Proceedings of the Forty-seventh Biennial Convention of the Nebraska District

of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

Assembled at Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School

Waco, Nebraska June 14-16, 2010

Page - 1

2010 Nebraska District Convention Proceedings

Table of Contents

2010 Nebraska District Convention Roster ...................................................................................... 2 Report of the Nebraska District President’s (A) ............................................................................. 7

Statistical Report of the Nebraska District President ................................................................. 13 Report of the Synodical Council (B) .............................................................................................. 19 Report of the Colorado Mission District Mission Board (C) ......................................................... 22 Report of the Nebraska Mission District Mission Board (D) ......................................................... 26 Report of the Ministry of Christian Giving (E) .............................................................................. 30 Report of the Parish Schools (F) .................................................................................................... 35 Report of the Commission on Evangelism (G) .............................................................................. 37 Report of the Special Ministries Committee (H) ........................................................................... 38 Report of the Adult Discipleship Committee (I) ............................................................................ 39 Report of the Youth Discipleship Committee (J) ........................................................................... 41 Report of the Worship Committee (K) ........................................................................................... 42 Report of the Support Committee (L) ............................................................................................ 44 Report of Rocky Mountain Christian Camp (M) ........................................................................... 45 Report of Camp Jefferson and Teen Camp Jefferson (N) .............................................................. 46 Report of the Constitution and Legislature Committee (O) ........................................................... 47 Report of the Nebraska Lutheran High School (P) ........................................................................ 49 Report of the Rocky Mountain Lutheran High School (Q) ............................................................ 50 Report of the “Forward in Christ” Reporter (R) ............................................................................ 52 Report of the Technology Committee (S) ...................................................................................... 53 Report of the Nominating Committee (T) ...................................................................................... 56 WELS Long Range Plan for 2017 (U) ........................................................................................... 61 2010 Nebraska District Convention: Memorials (V) .................................................................... 67 Board for Home Missions: Evaluation Task Force Report to the Districts (W) ................... 68 Floor Committee #1 Report – District President’s Report ............................................................. 70 Floor Committee #2 Report – Nebraska District Work ................................................................. 73 Floor Committee #3 Report – Synod President/COP/SC – RTTD – pp. 1-13, 31-35.................... 75 Floor Committee #4 Report – Congregation and Ministry Support Group – RTTD p. 13-29 ....... 78 Floor Committee #5 Report – Home/World/Joint Council – RTTD – pp. 67-78 .......................... 80 Floor Committee #6 Report – WELS Subsidiaries – RTTD – pp. 56-66, 95-103 ......................... 83 Floor Committee #9 Report – Essay .............................................................................................. 91 Floor Committee #10 Report – Resolutions, Synod Delegates, Memorials .................................. 93 Floor Committee #11 Report – Elections ....................................................................................... 98 Floor Committee #12 Report – Excuse Committee ..................................................................... 100 Floor Committee #14 Report – Delegate Report / Press Release................................................. 101 Minutes of the 47th Biennial Convention of the Nebraska District .............................................. 103 Opening Sermon – Luke 24:44-50 – “The Greatest Danger to the World Is…” ......................... 111 Closing Sermon – 2 Timothy 1:8-14 – “Guard the Good Deposit” ............................................. 114 Convention Essay – God’s Mission: The Means and the Methods .............................................. 117

Our Mission .............................................................................................................................. 119 The Means ................................................................................................................................ 126 The Methods ............................................................................................................................. 134 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................. 142

Page - 2

2010 Nebraska District Convention Roster Congregation City State Salutation First Name Last Name Delegate Type Attend Missionary Brasil Rev. Charlie Flunker Pastor 1 Abiding Love Loveland CO Mr. Burt Johnson Lay Delegate 1 Abiding Love Loveland CO Rev. Kevin Klug Pastor 1 Abiding Word Highland's Ranch CO Rev. Kurt Ebert Pastor 1 Abiding Word Highland's Ranch CO Mr. Gene Troutman Lay Delegate 1 Christ Denver CO Rev. Paul Biedenbender Pastor 1 Christ Denver CO Rev. Mark Birkholz Pastor 1 Christ Our Redeemer Aurora CO Rev. Douglas Bode Pastor 1 Christ our Redeemer Aurora CO Mr. Geron Brown Teacher 1 Christ our Redeemer Aurora CO Mr. Joel Dusek Lay Delegate 1 Christ our Redeemer Aurora CO Mr. Dean Johnson Teacher 0 Christ our Redeemer Aurora CO Rev. Mark Voss Pastor 1 Crown of Life Pueblo West CO Rev. Mark Hayes Pastor 1 Fount of Life Colorado Springs CO Mr. Gene Schmeling Lay Delegate 1 Fount of Life Colorado Springs CO Rev. Wayne Uhlhorn Pastor 1 Living Hope Brighton CO Rev. Chad Walta Pastor 1 Living Word Montrose CO Rev. Matthew Frey Pastor 1 Living Word Montrose CO Mr. Neal Platzer Lay Delegate 1 Lord of Life Thornton CO Vicar Aaron Bublitz Vicar 1 Lord of Life Thornton CO Mr. Adam Frey Teacher 1 Lord of Life Thornton CO Mr. Josh Glowicki Teacher 1 Lord of Life Thornton CO Mr. Martin Rehm Lay Delegate 1 Lord of Life Thornton CO Rev. Phillip Sievert Pastor 1 Mountain Valley Eagle CO Vicar Noah Hermann Vicar 1 Mountain Valley Eagle CO Rev. Brent Merten Pastor 1 Our Savior's Longmont CO Mr. Dane Mattes Teacher 1 Our Savior's Longmont CO Mr. Jim Schuricht Lay Delegate 1 Our Savior's Longmont CO Rev. Michael Traudt Pastor 1 Peace Boulder CO Rev. Eugene Ahlswede Pastor 1 Peace Boulder CO Mr. Chris Radke Lay Delegate 1 Peace/RMLHS Boulder/Northglenn CO Rev. Jesse Stern Pastor 1 RMLHS Northglenn CO Mr. Rick Lohmiller Teacher 1 RMLHS Northglenn CO Mr. Mike Schaefer Teacher 1 Salem Colorado Springs CO Mr. Joseph Gumm Teacher 1 Salem Colorado Springs CO Rev. James Seiltz Pastor 1 Shepherd of the Hills Greeley CO Mr. Paul Herzfeldt Lay Delegate 0 Shepherd of the Hills Greeley CO Rev. David Olson Pastor 0 Shepherd of the Mesa Battlement Mesa CO Rev. Bill Cornelius Pastor 1 Shepherd of the Plains Fort Morgan CO Rev. Troy Jacobs Pastor 1 Shepherd of the Valley Westminster CO Mr. Matthew Foley Teacher 1 Shepherd of the Valley Westminster CO Rev. Philip Kieselhorst Pastor 1 St. John Platteville CO Rev. William Leerssen Pastor 1 St. Paul Grand Junction CO Mr. James Deck Lay Delegate 1 St. Paul Grand Junction CO Rev. David Haberkorn Pastor 1 St. Peter Fort Collins CO Mr. Thomas Krafft Lay Delegate 1 St. Peter Fort Collins CO Rev. Joel Spaude Pastor 1 Synodical Council Highland's Ranch CO Mr. Kurt Austad Synodical Council 1 Zion Denver CO Rev. Brett Krause Pastor 1 Zion Denver CO Vicar Joshua Krieger Vicar 1 Zion Denver CO Mr. Martin Merklinger Lay Delegate 0 Zion Denver CO Rev. Earle Treptow Pastor 1 Zion Denver CO Mr. Kip Wilson Teacher 1 Grace Sioux City IA Rev. Anthony Allard Pastor 1 Peace Shenandoah IA Mr. Merlin Green Lay Delegate 1

Page - 3

Congregation City State Salutation First Name Last Name Delegate Type Attend Beautiful Savior Topeka KS Mr. Martin Karst Lay Delegate 1 Beautiful Savior Topeka KS Rev. Joel Pankow Pastor 1 Faith Pittsburg KS Rev. Paul Seiltz Pastor 1 Grace Hmong Kansas City KS Rev. Bounkeo Lor Pastor 1 Hope Manhattan KS Rev. Phil Hirsch Pastor 1 Hope Manhattan KS Mr. Edward Krieger Lay Delegate 1 Messiah Wichita KS Mr. Bruce Lietz Lay Delegate 1 Messiah Wichita KS Rev. Jonathan Rockhoff Pastor 1 Mt. Olive Overland Park KS Mr. Bob Kramer Lay Delegate 1 Mt. Olive Overland Park KS Mr. Dale Rundgren Teacher 1 Mt. Olive Overland Park KS Rev. Joel Schroeder Pastor 1 Mt. Olive Overland Park KS Rev. Phil Zarling Pastor 1 Redeemer Norton KS Mr. Alton Maaske Lay Delegate 0 St. Mark Salina KS Rev. Shiloh Monday Pastor 1 WELS MCG New Ulm MN Rev. Kurt Lueneburg Guest 1 Gethsemane Lee's Summit MO Rev. Daniel Frey Pastor 1 Gethsemane Lee's Summit MO Mr. Joe Vogt Lay Delegate 1 Our Savior Harrisonville MO Rev. John Stelter Pastor 1 Rock of Ages Kansas City MO Rev. James Tauscher Pastor 1 Bethel York NE Mr. James Coats Tech Support 1 Bethel York NE Mr. Robert Richert Lay Delegate 1 Bethel York NE Mrs. Linda Glisson Guest 1 Christ Grand Island NE Mr. William Bauer Lay Delegate 1 Christ Beatrice NE Rev. Joshua Hillman Pastor 1 Christ Beatrice NE Mr. Duane Sanders Lay Delegate 1 Christ Grand Island NE Rev. David Wietzke Pastor 1 Faith Rising City NE Mr. Rex Prigge Lay Delegate 1 Faith Rising City NE Rev. David Schultz Pastor 1 Gethsemane Omaha NE Mr. Randy Brown Lay Delegate 0 Gethsemane Omaha NE Rev. Steve Helwig Pastor 1 Gethsemane Omaha NE Mr. Corey Pederson Teacher 1 Gethsemane Omaha NE Mr. Jason Schmidt Teacher 1 Gethsemane Omaha NE Vicar Stephen Schmiel Vicar 0 Good Shepherd Kearney NE Mr. Mike Heins Lay Delegate 1 Good Shepherd Kearney NE Rev. Kurt Schaser Pastor 1 Good Shepherd Omaha NE Rev. Michael Ewart Pastor 1 Good Shepherd Omaha NE Mr. Joel Lauber Teacher 1 Good Shepherd Omaha NE Mr. Jeffrey Loberger Teacher 1 Good Shepherd Omaha NE Rev. Norman Schell Pastor 1 Good Shepherd Omaha NE Mr. Mark Seaberg Lay Delegate 1 Grace Geneva NE Mr. Ted Rabenberg Lay Delegate 1 Grace/Trinity Geneva/Grafton NE Rev. Steve Kruschel Pastor 1 Grace Seward NE Mr. Nathan Schleusener Lay Delegate 1 Grace/Bethel Seward/York NE Rev. Mark Haefner Pastor 1 Immanuel Hadar NE Mr. Justin Ohm Teacher 1 Immanuel Hadar NE Mr. Douglas Seegebarth Lay Delegate 1 Immanuel Hadar NE Rev. Nathaniel Winkel Pastor 1 Living Hope Omaha NE Mr. David Greckel Lay Delegate 1 Living Hope Omaha NE Mr. Gale Jeseritz Lay Delegate 1 Living Hope Omaha NE Mr. August Jeske Tech Support 1 Living Hope Omaha NE Rev. Tom Jeske Pastor 1 Living Hope Omaha NE Mr. Jeff Jordahl Lay Delegate 1 Living Hope Omaha NE Miss. Elisa Mayer Tech Support 1 Living Hope Omaha NE Mr. Ken Mayer Tech Committee 1 Mt. Olive Lincoln NE Rev. Timothy Kemnitz Pastor 1 Mt. Olive Lincoln NE Mr. Leonard Wasserman Lay Delegate 1

Page - 4

Congregation City State Salutation First Name Last Name Delegate Type Attend NELHS Waco NE Pastor Ray Beckmann Pastor 1 NELHS Waco NE Pastor Nathaniel Biebert Pastor 1 NELHS Waco NE Teacher Craig Charron Teacher 1 NELHS Waco NE Pastor William Goehring Pastor 1 NELHS Waco NE Teacher Joshua Johnson Teacher 1 NELHS Waco NE Mr. Cory Olson Teacher 0 NELHS Waco NE Teacher Benjy Wells Teacher 1 NELHS Waco NE Teacher Matthew Willems Teacher 1 Redeemer Hastings NE Rev. Robert Smith Pastor 1 Shepherd of Peace Norfolk NE Rev. Matthew Kiecker Pastor 1 St. John Cortland NE Mr. Dave Flood Lay Delegate 1 St. John's Stanton NE Mr. Robert Kander Lay Delegate 1 St. John's Stanton NE Rev. Tyler Peil Pastor 1 St. John's Brewster NE Mr. Nathan Rooney Lay Delegate 1 St. Mark Lincoln NE Mr. Greg Boggs Tech Committee 1 St. Mark Lincoln NE Mr. Steven Boggs Tech Support 1 St. Mark Lincoln NE Mr. Jeremiah Drews Teacher 1 St. Mark Lincoln NE Mr. Detlef Gartzke Lay Delegate 1 St. Mark Lincoln NE Mr. Don Nieman Tech Committee 1 St. Mark Lincoln NE Rev. Stephen Raddatz Pastor 1 St. Mark Sutton NE Mr. Ardean Nunnenkamp Lay Delegate 1 St. Mark Sutton NE Rev. Wayne Oblender Pastor 1 St. Paul/Trinity North Platte / McCook NE Rev. Seth Neyhart Pastor 1 St. Paul's Broken Bow NE Rev. Roger Quandt Pastor 1 St. Paul's Broken Bow NE Mr. Deloy Titkemeier Lay Delegate 1 St. Paul's Norfolk NE Rev. Randy Bader Pastor 1 St. Paul's Norfolk NE Mr. Loren Bloomquist Lay Delegate 1 St. Paul's Norfolk NE Mr. Scott Brown Teacher 1 St. Paul's Norfolk NE Mr. Seth Fitzsimmons Teacher 1 St. Paul's Plymouth NE Rev. John Bortulin Pastor 1 St. Paul's Plymouth NE Rev. Joel Frank Pastor 1 St. Paul's Plymouth NE Mr. Tom Plitzuweit Teacher 1 St. Paul's Plymouth NE Mr. Jim Schroeder Lay Delegate 1 Trinity Grafton NE Mr. James Oberlander Lay Delegate 1 Trinity Grafton NE Rev. Ronald Tischer Pastor 0 Trinity Hoskins NE Mr. Orville Broekemeier Lay Delegate 1 Trinity Hoskins NE Mr. Tim Hemling Teacher 1 Trinity Hoskins NE Rev. Rodney Rixe Pastor 1 Trinity Waco NE Mr. Phil Stern Teacher 1 Zion/St. John Clatonia/Cortland NE Rev. Steven Kahrs Pastor 1 Zion Clatonia NE Mr. Don Kracke Lay Delegate 1 Zion Valentine NE Rev. Matthew Krenke Pastor 1 Zion Valentine NE Mr. Johnny Shelbourn Lay Delegate 1 Christ the Rock Farmington NM Rev. Jim Fleming Pastor 1 Christ the Rock Farmington NM Rev. Tom Glende Pastor 1 Grace Burke SD Mr. Mark Braun Lay Delegate 1 Grace Burke SD Rev. Fred Schurman Pastor 1 Trinity Winner SD Mr. Jeff Hrabanek Lay Delegate 1 Zion Colome SD Mr. Darrel Pochop Lay Delegate 1 Zion Colome SD Rev. Paul White Pastor 1 Zion's/St. John's Mission/Witten SD Rev. Thomas Biedenbender Pastor 1 Essayist Columbia TN Rev. Charles Westra Guest 1 Prince of Peace Salt Lake City UT Rev. Noah Bater Pastor 1 Prince of Peace Salt Lake City UT Mr. David Brandt Lay Delegate 1 Prince of Peace Salt Lake City UT Rev. Jon Micheel Pastor 1 WELS 2nd VP Milwaukee WI Rev. Joel Voss Guest 1

Page - 5

Congregation City State Salutation First Name Last Name Delegate Type Attend WLC Milwaukee WI Mr. Merlyn Kruse Guest 1 CO Mission Board Cheyenne WY Mr. Keith Eldred Mission Board 1 Good Shepherd Cheyenne WY Mr. Clay Rouse Lay Delegate 1 Lord of Lords Casper WY Rev. Philip Spaude Pastor 1 Valley Sheridan WY Rev. Gary Schult Pastor 1

Page - 6

A-1

Page - 7

Report of the Nebraska District President’s (A) In the Name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, dear fellow-workers, It staggers our mind when we think of all the changes we have witnessed during our lifetime. My father, who departed this life in the mid 80’s, never experienced the internet, cell phones, email and a host of other modern conveniences that today have become necessities in our lives. It would probably be impossible for us to go back a generation and try to live the way our parents lived. These changes are also being felt within the church. There are many people who feel that the church must out of necessity change its methods and message in order to suit our changing times. It is certainly true that “change and decay in all around I see” but it is also true “O Thou, who changest not, abide with me.” The Christian religion is a religion of an unchanging God. Christian religion is based on the truths of the Bible. God’s Word and truth always remain the same. Two times two is still four. A straight line is still the shortest distance between two points. Fire is still hot and ice is still cold. Such simple truths remain unchanging. Why should the truth of our faith not stand? But since the trend of our times is to change, and since many churches in our world have also been affected by the spirit of our times and have changed not only their methods, but also their message, it is certainly proper as we begin our convention this morning that we urge one another to remain faithful and steadfast in what we know to be true. In so doing let us consider the Word of God as it is recorded in Hebrews 10:23-25 which reads “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” As we urge one another to continued faithfulness and steadfastness, let us focus our attention on the words “Let Us Hold Unswervingly to the Hope We Profess.” In doing so we want to answer the following questions: 1. What is the hope we profess? 2. Why are we to hold fast to this hope? What is the hope we profess? If we examine the preceding verses we find a wonderful summary of our Christian faith. We read verses 19-22: “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” In these verses the writer points out that we Christians have wonderful privileges. We have free access to God and boldness to enter into the very holiest of heaven. This right to come into the presence of God is not based on our own merit or on what we have accomplished, but it is possible only because of the blood of Jesus Christ, our Savior. He is the high priest of God’s people, he is the way to God the Father, the only way, the living way. Access to heaven is by the crucified Christ. His death is our way to life. In our God-given faith we know that we are cleansed from the guilt of sin and now have a good conscience with God. Having been washed by the waters of baptism from all unrighteousness, we can come before God, stand in his presence and live with him for all eternity. “We have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” 1 John 2:1-2. This is the summary of the Christian faith as presented in the epistle to the Hebrews.

A-2

Page - 8

What a wonderful, satisfying, comforting profession of faith. This is the hope we profess. Never give it up! There have been many changes in our churches over the years. When I first came to St. Paul’s in Plymouth a few years back, the majority of our offerings were given at the post office since the postmaster was our church treasurer. Today we have an envelope system and even automatic deposits for an orderly way of receiving offerings. The Lord’s Supper was offered about every six weeks at the discretion of the pastor. Today we celebrate communion twice each month on designated Sundays. Our services are broadcast on the local radio station and on the internet reaching a world-wide audience. We have updated our worship facility with a speaker system, air conditioning and extra space for fellowship. These changes and many more are also true for your local congregation. All are helpful for serving people in their spiritual needs. What is most important, however, is the message. Since we are bound by the Word of God, the comforting message of salvation by grace through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ must remain the same. This was the message of Martin Luther, the message of our forefathers and, by God’s grace, our message today. May you and I hold fast to this simple profession of faith: I am a sinner; Jesus is my Savior. I appeal to his mercy and believing in him I hope to stand before the heavenly throne. As we sing in the familiar hymn: Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to thy cross I cling; Naked, come to thee for dress, Helpless, look to thee for grace. Foul, I to the fountain fly - Wash me, Savior, or I die! Why are we to hold fast to this hope without wavering? Our faith worked by the Holy Spirit is truly a wonderful faith. While the religion of works, the religion of the natural man leaves doubt, our God-given and God-worked faith gives us full assurance. With Paul we confess, “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” While the religion of self righteousness never can blot out the stain of sin, the religion of Christianity frees us from the guilt and consequences we deserve. With John we confess, “the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” While the religion of works places a big question mark beyond the grave, our faith in Christ shows us that death is the gateway to heaven. Our Savior promised, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” We are to remain steadfast in our faith because “he who promised is faithful.” The reference here is to Christ Jesus, the faithful Savior. In the book of Revelation we read, “Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father – to him be glory and power for ever and ever!” Earlier in the book of Hebrews the inspired writer tells us that it is impossible for God to lie. The faithful Savior promises salvation to all who believe. Knowing by faith, as worked by the Holy Spirit, the fullness and absolute certainty of our salvation, we should be moved to be steadfast and true to the profession of our faith. The danger to fall away is always near. We need to contend constantly with false teachers who ask us to accept their own religious guesses in place of the eternal truths of God’s Word. The danger to drop away from the steadfastness which our text urges is increased when we “give up

A-3

Page - 9

meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.” Neglect of church attendance and reception of the Lord’s body and blood in the sacrament is always a definite danger to faithfulness and steadfastness. What a strong message this gives to all of us in attendance here today whether we are lay people or called workers. We have a desperate need for the Word and Sacraments and the assurance they bring. Go to church! Go to worship! Receive the Lord’s Supper regularly! Remember your baptism! “Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds… let us encourage one another.” Through the writer God reminds us that Christian encouragement and admonition is vital. God’s Word spoken in love to a wavering brother or sister is essential to their spiritual well being. Paul urges pastors and leaders, “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” Gently, lovingly and with great patience show your concern for those who are straying. They are redeemed children of God. There is one more reason for faithfulness, “and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” We may all grow weary at times. We can easily take for granted the comfort, peace and strength of our faith. It is possible for us to be so engrossed with materials things, with our professions and pleasures, that we do not realize that we are drifting farther and farther from our Christian faith. It is for that reason that the writer reminds us of the approaching judgment. The Day is coming, the day in which we must all stand before the judgment seat of God, the day which reveals what is in our hearts. As we think of that day it surely is our prayer that God in his rich grace and mercy in Christ Jesus would continue through his Word to grant us strength to remain steadfast in our profession of faith. May this be our prayer: Let me be yours forever, My faithful God and Lord; Let me forsake you never Nor wander from your Word. Lord do not let me waver But give me steadfastness And for such grace and favor Your holy name I’ll bless. Amen. Pastor Charles Westra, who serves at Christ Our Savior in Columbia, Tennessee, will favor us with his essay entitled, “Trusting the Means of Grace.” We will begin that presentation later this afternoon. We thank Pastor Westra for taking time out of his busy schedule to lead us in this study. He also serves as WELS Home Mission Board Chairman. We thank our hosts here at Nebraska Lutheran High School for again allowing us to use their facilities. We will be well cared for. The NELHS Boosters are providing the meal for us this evening. We thank the District Technology Committee for their assistance in our convention. They will be projecting the various reports and resolutions on the screens as we do our work. Once the floor committee reports are presented and approved, printed copies will be distributed. This year we have an Enabling Floor Committee who will coordinate the reports with the technology committee and the steering committee. They will also be responsible for the final approved printed copy which they will distribute. Thanks also to our District Worship Committee who prepared our worship services and the themes for our devotion leaders. Those materials can be found in your binder. We also extend our appreciation to those who led us in worship. This year we will not be printing “Proceedings” of the convention as we have in the past. Instead the technology committee will include all materials presented to us on the district website which you will be able to access at any time at welsne. We thank them. Special thanks to Ken Mayer, a

A-4

Page - 10

member of the committee, who spent many hours in formatting and organizing the materials in your binder. Floor Committee #1 will present to us the new pastors and male teachers who were recently assigned to our district so they might officially be received into membership. Two congregations, Christ Lutheran in Denver and Grace Hmong in Kansas City will also be received into our district membership at their recommendation. Pastor Phil Sievert, our district secretary, will meet with Floor Committee #10 to propose a slate of delegates that will represent our district at the next synod convention. We thank him for his work in preparing the rotation order. The WELS Long Range Plan is included in your binder under section U. We have assigned that to Floor Committee #3 for their study and recommendations. The Board for Home Missions Task Force Report in also in your binder under section W. We will ask that Floor Committee #5 study the report and bring their reactions. Resource men would be our mission board chairmen, Pastors Jon Rockhoff and Wayne Uhlhorn and Mission Counselor Mark Birkholz as well as Pastor Westra. We received one memorial from the Eastern Circuit of the Southern Conference for our consideration. It calls for printing biographies for those nominated for presidium offices prior to the election. Since it certainly has merit, we are already enacting their proposal at this convention. However, for future conventions I have asked that Floor Committee #10 study it and bring their recommendations to us. I would ask that each of our eight circuit pastors meet with the pastors, teachers and delegates from their circuit either today or tomorrow for an election. We would like to install our circuit pastors together with the members of the presidium in the closing service. The office of Circuit Pastor is extremely important. He serves as the right hand man for the district president. As such he is responsible for doctrine and practice. He schedules and conducts circuit meetings. A new circuit pastor handbook has been prepared and will be studied in a meeting in North Platte in late August. It calls for greater contact with pastors and congregations in the circuit. We have agreed that for the immediate future we will remain with our eight circuits. Our present circuit pastors are: Pastor Joel Spaude (Colorado North), Pastor Earle Treptow (Colorado South), Pastor Jon Micheel (Colorado West), Pastor Paul White (Rosebud), Pastor Tom Jeske (Three Rivers), Pastor Joel Schroeder (Mid-America), Pastor Steve Kahrs (Eastern) and Pastor Steve Neyhart (Platte). Pastor Joel Voss, WELS Second Vice President, will be with us to share information regarding our synod. Kurt Austad, our district’s representative on the WELS Synodical Council, will also make a presentation later today. This evening two presentations are scheduled. Pastor Phil Spaude will lead a discussion of “Heart in Focus Finances.” Extra copies of this material will be available. In addition, Pastor Jon Micheel, together with the other members of the worship committee will present “Easy Ways to Incorporate Variety in Worship.” Both presentations will run from 7:00 to 8:00 with locations to be announced later. Also, some time during the convention Pastor Steve Raddatz will present to us the latest information on the stewardship program entitled “Christ’s Love, Our Calling.” Interest in and pursuit of continuing education for called workers has been in the works in the WELS for over 20 years. Earlier this year the Conference of Presidents appointed a new

A-5

Page - 11

commission for Continuing Education for Called Workers chaired by WELS First Vice President James Huebner. This commission has developed a document entitled “Guiding Principles for Continuing Education for Called Workers in the WELS.” It will be reviewed by the COP and will serve as a basis for further plans and details. It is envisioned that the seminary will develop programs for pastors and that a partnership of Martin Luther College and the Commission on Lutheran Schools will develop programs for teachers and staff ministers. All plans and programs will be designed to revolve around gospel motivation and incorporate God’s First Article gifts, the varied ways in which adults (called workers) learn, and the support and encouragement we enjoy as members of the Body of Christ. Congregational support, both spiritually and financially, will be critically important for the plans of CECW to unfold in the years to come. A flexible program of continuing education with standards and minimum requirements for all called workers will be presented to the 2011 Synod Convention. At present we do not have any vacancies in the district, at least none that are actively calling. I was unable to fill the requests from Peace, Shenandoah and King of Kings, Scottsbluff for alternate placement pastors. We will continue to work with both congregations in their future plans for pastoral service. At Martin Luther College we received eight teachers for service in our district. Eighteen graduates who can serve anywhere remain unassigned. At Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary we requested and received six vicars, all mission vicars. We also received three pastoral graduates. One of these three is Candidate Brett Krause who was assigned as the Pastoral Assistant to the next Nebraska District President. Four WLS graduates remain unassigned. As you know at the end of this month I will retire from full-time ministry and continue to serve on a part-time basis at St. Paul’s of Plymouth. At this convention we will also be electing a new district president. I wish to thank all of you for your support and prayers. I owe a debt of gratitude to our presidium members: Pastor Phil Zarling, First Vice President, Pastor Mark Voss, Second Vice President and our District Secretary, Pastor Phil Sievert. Your advice and assistance have been invaluable. We all are also deeply indebted to Mrs. Debra Wells who divides her time as secretary for St. Paul’s in Plymouth and our district. She faithfully keeps us organized and on track and is a blessing to all of us. In addition she put in many extra hours in helping us prepare for this convention. Thanks also to Pastor John Bortulin who will end his service as Pastoral Assistant to the Nebraska District President in a few hours. He is a faithful servant of the Word and God has blessed us through him. His synod salary will continue until the end of this month and then he will be compensated by St. Paul’s. Candidate Krause could begin his service to the new district president as early as July 1. Here is the plan: as soon as possible today we will have a nominating ballot for district president. The biographies of those nominated will be distributed and, hopefully, an election can be completed today. The man elected would officially begin serving in the office when he is installed in the closing service on Wednesday. Sometime in the next week or so I would ask him to come to Plymouth to pick up all the files, folders, etc. and spend a day in orientation. There will need to be some adjustments in his life so we all will be patient and understanding. We commit him to the Lord’s care. Twenty years ago when you asked me to serve in this office I was overwhelmed. I can vividly recall a sleepless night before my first Call Meeting. One thing I have learned among many lessons, our gracious God is totally in charge. You and I are mere tools in his hand and his will shall be done. When I attended my first meeting of the Conference of Presidents, Pastor Carl Mischke was WELS President. He welcomed me and indicated that he really didn’t expect

A-6

Page - 12

anything of significance from me in the COP discussions for several years. How right he was. In a private conversation he reminded me that the office of district president is a very special privilege granted to very few. It carries with it distinct and awesome responsibilities. You are the pastor to the pastors, to the teachers, to the congregations, to all the people of the district. You are expected to maintain the Word of God as it applies to all aspects of ministry and service. I stood in absolute awe of Pastor Gerald Free and Pastor Ron Kaiser, my predecessors. I went to both many times for direction and counsel for which I was deeply grateful. I thank the Lord for his direction in his Word. I thank all of you for your support and prayers. It has been just as President Mischke predicted – a distinct privilege to serve God’s people in this special way. Pastor Joel Frank

A-7

Page - 13

Statistical Report of the Nebraska District President I would respectfully ask that the following be ratified by the convention through floor committee #1. Where information is incomplete or if additions or corrections need to be made, please provide the necessary data to me or to Floor Committee #1.

Statistics from June 12, 2008 – June 13, 2010 The following were received into membership at the 2009 convention of our Wisconsin Ev. Lutheran Synod assembled at Michigan Lutheran Seminary on July 27-31, 2009.

Those Received Into Synod Membership at the 2009 Synod Convention 1. Teacher Candidate Joel Cordes, Prince of Peace, Salt Lake City, UT from MLC. 2. Teacher Candidate Zachary Wiegman, Zion, Denver, CO from MLC. 3. Teacher Candidate Jeremiah Drews, St. Mark, Lincoln, NE from MLC. 4. Teacher Candidate Benjamin Wells, NELHS, Waco, NE from MLC. 5. Pastor Candidate Stephen Kruschel, Trinity, Grafton, NE from WLS. 6. Pastor Candidate John Stelter, Our Savior, Harrisonville, MO from WLS. 7. Pastor Candidate Nathaniel Winkel, Immanuel, Hadar, NE from WLS. 8. Pastor Candidate Nathaniel Biebert, NELHS, Waco, NE from WLS.

New Applications for Membership

1. Teacher Candidate Ben Leibl, Good Shepherd, Omaha, NE from MLC. 2. Teacher Candidate Ryan Loberger, Zion, Valentine, NE from MLC. 3. Pastor Candidate Brett Krause, DP Assistant, from WLS. 4. Pastor Brad Krause, Missionary to Mexico, Leon, Mexico, from WLS.

Pastoral Ordinations and Installations 1. Candidate Daniel Frey, Gethsemane, Lee’s Summit, MO on July 13, 2008 by Rev. Joel

Schroeder. 2. Candidate Douglas Lange, Light of the Valley, Layton, UT on July 20, 2008 by Rev.

David Dolan. 3. Candidate Stephen Kruschel, Trinity, Grafton, NE on June 28, 2009 by Rev. Wayne

Oblender. 4. Candidate John Stelter, Our Savior, Harrisonville, MO on July 12, 2009 by Rev. Joel

Schroeder. 5. Candidate Nathaniel Winkel, Immanuel, Hadar, NE on July 19, 2009 by Rev. Tyler Peil. 6. Candidate Noah Bater Prince of Peace, Salt Lake City, UT on August 16, 2009 by Rev.

Jonathan Micheel. 7. Candidate Nathaniel Biebert, NELHS, Waco, NE on August 23, 2009 by Rev. James

Plitzuweit.

Pastoral Installations 1. Rev. Stephen Helwig, Gethsemane, Omaha, NE on June 8, 2008 by Rev. Norman Schell. 2. Rev. William Cornelius, Battlement Mesa Mission, Battlement Mesa, CO on August 24,

2008 by Rev. Wayne Uhlhorn.

A-8

Page - 14

3. Rev. Matthew Kiecker, Shepherd of Peace, Norfolk, NE on November 16, 2008 by Rev. Rodney Rixe.

4. Rev. Shiloh Monday, St. Mark, Salina, KS on February 1, 2009 by Rev. Philip Hirsch 5. Rev. Joshua Hillmann, Christ, Beatrice, NE on May 3, 2009 by Rev. John Bortulin. 6. Rev. Roger Quandt, St. Paul, Broken Bow, NE on June 21, 2009 by Rev. Robert Strawn. 7. Rev. Stephen Kruschel, Grace, Geneva, NE on June 28, 2009 by Rev. Robert Smith. 8. Rev. Gary Schult, Valley Lutheran, Sheridan, WY on December 19, 2009 by Rev. Philip

Spaude. 9. Rev. James Tauscher, Rock of Ages, Kansas City, MO on April 25, 2010 by Rev. Philip

Zarling. 10. Rev. Earle Treptow, Instructor at RMLHS, Northglenn, CO on August 18, 2009 by Rev.

Kurt Ebert.

Male Teacher Commissionings and Installations 1. Candidate Scott Brown, St. Paul, Norfolk, NE on June 29, 2008 by Rev. Randy Bader. 2. Candidate Joel Cordes, Prince of Peace, Salt Lake City, UT on August 17, 2008 by Rev.

Jonathan Micheel. 3. Candidate Zachary Wiegman, Zion, Denver, CO on August 17, 2008 by Rev. Earle

Treptow. 4. Candidate Ian Watson, Nebraska Ev. Lutheran High School, Waco, NE on August 24,

2008 by Rev. James Plitzuweit. 5. Candidate Jeremiah Drews, St. Mark, Lincoln, NE on January 4, 2009 by Rev. Stephen

Raddatz. 6. Candidate Benjamin Wells, NELHS, Waco, NE on August 23, 2009 by Rev. James

Plitzuweit.

