100 in 10

Graduates and vicars assigned to home and world mission fields

2025/05/22/in Home Missions, Missions, WELS Blogs

Seminary pastoral assignments to home mission congregations and world mission fields:

Six pastoral graduates from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary were assigned this morning to serve WELS home mission congregations and one to a world mission field:

Bitter, Jacob – Pan de Vida, Garden Grove, Calif. (Hispanic outreach)
Borgwardt, Jacob – Crossroads, Chicago, Ill.
Satorius, Noah – Northdale, Tampa, Fla. (Hispanic outreach)
Satorius, Zachary – World Missionary, One Latin America Team
Schultz, Ethan – Lamb of God (New mission start), Williston, N.D.
Stein, Nathaniel – Christ, Clarksville, Md.
Valdez, Phillip – Abiding Savior, Killeen, Texas

May God bless these men and their families as they transition to their new roles and reach out with the saving gospel message in their new communities! For the full assignment list, visit wisluthsem.org/about-wls/assignment-list/.

Vicar in a Mission Setting program assignments

Twenty-three Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary students were assigned to serve as vicars through the Vicar in a Mission Setting program, and one additional vicar was assigned to serve a WELS World Missions partner in Colombia. *Denotes home mission congregation

Arrowsmith, Adam – Risen Savior, Chula Vista, Calif.
Arstein, Calvin – Good News, Mt. Horeb, Wis.*
Blumer, Ezra – The Way, Fredericksburg, Va.*
Eickhoff, Samuel – St. Peter, Schofield, Wis.
Engel, Samuel – Christ Alone, Keller, Texas*
Escobar, JuanDa – Sure Foundation, Woodside, N.Y.*
Golisch, Nathan – Beautiful Savior, Marietta, Ga.
Gregorius, Zachary – Carbon Valley, Firestone, Colo.*
Guse, Brice – Gethsemane, Omaha, Neb.
Hackbarth, Seth – Zion, Denver, Colo.
Heiman, Alexander – Beautiful Savior, College Station, Texas
Hengst, Caleb – Christ, Denver, Colo.*
Herter, Connor – Tree of Life, Cary, N.C.
Knoll, Cooper – Our Savior, San Antonio, Texas
Landwehr, Jonas – Santísima Trinidad, Medellín, Colombia (World Missions)
Maurice, Collin – Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel, Madison, Wis.
Pederson, Isaiah – Christ the King, Bremerton, Wash.
Schroeder, Cameron – Faith, Sharpsburg, Ga.
Schwartz, Benjamin – Living Savior, Asheville, N.C.
Sievert, Eli – Amazing Grace, Myrtle Beach, S.C.*
Thiel, Zachary – Cornerstone, Bentonville, Ark.*
Vogel, Jack – Resurrection, Verona, Wis.
Wessel, Joseph – Abiding Faith, Smyrna, Tenn.
Winkel, Josiah – Bethel, Sioux Falls, S.D.

The Vicar in a Mission Setting program allows third-year seminary students to experience ministry in a mission-minded congregation thanks to financial support from WELS Home Missions and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. For the full assignment list, visit wisluthsem.org/about-wls/assignment-list/.

Martin Luther College graduate to world mission field

Rieger, Matthew T. – East Fork Lutheran School, Whiteriver, Ariz. – Grades 5-8 Departmentalized Mathematics

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A hospital for sick souls

2025/02/21/in Uncategorized

Dear Friend of Missions,

“We go [to church] because we are sick, and we need healing. And that’s what Christ Alone gives us,” says Jerry.

In this video, hear more from Jerry Laster, a trauma surgeon, who draws a powerful parallel between his work of healing physical wounds and the church’s role as a hospital for sick souls. Learn how he and his wife, Denice, found peace and healing through God’s free grace at Christ Alone Lutheran Church, a WELS home mission congregation in Keller, Texas. They now know that simply by faith they stand in a right relationship with God—all by his grace.

You should have recently received a letter in the mail from Missionary Matthew Rothe sharing how God has blessed WELS with 16 new home mission starts and 18 home mission enhancements since 2023 as part of the 100 Missions in 10 Years initiative. If you haven’t already, be sure to read it to learn more about how WELS equips new church planters and encourages core groups.

