Enrollment increases at MLC

For the first time in six years, Martin Luther College (MLC), New Ulm, Minn., started the school year with more students than the year before. A total of 723 on-campus students are enrolled—536 are studying for the educational ministry and 181 for the pastoral ministry. Six are unclassified.

Although enrollment is only up three from last year's 720, Prof. Philip Leyrer, MLC's vice president for enrollment management, says this is good news for the college, where enrollment has been declining steadily since the 2002-03 school year.

"We have increased our recruitment efforts and changed some of our strategy," he says. "We think the Lord blessed those efforts and we hope it will continue to go that way."

Leyrer cites rising tuition as the most significant factor affecting enrollment. He also says there is a shrinking pool of candidates at both preparatory schools and area Lutheran high schools, where enrollment numbers have also been down in the past few years.

Still, Leyrer is hopeful that this is the end of the downward enrollment trend at MLC. "This year, even though it is only three [more students], it is more," he says. "So we're hopeful that we have stabilized at this point and that we can start the climb."

Additional statistics and updates for all of WELS' Ministerial Education schools will be included in the Four Schools Report, which is due out by mid-October.

Filed Under: enrollment, Ministerial Education, MLC

VEBA rates more competitive

WELS Benefit Plans Director Jon Flanagan is urging all active WELS called workers, employees, and organizations not currently taking advantage of VEBA—the synod's group health care plan—to take a close look at its more competitive rate structure.

Thanks to better discounts with provider networks and regional rate adjustments, two-thirds of current participants will experience either no change or a one percent decrease for 2009. The other third will experience anywhere from a 2 to 26 percent decrease.

"We're helping to control the costs for everyone," says Flanagan. "This is an example of the walking together that we've been talking about across synod."

Open enrollment for VEBA runs through Dec. 1. WELS Benefit Plans office this week is mailing letters to all current, eligible employees and organizations, as well as WELS VEBA Medicare members, explaining the new rate structure and enrollment procedures. For a summary of those letters go to: www.welsbpo.net

This will be the last open enrollment for at least the next two years. Workers who do not enroll in WELS VEBA this year will have to wait until at least Jan. 1, 2011, to enroll if they do not have a qualifying event. Beginning in 2010, VEBA rates are expected to rise more in line with medical cost trends.

Filed Under: Benefit Plans, BPO, VEBA

Congregations embrace Year of Jubilee

Congregations synodwide are in their own ways embracing the special Year of Jubilee offering—authorized by the 2007 synod convention to eliminate the synod's $22.4 million debt and free up funds for other ministry.

Christ the Lord in Clearwater, Fla., has done the math to calculate a rough goal for its members. "Of course the gospel of our Savior will be the main motivator," says Rev. Jeff Mahnke. "We think that breaking it down this way enables our members to see how reachable this goal is as a congregation and as a synod."

The Ministry of Christian Giving is providing all congregations with resources and promotional materials for the special offering—including instructions for producing a banner. Members at Our Savior's in Zion, Ill., worked with the basic design and took things a step further so that the words "Year of Jubilee" are replaceable and the banner can be used again at future occasions.

Year of Jubilee is designed to be celebrated in consecutive worship services from Nov. 23 through Dec. 14. A package of resources, including instructions and a special DVD presentation, was mailed to all congregations after district conventions in June. If this package didn't arrive or if it has been misplaced, contact WELS Ministry of Christian Giving by calling 414-256-3218 (toll-free 800-827-5482). Many of the worship planning resources are also available online, including a promotional insert for October worship folders.

To date, WELS members and congregations have given about $693,000 for the offering.

Filed Under: Christian Giving, donation, Finance, gift, jubilee, Year of Jubilee

Funeral services for former district president

Funeral services were held Sept. 24 in Fort Atkinson, Wis., for Rev. Donald Bitter, former president of the Western Wisconsin District. Bitter, 79, died Sept. 21 in a Fort Atkinson nursing home after a 17-year battle with Parkinson's disease.

Bitter served as district president from 1980-88. For three of those years, he also served as second and then first vice president of the synod. Prior to that, he held the offices of first and second vice president of the Western Wisconsin District and served on various synodical boards and committees. Bitter also served three Wisconsin congregations in his ministry: Good Shepherd, Fond du Lac; St. Lucas, Kewaskum; and St. Paul, Fort Atkinson.

Rev. Paul Scharrer, pastor at St. Paul, says he counts it a high honor to have served the Lord with Bitter for eight years. "I learned a lot from him," says Scharrer. "He was an awesome man of God. Even in the most tense situations, he could speak up with his dry humor and lighten the situation and have a word of wisdom."

Scharrer says Bitter always had that humor, even during his fight with Parkinson's. He remembers greeting Bitter before a Thursday night service last fall. "Pastor Bitter, you're looking good tonight," said Scharrer. Bitter appreciated the comment and replied, "Say it again."

"He was really something," says Scharrer. "He was a good friend and brother. He was a gift from God to his family, to our congregation, to our district, and to our synod."

Bitter was preceded in death by a daughter and is survived by his wife, Marilyn; 7 children; 24 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Filed Under: district president, funeral

Spotlight on Streams: Everyday videos

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The new Everyday video series for teens—produced weekly by WELS Youth Discipleship, Wisconsin Lutheran College, and Highlights Media—is a chance to explore situations many teens face and how to deal with them as dearly loved children of God. Each three- to seven-minute video presents spiritual messages using a variety of skits, vignettes, scenes, and commercials depicting real-life, everyday situations. Watch them online.

Filed Under: CYD, Everyday, Youth Discipleship