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 $105,000 in disaster aid.

Rev. Phil Schupmann, chairman of WELS Relief, completed a tour of flood-damaged regions of Wisconsin June 25, and Iowa the week before. While damage to WELS churches appears limited to five that suffered significant basement flooding, as many as four WELS families suffered the total loss of their homes in Wisconsin. Six in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, have gutted their basements and first floors, but can't rebuild until the city gives them the okay to move back in.

WELS Relief has released $70,000 in aid to 10 Wisconsin congregations and an additional $10,000 to Winnebago Lutheran Academy in Fond du Lac, Wis., where one teacher's home was destroyed by an explosion from a gas leak caused by flooding. WELS Relief has released $25,000 in aid to three congregations in Iowa. Since most WELS members who suffered flood damage have insurance, most of the aid goes to help with basic needs, cleaning supplies, and other needs in the community.

"The most important thing WELS Relief can provide is the care we demonstrate when we go to visit," says Schupmann. "More important than the dollars is the fact that somebody cared enough to come."

Schupmann anticipates that WELS Relief could release another $100,000 to $150,000 over the next six to eight months as additional reports of damage come in and as insurance companies and FEMA determine how much money they will pay out.

WELS Relief has produced a seven-minute video presentation profiling WELS members who endured the flooding and the damage it caused. A DVD was mailed to every WELS congregation and should arrive this week. The video has also been posted on Streams. Watch it online at http://streams.wels.net/video/midwest_flood_08

Individuals and congregations who wish to contribute to the relief effort can do so online at www.welsrelief.net or send a check to WELS Relief, 2929 N Mayfair Rd, Milwaukee WI 53222. Any funds collected above and beyond those needed for the current flooding relief effort will be held for future disaster relief efforts.

WELS Relief also will receive funding for its flooding relief efforts from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Its members have the opportunity to form local chapter service teams to collect or raise funds for flood relief efforts. For every $2 raised by these chapter service teams, Thrivent Financial will provide an additional $1, up to $250,000. Thrivent Financial then will designate a portion of all funds collected to WELS Relief for 2008 Midwest flooding relief efforts. For details, please visit www.thrivent.com/2008midwestflooding or contact your local Thrivent chapter.

Filed Under: Committee on Relief, disaster, Flooding, Midwest, WELS relief

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 and our future potential." Rev. Joel Voss, chairman of the commission, expects to receive the remaining responses before the commission meets again Aug. 12.

Each of the districts was to submit a response after meeting in convention last month. Voss says that so far, the feedback seems to be positive about the tone and direction of the report. While there are varying opinions and questions about some of the specific recommendations, the dialogue has been brotherly.

In particular, Voss says the recommendations dealing with some of the functions of the Board for Parish Services seemed to draw the most questions—especially recommendations to combine the functions of the Commissions on Youth Discipleship and Parish Schools into one single new commission, and to reassign oversight of Campus Ministry from the Board for Home Missions to the Commission on Special Ministries.

Also generating significant discussion is the recommendation that a flexible program of continuing education be required of all pastors. There is fairly widespread feedback that this is something pastors should be encouraged to do, not required to do.

In contrast, the recommendations regarding increased transparency in budget reporting, efforts to increase coordination of stewardship and funding activities, and improvements to the circuit pastor system received widespread support. A proposal to increase the number of districts received mixed reaction as delegates requested more information.

Voss says the commission will continue to analyze the feedback in advance of its meeting and that it will develop its rationale more fully when recommendations are included in its final report.

"While there is more work ahead of us than I thought there was going to be initially, we're looking forward to getting at it," Voss says. "We can definitely get it done."

The Ad Hoc Commission is accepting feedback on its preliminary report from individuals and groups until Oct. 1. It is to present its final report to the 2009 synod convention next July.

View the complete preliminary report of the Ad Hoc Commission at www.wels.net/jump/rttd Feedback can be sent via e-mail: adhoc@wels.net or through the mail: Ad Hoc Commission, 2929 N Mayfair Rd, Milwaukee WI 53222.

To view individual reports from the district conventions, go to www.wels.net/jump/diconventions

Filed Under: Ad Hoc Commission, Convention, District

"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 $30,000 in gifts has been received from delegates themselves at eight of the conventions.

More than a third of the amount—more than $10,000—was given by delegates to the South Central District Convention in Dallas. "It is our prayer that a similar spirit is bursting into bloom in the other districts," says Rev. Vilas Glaeske, the district's president. "It is very much an achievable goal for our church body to eliminate her debt in one year and as a result to be in a position to strengthen the whole budgeting process."

The special debt-reduction offering was authorized by the 2007 synod convention. If the entire debt—mostly a result of capital projects and internal borrowing—can be repaid, about $2.7 million in annual debt payments would be freed up for other ministry.

Congregations should have already received a packet explaining how to conduct the offering locally. That packet includes a DVD for showing during the main thrust of the campaign this December. It also includes informational brochures—approximately one for every member. Other promotional resources are available online: www.wels.net/jubileeworship

Filed Under: Budget, Finance, Offering, Year of Jubilee

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 of the country. Kruschel received the call May 30 and accepted on June 26.

"I prayerfully compared the needs, expectations, and skills required in both calls with the training, skills, and abilities that God has put into this clay vessel—and then I prayed some more!" says Kruschel. "Both my wife and I are excited about the opportunity to move into a ministry setting where we can work directly alongside God's people as they labor in the harvest fields of the western United States."

Kruschel's transition from Ministerial Education to Home Missions won't take place until mid-August; he is currently considering the district mission boards' suggestion to move to Las Vegas, Nev., because of its location in the Southwest and its airline service to the rest of the country.

