District Mission Report - South Central, WELS - Oh, Give Me a Home, Where the Buffaloed Roam

 

DP

DISTRICT MISSION BOARD REPORT
Pastor·Teacher·Delegate Conference � Thursday & Friday, January 2122, 2010 Abiding Word Lutheran Church � Houston, Texas
“You have shown your people desperate times… But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner.” Psalm 60:3,4
Field Reports: Mission Encouragement 1) Christ Alone – Alliance Airport area, Texas. Pastor Paul Seager (Pastor Brian Doebler).
• First service held on January 10, 2010, at local high school – 49 in attendance
• Community “grand opening” set for March 28, 2010 (Palm Sunday)
• Mission Establishment request was not prioritized to receive BHM funding
• The mission will be receiving over $70,000 in grant funding each year for the next 3 years

2) Holy Cross Outreach – Norman, Oklahoma. Pastor John Strackbein.
• First service held on January 3, 2010, at a hotel – 23 in attendance (18 in Bible study)
• Community “grand opening” set for April 4, 2010 (Easter Sunday)
• Mission Establishment request was not prioritized to receive BHM funding
• The mission will be receiving a Kingdom Workers TCW team in the spring

3) Holy Word – Austin, Texas. Pastor Don Patterson and Pastor Karl Gurgel.
• The congregation has a 10yearplan in place that is looking to establish a presence in Pfluggerville
• Mission Counselor Ed Schuppe is used by the congregation in an advisory role

4) King of Kings – Alexandria, Louisiana. Pastor Chris Esmay.
• The Hurricane Gustov damaged building and property were sold, all debts paid, $200,000 in the bank
• Regular services continue and outreach work continues and is increasing

5) Living Water – Marble Falls, Texas. Staff Ministry Robert Hill.
• The newly selfsufficient congregation worked with the Mission Counselor to make a community profile
• The congregation submitted a request to the Antioch Foundation for ministry program funding (pending)

6) Trinity Preaching Station – West Plaines, Missouri. Pastor David Kapler.
• The congregation (based in Mountain Home, Arkansas) continues to conduct occasional services in MO
• The Mission Counselor is available to help with demographic work and community study

Field Reports: Mission Enhancement 7) Holy Word – Austin, Texas. Pastor Don Patterson.
• BHM Mission Enhancement request was not prioritized to receive BHM funding
• The congregation continues to reach out with bilingual congregational members and programs

8) Redeemer – Edna, Texas. Pastor Andy Schroer.
• Kingdom Worker National Project Grant (2008, 2009, and 2010 – final year)
• New layworker (MLC student) for Hispanic outreach

Field Reports: Mission Establishment 9) Christ the Lord – Sienna Plantation, Texas. Pastor Larry Schlomer and Pastor David Bivens.
• Kingdom Workers National Project Grant (2009 and 2010) for added staff
• LayEvangelist for congregational outreach: Chris Thomas
• Church Extension Fund – tentative mortgage approval
• The mission congregation continues to worship on Sunday evenings at a Sienna Plantation preschool
• Mission Establishment request was not prioritized to receive BHM funding
• Recent activity has focused on property acquisition – a new, prime $1.7 parcel is now available

Office: 9796934514 � Email: CalebSchoeneck@gmail.com � Cell: 9795745984
Field Reports: Mission Development
10) Abiding Savior – Killeen, Texas. Pastor Steve Dorn.
• The congregation formally dedicated their new building on November 15, 2009
• Church Extension Fund provides the congregation with a 4% mortgage

11) Christ the Rock – Round Rock, Texas. Pastor Matt Doebler.
• The congregation is working with Mission Counselor Ed Schuppe on the mission’s future plans and vision
• Prof. David Bauer is on sabbatical from MLC and is working onsite with the mission this year