The generosity of God’s people provides what is needed to plant new churches and share the changeless gospel with an ever-changing world. Your prayers and support really make a difference! Learn more at wels100in10.net and consider making a gift today. Thank you for your prayers and partnership, and praise God for our churches that are hospitals for sick souls!

In Christ,
Mark Gabb
Administrator, WELS Home Missions

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Faces of Faith – Jerry and Denice

2025/01/15/in Faces of Faith, Home Missions, Missions

“It was like the light bulb came on, and you felt so much more peace when you went to church,” says Denice.

Hear more from Jerry Laster, a trauma surgeon, who draws a powerful parallel between his work of healing physical wounds and the church’s role as a hospital for sick souls. Discover how he and his wife, Denice, found peace and healing through God’s free grace at Christ Alone Lutheran Church, a WELS home mission congregation in Keller, Texas.

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

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Reaching the unreached souls in northern Wisconsin

2024/11/07/in Home Missions, Missions, WELS Blogs

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

2024/10/24/in Home Missions, Missions, WELS Blogs

“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

2024/10/03/in Home Missions, Missions, WELS Blogs

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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Together Video – October 1, 2024

2024/09/30/in Together

A new home mission in the greater Houston area was just approved by the WELS Board for Home Missions. Rev. Nathan Sutton, district mission board chairman for the South Central District, discusses the next steps for the core group and the greater culture of mission-mindedness in the South Central District.

Preparing new home missionaries

2024/09/30/in News, Together

For millennia this has been the prayer of God’s people; any success in our mission efforts comes only because of God’s favor and blessing. Now, in year two of the 100 Missions in 10 Years initiative, we give great thanks to the Lord our God for his many blessings:

With the addition of one new start (Cypress/Waller, Texas) and one enhancement (Barre/Montpelier, Vt.) in September, the Board for Home Missions has approved a total of 16 new missions and 18 enhancements toward the goal of starting 100 new missions and enhancing 75 ministries from 2023–2033.
All ten new mission starts approved in 2023 have a home missionary, and three of the six new mission starts approved in 2024 have a home missionary.
Of those 13 home missionaries, 8 pastors accepted calls from the field to new home missions and 5 Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary graduates were assigned.
New missions in Marquette, Mich.; North Collin County, Texas; and Wichita, Kan., launched weekly Sunday worship in September.
Generous gifts to Home Missions in September will enable Home Missions to approve 10-plus new home missions in 2025.

As Home Missions plants new churches throughout North America, we take great care in preparing new home missionaries. This past August, seven home missionaries and their wives attended the Church Planter Intensive at Carbon Valley Lutheran, Firestone, Colo.

View photos from the Church Planter Intensive in Colorado

I was able to attend the training and see firsthand the blessing it is for new missionaries. They learn not only the essential aspects of church-planting but also the systems and processes that will help prepare them to launch and establish a new mission. By the time the missionary goes home from the Church Planter Intensive, he has a basic ministry plan for the next 18 to 24 months. Each missionary is also paired with a coach, who is a church planter himself. During the next two years, the coach and missionary meet monthly. The coach helps the missionary troubleshoot issues and challenges that arise and provides encouragement and accountability.

The Church Planter Intensive and coaching program have been well received by many home missionaries. I give great thanks for the many experienced missionaries who have helped make the program what it is today.

In the end, why do we do all this? “Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all” (2 Corinthians 5:14). As a result of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have peace that the world is seeking but is only found through Christ. Through the work of our home mission congregations, more people are finding this peace as we see the Lord blessing our efforts. We thank God for this. As we continue our work together as a synod, our prayer continues, “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.”

Rev. Mark Gabb, administrator, WELS Home Missions

WELS 100 missions in 10 years

“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.”

The 100 Missions in 10 Years effort is all about sharing the kind of peace that only Christ offers. Sean O’Doherty found that peace at Cross of Christ, a home mission congregation in Nampa, Idaho.

Three home missions launch weekly worship

2024/09/30/in News, Together

Three home missions launched weekly worship services in September: Divine Savior—North Collin County, Celina, Texas; Anchor Church, Marquette, Mich.; and Victory, Wichita, Kan.

