About
Can you remember who encouraged you to be a teacher? Most likely, it was another teacher who spoke an encouraging word to you at just the right moment. Ministry Recruitment Counselors exist to support you as you encourage the future called workers that learn in your classroom.
Common Questions
Can my encouragement really make a difference?
Most teachers can name the educator who made a lasting impression on them. That same influence lives in your classroom. Students who feel seen by a teacher are far more likely to consider a life of service themselves.
Teachers are in a unique position because they spend so much time with their students. They see their interests and gifts first-hand. Who better to encourage a young person to consider ministry? Who better to articulate how those gifts can be used for public ministry?
What can I say to a student I think has gifts for ministry?
Be specific: “I love how you explain things to your classmates. Have you ever thought about teaching or ministry?” or “You have a beautiful singing voice. You should sing for church sometime!” Specificity is what makes encouragement stick.
Do students need to attend Martin Luther College to become a WELS teacher?
MLC is the most direct path, but students with an existing teaching degree can still pursue certification by completing additional coursework in biblical history, doctrine, and Lutheran teachings.
Can students choose their grade level or location?
WELS places teachers through a collaborative process involving District Presidents and MLC professors, considering candidates’ interests, regional preferences, and extracurricular skills, though flexibility is part of the calling.
How do I communicate the real rewards of teaching in a WELS school versus public school?
The ability to speak openly about Jesus in the classroom, especially in moments of struggle, is something public school teachers can’t do. Teachers also grow personally in faith through daily time in God’s Word with their students.
How do I communicate honestly the challenges of teaching?
Classroom management, work-life balance, and the emotional weight of deeply caring for students are real challenges. But the front-row seat to students’ faith development makes it meaningful.
How can I connect students with more information?
Spiritual gift surveys, links to MLC, and connections to Ministry Recruitment Counselors are all available and a recruiter can visit your school or classroom upon request.
Done-For-You Resources
Web Quest
Guide students through an online exploration of Martin Luther College’s website including the school’s purpose, paths, and student reflections.
Bible Quest
Connect students to the scriptural foundations of full-time ministry through an interactive Bible-based activity.
Secret Mission Activity
Encourage awareness of God-given gifts through fun puzzles and challenges.
Letter Writing Activity
Invite students to personally connect with a pastor or teacher through a simple letter-writing assignment.
Interview Your Pastor
Give students a structured opportunity to hear firsthand what life in ministry looks like from their own pastor.
Recruitment Devotions for Kindergarten & Primary Grades
Use simple object lessons like a race, a traffic light, feet, and a flashlight to connect familiar experiences to Jesus’ command to go into all the world.
Recruitment Devotions for Middle Grades
Challenge students to see themselves as active participants in spreading God’s Word by exploring what it means to speak, build, and teach for Christ.
Recruitment Devotions for Upper Grades
Encourage older students to seriously consider full-time ministry by exploring what it means to be chosen by God, to share Law and Gospel, and to serve as his ambassadors.
Contact the Team
Whether you’d like to request a recruitment visit to your congregation or you’d simply like to ask for prayers for a candidate you know, our Ministry Recruitment Counselors are ready to hear from you.