Tag Archive for: Together07232024

WELS summer events involve thousands

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For a church body the size of WELS, our synod is blessed to be able to provide a wide variety of spring and summer events. Each of those events presents opportunities for worship, spiritual growth, supporting the synod’s mission, training for service in various ways, and Christian fellowship. Some of the events held in 2024 feature all five elements.

Two of the synod’s summer events happen next week:

  • WELS Women’s Ministry Conference
    The WELS Women’s Ministry Conference will be held July 28-30 at the Ingleside Hotel, Pewaukee, Wis. It is a sold-out conference with 450 attendees planning to come.

Several other events occurred earlier this summer:

  • Taste of Missions
    Nearly 500 people attended the annual Taste of Missions on June 15 at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis., for a day of food, fellowship, fun, and learning about WELS mission work. The event kicked off with a special worship service in the morning, during which nine new home and world missionaries were commissioned.

2024 WELS International Youth Rally

  • WELS International Youth Rally
    From June 25-28, WELS teens had the opportunity to worship together, learn and study God’s Word, grow in faith and fellowship with one another, as well as enjoy recreation and entertainment at the 2024 WELS International Youth Rally. Around 2,200 teens and 600 adults convened at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo. This was the second largest rally ever, second only to the 2005 rally in Orlando, Fla.
  • Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society convention
    The 61st annual convention of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society (LWMS) in Sioux Falls, S.D., on June 27-30 drew more than 1,000 people for the opening service. This year’s convention theme was “Being Built into a Spiritual House.” Convention highlights included the presentation of more than $100,000 to support WELS Home and World Missions projects and an opportunity to hear about the latest developments from mission administrators. In addition, the LWMS kids c.a.r.e. program received more than $43,000 in 2023–24 to support annual retreats for children of world missionaries who assimilate back to American culture.
  • WELS Night at the Brewers
    More than 2,000 members from around the Midwest enjoyed an evening of fellowship, fun, and baseball at the annual WELS Night at the Brewers on July 12.

    Rev. Paul Lindhorst sang the national anthem at WELS Night at the Brewers.

In addition to those synodwide events, summer is also the time throughout the synod when district or regional gatherings are held. Those include such things as district conventions, Sunday school workshops, marriage retreats, Lutheran summer camps, handbell festivals, and lay leadership retreats.

The popularity of these events indicates that we are a synod whose members are willing to give their time to events that support the mission of the synod and provide them with opportunities to grow in their knowledge and be equipped for service.

Learn more about upcoming events at wels.net/events.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

 

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Apache congregations look to offer aid after fire

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Two WELS congregations and one school—Grace Lutheran Church, San Carlos, and Peridot-Our Savior’s Lutheran Church and School, Peridot—were spared any damage when a wildfire swept through parts of the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona on July 11, burning more than 2,000 acres. The fire destroyed 15 homes, displacing 75 people in those communities.

Larger relief organizations provided immediate aid with food, clothing, and personal items to those affected by the fire, but more help will be needed in the weeks and months following the fire. “Now the Lord is giving us an opportunity to help those who aren’t part of our church,” says Rev. Dan Rautenberg, team leader of the Native Christians One Team, who could see the fire burning from his back porch in Peridot.

He continues, “You can’t build a home that quickly. Some of these families will be displaced for quite a length of time. We’re part of the community, and we want to be there and be part of the ongoing support as they get back to their lives.”

Rautenberg says that after reaching out to the families to talk about their needs, the congregations are looking to provide cleaning supplies, tools, and transportation help as these families get back on their feet. They also are working to put together community seminars with counseling for the victims.

The Native Christians One Team will be working closely with WELS Christian Aid and Relief. “In the immediate aftermath of a disaster there is always a lot of help, often more than can be used. Later, interest often wanes and with it the needed assistance,” says Rev. Dan Sims, director of WELS Christian Aid and Relief. “We are excited to be partnering with our Native Christians Mission Team to provide ongoing support to those in need.”

Learn more about Native American Missions at wels.net/missions.

 

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