“A grand opening is important in the life of a mission church because it signals that from here on out you are fully operational for worship,” says Rev. Joseph Lindloff, home missionary at Anchor Church. “It’s like the gun going off at the beginning of a marathon. It signals that we can now get to work reaching one soul at a time as a full-fledged church, bringing people regularly into the house of God and before the means of grace. What a joy that we get to do this work, joining Jesus on his mission!”

Divine Savior—North Collin County, Celina, Texas: Seventy-one people attended the launch service on Sept. 8. Divine Savior’s core group has been meeting for planning and Bible studies since 2021; it was approved as a mission site in 2023. Celina, a northern suburb of Dallas, is the fastest growing city in the United States.

Following the launch service, the real work begins, says Rev. Caleb King, home missionary at Divine Savior—North Collin County. “The reality is we’re a church of about 25 adults and a handful of children. We could sit and ‘play church’ and think that we made it, or we can recognize that the launch was a great milestone but not the mountain peak. The next step, then, is to continue to engage people one by one with the gospel so that they can know the Savior who changes their life; to care for individual souls in ways that the rest of the world doesn’t.”

Anchor Church, Marquette, Mich.: On Sept. 15, 75 people (including 20 visitors) attended the grand opening under the theme “Hope in Christ, Firm and Secure.” Approved as a mission site in 2023, Anchor Church has a 24/7 ministry space in downtown Marquette where it hosts community service events, Bible studies, youth ministry, and now weekly worship.

Lindloff says that the community has been welcoming to the concept of a new church: “We are right where we need to be, downtown in the heart of Marquette, serving it spiritually and physically.”

Victory, Wichita, Kan.: Started as a home mission in 2022 as part of a multisite effort for Messiah, Wichita, Kan., Victory launched worship at its second location on Sept. 15, with a full day’s worth of events. More than 100 people attended, including 15 first-time visitors.

While the festivities and food were a hit, the message is what made an impact. Rev. Jacob Jenswold, Victory’s home missionary, shares this reaction from a visitor who hadn’t been in church for months and had never been in a conservative Lutheran church. “He told me, ‘This felt different. The service felt more focused, like everything came back to God’s words for me. I like that. I want to come back for that.’ We will see if he comes back for that, but that’s what we are going for! Jesus for you!”

All three missionaries are thankful for the continued support of Home Missions and WELS members. “Our mission’s work and ministry wouldn’t be possible without you,” says King. “You may never meet a person that is impacted by the work you support. But you will meet them in heaven someday. . . . Keep us in your prayers as we hold on to God’s promises in his Word.”

WELS is committed to starting 100 new missions in the next 10 years. Learn more about this initiative at wels100in10.net.

Tuning up before taking off

2024/09/26/in Home Missions, Missions, WELS Blogs

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

2024/09/19/in Home Missions, Missions, WELS Blogs

“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

2024/08/27/in Home Missions, Missions

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!

Home Missionary Joe LindloffAnchor Lutheran Church - Marquette, Mich.

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.

Home Missionary Josh KoelpinHarbor Lutheran Church - Boston, Mass.

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.

Home Missionary Caleb KingDivine Savior Lutheran Church - North Collin County, Tex.

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Why 100 Missions in 10 Years?

2024/08/19/in Home Missions

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

2024/08/15/in Home Missions, Missions, WELS Blogs

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 – Sean

2024/07/10/in Faces of Faith, Home Missions, Missions

“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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Flyover country

2024/06/13/in Home Missions, Missions, WELS Blogs

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

2024/05/23/in Home Missions, Missions, WELS Blogs

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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WELS Home Missions approves new missions and enhancements

2024/04/23/in Together

On April 18–19, WELS Board for Home Missions approved 12 new missions and enhancements for the synodwide 100 Missions in 10 Years initiative.

“We’re seeing a large increase in interest rates, and land, building, and health insurance costs that impact budgets for our current and future missions,” says Rev. Mark Gabb, Home Missions administrator. “As we considered new ministry requests this year, we worked hard to find balance between trusting God to do immeasurably more than we can imagine and not putting God to the test as we aim to wisely manage the dollars God’s people have given to WELS and Home Missions. Our goal remains the same: to aggressively go after the lost with the gospel.”