Male Teacher Installations 1. Mr. Jeffrey Loberger, Good Shepherd, Omaha, NE on July 27, 2008 by Rev. Michael

Ewart. 2. Mr. Cory Olson, Nebraska Ev. Lutheran High School, Waco, NE on August 24, 2008 by

Rev. James Plitzuweit. 3. Mr. Kip Wilson, Zion, Denver, CO on August 16, 2009 by Rev. Earle Treptow. 4. Mr. Jeff Sell, Prince of Peace, Salt Lake City, UT on August 9, 2009 by Rev. Jonathan

Micheel. 5. Mr. Dan Kirk, RMLHS, Northglenn, CO on August 18, 2009 by Rev. Kurt Ebert.

Lady Teacher Installations (as were reported to us)

1. Miss Connie Brandt, Hope Lutheran Early Learning Center, Manhattan, KS on July 6, 2008 by Rev. Philip Hirsch.

2. Miss Melissa Harris, Mt. Olive, Overland Park, KS (emergency Call) on July 20, 2008 by Rev. Philip Zarling.

3. Miss Sarah Lindke, St. Paul, Norfolk, NE on August 10, 2008 by Rev. Randy Bader. 4. Miss Katherine Spaude, Prince of Peace, Salt Lake City, UT (emergency Call) on August

17, 2008 by Rev. John Micheel. 5. Mrs. Marcel Vossler as director of St. Paul’s Childcare, Plymouth, NE on August 17,

2008 by Rev. John Bortulin. 6. Mrs. Lori Kahrs as primary care provider of St. Paul’s Childcare, Plymouth, NE on

August 17, 2008 by Rev. John Bortulin.

A-9

Page - 15

7. Miss Corinn Pyscher, Shepherd of the Valley, Westminster, CO on August 17, 2008 by Rev. Philip Kieselhorst.

8. Mrs. Amber Holmes, Loving Arms Child Care Center, Messiah, Wichita, KS on April 26, 2009 by Rev. Jonathan Rockhoff.

9. Miss Lauren Moll, Hope Lutheran Early Learning Center, Manhattan, KS on July 12, 2009 by Rev. Philip Hirsch.

10. Miss Katie Bare, Shepherd of the Valley, Westminster, CO on July 26, 2009 by Rev. Philip Kieselhorst.

11. Miss Amanda Dunn, Mt. Olive Lutheran School, Overland Park, KS on August 2, 2009. 12. Miss Cindy Lemke, Prince of Peace, Salt Lake City, UT on August 9, 2009 by Rev. Jon

Micheel. 13. Miss Beckie Gilbert, St. Paul, Plymouth, NE on August 16, 2009 by Rev. John Bortulin. 14. Mrs. Sara Doyle, Shepherd of the Valley, Westminster, CO on August 23, 2009 by Rev.

Philip Kieselhorst. 15. Miss Rachel Taasaas, St. Mark Preschool, Lincoln, NE on February 14, 2010 by Rev.

Stephen Raddatz. 16.Miss Kari Muente, RMLHS, Northglenn, CO on August 18, 2009 by Rev. Kurt Ebert.

Other Installations

1. Mr. Adam Lambrecht as staff minister at the new mission in Battlement Mesa, CO on December 14, 2008 by Rev. William Cornelius.

WELS Certification

1. Mr. Geron Brown, Christ Our Redeemer, Aurora, – CO August 2008. 2. Mr. Seth Fitzsimmons, St. Paul, Norfolk, NE – November 2009. 3. Mrs. Lori Seiltz, Salem, Colorado Springs, CO – November 2009.

Transfers to Our District 1. Rev. Matthew Kiecker from the Michigan District. 2. Rev. Shiloh Monday from the Minnesota District. 3. Mr. Kip Wilson from the Northern Wisconsin District. 4. Rev. Roger Quandt from the Northern Wisconsin District. 5. Rev. Jared Oldenburg from the Pacific Northwest District. 6. Rev. Jesse Stern from the Minnesota District.

Transfers to Other Districts

1. Rev. Peter Unnasch to the Southeastern Wisconsin District. 2. Rev. Roger Rockhoff to the South Atlantic District. 3. Rev. Roger Riedel to the Northern Wisconsin District. 4. Rev. Matthew Zimplemann to the Pacific Northwest District. 5. Mr. Joel Cordes to the Michigan District. 6. Mr. Ian Watson to the Northern Wisconsin District. 7. Rev. Matthew Ewart to the Arizona-California District. 8. Rev. Jeffrey Enderle to the Arizona-California District. 9. Mr. Matthew Kanzenbach to the Western Wisconsin District.

Retirements

1. Rev. John Kurth, – June 30, 2009. 2. Rev. Loren Fritz – June 30, 2009.

A-10

Page - 16

3. Rev. Gary Schult, – October 7, 2009.

Releases from the Ministry 1. Rev. Chad Wright, Immanuel, Hadar, NE - July 15, 2008. 2. Mr. John Barenz, RMLHS, Northglenn, CO - June 1, 2009. 3. Mrs. Sharreen Nelson as director of St. Paul’s Childcare, Plymouth, NE, effective June 13,

2008. 4. Rev. James Tauscher, Missionary Call to Russia – September 30, 2009. 5. Mrs. Sarah Forte as teacher at Good Shepherd, Omaha, NE – end of the 2008-09 school

year. 6. Rev. James Plitzuweit, Rock of Ages, Kansas City, MO – September 30, 2009. 7. Miss Liz Raasch, St. Mark’s Lincoln, NE (Daycare Director) – December 15, 2009. 8. Mrs. Roberta Blome, Little Lambs ECE, Zion, Valentine, NE (Preschool

Director/Teacher) – May 31, 2010. 9. Mrs. Cindy (Lemke) Zarling, Prince of Peace, Salt Lake City, UT – end of the 2009-10

school year. 10. Mrs. Leslie Brauer, Gethsemeane, Omaha, NE – end of the 2009-10 school year. 11. Mrs. Joanna (Lescher) Hafner, Good Shepherd, Omaha, NE – June 30, 2010.

Resignations

1. Rev. Randy Bader as chairman and member of the Constitution and Legislation Committee.

2. Rev. Peter Unnasch as a member of the Adult Discipleship Commission. 3. Rev. Peter Unnasch as a member of the Board of Appeals. 4. Rev. William Cornelius as a member of the Youth Discipleship Commission. 5. Rev. William Cornelius as a member of the Special Ministries Commission. 6. Rev. Roger Riedel as a member of the Nominating Committee for the Southern

Conference. 7. Rev. Matthew Zimplemann as a member of the Nebraska District Mission Board. 8. Rev. Matthew Zimplemann as the vice-chairman of the Ministry of Christian Giving. 9. Rev. James Plitzuweit as a member of the Evangelism Commission. 10. Rev. James Plitzuweit as a circuit pastor for the Mid-America Circuit of the Southern

Conference.

Position Eliminated 1. Rev. James Tauscher, Peace, Boulder, CO - March 15, 2009. 2. Staff Minister Jace Holden, St. Mark, Salina, KS – June 15, 2009. 3. Mrs. Marcel Vossler , St. Paul’s Childcare, Plymouth, NE - December 4, 2009. 4. Mrs. Lori Kahrs, St. Paul’s Childcare, Plymouth, NE - December 4, 2009. 5. Mr. Kevin Hahm, NELHS, Waco, NE – June 30, 2010.

School Closings 1. St. John, Stanton, NE – end of the 2008-09 school year. 2. Shepherd of the Hills, Greeley, CO – end of the 2008-09 school year.

Church Closings

1. Garden of Gethsemane, Omaha, NE – September 27, 2009.

A-11

Page - 17

Appointments 1. Rev. Timothy Kemnitz as chairman of the District Constitution and Legislation

Committee. 2. Rev. David Wietzke as a member of the District Constitution and Legislation Committee. 3. Rev. David Olson as a member of the District Evangelism Commission. 4. Rev. Mark Hayes as a member of the Adult Discipleship Commission. 5. Teacher Timothy Hemling as a School Counselor. 6. Rev. Steven Kahrs as a member of the District Board of Appeals. 7. Rev. Thomas Jeske as a member of the District Board of Appeals. 8. Rev. Thomas Glende as a member of the District Board of Appeals. 9. Teacher Philip Stern as a member of the District Board of Appeals. 10. Mr. Dean Thaut as a member of the District Board of Appeals. 11. Rev. Stephen Raddatz as a member of the Nominating Committee for the Southern

Conference. 12. Teacher Jeffry Sell as a School Counselor. 13. Rev. Justin Gosch as a member of the District Evangelism Committee. 14. Rev. Justin Gosch as a member of the Adult Discipleship Commission representing the

Rosebud Conference. 15. Rev. Tyler Peil as a member of the Nebraska District Mission Board. 16. Rev. Joel Spaude as Circuit Pastor for the Northern Colorado Conference. 17. Rev. Mark Hayes as coordinator of the Adult Discipleship Commission. 18. Rev. John Stelter as a member of the District Evangelism Commission. 19. Rev. Steven Raddatz as chairman of Ministry of Christian Giving.

Anniversaries 1. Zion, Clatonia, NE - 125th anniversary of the congregation on June 22, 2008. 2. Rev. Joel Frank, St. Paul’s, Plymouth, NE - 40 years in the public ministry on August 3,

2008. 3. Christ Lutheran School, Grand Island, NE - 50th anniversary on August 17, 2008. 4. Teacher Dean Johnson, Christ Our Redeemer, Aurora, CO - 25 years in the public

ministry on August 24, 2008. 5. Salem, Colorado Springs, CO - 35th anniversary of the church on September 7, 2008. 6. Lord of Life, Thornton, CO - 25th anniversary of church on October 19, 2008. 7. Rev. William Goehring, NELHS, Waco, NE - 40 years in the public ministry on March

29, 2009. 8. Bethel, York, NE - 30th anniversary of congregation on April 26, 2009. 9. St. John, Platteville, CO – 75th anniversary of the congregation on July 12, 2009. 10. Zion, Valentine, NE - 75th anniversary of congregation on July 18, 2009. 11. Rev. Mark Voss, Christ Our Redeemer, Aurora, CO – 25 years in the public ministry on

September 5, 2009. 12. Our Savior’s, Longmont, CO – 50th anniversary of congregation on September 13, 2009. 13. St. Mark, Sutton, NE – 60th anniversary of the congregation on November 8, 2009. 14. Teacher Michael Schaefer, RMLHS, Northglenn, CO – 27 years in the public ministry on

March 7, 2010.

Groundbreaking 1. St. Paul’s, Plymouth, NE - new educational facility on March 8, 2009.

A-12

Page - 18

Dedications 1. Crown of Life, Pueblo West, CO - dedication of new worship facility on October 5, 2008. 2. Gethsemane, Omaha, NE - dedication of new church entry on January 25, 2009. 3. Bethel, York, NE - dedication of worship facility on April 26, 2009. 4. Zion, Clatonia, NE - dedication of new church addition on August 30, 2009. 5. St. Paul’s, Plymouth, NE - dedication of new educational facility on September 20, 2009. 6. Laramie Church Building, Laramie, WY - dedication of new church building on March

28, 2010.

In Memory 1. Rev. William Allwardt died February15, 2009. The funeral service was conducted at St.

Martin’s Ev. Lutheran Church in Watertown, SD on February 18, 2009. 2. Mr. David Karnitz died April 27, 2009. The funeral service was conducted at Faith Ev.

Lutheran Church in Prior Lake, MN on May 2, 2009. He had served at Trinity Lutheran School in Hoskins.

3. Rev. David Worgull died on April 27, 2009. He had served at St. Paul’s, Naper, NE. 4. Rev. William Wietzke died September 6, 2009. The funeral service was conducted at

Bethel Ev. Lutheran Church in York, NE on September 10, 2009.

Please contact the Floor Committee #1 if you have information concerning incomplete dates for any of the above information.

B-1

Page - 19

Report of the Synodical Council (B) Slide 1 Kurt Austad Nebraska District SC Lay Member Membership and organization Slide 2

• One Lay Member from each district • Two at-large pastors and one at-large teacher • Chairmen of the three areas of ministry • Three district presidents • President • Advisory members • Three standing committees

• Administration • Finance • Ministry

Oversight of Operations and Policies Slide 3

• Accounting Oversight Committee (RTD p. 59) • International travel and security • Corporate credit card policy • Uniform endowment spending policy • Conflict of interest policy • Use of special funds and designated gifts

Oversight of Operations and Policies Slide 4

• Facilities and property (p. 56) • SAB maintenance and future plans • School campus maintenance • MLC chapel project • Restoration and sale of the last synod-owned parsonage

• WELS archives (p. 57) • Progress in organizing materials • Need for staffing and space

Oversight of Operations and Policies Slide 5

• Support Services (p. 60-66) • Financial services • Technology and Information Services • Human Resources • New Human Resources Oversight Committee

B-2

Page - 20

Implementing Convention Decisions Slide 6 • Convention Compliance List (p. 34-35)

• Tracking responsible entities • Reports on progress • Prepare final report to the 2011 Convention

Overseeing Areas of Ministry Slide 7

• Ministry Committee membership • Progress and planning reports • Prioritizing and coordinating mission and ministry

Developing the Ministry Plan and Budget Slide 8

• Support forecast • Input from areas of ministry and support services • Process for 2011-13 already begun • Initial budget proposal to SC in November 2010 • Refined proposal in February 2011 • Final budget in April 2011 • Budget proposed to Convention in July 2011

Oversight of Subsidiary Organizations Slide 9

• WELS Church Extension Fund (p. 95) • WELS Foundation (p. 96) • WELS Investment Funds (p. 98) • Northwestern Publishing House (p.100) • WELS Benefit Plans (p. 101) • WELS Historical Institute (p. 102)

Other Entities Slide 10

• WELS Archives (p. 57) • Committee on Relief (p. 57) • Publication Coordinating Committee (p. 58)

Long Range Ministry Plan 2017 Slide 11

• Mandated by the 2009 Convention • Draft to be considered by 2010 District Conventions • Additional development and refining • Final plan presented to 2011 Synod Convention

2009-2011 Biennial Budget Slide 12

• Balanced • Increased transparency

• Synod Special Funds • Schools

• Improved projectability • CMO driven • Financial Stabilization Fund

B-3

Page - 21

Fiscal Year 2009-10 Slide 13 • Surplus projected

• CMO shortfall • VEBA premium holiday • Under-spending

Fiscal Year 2010-11 Slide 14

• Balanced budget projected • CMO shortfall • Wage freeze • Foundation support • Bequests

2011-2013 Biennial Budget Slide 15

• Deficits projected – FY 2011-12: $4.2 million – FY 2012-13: $4.3 million

• CMO increases of 2.0% • Wage increases of 3.5% • Schwann Foundation • School maintenance • CMSG support

2011-2013 Biennial Budget Slide 16

• Preliminary annual subsidy allocations: • Ministerial Education $7,800,000 (28.5%) • World Missions $6,000,000 (21.9%) • Home Missions $5,100,000 (18.6%) • Cong. & Dist. Ministry $3,900,000 (14.2%) • Ministry Support $3,000,000 (10.9%) • Debt $1,600,000 ( 5.8%)

Our prayer Slide 17 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and you endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3)

C-1

Page - 22

Board for Home Missions – Nebraska District – Colorado Mission Board

Report of the Colorado Mission District Mission Board (C) Report to the 2010 Nebraska District Convention June 14-16, 2010 Greetings in the name of the Lord of the Church, our risen and ascended Savior, Jesus! Some might suppose that the less money Home Missions has to work with, the less work they have to do. Our District Mission Board has found the opposite to be true. For one thing, not having as much money as we’d like doesn’t stop the need for telling people that the risen Jesus died and rose them. Souls – people – our neighbors - perish forever in hell if they do not know their risen Savior and believe in him. And so our DMB has even more mission-oriented work to do especially when we can’t fund a mission establishment, or a mission enhancement, or a mission development. It’s been a busy couple of years for our Colorado DMB, but the Lord has blessed the efforts of his people, with funding or without. And yet one new mission establishment has been started - Castle Rock, CO! Ask Board for Home Mission chairman / Convention essayist Pastor Chuck Westra how easy it was to go forward with opening a new mission at this time in our Synod. There are sound and wise arguments that can be made about funding and re-funding missions that are already going and perhaps struggling. But what could happen to our church body if all we do is maintain congregations and never start any new ones? More importantly, what happens to the people in communities that may never know Christ without us preaching the saving Good News to them? And so we rejoice that the Lord led Pastor Jared Oldenburg to accept the Call to be mission explorer in Castle Rock. Some of you may remember that Jared spent his vicar year at Lord of Life in Thornton, CO in 2000-01. We value his experience and gifts and ask the Lord to bless his efforts. Jared’s installation is set for July 18 at Abiding Word in Highlands Ranch. There are tremendous blessings from a mighty and gracious God happening even where monies cannot be sent. In Sheridan, WY, where Pastor Gary Schult serves a semi-retirement call at Valley Lutheran.

Dr. Keith Eldred

Lay Rep to the BHM 213 E. Carlson St.

Cheyenne, WY. 82009 307-631-6756 (Home & Cell)

307-638-2020 (Office) kceldred@gmail.com

Mr. Martin Rehm Treasurer

13429 Marion Street, Thornton, CO 80241 303-280-4716 (home) 303-254-3183 (office) 303-552-4389 (Cell)

Rehmmarty@aol.com

Rev. Brent Merten Secretary Box 3547

Eagle, CO. 81631—3547 970-328-3055 (Home) 970-328-6718 (Office) 970-393-3038 (Cell) mtvalley@vail.net

Rev. Kevin Klug 307 E. 40th Street

Loveland, CO 80538 970-667-9545 (Home) 970-622-2030 (Office)

970-213-4226 abidinglove@comcast.net

Rev. Wayne Uhlhorn Chairman

2540 Norwich Dr. Colorado Springs, CO. 80920

719-574-7459 (Home) 719-596-2222 (Office) 719-229-0565 (Cell)

pastor@fountoflife.com

Rev. Joel Frank District President 110 Highway 4

Plymouth, NE. 68424 402-656-3055 (Home) 402-656-3003 (Office) 402-239-3220 (Cell)

nedpwels@diodecom.com

Rev. Mark Birkholz Mission Counselor

3855 E. 139th Pl Thornton, CO 80602-8774

303-252-8546 (Home) 303-501-2773 (Cell) mbirkholz@aol.com

C-2

Page - 23

At Living Hope in Brighton – where Pastor Chad Walta is serving in this shared time ministry with RMLHS. Who would have thought they would be up and running and expanding and doing so well one year after they had to be de-funded? They had 63 attend Easter services!! How about Peace in Boulder, where Pastor Gene Ahlswhede has been faithfully serving this past year! They looked at creative ways (refinancing their loan ….. working with RMLHS …..) to call a Seminary graduate to serve them and reach out in the community. And there is Prince of Peace in Salt Lake City. They got approval and funding and called eight times for a 2nd pastor to concentrate on outreach. Eight times the call was returned. Then they got that position defunded. Then last spring they learned their former vicar graduated from the Seminary without a call. So they scrapped together some funds and a ministry plan and called him for one year. Now in under one year, they’ve been able to call them full-time, and Home Missions was able to give them subsidy for two years, to help make sure the outreach pastor position is funded and Pastor Noah Bater (working with Pastor Jonathon Micheel) actually gets paid for being a pastor! King of Kings in Scottsbluff is considering the possible shortage of calls for Seminary graduates as an opportunity to have a pastor called there. He would probably have to pick up part-time work to supplement his income. But its an opportunity. And that’s the beauty of what God is doing with us and through us during these challenging economic times. He’s raising us up to see opportunity through adversity. And he’s doing remarkable things. And he has maybe even sharpened our focus on telling more and more people the Good News of salvation in the risen Christ! Another great series of outreach events going on this summer are our soccer camps. Two MLC students - Daniel Slaughter and Justin Pomije- will spend their summer at eleven different Colorado Mission District congregations helping them reach out in their communities by conducting soccer camps. Please join us in praying that these camps are a blessing to the outreach efforts of the congregations and that Daniel and Justin’s summer is safe and productive. Funding for these summer jobs come from a grant given to Martin Luther College. Now, let’s take a look at some of the work of the Lord in our Colorado Mission District that I have not yet mentioned: Shepherd of the Mesa, Battlement Mesa, Colorado. Pastor Bill Cornelius and Staff ministers Adam and Sarah Lambrecht continue to be involved in the community, working basketball and soccer camps, serving on community boards, visiting nursing homes, doing radio work, (including play by play announcing of away high school football games) hosting over 250 people recently at their Community Cookout held where they worship and meet at the Grand Valley Historical Society. Crown of Life, Pueblo West, CO. – saw 265 people attend their Easter services this year – they average a little over 100 per Sunday! They continue to see new people each week visit their (practically) brand new facility. They have a BIC in double digits. CoL is served by Pastor Mark Hayes. Living Savior, Littleton, CO. – raised the necessary money themselves to start an Early Childhood Education program this fall. They have continued to keep the pace of rising offerings vs. decreasing amounts of subsidy. The Lord has blessed the work of Pastor Dave Koelpin. Good Shepherd, Cheyenne – has expanded westward – dedicating their Good Shepherd , Laramie, church site on Palm Sunday. Over 25 attend there every week on Sundays as Pastor Jeff Heitsch drives over after services in Cheyenne. Now that they have a permanent location they can stop playing their version of Where’s Waldo – Where’s the WELS in Laramie? Congregation members raised $20,000 in about a week, in order to help purchase the church!

C-3

Page - 24

Christ Lutheran, Denver – continues to be blessed through the faithful service of Pastor Paul Biedenbender and CLC coordinator Eileen Zanto. They had about 120 attend on Easter Sunday – 75 in the English service and 45 in the Spanish speaking service. On Sunday, April 25th and then after school on April 30th, they celebrated El Dia del Nino – the traditional Mexican holiday which celebrates the responsibility of caring for the needs of our children and celebrates them as the blessing they are. They have been working with architects who have drawn up a beautiful permanent facility for them. Mountain Valley, Eagle – had 168 on Easter Sunday – their highest total ever for Easter worship, including 40 visitors, 20 some were first time visitors. The economy has hit this resort community hard, but Pastor Brent Merten is doing well as they get set to receive their second vicar in a mission setting. Christ the Rock, Farmington – continues their tradition of aggressive summer outreach with two WELS Kingdom Workers, an outreach basketball camp that recently received a two page newspaper article in the local paper, and more. They have also begun to hold services, once per month, for their folks that are members there but live in Durango. The members are bringing their friends, too! CTR is served faithfully by Pastor Tom Glende and Pastor Jim Fleming. Fount of Life, Colorado Springs – raised the necessary 20% down payment ($295,000) and then some and applied for a CEF loan for a 8500 square foot expansion. They plan to break ground soon. FOL is served by the undersigned. Light of the Valley, Layton, UT – is back to averaging over 70 in worship, over 30 in Adult Bible class, and has 16 enrolled in Bible information class. It’s a challenging f ield filled with many LDS – but the Lord is blessing the work of Pastor Doug Lange. Living Word, Montrose – recently f ound a 2 ac re pi ece of l and where t hey hope to relocate t he parsonage, expand a garage t o 2700 s quare f eet f or w orship a nd a p reschool, a nd pl an for a future sanctuary. This allows them to get out of their temporary storefront and start a preschool, God willing, in the f all of 2011A lready Jessica F rey ( Pastor Ma tt F rey’s wife, Tim and D ori W inkel’s da ughter, Nathaniel’s sister) is offering a “Mostly Music” class that is a big hit in the community. And we’d love to start something in St. George, Utah. And Durango. And north Colorado Springs. And get full-time manpower in Laramie. And help with the Hispanic Outreach in Thornton. And get Living Hope, Brighton to call Chad full-time. And more. I wanted to quick mention that I’m not sure how much money will be available from Wels Kingdom Workers. But I don’t want to make the mistake I made last year and give the impression that there’s no need to even apply if you’ve got a good idea for outreach. Remember, WKW has funded National Projects, like Adam and Sarah Lambrecht in Battlement Mesa. MMA projects like summer workers in Farmington, NM. And YIS projects like TCW teams that come and spend a week during spring break. Applications are due to our Board by August 15th. In late April the Board for Home Missions met in Milwaukee. We’ll heard the good news that the Executive Committee approved all our requests for continued subsidy for Christ, Denver; Living Word, Montrose; Prince of Peace, Salt Lake City; and Christ the Rock, Farmington. We learned that four of our five Vicars in Mission setting requests were prioritized (the four that have vicar this year –FOL in CO Springs, Zion, Denver, Mountain Valley in Eagle, and Lord of Life in Thornton, …..St. Peter, Fort Collins plans to reapply next year).

C-4

Page - 25

And we discussed the Task Force report which has recommendations concerning everything from Mission Board Structure and Operation to the use of Mission Counselors to the Promotion of Home Missions to the future of funding for Missions. We plan to discuss the Task Force Proposals during the Home Missions section of this convention. But while structure and funding and so many other things may change, may our zeal to reach the lost without Christ never change. And it won’t when we remember how the apostle Paul encouraged the Corinthians at the conclusion of his great resurrection chapter (15) in 1Corinthians, to always give themselves fully to the Lord. It won’t when we are compelled by the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It won’t when we remember that One died for all. After all, take a look at what happened in the book of Acts. 20Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. (Acts 11:20) Take a look at the examples in this report. And then, go labor on! Pastor Wayne Uhlhorn, Chairman, Colorado Mission Board

D-1

Page - 26

Report of the Nebraska Mission District Mission Board (D)

“The Witness of a Little Girl”

“Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, ‘If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy’” (2 Kings 5:2,3). If there was anyone who may have had an excuse not to verbalize her faith, it would have been this little Israelite girl. Taken from her home and her homeland, forced into service as a slave, and not owing a thing to her captors, still she had compassion on the husband of her mistress and shared information on where he could find help for his disease. Wasn’t she afraid? W asn’t she bi tter about what had happened? D idn’t she feel at least some animosity toward those who had so cruelly disrupted her l ife? F or some reason, all that took a backseat to her desire to help. In so doing, Naaman not only found a cure for his leprosy but also for his sinfulness. As individuals we may wonder what impact we can make on a world infected with the leprosy of sin. W e c an learn s omething from th e w itness of thi s little girl! O ur Lord doe sn’t a sk us to convert t he w orld a ll b y our selves, but he g ives e ach of us our ow n op portunities t o m ake a difference with those around us. Pray that he opens our eyes to see these opportunities, so that we can emulate the example of the little servant girl who made such a difference in the life of those around her. The N ebraska D istrict Mission B oard (DMB) e xists t o he lp c ongregations i n t raining a nd equipping people to be the Lord’s witnesses. We do so by offering support to the missions under our care and by exploring new fields that are ripe for harvest. Here’s a summary of the work that we’ve been privileged to do and the challenges that lie ahead: STATION REPORTS Peace, Shenandoah, Iowa 20 souls, 20 communicants Pastor Thomas Jeske (Vacancy Pastor) Three t owns i n S outhwest Iowa w ork t ogether t o make up the membership of P eace: Shenandoah, Clarinda, and Red Oak. The congregation meets for worship on Saturday evenings. Their white-frame house of worship is said to be the oldest building in Shenandoah. The interior is currently receiving a fresh coat of paint. The majority of members work in area window or tool factories. T he members of Peace had put in a request for a graduate from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary t o serve t hem i n a t ent-ministry capacity but did not r eceive one when the g raduates were assigned i n M ay. F uture pl ans i nvolve additional r esearch b y t he D MB and i ts m ission counselor, Mark Birkholz, to see if a connection can be made with a nucleus of people from the Council Bluffs area in some form of dual parish.

D-2

Page - 27

Grace Hmong, Kansas City, Kansas 55 souls, 26 communicants Pastor Bounkeo Lor Grace Hmong Lutheran Church is t he ne w of ficial na me for t he K ansas C ity H mong congregation, formerly a part of the ministry of Rock of Ages in Kansas City, Missouri, but now in the process of organizing to become its own separate congregation. In the past two years the membership ha s i ncreased f rom s ix t o ten f amilies. A de sire t o be c loser t o t he H mong population in Kansas City prompted a move to Wyandotte County -- the “Kansas side” of Kansas City. A lease agreement was signed that allows the members to rent a LC-MS church for services and of fice s pace. An opening w eekend celebration w as h eld on J une 5 -6, w ith i nvitations extended to the Hmong in the Kansas City area. There are several Hmong families moving into the a rea. C ontacts a re b eing made b y Pastor Lor, who i s a lso he ading u p the Pastoral S tudies Institute in his congregation and teaching five men interested in ministry. Pastor Lor also keeps busy with s ome i nternational e vangelism e fforts thr ough e-mail a nd ph one c ontacts, s ending materials to those who live in China, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Hope, Manhattan, Kansas 70 souls, 50 communicants Pastor Philip Hirsch Hope has expanded their child care ministry by leasing a west campus in addition to their current early l earning center. T hey’re welcoming Kristin Mantey, who accepted a call f rom W inston-Salem, North Carolina. Kristin will be replacing Lauren Moll, who recently completed her one-year a ssignment a nd was r eassigned t o D oral, F lorida. T he m embers o f H ope a re pl anning t o attend a S chool of Outreach i n T opeka i n S eptember t o e nhance t heir awareness of out reach opportunities, bot h w ithin a nd out side of their e arly l earning c enters. P lanning e fforts a re ongoing as to how best to utilize the opportunities available to do gospel ministry in Manhattan. Good Shepherd, Kearney, Nebraska 100 souls, 71 communicants Pastor Kurt Schaser Good S hepherd i s i n t he pr ocess of bui lding a new w orship facility. T he t otal pr oject cost i s $430,000. T hey are receiving a m atching do wn pa yment o f $86,000 a long w ith a n a dditional construction loan from the WELS Church Extension Fund to cover the cost. The facility will be 4500 s quare f eet, w ith r oom f or a 140 -seat s anctuary, gathering/worship ove rflow, nur sery, pastor’s office, multipurpose room, bathrooms, and mechanical room. Builders For Christ have been enlisted for the project. The target completion date is the end of July or early August. Living Savior, Hays, Kansas 9 souls, 9 communicants Pastor Timm Meyer Living Savior worships weekly on Sunday nights on the third floor of the Hadley Center, a former hospital. W eekly attendance i s us ually a doz en or m ore. In D ecember of 2009, s ix m embers were welcomed into membership by adult confirmation. An adolescent youth center for teens has opened in the building and is looking for pastoral help. A n assisted living center will also open soon and is advertising Living Savior in their brochures. We appreciate Pastor Meyer making the weekly journeys from Norton to serve this group of saints.

D-3

Page - 28

BHM TASK FORCE At the April meeting of the Board for Home Missions (BHM), a preliminary report was received from t he B HM T ask F orce w ith r ecommendations i nvolving t he B HM structure, t he M ission Counselor program, and future funding efforts. More discussion will be held on this report later during the convention. VICARS IN MISSION SETTINGS This program offers vicars to congregations that may be unable to afford the full cost of a vicar but offer a mission setting in which a vicar may gain valuable experience. The BHM has joined in partnership with Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in the assigning of these men to their fields of service. Four requests were submitted from our board for the Vicars in Mission Settings program. Two of them were granted: Daniel Laitinen was assigned to serve at Messiah in Wichita, Kansas. Donald Tilbury was assigned to serve at Gethsemane in Omaha, Nebraska. MENTORING/SHEPHERDING OPPORTUNITIES As a DMB we stand ready to serve in an advisory capacity for any congregations seeking to begin any type of new ministry, especially those in need of little or no additional funding to do so. In most cases we will assign a DMB member to work with you as a “mentor/shepherd.” S ome of these new ministries may end up s eeking BHM funding, with others continuing to provide t he needed dollars on the local level. FUTURE FIELDS The DMB has targeted several cities within our district as potential locations for exploratory work to see if there might be a field for a future mission congregation. One of those cities is Council Bluffs, Iowa. Mission Counselor Mark Birkholz made a February visit to research this area. As mentioned pr eviously, f uture pl ans would l ikely include t ying C ouncil B luffs in with the congregation in Shenandoah. Research is also being planned for Lawrence, Kansas in an effort to see t he va lidity of hooki ng up s omething in t his a rea with our congregations i n Topeka and/or Overland Park. WELS KINGDOM WORKERS If you’d like some short-term funding for mission endeavors, WELS Kingdom Workers (WKW) offers grants on a year-to-year ba sis. S uch requests ar e t o have a h eavy em phasis on lay involvement. The proper forms can be found online and are to be sent to the DMB by August 15 to ensure proper accountability and priority. Faith In Action (FIA) requests, which usually utilize students for outreach work, can be submitted at any time through the DMB, but try to plan at least six m onths i n a dvance w hen doi ng s o. T he f orms to do s o c an a lso b e f ound on t he WKW website. MISSION COUNSELOR Pastor M ark B irkholz c ontinues t o s erve our di strict i n t his c apacity along w ith t he C olorado, North A tlantic, and M ichigan m ission di stricts. If you t hink M ark c an he lp you a nd your congregation in any way, or if you have an area in need of demographic research, give us a cal l and we’ll set something up. DMB ELECTIONS Steve H elwig, J eff M cKee, and I all ha ve t erms e xpiring a t t his c onvention, a nd onl y S teve Helwig is eligible for reelection. Jeff McKee is completing 12 years of service on both the DMB and the BHM. I have had the privilege of serving on the DMB for the past 18 years, including 14

D-4

Page - 29

years as chairman and as a member of the BHM. A new chairman will be elected by the board at the f irst D MB me eting after the c onvention. M y tha nks to Jeff M cKee f or hi s time a nd faithfulness during his time on the board -- and for accompanying me on over two dozen trips to Milwaukee! Thank you also to all those who have aided me greatly over the years in being able to serve in this capacity. Your prayers have been appreciated, and your willingness to serve your Savior in gospel outreach has not gone unnoticed. Blessings upon the newly-elected members of the DMB and on t he new chairman! May the Lord continue to use you to his glory and for the spread of his kingdom. Respectfully submitted, Rev. Jonathan J. Rockhoff, Chairman Rev. Stephen Helwig, Financial/Recording Secretary Mr. Jeff McKee, BHM Representative Mr. Don Niemann Rev. Tyler Peil Rev. Joel Frank, District President

E-1

Page - 30

Report of the Ministry of Christian Giving (E) Excel in the Grace of Giving Slide 1 Stephen Raddatz Nebraska District Convention June 14-16, 2010 Excel in the Grace of Giving Slide 2

• By doing battle with materialism, the Baal of this age

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10

Excel in the Grace of Giving Slide 3

• By looking upon our money as a gift God has given us to manage

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 2 Corinthians 9:10

Materialism Is Pervasive Slide 4

2.6% per capita giving in WELS—same as other Protestant Christian churches in US

E-2

Page - 31

Materialism Is Pervasive Slide 5 Amount of debt held by congregations:

Materialism Is Pervasive Slide 6

• Providing for called workers • Church attendance: 43% in WELS, 49% in NE • Bible class: 15% in WELS, 24% in NE District

Important Realities Slide 7

• The modern church uses money to operate—pay the bills, salaries, building expenses, WELS.

• The devil does not want the church to succeed. He wants it to struggle, feud, and finally fail.

The Key: Slide 8

Stay Rooted in the Word!

