Strengthening WELS’ backbone
The synod’s recently adopted long-range strategic plan, entitled “Christ through us,” establishes four main priorities for the next ten years. Those priorities are
- cultivating a gospel-driven culture,
- strengthening WELS’ backbone in congregations,
- bringing Christ to the nations as our commission, and
- living up to our calling to produce workers for a growing harvest field.
In this issue of Together, we focus on the second priority: strengthening WELS’ backbone in congregations.
Your congregation is a part of the vital foundation that supports our shared gospel ministry efforts. WELS congregations are where the light and truth of God’s saving gospel is proclaimed to members and where God’s truth is shared with people in the community. And, just as important, through their mission offerings, congregations support the proclamation of the gospel around the world and in newly planted congregations in the United States and Canada. Congregations are also places where members identify and encourage young people to consider preparing for a lifetime of service in the public ministry.
For all these things to happen, we need to encourage WELS members to be actively and personally engaged in the life and work of their congregation. Our goal is to better equip all members to embrace their God-given role in Christ’s mission. Members will be encouraged to view their friends and neighbors as their personal mission field and their homes as places where children are led by parents to know and serve their Savior. To succeed in equipping our lay members to carry out these tasks, we intend to provide congregations with the necessary resources to enable all members to serve their Savior and his mission joyfully and confidently according to their gifts and talents.
Beyond encouraging WELS members in our congregations, our goal is to continue to help congregations enhance their ministry efforts. That can happen in a number of ways. Maybe a congregation in a changing setting can adjust its ministry plans to reach people more effectively. Perhaps a congregation can re-evaluate the mission and sustainability of its elementary schools and early childhood ministries. Some congregations will explore collaboration or even merger with other congregations to expand efforts to reach more people with the gospel.
And, of course, when we talk about congregations, we also refer to the new home mission congregations that God will enable us to plant. One of the key strategic elements of our mission planting will be to prioritize starting new congregations—outposts for gospel proclamation—in places where our confessional Lutheran voice is not yet present. Read more about the seven new home missions that were recently approved.
But mission efforts really begin in the home as the first mission field. We recognize that the high school and college years are when many of our young members are tempted to drift away from congregational life and worship. The more that parents lay a firm foundation of faith in the home, the more our young adults will stay connected to the Savior, to worship, and to their congregations.
It all starts in the home with faithful, God-fearing parents. It continues in the congregation as the gospel works in people to strengthen their faith. And then, as we work together to take the saving message to more people in new places, God will work through us to build his church.
The “Christ through us” plan depends on all of us. We encourage you to read more about the plan—and how you can be part of it—at christthroughus.net.
Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder
