Tag Archive for: Called to Serve 2018

Congregational Services

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WELS Congregational Services, which encompasses the work of the Commissions on Congregational Counseling, Adult Discipleship, Youth and Family Ministry, Worship, Evangelism, Special Ministries, and Lutheran Schools, has put together a five-year plan to direct its work. The plan addresses current demographic challenges facing many WELS congregations. Plans include:  

Creating a present-day mission emphasis—The Commission on Evangelism is developing a comprehensive evangelism curriculum that congregations can use to offer annual evangelism training and encouragement. 

Better capitalizing on WELS’ historic strengths—WELS’ school system, its compassion ministries, and gospel-centered worship are known strengths of our church body, so Congregational Services is working to strengthen these areas and promote them in our communities and to our congregations. 

Focusing on closing the “back door”—The Commissions on Adult Discipleship and Youth and Family Ministry in particular want to help churches address delinquency quickly, revitalize youth ministry, produce resources for Millennial outreach and retention, and create stronger inter-congregation connectivity.

Striving to strengthen the family—Congregational Services is working to produce resources that help train families how to grow together spiritually. 

Each area of WELS Congregational Services is working on different aspects of the five-year plan, but many times the groups are working together to develop resources to face these challenges. One major component of Congregational Services’ five-year plan is to develop a clearinghouse for all these resources so that congregational leaders can easily find the materials that they need. 

For more information, visit wels.net/congregational-services. 

Chaplain Certification Program

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Mike Indest (pictured: third from left), a member of Crown of Life, New Orleans, La., recently completed chaplaincy certification through a partnership between the WELS Commission on Special Ministries and Martin Luther College. Indest became interested in the program after counseling he received following Hurricane Katrina. 

The Chaplain Certification Program is about helping people in special circumstances with special ministry needs. Training is open to all WELS members, both lay members and called workers, with a heart for meeting the spiritual needs of people in circumstances that require particular spiritual care. Specific areas of ministry include those in prison, hospitals, nursing homes, the military and their families, and public servants such as police officers and firemen and women. Chaplain Certification Program courses can be taken online through Martin Luther College. 

If you’re interested in becoming a chaplain, visit wels.net/chaplains. To enroll in training, visit mlc-wels.edu/continuing-education/wels-chaplain-certificate.   

 

Read Together article “Chaplain Certification Program courses offered.”

Offering spiritual growth opportunities

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The WELS Commission on Adult Discipleship strives to help members grow spiritually. Interactive Faith Bible studies are presented twice each year. These live, online Bible studies can be used by congregations, small groups, or individuals. Members can gather at church or around their own computer to join in fellowship and learn about the Bible with brothers and sisters in faith from around the world. In 2017, the studies focused on enriching marriage and Luther’s lasting impact. To learn more, find out when the next study takes place, or watch archived studies, visit wels.net/interactivefaith.

WELS Women’s Ministry offers a rich assortment of free Bible studies at wels.net/women. The third edition of Heirs Together of God’s Gracious Gift of Life, a Bible study that discusses the unique callings and interdependence of man and woman, was released in 2017 and is available through Northwestern Publishing House at nph.net.

Did you know? WELS Youth and Family Ministry produces a monthly video newsmagazine for youth. Titled Kids Connection, the video features spiritually uplifting stories about people, places, and programs around WELS. For information, visit wels.net/kidsconnection.

Providing programs and resources for congregations

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The Commission on Congregational Counseling operates a variety of programs that help congregations evaluate their ministry. One is the Self-Assessment and Adjustment Program.

As Rev. Jon Hein (pictured), director of the Commission on Congregational Counseling, notes, “The Self-Assessment and Adjustment Program not only helps the congregations to assess and adjust their ministry, but it also gives our commission a unique vantage point, allowing us to identify consistent challenges and needs among WELS congregations. We can then pass this information along to the other areas of Congregational Services, allowing them to shape their efforts in a way to meet these challenges and needs.”

For more information, visit wels.net/ccc.

Excellence in worship on display

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The WELS Commission on Worship hosted the 2017 National Conference on Worship Music and the Arts June 13–16 at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis. More than one thousand people attended the conference, which included a focus on Martin Luther’s contributions to worship as part of the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The conference also included: 

  • morning and evening worship services;
  • a plenary address by Rev. Michael Schultz, the director of the Hymnal Project, who offered a Reformation perspective on worship;
  • more than 50 breakout sessions;
  • performances by WELS musicians in a wide variety of styles;
  • a children’s choir and high school honor choir;
  • a collaborative art project that was displayed at the closing service; and
  • a juried art exhibit.

2017 National Conference on Worship, Music, & the Arts

Read the Together article “Worship conference celebrates Lutheran worship.”

 

The WELS Hymnal Project

The subcommittees of the WELS Hymnal Project continue to make progress on the development of the synod’s next hymnal. The hymnal and accompanying resources could be available for purchase as early as 2021. As part of the hymnal’s development, WELS Hymnal Project subcommittees have been giving congregations an opportunity to use and review samples of the materials developed so far. The work of the WELS Hymnal Project is closely coordinated with the Commission on Worship. 