E-3

Page - 32

Early Materialism Slide 9 • Adam and Eve

When the woman saw the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom . . . Genesis 3:6

• Cain

Abel brought fat portions . . . The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor.” Genesis 4:4-5

Early Materialism Slide 10

• The Corinthians And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work . . . 2 Corinthians 8:10-11

The Greatest Gift Slide 11

• The promise of the Savior in prophecy

Surely he took up our infirmities . . . he was pierced for our transgressions . . . he was led like a lamb to the slaughter . . . Isaiah 53:4,5,7

• The promise of the Savior in ceremony But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Hebrews 10:12

Christ’s Love Slide 12

• He carried out his duties as the Messiah. Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Luke 24:45-47

Christ’s Love Slide 13

• He has come into our lives through Word and sacrament.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8

Our Calling Slide 14

• To excel in the grace of giving • God instills the “grace of giving in us” • Fueled by Word and sacrament

E-4

Page - 33

Our Calling Slide 15 • Our Congregation Mission Offerings

– Serving more than a zip code – Looking out to the world – 10/10 Plan – Christ’s Love, Our Calling – Faith Focused Finances

Congregation Mission Offerings Slide 16

• Synod – January 2010 – April 2010 – $ 5,912,855 5.6% increase from 2009

• Nebraska District – January 2010 – April 2010 – $ 276,179

WELS VEBA PREMIUM HOLIDAY Slide 17

$651,900 from 398 out of 928 WELS organizations who had the opportunity for honoring the synod convention resolution. Average gift size: $1,626.

WELS Year of Jubilee Slide 18

• $ 4,630,751.86 God Be Praised! • 3749 donors • $680.99 average gift • Gifts toward “debt elimination” will continue to be accepted to work toward totally

eliminating the capital indebtedness of WELS. Walking Together 2010 Slide 19

• Meant for September 2010 • Materials will be shipped in July • Need materials earlier

– Contact adam.goede@wels.net • Worship Resources

– WELS Endowment Fund Slide 20

https://connect.wels.net/AOM/MCG/Pages/WalkingTogether.aspx

• October 2010 Endowment Emphasis • $ 8,348,412 has been given to the different endowment funds • $ 49,887,222 has been promised to the endowment funds through deferred gifts

WELS Gifts/Bequests for the Fiscal Year: Slide 21

• Unrestricted: – 09-10 $10,053,476 Mar 31, 2010

• Temporarily Restricted: – 09-10 $ 6,794,949 Mar 31, 2010

• Permanently Restricted: – 09-10 $ 560,903 Mar 31, 2010

E-5

Page - 34

Charitable Gift Annuity Appeal Slide 22

• Over $1M in last appeal • Learn about CGAs at www.welsfoundation.net

WELS Deferred Expectancies for the Fiscal Year Slide 23

• Irrevocable (CGAs, CRUTs) Gifts: – 09-10 $ 1,289,019 Mar 31, 2010

• Revocable (Wills, Life Ins, Beneficiary) Gifts: – 09-10 $23,429,419 Mar 31, 2010

Thank You! Slide 24

Stephen Raddatz NE District Chairman for the Ministry of Christian Giving sraddatz@stmarkwels.org

F-1

Page - 35

Report of the Parish Schools (F) Nebraska District 2010

WELSSA--(Wisconsin Ev. Lutheran Synod School Accreditation) lists three objectives for the self-study/accreditation process. Assist congregations with evaluating their schools Provide congregations with basis for developing a school improvement plan Provide a means by which WELS schools can become accredited

WELSSA is recognized by NCPSA (National Council for Private School Accreditation). These organizations ensure that accredited schools meet state and national standards. Accreditation status adds credibility to a school’s program but, more importantly, it provides a plan for continued improvement. The following schools in the Nebraska are participating the WELSSA program –

Accredited Salem, Colorado Springs NE Our Savior, Longmont CO

Rocky Mt. Lutheran High School, Northglenn CO Mt. Olive, Overland Park KS Prince of Peace, Salt Lake City UT Shepherd of the Valley, Westminster CO Nebraska Lutheran High School, Waco NE Working through Accreditation process Zion, Denver CO Good Shepherd, Omaha NE St. Paul, Plymouth NE

Leadership Workshops--On June 22-23, over 30 WELS school leaders, including almost all of the District School Coordinators and representatives from our ALHS, will gather at the SAB to receive training at Leadership Institute Modules (LIM) co-presenters. These NTC trained leaders will then be able to offer Leadership Institute Modules back in their districts and ALHS federations during the coming year. They will also serve as presenters for a wider and more formal rollout of the modules the following year. The goal is to make the LIM available throughout our entire synod to all principals, ECM directors, pastors, and all school leaders. Student Teachers--Student teachers from Martin Luther College (MLC) completed their student teaching in our district for the second year. This last school year, seven schools were able to serve as supervisors to nine MLC student teachers. Several other schools are requesting student teachers for this upcoming school year and we are hoping to continue this partnership with MLC. Team Ministry Process--All of the elementary schools in our district are served by Team Ministry Process counselors. Thank you to all counselors in the district for your service. Assisting Beginning Teachers--A workshop to introduce the newly assigned teachers to our district and their mentors will be held in August. Assisting New Principals--The newly assigned or reassigned principal apprentices in our district have been given a mentor by the Commission on Lutheran Schools.

F-2

Page - 36

Supplementary CLS Funding--The Supplemental Support Program continues to finance a significant portion of the Commission for Lutheran Schools’ work. The amount collected allows expanded services (Parents’ Crosslink, Learn 360) and subscription discounts (Discovery Streaming, Powerschool, Curriculum Mapper) for participating schools. It also provides resources for CLS’s ongoing work with the New Teacher Center to revamp the Team Ministry Process, implement a new mentoring program, and introduce Leadership Institute training modules. Contributions this year: ECM LES ALHS TOTALS PERCENTAGE 1/14 13/19 1/2 15/35 42.8% District Enrollments 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 ECM 433 569 597 569 588 LES 688 708 712 695 681 LHS 157 141 156 142 115 District News

• St. Paul, Plymouth, NE, spent its first year in its new school building offering more room for its growing enrollment. They also added a full-time teacher this last year. The school is also in the process of accreditation.

• St. Paul, Norfolk, NE, has seen an enrollment increase from 41 in 2008-09, to 52 in 2009-10 to a

projected enrollment of 67 for next year. They are also proposing a building project to their voters.

• Zion, Valentine, NE, is increasing their elementary faculty from one to two full time teachers.

• Good Shepherd, Omaha, NE, is undertaking changes in both staff (immediate) and, God-willing, a facility in the near future. In the past two years enrollment has grown from 66 students to about 100 in the 2010 school year. With this increase, they are adding a separate part-time Kindergarten position, as well as a principal/development director position for the new building program.

• Our Saviors, Longmont, CO, received their full accreditation this last year.

• Nebraska Lutheran High School received their full accreditation this last year.

• Mt. Olive, Overland Park, KS, received their full accreditation this last year.

By God’s grace, Phil Stern (Nebraska District Coordinator)

G-1

Page - 37

Report of the Commission on Evangelism (G) NE District in Convention

June 14-17, 2010 Why we exist as a commission The commission exists to help brothers and sisters in the NE District of the WELS in their corporate evangelism efforts to serve the un-served neighbors next to us who need to be confronted by the unconditional gospel of Jesus Christ. What’s been going on The commission has not been unaffected by the synodical budgetary difficulties and some reorganizing and reprioritizing that has occurred. Parish Services has been more clearly aligned in a cooperative working relationship with the Conference of Presidents in the Congregation Ministry and Support Group (CMSG). The Commission on Evangelism, in the revamped CMSG arrangement, has come out emphasizing many of the same priorities and offerings as before:

-The School of Outreach -An annual Evangelism seminar , offered to the congregations of the district -An annual Evangelism Sunday materials for customized use in your congregation -Partnering with the WELS ministerial ed schools and Area Lutheran High Schools to provide thorough personal witness training and experience -Partnering with the BWM and BHM in every mission and new start

A School of Outreach was held in our district at Abiding Love in Loveland, CO in 2009 and another is scheduled for September, 2010 at Beautiful Savior in Topeka, KS. How we might help Contact one of your commission’s servants regarding ways in which we could either assist you directly or ways in which we could point you to Mike Hintz’ office for help. Our “shepherding” concept (one in which each of the congregations of the district not being actively assisted by the District Mission Board was assigned to one of our commission’s members, to be shepherded personally) has not been as active as we envisioned initially. Was that a consequence of some of the revamping going on? Your commission’s chair would like to see this shepherding concept, shamelessly stolen from the DMB, continue and be strengthened. And now that all the shaking and revamping is over and the Commission’s priorities are again clear, there is no reason why the shepherding can’t happen again. Who we are -Pastor Philip Sievert and Pastor David Olson on the Colorado end of the NE District -Pastor Justin Gosch in the Rosebud of the NE District -Pastor John Stelter and Pastor Phil Hirsch (Coordinator) on the Nebraska end of the NE District

H-1

Page - 38

• Duane Anderson has done training and preparation which makes it possible for congregations to be able to do Bible studies in prison. The WELS has many free Bible studies that usually can be handed out to prisoners.

• The Care Committee for Called Workers has a booklet of questions which your congregation can follow to conduct yearly interviews of their called workers to make sure they are being well provided for.

• Our District has a Williams Sound System for any congregation to borrow and use if so desired. • There is a signed Bible Information Class on tape available for those who have a deaf person

that is interested in learning God’s Word. • There is a Braille CW hymnal that can be used by the blind. Ask me if you could use one.

There are also large print hymnals and devotions which can be used for nursing home ministry as well.

• Pastor Bill Cornelius has done Special Education worship services in the past at a group home. If you have interest in that he may be able to help you.

• Pastor James Seiltz has done work with the Military and may be able to provide some pointers in line with helping military families.

• One illness on the rise has been Asperger’s Disorder which is a milder form of Autism but harder to deal with in some senses. We have several contact people in the Synod who may be able to help with this as well as an 800 number which can be used to connect people of our synod in a support group.

I would encourage any of you to come to me with any questions or requests to try and help you with any “special” requests or needs you may have. Pastor Joel Pankow (Coordinator) – 785.249.9025 – topekawels@hotmail.com Pastor James Seiltz – (western District contact) – 719.599.0200 – pastor@pcisys.net

The WELS continues to provide services and support for a variety of ministries throughout our District and Synod. I have a list of all contact names and numbers as well as available services if you would like one. Samples of different brochures, Bible studies, and contacts are available on a table in the entryway. Duplicates are free for the taking. Several special points of interest are listed below –

Report of the Special Ministries Committee (H)

I-1

Page - 39

Report of the Adult Discipleship Committee (I) Changes Dave Kehl, our director (administrator) for Adult Discipleship has begun his new position as Executive Director of Ministry Advancement at Atonement Lutheran Church in Milwaukee. That leaves the position of director vacant. The COP will decide how to proceed with filling the vacant director positions of CAD as well as CYD in the January meeting. The CAD executive team has asked Dave Kehl to join them on the commission temporarily until a new director is in place. Main Focus of the Commission – Leading Adult Bible Studies In view of the limited financial and personnel resources the Commission on Adult Discipleship will be focusing its energy on developing and providing training for teaching adults and involving them in Bible Study. These special Schools for Leading Adult Bible Studies will be available soon. Available Resources WELS Stewardship Re-Launch in 2010: God’s Love – Our Calling. Although plenty of resources for year one are already available on the new Connect Web pages under Adult Discipleship (www.wels.net/ourcalling), it was determined to re-launch this whole effort this year. Because of the intended roll out coming later in the year to match the roll out of the new synod logo and with all the focus on the synod convention decisions, were not aware or have not been using the program yet. A team was assembled to develop year two and they recommended that we re-launch the use of year one in May to unite the synod congregations around this four-year effort. At district conventions, it will be emphasized as the theme for 2010. This team will review year one for enhancements and work on year two. The team includes Dave Kolander, Aaron Christie, Joel Heckendorf, and Ray Schumacher. Those who have already used the first set of materials will be given more options to build on that theme for 2010. Road to Emmaus “Movie” Project These movies are available at NPH for $14.95. Individuals or churches should not be making their own copies of this copyrighted resource. We are still working on setting up a way that congregations can buy them in bulk. Available now is a talk sheet page on our Connect Web site. A Bible study version and ancillary studies are being developed for future use of this evangelism/ spiritual growth resource. You will find more information on the home page of the Connect site at https://connect.wels.net/AOM/ps/adultdiscipleship/emmaus/default.aspx or visit the home site for the movie www.RoadtoEmmausMovie.com. Heart in Focus – a Christian financial course The full complement of resources is available at NPH (Facilitator’s Kit, Participant’s guide, PowerPoint/video). We are hearing great stories from those using the course. www.nph.net (type in “Heart in Focus” in the search box. One-day Train the Trainer workshops are available on request (requiring a minimum of 10 participants) to help those who will lead this effort in their congregation or community. Contact Carolyn for information. More information can also be found at www.wels.net/jump/faithfinance

I-2

Page - 40

Other CAD Projects Schools of Stewardship and other Faith Focused Finance workshops Scheduling and leadership of these workshops is still being discussed in view of the absence of a CAD director. A tighter partnership in planning these will be developed with Ministry of Christian Giving. Look online or below for scheduled workshops and resources at www.wels.net/jump/faithfinance Women’s Ministry The National Women’s Leadership Conference will be held July 16-18, 2010 at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary with the theme “Leading with a Christ-like Attitude.” More information can be found at www.wels.net/women. The Women’s Ministry Committee’s expanded team is still collecting names of potential contacts in each district to help build a better network for resources and information. If you haven’t offered some names for a district team, let Carolyn know and she’ll help you with that. Also encourage your women to sign up on the Web site to receive updates and postcard mailings. Pastors’ Wives Retreat. Two special Pastor’s Wives Renewal Retreats are being planned. One is on January 30, 2010 in Milwaukee with the theme “Praiseworthy Women.” Another on is on November 5-6, 2010 in Afton MN with the theme “Renewing Our Vow.” Valerie Johnson is the contact person for these. Resources can be found at http://www.pwrenewal.org/or at www.wels.net/women.

J-1

Page - 41

Report of the Youth Discipleship Committee (J) Purpose:

To serve youth, ages 0-18, and those ministering to youth by suggesting and providing ideas, materials, resources, and contacts that would be helpful (Early Childhood, Sunday School, Confirmation, Teen Ministry, Parenting). Synod Commission on Youth and Family Ministry: Due to budget constraints, the synod suspended calling a person to be the coordinator in this area on a synod level. Resources

- Areas of Ministry

: Check out www.wels.net

- Youth and Family Ministry

Confirmation Ministry – Self Study (NPH - $15) Annual (or almost) District Youth Activities

• Rocky Mountain Christian Camp (www.rmcc-wels.com) :

• Camp Jefferson (Contact: Pastor Steve Kruschel – Geneva, NE) • Canoe Trip in Valentine Nebraska (Contact: Pastor Phil Sievert – Thornton, CO) • Camp Naper (Contact: Pastor Justin Gosch – Naper, NE) • Camp ___________ (Contact: one of the Norfolk, NE churches) • Hastings Nebraska Overnighter (Contact: Pastor Kurt Schaser – Kearney, NE)

Nebraska District Coordinator

: Pastor Kurt Schaser 1208 E. 47th Street Kearney, NE 58847 Office: 308-234-2999 Email: pastorschaser@gmail.com

K-1

Page - 42

Report of the Worship Committee (K) Nebraska District Convention 2010

The Nebraska District Worship Committee serves in several ways:

• by planning worship for the district convention and other conferences • by disseminating resources produced by the WELS Commission on Worship • by assisting district congregations in enriching their worship

Christian Worship Supplement introduction workshops Workshops to introduce congregations to Christian Worship Supplement were held throughout the Nebraska District in 2008 and 2009. Many thanks to all who attended, to the congregations and schools who hosted, and to the musicians and presenters. Synod-wide indications are that almost all congregations are utilizing resources from the supplement. Contact our committee with questions or comments about CWS. Preview of tonight’s workshop Tonight the district worship committee will be presenting a workshop: “Easy ways to incorporate variety in worship.” We will be walking through the outline of a Sunday service and suggesting simple ways to add variety to each section. All the suggestions will utilize resources from the Christian Worship family (i.e., the hymnal, the supplement, New Service Settings, altar book, etc.). If your congregation is looking for relatively simple suggestions to add variety to your services, this workshop is for you. Of course, your congregation may already incorporate a good deal of variety in its services. If that’s the case, you may want to come and share your suggestions. The workshop will take place 7:00-8:00 this evening. National Conference on Worship: Summer 2011 The next national worship conference will take place next summer, July 19-22, 2011. The main site for the conference will again be Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, but the conference will also be worshiping in the newly dedicated Chapel of the Christ at our own Martin Luther College (about 30 miles away). Congregational leaders, please consider funding—completely or in part—attendance at the conference for your church’s organists, choir director, teachers and pastors. They’ll return with renewed energy and edifying ideas to enhance the worship of your congregation. Commission on Worship website Online resources from the WELS Commission on Worship are still available, even though the updated synod website is still in beta mode. Go to www.archive.wels.net. Then find the CMSG menu on the left side of the page. That will provide you with a link to the worship page, which still is full of worship resources and information. There are also new resources being added regularly to the Worship section of connect.wels.net

. New worship resources will be posted there from now on.

K-2

Page - 43

Resources for printing bulletins More congregations are printing their order of service in their bulletins/worship folders, to help unchurched guests follow along with the service, concentrate on the message and feel welcome. Our committee has available high-quality, electronic versions of the musical portions of the liturgies in the Christian Worship hymnal. Northwestern Publishing House freely gives permission to reproduce almost all these sections in bulletins. Contact Pastor Jon Micheel (pastorjm@popslc.org) for these files and for sample bulletins. No need for cutting and Scotch-taping (or scanning and pasting) from hymnal to bulletin. Planning Christian Worship, revised edition Over half of the revised Planning Christian Worship series has been made available for free download via the Commission on Worship website and the Connect intranet site. (All of Year B and now all of Year C are available.) This resource gives summaries of the Scripture readings for each Sunday, including summaries of the alternate readings in the revised CW Supplement lectionary. It also provides hymn suggestions from the hymnal and the supplement. The remaining half of Planning Christian Worship should be available soon. Worship planners, take a look at this resource if you haven’t yet. Worship the Lord and Preach the Word newsletters These bi-monthly newsletters offer helpful insights about worship and preaching. The newsletters come to pastors, but they’re beneficial for church musicians, worship committees, elders, et al.—especially the Worship the Lord newsletter. Pastors, let’s share these with those in our congregations who might also benefit from them. Worship and Evangelism Our synod’s Commission on Worship is working with our Commission on Evangelism in a new effort to coordinate their work. The goal: to promote vibrant, Christ-centered, gospel-rich, Lutheran worship that communicates with unchurched guests. One of the initial “listening sessions” in this effort took place in our district in May 2010. More to come on this joint effort. Please contact us with suggestions for how our committee could assist your congregation in proclaiming the gospel in worship of our Lord. We welcome your questions, suggestions, insights, thoughts and comments. The Nebraska District Worship Committee

Pastor Jon Micheel, Prince of Peace, Salt Lake City, UT, Coordinator Pastor Brent Merten, Mountain Valley, Eagle, CO Pastor John Bortulin, St. Paul’s, Plymouth, NE

L-1

Page - 44

Report of the Support Committee (L) The Synod Support Committee exists to assist retired called workers of the WELS and/or their surviving spouses who do not have the financial resources to meet their cost of living needs. The committee is comprised of five first vice-presidents of the WELS with Pastor Philip Zarling of Overland Park, KS, serving as chairman. The first vice-president in every district is the contact person for the Support Committee. The committee works to identify those individuals that have need and provide them with the level of financial support that allows them to live with dignity and in reasonable comfort. Application forms are used to determine the level of need when requests are made. The following considerations affect the financial assistance the Support Committee provides. • The fund is not an entitlement program; • The fund is not an extension of the Synod’s pension plan. The financial assistance received is

a charitable gift from the Synod to those in need; • The fund is not established to provide temporary assistance for those who resign from the

ministry; • The fund does not grant financial assistance to those who need to live in assisted living and

nursing home care, and • The fund is not intended to be the main source of income. Assets and other means of income

are expected to be used first, with Support Committee income supplementing those resources. At the beginning of 2010 there were 32 family units receiving support calling for a monthly expenditure of $21,753, and an annual budget for approved requests of $262,116. Budgetary constraints required the Synodical Council to approve an annual budget of $265,000 leaving only a minimal amount to consider requests for assistance that are made during the course of the year. Total disbursements for the year depend on increases or decreases in monthly payments. If funds are available, new requests add to the total and deaths and moves to assisted living arrangements end the assistance received from the Support Committee. In 2010 the Support Committee was not able to pay for periodical subscriptions to recipients as has been done in the past. The Support Committee thanks Northwestern Publishing House for their generosity to cover the costs of the subscriptions this year. The Support Committee requests that local pastors, Circuit Pastors and district officers in each district be alert to possible circumstances of need on the part of retired called workers or their surviving spouses living in their district. If there appears to be a circumstance of need, please inquire about the situation. Inform the retired called worker/spouse of possible financial assistance from the Support Committee and if needed, communicate the situation also to the chairman of the Support Committee. Respectfully submitted, Pastor Philip E. Zarling, Chairman

M-1

Page - 45

Report of Rocky Mountain Christian Camp (M) Report to Nebraska District Convention

June 14-16 2010 Camp 2009

• In 2009 we had 124 campers attend Rocky Mountain Christian Camp(RMCC) held the last week of July. The camp is held at Turquoise Lake- Printer Boy Campground- Leadville, CO. Main camp directors are Wayne Uhlhorn and Joel Spaude.

• Camper’s fees remain the same at $110; JC’s fees raised to $90

Total (124) The breakdown was as follows• 86 campers (6th through 9th grade)

:

-46 females -40 males

• 38 Junior Counselors` (10th through entering college) • 14 College Counselors

We had about 30 adults with some 12 “rug rats”. The adults served as Counselors, devotions leaders, Bible study leaders, kitchen helpers, with set up take down and everything else you could imagine.

Finances 2009 Income $18,558.88

Expenses $16,605.59 Difference (+$1,953.29) Ending Balance 2009 $3167.88

Respectfully submitted Joel Spaude

N-1

Page - 46

Report of Camp Jefferson and Teen Camp Jefferson (N)

Kids’ Camp J July 30th-Aug.1st 2010

Directors: Pastor Kruschel, Mr. Phil Stern and Pastor

Kemnitz

Teen Camp Jefferson Aug. 1st-Aug. 4th

Director: Pastor Hillmann

Exteme Makeover: God’s Edition

O-1

Page - 47

Report of the Constitution and Legislature Committee (O) Your District Constitution Committee stands ready to serve you in an advisory capacity-to help formulate doctrinally sound and practically applicable constitutions for use in congregational settings. We especially look for conformity to orthodox Lutheran standards but also offer advice for practical “working use” within the congregation. In the past Biennium the following constitutions were viewed by the committee:

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colome, South Dakota (submission for acceptance and inclusion in file)

Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colorado Springs, Colorado (Revision of Constitution and Bylaws)

Abiding Word Evangelical Lutheran Church of Highlands Ranch, Colorado (Revision of Constitution and Bylaws)

Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church of Omaha, Nebraska (Revision of Constitution and Bylaws)

Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church of Manhattan Kansas (Submission of Constitution and Bylaws for inclusion in file)

Living Word Lutheran Church of Montrose, Colorado (Revision of Constitution and Bylaws due to a renaming of the church)

Nebraska Lutheran High School, Waco, Nebraska (Revision of Bylaws) Beautiful Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church of Topeka Kansas (Revision of Constitution

and Bylaws) Christ Lutheran Church of Denver, Colorado (New submission for acceptance into the

District) Grace Hmong Lutheran Church of Kansas City, Kansas (New submission for acceptance into

the District) Sheridan Lutheran Church of Sheridan Wyoming (status pending)

ACTION: Resolution No. 1 Subject: Reception of Christ Lutheran Church of Denver, Colorado WHEREAS 1) Christ Lutheran Church of Denver, Colorado has submitted a constitution

which conforms to the doctrinal standard and norms of orthodox confessional Lutheran church polity, and

WHEREAS 2) Christ Lutheran Church of Denver Colorado has requested admission to the

Nebraska District and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod; therefore, be it

Resolved, That Christ Lutheran Church of Denver, Colorado be officially recognized

and received as members in good standing of our Nebraska District and of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

O-2

Page - 48

Resolution No. 2 Subject: Reception of Grace Hmong Lutheran Church of Kansas City, Kansas WHEREAS 1) Grace Hmong Lutheran Church of Kansas City, Kansas has submitted a

constitution which conforms to the doctrinal standard and norms of orthodox confessional Lutheran church polity, and

WHEREAS 2) Grace Hmong Lutheran Church of Kansas City, Kansas has requested

admission to the Nebraska District and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod; therefore, be it

Resolved

, That Grace Hmong Lutheran Church of Kansas City, Kansas be officially recognized and received as members in good standing of our Nebraska District and of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

Submitted by Rev. Tim Kemnitz Chairman Rev. David Wietzke

P-1

Page - 49

Report of the Nebraska Lutheran High School (P) 2010 Nebraska District Convention Nebraska Lutheran High School (NELHS) exists to assist parents and congregations (currently 48 in our Association) by providing Christian training in the skills and values necessary for loyal, lifelong service to Jesus Christ. Faithful Service We thank the following people for their faithful service to our high school since last Convention: Pastor Nathaniel Biebert (1 year)- re-assigned as pastor at St. Paul, Hamburg /Grace, Wausau, WI Mrs. Cindy Gotta (12 years)- dorm mother Mrs. Jane Haefner (8 years)- school librarian Mr. Kevin Hahm (9 years)- currently awaiting God’s plan for a new calling Mr. Bob Kander (9 years)- Board member Pastor Brad Krause (2 years)- recently re-assigned as missionary to Mexico Mrs. Jerri Merklinger (11 years)-dorm mother Tutor Ian Watson (1 year)- now serving St. John’s, Fremont, WI Gifts from God on Assignment Day

• Tutor Rebecca Hagglund (North St. Paul, MN) was assigned as a Dorm Supervisor/Instructor from MLC on Assignment Day.

• Tutor Benjy Wells was reassigned for a 2nd year as a Dorm Supervisor/Instructor. Looking Back since last Convention...

• Nebraska Lutheran was recommended for full Accreditation by the WELSSA Visitation team last October.

• The 30th Anniversary concluded at the end of this school year. We received $246,532.44 in gifts for our school debt drive. Our goal was $300,000, and we achieved 82% of this goal. For all of these gifts we are grateful. We also held an All-School reunion over last Labor Day Weekend where over 125 alumni came back, some for the first time since their graduation from high school, and for many the first time seeing the new addition.

• We have added back both boy’s and girl’s soccer on the varsity levels. Both competed in the Nebraska state competition this spring.

• Our campus now has wireless internet through some special gifts, and we have upgraded in other technology areas as people have given toward wish list items.

• The renovations to both sides of the girl’s dorm (lavatories and AC/Heater units) was completed last summer.

• God has blessed the beginnings of our International Program, now going into its 4th year. This last school year we had 7 International students, and God is blessing our mission to them.

Looking Ahead... • Our Association and Board have had to make some tough decisions in recent months with position

eliminations and budget cuts. We are working hard to have a real balanced budget, eliminate debt, while still providing a quality, affordable secondary Christian education. For this we ask for your prayers.

• Extra special gifts in tuition assistance recently (over $50,000) have allowed us to be able to offer more assistance to current and future students. It is also assisting us in helping prospective students with greater financial needs in the hopes of bringing them to our campus.

• We have enrolled a freshman class of 16 at this time. We will spend our summer months ahead following up on other prospects and retention of current students. The month of June/July is also a busy time reviewing applicants for the International program.

In Christ’s Service, Craig Charron, Administrator

Q-1

Page - 50

Report of the Rocky Mountain Lutheran High School (Q) Nebraska District Convention NELHS - Waco, Nebraska, June 14 - 16, 2010 Board of Directors Rev Kurt Ebert Chairman (Abiding Word, Highlands Ranch) Mr. Mark Boche - Vice Chairman (Zion, Denver) Mr. Dane Mattes – Secretary (Our Savior’s, Longmont) Mr. Doug Lowers - Treasurer (Christ our Redeemer, Aurora) Mr. Thomas Sand – Internal Relations Committee, (Lord of Life, Thornton) Mr. Adam Frey – Curriculum Committee, (Lord of Life, Thornton) Mr. Craig Schwartz – Financial Secretary, (Christ Lutheran Church, Denver)

Mr. Carl Wagner - Trustee, (Shepherd of the Valley, Westminster)

Mr. Geron Brown – External Relations Committee (Christ our Redeemer, Aurora.)

Faculty and Staff Rick Lohmiller - Principal, Bible 12, Algebra I, Eagle Choir, Coaching; Michael Schaefer - Bible 10, Geometry 10, English 9 and 11,, Athletic Director, Christian Wellness 12, Coaching; Kelly Presser - English 10, Math Analysis, Physics, Calculus, Band, Coaching; Chad Walta - Spanish I, II, III, Bible 9, Coaching; Eric Brucker - Technology Director, Geography 9, Astronomy 9, Algebra II, Chemistry, Biology, Art 11; Kari Muente - Computer 9, World History, American History, Government, Economics, Christian Wellness 9, Coaching, Drama; Earle Treptow - Bible 11; Laura Boniek - Concert Choir and Piano Cari Ranger - Financial Secretary; Prof Dan Kirk - English 12: Kymberly Poetter9.We give thanks for these tireless workers who not only provide our teens with daily instruction in God’s Word, but also model the lifestyle of a disciple for these students

- Administrative Secretary, Art Club.

10.Special thanks to Pastor Earle Treptow and Prof. Dan Kirk for the willingness to serve as part-time staff for this past year.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN LUTHERAN HIGH

SCHOOL 11700 Irma Drive Northglenn, CO

80233

Phone: 303 -346-1947

Fax 303 - 481-0817

Web: www.rmlhs.org

Opportunities in 2009-2010 Following are some of the blessings our school received during this our fourth yea

o Graduated seventeen seniors on May 29th. Rev. Wayne Uhlhorn preached the sermon and Miss Jenny Lohmiller served as the class speaker.

o Alumni parents successfully ran the first garage sale for the school. It is hoped to keep the alumni parents involved with the school through this and other similar activities.

o Held our first evening Homecoming Pep Rally with over 200 people in attendance. o Students did very well on national tests such as ACT, PSAT, PLAN, and ASVAB o We conducted several special days for our local Lutheran elementary schools: Eagle for a

Day, Basketball tournament, Kickball day, School Play and WLC Wind Ensemble. o Boys’ Football team had its first winning season after only three seasons of organized

football, but lost in first round of the playoffs. Boys football and basketball teams finished second in conference. The girls’ volleyball team advanced to Regional playoffs for the first time in school history.

o Four of our students participated in the National Band Festival held at Luther HIgh School in Onalaska, WI.

o Miss Kelly Presser returned a call to Divine Saviour Lutheran Academy in Doral, FL. o The Eagle Choir participated in the National Choral Festival held in Phoenix, AZ. They also

worshipped with eight of the Federation congregations as part of Rocky Mountain Lutheran High School Sundays.

o After serving RMLHS with a one-year call, Ms Kari Muente accepted the call to become a full-time staff member at RMLHS.

o The Lord has blessed Chad Walta’s shared ministry with Living Hope, Brighton and RMLHS. Attendance and small group Bible studies have increased at Living Hope. The plan is to continue this shared ministry for one more year.

Our Board of Directors and Faculty are grateful for the many supporters of this ministry to teens in the Colorado Conference of congregations. Sixteen Colorado Conference congregations have joined our federation and over 80 individuals are regular donors.. God has definitely blessed our high school and its mission to train youth as disciples of Christ for lifelong service to their Savior.

The mission of Rocky Mountain Lutheran High

School is to use the Word of God to prepare youth as

disciples of Christ by developing their spiritual, intellectual, physical, and social skills for lifelong service to their Savior.

Q-2

Page - 51

Challenges The Lord is also blessing us with challenges that we must address: o Our budget was based on an enrollment of 60 students. Only 53 students registered in the fall, so

tuition income fell short as a result. o With the call of a new principal, The Board of Directors has taken the opportunity to go through a

Strategic Planning process. This process has helped provide the faculty, Board, and Federation direction as RMLHS moves forward.

o A site committee has been meeting regularly to explore options for obtaining a permanent home for the school. The Board chairman and principal are meeting with the church councils of the metro Denver area to determine if there is interest in pursuing a shared building that could potentially house a church , pre-school, grade school, and high school.

o We continue to develop our philosophy of education as it pertains to teacher’s rights and responsibilities, students’ rights and responsibilities, a curriculum that meets the needs of all of our students, and proper spiritual and financial support of our faculty. These goals are in keeping with our accreditation through WELSSA.

o The Board is exploring the feasibility of a transportation system as a means of assisting families to make use of this ministry.

o Charter schools have had an impact upon the number of families who are looking for private education as an alternative to public schools.

Respectfully submitted, Rick Lohmiller

R-1

Page - 52

Report of the “Forward in Christ” Reporter (R) “Let us consider how we may spur one another on to love and good deeds.” Hebrews 10:24 The job of the district Forward in Christ Reporter is to encourage the use of our national periodical “Forward in Christ” by members and congregations within the district-to offer support and encouragement on a wider level to the fellow members of our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod with whom we walk together through faith in Christ. Among the items submitted from our District for print in the last biennium: Gethsemane Lutheran, Omaha, 60th anniversary of the school (2008) St. Paul, Norfolk 100th anniversary (2008) St. Paul Plymouth LES New School Addition Article & Picture (2009) Obituaries for Elda Rockhoff and James Rockhoff Abiding Love, Loveland, Dedication of Worship Facility (2009) Living Word, Montrose, Ice cream social/summer fair picture (Dec. 2009) Tom Jeske Articles (Series Contributor) Shepherd of the Hills, Greeley Report on Greeley Tribune article (Feb, 2010) “Home Missionary Mark Hayes” Q &A Interview (April, 2010) Prince of Peace, Salt Lake City News Article regarding Noah Bater (May, 2010) Please remember to submit newsworthy items in a timely way to the reporter (or directly) and they will be passed on to Alicia Neumann Communication Projects Manager for Forward in Christ. My e-mail address: pastor@mtolivewels.org Alicia Neumann: Alicia.Neumann@sab.wels.net A 350 word report on this convention will be passed on to Forward in Christ highlighting…

• Any changes in the district (election results, etc.)? • Reaction and/or action taken toward synod issues (i.e. the synod’s long-range plan,

continuing education of called workers, the direction of the Congregation and Ministry Support Group, etc.).

• Major items that directly affect our district. • Quotes from delegates in reaction to decisions made.

Respectfully Submitted, Tim Kemnitz

S-1

Page - 53

Report of the Technology Committee (S) 2010 Nebraska District Convention

Waco, NE 1Co 9:22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 1Co 9:23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. The Apostle Paul states that he “became all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some”. Certainly it is not by our work that men are saved but through that of the Holy Spirit; yet God has given us the gift of the internet to reach out to all the world. This has been a constant theme of the Nebraska District Technology Committee. During the 2004 NE District Convention the body passed a resolution to support the NE District streaming media server project. Then, the 2006 Floor Committee 2 accepted a report encouraging funding of the technology needs by asking for $1.00 per communicant member per year in our district. As you can see, the NE District has been applying the great commission and reaching out to fellow believers around the world.