In the end, Home Missions approved five new starts and seven enhancements with the possibility of approving more in September. The five new mission starts include:

Bend, Ore.: Bend was identified in 2020 as the second-fastest growing city in the U.S. A core group of eight families has been gathering twice a month for Bible study and planning as it plants a church in an area where 62 percent of people are not involved with any religious community.

Cedar Lake, Ind.: Members from Trinity and Zion in Crete, Ill., have formed a core group to plant a new mission in nearby Cedar Lake. This area of northwest Indiana is growing rapidly as Chicago commuters look for cheaper alternatives to living in Illinois.

Conway, Ark. (pictured): Conway is a growing college town in the northwest of Little Rock with no WELS presence. A group of 19 WELS members has been gathering at a local hotel on Sundays for worship and Bible study with a part-time retired pastor and getting involved in the community as it prepares to launch a brand-new church.

Easley, S.C.: Since 2016, Abiding Peace, Simpsonville, S.C., has been exploring the option of starting a second site in the greater Greenville area that includes Easley and Powdersville. Abiding Peace is currently offering worship and Bible study and getting involved in community events from a leased home base in Easley as it evaluates where a future, permanent site might be established with a new missionary.

Williston, N.D.: The core group in Williston has been gathering for 15 years, now under the name Lamb of God Lutheran Church. It rents a full-time ministry center where members conduct outreach and worship online with the WELS church in Bismarck, N.D. Members look forward to reaching out with the gospel with a full-time missionary at the helm.

The Board for Home Missions is also financially supporting ministry enhancements for Calvary, Dallas, Texas; Crossroads, Chicago, Ill. (restart); Faith, Prior Lake, Minn.; Good Shepherd, Plymouth, Wis.; Northdale, Tampa, Fla.; St. Marcus, Milwaukee, Wis.; and St. Paul, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Learn more about these new missions and ministry enhancements at wels100in10.net.

Together Video Update – April 23, 2024

2024/04/23/in Home Missions, Missions, Together

Rev. Joshua Koelpin was assigned to start a home mission in Boston, Mass., as a new graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary last May. Hear how he and his wife, Katelyn, have approached this first year of planting a new church in a large urban area. Also learn about some of the supports that WELS Home Missions provides to new missionaries and their families along the way.

Read more about Missionary Koelpin’s ministry in Boston by clicking on the links to two Missions blogs below:

Athens of America

Sowing seeds in urban soil

Spring 2024 Home Missions’ milestones

2024/04/02/in Home Missions, Missions, Together

A number of home mission congregations have experienced major milestones so far in 2024.

Refuge Church, Durham, N.C.

Rev. Doug Lange was called to plant a new home mission church in Durham, N.C., in 2021. The June 2023 WELS Connection showed Refuge in the early stages of development where the core group began to plan its ministry and look for opportunities to share Jesus with the community. Through many prayers, extensive planning, and outreach, God blessed the efforts, and Refuge launched public worship on Jan. 21 at a coworking space in downtown Durham.

New mission start, Idaho Falls, Idaho

On Sat., Feb. 10, Rev. Paul Krueger was installed as the home missionary for a new mission start in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Members of the core group traveled to Cross of Christ in Boise to participate in the installation service. This new mission was one of the first new missions approved as part of the 100 Missions in 10 Years initiative.

CrossView, Windsor, Colo.

On March 3, CrossView Church in Windsor, Colo., launched its public worship. This home mission plant was approved in 2022 and welcomed more than 85 guests to its opening worship service.

Home Missionary Stephen Koelpin arrived in January 2023 to work with the core group and prepare for the official launch. CrossView received a donated trailer from a home mission church in Arizona and items for its portable church from the nearby home mission church in Castle Rock, Colo. After renting a local elementary school to host worship, the group held four preview services starting in January 2024 in preparation for the launch. Learn more about what the core group in Windsor did to prepare to start its church in this special video: wels100in10.net/lightindarkness.

Living Hope, Chattanooga, Tenn.

On March 24, Living Hope in Chattanooga, Tenn., celebrated the grand reopening of its newly renovated facility. Living Hope began as a new home mission in May 2017 and has worshiped in a movie theater, hotel conference room, and a university campus church since then. Thanks to over $350,000 in matching land and facility grants and a loan from WELS Church Extension Fund, the congregation purchased its current facility in December 2021. Now, the newly renovated space is complete and equipped to serve the congregation and community.

