six weeks over the summer. San Juan opened the gym and volunteers organized and ran crafts for the moms.

For more information on St. John’s/San Juan, please visit their website at stjohnev.net

Celebrating Thanksgiving & Hmong New Year in St. Paul, Minn.

In November each year, the congregation of Immanuel Hmong Lutheran in St. Paul, Minn., welcomes friends and guests to a special Thanksgiving and Hmong New Year celebration. This is a yearly celebration that includes members dressing in traditional Hmong attire. The celebration includes a special worship service followed by dinner that includes many Hmong dishes.

In addition to the annual Thanksgiving and Hmong New Year celebration, Immanuel Hmong also hosted various other activities such as marriage retreats, vacation Bible studies, summer fun festivals, family camping, and many different choirs.

God has truly blessed Immanuel Hmong, and we pray that God would continue to bless this home mission!

For more information on Immanuel Hmong, please visit their website at immanuelhmong.net

Written by Daryl Schultz, Minnesota District Mission Board member.

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Resilient in the face of rejection

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“Christianity is dying.” “Religion is a waste of time and money and energy.” “I will be blocking any further posts from you.”

Our church ran an advertisement on Facebook recently for our Lent sermon series. The quotes above are a sample of replies we got as people scrolled through their feeds and ran into our post. Encouraging, right?

You’ve probably heard similar things. Perhaps no one has said something like this to you when you’ve invited them to church. Usually, people are much more polite if you already have a relationship. But they may have thought it. “Who still cares about that ‘church’ stuff?”

When we see churches all over the country shrinking, and people reacting more and more negatively to our invitations, we can become discouraged. We might even get angry. We’re tempted to lash out at those who disparage our faith, whether online or in person.

But some people responded quite differently to our ad.

“God bless you at all times and all places.” “Thank you.” “Pray for me.”

God’s children, even in an age that seems less and less interested in the gospel, are known through our attitudes of peace, joy, and kindness. Your neighbors see Christ’s love reflected in you, which is a wondrous work of God’s Holy Spirit.

The early Christians faced similar rejection and persecution. Many people accused them of cannibalism (because they were “eating someone’s body and blood” in worship) or of conspiracy and sedition (because they claimed another Lord ruled over them).

Likewise, we may face rejection and scorn for what seems like unfair reasons. But in that, we’re no different than our Lord. “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness”. 1 Peter 2:23-24

I’ve got an appointment on my calendar this week to stop by a new member’s home; someone who’s been ill recently and hasn’t made it to worship in a couple weeks. Their reaction to Christianity? A text that made me smile. “I’m frustrated. I really want to get back to church.”

This is going to sound obvious, but it’s a truth I’ve had to remind myself of more than once during our church’s restart project, “Don’t look for encouragement in discouraging words.” I found myself returning to those negative comments, reading them again and again, as if I expected a reply to suddenly occur to me that would absolutely flip their worldview on its head and convince them of the truth of the gospel. That won’t happen!

Instead, find encouragement among your brothers and sisters in your church. Cling to one another. “The family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings,” so let us “love each other deeply” (1 Peter 5:9 and 4:8). Love like that will stand out today, tomorrow, and always.

Written by Rev. Timothy Walsh, home missionary at Grace of God Lutheran Church in Dix Hills, N.Y.

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Sowing seeds in urban soil

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When you think of church, what pops into your head? I think of my home church building, St. John’s in New Ulm, Minn. I can see the stained-glass windows and large wooden cross up front. I can hear the organ and bells, the singing of hymns, and the subtle crack of the microphone as the pastor proclaims the sermon. I can smell the midweek Lenten supper simmering in the basement. I recall conversing with family and friends in the narthex after the service. It transports me to another world. Maybe you can relate.

Now, imagine you don’t have most of the things in that “other world.” There is no church building. No grand pipe organ blasting “Speak, O Savior; I Am Listening.” No microphones. No midweek Lenten soup. No Sunday morning conversations that last until the lights are shut off, telling you it’s time to go home. Would it still feel like church?

It might not feel like church, but it would be.

We don’t have a traditional church building in Boston or a large music ensemble yet (and one day, I hope we do). But we still have a church. Our church meets in many different places around the city: in libraries, co-working space, coffee shops, restaurants, and homes. We don’t have a large group of people, but we gather together to take in the scriptures, confess sins, recite creeds, and pray the Lord’s prayer. We do gather for fellowship and eat food together, and we share in the Lord’s Supper – just like you do.

It can be challenging for church to always feel like church when planting a new mission congregation. No programs are established and there isn’t a regular meeting on Sunday morning. It’s hard for the members of the congregation as well. Many of them are familiar with growing up in well-established congregations. I ask that you keep us in your prayers as we continue working on planting.

This may all sound a bit pessimistic up to this point, but I promise it’s not meant to feel that way. Why? Because church planting, especially in a city, gives us opportunities to reach many people with the gospel. Some predict that 68 percent of the world will live in urban centers by 2050. That tells me that we must continue to plant churches in urban environments. We have to start somewhere. From a human perspective, if we can work in cities, we can reach more people worldwide.

Church planting efforts, like the one in Boston, may feel small to begin with. At times, they may not feel like church, but they are. Efforts like the one WELS is making in Boston are critical as we seek to see the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth.

I am incredibly grateful for all the prayers and support of the work in Boston. Continue to pray for us and all of our church plants as we attempt to reach many with the good news of Jesus!

Written by Rev. Joshua Koelpin, home missionary in Boston, Mass.

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Registration now open – Taste of Missions 2024

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We are thrilled to announce that registration for Taste of Missions 2024 is now open! Whether you join us in person or virtually, we invite you to be part of this special day as we celebrate the spread of the gospel of Christ throughout the world.

Date: Saturday, June 15, 2024
Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis. OR online!

The day kicks off with a worship service, as we commission new home and world missionaries to their important work. It’s an inspiring occasion that sets the tone for the day ahead. Throughout the rest of the afternoon, you’ll have the opportunity to explore displays, hear missionaries share their stories and answer your questions, and sample ethnic dishes. Bring the entire family to learn about the diverse mission fields where WELS is making a difference and get a glimpse into the lives touched by Jesus.

For those joining us virtually, you can still be part of the experience! Tune in to our livestreamed sessions, including the commissioning worship service and insightful talks from speakers across our home and world mission fields. Plus, we’ll be sharing mouthwatering recipes for you to try at home.

View the full list of activities for the day and register at tasteofmissions.com. Registration is $15 per person, with children 13 and under attending for free. Those attending in person will receive food tickets to sample ethnic cuisine and can purchase additional food from the food trucks. Or attend virtually for free! Sign up today at tasteofmissions.com/register.

We can’t wait to welcome you to Taste of Missions, where together, we’ll celebrate our Savior’s mission and the incredible work being done around the world.

Learn more
Register today!

 




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