Our live and archived worship video is serving viewers from all around the United States, but we have also identified viewers from the countries of Brazil, Canada, Germany, Hong

Previous Activities: In the two years since we met as a convention, the Technology Committee has taken a less active roll because the district web site and the streaming video server are up and running. The NE District Technology Committee wishes to extend their appreciation to all members of the district for their support of this important tool. We are pleased to report that we are currently broadcasting ‘live’ services from St. Mark, Lincoln, NE; St. Paul, Plymouth, NE; Christ Our Redeemer, Aurora, CO; and from outside our district, Tree of Life, Cary, NC; and Good Shepherd, The Woodlands, TX. Additionally, the NE streaming video-server is an integral part of Nebraska Lutheran High School (NELHS) outreach at Waco, NE. During the past school year, the streaming media server has been used to broadcast video from the NELHS football and basketball games. Last December, with weather conditions causing many churches in Eastern Nebraska to postpone or cancel Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day services out of concern for their members safety, St. Mark, Lincoln was able to prerecord services and broadcast them at their scheduled times. The Spring LWMS Rally was broadcast this past April. An original goal of the committee was to serve congregations with vacancies in our district with a live worship broadcasts. This past year, Christ Our Savior in Fremont, NE has been served by live broadcasts from St. Mark in Lincoln, NE.

S-2

Page - 54

Kong, Thailand, Belgium, and Serbia. The streaming media server provides our district with a unique opportunity to answer the call of the great commission. Our committee has approved a request from Mt. Olive, Overland Park, KS as they will begin to webcast their services later this year. A request for use of the video server from Calvary Lutheran, Dallas, TX was also recently approved. Even with this last approval we have not reached the server capacity for regular live worship broadcasts. The next step would be to add another video server in our district if needed to expand the operation. The NE Technology Committee also provided support and staffing to the NE District in other live and archived video projects. During a convention year the NE Technology Committee, in coordination with NELHS, setup the technical aspects of the convention from audio / video broadcast and recordings to networking support. Our committee stands ready and available to all congregations, schools, groups and organizations who wish to broadcast special events, meetings, or conferences. Those interested in these services should contact the committee for costs. The NE District maintains an updated web page at http://www.welsne.org where you are directed to many of these links used during this convention. E-mail lists for the district are supported by the committee members via the mail server here at NELHS. The committee would welcome comments on needs that can be served through our web presence. Nebraska District Technology Committee Financial Report as of June 1, 2010 Total Expenses $24,801.35 (beginning 2004) Total Income $23,029.77 Deficit - ($1,771.58) 2010 Expenses not paid: Internet Connection for server: $1,800.00 Real Network Support: $ 830.40 Accounts Receivable: $3,800.00 Profit / Loss: $1,169.60 Estimate Deficit: - ($ 601.98) Pastor Joel Frank, treasurer

S-3

Page - 55

On a financial note, the committee imposed a fee in 2006 of $50.00 per month or $500.00 per year for WELS congregations or schools who wish to use the video server to webcast programming. Technology Committee Recommendations for discussion:

For the past six years the total cost of the server, software, and internet connection fees have averaged slightly more than $4,000.00 per year with all equipment, labor, and services donated. We anticipate these costs will increase to an estimated $4,500.00 per year. While there may be a number of different ways of funding this project, we respectfully suggest that the convention consider an offering from all of our congregations with a suggested goal of approximately $1.00 per communicant through special offerings. Perhaps the details of such an offering could be the responsibility of the district presidium. Respectfully submitted: NE District Technology Committee: Mr. Greg Boggs, Chairman, Lincoln, NE Mr. Don Niemann, Secretary, Lincoln, NE Rev. Joel Frank, Treasurer, Plymouth, NE Mr. Ken Mayer, Omaha, NE Teacher Josh Johnson, Webmaster, Waco, NE Teacher Eric Brucker, Boulder, CO Teacher Jeff Sell, Salt Lake City, UT Rev. Robert Smith, Hastings, NE

T-1

Page - 56

Report of the Nominating Committee (T) List of Candidates Nominated for District Convention Elections, June 14-16, 2010

Colorado Mission District Mission Board (lay member)

(6 year term) 1) Dr. Keith Eldred (incumbent) Address: 903 S Greeley Hwy Cheyenne, WY 82007 Phone: 307-631-6756 E-mail: keithe@lonetree.com Age: 65 Member of: Good Shepherd Cheyenne, Wyoming Occupation: Optometrist Past service: Secretary, Treasurer, President, Chairman of Board of Elders Current service: Colorado Mission Board member, elder 2) Mr. Martin Merklinger Address: 5820 S Delaware Street, Littleton, CO 80120-2345 Phone: 303-798-5998 cell: 303-859-2788 E-mail: Merklinger@rocksol.com Age: 52 Member of: Zion, Denver, Colorado Occupation: structural civil engineer Past service: church treasurer, elder, Sunday School teacher, financial secretary for RMLHS Current service: elder, teacher ESL at Christ Center, Denver, WELS Kingdom Workers

Colorado Mission District Mission Board (pastor member) (6 year term)

1) Pastor David Olson Address: 904 43rd Ave., Greeley, CO 80634-1401 Phone: 970-353-2170 E-mail: davestepholson@hotmail.com Age: 33 Member of: Shepherd of the Hills, Greely, Colorado Current service: Colorado Conference Secretary, Evangelism Committee member, Youth Discipleship Committee member 2) Pastor Wayne Uhlhorn (incumbent) Address: 2540 Norwich Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80920 Phone: 719-574-7459 Email: pastor@fountoflife.com Age: 46 Member of: Fount of Life, Colorado Springs, CO Past service: Circuit pastor - Chesapeake Circuit, North Atlantic District Parish School Coordinator - North Atlantic District; Adult Discipleship committee member North Atlantic District; + LWMS pastoral advisor - Rocky Mountain circuit Current service: Colorado Mission District Mission Board chairman

Nebraska Mission District Mission Board

2) Pastor Steve Helwig (incumbent) Address: 4742 N 150th St., Omaha, Nebraska 68116-1454

Phone: 402-491-4152 E-mail: pastorhelwig@cox.net Age: 37 Member of Gethsemane, Omaha, Nebraska Past service: Southern Conference Secretary Current service: Nebraska District Mission Board member

(pastor member) (6 year term)

1) Pastor John Bortulin Address: 107 N Asn, Ave PO Box 21, Plymouth, Nebraska 68424-0021 Phone: 402-656-4295 E-mail: bortulin@diodecom.net Age: 32 Member of: St Paul, Plymouth, Nebraska Current service: District Committee on Worship member

T-2

Page - 57

Nebraska Mission District Mission Board (lay member) (6 year term – no incumbent)

1) Mr. Loren Bloomquist Address: 3711 Lakeview Dr. Norfolk 68701 Phone: 402-992-2164 E-mail: Lm2bloomquist@yahoo.com Age: 65 Member of: St Paul, Norfolk, Nebraska Occupation: retired building contractor Past service: School Board, Trustee, WELS Kingdom Workers: Cameroon, Africa 2004-2005 2) Mr. Bruce Burger Address: 1613 N Columbia Ave., Seward, Nebraska 68434 Phone: 402-646-2155 E-mail: bruce.burger@channelbio.com Age: 49 Member of: Grace, Seward, Nebraska; Occupation: technical sales manager, Channel Bio Seed Co. Past service: Board of Elders and Church Council offices of 3 WELS congregations Current service: Treasurer

Nebraska Mission District Mission Board

Phone: 402-643-3717 E-mail:

(pastor member) (6 year term – no incumbent)

1) Pastor Mark Haefner Address: 638 N 7th, Seward, NE

markhaefner@yahoo.com Age: 55 Member of: Grace, Seward, NE; also serves Bethel, York, NE Past service: Circuit Pastor (Atlanta area), Secretary of a Pastor's Conference (Atlanta), LWMS National

Board, Chairman of the District Parish Services Committee (South Atlantic). 2) Pastor James Tauscher Address: 4007 NW Barry Rd. Kansas City, Missouri 64154-1116 Phone: (cell) 303-304-9318 E-mail: jwtausch0202@yahoo.com Age: 60 Member of: Rock of Ages, Kansas City, Missouri Past service: Circuit Pastor (Colorado Conference-north); Neb. Dist. Comm. on Evangelism Coordinator; (South Central District) Mission Board Chairman; Circuit Pastor-(South Central District); South Central District Stewardship Board Current service: member of the WELS VEBA Commission

Adult Discipleship Coordinator (6 year term)

1) Pastor Mark Hayes (incumbent) Address: 572 S McCulloch Blvd W. Pueblo West, CO 81007 Phone: 719-547-9496 E-mail: pwcrown@gmail.com Age: 37 Member of: Crown of Life, Pueblo West, Colorado Current service: Adult Discipleship Coordinator 2) Pastor Phillip Sievert Address: 12051 Northaven Cir, Thornton, CO 80241-3643 Phone: 720-872-2190 E-mail: pdsievert@aol.com Age: 42 Member of: Lord of Life, Thornton, CO Past service: Dakota/Montana District Youth Discipleship Committee member Current service: Nebraska District Secretary; Evangelism Committee member

T-3

Page - 58

Youth Discipleship Coordinator (6 year term)

1) Pastor Timothy Kemnitz Address: 1821 Morton Ct. Lincoln, Nebraska 68521-5643 Phone: 402-438-7378 E-mail: pastor@mtolivewels.org Age: 45 Member of: Mt Olive, Lincoln, Nebraska Current service: Youth Discipleship Committee member; Chairman Constitution Committee; District Forward in Christ Reporter 2) Pastor Kurt Schaser (incumbent) Address: 1112 E 47th Street Pl., Kearney, Nebraska 68847-8412 Phone:308-234-2999 E-mail: pastorschaser@gmail.com Age: 35 Member of: Good Shepherd, Kearney, Nebraska Past service: Youth Discipleship Committee Member Current service: Youth Discipleship Coordinator

District Board of Appeals Chairman (pastor) (6 year term - no incumbent)

1) Pastor David Olson Address: 904 43rd Ave., Greeley, CO 80634-1401 Phone: 970-353-2170 E-mail: davestepholson@hotmail.com Age: 33 Member of: Shepherd of the Hills, Greely, Colorado Current service: Colorado Conference Secretary; Evangelism Committee member; Youth Discipleship

Committee member 2) Pastor Jonathan J. Rockhoff Address: 9225 W Meadow Knoll Ct., Wichita, KS 67205-2123 Phone: 316-722-1771 E-mail: revrock1@yahoo.com Age: 49 Member of: Messiah, Wichita, Kansas Past service: Ministry of Christian Giving (CCFS) 1991-98; Current service: District Mission Board (member: 1992-present; chairman: 1996-present)

District Board of Appeals Lay Member

Phone: 303-617-1188 E-mail:

(6 year term)

1) Dr. Marlin Braun Address: 88920 550 Ave. Crofton, Nebraska 68730 Phone: (cell) 406-223-8761 Member of: St Paul, Norfolk, Nebraska Age: 55 Occupation: chiropractor Past service: Dakota Montana District Evangelism Committee Current service: teacher of public school catechism classes, St Paul, Norfolk, Nebraska 2) Mr. Mark Maurer (incumbent) Address: 19075 E. Bethany Place

mmaurers@comcast.net Age: 55 Member of: Christ Our Redeemer, Aurora, CO Occupation: Technical Support Engineer, Medical Mfg. Past Service: President, Board Chairman for Education and Stewardship, Financial Secretary, Vision Coordinator Current Service: Child & Family Ministry, Chairman elect, Synod Board of Appeals member

T-4

Page - 59

District Board of Appeals Pastor Member (6 year term)

1) Pastor Steven Kahrs (incumbent) Address: 11460 W State Highway 41, Clatonia, Nebraska 68328-8424 Phone: 402-989-4775 E-mail: stevenkahrs @diodecom.net Age: 45 Member of: Zion, Clatonia, St John, Cortland Past service: LWMS pastoral advisor (Rosebud) Current service: Circuit Pastor (Eastern Circuit Southern Conference); Chairman of the Southern Conference; Secretary of Nebraska District Adult Discipleship Committee; Pastor Member Board of Appeals; Advisory Member of the NELHS Board of Directors 2) Pastor Matthew Kiecker Address: 500 N 37th St., Norfolk, NE 68701-3257 Phone: 402-379-1846 E-mail mjkiecker@yahoo.com Age: 32 Member of: Shepherd of Peace, Norfolk, Nebraska

District Nominating Committee – Chairman (4 year term)

1) Pastor Joel B. Schroeder Address: 13220 W 84th St. Shawnee Mission, KS 66215-2850 Phone: 913-888-7286 E-mail: joel@everestkc.net Age: 60 Member of: Mt Olive, Overland Park, Kansas Past Service: South Atlantic District BPE, South Atlantic District Circuit Pastor, Nebraska District BPE, WELS: Chairman Board of Trustees, Coordinating Council, CICR Current Service: Circuit Pastor, LWMS Spiritual Growth Advisor 2) Pastor Phil Spaude (incumbent) Address: 711 W 45 St., Casper, Wyoming 82601 Phone: 307-235-2770 E-mail: philspaude@aol.com Age: 53 Member of: Lord of Lords, Casper, Wyoming Past Service: Nebraska District CCFS Chairman, Adult Discipleship Coordinator, (Northern Wis. District) WALES Conference secretary, LWMS Advisor, NELHS Board chairman Current Service: WELS: Adult Discipleship Commission Member, Nominating Comm. chairman.

District Nominating Committee Member - Colorado Conference (4 year term)

1) Pastor Paul Biedenbender Address: 3530 Race St., Denver, Colorado 80205-4048 Phone: 303-901-8789 E-mail: ptbieds@hotmail.com Age: 31 Member of: Christ, Denver, Colorado 2) Pastor Joel Spaude (incumbent) Address: 3036 Skimmerhorn St., Fort Collins, Colorado 80526-6233 Phone: 970-282-9544 E-mail: pastorspaude@stpeterwels.com Age: 46 Member of: St Peter, Fort Collins, Colorado

District Nominating Committee Member - Rosebud Conference (4 year term, no incumbent)

1) Pastor Thomas Biedenbender Address: 353 E 2nd St., PO Box 309, Mission, South Dakota 57555-0309 Phone: 605-856-4943 E-mail: pastorbieds@hotmail.com Age: 59 Member of: Zion, Mission, South Dakota, St John, Witten, SD

T-5

Page - 60

2) Pastor Michael Killinger Address: PO Box 877, Martin, SD 57551-0877 Phone: 605-685-6740 E-mail: kilinger@gwtc.net Age: 30 Member of: Our Redeemer’s, Martin, South Dakota, St Paul’s Batesland, SD

District Nominating Committee Member – Southern Conference (4 year term)

1) Pastor Timothy Kemnitz Address: 1821 Morton Ct. Lincoln, Nebraska 68521-5643 Phone: 402-438-7378 E-mail: pastor@mtolivewels.org Age: 45 Member of: Mt Olive, Lincoln, Nebraska 2) Pastor Joel Pankow (incumbent) Address: 1014 SW Lilly Cir. Topeka, KS 66604-2180 Phone: 785-272-3992 E-mail: topekawels@hotmail.com Age: 41 Member of: Beautiful Savior, Topeka, Kansas

District Nominating Committee Member – Three Rivers Conference (4 yr term, no incumbent)

1) Pastor Anthony Allard Address: 3312 Macomb Ave., Sioux City, IA 51106-1623 Phone: 712-274-9429 E-mail: allardtony@hotmail.com Age: 37 Member of: Grace, Sioux City, Iowa 2) Pastor Michael Ewart Address: 1922 S 50th Ave, Omaha, Nebraska 53036-9717 Phone: 402-553-6512 E-mail: ewartmj@gmail.com Age: 41 Member of: Good Shepherd, Omaha, Nebraska

U-1

Page - 61

WELS Long Range Plan for 2017 (U)

UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:4-6).

We a ffirm t hat only t he go spel of Jesus C hrist c an c reate a nd s ustain f ai th. Thus, s pir itual results related to t he g rowth o f t he Holy C hristian C hurch a re completely i n t he ha nds of God the H oly S pir it . The Holy S piri t u ses the Means of Grace t o accomplish t he r esults t hat o nly he can work, an d he has e ntrusted t he M eans o f G race t o h uman b eings a s h is messengers. I t is, therefore, a stewardship i ssue t hat we a re o utlining i n t his doc ument. We want t o be faithful stewards o f the r esources G od has g iven us by p lanning o ur act ivit ies ( sometimes called “strategies”) i n o rder to m ove t oward the g oals ( sometimes c al led “ results”) f or t he visible church known as the WELS, which we, under God’s blessing, hope to attain.

At the heart of our planning for the future is our desire to seek the lost as well as nurture the found. We do that as individuals and as congregations working together in a confessional Lutheran church body, that i s, we carry out our gospel ministry together while standing squarely o n a l l t he t ruths of S cr ipture as ex pressed b y t he L utheran Confessions. At all times and in all we do our focus is the cross of Christ Jesus.

In planning f or t he f uture, t he l eaders of our s ynod n ot only de sire to be good s tewards but a lso recognize t hat t hey a re r esponsible t o the members, c al led workers, congregat ions, commissions, a nd bo ards o f t he s ynod . T he leadership groups o f o ur s ynod, i n particular t he Synodical Council ( SC) and Conference of Presidents (COP), will continue to r eview the s ynod’s organizational s tructure so t hat i t o perates i n t he b est a nd most a ppropriate way, fostering a spir it o f uni ty, s upporting t he go spel m inistry w e carry o ut t ogether, a nd m aking t he m ost o f every opportunity t he L ord places before us . Therefore, w e p lace a ll t hings c onfidently i nto t he hands of ou r g racious G od and m ake o ur p lans in t his working d ocument i n k eeping with his revealed will.

FOUNDATION FOR LONG RANGE PLANNING – OUR PURPOSE

For t he pu rpose of c ommunicating t o pe ople i nside a nd ou tside of ou r c hurch body , t he s ynod i n convention has adopted this purpose statement:

As men, women, and children united in faith and worship by the Word of God, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod exists to make disciples throughout the world for time and for eternity, using the gospel in Word and sacrament to win the lost for Christ and to nurture believers for lives of Christian service, all to the glory of God.

The f ocused p urpose o f o ur work a s a c orporate s ynod structure i s s ummarized in ou r const itution:

The object and purpose of the synod shall be to extend and conserve the true doctrine and practice of the Evangelical Lutheran Church: a) By assisting and counseling in every appropriate way the pastors, teachers, and congregations

affiliated with the synod; b) By establishing and maintaining theological seminaries, colleges, academies, schools, and other

institutions of learning;

U-2

Page - 62

c) By establishing and maintaining home and world missions and such charitable institutions as it may deem appropriate to its calling;

d) By printing, publishing, purchasing, selling, and disseminating literature that maintains Lutheran doctrine and practice;

e) By furnishing appropriate literature for parish schools, Sunday schools, missions, institutions, and churches.

For the purposes of planning, of marshalling resources as good stewards of God’s blessings, and of e ncouraging unity in s pirit, t he l eaders o f o ur s ynod h ave no ted t he c onstitutional p riorities articulated by recent synod conventions and have summarized the purpose of our work a s a synod with this planning guide:

The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod exists to give all glory to God by upholding, defending, and proclaiming the truth of the Holy Scriptures as articulated in the Lutheran Confessions, and by providing a means for congregations and their members to extend the reach of their God-given mission of proclaiming the gospel in Word and Sacrament through joint mission efforts at home and abroad and through the training of called workers.

LONG RANGE PLANS – THE PICTURE IN 2017

Worldwide Identity as Confessional Lutherans

As we approach the 500 t h anniversary o f t he Reformation, we note the r ealignment o f confessional Lutherans in North America and beyond so that by 2017:

• WELS will be known as a confessional Lutheran church body, firmly founded on the Holy Scriptures and joyfully proclaiming the saving love of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible around the globe.

World Missions Recognizing t he ne ed f or b illions o f s ouls t o he ar t he go spel, b y 2 017, t he B oard f or W orld Missions (BWM) will:

• have a world mission team (from administration to national churches) that agrees on a scriptural understanding of missiological terms, philosophy and implementation.

• have six regional seminaries (4 in 2010), ten national theological professors (3 in 2010), ten functional Bible Institutes (8 in 2010), and regular curricula supplemented by distance learning.

• be publishing at least 1/3 of the necessary course mater ials in at least 20 languages. • o p e ra t e in 3 0 co unt r i e s ( 2 3 in 2 0 10 ) . • serve over 150 ,000 souls wor ldwide (107 ,000 in 2010) .

Home Missions Recognizing t hat the pr ocess o f e ncouraging, e nhancing, e stablishing, de veloping a nd e nriching missions i n N orth America i nvolves pa rtnerships with c ongregations, groups a nd i ndividuals, b y 2017, the Board for Home Missions (BHM) will:

• open 10 ne w miss ions a year (4 in 2010) . • s ta r t 40 new minis t r y enhancements a year (10 in 2010) . • subsidize mission efforts in 200 congregations (150 in 2010), with ten missions and 40

ministry enhancements going self-supporting every year.

Ministerial Education

U-3

Page - 63

Mindful o f t he p recious L utheran he ritage o f t he unconditional go spel t hat ha s b een p assed t o o ur generation with remarkable clarity, by 2017, the Board for Ministerial Education (BME) will:

• graduate from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (WLS) approximately 30 pastor candidates annually (42 in 2010), re f lec t ing the ac tua l number o f pas to r - t r ack s tudent s a l read y e nro l le d in 2010 a t MLC, a l lo wing an approximately 10% vacancy rate in our parishes (5% in 2010).

• graduate from Martin Luther College (MLC) approximately 50 teacher candidates (50 in 2010) who can serve anywhere annually, allowing every Early Childhood Center, Lutheran Elementary School, and area Lutheran High School to be staffed by synodically-certified directors, principals and teachers. There will be 40 additional graduates annually who can serve only in l imited geographic locations (40 in 2010).

• graduate f rom MLC sta ff minis ter candidates and laymen who meet the needs o f loca l congregat ions.

• in collaboration with the COP and Congregation and Ministry Support Group (CMSG), have in place for all minister ial education schools self -support ing continuing education courses in a wide var iety o f formats for called workers, with a strong component of equipping the saints for the strengthening of local congregations.

• have working r elationships b etween W LS, M LC, M ichigan L utheran Seminary (MLS), L uther P reparatory School (LPS), a nd H ome a nd W orld M issions t o s upply the needs o f each of our mission fields, home and abroad, a nd o ur s ister churches i n the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC).

Congregation and District Ministry

Recognizing the vital i mportance o f co ngregational h ealth and t he impact o f called w orkers growing s piritually, personally, a nd pr ofessionally, b y 2017, t he C OP a nd t he C MSG will collaborate w ith W LS and M LC t o pr ovide counsel, r esources, and t raining for al l congregations to:

• str ive fo r an increas ing percentage o f par t ic ipa t ion in worship and Bible s tudy. • improve assimilation, fellowship (relationships and meaningful connections) and

service opportunities in church and community, with an emphasis on Christ ian vocation.

• strengthen the overall quality of education, specifically instruction and leadership, in our early childhood centers, Lutheran elementary schools (LES), area Lutheran high schools, and other children’s ministries, so that they demonstrate excellence in both nurture and outreach.

• find ways to connect with the people of their communities and make use of outreach opportunities to share Jesus’ love with as many people as possible, including those with special needs.

• support formal and informal programs for the spir i tual, personal, and professional growth of cal led workers.

• support the work of the synod with 10-15% of offerings for Congregation Mission Offering (CMO) (8%, 2010), with 100% of congregations participating (92% in 2010).

• reflect synodical unity and vi tal i ty in a l l aspec ts of congregational pract ices.

U-4

Page - 64

Resources It i s t he s tated go al o f WELS l eadership a nd t he s ynod i n c onvention t o ha ve Congregational Mission O fferings serve a s the pr imary s ource o f financial s upport for s ynodical ministries. I n order to carry out the plans and goals lis ted in this long range plan, under God’s blessing and by his grace alone by 2017 we pray that our total synodical budget will be $38 million per fiscal year with $30 m illion of t hat c oming from C ongregational M ission O fferings ( $22.7 m illion i n fiscal year 2009-10).

Resource Allocation With the direction of recent synods in convention, and flowing from the plans above, in 2017:

- Missions will utilize 40-45% of CMO and Financial Stability Fund (FSF) resources (40% in 2010).

- Ministerial Education will utilize 30-35% of CMO and FSF resources (30% in 2010). - Congregation and District Ministry will utilize 10-15% of CMO and FSF resources (14%

in 2010). - Ministry Support will utilize 10-15% of CMO and FSF resources (16%, including 5% debt

retirement, in 2010).

STRATEGIES TO REACH LONG RANGE PLANS

Worldwide Identity as Confessional Lutherans In the years leading up to 2017, WELS will:

- c lear ly and consistently express ourselves to the world as confessional Lutheran in doctr ine and practice. - mainta in communica tion wi th the church bodies of the CELC and seek out t he fel lowship o f o ther confessional Lutheran churches around the world.

- make every effort to identify confessional Lutherans in the United States and to rejoice in doctrinal unity when such uni ty can be determined.

World Missions In the years leading up to 2017, the BWM will:

- ente r new f ie lds a s God gives the oppor tuni ty. - work with Home Missions and Ministerial Education to build awareness of the

Church’s mission to the lost and support of World Missions work among called workers and constituency.

- work with Ministerial Education to develop a worldwide minister ial education system on the model of basic Christian instruction, then Bible Institute, then seminary.

- publish foundational materials at all levels of theological development in as many targeted languages as possible.

- s treamline administrat ion and increase joint planning with o ther administrat ive units .

Home Missions In the years leading up to 2017, the BHM will:

- pr ior i tize funding with a ba lance of immediate opportunit ies and targeted effor ts for long-range impact.

- streamline the communication, support structure and resources in the field and in the offices.

- provide proactive assistance and strategies to reach the lost with the gospel. - mentor new personnel in miss ion se t t ings .

U-5

Page - 65

- par tner with World Missions, Minister ial Education, and other leaders to communicate the urgency for outreach and to develop helpful tools and resources.

Ministerial Education In t he ye ars leading up t o 2017, t he B ME will pr ovide c oordination, stressing efficiency and fiduciary responsibility, as:

- Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (WLS) and Mart in Luther College (MLC) graduate s tudents who are confessional i n s tance , evangel ica l in approach, mi ss ion-minded in sp ir i t , cul tura l ly sens i t ive , appropr ia te ly f lexib le , and zealous to nurture and to equip the saints.

- Michigan Lutheran Seminary (MLS) and Luther Preparatory School (LPS) graduate students prepared to succeed at Martin Luther College.

- MLC continues to recruit students from prep schools, area Lutheran high schools, public schools, and adults in our fellowship considering another career.

- MLC expands i ts efforts in the training of pr incipals, early childhood directors, and early childhood workers.

- the ministerial education schools expand their e fforts in continuing education of called workers, education of international students for service in their ethnic groups of origin, and education of laity for service in the congregation.

Congregation and District Ministry

Recognizing t he e mphases i n t his a rea c hanging t o “ training t he t rainers,” i n t he years l eading up to 2017, the COP will:

- foster the ministr ies of the CMSG(the Commiss ions on Congregational Counseling, Worship, Evangelism, Adult Discipleship, Youth Discipleship, and Special Ministries) to provide counsel, resources, and training to congregations and all called workers.

- foster the ministry of the Commission on Lutheran Schools to provide training, assistance, expertise, and resources for the precious and valuable resources we have in our early childhood ministries, Lutheran elementary schools, and area Lutheran high schools.

- work with WLS, MLC and the CMSG to foster spir i tual , personal and professional growth for al l called workers through f lexible programs of continuing education and mentor ing, in order to equip, empower, and encourage lay members in their vocations and in volunteer service for their congregations.

- establish a committee to publish a new hymnal by the 500 t h anniversary of the first Lutheran hymnal (1524).

- work wi th al l congregat ions to increase CMO using the 10 /10 plan. - work with parasynodicals to enlist and coordinate their support roles in funding

and ministry.

Resources In o rder t o r each a n a nnual fiscal bu dget o f $38 mill ion i n 2017, pl ans will be p ut i n motion which will r e ly solely o n the grace o f G od a nd his pr omises of undeserved l ove through C hrist Jesus a nd will be a pplied t o t he he arts o f G od’s people t hrough a c arefully o rganized e very-member visit for every member of the WELS. The plans will offer specifics on how to do that in every co ngregation o f the WELS – tailored for small, middle-sized, and l arge congregations. The plans will feature materials that will be brief but pointedly d irecting all to the “why” o f joyful and generous f inancial stewardship – the c ross a nd e mpty t omb of Jesus – and w ill i nclude t he “how to” o f j oyful a nd generous financial stewardship t hrough a p ercentage o f i ncome o ffered, t hrough special g ifts ( a p ossible “ special of fering for t he 500 th anniversary of the Reformation), and through deferred giving (estate planning).

U-6

Page - 66

Leadership

In the years l eading up to 2017, the SC and COP will continue to work together to make the most of opportunities the Lord is placing before us. Issues “on the table” include:

- reviewing church governance issues (process and function of synod conventions, boards, size of SC, etc.).

- reviewing the size and number of districts, the size of circuits, possible term limits for district officials.

- reviewing the size and efficiency of synod technology, communication, and fiscal support offices.

- emphasizing continuing education for all called workers. - encouraging collaboration in synodical support and ministerial endeavors. - continuously updat ing the s trategic p lan so that the process continues beyond

2017.

V-1

Page - 67

2010 Nebraska District Convention: Memorials (V) Memorial - 001 Reference: None Subject: Election of District Officers WHEREAS 1) our Nebraska District officers hold positions of high trust in their service to the

Lord; and WHEREAS 2) these officers are called by the Lord to serve our district through the election

process; and WHEREAS 3) pertinent biographical and ministerial information would be helpful in electing

our district officers; and WHEREAS 4) said information is already provided prior to elections of other district

representatives (eg. mission board, parish services, etc.); and WHEREAS 5) gathering said information after the nomination and before the election of our

district officers is possible at the convention; therefore be it Resolved, a) That at every district convention, the election committee gather pertinent

biographical and ministerial information on those who are nominated to serve as district officers; and be it finally

Resolved

, b) That this information be made available to the delegates in written form after the nomination of and before the election of our district officers.

Eastern Circuit of the Southern Conference of the Nebraska District

W-1

Page - 68

Board for Home Missions: Evaluation Task Force Report to the Districts (W)

Background At the Fall 2009 Board for Home Missions (BHM) meeting, the BHM established a task force to look at all aspects of Home Missions’ ministry. The goal of the task force was to find ways to improve efficiency so that the BHM might better rise to the challenge of opening new churches in North America.

To accomplish this work, the task force conducted interviews of the BHM administrators Harold Hagedorn and Mel Schuler, WELS President Mark Schroeder, Seminary President Paul Wendland, and others. The task force surveyed current and former mission counselors, both those who serve in traditional settings and those who serve in cross-cultural settings. In addition, the task force surveyed over 100 pastors who have worked with mission counselors, as well as every current member of every current District Mission Board (DMB).

What follows in this report is a summary of potential changes the task force is considering. The final report will be shared at the Fall 2010 BHM meeting.

Structure

The task force is considering the following internal structure changes, none of which require alterations to synodical or district constitutional bylaws.

The task force is considering that the BHM alter the way it elects the Executive Committee (EC). The EC does synod wide prioritization and budgeting for the BHM. Currently, the Executive Committee consists of the BHM Chairman (elected by the s y n o d i n convention) and four members of the BHM, elected by the BHM. At present, 40% of the EC members a r e f r o m o n e district. To allow for broader representation, the task force recommends the BHM divide the country up into four regions, and that the BHM then elect two representatives

from each region to the EC. The EC would thus consist of eight members, one pastor and one layman from each of the four regions (elected by the BHM), and the BHM Chairman (elected by the synod in convention).

The task force is considering performing training and prioritization on the regional level. Currently, when synod-wide mission requests are brought to the EC, only four of twelve districts have a man who has first-hand knowledge of the request. Electing an EC from four regions and discussing requests on the regional level allows each DMB to “have the ear” of two EC representatives. The task force believes that doing prioritization work on a regional level will allow for the BHM to allocate resources more effectively. The task force believes that doing DMB training on the regional level will increase efficiency and uniformity among the DMBs.

The task force is considering the formation of a Cross- cultural Committee. This committee would also consist of two members of each region, as well as the cross-cultural consultants. They would consider and prioritize all cross- cultural requests, based on BHM budgetary dollars earmarked only for CC work, and then forward their recommendations to the EC. We see two benefits in this. First, it acknowledges that the approach to CC ministries is often vastly different than to traditional home ministries. Secondly, it helps us maintain an appropriate balance in the budgetary percentages between traditional and cross- cultural ministries.

Mission Counselors The task force reaffirmed the value of the Mission Counselor (MC) program. The MCs are able to be on-site in mission fields to a degree that DMB members cannot (due to the fact that many DMB members have full-time calls and jobs). Thus, the MCs serve as the eyes, ears, and mouth of the DMBs in our mission fields.

Our considerations for the MC program pertain to what we believe is the desire of the WELS constituency and of the BHM: to make the establishment of new churches the greatest priority of the BHM.

The task force believes that the BHM should maintain the mission counselor program at three traditional MCs, and two cross-cultural MCs (Hispanic and Asian). Thus, in the task force’s preliminary report at the Spring 2010 BHM meeting, it was recommended that we do not replace MC Wayne Schultz when he retires this June. Instead, the task force recommended retasking the remaining three MCs as now described.

The task force is considering having the mission counselors be tasked by the pastoral administrator of the BHM and accountable to the nine-member EC of the

W-1

Page - 69

BOARD FOR HOME MISSIONS: Evaluation Task Force Report to the Districts (continued)

BHM. This allows MCs to be tasked where and when opportunity arises, rather than being tied to one geographic region. Currently, if the Lord opens many doors for us in one geographic area, it would mean that only one MC’s workload increases. This change would allow for a more even distribution of work-load. The task force is considering having the BHM limit much of the MCs’ efforts with non-subsidized congregations. The task force recognizes that the MCs have done much to help established (non-subsidized) congregations. We also recognize that some of that help can come from other WELS agencies (a district Commission on Evangelism, the Commission for Congregational Counseling, etc.). Thus, while the MCs would, at the direction of the EC, still work with some “mission critical” established congregations, in most cases requests for help from establ ished congregat ions would be d i rected to the WELS Congregation & Ministry Support Group. This allows the MCs to focus on new mission fields: helping identify locations which are ripe for a WELS church, providing more frequent nurturing and encouragement for congregations that are in the infancy stages, and providing better oversight in areas where the BHM has allocated large resources.

The task force is considering that the pastoral administrator position be expanded to include MC-type responsibilities, such as training DMBs, disseminating resources, etc. We believe that having consistent practice and training across all the DMBs will provide for increased efficiency. Having consistency in the way requests are brought forth to the BHM will allow for those requests to be compared and prioritized fairly. Having every DMB equally equipped in nurturing missionaries and encouraging mission-mindedness will be, we believe, a blessing for our synod.