New start and enhancement requests received

WELS Home Missions has received requests to start 16 new home mission churches and support 17 enhancements at existing congregations across North America.

Each request will be thoroughly reviewed by a dedicated team of Board for Home Missions (BHM) members. The entire BHM will meet April 18-19 to review and evaluate the requests. The approved requests will be the second round of home mission churches approved toward the synod’s goal of starting 100 new missions and enhancing 75 existing ministries in the next 10 years.

Learn more about the first year of approvals and how you can get involved at wels100in10.net.

Resilient in the face of rejection

2024/03/28/in Home Missions, Missions, WELS Blogs

“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 Chu rch in Dix Hills, N.Y.

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Sowing seeds in urban soil

2024/03/21/in Home Missions, Missions, WELS Blogs

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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Continue the momentum

2024/03/19/in Uncategorized

Dear Friend of Missions,

If you received my letter this past week, you know that, as we aim to open 100 new home missions and enhance 75 existing missions over ten years, I’m encouraging us to keep in mind that “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” We thank God that the “race” has started well with 20 new mission starts and enhancements approved in year one!

We know we need to keep going to reach more of the lost and we want to equip our missions to thrive, not just survive. Yet, some might ask, “Is it worth the cost?” The answer is a resounding “Yes!” “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). As we consider our riches because of the cross and empty tomb, how can we not share Jesus with those who are still poor?

Our district mission boards have submitted 16 new starts and 17 enhancement requests for review at next month’s Board for Home Missions meetings. The financial cost to support these requests is not small, but it’s worth it realizing we’re sending missionaries out with the powerful gospel that changes hearts, just like it changed yours and mine. Will you prayerfully consider giving to support this 100 Missions in 10 Years initiative?

While there is still much work to be done, by God’s grace, we have started strong and, God willing, will continue this momentum in the years ahead.

In Christ’s service,
Mark Gabb
Administrator, WELS Home Missions

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A strong start!

2024/02/29/in Uncategorized

Dear Friend of Missions,

Twenty new home mission starts and enhancements were approved in 2023—praise God! Thank you for your prayers and offerings that have helped us start strong! We know the incredible things God will do through each congregation gathered around and proclaiming his salvation from sin through Jesus. Realizing this is a marathon and not a sprint, we now want to maintain a good pace as we continue the race to reach more of the lost and equip our missions to thrive.

We do this through district mission boards, which support existing home missions and work with local congregations to identify where to plant new churches throughout their district. This volunteer group of two to four pastors and two to four laymen builds a solid foundation for each new mission, shepherding these churches and their pastors on their path from mission status to self-supporting congregations. The district mission boards are preparing a new round of mission start and enhancement requests for the Board for Home Missions to review at their April meeting.

We are confident in God’s grace and the Holy Spirit’s power to continue to fuel our efforts for this marathon. Knowing there is a cost to running this race, would you consider a gift to help with the marathon ahead? We continue to pray that God would bless the efforts of the missionaries already on location and give patience to the groups of mission-minded believers waiting for their first shepherd so that in the end, more people see their desperate need for salvation and come believe the wonderful message of forgiveness and salvation through Christ alone.

Watch your mailbox for more information about this exciting initiative. And let’s remember this is a marathon, not a sprint.

Serving him,
Mark Gabb
Administrator, WELS Home Missions

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Together Video Update – February 13, 2024

2024/02/13/in Home Missions, Missions, Together

Rev. Joseph Lindloff and his family moved to Marquette, Mich., in September 2023 after he accepted the call to plant a new home mission in the Upper Peninsula community. He’s been working to plant the seeds of the gospel there for nearly six months. In today’s Together video, he shares an update on the blessings of the ministry—and reveals the name for the new church. This new mission is just one of the new mission starts that are part of the WELS 100 in 10 initiative, which aims to start 100 new home missions in 10 years.