In July 2017, Forward in Christ magazine began running a series of nine articles that are focused on the use of hymnody. Along with those articles, the WELS Hymnal Project has published online the current list of Christian Worship and Christian Worship: Supplement hymns, indicating which hymns have been selected for inclusion in the next hymnal and which ones have not. All members of the synod may offer feedback on this preliminary list. Visit welshymnal.com.

Telling the Next Generation: Utilizing our Schools for Outreach

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WELS maintains one of the largest private school systems in the United States. The greatest growth in WELS’ school system over the past 20 years has been in early childhood ministries. Many congregations have started early childhood ministries to reach into their communities to share the gospel with nonmember families and create a gateway for new members to join the church. Research has shown, though, that while these ministries are doing a wonderful job sharing God’s Word with their young students, most are not reaching their students’ families. To help congregations create a harvest strategy that might better share God’s Word with these families, the Commissions on Evangelism and Lutheran Schools created Telling the Next Generation: Utilizing our Schools for Outreach.  

Telling the Next Generation is a daylong workshop (pictured: below, left) that helps congregation and school leaders focus on their joint mission, build relationships within the church and with school families, and develop an organized program to connect school families with the Word. From April 2016 through September 2017, 17 workshops were held in 11 of WELS’ 12 districts. Almost 800 people from 109 congregations participated.  

“The Telling the Next Generation workshop has had an incredible impact on the early childhood ministry of Apostles,” says Rev. Jay Bickelhaupt, pastor at Apostles, Billings, Mont. “We walked away with a detailed ministry plan and a refreshed focus to boldly proclaim the good news of Jesus to children and their families. Our meetings and future planning have become more streamlined as we go forward with our agreed upon outreach and evangelism goals.”  

Bickelhaupt also reports that within two weeks of the workshop, God blessed Apostles with two preschool families in the congregation’s Bible basics class. As he notes, “Telling the Next Generation has empowered our ministry team spiritually with the gospel and has provided the practical lessons we needed to position our early childhood ministry as an outreach arm to our community.”  

For more information, visit wels.net/tellingthenextgeneration. 

Did you know? The WELS Commission on Evangelism provides a devotion each weekday that can be e-mailed to your inbox. Visit wels.net/subscribe to begin receiving these daily devotions.

Preparing principals to lead

Serving as a principal in a WELS school has grown in complexity over the years. The 21st-Century Principal Initiative recognizes that fact and encourages a shift in thinking and action from the traditional WELS principal approach. This initiative, coordinated by Lutheran Schools and Martin Luther College, encourages congregations and schools to structure the principal position in a way that respects the complexity and importance of the task and the training it requires. In addition, Lutheran Schools and Martin Luther College are providing training before a teacher is called to be a principal to help prepare a worker for this important role. The first cohort of seven teachers with leadership potential began Leadership Candidate Training in 2017. 

Disasters open door to show Christ’s love

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WELS Christian Aid and Relief provided more than $700,000 in grants in 2017. The organization works through WELS pastors and congregational leaders to assess needs, distribute aid, and bring in volunteers when requested.

The 2017 hurricane season was especially devastating. Christian Aid and Relief has provided aid to those in Florida (pictured), Georgia, Texas, Puerto Rico, Antigua, and Barbuda. Volunteers have helped with cleanup and rebuilding efforts and some projects are still underway in 2018.

For more information or to volunteer, visit wels.net/relief.

Excel in the grace of giving

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WELS Ministry of Christian Giving serves on behalf of the Conference of Presidents to encourage every WELS member to “excel in the grace of giving” through Christ. In 2017, a special committee appointed by the Conference of Presidents completed its review of the Ministry of Christian Giving, concluding that this area is well-positioned to help God’s people positively impact WELS ministry going forward. 

One recent emphasis was the “Every Neighbor, Every Nation—WELS Missions and You” campaign presented by the Ministry of Christian Giving and WELS Missions. By God’s grace, WELS members gave more than 1,400 immediate gifts for new missions initiatives, totaling more than $700,000.

To request free, confidential gift assistance, visit wels.net/christian-giving.

Communication Services and Technology

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Communication Services uses social media as one tool to update WELS members. WELS’ Facebook page, facebook.com/welslutherans, has more than 55,000 followers, and content is posted daily. WELS also has an Instagram account, @welslutherans, with more than 2,900 followers; and a Vimeo channel. A bi-weekly print newsletter, “Together,” is e-mailed to subscribers the first and third Tuesday of each month. On the second and fourth Tuesday, a “Together” video update is sent. To subscribe to “Together,” visit wels.net/subscribe. While there you can subscribe to other communications, including devotions, blogs, and a Bible-reading plan.

Luther Movie

Return to Grace: Luther’s Life and Legacy was shown by more than 1,000 WELS congregations and groups in local movie theaters across the United States in 2017, helping to spread Luther’s message of God’s grace found in Scripture. A version of the movie also appeared on PBS. Northwestern Publishing House is now offering DVDs of Return to Grace. To learn more, visit nph.net.

WELS Technology has been focusing on security, efficiency and stewardship, and digital outreach. The development of the online called worker compensation calculator, which can be found at wels.net/cwcompcalc, streamlines the compensation process for congregations.