New Starts

The task force believes that right now opening new congregations should be the highest priority of the BHM. We believe the BHM has not done well at communicating the opportunities that the Lord of the Church has placed before the WELS. That must change.

The task force is considering having the BHM publish not only what by God’s grace we have done in Home Missions, but also what by God’s grace we want to do. We took note of the ample home mission opportunities, such as in the South Atlantic, where the DMB has a list of seventeen locations they believe provide excellent opportunities for the WELS to plant new churches. For five of those locations, they have had DMB members or their MC in the field. They have estimated budgets for those locations from start-up through self-sufficiency. Through the internet and a synod-wide report, the task force feels opportunities such as these, from across the country should be placed before the WELS people.

Subsidiaries

The task force is grateful for the partnerships that exist between the BHM and both the WELS Church Extension Fund (CEF) and WELS Kingdom Workers (WKW). We are thankful that both of these agencies have been eager to look for ways to increase their support of the work of establishing new congregations. We are excited by the possibility of working with CEF and WKW to expedite resources for new starts. The task force continues to explore the possibi l i t ies, and wil l inc lude final recommendations at the Fall 2010 BHM meeting.

The task force is also grateful for the work that the Campus Ministry Committee (CMC) does on behalf of the BHM. We see no reason for any change in this area. We r e c o m m e n d t h e C M C c o n t i n u e t o h a v e t w o representatives on the BHM.

In Summary The members of the task force believe that even in these economically challenged times, the Lord of the Church can and will provide everything we need to open new congregations. We believe that if we plan and adjust accordingly, we can aggressively expand home mission efforts across the country.

We welcome all thoughts and questions.

Respectfully submitted, The BHM Evaluation Task Force

Rev. Keith Free

divinewd@charterinternet.com 715-341-2915

Rev. Jon Hein

pastorhein@gmail.com 843-873-5522

843-860-1838 (cell)

Dr. Martin Mahoney m.d.mahoney@centurytel.net 636-978-4146

314-749-8890 (cell)

Mr. John Tappe tappe@juno.com 715-427-3823

Mr. Robert Timmerman rltimmerman@gmail.com

512-794-0334

FC01-1

Page - 70

Floor Committee #1 Report – District President’s Report Floor Committee #1 – District President’s Report Reference: Report of the District President Resolution No. 1 Subject: Applications for Membership and Transfers WHEREAS 1) Teacher Candidate Ben Leibl, assigned to Good Shepherd, Omaha, NE from

Martin Luther College (MLC) and Teacher Candidate Ryan Loberger, assigned to Zion, Valentine, NE from MLC and Pastor Candidate Brett Krause, assigned as a District President’s Assistant, from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (WLS) have requested membership in the Nebraska District and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod; and

WHEREAS 2) Pastor Jesse Stern has recently been transferred to our district from the

Minnesota District; and

WHEREAS 3) Pastor Brad Krause, assigned as Missionary to Mexico, Leon, Mexico, from WLS remains a member of our Nebraska District and our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod as is the practice in our Synod for world missionaries; therefore, and

WHEREAS 4) District President Joel Frank reports the pastors and teachers who were received into membership during the 2009 convention of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and others who have transferred to our district from other districts in our synod; be it

Resolved, a) That we receive Teacher Candidate Ben Leibl and Teacher Candidate Ryan Loberger and Pastor Candidate Brett Krause and Pastor Jesse Stern as voting members of the Nebraska District and Teacher Candidate Liebl and Teacher Candidate Loberger and Pastor Candidate Krause as voting members of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod; and be it further

Resolved, b) We acknowledge that Missionary Brad Krause remains a member of our District and Synod with all voting rights and privileges; and be it finally

Resolved, c) That we welcome those individuals received into membership at the 2009 synod convention and those who have transferred to us from other districts.

Floor Committee #1 – District President’s Report Reference: Report of the District President Resolution No 2 Subject: Reception of Christ Lutheran Church of Denver, Colorado and Grace Hmong Lutheran

Church of Kansas City, Kansas

FC01-2

Page - 71

WHEREAS 1) Christ Lutheran Church of Denver, Colorado and Grace Hmong Lutheran Church of Kansas City, Kansas have submitted constitutions which conform to the doctrinal standard and norms of orthodox confessional Lutheran church polity, and

WHEREAS 2) Christ Lutheran Church of Denver Colorado Grace Hmong Lutheran Church

of Kansas City, Kansas have requested admission to the Nebraska District and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod; and

WHEREAS 3) both churches have been recommended to be received as members in our

district by our District Constitution Committee therefore, be it Resolved, that Christ Lutheran Church of Denver, Colorado and Grace Hmong

Lutheran Church of Kansas City, Kansas be officially recognized and received as members in good standing of our Nebraska District and of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

Floor Committee #1 – District President’s Report Reference: Report of the District President Resolution No. 3 Subject: Appointments WHEREAS 1) the District President is charged constitutionally with the responsibility of

filling vacancies in all boards and committees of the district as well as the office of circuit pastor (District Constitution ARTICLE VI, section 1.e); and

WHEREAS 2) all appointments made between district conventions shall be ratified at the

next district convention (District Constitution ARTICLE XXVII); and WHEREAS 3) District President Frank during the past biennium appointed those listed in

the Report of the District President on page A-11; therefore be it Resolved, That we ratify these appointments. Floor Committee #1 – District President’s Report Reference: Report of the District President Resolution No. 4 Subject: Statistics WHEREAS 1) the Lord granted many congregations, workers, and facilities the privilege of

celebrating anniversaries during the past biennium; and WHEREAS 2) the Lord granted six congregations the privilege to dedicate new, expanded,

and/or refurbished buildings during the past biennium; and WHEREAS 3) the Lord called to himself Rev. William Allwart, Mr. David Karnitz, Rev.

David Worgull and Rev. William Wietzke; therefore be it

FC01-3

Page - 72

Resolved,

That we thank our Lord for his blessings to his church within our district. Respectfully submitted, Rev. Tim Kemnitz (chairman) Rev. Eugene Ahlswede Teacher Matthew Foley Mr. Merlin Green Mr. Burt Johnson Mr. Darrel Pochop Teacher Mike Schaefer

FC02 - 1

Page - 73

Floor Committee #2 Report – Nebraska District Work Floor Committee #2 – Nebraska District Work Reference: Nebraska District Technology Committee Report Resolution No. 1 Subject: District Technology Fund Offering WHEREAS 1) for the past six years the cost of the district server, software, and internet

connection fees averaged slightly over $4,000 per year, with all equipment, labor, and services donated; and

WHEREAS 2) the Nebraska District Technology Committee anticipates these costs will increase to $4,500 per year; and

WHEREAS 3) the committee has suggested that the congregations of our district bring a special offering with a goal amounting to approximately one dollar per communicant member; therefore, be it

Resolved, a) that the district presidium oversee gathering this offering; and be it finally

Resolved, b) that such an offering be gathered annually.

Reference: Reports of the two mission boards, district parish services, district technology

committee and other district committee reports Subject: Thanksgivings, Blessings and Challenges Calm, cool, collected, kind, caring. Faithful, friend, fellowshipper, unflappable – and very “frank”. These are a few of the words that describe Pastor Joel Frank throughout his twenty years of faithful service to the Lord and to the saints as president of the Nebraska District – WELS. As he takes his steady hand from the helm of the NE District, passes the baton to Pastor Earle Treptow, and leaves full-time public Gospel ministry to enter a well-deserved semi-retirement, some words that describe our feelings for “nedp” include “deeply appreciative” and ‘genuinely grateful’ to the Lord and to him for serving so well and for so long. Well done, good and faithful servant! Fishing, hunting, woodworking (or working with wood) will occupy his time and attention to a greater degree in the future, along with serving part-time at his home congregation in Plymouth, NE. God-speed and God’s blessings to him and Judy as they enter a new chapter of the forthcoming book, “To Be Frank!” We thank the Colorado and Nebraska Mission Boards for continuing to encourage and assist congregations to reach the lost in our district, even during this time of financial difficulty. We rejoice in and support the continuation of the Vicars in Mission Settings program, and are thankful many continue to be assigned to congregations in our district. We are especially grateful to the Lord of the Church for calling Pastor Jared Oldenburg to begin exploratory work in Castle Rock, Colorado, and pray for his blessings on that mission effort.

FC02-2

Page - 74

We join in giving thanks to our Lord for the work of Pastor Jonathan Rockhoff and Mr. Jeff McKee, who served faithfully on the Nebraska Mission Board for so many years. We thank God for blessing our Synod’s world missions. We encourage members of our district to continue to show interest in our world mission program and support it with prayers and offerings. May the Lord bless our worldwide gospel outreach so as many souls as possible may know Christ’s love. The 10/10 Plan for setting CMO subscriptions is a plan which encourages congregations to work toward making their CMO 10% of their total offerings. Congregations who have reached that goal are asked to consider an increase of 10% above their current CMO subscription. We encourage all district congregations to consider the 10/10 Plan for setting their CMO subscription. We appreciate the efforts of all serving the Lord in CMSG functions. We pray the Lord would bless their new operating structure. After a period of decline, we thank God for the projected increases in enrollment at our district schools. We encourage all congregations to utilize our schools. We recognize the value of WELSSA for district schools, especially in self-study and planning. We applaud those which have become accredited and those working toward it. We encourage all others to invest in the accreditation process. In light of the sacrifices made by our nation’s service members and families, we applaud the efforts of the Military Services Committee to bring the message of Christ’s sacrifice to those fighting for our freedom. We encourage congregations to support and promote the activities of the Youth Discipleship Commission. We encourage district congregations to explore using electronic outreach such as Facebook and Twitter. We would appreciate the District Commission on Evangelism offering the Seminar on Evangelism Technology in our district. Respectfully Submitted, Rev. Bill Cornelius, Chairman Teacher Justin Ohm, Secretary Rev. Anthony Allard Mr. Loren Bloomquist Rev. Doug Bode Mr. Joel Dusek Teacher Adam Frey Rev. Tom Jeske Rev. Brent Merten Mr. Duane Sanders Mr. Nathan Schleusener Rev. Joel Schroeder Rev. Jim Seiltz Rev. Bob Smith

FC03-1

Page - 75

Floor Committee #3 Report – Synod President/COP/SC – RTTD – pp. 1-13, 31-35 Reference: President’s Report (RTTD p.1) Subject: President’s Report

• That, while the need to reduce overall ministry of the Synod by 20% has s ignificant consequences, w e ha ve reason t o t hank our G od f or hi s c ontinued bl essings t o our Synod through the VEBA premium holiday and Year of Jubilee offering.

We note:

Reference: Congregational and District Ministry (RTTD pp. 3-6) Subject: Conference of Presidents

• That we are saddened by the e limination of a number of synodical pos itions but are thankful tha t a ll b ut t wo ( 2) w orld m issionaries and f our (4) f aculty m embers ha ve received and accepted calls;

(COP)

We note:

• That we continue to pray for the unassigned MLC and WLS graduates; • That district wide training for circuit pastors will be conducted in each district this fall; • That t he r evised New International V ersion will be ev aluated due t o some s erious

concerns; • That the congregational commitments for calendar year 2010 showed a decrease from

the 2009 offerings. Reference: Congregational and District Ministry (RTTD p. 8) Subject: Commission on Inter-Church Relations

• With thanksgiving the CICR and their work with individuals and churches throughout the world that are seeking to take Confessional Lutheran stances;

(CICR)

We note:

• That t he E LS and W ELS ha ve a greed t o refrain from th e pr actice of w omen communing women.

Reference Congregational and District Ministry (RTTD p. 10) Subject:

• That t he num ber of Giving C ounselors was reduced f rom 17 t o 11.2 F ull T ime Equivalents (FTE);

Ministry of Christian Giving

We note:

• With t hanksgiving t he f aithful s ervice of e ach Giving C ounselor i n t hese di fficult times.

Reference Congregational and District Ministry (RTTD p. 12)

FC03-2

Page - 76

Subject:

• The launch of the redesigned Website since last Synod Convention.

Communication Services

We note:

Reference: Ministry Support (RTTD pp. 31-35) Subject: Synodical Council

• What the Synodical Council does;

(SC)

We note:

• That t he S C ha s be gun t he t ask o f c omposing a l ong range m inistry plan f or t he Synod;

• That the Human Resources Oversight Committee is functioning and will report to the SC with regular reports and recommendations;

• That the SC has “asked the Board for World Missions to take the lead in developing policies covering security and insurance issues and to submit a report with policy recommendations to the SC.” (RTTD, 32);

• That the SC is working on a policy governing the use of special funds; • That, in regard to Designated Giving, “the area of ministry will not see its budgetary

support from the synod automatically reduced as a result of such gifts.” (RTTD, 32); • With joy, that the COP and SC held one joint meeting in April of 2010 [ and add the

encouragement to consider like meetings in the future]. Floor Committee #3 - Synod President/COP/SC Reference: WELS Long Range Plan for 2017 (U) Resolution: No. 1 Subject: Reaction to WELS Long Range Plan for 2017

WHEREAS 1) we appreciate the balancing of the Means of Grace with the stewardship of t he resources C hrist has pr ovided us i n carrying out hi s c ommand t o proclaim the gospel as we make plans relying on his blessings; and

WHEREAS 2) w e appreciate t he unique coordination of e fforts b etween H ome

Missions, World Missions and Ministerial Education; and

WHEREAS 3) we note the blessings of the process involved in developing the WELS Long Range Plan for 2017; therefore, be it

Resolved, a) tha t w e tha nk the committee f or the ir w ork in formulating th e W ELS

Long Range Plan for 2017 and presenting it to the districts for reaction; and be it finally

Resolved, b) that we concur with the development of the WELS Long Range Plan for

2017 and strongly encourage continued joint planning in the future beyond 2017 by Home Missions, World Missions and Ministerial Education.

FC03-3

Page - 77

Respectfully Submitted,

Rev. Phil Spaude, Chairman Rev. Jesse Stern, Secretary Rev. Randy Bader Rev. Tom Biedenbender Rev. Phil Hirsch Mr. Jeff Hrabanek Rev. Kevin Klug Rev. Jon Micheel Mr. Chris Radke Rev. Paul Seiltz Teacher Phil Stern Mr. DeLoy Titkemeier Mr. Eugene Troutman

FC04-1

Page - 78

Floor Committee #4 Report – Congregation and Ministry Support Group – RTTD p. 13-29 Reference: RTTD: p. 13-15 Subject: Congregation and Ministry Support Group The Congregation and Ministry Support Group (CMSG) has taken the place of Parish Services and is under the auspices of the Conference of Presidents. The Parish Assistance program will terminate at the end of June 2010. The CMSG is working to better serve alongside the district presidents and participate in the continuing education of called workers. Reference: RTTD: p. 16-18 Subject: Commission on Lutheran Schools We acknowledge with gratitude the continued growth of childhood ministries. We note with concern the declining number of Lutheran elementary schools and the declining enrollment. We acknowledge with gratitude the number of schools that have been accredited or are in the accreditation process with the WELS School Accreditation program. Reference: RTTD: p. 19-20 Subject: Commission on Adult Discipleship The position of director of Adult Discipleship is currently vacant. At this time, the commission has made its greatest priority developing and providing training for teaching adults and involving them in Bible study. Reference: RTTD: p. 20-21 Subject: Commission on Youth Discipleship The position of national director is vacant. We encourage the Conference of Presidents to resume calling to fill this vacancy. Reference: RTTD: p. 21-25 Subject: Commission on Special Ministries Even with limited resources, Special Ministries continues to diligently serve in the areas of Military Services, Prison Ministry, Special Education, Mental Health, among others. We acknowledge with gratitude their continued efforts. Reference: RTTD: p. 25-28 Subject:

There are tentative plans for a new hymnal by 2023. We acknowledge with special gratitude the workshops held throughout the synod for introduction of the Christian Worship supplement. This

Commission on Worship

FC04 - 2

Page - 79

has made it much easier for congregations to introduce the supplement to their parishioners. The commission is looking to provide further resources for worship education. The commission is also exploring the revision of some historic Lutheran hymns for the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017. Reference: RTTD: p. 28-29 Subject:

Commission on Evangelism We commend the commission for continuing to offer the Schools of Outreach and district evangelism seminars to assist congregations in reaching out to the lost. Long range plans include assisting every congregation with ongoing guidance for planning, organization, and implementation of outreach strategies. The website whataboutjesus.com continues to enhance our synod’s evangelism efforts. Respectfully Submitted, Rev. Dave Schultz, Chairman Vicar Aaron Bublitz, Secretary Rev. Noah Bater Rev. Tom Glende Joe Gumm Martin Karst Ed Krieger Rev. Bounkeo Lor Jim Oberlander Mark Seaberg Rev. Mike Traudt Kip Wilson

FC05-1

Page - 80

Floor Committee #5 Report – Home/World/Joint Council – RTTD – pp. 67-78 Reference: RTTD p. 67-71 Subject: Board for World Missions

We note with thankful hearts how God’s Church continues to grow around the world, despite the BWM having less money to work with and having fewer expatriate missionaries to send to foreign lands. We also note the work which the Board for World Missions is doing to pursue alternate methods of reaching out to the lost around the world (e.g. multi-language publications, ESL classes, MP3 recorders in Nepal, etc.). We acknowledge the work of our seminary programs around the world. We share the same concern of the BWM as it watches over the welfare of our missionaries and as it faces fiscal challenges ahead which may necessitate the elimination of more positions. Reference: RTTD p. 73-75 Subject:

• Home Missions in its various forms is associated financially and otherwise with approximately 90 congregations (5 in Canada, 2 in the Caribbean)

Board for Home Missions We note the following:

• A listing of the current ministries funded by the BHM can be found on RTTD pg. 74 • BHM has 4 (soon 3) mission counselors and 2 cross-cultural consultants • Mission counselor Pastor Wayne Schulz is retiring on June 30 • The 2007 synod convention resolved to expand the mission counselor program • The 2009 synod convention removed $100,000 from the mission counselor program • Requests for mission counselor assistance are increasing exponentially • BHM has established an evaluation task force to evaluate all its functions and forms

(Reference p. W-1 and 2) • BHM acknowledges the help and support of the WELS Church Extension Fund, Kingdom

Workers, and LWMS • Though always mindful of and promoting CMO, the BHM also welcomes special gifts

Reference: RTTD p. 77-78 Subject:

Cristo Palabra de Vida – There is a total of four Pastoral Studies Institute graduates who are either currently serving or ready to serve. The Cristo Palabra de Vida National Council sponsored a conference with twenty-seven pastors attending, representing eleven synodical

Joint Mission Council We note the following from the Report of the Joint Mission Council:

Hmong and Lao Ministries in Thailand – The ethnic Thai and Hmong men who have been trained in Thailand are starting to take over some of the responsibilities of the ministries in Thailand and Laos. Currently, there are two expatriate missionaries, four national pastors, and eight men serving as evangelists. The Christian Church in Thailand has asked us to take over the ministry of six existing congregations, representing an additional seven hundred souls. Our current Hmong missions seek to be affiliated and in doctrinal unity with WELS.

FC05-2

Page - 81

districts. The Hispanic National Council has set a goal of twenty congregations beginning or expanding Hispanic outreach efforts each year.

Muslim Outreach – The requests for presentations on Islam by a Muslim background believer continue to grow. Besides the presentations, information for outreach to Muslims is available at www.truthinlovetomuslims.com. A DVD “Speaking the Truth in Love to Muslims,” has been developed and is available.

Sudanese Outreach – The Lord has opened an opportunity in Des Moines, Iowa, to reach Sudanese refugees with the gospel. Members and the pastor of this group were joined by a member of the Board for World Missions to travel to Africa to investigate mission opportunities in their homeland. Although opportunities exist in the Sudan, current security concerns and funding keep us from sending men into this area. Floor Committee #5 – Home/World Missions / Joint Mission Council Reference: Pages W1&2 Resolution No. 1 Subject: Evaluation Task Force Report to the Districts WHEREAS 1) we, as a synod, are constantly trying to streamline the size of committees

and keep costs down; and

WHEREAS 2) the proposed structure might give the appearance of another level of administration; and

WHEREAS 3) the Colorado and Nebraska District Mission Boards believe that the current structure is acceptable; and

WHEREAS 4) our Mission Boards feel there is adequate representation with the current structure; and

WHEREAS 5) our Mission Boards believe the current structure encourages more grass roots involvement; and

WHEREAS 6) our Mission Boards feel the necessity of maintaining a regional connection with a Mission Counselor; therefore, be it

Resolved, a) That we thank the members of the Task Force for their faithful efforts; and be it further

Resolved, b) That we strongly encourage the BHM not to implement the changes recommended by the Task Force, with the exception that the BHM publish not only what, by God’s grace, has been done in home missions, but also what they, by God’s grace, would like to do; and be it finally

Resolved, c) That we encourage better communication between the Executive Committee and the local mission boards.

FC05-3

Page - 82

Respectfully Submitted, Rev. Michael Ewart, Chairman Rev. Steve Kahrs, Secretary Rev. Nathaniel Biebert Teacher Seth Fitzsimmons Rev. Charlie Flunker Teacher Josh Glowicki Mike Heins Robert Kander Rev. Phil Kieselhorst Rev. Wayne Oblender, Robert Richert Nathan Rooney Vicar Stephen Schmiel Jim Schuricht Douglas Seegebarth

FC06-1

Page - 83

Floor Committee #6 Report – WELS Subsidiaries – RTTD – pp. 56-66, 95-103 Floor Committee #6 – WELS Subsidiaries Reference: RTTD - pp.56-57 Resolution No. 1 Subject: Synod Administration Building WHEREAS 1) the Synod Administration Building is in need of major maintenance and

improvement; and

WHEREAS 2) there is no developer interested in the property at this time; and

WHEREAS 3) our Synod’s financial position makes it impractical to make large changes to any of the buildings; therefore, be it

Resolved, a) That we too are convinced that the synod should not make major investments in this property at this time; and be it finally

Resolved, b) That only necessary repairs be made to the Synod Administration Building until funds are available to rebuild or relocate.

Reference: RTTD - pp.57-58 Resolution No. 2 Subject: Encouraging use of Committee on Relief WHEREAS 1) the WELS Committee on Relief continues to bring physical relief to victims

of natural disasters; and

WHEREAS 2) the members of our Synod have been moved by the Holy Spirit to show love in this way; therefore, be it

Resolved, a) That we thank God for the outpouring of love from his faithful people; and be it further

Resolved, b) That we thank God for the willing service of this Committee; and be it finally

Resolved, c) That we encourage our members to contribute to the WELS Committee on Relief to financially help those who are in need.

Reference: RTTD – pp.58-59 Resolution No. 3 Subject: Audio/Visual Projects WHEREAS 1) the WELS Publication Coordinating Commission does not have the

resources to do its work; and

FC06-2

Page - 84

WHEREAS 2) the Road to Emmaus is a useful tool for outreach; therefore, be it

Resolved, a) That the commission seek funding for similar ventures; and be it finally

Resolved, b) That they develop more projects like this when funds are available.

Reference: RTTD – pp. 59-60 Resolution No. 4 Subject: Financial Accountability WHEREAS 1) the Accounting Oversight Committee (AOC) has capably performed its

function in assisting the Synodical Council in its financial aspects synod-wide; and

WHEREAS 2) recent cuts have strained its ability to operate at its current level; and

WHEREAS 3) it is important to maintain a level of trust between the members of the synod and those responsible for the synod finances; therefore, be it

Resolved, a) That we commend the AOC for its work; and be it finally

Resolved, b) That we give a high priority to restoring some of funding that has been cut.

Reference: RTTD – pp.62-64 Resolution No. 5 Subject: Technological Competency WHEREAS 1) WELS Technology exists to support the work of synodical organizations

and areas of ministry; and

WHEREAS 2) its budget has been significantly reduced; therefore, be it

Resolved, That we commend WELS Technology for the work it is doing in spite of limited resources.

Reference: RTTD – pp.95-96 Resolution No. 6 Subject: Encouraging the funding of CEF WHEREAS the WELS CEF has done an excellent job of assisting mission congregations

so they can acquire land and build or renovate worship/ministry facilities; therefore be it

Resolved, That we encourage individual WELS members and congregations to consider gifts, bequests, and investments in WELS CEF certificates.

FC06-3

Page - 85

Reference: RTTD – pp.96-97 Resolution No. 7 Subject: Gift Guide WHEREAS WELS Foundation provides planned giving services and administrative

support for gifts benefiting WELS congregations and ministries; therefore, be it

Resolved, a) that we encourage our members and congregations to make use of its services; and be it finally

Resolved, b) that we encourage our members to make use of the Gift Guide which allows our members to explore various planned gift opportunities from the comfort of their homes. This Gift Guide is found on its website (www.welsfoundation.net).

Reference: RTTD – pp. 100-101 Resolution No. 8 Subject: Encouraging the use of NPH products WHEREAS Northwestern Publishing House (NPH) produces high quality gospel-

oriented materials; therefore, be it

Resolved, that our members and congregations be encouraged to make use of NPH products whenever possible.

Reference: RTTD – pp.101-102 Resolution No. 9 Subject: VEBA Health Care WHEREAS 1) the WELS Benefit Plans Office serves synodical workers and organizations

through the administration of the WELS Voluntary Employee Benefits Association (VEBA) and the WELS Pension Plan; and

WHEREAS 2) the VEBA Commission provided a one-time holiday for all active plan participants and COBRA participants in November 2009; and

WHEREAS 3) there is a projected rate increase of 8-10% for 2011 for WELS VEBA; therefore, be it

Resolved, a) That we thank God for the faithful work of these servants and the blessing of the one-time holiday; and be it further

Resolved, b) That we encourage them to keep all rate increases to a minimum; and be it finally

FC06-4

Page - 86

Resolved

, c) That we encourage WELS VEBA to quickly inform its participants about the effects of the health care bills that have been passed.

Respectfully Submitted, Rev. Dave Haberkorn, Chairman Rev. Stephen Raddatz, Secretary Rev. Mark Birkholz Mr. David Brandt Mr. Mark Braun Teacher Tim Hemling Vicar Noah Hermann Rev. William Leerssen Mr. Ardean Nunnenkamp Rev. Roger Quandt

FC07-1

Page - 87

Floor Committee #7 Report – Finances – RTTD – pp. 36-55 Floor Committee #7 – Finances Reference: RTTD - pp. 36-55 Resolution No. 1 Subject: WELS Compensation Guidelines WHEREAS 1) our nation as a whole is an economic downturn, jobs have been lost, and the

income of many of God’s people has declined; and

WHEREAS 2) many lay people are experiencing 10-20% salary cuts or greater; and

WHEREAS 3) some of our Christian day schools and high schools have implemented a reduction in staff and/or salary cuts from 6 -12% ; and

WHEREAS 4) many missionaries are being called back while home and world missions are being closed; and

WHEREAS 5) there are current opportunities to develop missions in complex enviroments that may never exist again; and

WHEREAS 6) God’s people need the encouragement to faithfully support God’s work in their midst; and

WHEREAS 7) the 2009 Synod in convention adopted the resolution to encourage the use of furloughs in place of cuts if necessary; therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Synodical Council continue to re-evaluate the WELS Compensation Guidelines for the next biennium, maintain the present salary rates, and consider the use of furloughs if necessary.

Reference: RTTD - pp. 36-55 Resolution No. 2 Subject: Financial Stabilization Fund WHEREAS 1) fiscal planning in the previous years was partly based on projected income

from non-CMO sources; and

WHEREAS 2) this method of planning led to a shortfall in funds when non-CMO sources did not meet their projected levels; and

WHEREAS 3) the Synodical Council has established the Financial Stabilization Fund to enable better planning and to provide up to a one year advance notice if funding levels drop; therefore, let it be

FC07-2

Page - 88

Resolved

, That we commend the Synodical Council for their new approach to fiscal planning and encourage the continuation of the financial stabilization fund in future years.

Respectfully submitted, Rev. Matthew Frey, chairman Mr. Don Kracke, secretary Rev. Jim Fleming Mr. Detlef Gartzke Rev. Bill Goehring Rev. Josh Hillman Vicar Josh Krieger Rev. Steve Neyhart Rev. Fred Shurman Mr. Matt Willems

FC08-1

Page - 89

Floor Committee #8 Report – Board of Ministerial Education – RTTD – pp. 79-93 Reference: RTTD: p.79-80 Subject: Board of Ministerial Education The Floor Committee appreciates the response of the BME to the direction given by the 2009 Synod Convention in the following areas; lowering student costs, addressing the educational needs of ethnic groups, providing continuing education for called workers, school governance, facilities maintenance, and the addition of Mandarin Chinese to the curriculum. Reference: RTTD: p. 91-93 Subject: Michigan Lutheran Seminary We thank God for the gracious blessing of MLS in Saginaw, MI, as the school celebrated 100 years of training students for the public ministry of the gospel. Largely due to a vote of confidence from the 2009 synod convention, MLS is expecting to receive the largest increase of freshmen since 1998. MLS continues to keep its mission central by providing excellent encouragement and experience to prepare students for entrance to Martin Luther College. While adopting a budget that required the elimination of seven called workers and seven staff positions, the remaining workers are dedicated to their increased service and purpose in Christ’s kingdom. MLS welcomes a new president, Rev. Aaron C. Frey. His brothers and sisters of the Nebraska District ask God to bless him and all the staff in the continuing work at MLS. Reference: RTTD: p. 90-91 Subject: Luther Preparatory School We note with appreciation that 55 percent of LPS graduates have enrolled at Martin Luther College since its inception in 1995. We also appreciate the many pointed efforts being undertaken to keep students focused on the public ministry. We agree that LPS fills a key role in our Synod’s efforts to raise up workers for the Lord’s vineyard. We thank God for the dedication and love shown by the LPS staff who labor to keep offering the quality programs of the school with fewer resources. Reference: RTTD: p. 86-89 Subject: Martin Luther College We thank God for his gift of the new chapel. We thank, commend, and appreciate the staff of MLC for their efforts to provide an opportunity for an education that is grounded in Christ. We support offering expanded programs to Synod members; growing the Early Childhood Education program and including Mandarin Chinese, as well as other languages, as part of the curriculum. We recognize that MLC has asked the District for input on how they can assist training members for ministry in their congregations without serving as full time called workers. We support this concept and the areas of training included in their report. May God bless your work with continued success in turning out strong Christian men and women.

FC08-2

Page - 90

Reference: RTTD: p. 80-85 Subject:

Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary We commend the seminary for continuing to focus on its mission to prepare men to enter the pastoral ministry based on the inspired inerrant word of God. A mentoring program for pastors who are newly called into their full time ministries has been initiated. We also note with concern the future declining enrollment and pray for success in future student recruiting efforts. Thank you for putting forth extra effort to provide continued education for pastors in our synod. God’s continued blessings on your work. Respectfully Submitted, Rev. Joel Spaude, Chairman Mr. James Deck, Secretary Mr. Bill Bauer Rev. Kurt Ebert Rev. Joel Pankow Mr. Neal Platzer Mr. Marty Rehm Mr. John Shelbourn Rev. Wayne Uhlhorn Rev. Chad Walta

FC09-1

Page - 91

Floor Committee #9 Report – Essay Floor Committee #9 – Essay Reference: None Resolution No. 1 Subject: Dates and Location of 2012 Nebraska District Convention WHEREAS 1) the Nebraska District constitution requires a biennial convention; and

WHEREAS 2) Nebraska Lutheran High School has graciously consented to host the convention in 2012; therefore, be it

Resolved, a) That the 2012 District Convention be held June 11-13; and be it finally

Resolved, b) That the 2012 District Convention be held at Nebraska Lutheran High School.

Reference: None Resolution No. 2 Subject: Location of 2014 Nebraska District Convention WHEREAS 1) we have asked the faculty and staff of Nebraska Lutheran High School to

expend significant time and effort in hosting our district conventions for many years; and

WHEREAS 2) many of the delegates come from the other side of the district and have to travel great distances to attend conventions held at Nebraska Lutheran High School; and

WHEREAS 3) an alternate site might offer some relief to the faculty and staff of Nebraska Lutheran High School, while also sharing the travel burden; therefore, be it

Resolved, a) That the District Presidium appoint a committee to consider alternate sites for the 2014 District Convention; and be it finally

Resolved, b) That the appointed committee present a report and recommendation to the 2012 District Convention Essay Committee.

Reference: None Resolution No. 3 Subject: Convention Theme, Essay, and Preachers WHEREAS 1) the 2009 WELS Convention adopted a four-year plan for synod-wide

theological study; and

FC09-2

Page - 92

WHEREAS 2) the third year of that four-year plan calls for a study of “The Care of Souls”; and

WHEREAS 3) the convention theme will be developed in both the convention essay and convention worship; therefore, be it

Resolved, a) That the 2012 Nebraska District Convention convene under the theme “The Care of Souls”; and be it further

Resolved, b) That a convention essay on the theme “A proactive approach to the care of souls: fostering an ‘I’m my brother’s keeper’ mentality in the congregation” be presented to the convention by Pastor David Kolander; and be it finally

Resolved

, c) That Pastor Earle Treptow preach at the opening service and Pastor Steven Kahrs be asked to preach at the closing service of the convention.

Respectfully Submitted, Rev. David Wietzke, Chairman Rev. Earle Treptow, Secretary Rev. Paul Biedenbender Rev. Brett Krause Rev. Matthew Krenke Rev. Jim Tauscher Rev. Mark Voss Teacher Rick Lohmiller Mr. Orville Brockemeier Mr. Dave Flood Mr. Bob Kramer

FC10-1

Page - 93

Floor Committee #10 Report – Resolutions, Synod Delegates, Memorials Reference: None Subject: Offering Designation We recommend that the thank offering of $1,229.50 received at the convention opening communion service be designated to be split equally between Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School and Rocky Mountain Lutheran High School. Floor Committee #10 – Resolutions, Synod Delegates, Memorials Reference: Memorial-001 Resolution No. 1 Subject: Election of District Officers WHEREAS 1) our Nebraska District officers hold positions of high trust in their service to

the Lord; and

WHEREAS 2) these officers are called by the Lord to serve our district through the election process; and

WHEREAS 3) pertinent biographical and ministerial information would be helpful in electing our district officers; and

WHEREAS 4) said information is already provided prior to elections of other district representatives (eg. Mission board, parish services, etc.); and

WHEREAS 5) the district nominating committee has done an excellent job of collecting this information prior to convention for the delegates to be informed and prepared for elections; and

WHEREAS 6) gathering this information by the election committee after the nomination and before the election of our district officers is still possible at the convention for those candidates who were not approached prior to district convention; therefore, be it

Resolved, a) that prior to every district convention, the district nominating committee gather pertinent biographical and ministerial information on those whom the district president anticipates may be nominated to serve as district officers; and be it further

Resolved, b) that the election committee will be charged to gather any additional information that is needed at the convention; and be it finally

Resolved, c) that the information be made available by the election committee to the delegates in written form after the nomination of and before the election of our district officers.

