LWMS: focused on our mission
From the office of President Mark Schroeder
A little over a week ago, I had the privilege of attending a portion of the annual convention of the Lutheran Women's Missionary Society (LWMS) in Tucson, Ariz. For three days, approximately 1,200 women (and more than a few men, too!) gathered to hear directly from WELS missionaries, missionary wives, and mission members from around the world. The reports were touching, inspiring, and entertaining, but the purpose was not merely to entertain or tug at the emotions. The purpose of these presentations was to enable the women of the LWMS to meet and connect with those whose lives have been touched by the work of LWMS mission projects and to become more familiar with the gospel ministries supported by the LWMS.
For decades the LWMS has provided a special opportunity for the women of WELS to be directly involved in the support of mission efforts. Support for missions has been their single focus and purpose, and it remains so today. The organization's commitment to spreading the gospel of Christ is evident in all they do, from the many mission displays in the convention hall lobby, to the close cooperation with the synod's Boards for Home and World Missions, to the keen interest shown by convention delegates to news and reports from mission fields.
The LWMS has held to its purpose and has consistently focused on the importance of missions. In doing that, the organization has not only provided valuable support for our mission work in terms of dollars, prayers, and communication with mission families, it has also served to remind all of us that mission work remains a central task and theme for our entire synod. I thank the leaders and members of the LWMS, not only for the work that they do to support missions but also for helping us all to keep our focus on the task of sharing the gospel with the world.
If you've ever attended an LWMS convention or a synod convention, you've witnessed the LWMS tradition of presenting the flags of every nation in which our synod conducts mission work. At last summer's synod convention, when WELS entered into formal fellowship with the Lutheran Church of Portugal, Pastor Artur Villares promised that he would send the Portuguese flag in time for the next convention. He kept that promise and asked me to deliver his country's flag to the women of the LWMS. Last week I had the privilege of presenting that flag, and it has now joined the growing group of flags representing the places where WELS is working to carry the gospel to all nations.
To view a video shown at the convention profiling the women of the LWMS, go to http://streams.wels.net/video/convention
Serving in Christ,
Mark Schroeder
Filed Under: Convention, Home Missions, lwms, Missions, World Missions
Top Stories
Compiled by WELS Communication Services
WELS Relief distributes aid for flooding
WELS Committee on Relief—or "WELS Relief"—has completed its assessment of flooding damage to church buildings and members' homes throughout the upper Midwest, and has released $105...
Districts offer feedback to Ad Hoc Commission
Most of the twelve districts have offered their formal response to the preliminary report of the Ad Hoc Commission, authorized by the 2007 synod convention to conduct an "analysis of our present problems...
"Year of Jubilee" launched at district conventions
"Year of Jubilee," the new synodwide offering designed to reduce WELS' debt of $22.4 million, was launched with special presentations at each of the 12 district conventions last month. Nearly...
Fourth mission counselor position filled
Rev. Peter Kruschel, administrator for WELS Board for Ministerial Education, accepted the call from WELS Board for Home Missions to be the mission counselor in the Pacific Northwest and southwestern regions...
New position to support Home and World Missions
In a move designed to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness, one administrator of operations is now serving both the offices of WELS Home and World Missions...
Latino students gather at WLS
For the first time, a national theological training seminar was held at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (WLS), Mequon, for Latinos studying to be congregational assistants in their churches. Fifteen men and...
New offerings, improvements to ShopWELS program
In an effort to make an easier and more consumer-friendly experience for WELS congregations, schools, organizations, and individual members, a new e-commerce Web site—as well as a greater selection...
Spotlight on Streams: Midwest flooding
This site requires the Adobe Flash Player 8 or later...
Correction
The June 16 edition of "Together" reported that Minnesota's new district president, Rev. Charles Degner, previously served at Dr. Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn. He actually served at Martin...