Athens of America

2023/11/02/in Missions, WELS Blogs, World Missions

My wife and I were walking in the Boston Logan Airport after returning from a trip and on the wall there was a timeline of many Boston and greater-Boston area inventions. There was a picture of the first disposable blade razor put out by Gillette, a picture of the first microwave oven, a picture of Mark Zuckerberg in his Harvard dorm room inventing Facebook, and those are just a few of many others. Why do you think the city of Boston chose that exhibit to go on the wall of their airport? I wasn’t sitting in on the meetings that decided it, but I would guess it is because Boston is proud of their many inventions. They want you to know, before you have even stepped out of the airport, that Boston is a city of great minds, inventions, and innovation.

What does this have to do with starting a church in Boston? That’s a good question. I think there are several facts about our mission that do make it innovative or different than other settings. For one, WELS has never had a church in Boston. Secondly, seventy-five percent of the people who gathered in our house for Bible study last week don’t own a car. Finally, my wife and I live in the most densely populated city in all New England. Maybe that makes this mission start “innovative.” But the more I thought about it, and the more time you’d spend here, you’d realize that we really aren’t that innovative.

What does your normal day look like? This question is asked all the time, and for good reason; people want to know what it is like starting a mission church in a big city. Again, in so many ways, it isn’t all that inventive. My wife and I find different ways to get involved in the community and meet people, we spend time with people over food, and we grow with them in our love for our community and Savior. We study the Word, we pray for each other, and the Holy Spirit continually uses that Word to work faith in people’s hearts one by one. Do we have to be innovative with how we meet people? Sure. Will we have to be innovative with finding space to have worship when we are ready for that? Probably! But our tools for doing church planting are the same tools that have always been used for church planting – the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I’m not sure the first word you would use to describe our small mission church at this time is innovative or inventive. Yes, we have creative people and come up with new ways to reach the community, but our foundation is rooted in the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17). Thanks be to God for this opportunity to share the gospel to the many people of Boston! All involved on starting the church in Boston ask for your continued prayers as we continue to love God and love our neighbor in this great city.

Written by Rev. Joshua Koelpin, home missionary at the new start mission in Boston, Mass.

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How’s it going?

2023/09/21/in Home Missions, Missions, WELS Blogs

“How’s it going?” Many have asked me that question lately. That likely doesn’t surprise you, because it is such a common, generic greeting employed by many of us. Often, we don’t even expect a real answer. The people who have asked me do want a real answer. They ask for a specific purpose. They know I have experienced a big change – the ministry I serve has experienced a big change. They finish the question like this, “How’s it going working with another pastor?”

In March of 2023, Divine Savior Church – Sienna submitted a request through our district mission board to the Board for Home Missions for an enhancement grant – financial support to allow our church to call for a second pastor. Under God’s careful watch and blessing, the Board for Home Missions granted that request. Our leadership crafted a clear job description for a Pastor of Discipleship, then moved quickly to extend call number one. We knew it was a strong possibility we would need to extend call number two, and three, four, five, maybe more, but God had other plans. Our faithful God worked through that process, Rev. Dan Laitinen was the first pastor we called and he accepted the call. He moved with his family to Sienna in July 2023, and we celebrated his installation on July 30 with worship and a massive serving of Texas-smoked pulled pork.

That celebration kicked off a massive change, both for me and for our ministry. Honestly, I was nervous. How well would we get along? Would I be a good teammate? What information is the most important to share immediately?

So. . . how’s it going? I’m learning how to better communicate, and let go, and many other ways in which I can grow as a pastor. I struggled at first to remember to say, “I’m one of the pastors here.” Yet, all of that puts too much emphasis on myself and Pastor Dan, we are under shepherds. I want to put the emphasis on Jesus, the great Shepherd, and his mission to reach more for his flock.

How’s that going? Incredibly!

As we partner with Divine Savior Academy on our campus, there are so many opportunities for ministry. This year, the school has grown to 350 students in PreK – 11th grade. We anticipate more students next year with the completion of a building project. So much ministry can happen! While I serve 10th graders and teach the Old Testament, Pastor Dan can study the Bible with Kenneth, our security officer, and Keith, our technology specialist, progressing towards membership at Divine Savior Church. While Pastor Dan invites them to his home to encourage and equip Connect Group leaders for our small group ministry, I am the invited guest at the homes of academy parents like Jake and Amanda or Will and Jordan, who take our START class to becomes members. While I take time to engage and interact specifically with worship visitors and guests, Pastor Dan leads a Sunday morning small group study. While Pastor Dan works with our youth group leaders to plan consistent events to connect teens to Christ, I work with the Outreach team to plan our Soccer Camp and Easter Egg Hunt.