FC10-2

Page - 94

Floor Committee #10 – Resolutions, Synod Delegates, Memorials Reference: None Resolution No. 2 Subject: Synod Convention Representatives WHEREAS a systematic rotation has been established to send pastors, teachers and lay

delegates to the Synod Convention; therefore, be it

Resolved, a) that the following congregations represent the Nebraska District:

Colorado Conference Greeley, CO, Shepherd of the Hills Fort Collins, CO, St. Peter Thornton, CO, Lord of Life Colorado Springs, CO, Salem Farmington, NM, Christ the Rock

Alternates: 1) Las Animas, CO, St. Paul

2) Loveland, CO, Abiding Love 3) Monte Vista, CO, Our Savior 4) Fort Morgan, CO, Shepherd of the Plains 5) Platteville, CO, St. John

Rosebud Conference Naper, NE, St. Paul Winner, SD, Trinity

Alternates: 1) Colome, SD, Zion

2) Witten, SD, St. John

Three Rivers Conference Sioux City, IA, Grace Shenandoah, IA, Peace Norfolk, NE, Shepherd of Peace

Alternates: 1) Omaha, NE, Living Hope

2) Fremont, NE, Christ Our Savior 3) Norfolk, NE, St. Paul’s

Southern Conference Grafton, NE, Trinity Lincoln, NE, Mount Olive Manhattan, KS, Hope Harrisonville, MO, Our Savior

Alternates: 1) Kansas City, MO, Rock of Ages

2) Lincoln, NE, St. Mark 3) Lees Summit, MO, Gethsemane 4) McCook, NE, Trinity

FC10-3

Page - 95

And be it further

Resolved b) that the following teachers and/or staff ministers represent the Nebraska District

Mr. Kip Wilson Mr. Joshua Glowicki

Alternate 1) Mr. Corey Pederson

2) Mr. Jeffrey Loberger And be it finally

Resolved c) that the following pastors represent the Nebraska District.

Rosebud Conference Rev. Matthew Krenke

Alternate - Rev. Justin Gosch

Three Rivers Conference Rev. Tom Jeske

Alternate - Rev. Anthony Allard

Colorado Conference Rev. Kevin Klug Rev. Earle Treptow

Alternate 1) Rev. Phillip Sievert 2) Rev. Mark Birkholz

Southern Conference Rev. David Schultz Rev. Bill Goehring

Alternate 1) Rev. Paul Seiltz 2) Rev. Joel Pankow

*Synod Convention will be held July 25-29 at Luther Preparatory School in Watertown, WI. Floor Committee #10 – Resolutions, Synod Delegates, Memorials Reference: None Resolution No. 3 Subject:

WHEREAS 1) Rev. Philip Kieselhorst preached for our convention’s opening service under the theme “The Greatest Danger to the World Today Is…”; and

Letter of Thanks

FC10-4

Page - 96

WHEREAS 2) Rev. Charles Westra edified our convention through his essay entitled “God’s Mission: The Means And The Methods”; and

WHEREAS 3) Rev. Tyler Peil preached for our convention’s closing service under the theme “Guard the Good Deposit”; and

WHEREAS 4) our convention was led in opening worship by Rev. Brent Merten and in closing worship by Rev. John Bortulin; and

WHEREAS 5) our convention was blessed through the devotions given by Rev. Wayne Oblender, Rev. John Bortulin, Mr. Rick Lohmiller and Rev. Kurt Ebert; and

WHEREAS 6) we were privileged to have extra opportunities for growth through Bible Study with Rev. Tom Jeske as well as from the presentations “Easy Ways to Incorporate Variety in Worship” with Rev. Jon Micheel and “Heart in Focus Finances” with Rev. Phil Spaude; and

WHEREAS 7) our worship was strengthened through the efforts of the Worship Committee, the soloists and pianists; and

WHEREAS 8) our convention was blessed through the dedicated service of Mrs. Debra Wells, who was responsible for the preparation of the convention binders, and of the members of the faculty and staff of Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School both in convention preparations and extensive service for food, lodging, printing, copying and many other housekeeping details; therefore, be it

Resolved that the district secretary extend a letter of thanks to all these servants and the faculty and staff of NELHS.

Floor Committee #10 – Resolutions, Synod Delegates, Memorials Reference: None Resolution No. 4 Subject: Thanks for District President Frank WHEREAS 1) the Lord of the Church established the public ministry of the Gospel and has

blessed His Church with the gift of evangelists, pastors, teachers and other servants to carry out the ministry of the Gospel; and

WHEREAS 2) the Lord Jesus has given His Church the authority to call qualified men into the public ministry of the Gospel to shepherd believers in the faith and prepare God’s people for works of service; and

WHEREAS 3) Pastor Joel Frank was ordained and installed into the public ministry of the Gospel on July 28, 1968 and has served the following parishes: First, Winnett and Faith, Melstone, MT from July 1968 to May 1973 and St. Paul, Plymouth, NE from June 1973 to June 2010; and

FC10-5

Page - 97

WHEREAS 4) Pastor Frank has served faithfully in the public ministry of the Gospel for 42 years and will be retiring from the full-time ministry on June 27, 2010; and

WHEREAS 5) Pastor Frank was elected by his peers to serve as the District President of the Nebraska District in June of 1990 and has served faithfully in this office for 20 years; and

WHEREAS 6) Judy Frank has helped her husband faithfully during his 42 years of public ministry and by her assistance and hospitality opening their home to guests has enabled Pastor Frank to carry out the duties of his office more efficiently; and

WHEREAS 7) many congregations, members and called workers were counseled, guided and blessed by the service of Pastor Frank and his wife during his 20 years as district president; therefore, be it

Resolved, a) that the members of the Nebraska District in convention praise the Lord of the Church for giving His people the service of Pastor and Mrs. Frank for his 42 years in the public ministry of the Gospel, to God alone be the glory; and be it further

Resolved, b) that the members of the Nebraska District in convention thank Pastor Joel Frank and his wife, Judy, for the 20 years of faithful service that Pastor Frank has given to the Nebraska District as District President; and be it finally

Resolved

, c) that the members of the Nebraska District in convention express their thanks by rising to give Pastor and Mrs. Frank a standing ovation for their service to the Lord and His Church, and give God the glory by singing the common doxology.

Respectfully Submitted, Chairman: Rev. Paul White Rev. John Bortulin Mr. Thomas Krafft Mr. Dane Mattes Mr. Ted Rabenberg Rev. Rodney Rixe Mr. Gene Schmeling Rev. Gary Schult Mr. Leonard Wasserman Rev. Phil Zarling

FC11-1

Page - 98

Floor Committee #11 Report – Elections Floor Committee #11 – Elections Reference: None Subject: Election Report The results of the 2008 Nebraska District Convention are as follows:

*Distr ict officers - Pastor Earle Treptow (District President) Pastor Phil Hirsch (1st Vice-President) Pastor Mark Voss (2nd Vice-President) Pastor Phil Sievert (Secretary) *The following were elected as Mission Board members - Dr. Keith Eldred (Colorado Mission District Mission Board Lay Member) Pastor Wayne Uhlhorn (Colorado Mission District Mission Board Pastor) Steve Helwig (Nebraska Mission District Mission Board Pastor) Mr. Bruce Burger (Nebraska Mission District Mission Board Lay Member) Pastor Mark Haefner (Nebraska Mission District Mission Board Pastor) *The following was elected as the Adult Discipleship Coordinator - Pastor Mark Hayes *The following was elected as the Youth Discipleship Coordinator - Pastor Kurt Schaser *The following were elected to the Distr ict Board of Appeals - Pastor Jon Rockhoff as chairman Pastor Steven Kahrs Mr. Mark Maurer *The following was elected to the Distr ict Nominating Committee - Pastor Phil Spaude as chairman Pastor Joel Spaude (Colorado Conference) Pastor Thomas Biedenbender (Rosebud Conference) Pastor Joel Pankow (Southern Conference) Pastor Michael Ewart (Three Rivers Conference) We pray that God would bless these men as they faithfully carry out their various responsibilities in service to the Church and to their Lord. Respectfully submitted, Teacher Corey Pederson, Chairman Pastor Steve Kruschel, Secretary Teacher Scott Brown Teacher Jeremiah Drewes

FC11-2

Page - 99

Pastor Dan Frey Teacher Jeff Loberger Mr. Rex Prigge Teacher Benjy Wells

FC12-1

Page - 100

Floor Committee #12 Report – Excuse Committee Reference: None Subject:

Voting Delegates:

Convention Attendance There were 145 registered voting delegates and three guests/visitors in attendance at the 47th

Biennial Convention of the Nebraska District. The following is a breakdown of the attendees:

• Lay Delegates – 44

• Teacher Delegates – 28

• Pastor Delegates – 67

• World Missionaries – 1

• Pastors Emeritus – 5

• Total – 145

Also attending:

• Vicars – 4

Excuses were received from:

• 28 Lay Delegates

• 1 Staff Minister

• 11 Teachers

• 11 Pastors

• 1 World Missionary

• 1 Vicar

• 1 Pastor Emeritus

Respectfully submitted,

Teacher Craig Charron Pastor Ray Beckmann, chairman

FC14-1

Page - 101

Floor Committee #14 Report – Delegate Report / Press Release Floor Committee #14 – Delegate Report/Press Release Reference: The 47th Biennial Convention of the Nebraska District, WELS Subject:

• Pastor Philip Kieselhorst of Shepherd of the Valley, Westminster, CO, preached for the opening communion service. Using Luke 24:36-39, he reminded us that even though we live in a dangerous world, we have a living dangerous Savior with a powerful message with which to confront the world. May the Lord continue to empower us by His Spirit to be “witness of all these things.”

Delegate Report The 47th Biennial Convention of the Nebraska District of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod met June 14-16, 2010, at Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School, Waco, NE, using the theme “Christ’s Love, Our Calling.” The convention was attended by one hundred forty-five laymen, pastors, teachers and staff ministers. Here are some highlights:

• Mr. Kurt Austad, our district’s representative on the WELS Synodical Council, presented

a report highlighting the work of the Synodical Council. He reminded us of both the challenges we face as a church body (we need to either raise or cut over 4 million dollars in each of the next two fiscal years) and also the opportunities of sharing the Gospel with many throughout the world who are eager to hear the Good News of their Savior. Both Pastor Frank and Pastor Earle Treptow, member at large of the Synodical Council, reminded us of the importance of our Congregational Mission Offerings.

• Elections: Pastor Joel Frank has retired after 20 years of service as District President. We

praise God for his years of faithful service to the Lord and to us. The delegates elected Pastor Earle Treptow, Pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Denver, CO, to serve as District President. Pastor Phil Hirsch of Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church, Manhattan, KS, was elected to be the District’s First Vice President. Pastor Mark Voss of Christ Our Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church, Aurora, CO, was re-elected to be the District’s Second Vice President. Pastor Phillip Sievert of Lord of Life, Thornton, CO, was elected to be the Secretary of the District. Other election results are available online at www.welsne.org. We encourage congregations to offer prayers of thanksgiving for those who have served our Nebraska District and prayers for wisdom and guidance for those who were elected to new positions and who continue to serve the Lord and us.

• Nebraska District Mission Board: Pastor Jonathan Rockhoff completed eighteen years of

service with fourteen of those as chairman, and Mr. Jeff McKee completed twelve years of service. They were not eligible for re-election because of term limits. We thank them for their faithful service.

• LWMS: Mrs. Linda Glisson, President of the Central Plains Circuit of the LWMS, shared

information about the valuable support the LWMS provides for mission work in the

FC14-2

Page - 102

WELS. She reminded us of the LWMS Super Rally that will be held at Nebraska Lutheran High School on Saturday, October 9th.

• Essay: Pastor Charles Westra, Pastor of Christ Our Savior, Columbia, TN, and Chairman

of our Synod’s Home Mission Board, presented an essay entitled, “God’s Mission: The Means and the Methods.” He encouraged us to hold on to the truth that conversion is God’s work alone and at the same time to be aggressive in reaching out with the Gospel.

• Long Range Plan: Floor Committee #3 resolved to thank the Synodical Council for their

work on the WELS Long Range Plan for 2017. They concurred with the development of the plan and encouraged continued joint planning in the future beyond 2017 by Home Missions, World Missions and Ministerial Education.

We encourage everyone to make use of the District Website to read and study the essay as well as all the reports and resolutions from the convention. The address is www.welsne.org. Reference: The 47th Biennial Convention of the Nebraska District, WELS Subject:

Mr. Jim Schroeder

Press Release For Immediate Release For information contact: _________________________ (insert your name and contact information) Nebraska District Convention of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod 145 pastors, teachers, staff ministers and lay delegates from the Nebraska District of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) met in convention June 14-16 at Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School, Waco, Nebraska. This represents congregations from Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and parts of Iowa, New Mexico, South Dakota and Missouri. This, the 47th Biennial convention of the Nebraska District, followed the theme “Christ’s Love, Our Calling.” Pastor Joel Frank has retired after 20 years of service as District President. The delegates elected Pastor Earle Treptow, Pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Denver, Colorado, to serve as District President. Pastor Charles Westra, of Columbia, TN, (chairman of the WELS Board for Home Missions) presented the essay entitled “God’s Mission: the Means and the Methods.” The delegates heard reports on the Gospel work being done in the Nebraska District and throughout the world. They gave input on issues that will be addressed at the next Synod Convention in 2011. Respectfully Submitted, Rev. Mark Hayes, Chairman Rev. Mark Haefner, Secretary Rev. Steve Helwig Teacher Tom Plitzuweit Mr. Bruce Lietz

Page - 103

Minutes of the 47th Biennial Convention of the Nebraska District Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

June 14-16, 2010 Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School, Waco, NE “Christ’s Love, Our Calling”

Monday Morning Session The convention began at 8:30 AM with a communion worship service. Pastor Brent Merten presided and Pastor Philip Kieselhorst shared a message based on Luke 24:36-39, a lesson that reminds us that even though we live in a dangerous world, we have a living dangerous Savior with a powerful message with which to confront the world. May the Lord continue to empower us by His Spirit to be “witnesses of all these things.” District President, Pastor Joel Frank, opened the convention at 10:00 AM in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. After a welcome by Mr. Craig Charron on behalf of Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School, Pastor Frank gave his final District President’s report. Using the letter to the Hebrews, he encouraged us to “Hold Unswervingly to the Hope We Profess.” After giving the highlights of our upcoming business, he closed with a message of thanks for the opportunity to serve as district president for the past 20 years. Pastor Tim Kemnitz gave the District Constitution Committee report. As Chairman of Floor Committee #1, he presented his committee’s resolutions for receiving and welcoming new members into our District. The motion was accepted and carried. He also presented a resolution to accept Christ Lutheran Church of Denver, Colorado, and Grace Hmong Lutheran Church of Kansas City, Kansas, into good standing of our Nebraska District and of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Motion carried. After a prayer asking for God’s blessings on our District elections, Mr. Corey Pederson presented the steps for electing the district officers. A call for nominations for District President was made. Mr. Kurt Austad, our district’s representative on the WELS Synodical Council, presented a report highlighting the work of the Synodical Council (B-1-3 of Convention binder). Mr. Austad reminded us of both the challenges we face as a church body but also the opportunities of sharing the Gospel with many throughout the world who are eager to hear the Good News of their Savior. Both Pastor Frank and Pastor Earle Treptow, member at large of the Synodical Council, reminded us of the importance of our Congregational Mission Offerings. Pastor Joel Voss, 2nd Vice-President of our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, greeted us on behalf of our church body. He highlighted the President’s report (p.1-2, RTTTD) as well as the Conference of President’s Report (p.3-6, RTTTD). He also spent time addressing the background and principles that went into the development of the WELS Long Range Plan for 2017 (U1-U6, Convention binder). Pastor Voss reminded us of the blessings of the growing unity within our Synod and the confidence that comes from knowing the Lord of the Church will guide as we face challenges.

Page - 104

Mr. Corey Peterson announced that the nominees for District President are Pastor Phil Hirsch, Pastor Tom Jeske, Pastor Earle Treptow and Pastor Mark Voss. The biographical and ministerial data for these candidates was distributed. Pastor James Mattek, of Wisconsin Lutheran Child and Family Service, highlighted the different services that organization provides the members of our churches and the partnership it shares with our district in helping a number of our called workers. We closed the morning session with a prayer offered by Teacher Benjy Wells. Monday Afternoon Session Pastor Wayne Oblender opened our afternoon session with a devotion based on Romans 6:1-11. Mr. Merlyn Kruse presented a video, introducing us to Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mr. Corey Pederson reported that a majority has not been reached in the first ballot for district president. An election was held with Pastor Phil Hirsch, Pastor Earle Treptow and Pastor Mark Voss as candidates. Pastor Jonathan Rockhoff, chairman of the Nebraska District Mission Board (DMB), gave that Board’s report (D1-4). Updates on the missions under the Board’s care are provided as well as information on the many ways they train, equip and support our congregations as we serve as the Lord’s witnesses. Both Mr. Jeff McKee and Pastor Rockhoff have completed their service on the District Mission Board. Pastor Wayne Uhlhorn, chairman of the Colorado Mission District Board, presented his Board’s report (C1-4). He too, pointed to the many blessings that the Lord has given through the mission efforts within our District and those who serve in our mission congregations. Mr. Corey Pederson reported that a majority has not been reached in the second ballot for district president. An election was held with Pastor Phil Hirsh and Pastor Earle Treptow as candidates. Pastor Stephen Raddatz presented the report for the Ministry of Christian Giving (E1-5). By pointing to the dangers of the sin of materialism and to the power of Christ’s love, he encouraged us to “Excel in the Grace of Giving.” Pastor Raddatz also gave a report for the WELS Foundation and its different options for legacy giving that will support the Gospel ministry for years to come. Finally, Pastor Raddatz reported on the “Christ’s Love, Our Calling,” stewardship program of WELS. Material for this four year program can be found on the Connect web site. Mr. Corey Pederson announced that Pastor Earle Treptow was elected as District President. We place him before God’s throne as he deliberates over this Call. Mr. Phil Stern presented his report for the Nebraska District Parish Schools (F1-2) and how it is assisting in the Christian education of our Lutheran Elementary and Secondary Schools.

Page - 105

Pastor Charles Westra, Chairman of our Synod’s Home Mission Board, presented the first two parts of his essay entitled, “God’s Mission: The Means and the Methods.” Pastor Tim Kemnitz presented a resolution on behalf of Floor Committee #1. That committee’s third resolution ratifies the appointments made by District President Frank in the past biennium. Carried. Resolution No. 4 thanking the Lord for his blessings upon his church and our district through those who have celebrated milestones in ministry and who have reached the milestone that has no end was also carried. Pastor Phil Hirsch presented the Commission on Evangelism report (G1). Pastor Joel Pankow presented his report on Special Ministries (H1). Pastor Mark Hayes presented the report of Adult Discipleship Committee (I1-2). Please note the many resources these Congregation and Ministry Support Groups provide. Pastor Frank encouraged us to attend one of the two presentations to begin at 7:00 PM tonight. Variety in Worship Service is one option, the other is “Heart in Focus Finances.” Pastor Treptow read his acceptance of the Call to serve as president of the Nebraska District. We commend him to God’s care. We adjourned with prayer. Tuesday Morning Session Pastor John Bortulin opened Tuesday’s morning session by leading us through a meditation reminding us that growth in Christ’s love only comes through the Word of Truth. After nominations for First Vice-President were sought, Pastor Westra presented the third part of his essay. It was moved, approved and carried to thank Pastor Westra for his presentation and the encouragement to share the simple gospel message aggressively with our world. Elections for First Vice-President were held. Pastor Robert Smith gave his report on world missions (p.67, RTTTD). He highlighted the outreach efforts to the Haitians and the evidence of God’s grace at work in Brazil. He then introduced Missionary Charles Flunker, a member of our district since the 1960s. He addressed our convention and encouraged us to continue to reach out to lost souls with the Gospel. He also reported on God’s blessings upon his and our mission efforts in Brazil. Ballot number two for First Vice-President was passed out with Pastor Phil Hirsch and Pastor Phil Zarling as candidates. Pastor Phil Zarling presented the report of the Support Committee (L1) which exists to assist retired called workers of the WELS and their surviving spouses. Pastor Zarling serves as chairman of that committee.

Page - 106

Mr. Corey Pederson announced that Pastor Phil Hirsch was elected as District First Vice-President. Nominations for Second Vice-President were called for. Pastor Jon Micheel presented the report for the Worship Committee. He pointed our attention to the National Conference of Worship being held in the summer of 2011, July 19-22, at Gustavus Adulphus, St. Peter, Minnesota. Pastor Joel Spaude presented a report on Rocky Mountain Christian Camp (M1) which is being held July 10-17. Pastor Spaude remained at the podium to give Floor Committee #8’s report. The report deals with the Report for Ministerial Education (p.79-93, RTTTD). Among the information highlighting the ministries of each of our worker training schools, input was given to support the concept of adding continuing education for students who might want to assist in the ministry of the congregations without serving as full-time called workers. The report was accepted. Mr. Pederson announced that a ballot is prepared for Second Vice-President. Pastor Tom Jeske, Pastor Mark Voss and Pastor Phil Zarling are candidates. Pastor Dave Schultz gave Floor Committee #4’s report. The report highlights the help provided to congregations through our Synod’s Congregation and Ministry Support Group (CMSG), covered on pages 13-29 of the RTTTD. CMSG has taken the place of Parish Services. The report was sent back to clean up their summary of Youth Discipleship. Mr. Corey Pederson and the Election Committee distributed the second ballot for District 2nd Vice President with Pastor Phil Zarling and Pastor Mark Voss as candidates. President Frank noted three additions to his District President’s Report (A8-9). Rev. Earle Treptow was installed as a one year Instructor at RMLH by Pastor Kurt Ebert on August 18, 2009. Mr. Dan Kirk was installed as a one year Instructor at RMLHS by Pastor Kurt Ebert on August 18, 2009. Miss Kari Muente was installed as a one year Instructor at RMLHS by Pastor Kurt Ebert on August 18, 2009. Pastor Josh Hillmann reported on Camp Jefferson (N-1) which is being held July 30 – August 1, 2010 and which will be followed by Teen Camp Jefferson held August 1-4, 2010. Pastor Tim Kemnitz reported on Forward In Christ. Mrs. Linda Glisson, president of the Nebraska Plains Circuit, shared a video and gave a report on Lutheran Women’s Mission Society (LWMS). The LWMS Supper Rally will be held at NELHS on Saturday, October 9, 2010. Mr. Corey Pederson reported that Pastor Mark Voss was re-elected as the 2nd Vice President of the Nebraska District. Nomination ballots were distributed for the position of District Recording Secretary. Pastor Paul White presented the report of Floor Committee #10 on Resolutions, Synod Delegates, Memorials. The committee moved that the offering of $1,229.50 from the Convention’s opening service be split equally between NELHS and RMLH. The motion was seconded and approved.

Page - 107

Memorial-001, Resolution No.1, Election of District Officers was sent back to Floor Committee #10 for clean up. Resolution No.2, accepting the delegates for the 2011 Synod Convention to be held July 25-29, at Luther Preparatory School in Watertown, Wisconsin, carried. Pastor White next presented their third resolution addressing expression of thanks to those who served us at this Convention. It was accepted with the addition of Debra Wells, who served as secretary for our district president for the past 20 years. Pastor Kurt Schaser presented a report from Youth Discipleship (J1). He pointed us to the resources available on line. Some of the annual District youth activities are listed as well. Pastor Kurt Lueneberg addressed us on behalf of Planned Giving of our Synod. He and Mr. Ken Dierks serve our district and its members. Pastor Lueneberg pointed us to the benefits of the Church Extension Fund and developing an Endowment committee within our congregations. The second half of his report spoke to Ministerial Education in our Synodical schools. We were asked to keep this important work in our prayers, support it through our Congregational Mission Offerings and by encouraging young men and women to consider serving in the public ministry. After a prayer by Mr. Scott Brown we broke for lunch and circuit pastor elections. Tuesday Afternoon Session The afternoon session began with a devotion focusing on the blessings of the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Mr. Rick Lohmiller reminded us to cherish this Sacrament and to continue to proclaim the Lord’s death until “He comes.” Pastor Frank announced the following results of the circuit pastor elections: Eastern Circuit – Pastor Steve Kahrs; Mid America Circuit – Pastor Joel Schroeder; Platte Circuit – Pastor Steve Neyhardt; Three Rivers Circuit – Pastor Tom Jeske; Rosebud Circuit – Pastor Paul White; Colorado North – Pastor Joel Spaude; Colorado South – Pastor Mark Hayes; Colorado West – Pastor Jon Micheel. Pastor Dave Haberkorn presented Floor Committee #6’s report on WELS Subsidiaries (p.56-66, 95-103, RTTTD). Resolution No.1, encouraging putting off the building of a new Synod Administration building was passed. Resolution No.2 which encourages us to contribute to WELS Committee on Relief was passed. Resolution No.3, encouraging development of evangelism projects similar to the Emmaus Disciples video was passed. Resolution Numbers 4-9 were also passed, setting a convention record of resolutions from one floor committee. Elections for District Secretary were held. Pastor Phil Sievert was reelected. We continued with the election of the lay member of the Colorado District Mission Board. Pastor Paul White, from Floor Committee #10, returned to the podium. That committee’s resolution asking the convention to present pertinent biographical and ministerial information for candidates for district officer elections, was moved, approved and carried. Pastor Phil Zarling presented Flood Committee #1’s Resolution thanking District President Frank for his 20 years of service to our District. Pastor Frank was joined on stage by his wife Judy. The convention joined in praising God and giving thanks for Pastor and Mrs. Frank’s faithful service

Page - 108

by the singing of the doxology, an ovation, and a plaque which Pastor Zarling presented the Franks on our behalf. The plaque shares this message from 1 Peter 5:2-4, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve, not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” Both Pastor Frank and Pastor Mark Voss thanked Pastor Zarling for his years of service on the presidium of our district. The convention echoed that thanks. Mr. Rick Lohmiller, principal of Rocky Mountain Lutheran High School, gave a report for that school (Q1-2). Pastor Matt Frey presented Floor Committee #7’s report (pp.36-55, RTTTD). Their first resolution addressed the compensation guidelines for our Synod’s called workers. The resolution encouraged the Synodical Council to re-evaluate those guidelines and consider cuts in compensation. That resolution was defeated. Resolution No.2, encouraging wise fiscal planning, carried. Dr. Keith Eldred was reelected to the Colorado District Mission Board. Mr. Craig Charron gave his report on behalf of Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School (P1). Mr. Pederson reported that Pastor Wayne Ulhorn was re-elected as a member of the Colorado District Mission Board. Ballots were distributed for a pastoral position on the Nebraska District Mission Board with Pastor John Bortulin and Pastor Steve Helwig (incumbent) as candidates. No other nominations were offered from the floor. Pastor Dave Schultz gave the updated report from Floor Committee #4 noting that the position of national director is vacant and that we encourage the Conference of Presidents to continue calling to fill this vacancy. Motion was made, seconded and approved to adopt Floor Committee #4’s entire report. Mr. Greg Boggs reported for the District Technology Committee (S1-3). Mr. Pederson reported that Pastor Steve Helwig was re-elected to the Nebraska District Mission Board. Ballots were circulated for the lay member of the Nebraska District Mission Board with Mr. Loren Bloomquist and Mr. Bruce Burger. No other nominations were offered from the floor. Pastor Ray Beckmann reported for Floor Committee #12 – Excuse Committee, Convention Attendance. It was reported that 145 registered voting and three guests attended the 47th Biennial Convention of the Nebraska District. A breakdown of those present and those who had excused is included in their report (FC12-1). The motion was made, seconded and approved to accept their report. Pastor Matthew Frey reported again for Floor Committee #7 – Finances, specifically regarding Resolution 1 – WELS Compensation Guidelines. Motioned was made, seconded and approved to adopt the revised Resolution 1 which encourages the Synodical Council to continue to evaltuate called workers salaries in light of our budget short falls.

Page - 109

Mr. Pederson reported that Mr. Bruce Berger was elected as a lay member to the Nebraska District Mission Board. Ballots were distributed for a second pastor position on the Nebraska District Mission Board with Pastor Mark Haefner and Pastor James Tauscher on the ballot. Pastor John Bortulin was nominated from the floor. Pastor Phil Spaude reported for Floor Committee #3 – Synod President/COP/SC, President’s Report. The report summarized and highlighted the Synod President’s report, the COP report, the CICR report, the Ministry of Christian Giving report, the Communication Services report, and the SC report found on pages 1-35 in the RTTD. The report concluded with a resolution supporting the Synod’s Long Range Plan. The motion was made, second and approved to adopt their entire report. Mr. Corey Pederson reported that Pastor Mark Haefner was elected to the Nebraska District Mission Board. Pastor Mike Ewart reported for Floor Committee #5 – Home Missions/World Missions/Joint Council (RTTD p. 67-78). The first section of their report highlighted the work of our Home and World Missions as well as the work of the Joint Council. Floor Committee #5 presented a resolution regarding the Evaluation Task Force Report to the Districts. The resolution thanked the Task Force for their faithful efforts but recommended that the structure of the BHM not be divided into four regions as suggested by the Task Force but that the structure remains the same. Motion was made, seconded and approved to accept their report and adopt Resolution No. 1. A motion was made, seconded and approved to thank Pastor Jon Rockhoff for his 18 years of service on the Nebraska District Mission Board, 14 as chairman. Motion was made, seconded and approved. Minutes were read and approved. The afternoon session closed with prayer by Teacher Geron Brown. Wednesday Morning Session Pastor Kurt Ebert opened our final session with a devotion based on John 20:21-23. He reminded us of the comforting power of the word of forgiveness. After election ballots for Adult Discipleship and Youth Discipleship were handed out, Pastor James Tauscher gave the report for WELS Veba. He pointed to the blessing of the “holiday” which congregations of our Synod enjoyed this past year and to the uncertainties in health insurance in the future. Pastor Bill Cornelius presented the report for Floor Committee #2. He presented a resolution asking the district presidium to oversee the gathering of a district offering to help support the work of the Nebraska District Technology Committee. Pastor Cornelius pointed to the many blessings and challenges facing in our district. The Floor Committee’s report was accepted. Mr. Corey Pederson announced that Pastor Mark Hayes was reelected as Adult Discipleship Coordinator and Pastor Kurt Schaser was reelected as Youth Discipleship Coordinator.

Page - 110

Pastor Mark Hayes, chairman of Floor Committee #14 gave the Delegate Report. You are encouraged to use this report as well as the prepared press release to communicate the highlights of our convention to our congregations. You may download both items from the District web site, www.welsne.org. Pastor Dave Wietzke gave the report from Floor Committee #9. The Essay Committee presented a resolution that set the dates and location of the 2012 Nebraska District Convention as June 11-13 at Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School. That resolution passed. Another resolution asking for a study of the location of the 2014 Convention was passed. Resolution No.3 was passed. This resolution set the theme of the 2012 Convention as “The Care of Souls.” It also established Pastor Michael Woldt as our essayist, Pastor Earle Treptow as the preacher for the opening service and Pastor Steven Kahrs as preacher of the closing service. Their report was accepted. We took a break to give the Election Committee a chance to count ballots and for the worship committee to prepare for our closing service. After the break, Mr. Pederson announced the results of the final election. All elections can be found in the Proceedings on the District web site, www.welsne.org. Pastor John Bortulin presided at our closing service and Pastor Tyler Peil of St. John’s, Stanton, NE, shared a message based on 2 Timothy 1:8-14. That lesson encourages us to “guard the good deposit that was entrusted to” us. Installation of District officers and Circuit pastors was also held during the service. We closed with a Thanksgiving for the Faithful Service of Pastor Joel Frank. Following our service, new District President Earle Treptow, closed the convention in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Page - 111

Opening Sermon – Luke 24:44-50 – “The Greatest Danger to the World Is…”

We live in a dangerous world. We know how dangerous nature can be: in one day an earthquake causes thousands of deaths and over a million people to be homeless; a volcano erupts and throws all of Europe into chaos; floods and tornadoes cause mayhem and death throughout the United States. One day you’re healthy as an ox, the next you’re in a hospital bed. We live in a dangerous world.

Equally dangerous to the world are the people who live in it. People are dangerous too. I receive daily emails with religious updates on events happening around the world. I’m thinking of canceling it because it is too heartbreaking to read. Every day a Christian is killed or arrested in Pakistan – every day! Hundreds of Christians were recently killed in northern Nigeria with 3 churches and 2 pastor’s homes burned to the ground. In Hong Kong 90% of the millions of souls there do not know about Jesus. In Nepal a Christian reported that "Our church services had to be temporarily canceled because of the danger of actually making it to church alive." Can you imagine having to cancel next Sunday’s worship services because of the danger of actually making it to church alive?! Closer to home, we know how jealousy or bitterness causes people to do great harm to others.

We live in a dangerous world filled with dangerous people. Let me ask you: Who do you think is the most dangerous person in the world? I submit that the most dangerous person in the world is the person who has nothing to lose and nothing to fear. That’s how it goes in all the movies, right? In every action movie, the hero is the one who first loses everything dear to him and then has no fear when chasing down the bad guys. The most dangerous person is the one with nothing to lose and nothing to fear.

If that’s true, then Jesus has to be the most dangerous human being this world has ever known. Jesus lost everything that was his. He lost his place in heaven when he gave it up to become a human being. He lost his perfect record of obedience when he accepted our horrible record of disobedience as his own. He even lost his life on a cross. Jesus lost everything that was rightfully his.

And what’s most dangerous about Jesus is that he is alive. He passed through the fires of hell and the chill of the grave and the darkness of death and he returned to life again. When he came alive after being dead for three days, he had absolutely nothing left to fear. I mean, do you think a man who died and came back from that to live again would be afraid of death? Do you think he would be afraid of anything? With his resurrection from the dead, Jesus instantly became the most dangerous person in the world.

So this was a dangerous encounter for the disciples. This was not some tame, typical Bible study held in a comfortable setting. The living, back-from-the-dead, almighty, dangerous Jesus now stood in their presence! When Jesus appeared to the disciples we’re told they were terrified. In that moment the greatest danger to them was Christ’s presence. Why was he there? To get revenge on them for their betrayal? To now send them to their graves for their lack of loyalty? To judge them for failing the test?

And what does this back-from-the-dead man who had nothing more to lose do to the disciples? He opened the Bible. He addressed their fears and their doubts and their incompetence and their failures and their hopelessness and their sin all at once by this one profound action – he opened the Scriptures to them. He opened the Bible and he opened their minds so they could understand its meaning. He opened their minds to realize that the most powerful truth in all of the Scriptures is Christ’s love.

1. CHRIST’S LOVE

44 He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms...The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.”

Page - 112

The Scriptures declare that the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead. But why? Why did the Christ have to suffer? Why did Christ have to experience death and then rise from the dead? Why did it have to happen? The only answer is: Because Christ loves sinners. And since this world is filled with billions of sinners, the greatest danger to the world is Christ’s love.

The only reason sin has any power over us is because we love it. We’ve fulfilled all of Scripture too as we have loved sin in our hearts and turned from God, just as Scriptures repeatedly declare we will. We love sin. The only thing then that can overcome sin is a superior love. And that is what Christ’s love is. Christ’s love for sinners is the most powerful, most dangerous force in all the world. The most dangerous person in the world is the person who lost everything and isn’t afraid as he seeks revenge. But here we see that Jesus is motivated by something much more powerful, much more dangerous than revenge. He is motivated by unstoppable, undeserved love. The Christ had to die so that repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations. He doesn’t want revenge. He wants repentance – our lives changed from within – our hearts changed from loving sin to loving a Savior – our hearts changed from fearing the world to fearing Father, Son and Holy Spirit – our hearts changed from trusting in ourselves to trusting solely in God and his mercy for our good. He doesn’t want to hand out judgment. He wants to forgive all our sins. There is nothing more powerful for bringing about repentance and real change in the people of this world than Christ’s love. That makes the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ the most dangerous message in the world. And it is a message that the whole world needs to hear.

