If WELS were to lose tens of thousands of members, that affects our ability to send out missionaries both stateside and around the world. If WELS closes hundreds of churches, that has massive implications for our worker training system,

To turn around the statistical decline, we need to open the front door and shut the back door.

Consider that currently our back-door losses are around 8,000 souls per year. Our current communicant member to adult confirmation ratio is 83 to 1.

In one generation, we could grow by 3% if back-door losses were cut by 20% and if adult confirmations are 55:1.

In one generation, we could grow by 14% if back-door losses were cut by 33% and if adult confirmations were 45:1.

Read the “For the Generations to Come” casebook.

Congregational Services featured videos

Congregational Services programs

Visit the Congregational Services resource site for free tools and training resources available for all WELS congregations.

Congregational Services news

Together Video Update – March 14, 2023

Mr. Kurt Rosenbaum, principal of Arizona Lutheran Academy,…

Further evidence of changing times

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Help challenged churches plan for their future

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OWLS joyfully gather for its annual conference

The Organization of WELS Lutheran Seniors (OWLS) met at the Stoney…

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Join others to learn: Are you mentor material?

WELS Prison Ministry recently completed our first online training…

Decades of service . . . after reaching retirement age

This past summer, Elisabeth Newell, one of our faithful test…

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Ideas and resources for compassion ministry

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Congregational Services ministries

For the Generations to Come

Help support the development of congregational resources that will help WELS congregations reach new members and retain current members.