How’s it going? Thanks for asking! I have a real answer to give: More kingdom work is happening. More people are equipped to serve in our mission. More souls are connected to Christ!

Written by Rev. Kevin Boushek, home missionary at Divine Savior Church in Sienna, Texas.

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Board for Home Missions approves tenth new mission start for 2023

2023/09/19/in Together

Last week the Board for Home Missions met for its fall meetings and approved one new start and four enhancement requests. This brings the total new mission starts this year to 10 (not to mention the approved enhancements), which is on pace with our synod’s goal of starting 100 new mission churches and enhancing 75 existing ministries from 2023-2033.

Buffalo, Wyo. (new start): A group of 27 WELS members living in the Buffalo area have been worshiping weekly in the local civic center since March 2020, led by the pastor from Lord of Lords in Casper, Wyo.
Mount Calvary, Redding/Anderson, Calif. (enhancement): Home Missions is providing financial support for Mount Calvary, a multi-site ministry, to call a staff minister to assist with evangelism and youth/family ministry at the Anderson site.
Christ the King, Palm Coast, Fla. (enhancement): Christ the King will receive short-term Home Missions support to call a campus pastor to reach out to the 125 students with no church home at their growing Christ the King Academy.
Hope, Deerfield, Wis. (unsubsidized): Hope in Deerfield began outreach and worship in fall 2021. Unsubsidized mission status gives them access to grants from Home Missions and WELS Church Extension Fund (WELS CEF) as well as support from their district mission board and mission counselor.
Cross of Christ, Las Cruces, N.M. (unsubsidized): Cross of Christ started in a member’s home 11 years ago. The congregation has 73 members and owns land along a major access road where most of the city’s new development is taking place and where hundreds of young families are moving.

As district mission boards and mission counselors are looking for new places to start churches and enhance ministries, WELS members have responded to help support this gospel outreach goal with their offerings. Since starting this initiative, more than 1,500 members have contributed more than $1.7 million to help launch new home missions. Thanks be to God! Thank you to all those who have contributed toward this effort of boldly taking the gospel to people in new locations throughout the country.

Learn more about these new starts and enhancements and read updates from home missions that were approved in spring at wels100in10.net.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

Brats and building bridges for Jesus!

2023/08/03/in Home Missions, Missions, WELS Blogs

Sometimes you just need to be creative.

The core group for a new mission start in Kronenwetter, Wis., was looking for a way to both get the word out that a new church was coming to this growing community, and to begin building a prospect list for sharing the gospel. We knew that there was going to be a community garage sale weekend in mid-summer. This meant there would be a lot of residents moving around the village eager to find bargains and hidden treasures at the nearly 100 garage sales that would be taking place in our target area. They were going to get hungry during the day, and of course some of them would need to go to the bathroom.

The core group got creative and saw a golden opportunity! In this part of our country, folks love their bratwurst as much, if not more, than they do their Green Bay Packers. So, it was decided to hold a free brat fry. We would also use this opportunity to open the doors of Northland Lutheran High School, where the mission will eventually begin, to allow garage sale shoppers to use the facilities and become familiar with the building and the ministry it does.

On the day of the brat fry, the Lord blessed us with perfect weather. A good number of residents stopped by to take us up on the offer of free brats and hot dogs and to use the Northland High School’s bathrooms. That got them in the door. The banner by the food table proclaimed that a new mission church was coming. This accomplished our exact goal, as questions were asked and comments were made, resulting in natural and easy conversations about our intentions. Most of the people who came wanted to give us free will donations.

While we thanked them for their thoughtfulness and politely refused their money, we asked them instead to fill out a 60-Second Survey. We told them that their opinions were valuable because we wanted our mission church to meet the needs of people living in Kronenwetter. If they wanted to be put on our mailing list for regular updates on how the mission was progressing, they could give us their name and address. Twenty-eight surveys were completed, and nine families are now on the prospect list. It’s a start!