2. OUR CALLING

Jesus called all his disciples to action when he said, “Repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in [Christ’s] name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”

So this is not another tame meeting that we are participating in this morning. This is not a typical, run-of-the-mill convention for us today. This is an encounter with the back-from-the-dead, dangerous Jesus. Jesus is here to open our minds to the Scriptures and to change our hearts by forgiving our sins. The living Jesus is here to change our lives with six words: You are witnesses of these things.

That’s our calling. You are witnesses of the power of Christ’s love. You are witnesses of how Christ loved you by willingly and intentionally losing everything for your sake. You are witnesses of how Christ loved the world by laying down his life on a cross for people who didn’t deserve his sacrifice. You are witnesses of how Christ loved every person destined for death by rising from the dead and destroying our fear of death with his promise: “Because I live, you too will live.” And you are witnesses of how Christ loves us today and gives us his body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. You are witnesses of these things.

So that makes you a most dangerous person to the world. You have nothing to lose now that you have lost all your sin. And what could you possibly be afraid of when you’ve witnessed Jesus’ victory over death? You have nothing to fear and that makes you extremely dangerous to the world controlled by sin.

That is the second part of our answer and the second part of our synod’s theme. The greatest danger to the world today is Christ’s love and our calling. Our calling is to be witnesses for Christ’s love.

We’ve got to get our calling right. Christ did not call us to be comfortable in our cozy homes and congregations. He called us to confront our communities with the preaching of repentance and Christ’s love to forgive sins.

And Christ didn’t call us to help the world build more idols by preaching wealth, health and popularity to those who follow Jesus. He called us to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name to all nations.

Page - 113

We know that our calling begins at our Jerusalem – our home. You’ve been called to share the message of forgiveness with your family in your home. What do you have to lose from opening the Scriptures in your homes and praying with those you love? And you’ve been called to open the Scriptures to the people in your community, to confront them with the message of repentance and forgiveness. What do you have to fear from sharing Christ’s love with your neighbors? Are you afraid the idols they love will be too powerful for Christ? You know that’s not possible. You have nothing to lose and nothing to fear as you carry out your calling, but everything to gain. We live in a dangerous world. Hundreds of Christians are being arrested and killed today in countries such as Pakistan, Nigeria, India, China and Indonesia. But Christ is alive and Christianity is also alive and growing. Christianity is still the fastest growing religion in the world. In these same countries I mentioned where the danger to Christians is highest, thousands are being born again into eternal life every day through Christian missionaries who are opening the Scriptures for the nations. Though we are a small church body, we are training hundreds of men in India, Hong Kong, Nigeria, Zambia, Malawi, Mexico, the Apache reservations, Indonesia and Thailand, to preach the gospel to the people of their nation.

I can tell you that these Christian missionaries aren’t worried about the dangers the world presents to them. They are focused on how they are a danger to the world. They are aware of how Christ’s love through our calling makes them more powerful than anything they will face. They are preaching repentance and forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name. Millions of people are eating up this gospel all around the world and are being born again by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Keep praying for our missionaries. Keep praying that they will be a danger to the world.

And keep being dangerous yourself. Keep opening the Scriptures so you and those around you may understand the meaning of Christ’s suffering and resurrection. Keep speaking repentance and forgiveness of sins so Christ’s love will powerfully change many hearts.

The greatest danger to the world is Christ’s love and our calling. The greatest danger to the sinful world today is you! Amen.

Rev. Philip Kieselhorst, Shepherd of the Valley, Westminster, CO

Page - 114

Closing Sermon – 2 Timothy 1:8-14 – “Guard the Good Deposit” NE District in Convention 6-14-10

There was nothing to be ashamed of, really. The man and his wife were naked and they felt no shame, because there was no such thing as shame. There was no sin in God’s good garden. There was nothing to fear, really. They had life and there was no such thing as death in God’s good garden. And then they learned what shame feels like. Ashamed and afraid, they made the worst move possible - they ran and hid from their Father. And death set in. And that’s all there would be, except that God himself invaded this shamed creation and planted a cross in the ground outside Jerusalem. Those are things you know about; that Lord, through His gospel, by His Spirit, has invaded your heart and planted a deposit there. So what would you have to be ashamed of? Why would Paul’s words be put to you this morning? “Do not be ashamed to testify,” he says. Aren’t we the ones who wear our faith on our sleeves, maybe even on our t-shirts and bumpers? It’s not hard for my flesh to sidestep the issue. I know people who are ashamed to let that light shine. But nobody would say that about me. Paul has more: Guard the good deposit! Paul pleads in this last opportunity to impress it deeply into his dear Timothy, Guard the gospel – whatever you must suffer, whatever the cost. But Timothy’s not around anymore. Now it is entrusted to you. Guard the good deposit! And “I will!” the Lutheran vows with willing spirit, for He knows that the Spirit and life come through this Gospel. And now I wrestle against it, but my flesh steps forward to take the spotlight. “What a great guardian of the gospel I am!” “The Gospel, the gospel,” we brag, as we tip our glasses or bang our pulpits and podiums and keyboards. And assuming the gospel is safe and well, we swell with pride. There’s more: join with me in suffering for the gospel. But nobody in their right mind wants a cross. We want a gospel that promises us if we have enough faith, everything will work out in some happy way right away. A god who delivers the heavenly glory He promises now, not a life under the cross. Or the flesh tries to find a boast in the very suffering that God sends to break that pride: Oh, you don’t have to tell me about suffering, Paul. Let me tell you. No, I’m not ashamed…of me and my tough skin. The flesh doesn’t know how to blush. Repent. Your glory is your shame.

Page - 115

And then there’s Jesus: Take up your cross and deny yourself. This flesh would like us to know that we’re getting along pretty good and that the cross helps us out where and when we fail. That’s not the gospel. That’s a little push of help from God. That’s asking for a part time Savior. Repent. Quit guarding your own righteousness. Whatever shame you feel today, don’t run anymore from your Father. Run to Him. You can’t rise unless you die. Die to Him today. Come to the shame-faced realization of what you are and take up that cross and crucify that flesh. It hurts like hell to die with Christ, but there is a blessed purpose in being emptied this way. Now the Spirit has cleared the way to deposit life. Now we don’t want some part time Savior. As we face Him helpless and hopeless, it’s then that we can see the cross as we need to see it. It’s then that we learn to beg, bleed on me, dear Savior. Now hear this: He is not ashamed of you. That is His great glory and your great consolation: He is not ashamed of you. More even than that: you are His beloved, His delight. There was no shame, and no being ashamed of anything. Until sin. But there and then, when shame came over Adam and Eve, the countdown began. Even before the beginning of time the plan was in place. And then that purpose and grace was revealed. And the Spirit that had hovered over the waters, now conceived in the Virgin, and God invaded our shame. And He died. He was nailed to the cross, scorning it’s shame, bleeding with the shame deposited on Him. Death did its worst to Him, but it lost. Death is dead, destroyed, and eternal life is brought to light. Now this life is yours. That is the work of the Spirit – to take what Christ has won and deposit it in you. That’s His glory and your great consolation – that He shows you Christ, and Christ and more Christ. That’s all Paul needed. I am not ashamed, he says, because I know WHOM I have believed. I know WHAT is done for me. I know WHOM I belong to. I know WHOSE hands I’m in – that’s all I need to know. That’s where Paul rested everything he has and is. My life, my salvation, my death, it is all in His good keeping. Guard me, good Lord. Your life is changed, you’re baptized into Christ, and that means new life. Holy life. Whatever your shame, you are baptized in the water, doused in the blood. New, holy life. You may feel weak, but God has given you ears and faith, so use them, listen and trust Him. It’s all different now: how we live, how we grieve, and how we die. For no longer must we worry about what this world and life will bring us - about the future, or what will happen to me, or about dying. Good chance some of you go home to take some more hits and suffer more losses. Don’t be afraid, you’re following Jesus, who has gone there ahead of you. Whatever tomorrow brings, be it joy or sadness, cross or crown, life or death, you are safe in Jesus. And already, His victory is your victory. That’s the promise and guarantee the Spirit has deposited in us by faith. His victory is our victory, and that means soon enough, our Easter will come too. Death lost, and it will lose again when its your turn in the casket, because God is alive! Jesus is looking you in the eye – take up your cross, deny yourself, follow me. Don’t let that wicked flesh look anywhere else. Let the cross crush you into utter dependence on THE cross.

Page - 116

Let THE cross lift us and carry us and console us and strengthen us. And it will- for His cross always faces the empty tomb. You’ve risen with Him, baptized into resurrection. So live with Him. Let the good deposit be manifest - Go home and work hard, love deeply, serve without fear, whatever calling and station God has planned and purposed for your holy life. Go and search the truth, shout it’s splendor, suffer unashamedly for it. Keep the double-edged sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, in your hands on on your lips that that the Counselor might convict the world of its shame and of righteousness in Christ. Guard the good deposit because the deposit is your forgiveness, it is Christ, His death and resurrection now yours in baptism. His body and blood, now yours in His Supper. His reward, now yours in absolution. His unchangeable promises, recorded for you in His Word. The deposit to guard is Christ, and isn’t that enough reason to spend our lives guarding it at all costs? Guard the good deposit and you will not be put to shame. That’s a promise. Don’t be ashamed, clay jars, just be amazed. Death is put it away for good, and life and immortality have come to stay. Everything is changed with those words, and those words change us. Holy Spirit, guard in us this gospel: He is not ashamed of me. We live in the midst of suffering and shame. And that’s all there would be, except Jesus. God has done His greatest things in the midst of suffering and shame. In fact, that cross is how He rescued us. And soon, He’ll come, and we’ll go with Him and there will never again be anything to be ashamed of, really. Everything is done. Nothing more is needed. So let’s sing. Rev. Tyler Peil, St. John’s, Stanton, NE

Page - 117

God’s Mission: The Means and the

Methods

Page - 118

Introduction Some years ago a brother in the ministry cornered me at a social gathering and told me that the fact that the church that I serve was growing had nothing to do with me. God grows his Church when and where it pleases him. God does this through (and only through) his means. I thanked him for his theological insight, his mastery of the confessions (AC, V,2) and asked him if I had ever given him any other impression. A few years later. I was sitting in a brainstorming session intended to examine our mission outreach in the WELS. We were trying to determine our objective and mission as a group and also as a church. Someone made the statement that it is our mission to reach the lost by whatever means necessary. I took issue with that statement. The brother quickly acknowledged that he had overstated his intended meaning. But he was trying to move a church body (WELS) that had seemingly lost its desire to be active and aggressive with the gospel. He wanted to restore a focus among us that would drive us to be aggressive in sharing the gospel with as many as possible so that more souls might be won for Christ. He stated that we need to be willing to examine the way that we do things. The WELS in convention in 2007 recommended the formation of an Ad Hoc Commission to study the form and structure of our church body and to offer a report making recommendations for future operations. As a part of their report they offered specific issues for study among us. The first suggested area of study was: “Trusting the Means of Grace.” Their preliminary report states, “Concerns have been raised about a growing lack of confidence in the Means of Grace in our midst that is seen in an increasing interest in techniques and methodology as a means toward ministry ends. Considerable concern has been raised about adoption of styles and methodologies from other church bodies and dabbling in “church growth” methods, without a full understanding of the connection between the outward style and the false theology that underpins it. On the other hand, concern has also been raised about a spirit of contentment with mediocrity, using the pretext of ‘trusting the Means of Grace’ as a smokescreen for poor preparation, fear of change, and lack of creativity and innovation. Both ends of the spectrum need to be studied and properly articulated.”1

As long as there are any unchurched people living in the territory of a Christian congregation, that congregation should seek to win them for Christ (Luke 14:21-23). For this purpose a Christian congregation should seek to grow in membership (Acts 2:41; 4:4). If a congregation which is located in a territory of many unchurched people does not grow in

Is there a conflict among us? In his book, Professor David Valleskey quotes John H.C. Fritz from his work “Pastoral Theology.” I think that the quote could start a debate among us.

1 Preliminary Report and Recommendations, Ad Hoc Commission. June 2008

Page - 119

membership, this does not speak well for it nor for its pastor; much less so, of course, if it even loses in membership.2

Our Mission

It is my objective in this paper to examine the tension between an appropriate view of the means of grace and a proper perspective on the methodologies that we use in proclaiming the gospel in our ministries.

It seems wise to speak first to our mission together as Christians. We must be careful to speak clearly. Over the years of my ministry I have heard the mission of our church (WELS) spoken of in varying terms. The WELS Constitution contains a purpose statement in Article IV.

It is the object and purpose of the synod to “extend and conserve the true doctrine and practice of the Evangelical Lutheran Church” through appropriate help and guidance for its pastors, teachers and congregations, through educational institutions, through home and world missions and charitable institutions and through publications.3

As men, women, and children united in faith and worship by the Word of God, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod exists to make disciples throughout the world for time and for eternity, using the gospel in Word and sacrament to win the lost for Christ and to nurture believers for lives of Christian service, all to the glory of God.

I cannot argue with the accuracy of this statement. It states the purpose of our WELS. Others have tried to state our mission or purpose in words that place a greater emphasis on the “extending” aspect of the constitutionally stated purpose. More recently the WELS has adopted a mission statement that found its way into print in numerous places.

4

This statement caused considerable debate, so much so that it led to the formulation of a committee by the Conference of Presidents following the 2005 convention. That committee

2 David J. Valleskey We Believe- Therefore We Speak (Northwestern Publishing House), 125 3 The Constitution and Bylaws of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, adopted July, 1997, amended July 1999, and printed May, 2000. Issued by the WELS Committee on Constitutional Matters. 4 The mission statement of the WELS is printed on page ii of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Yearbook 2007.

Page - 120

presented a report that can be found in its entirety in the essay file of our Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. In summary the report stated that there was no theological error in the mission statement. The necessity of the report confirms for me that there are some differing opinions among us as we discuss our mission together. These tensions are not new to us. Darvin Raddatz spoke of the struggle in the understanding of our mission in his essay delivered to the 40th Biennial Convention of our WELS in 1969. “The Lord Jesus has sent his Church on a mission to serve the lost world. Among the Lord’s crew are the members of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. We have just recently come out of a great doctrinal struggle. The winds of false doctrine were threatening to divert the mission, to throw it off course, and to water down the Bread of Life. Storm clouds still hover threateningly on the horizon. Mindful of our recent exertions and fearful of further confessional tumult, we might be tempted to say, ‘Our goal, as a church, is to preserve the Truth of God.’ In this way we would be tempted to interpret our mission in terms of our most recent crisis. Or in a moment of forgetfulness and self-satisfaction we might be tempted to say, ‘Our mission is to build a bigger and better synod and church;’ that is to say, we might be tempted to define our mission in terms of ourselves.”5 Raddatz suggested that the continuing purpose of the WELS, as a gathering of Christians, is to serve all people in God’s world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the basis of the Holy Scriptures.6

What is our mission? I am expressing my opinion when I say that I believe that there are brothers among us who are concerned about the practices of some in our WELS circles. Is it possible that in the name of aggressive outreach with the gospel that some have become less than careful with the truth? I have heard that statement made more than once. I know that there are brothers among us who are concerned that our church body is so focused on holding the truth that we have not been aggressive in our attempts to share that truth. Pastor Paul Kelm writes, “And I believe that the creation of the evangelism chair at the seminary and a synodical office of evangelism signal an awareness on the part of our church body that we have not responded to the Lord’s mission call in a way consistent with the opportunities, capabilities and preservation of Gospel truth he has given us.”

7

Our calling as the Church is to be the mouth of God to this world. Grace upon grace, God took a mission the angels wish they had and gave it to us. Christ has invited us to participate in his rescue mission for the world. God made a promise to Jeremiah. “Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘Now, I have put my words in

There will always be some tension involved here. We will not hesitate to say that we must preserve the truth. We do not shy away from saying that we desire to proclaim that truth to the lost. Some tension may actually be healthy. I consider it helpful to carefully define our mission. That mission comes to us from God himself. I thought that Pastor Jonathan Schroeder did a fine job of defining that mission in his essay delivered to our synod convention last summer.

5 Darvin H. Raddatz Our Call to Serve Delivered at the 40th Biennial Convention, WELS, DMLC, New Ulm, Minnesota, August 6-13, 1969 p.1 6 Ibid. p.2 7 Paul E. Kelm The Church Growth Movement: An Explanation and Evaluation p.1

Page - 121

your mouth (Jeremiah 1:9).’” When Jeremiah later doubted the reliability of God and his promises, God made the promise to his messenger even greater. In the fifteenth chapter, God tells Jeremiah literally, “You will be my mouth (Jeremiah 15:19).”

As the Church, our calling is to be the Mouth of God speaking his Word to the world. Jesus outlined the purpose and mission of the Church at the end of Luke’s gospel, “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem.’”8

The ongoing gathering of the elect is also his mission. Pastor Raddatz stated in his essay, “Our God is very earnest about sending his Gospel into the world. He elects and calls men, the Church, and sends them out into the world with his gospel. Thus those who have experienced God’s mission and have been won to faith become the special agents of God’s continuing mission to the world. They are his mission to the world.”

God has entrusted that mission to us. Our mission focuses on the heart of a God who so dearly loved the world that he touched the world in the person of his Son. God reconciled the world to himself not counting men’s sins against them (2 Corinthians 5:21). Into our mouths he has placed the message of law and gospel. He has called us to preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins. The reality is that this is really God’s mission. We know that but, we do well to remind ourselves. God’s mission to save the lost was contemplated and its execution planned before humanity existed. God reminds us in Ephesians 1:4, “God has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world.”

9 LCMS pastor Robert D. Newton offers a similar perspective. We have hope and confidence in this mission because it is God’s mission. God will carry that mission out. “Hope that does not and cannot disappoint because we know that Christ’s church and his mission belong ultimately to him. He is the personal guarantee that we will be faithful in our participation in it. We echo St. Paul’s conclusion, ‘I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which he has entrusted to me.’” (2 Timothy)10

We are safe in defining our mission as proclaiming God’s message of sin and grace to the world. We might say that our mission is to proclaim the Christ, crucified and risen. I don’t sense any argument or tension among us when we say that this mission is carried out in the day to day activities of our congregations in the WELS. The pastor faithfully visits his shut-ins sharing that precious message of repentance and forgiveness. He is carrying out our mission. If he didn’t do it, a brother in the ministry might well have a word with him about his faithfulness to his pastoral duties. The pastor prepares and teaches clear Bible class lessons. Again, the mission of the church (and Church) is carried out. The faithful Sunday School teacher presents clear law and

8 Jonathan Schroeder Our Calling An essay for the 60th biennial convention of the Wisconsin Ev. Lutheran Synod pp. 15-16 9 Raddatz p.3 10 Robert D. Newton Accountability and Faithfulness in Reaching the Lost p.2

Page - 122

gospel to the lambs of the congregation and the mission is carried out. If those areas of ministry were neglected, it is likely that a church council or a brother in the ministry might have a talk with the pastor whose congregation is not faithfully teaching God’s precious truths. It is our mission to proclaim and in many cases we are willing to be held accountable to that mission. It is when we speak of that mission beyond our church walls and beyond our membership that we sometimes get uncomfortable. I am not sure that I understand why that is the case. I don’t sense that anyone would deny that a part of our mission is to be the mouthpiece of God to the lost. We would all agree that it is our mission to proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins to those who know Christ and those who don’t. We cannot deny the clarity of the commission passages. The repetition and position of the “commission” of our Savior demands our attention. Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-18; Luke 24:46-49; John 20:19-23; and Acts 1:1-8 are prominent by their position. Shortly before his ascension our Savior offered the invitation to his followers to proclaim him to the world. He made us his partners with him in his mission. We are called to be God’s witnesses. We are called to proclaim Christ. These passages don’t limit that proclamation to the lost but we cannot deny an emphasis on that activity among the lost. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus speaks of our (his) work as “making disciples.” That indicates that we will be reaching people with the gospel who were not disciples. I will not get into an exegetical treatment of that phrase “making disciples” in this paper but I would direct you to the report that I referenced earlier.11

I don’t have the impression that there are any among us who would contend the fact that Scripture places a strong focus on reaching the lost. The focus of the apostle Paul’s ministry is to proclaim Christ among those who do not believe. “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.’”

12

11 Matthew 28:19 and the Mission of the WELS can be found in the WLS essay file under “Commission” 12 Romans 10:13-15

We would agree that in Matthew 28 and John 20 our Savior is placing an emphasis on the world outside the Church. Perhaps we cringe because we have been beaten with the commission passages a time or two. A well meaning pastor (perhaps you or I) proclaims to his congregation that our Savior gave us the command to reach all nations with the gospel. This was the last command to the disciples before he ascended into heaven. This is the church’s mission. We NEED to get after it. We should get after it. If we really love Jesus we will get our wallets and checkbooks out so that we can send more missionaries. We should all be signing up for the summer canvass teams. Those churches that don’t do any canvassing should be doing some canvassing. What, after all, are you doing to reach the lost? Don’t you understand the mission of the church? It might be helpful to us to take great care in our use of the commission passages in our preaching and teaching. Robert Newton makes some interesting statements concerning those passages.

Page - 123

I am equally saddened by the confusion of Law and Gospel as it pertains to our exhorting and encouraging one another to participate in his mission. There exists much confusion as to how and why we participate in his mission and what empowers us to do so. Well meaning pastors and people diligently seek to persuade all of us to take seriously the business of the Master. They earnestly seek to inspire and motivate us to be in mission. I sympathize with these brothers and sisters. My entire life and ministry is devoted to this one thing: that the heart of the Father that moved him to give his Son for his world would beat loudly in the breast of every believer. I am also aware, however, that in our zeal for that to happen or in our attempts to make that happen, we can resort to concepts and words that miss the Gospel mark. Much of our mission minded motivation, then, results in placing the burden of Christ’s Commission upon our shoulders (the spirit and effect of the Law) rather than on Christ’s shoulders (the message of the Gospel).13

God’s choosing to have us join him in his work of reconciliation is the greatest statement that he might possibly make of his love and forgiveness. Choosing us to be partners with him in his mission is an essential component of his holy absolution. So he absolved Simon Peter that day on the Sea of Tiberias. As he asked Peter three times if he loved him, he absolved Peter three times with the words, “Feed my lambs or feed my sheep.” It was not enough for our God to restore Peter to a relationship with himself as brother. Our Lord wanted Peter to experience the fullness of his grace which included participation with him in his Kingdom coming to the world. You can see why someone might become agitated over the accusation that obedience to the Great Commission, or if you will, participation with Christ in his mission, is Law and not Gospel. Such accusations indicate little or no understanding of the grace centered economy of God.

I do believe that the commission our Savior has given to the Church is primarily a gospel invitation to participate in the gathering of the elect. It is God’s gracious invitation to join him and participate with him in his mission. Again, I think that Newton states it well.

14

13 Newton pp. 2-3 14 Ibid. p. 6

I have debated this at times with brothers who insisted that the commission passages are “do” passages and therefore must be seen as law. I do understand that they can be law to us in regard to our sin and our neglect of the mission.

Page - 124

While, our call to priesthood in Christ (obedient participation with him in the Commission his Father gave him) is purest Gospel15, there is an aspect of law that comes into play. That naturally comes when we choose to drift away, forget, or ignore our priestly vocation with and in Christ. We Lutherans are very uncomfortable at this moment in the conversation. We do not want to be told that we have not been about our big Brother’s business; that we have chosen not to join with him in what the Father sent him to do. Being uncomfortable comes from the conviction of the Law. That’s what the Law is supposed to do. It makes us uncomfortable and leads us to repentance and faith in the Gospel. Even more than make us uncomfortable, the preaching of the Law if done properly slays us so that Christ might raise us with himself from the deadness of our sin and enable us in him to walk in the newness of his resurrected life, thus, the sign of Jonah. It leads us rightly to true repentance and trust in the atoning sacrifice of the Lord who is the great high priest for us and for the whole world. And it raises us again to be his treasured people, a holy nation, a divine priesthood for the world. You and I will continue to be in the middle of this great tension between saint and sinner; priest and parasite; resurrected and dead until the day he completes the mission that his Father entrusted to him and in him to us. This reality leads us to daily repentance and keeps us in everlasting hope.16

This seems to fit comfortably with Jonathan Schroeder’s essay as he speaks of our calling. “Our calling to be masks of God is primarily a gift, and secondarily a duty. It is a call that contains both law and gospel. God has called us to be his mask; that is a gift of grace and love. However, our role as masks of God come with duties that God wants us to fulfill.

17

I have never heard disagreement with the fact that God has continuously and abundantly poured his grace and mercy out among us. That grace comes to us in the person and work of Jesus. That message has created life in us through water and the word. That life has been sustained and nourished in the word and the Supper. And God continues to pour that grace into our lives as he calls us to participate in his mission. In that mission we have a strong emphasis on outreach to the world around us. There is nothing in that emphasis that is not distinctly Scriptural and completely Lutheran. The Augsburg Confession states, “So that we may obtain this faith, the

15 I delivered a preliminary copy of this paper to our Cottonbelt conference of the South Atlantic District. In that presentation we debated whether this call to priesthood could be applied to our whole life of faith or is better limited to the narrower context of the commission passages. We came to the conclusion that we would limit our understanding to the narrower context. 16 Ibid. p. 10 17 Schroeder p.12

Page - 125

ministry of teaching the gospel and administering the sacraments was instituted.”18 Luther spoke clearly about our participation in this mission. “God permits us to live here on earth in order that we may bring others to faith, just as he has brought us. You must, says Peter, exercise the chief function of a priest, to proclaim the wonderful deed God has performed for you to bring you out of darkness into the light. Let it be your chief work to proclaim this publically and to call everyone into the light as you have been called.”19

Now regarding the second question – accountability structures that measure, evaluate, or determine whether or not we’re being faithful to Christ’s commission to seek and to save the lost. From the outset, I find it a bit strange that we would consider the idea of accountability structures regarding seeking and saving the lost as Law. It’s really neither Law nor Gospel in that it neither condemns, nor saves, nor motivates. Accountability structures, or if you will, accounting, are simply a God given component in our faithful stewardship of the Gospel. Accounting indicates what we value and serves as an essential means to keep what God has entrusted to his Son, and in his Son, to us (teaching them to obey all things whatsoever I have commanded you). Accounting, including giving an account is basic to the stewardship of the Gospel. Jesus referred to accounting often in the stories of the kingdom: or Matthew 24, the wise servant; or Matthew 25, the stories of the talents. St. Paul made accountability of our stewardship of the Gospel an essential of the “all things” he taught to the churches. Accounting for us reaching the lost with the Gospel becomes legalistic only when we use it to promote ourselves as deserving God’s favor or to condemn ourselves, believing that God’s favor is not for us, or when we account for the wrong things. We cannot account for how many come to faith in Jesus Christ. That belongs only to the Holy Spirit who works faith when and where it pleases him through the preaching of the Gospel. In farming terms we cannot account for how many bushels of wheat that we will produce in the harvest. That number is ultimately an act of God. However, we can account for where and to whom we preach the Gospel. In farming terms, we can account for how many acres we plant in wheat.

I will confess to you a personal struggle with our work together in the WELS as we labor together in our mission. I hinted at it earlier. It may be a product of my context in ministry. I have served my entire parish ministry in one congregation. That congregation started as an exploratory outreach effort. In the last seven years I have served in various capacities on the South Atlantic District Mission Board and the Board for Home Missions. At times I have struggled with the lack of accountability among us in regard to our efforts to reach out with the gospel to the dying world around us. I mentioned earlier that we are willing to be held accountable in other areas. I am convinced that my church council and board of elders would sit me down and have a talk with me if I was not visiting our members when they are in the hospital or when they are homebound. If I was preaching falsely, I would soon accept accountability whether I liked it or not. Why is it that we are so hesitant to accept accountability in terms of our gospel proclamation to the world outside of the Church? I found Newton’s comments on this topic interesting.

20

It seems in this writer’s opinion that we have been hesitant to allow accountability among us. I can understand that. As I write this paper I see a stack of visitor card’s from our Easter service. I know that those visits are urgent. God has given me an opportunity to participate in his mission. I have had the glorious opportunity to proclaim his message of salvation to people outside of our

18 AC V, 1 Concordia 19 LW 30:11 20 Newton p. 11

Page - 126

church. I have more opportunities to do that in the follow up process. I also have an imposing deadline for this paper. A woman in the congregation is in the hospital and I want to spend time sharing the comfort of that gospel message with her. I have a sermon and Bible class to prepare. Don’t look at the stack of Easter visitor cards on my desk and tell me that I am not faithful. I do hope, however, that God would grant me the wisdom and humility to accept accountability. God has granted me the privilege in serving him in full time public ministry. God has entrusted to my pastoral leadership a group of his people. There is a stewardship of his gifts involved in this. A part of my call is to lead and equip his people in reaching out with his precious gospel to the world. Our mission is to serve as the mouthpiece of God. He speaks to us and He speaks through us. We have a mission to carry out together. That mission is to proclaim the wonders of God as revealed in the person of his Son. That mission is to proclaim the Christ to those who know him and those who don’t. The message comes from God. The motivation comes from him. The mission is ultimately his. We have been given the privilege to participate. We participate in that mission as we faithfully proclaim God’s grace in Christ to the gathered. We participate as we aggressively reach out with that message to those in the world around us who are still lost in sin.

The Means God’s grace is for the world. God’s mission is to take his grace revealed and sealed in Christ to the world. God has called us to participate in that mission. How do we do it? We know and confess that there is one conduit by which God works in the hearts of people. That is the means of grace. In Matthew 28 our Savior clearly invites us to participate in his mission. We can rightly say that he has given us our marching orders. We are to take the gospel to the world. But our Savior Jesus has just as clearly directed us in the manner in which we are to carry out this mission. We have been given the means of grace. Those means are the only tools that we need for the mission. They are the only tools available for the mission. We can rightly say that the means that our God provides in his word and sacraments are the sine qua non of true evangelism. We don’t have to remind ourselves that the power is God’s and it is unleashed upon our world through his word. Then again, we do have to remind ourselves. NIV Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

NIV 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Page - 127

NIV 1 Corinthians 2:4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

NIV 2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

The word power occurs 118 times in the New Testament. Never are the people of God called dynamic or powerful, except when they are weak. God never calls his church successful. God’s people are referred to as humble, lowly children who depend on the power of another. We depend on the power of the Gospel. The Gospel does not depend on our power.21 The word of God is always powerful. Luther speaks clearly. “For the word of God is the true holy object above all holy objects… At whatever time God’s Word is taught, preached, heard, read, or pondered, there the person, the day, and the work is hallowed… on account of the Word that makes us all saints.”22 He also wrote in “The Private Mass and the Consecration of Priests”, “There remains nothing for the office of the ministry or the office of preaching other than this single work, namely, to bestow or to present the gospel which Christ commanded to be preached.”23 The tongue of the preacher or Christian is aspergillum. He dips it into the rosy-red blood of Christ and sprinkles the people with it, that is, he preaches to them the gospel, which declares that Christ has purchased the forgiveness of sins with his precious blood, that he has poured out his blood on the cross for the whole world, and that he who believes this has been sprinkled with this blood.24

That word is always effective. There are no exceptions. The preached or even the read word is never, never dead and ineffective; the Holy Spirit always and in all circumstances works through that Word on all who hear the Word for repentance, for knowledge of sins, for faith, for comfort, for sanctification, for perfection. That is already the case with the law of God. The law is no empty talk, but as Jeremiah says, “Is not my Word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29)

25

One cannot deal with God or grasp him except through the word.

The confessions speak clearly to this point. They emphasize the absolute necessity of the word. It is all that we have. It is all that we need.

26

Through the preaching of and meditation upon the holy Gospel of the gracious forgiveness of sin in Christ there is kindled a spark of faith which accepts the forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake and comforts itself with the promise of the Gospel. And in this way the Holy Spirit, who works all of this, is introduced into the heart.

27

21 Klemet I. Preus The Fire and the Staff Lutheran Theology in Practice p. 284 22 Large Catechism 91-92 23 LW 38, 198 24 LW 51:326 25 August Pieper The Despising of Grace is the Death of the Church p.5 26 Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XIII, 5 27 Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article II, 54

Page - 128

We must firmly hold to the conviction that God gives no one his Spirit or grace except through or with the external Word which comes before. Thus we shall be protected from the enthusiasts- that is, from the spiritualists who boast that they possess the Spirit without and before the Word… We should and must constantly maintain that God will not deal with us except through his external Word and sacrament. Whatever is attributed to the Spirit apart from such Word and sacrament is of the devil.28

We acknowledge this same power and authority in the Sacraments. The Word and the rite (sacrament) have the same effect, as Augustine said so well when he called the sacrament “the visible Word,” for the rite is received by the eyes and is a sort of picture of the Word, signifying the same thing as the Word. Therefore, both have the same effect.

29

It is God’s will to call men to eternal salvation, to draw them to himself, convert them, beget them anew, and sanctify them through this means and in no other way- namely, through the holy Word (when one hears it preached or reads it) and the sacraments (when they are used according to his Word)… All who would be saved must hear this preaching.

30

Does any of this depend on man (me)? Man cannot add to the power of God’s means. He does not make them more or less powerful. Professor John Brenner stated this well in his essay delivered to our Synod in convention this past summer. “The power of the gospel does not lie in the person proclaiming it. It is always powerful because it has God’s power. The person administering the sacraments does not add anything to them. The sacraments are efficacious because of Christ’s institution and the promises he attached to them. The efficacy of the means of grace is not dependent on us or our planning. The means of grace are always efficacious because the Holy Spirit always works through the means of grace to accomplish his purpose. We cannot make them more effective by anything that we do.”

As confessional Lutherans I am confident that we can all agree to an absolute reliance upon the means of grace in approaching the mission that God has set before us. We confess that the sacraments are God’s work and not our own work. Without exception we proclaim and trust the word of God to be the very power of God for salvation. That is a tremendous comfort for the pastor. When I started in ministry I did not have to rely upon some cleverly crafted message to take to my community. I knew that God had entrusted to me his means. That was all that I needed. I was not adequate for the task but God’s means were more than adequate for the task.