This call for a fourth mission counselor—a position that has been vacant for almost four years due to funding issues—is part of Home Missions' efforts to expand the mission counselor program and was supported by resolutions from last year's synod convention.

"Counselors are an integral part of providing proactive assistance to district mission boards, missionaries, and congregations as we seek to use all possible means to reach as many as possible with the gospel," says Rev. Harold Hagedorn, administrator for Home Missions. "Pastor Kruschel's experience in the parish, as a home missionary, district mission board chairman, administrator in Home Missions and Ministerial Education, and part-time Parish Assistance consultant commends him to encourage, support, and provide insights to missions and missionaries. We give thanks that he is joining the mission counselor corps."

WELS Board for Ministerial Education is planning to call a new administrator in late September or early October.

Filed Under: BHM, BME, Home Missions, Ministerial Education, mission counselor

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.

Mr. Melvin Schuler began serving as the director of missions operations July 1. It is a new position under the auspices of the Joint Mission Council, a coordinating group authorized by both mission boards and ratified by the Synodical Council. Schuler is a partner with the pastoral administrators of the two boards—Rev. Harold Hagedorn of Home Missions and Rev. Dan Koelpin of World Missions.

Hagedorn says with one director of operations for both boards, "all mission fields can concentrate on doing their gospel outreach and ministry."

Schuler served for the past seven years as the associate administrator for Home Missions. For nearly 30 years prior to that he held a variety of positions with the Halifax Corporation, including vice president of the communication division. One of his biggest challenges now, he says, is that both Home and World Missions have different philosophies of ministry. "We'll need to bridge that in some shape or fashion," he says.

Schuler sites one example in particular. He points out that Home Missions generally helps plant congregations with the goal they become self-supporting. World Missions looks to identify potential national pastors in foreign countries with the goal of training them so they can lead their own church bodies. But those differences don't faze him. "I'm always looking for a challenge," he says.

Filed Under: Home Missions, Missions, 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 women attended the weeklong seminar, held June 16-20. These are just a few of the Latino students nationwide who are receiving theological training through WELS' Cristo Palabra de Vida program, designed to raise up leaders from the Hispanic community.

"Being here on the seminary campus is important for these people; it's a good place to bring them together so they get to know each other," says Prof. Mark Goeglein, director of the Cristo Palabra de Vida Hispanic education program.

Students came from California, Texas, Florida, and Wisconsin. During the week, each student could take up to three courses—a total of 13 is required to complete the congregational assistant program. Upon returning home, many will continue their training with pastors in their area.

"We are preparing these people to serve in their own their own church," says Goeglein. "When they finish, they function as a recognized, trained ministry assistant. They assist the pastor by serving as evangelists, teaching, leading adult bible groups, visiting members, or even serving as liturgists. It depends on the needs of the congregation as to how they will use this person."

Goeglein says after completing the congregational assistant program—which is the first step in pre-seminary training—some of the men want to become pastors and continue to study in coordination with the seminary's Pastoral Studies Institute, which provides training for non-traditional students.

Others, like Claudia and Pablo Torres, a married couple from Guatemala, just want to be better equipped to share God's Word. "The reason we decide to take courses is because we know a lot of persons who live here, who don't talk any English at all," says Claudia. "They need to know about God, who gave everything to me. And I don't want to stop keeping that Word inside of me, I want to share God's love with other persons."

For more information about Latino outreach and how WELS is training workers, visit www.wels.net/jump/latino
For more information about the Cristo Palabra de Vida program in Spanish, visit www.cristopalabra.com

Filed Under: Cristo Palabra de Vida, Hispanic, Latino, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, WLS

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 of discounted products from new vendors—were recently added to ShopWELS, the synod's collective purchasing program. The program, which began two years ago, is designed to help WELS entities save money by pooling their buying power.

"The whole concept of a purchasing program is the more people that buy through the program, the lower the prices go for everybody," says Mr. Martin Spriggs, WELS' chief technology officer. "And the ultimate goal of the ShopWELS program is to help these groups save as much money as possible so they can spend it on ministry."

ShopWELS offers discounts on many items that congregations and schools need, including office products, computer hardware and software, and copiers. For example, an office chair that normally costs about $563 is only $286 through ShopWELS. Vendors are willing to provide this pricing because of the higher-volume orders that are placed through ShopWELS.

"We get quite a bit of traffic from our elementary schools and some of our Lutheran High Schools are taking advantage of [ShopWELS], but right now I'd say by and large our churches don't make use of it as much as they could and should," says Spriggs.

No single program can guarantee the lowest prices on every product it offers—that's why input from WELS shoppers is so important. "Because of the program's size, we can usually work with our vendors to meet or beat any price," says Spriggs. "We just need our churches and schools to tell us the price that needs to be beat."

In addition to a more customer-friendly Web site, Spriggs says many new products and vendors have been added to ShopWELS in the past two years—and he hopes more WELS groups will take advantage of these offerings. "Really the goal is to make good of use of God's resources through a program like this," says Spriggs. "And the synod is a great way to do that—we're together not just in doctrine, but also in trying to do things like this, things that would be hard for us to do individually."

For more information or to see available discounts and products, visit www.shopwels.net

Filed Under: purchasing program, ShopWELS, synod

Spotlight on Streams: Midwest flooding

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Rev. Philip Schupmann, chairman of WELS Relief, provides an update on the Midwest flood situation and its impact on WELS congregations, members, and the communities they serve. Watch it online: http://streams.wels.net/video/midwest_flood_08

Filed Under: Committee on Relief, disaster, Flooding, Midwest, Streams, WELS relief

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 Luther Academy, New Ulm. That same article stated that Rev. Jon Buchholz, the new Arizona-California district president, served in Puerto Rico after graduating from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. He actually served in Puerto Rico during his vicar year.