I had the opportunity to meet (and eat with!) a young couple blessed with a four year old daughter. Not long ago they moved to Kronenwetter, they told me that they had Lutheran backgrounds from where they used to live but had not found a new church home. They were concerned because their daughter had not been baptized yet, and now she was starting to ask questions about God. It was obvious to me that they were feeling guilt for not doing a better job of Christian parenting. It was a joy to share with them the good news about forgiveness in Jesus, and to let them know I would gladly work with them to have their daughter baptized and that it wouldn’t cost them anything. I also told them they could bring their daughter to my church’s Sunday School starting this fall. They were thrilled to know that a church was coming soon to help them all grow in God’s Word and love on their journey to eternal life in heaven.

As the core group was cleaning up at the end of the day, the consensus was clear. Even if the only result of the brat fry was this little girl’s baptism, our efforts were more than worth it. But we are confident of God’s blessings and we praise and thank him for letting us use brats and bathrooms to build bridges for sharing Jesus!

Written by Rev. Jeff Mahnke, pastor at St. Peter Lutheran in Schofield, Wis., and chairman of the Western Wisconsin District Mission Board.

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Reaching one soul at a time

2023/08/03/in Home Missions, Missions, Together

On Wednesday morning, Rev. Mark Gabb, chairman of the WELS Board for Home Missions, gave an update on the 100 missions in 10 years initiative, which was passed at the 2021 synod convention. The initiative, which began this year, involves planting 100 home mission churches and enhancing 75 ministries over the next 10 years.

In March 2023, the Board for Home Missions approved the first set of 15 new home mission starts and enhancements. Gabb shared updates about each during his presentation.

Gabb also addressed a common question about the initiative. “One of the biggest questions I’ve heard is, ‘How can we do this with so many [pastoral] vacancies?’ That’s a fair question,” he said. He then spoke about the Great Commission that Christ has given us to go and make disciples, while faithfully and wisely using the resources he has given us for both outreach and nurture. “It comes down to reaching the lost,” Gabb continued. “It’s still about one Savior, one mission, one synod, one soul at a time.”

Gabb pointed delegates to wels100in10.net for updates and encouraged them to pray, get involved, and continue to support the work with their offerings. He concluded, “Trust God’s promises. . . . God will bless us immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine.”

In its report, the Home Missions floor committee noted: “Our committee would like to underscore our support of the 100 missions in 10 years initiative adopted at the last convention in pursuit of the Great Commission. . . . This initiative gives us the opportunity to establish more footholds of gospel proclamation where the harvest is increasingly plentiful.”

On Wednesday evening, delegates heard ministry updates from three WELS home missionaries.

Paul Biedenbender is pastor at Christ, a bilingual congregation reaching out to its culturally diverse neighborhood in the middle of Denver, Colo. Christ serves and meets people from all over the world. Biedenbender showed a photo of a hallway at Christ, which displays the flags of the 12 nations represented in its congregation. In cooperation with local nonprofits providing for the community’s physical needs, the church has established itself in the neighborhood as a place people can go for their spiritual needs. Biedenbender shared multiple stories of God’s hand at work at Christ as entire families have come to be baptized into God’s family.
David Koelpin, Foundation, Folsom, Calif., shared photos of Foundation’s unique approach to worship. Because Foundation began worshiping during the pandemic in 2019, members worshiped outdoors at community parks due to necessity. They soon found that their flexible, creative, and welcoming approach has made them known in the community as “the church that worships in the park.” They have continued to worship outside, providing a natural community awareness. Foundation members are also challenged to make new friends so they can invite those new friends to church—tapping into the strength of one-on-one evangelism.
Timothy Spiegelberg, pastor at Carbon Valley, Firestone, Colo., reported that the congregation is in an area of extreme population growth. Since members knew that they wanted to be proactively in the path of that growth, they purchased and repurposed an existing building into a versatile ministry center that could serve the community, with the goal of having people in their building at all times. Carbon Valley’s motto of “Connecting Christ . . . Connecting Community” places a heavy emphasis on building personal relationships as a way to reach out with the gospel.

Mr. Joseph Purcell, a lay delegate from St. Paul’s, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, was inspired by the success stories being shared by WELS home missionaries in new locations. “Consistently all of them are considering what their community needs and asking how they can best serve them,” he said. “I think if we can keep following that model, doing 100 mission congregations in 10 years is realistic.”

Learn more about WELS Home Missions.

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