31 In his essay he quotes Luther’s understanding of the distinction between the role that God has given us and the role that he has reserved for himself. “It is not my power or hand to fashion the heart of men as the potter molds the clay and fashion them to my pleasure. I can get no farther than their ears; their hearts I cannot reach. And since I cannot pour faith into their hearts, I cannot, nor should I, force anyone to have faith. That is God’s work alone, who causes faith to live in the heart… We should preach the Word, but the results must be left solely to God’s good pleasure.”32

28 Smalcald Articles, Part III Article VIII, 3 and 10. 29 Apology, Article XIII, 5 30 Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Art. II 50,52 31 John M. Brenner Christ’s Love Demonstrated in the Efficacy of the Means of Grace 60th Biennial Convention of the WELS 32 LW 51:76-77

Page - 129

It is God’s mission and it all depends upon his means. We must adhere to the centrality of the means. No amount of charisma and no amount of personality can offer anything to the conversion of a single soul. Humans cannot build bridges that connect a person to Christ. The means of grace connect a person to God in faith. It is the only way. The application of those means leads to differing results according to God’s will and purpose. A consideration of those results sometimes leads to debate among us. I have heard on several occasions in recent years that we are dying church body. I have heard it said that our decline in numbers is a telltale sign that we have lost our focus on the mission of the church. Professor John Brenner answers in his essay. “At least one person seeing the declining numbers in our Wisconsin Synod has lamented that we are a dying church. That statement cannot be further from the truth. We draw our life from the means of grace. So long as the gospel is rightly proclaimed in our midst and the sacraments are rightly administered the Holy Spirit is sustaining our life and extending it. A church dies when it no longer proclaims the gospel and administers the sacraments. A synod is in trouble only when it no longer treasures the means of grace or doubts the efficacy of Word and sacraments. American ideas of progress and success center on visible results. God’s definition of success is faithfulness to his Word and the work that he has given us to do (Revelation 2:8-11; 1 Corinthians 4:1-4).”33

I don’t contend with Professor Brenner’s statement. He rightly points out that “Sometimes we cannot see any results from our proclamation of the gospel. At times the church may seem to disappear. The prophet Elijah thought that he was the only believer left in the entire Northern Kingdom of Israel. God had to reveal to him ‘Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel- all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.” (I Kings 19:18) Sometimes the faithful proclamation of God’s Word may lead to a visible decline in numbers. After Jesus’ great Bread of Life discourse we read, ‘On hearing it many of the disciples said, This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?... From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” (John 6:60, 66)

34

33 Brenner p.7 34 Brenner p. 6

A point of clarification may be in order. We can rightly say that the Church will not die. The Church is fed by God’s powerful means and God has promised that the Church will continue through eternity. A church, on the other hand, or even a church body could cease to exist even if they are faithful in their use of the means of grace. An individual congregation could for a variety of reasons cease to exist. That could happen even though they were faithful in their application of the means. We have no real guarantee that the WELS will exist until the return of our Savior. God could carry out his mission in our world without the WELS. I want to differentiate between the Church which will never cease to exist and any church which may cease to exist. We wander into dangerous waters when we look at the results of our preaching, teaching and outreach ministries. It would be very easy to wander from our clear confession that the power lies only in the means which God has given to his Church. But I do wonder if we have become so sensitive that we don’t allow an examination of the ways that we carry those means to the world around us? We could examine and even question our work and our priorities as a church without militating against the confession that all results are in God’s hands as he chooses to bless.

Page - 130

I appreciated Pastor Jonathan Hein’s essay prepared for last fall’s symposium at our Seminary. He distinguished between what God sees and what man sees. God has said that when I preach, the Spirit works through the Word. To conclude then that all God cares about when I preach is that what I say is drawn from his Word is neither sound logic nor good theology. The doctrine of stewardship applies to preaching as much as the doctrine of the efficacy of the Word. Therefore, when I preach, while my primary concern is that I rightly divide Law and Gospel, that is not my only concern. Far from it! I am concerned with all that can be perceived. I am concerned that I am both logical and well-spoken. I am concerned that my delivery is fluid, that I don’t look at my manuscript twenty times. I am concerned about whether or not visual aids might enhance my presentation, or might detract from it. Why am I concerned about more than simply proclaiming Law and Gospel? Because I don’t believe the Word works? No. I know it does. But it works in a way that I cannot see. “The wind blows where it pleases.” And so, I trust that the Word works, but I also concern myself with all that I can see.35

This applies to all areas of ministry. Take outreach. If you had zero adult confirmations last year, you might want to give a phone call to the one who had thirty. “What are you doing that I’m not?” It could very well be that the reason you had no adult confirmations is that was a part of God’s hidden will. But it is not sound pastoral practice to hide behind Deus Absconditus. It could also be that you have no adult confirmations because, while you know how to present Law and Gospel, you aren’t skilled at seeing opportunities to do so. This is not good! It is God’s will that what you can see, you do see.

He also applied that same principle to other areas of our ministry.

36

35 Jonathan R. Hein The Church and Her Members: That Which God Sees and That Which Man Sees Delivered at the Symposium on the Church at WLS- Mequon, WI p.21 36 Ibid. p. 21

This eases a potential tension for me. I can declare without reservation that our mission is Christ’s mission. I can declare boldly that it all depends on him including my partnership in that mission. But I can also look at what I can see. I can evaluate my involvement in that mission. I can look at numbers and make decisions about the ways that I use the resources that God has put at my disposal. In the congregation that I serve (Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church in Columbia, TN) we have had occasion to do some evaluation of our programs of outreach to our community. In the last few years our BIC classes have been smaller than they had been in previous years. Why is that? Well, we can say that God grows his Church when and where it pleases him. That is most certainly true but there is a stewardship issue at play here. An astute church council member noticed that the number of outreach calls that I am making on a monthly basis has gone down. Those calls that once ran in the 15-25 calls/ month range now have fallen to 8-12 calls/ month. Some natural questions might arise from our council. Pastor, how many basketball leagues are you playing in these days? Pastor, how many bow hunting trips have you taken this fall? Are we adequately staffed to seize the opportunities that God has placed before us? Have we adequately funded our evangelism plan for ministry? Are we doing the right things to reach out to the community around us? That discussion tends to lead us into a consideration of our methodology. I will speak more to that later. For now, suffice it to say that such questions do not detract from our complete reliance upon the means.

Page - 131

Before we leave our discussion of the means of grace, it seems proper for us to consider man’s role in the part of our mission that our Savior defines as “making disciples.” There is no contention among us (I pray) when I say that we all believe that only God converts. He creates spiritual life where there was only spiritual death. The Scriptures speak clearly. NIV Ephesians 2:4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-- it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

NIV Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

As confessional Lutherans we confess clearly that it is God alone who converts. We confess that our God works through his means to do that work. We rely completely upon those means as the very power of God working in his world to carry out his purpose. We understand that we have no power for conversion. Our confessions state it clearly.

In this Word the Holy Spirit is present and opens hearts that they may like Lydia in Acts 16:14, listen to it and thus be converted, solely through the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, who alone accomplishes the conversion of the human being. For apart from his grace our “willing and exerting,” our planting, sowing and watering amount to nothing “if he does not give the growth” (Romans 9:16; 1 Corinthians 3:7). As Christ says, “Apart from me, you can do nothing” (1 John 15:5). With these brief words he denies the free will and its powers and ascribes everything to God’s grace, so that no one has grounds for boasting before God (1 Cor. 9:16).37

The Formula of Concord also states that there are only two effecting causes of conversion: “The Holy Spirit and God’s Word as the instrument of the Holy Spirit, through which he effects conversion.

38

37 Formula of Concord, Epitome, Article II, 5,6 38 Ibid. Article II, 19

But the fact that we have no power for conversion does not mean that we have no part to play in God’s mission. God has a positive point to make about our role. People who share

Page - 132

God’s gospel are genuinely involved in conversion in an instrumental way.39 That involvement is so real and important that God says conversion takes place not just through the gospel but also through the ministers. That may seem odd. As we have noted, the power is in the gospel, not in the ministers. The gospel goes into an unbeliever’s heart; the ministers themselves don’t. Nevertheless, God wants us to take our instrumental role in converting others very seriously, and so he brings it out unmistakably in the Bible. 40

The farming picture in 1 Corinthians 3 that showed the inability of Paul and Apollos to give spiritual life and growth in the proper sense is part of a larger discussion that also brings out the positive side of their role. “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants through whom you came to believe- as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. That man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building (1 Corinthians 3:5-9).

41

Other expressions in the Bible show the same tendency of ascribing saving actions and effects to the people through whom God works. Obadiah prophesies God’s gift of gospel ministers to the church by announcing, “Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion…”(Verse 21). The angel Gabriel tells Zechariah about the ministry of his son John the Baptist in these words: “Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous- to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:16-17). Jesus tells his disciples, “I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:20). Let’s not suppose that Jesus means that they will do a lot of fishing for men but never catch any converts. In Luke’s parallel account Jesus says, “From now on you will catch men” (5:10). Paul says that he became the Corinthians father through the gospel (1 Co 4:15). None of these speakers or writers seems concerned that expressions like these will diminish God’s glory or confuse people about how they are saved.

42

The Confessions do not militate against a language that speaks of our role in God’s mission as instrumental. Our confessions say that in Baptism, “God, through a minister who functions in his place, baptizes us, and offers and presents the forgiveness of sins.”

43

Professor Fredrich points out that the next generation of Lutherans spoke in similar fashion. Johann Gerhard notes that divine effects (such as opening eyes, illuminating, begetting children for God, and saving) are ascribed to ministers of the Word, and he concludes that ministers of the

The confessions take note that God established gospel ministry and encouraged Christians to share the message. They note the Bible’s encouragement to the Church to preach, speak, testify and witness.

39 We might also use the dogmatic term “ministerial” cause as we speak of the human role. As Lutherans we confess that God is the efficient cause, but we also need to remember he has ordained a ministerial cause. Addressing the ministerial cause does not mean that we deny the reality of the efficient cause. 40 Matthew 28:19 and the Mission of the WELS, p.10 41 Professor Joel Fredrich uses the terms proper and extended usage to describe this saving activity. He quotes Salomon Glassius (Johann Gerhard’s successor at Jena) in Philologia sacra, analyzing Scriptural ways of speaking and deriving from them canons of interpretation. 42 Matthew 28:19 and the Mission of the WELS p.11 43 Apology XXIV, 18

Page - 133

gospel are instrumental causes of those effects.44 Abraham Calov speaks of three causes of faith: the Holy Spirit is the highest, the word of God is the middle level cause, and the ministers of the Word are the lowest level cause.45

44 Matthew 28:19 and the Mission of the WELS p.14 45 Ibid.

It all seems so simple. God works through his means and only through his means. While we have an instrumental role in conversion, that role is limited. The power is God’s and the work is his. We can say with confidence that we have been called to proclaim. The success or, humanly speaking, failure is in God’s almighty hand. We should be careful in making statements such as “the WELS is dying.” On the other hand (as I have stated), it is good stewardship to examine our activity. Some have stated that we (WELS) exist to preserve the truth and share the truth. It is not wrong for us to say that we need to examine our commitment to and our activity in the second half of that mission. I mentioned that our church council found it necessary to do an evaluation of our work and staffing when they realized that my calling activity was shrinking. It is not wrong nor is it improper (in my opinion) for us to look at declining numbers among us as an opportunity to examine our focus and the use of God’s resources. In my view, it has been a good thing for our congregation to look carefully at the reasons for the declining numbers in the realm of outreach activity. We are not questioning that God works through his means. We are not arguing against the simple truth that God will grow his Church when and where it pleases him. But we also believe that God has extended to us the gracious privilege to partner with him in the gathering of his elect. It is a part of our mission. It is a part of our mission that receives emphasis in his Word. It makes sense to us to make every effort to see that we are faithful with the resources that he has provided in participating in that mission. I have hinted at one other area of tension among us. We become uncomfortable in discussing the human (instrumental) role in our participation in God’s mission. I have chaired call meetings as former chairman of the South Atlantic District Mission Board. We have heard statements like this among us. “We need the right guy driving this mission effort.” That could be a statement that raises some concerns among us. We could counter that statement by saying that it doesn’t matter. “We just need someone to be faithful in preaching the word. The power is God’s, not ours. God will grow the Church when and where it pleases him.” As I have stated often enough, those statements are true. That does not alter the fact that God does use humans in an instrumental way. We point to Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 and confess that God gives different spiritual gifts to different people in varying degrees. While we want to speak carefully, we don’t have to deny that God has gifted us all differently. There was a recent call extended from our Seminary to teach in the O.T. department. I never saw the list but I feel very confident in saying that I was not on the list. The Seminary faculty and the Board of Control worked very hard to work through the list of nominees. In prayer they sought God’s guidance. They wanted to find the “right sort of guy” for the position. That doesn’t seem to make us uneasy but if we use the same terminology in the realm of mission calls, it can make some uneasy. I am not sure why. God has gifted each of us differently. It seems that some have greater gifts in the realm of evangelism. Some have an easier time writing sermons that flow smoothly and in a logical fashion. An acknowledgement of the various gifts among us does nothing to deny our absolute dependence on the means of grace.

Page - 134

The Methods As confessional Lutherans, we desire to take God’s means of grace to the world. Motivated by the gospel, we desire to participate in God’s mission to reach the lost. How will we do that? That leads to a discussion of our methodologies. This discussion requires great care. In November 2008 our church body hosted an event called the WELS Leadership Forum. The attendees were the 30 churches in the WELS who added at least 10 people to worship attendance for ten straight years. The purpose of the conference (as I understand it) was to study the characteristics of those congregations that are being blessed with growth. I am sure that a conference like this raised some red flags in our midst. There will be those who will cry out that such a conference is putting an undue emphasis on numbers. Others might say that it leads us to shift our focus from means to methodology. Still others might claim that it tends to a theology of glory. We are obsessed with success so we are looking at those congregations that are “successful” so that we might duplicate their characteristics in other places. We do well to be cautious here. Is it a theology of glory to examine the methods that I use in ministry with the hope that I might proclaim the gospel to more? It is if I find dissatisfaction with the results that God provides. Thesis 20 of Luther’s Heidelberg disputation reminds us.

That person deserves to be called a theologian, however, who comprehends the visible and manifest things of God through suffering and the cross.

Gerhard Forde in his reflections on Luther’s work reminds us that there are no abstract solutions to understanding the divine majesty. The only solution is the cross itself and the subsequent proclamation of the word of the cross as a divine deed.46

We are walking a fine line here and we must walk carefully. The debate is not hard to stir. Some time ago a brother in the ministry stated, “There can hardly be any argument against the statement that God wants his church to grow.” That is a statement that we can defend. “God wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.”

I do believe, however, that our view through the cross and our theology does not prohibit us from examining our methodologies. I am not abandoning my theological perspective when I examine the ways that I do ministry in an attempt to reach as many as possible with that proclamation of the cross as a divine deed. I could even go another step. I cannot allow my theology rooted in the cross to become an excuse for shoddy and lax efforts in ministry. I do not want to avoid analysis and planning in my ministry because they are inherently opposed to my theology. They are not.

47

46 Gerhard O. Forde On Being A Theologian Of The Cross Reflections on Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation, 1518. p. 75 47 1 Timothy 2:4

God has chosen us to join in the mission of proclaiming the very message that God has chosen to use to accomplish his will. That same brother in the ministry also stated that brothers who object to the use of numbers are rationalizing ineffective ministry. I would urge great caution in making such sweeping statements. The tension here is not new and in some ways, it may not be completely unhealthy. Professor Richard Balge spoke of this tension in a 1979 WLQ article.

Page - 135

Our Commission (on Evangelism) and our synodical constituency are not the only 20th century Christians who have struggled with the problem of developing methods that are theologically sound… The German evangelist Paul Scharpff wrote: “It was … inevitable that as the church made an effort to communicate the Gospel to ever enlarging groups, methods would be developed. The development was natural and often uncritical. The church members who were occupied with methods in their business simply transferred these to their church. Much of this has been valid and helpful. However, there have been cases where individuals tried to find too close a parallel between giving a witness for Jesus Christ and selling some piece of merchandise. As a result, the person was made secondary to the sale and the response of faith which the Gospel of Christ calls for has been oversimplified. (At the other extreme there have been those who have so deplored the use of any method of doing anything in the church that the impression is given that there is inherent evil in techniques)... Among teachers of evangelism, pastors and denominational leaders there is the feeling that biblical theology and the techniques by which the church proclaims her message should be brought together. 48

One can hardly discuss methods without some mention of Church Growth tendencies. In my 23 years of ministry I have heard accusations of “Church Growth” tossed about frequently in WELS circles. I do not intend to offer a detailed analysis of the Church Growth Movement. There is much that has been written on that topic. It is enough to say that the Church Growth Movement, begun on the world mission field by Donald McGravran and then introduced to the home front by such as C. Peter Wagner and Win Arn, has made tremendous inroads. Phrases such as ‘homogeneous units”, “felt needs,” “receptive people,” “people groups,” “church planting,” “discipling, not perfecting,” and “the harvest principle” – all drawn from the Church Growth Movement literature- have become almost household words and have found their way into many a denominational mission handbook.

49

The conclusion I have come to after reading a good chunk of the Church Growth library is that Donald McGavran’s basic principles lead to a ministry that to a greater or lesser extent revolves around the social

None of us would disagree that there are theological flaws in the CG movement. Robert Koester offers an apt evaluation in his book.

48 R.D. Balge “A Brief History of Evangelism in the Christian Church,” WLQ, vol. 76, no. 3 (July 1979, p. 258-59. 49 David J. Valleskey “A Biblical, Lutheran Theology of Missions” p.1

Page - 136

Gospel. While the “homogenous units” and “people movements” might appear to be “neutral” ideas, the underlying nature of those principles cannot be separated from a way of doing evangelism that uses the subject’s human needs, and avoids creating a need through the Law, and solving that need with Christ’s forgiveness. While we might observe the validity of “homogenous units” and “people movements” in our mission work, a missiology that wraps itself up in these principles will tend toward advocating the use of the social sciences as its means at the expense of the means of grace.50

• How unbelievers think

That doesn’t mean, however, that we who depend completely upon the means of grace to accomplish God’s mission in the hearts of his people cannot learn from the social sciences. Professor David Valleskey states: The social sciences, which make observations about people and societies in God’s creation, may assist Christians in carrying out Christ’s commission, especially by alerting them to possible external barriers which may keep people from being willing to listen to a Christian’s testimony and by apprising them of possible points of contact with the unchurched. Thus the social sciences can help the Christian in his quest to become all things to all people so that by all possible means he might win some. Through their observation of people, the social and behavioral sciences might help Christians become aware of such things as

• What draws an unbeliever to a church in the first place • What people are looking for in a church • What things about churches tend to turn people off • What people consider to be their primary needs • When people will tend to be most willing to listen51

All of this is in the realm, not of evangelism, but pre-evangelism. We should not, however, underestimate the importance of pre-evangelism. Understanding how people think and feel may provide an opening, a way in, so we can bring God’s saving message to them. The Scriptures make it amply clear that no one will come to faith apart from the gospel. For that to happen, Christians, who have the gospel, need to come into contact with non-Christians, who do not have the gospel. However, the Scriptures do not prescribe how this contact should be made. That is left up to the believer’s sanctified judgment.52

We do well to walk a “careful middle road” here. Not all methodologies are neutral. We are well served when we speak carefully. I have heard pastors described as having the ability to “close the

50 R. Koester, “Law and Gospel in the Church Growth Movement,” p. 27. 51 Not to the gospel, of course, since all unbelievers, born dead in sin and enemies of God are equally unreceptive to the Gospel, but there may be times when they are more receptive to a conversation about spiritual matters than others. 52 David J. Valleskey, A Biblical, Lutheran Theology of Missions p.12

Page - 137

deal.” My initial reaction is that I don’t really like that terminology. In fact, I don’t like it at all. I cannot close any deals and I cannot learn how to close deals from other pastors. We are not Fuller brush salesmen. Techniques and strategies are not going to make the gospel more palatable to the sinner. We have the means. We have only the means. Only God closes the deal through those means. On the other hand, I could understand that statement in a different light. If my neighbor in ministry consistently has high numbers of people in his BIC, I might investigate his outreach program. It may be that he is in an entirely different situation and his situation has nothing to say to me in my ministry situation. It also might be that I could learn some things. Perhaps he is one who is able to close the deal in this sense. With persistence and determination he follows up on the unchurched people that God brings into his path. He structures his visits in such a way that he is leading the “prospect” to consider the need for Bible study. He “markets” that class as one that will help people to answer the questions that they have always had about God. He makes personal contacts to invite to that class. While he can’t do anything to change hearts, his activity and effort might bring people to participate in his class. We would all agree that the clear law and gospel teaching in our BIC’s unleashes God’s power for salvation. Upon close examination many of us might find times that we have been less than careful in the way that we have spoken. When we started our congregation 20+ years ago, we used an introductory brochure to introduce us to the community. The outer panel of the brochure had “BECAUSE” in large letters. Inside, the brochure explained to people that I was introducing myself to the community because I didn’t know them. That part was good and proper. The brochure also went on to say something about establishing a church that would meet the needs of the community. I don’t think that I would say it that way today. I can probably understand that in the proper sense. I know their greatest need. It is to see the answer for their sin in a crucified and risen Savior. Our church was being established to address that need in our community. But I would word it differently today. I am sure that I am not the only one who has struggled with the terminology that we use. Can I say that I need to “sell” the congregation to the prospect? Can I tell the community that our congregation offers a family atmosphere? I can probably err on both sides of these questions. First, I understand that I cannot sell anything to anyone. I can be diligent in my use of God’s means and I can be persistent in the application of those means among the unchurched in my community. Secondly, I understand that the church that I serve has something that no other church in my community offers. We proclaim a distinct message of law and gospel. In the area that I serve I continually see people who are bound by the chains of legalism. The liberating gospel is sweet to their minds and hearts. I stand by and watch other denominations continue down the road of a “filtered” message and I thank God for what he has preserved among us. I don’t think that I need to sell our church to the community but I definitely think that our church needs to be aggressive to get the message of the gospel to our community. We have every reason and motivation to be aggressive in the proclamation of law and gospel to those around us. That also holds true for us as a church body. Since that is true, it seems wise for us to consider the methods that we use in proclaiming Christ beyond our own churches. We have every reason to be aggressive. We are motivated in the gospel. We have been entrusted with the pure gospel. The mission to reach out to the lost with that gospel has been offered to us.

Page - 138

The same article V of the Augsburg confession that declares that God will work faith when and where it pleases him also reminds us that this happens through the teaching of the gospel and administering the Sacraments. It was for that very reason that they were instituted. That being the case, I don’t believe that we can say that we are wrong to plan in the realm of our methodology. We are very careful in planning the results of our activity but it seems less than faithful to not plan our activity. We do not hesitate to speak about methods in our inreach ministries. I would assume that outside of some variety in worship, most of us have a similar methodology in the nurture of our congregations. We plan those methods carefully. We plan to have worship services each Sunday morning, on Wednesday evening during Advent and Lent and on festivals. We do not hesitate to plan those services. I am sure that there are some among us who plan their worship months in advance. The themes, hymns and special music are all planned. Our worship deserves such planning. None of us would question its importance. Many of us will plan our program of adult education carefully. The teaching of God’s truth deserves it. Some of us might plan a curriculum for adults a year at a time. We are aware that leading our people into a study of God’s life giving word is a very important part of our mission. It deserves our attention. It deserves careful planning. We plan our system of children’s education. I have never encountered a church that had children in its membership that didn’t have a planned program of Bible study for those children. All these programs are methods. They are methods that we use in bringing God’s means to the people that God has gathered. Most of us have an elders program. We want a plan in place to reach those who are straying. In our congregation, we have a subcommittee of the elders that will call any member of our congregation after three weeks of absence in worship. We want to bring God’s means to bear on the situation in a timely manner. We have a planned and methodical plan for follow up on those who are absent for more than three weeks. We cannot predict the result of our proclamation but we know that those souls are precious to our God. We understand the importance of reaching out to them and we desire to do so. In many of our churches we even plan our fellowship. We have monthly activities to bring our people together in a social setting. That plan may be intended to help in the assimilation of new members or it may simply exist to provide an opportunity for God’s people to be together and to encourage one another. It may not be the most important thing that a church does but it could be beneficial to spend some time in planning. I am not sure that I have ever heard of any conflict among us over the validity of planning in the realm of worship. I don’t think that I have ever heard a pastor criticized because he had too many Bible studies. I have never heard one pastor say to another, “You realize that you have nothing to do with the fact that you have so many of your members in Bible study. You know that the fact that your congregation’s stewardship is exemplary has nothing to do with you. But in the realm of outreach and the numerical growth of our churches we are very sensitive. It seems natural to me that we would be careful in our planning in this important area of our ministries. Just as we employ methodology and planning to our inreach ministries, it seems important that we do so in our outreach ministries. I remember my former mission counselor Jim Radloff telling me that I needed to make outreach intentional. We are trained to do inreach. We consider ourselves unfaithful if we don’t do it (others will as well). But if we don’t make

Page - 139

outreach intentional, it could well get replaced by the tasks at hand (and there are many in parish ministry). Our Savior has graciously called us to be his own. In that incomprehensible grace he has also called us to participate in the gathering of the elect. What planning model and what methods will we use as we joyfully join in this mission? There is no “one size fits all” plan for outreach in our congregations. We serve in very different contexts and our plans might look very different. I have been encouraged to consider a somewhat diversified approach to planning outreach ministry. I have found myself encouraging others to do the same. Depending on our context we might want to consider a balance of “come” and “go” strategies in our respective ministries. The “come” strategies invite people to our congregation and the “go” strategies seek to take our message of the gospel to the people. Canvassing may be one of the more common strategies employed among us. I know that this is not possible in a metropolitan area filled with gated communities that don’t allow access. I realize that a community canvass is not the answer for every parish area but I would not abandon the thought without an attempt. There is abundant congregational assistance available in this area. The Kingdom Workers assist many of our WELS congregations with canvass teams and resources. Our ministerial education schools, our area Lutheran high schools, and Wisconsin Lutheran College have encouraged their students to be involved in outreach ministry activities. I have found that there is an internal benefit to the canvassing effort as well. It helps to build a mindset in the congregation that sharing the gospel message outside of our own church is a vital part of our mission. The people of our congregations serve as a ready team of witnesses who go out from our churches with the gospel. That happens not only in formal, planned ways such as canvassing but in the activities of their daily lives. The motivation for such a life of witness comes only through the gospel. I see value in spending time in a planned Bible class curriculum to raise awareness to the opportunities in friendship evangelism. I also see value in training our members in a simple law gospel witness. We have all heard statistics and reports that tell us that friendship evangelism seems to be the best way to take the gospel from our churches to our communities. It makes sense that we would spend some time encouraging and training our members for the task. Congregational budgets will have an impact on our outreach programs. I will not say much here but I would urge our congregations to evaluate their ministries carefully. If reaching out to the lost is an important part of our work in God’s mission, we will plan and budget accordingly. Some of the outreach work that we do costs little but some requires considerable resources. Mass mailings are a component of many of the outreach plans of the congregations in the district where I serve. There are great resources available inside of and outside our church body to assist in mass mailings. I have heard the brothers of our district comment that a mass mailing of 10,000 or more in their direct parish area has provided many opportunities for gospel proclamation with people outside of their church membership. Some congregations (ours included) receive a monthly list of the residents moving in to the parish area. I feel that this list provides an immediate list of people to contact. That might be done with

Page - 140

a letter, a personal visit, or both. These are people who are in transition and who might be open to information from our congregation. Preschool programs are becoming more and more common among the congregations of our synod. A preschool might be a great component to an outreach plan of a congregation if the demographics of the area support it. A preschool program might be seen as an educational arm that provides a service to the community. I am not against serving my neighbor but we didn’t start a preschool program in our congregation simply to serve the educational needs of our community. A preschool program could generate revenue for a congregation. It has not really worked that way for us. We consider ourselves very blessed if we manage to break even each year in our financial accounting. We started our preschool program so that we might have opportunities to proclaim Christ to more people. We have a revolving student body. In our enrollment we have a captive audience for the gospel year after year. With a changing student body we have new parents to work with each year as well. A planned strategy to communicate law and gospel to students and to their parents (especially if they are without a church) offers an opportunity to participate in our God’s mission to reach more with the gospel. There are traditional outreach events that can still provide opportunities for proclamation to the unchurched. Vacation Bible School often attracts “outsiders” to our churches. I am not sure that parents are always bringing their children to our doorsteps because they want them to hear the gospel but I cannot expect them to have the right motives. They have given us another opportunity. Sports camps are growing in popularity. Kingdom Workers seem most willing to partner with congregations to hold camps aimed at outreach opportunities. We can debate the value of such a camp. I have heard some say that they consider it to be too much work for the results produced. A camp that produces a list of contacts to be visited by callers from a congregation is hard for me to criticize. I feel that such a camp can have a place in a balanced plan for gospel outreach. I have seen new missions and long established congregations seek to reach out into their communities with children’s carnivals and community festivals. If done well, I see these as another opportunity to seek opportunities to proclaim Christ. A key element in any plan would be thorough and persistent follow through on the people that God brings into our path. Whether they come to us as worship visitors, through a canvass, the preschool, or through any other method, we want to seize the opportunity and follow up in a timely manner. Pastors often have the privilege of doing much of that follow up work. We are trained for that work. But our plans for outreach ministry might also include training our people to participate. There will be too much work for the pastor to do. There is no reason that God’s people should not be included in the privilege. The efforts will be multiplied. We might consider training callers on different levels. Each year I do a canvass training session at our church. Once people have been involved in canvassing, we also train them in doing a follow up survey. They become a level 2 calling team. We also train people in law/ gospel calls. That would be a third level of calling activity in our outreach plan. In the training, it is my prayer that we are equipping God’s people for works of service. We are also giving God’s people an opportunity to participate in God’s mission.53

53 I am in no way suggesting that they cannot be about that mission in their personal lives without this training and formal program of outreach.

Page - 141

Our outreach plans will all look different. We serve in very different contexts. My encouragement is that you examine your context and consider the opportunities that lie before your congregation to proclaim Christ inside and outside of your churches. We offer brotherly encouragement to one another all the time. We encourage each other in the study of God’s word. Continuing education on the pastoral level is receiving more and more emphasis in our church body. This is a good thing. We get more and more help in the realm of worship planning in our congregations. Most pastors need no reminder that their sermons are among the most important things that they do on a weekly basis. It seems to me that we should be just as aggressive in encouraging one another to see the lost in our parish areas. We need to be just as aggressive in encouraging one another to employ methods that enable us to deliver the means of grace to those who need it. We are not tampering with God’s results when we employ methods that bring the gospel to the world. It seems to be an area of our ministries that so easily takes a back seat to our many responsibilities. I find no scriptural reason for anything but a greater emphasis on our work in reaching out with the gospel. I treasure our WELS for our commitment to the truth of God’s word. I treasure this church for the blessings that God has brought to me through this church. I received an outstanding elementary education in one of our Lutheran elementary schools. While the education was great, it was secondary to the simple truth that faithful teachers patiently and faithfully applied God’s means to my life day after day. God continued that gracious work at the Prep school level. More of the same was received at the college level. In my college and seminary training I received a first rate education in preparation for full time service in ministry. Through all those years I was nurtured in my faith in churches that faithfully proclaimed God’s pure word and administered the sacraments rightly. I pray that God keep us faithful to do the same in the years to come. I treasure our WELS for our awareness of God’s gracious invitation to be about his mission. I pray that he strengthen us in our commitment to that mission. In circuits, conferences and districts, we can encourage one another to keep our eyes focused on that mission both inside of and outside our church walls. Every congregation needs encouragement to see the people in their area who are harassed and lost. Each and every congregation can put a plan in place to reach out to those who are lost. We have the means. They need the means. It is God’s mission. He invites us to carry it out. I ran across a quote in preparing for this paper that I have shared widely in recent months. I keep it close to my desk. “The humble preaching of the gospel and the administration of the simple sacraments are the greatest things that happen in this world. For in them the hidden reign of Christ is consummated.”54

54 Herman Sasse, The Lutheran Doctrine of the Office of the Ministry in the Lonely Way: 11, St Louis: CPH, 1992, pg. 139

It is my prayer that God keep our church body faithful to that humble preaching and those precious sacraments. I pray that he leads us to do so faithfully in our churches and that he also leads us to share that simple gospel message aggressively with our world.

Page - 142

Pastor Charles Westra Nebraska District Convention Assembled at Nebraska Lutheran High School Waco, Nebraska June 14-16, 2010

Bibliography Bartsch, Michael P. (April 11-12, 1998). Maintaining Doctrinal Principles and an Effective Evangelism Outreach. Ohio Pastoral Conference Bente, F. Concordia Trilotta. St. Louis, MO. Concordia House Publishing 1921 St. Louis MO. Concordia Publishing 2002 Brenner, John M. (July 27-31, 2009). Christ’s Love Demonstrated in the Efficacy of the Means of Grace. 60th Biennial Convention of the WELS. Michigan Lutheran Seminary. Saginaw, MI Cherney, Kenneth Jr. The Church and Its Ministry. Forde, Gerhard O. On Being a Theologian of the Cross: Reflections on Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation. Grand Rapids: Eardmans, 1977. Forde, Gerhard O. Justification: by Faith. Ramsey, NJ: Sigler Press, 1991. Hein, Jonathan R. (September 22, 2008). The Church and Her Members. Symposium on the Church. Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Mequon, WI Hirsh, Phil (January 27-28, 2009). Free Will: Man’s Great Lie to Himself – The Practice. Nebraska District Missionaries’ Conference: Abiding Love Lutheran Church. Loveland, CO Johne, Harold R. (August, 1984). God’s Mandate To His Church To Communicate The Gospel. WELS World Mission Seminar: East Fork Lutheran Mission. Whiteriver, AZ Kelm, Paul E. The Church Growth Movement: An Explanation and Evaluation. Kloha/Feuerhahn Scripture and the Church: Selected Essays of Hermann Sasse. St. Louis, MO. Concordia Seminary. 1995 Langebartels, James (January 21, 1991). The Despising of Grace is the Death of the Church. Pastor-Teacher-Delegate Conf. of the Southwestern Conference Michigan District. Grace Lutheran Church. St. Joseph, MI Malchow, Daniel “Therefore We Speak” Evangelism in Practice. Newton, Robert D. Accountability and Faithfulness in Reaching the Lost Preus, Klemet I. The Fire and the Staff: Lutheran Theology in Practice. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2004. Raddatz, Darvin H. (August 6-13, 1969). Our Call to Serve. 40th Biennial Convention; WELS, Dr. Martin Luther College. New Ulm, MN Roth, Ronald D. (April 8-10, 1975). Mission Outreach in the Congregation. Nebraska District Pastoral Conference. St. John Lutheran. Rising City, NE Sasse, Hermann The Lonely Way: Volume 2. St. Louis, MO. Concordia House Publishing 2002

Page - 143

Schroeder, Jonathan E. (July 27-31, 2009). Our Calling. 60th Biennial Convention of the WELS. Michigan Lutheran Seminary. Saginaw, MI Valleskey, David J. (1992). A Portrait of Paul with application to current trends and methods in mission work. Valleskey, David J. (November 17, 1995). A Biblical, Lutheran Theology of Missions. Regional meeting of the WELS ad hoc Seeking Our neighbor Committee. Orlando, FL Valleskey, David J. (September 1988). Between Two Worlds-Techniques Of A Soul Winning Ministry. WELS World Mission Conference at Oconomowoc, WI Valleskey, David J. (October 15, 1990). The Church Growth Movement: An Evaluation. Ohio Conference, Michigan District, Our Savior Lutheran Church. Holidaysburg, PA Valleskey, David J. We Believe – Therefore We Speak; The Theology and Practice of Evangelism. Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1995 (April 23, 2007) Matthew 28:19 and the Mission of the WELS. Report of the committee appointed by the Conference of Presidents of the WELS in response to Resolution No. 3 (Clarifying the Mission of the Synod) in the Report of Floor Committee No. 2 of the 2005 Synod Convention.

Page - 144