Field Reports: Mission Enrichment
12) Mission Enrichment Funding Sources. This category identifies congregations that work with the District Mission Board to enrich ministry efforts. Special funding from various sources may be available throughout the year. Contact Pastor Caleb Schoeneck about possible outreach efforts to see what funding might be available.
13) Kingdom Workers Faith in Action. The South Central District submitted 15 requests for Faith in Action teams. While final details are being made as we speak, I believe that all but one congregation are receiving teams in 2010. (By comparison, in 2009, only 11 of 20 requests were able to be funded.)
14) Summer Student Assistance Program (Summer Vicars). This is not a new program, but new funding from the LWMS became available this year to “reinfuse” the program. Victory of the Lamb Lutheran Church in Katy, Texas, has applied to receive a seminary student for ten weeks during the summer of 2010 (approval pending).
Note: Kingdom Workers Regional Chapters. Currently the Lone Star Chapter (greater Austin metro) is the only regional Kingdom Workers chapter in the South Central District. This chapter takes on several projects each year. More chapters like this could help to fund more Mission Enrichment projects in the South Central District. Mr. Ron Meier, the Kingdom Workers Chapter Director, is at this conference if you would like more information.
Other Items to Report
15) SCDMB Workshop. The SCDMB will conduct a workshop in College Station on February 28March 1.
16) Missionary Conference. In June 2009, the DMB met and studied the “go” passages in the Gospels. The conversation that followed led to a resolution to speak with the district (give and take) on the topic of mission work. While the resolution for advancing mission work was born out of the great urgency of the drastic defunding that was taking place at the time, the reality is that this great urgency is everpresent. October Conference 2010.
17) BHM Defunding. In April 2009, the Board for Home Missions cut funding to 27 sites in anticipation of a 25% decrease in synod funding. The defunding was approved at the 2009 Synod Convention. A memo detailing the impact of this defunding is attached to this report.
18) BHM Update. God was gracious during the BHM defunding process. Since the majority of the missionaries were not displaced, the funding set aside for severance—as well as new special gifts received by the BHM—have made it possible to increase the level of subsidized work. (The increased work is reflected on the attached memo. Additional funding for increased work may possible following the Synodical Council meeting in February.)
19) WELS Church Extension Fund. There are 18 congregations in the South Central District that have a loan with CEF. It was, is, and will continue to be a vital part of the work in reaching out with the gospel. In the recent days you should have received the CEF “offering circular.” This is information regarding the opportunities that CEF is offering to congregations and individuals. Investing in the CEF is always a winwin proposition.
20) Alternate Placement of Pastoral Candidates. The BHM has worked together with Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary to find creative, outreachminded ways to make use of the number of graduates that will be greater than the number of vacancies in the synod. For more information, please contact the District Mission Board Chairman.
21) WELS Connect Website. The new password protected website contains most of the “administrative” and synodical resources that used to be available at the old WELS website. Each called worker, and each congregation, should have an account and password. If you do not, you may contact support@WELS.net.
22) Vicars in Mission Settings. The revised deadline for submitting Vicar in Mission Settings applications to the District Mission Board is Friday, March 12, 2010. Beginning this year, the Vicars in Mission settings requests will be made online at the WELS Connect site.
23) Kingdom Workers Deadlines. Don’t forget that the deadline to submit requests for Kingdom Workers National Project grants and Faith in Action requests is August 15, 2010.

Failed SP and future DP

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "District Mission Report - South Central, WELS - Oh...":

Thank you for posting the mission report Pastor GJ. I was able to read the minutes posted on pdf.

Pastor John Strackbein, of Holy Cross Ok City, is a blessing to the district. He is a home visiting pastor and a Confessional.

During his sermons he has preached about the importance of keeping our traditional Lutheran Liturgy. The lay leaders of Holy Cross will NOT allow any contemporary services or music. I am happy to see that they were able to get a Norman mission going. Twenty-three people in attendance? I would be very interested to know if they were all new people.

For the district as a whole, it appears that thay have to do a little more kingdom working and a little less monetary spending. It is God's will. Of course the LWMS is always happy to give. Yes, we're "rich" with our 300 dollar treasury funds.(it might be lower for some churches and higher for others)

"Ex-SP Gurgel!" Why did he have to come here? I am sure any number of "other" churches could have taken him off our hands.(Core, St Marcus, St. Peter, Cross Walk etc.) "Future DP Patterson?" He is in the C&C and a Jeske pal. Don't forget the Baptist conference. Yes I know Patterson has relatives around the district, and I feel sad for them. He is big time friends with Gurgel, so Schroeder is not one of their FANS! Look into it! Despite this particular instance, DP Glaeske is a nice person and has a warm reception.

In Christ,
from WELs church lady

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GJ - The issue is not whether someone is friendly with SP Schroeder but whether he is friendly with the Book of Concord and Luther.

Patterson and his odious circle are friendly with Babtist theology (what there is of it) and Babtist Emerging Church stunts.

ELCA Come Outters

• WordAlone Network
• Sola Publishing
• LCMC Homepage
• LCMC Augustana District
• Lutheran CORE
• Lutheran CORE Blog
• Faithfulness Gathering
• Faithful Transition
• Faith ELCA Info

Leaders of Lutheran Groups Meet

Excerpt from an article by Betsy Carlson, WordAlone editor

Leaders of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC), Lutheran CORE and the WordAlone Network met jointly in a Minneapolis suburb in mid-January to discuss and coordinate their ministry to individuals and churches seeking biblical, confessional, Lutheran teaching and practice. The three groups were founded over the past 15 years because the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has been moving away from accepting the Bible as its final source of authority in decision making.

Some ELCA members and churches are leaving the denomination because of this drift from the authority of the Bible. Others are staying in the ELCA but are protesting the assembly votes, some by withholding financial giving.

William Drew, chair of the WordAlone Board of Directors, Spokane, Wash., noted the three confessional groups discussed during their meeting a cohesive approach to address the needs of Lutherans seeking faithful ways to move forward in a reconfigured North American Lutheranism.

WordAlone is changing its direction from having worked to renew the ELCA for almost 15 years to serving confessional individuals and churches, whether they stay in or leave the ELCA, by providing educational resources, pastoral care, fellowship opportunities and teaching by confessional theologians.

 “The LCMC Board of Trustees very much appreciated the opportunity to sit down with the board of WordAlone and with the working group from Lutheran CORE,” said the Rev. William Sullivan, LCMC service coordinator, Canton, Mich. “What emerged from the meeting was a strong consensus that we all share the same goal of a Word-centered, mission-driven Lutheran presence in North America. All agreed that each group has a particular niche to fill in the years ahead.”

LCMC, constituted in March of 2001, is an association of 297 Lutheran congregations in eight countries and 38 states, working together to fulfill Christ's Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations. Since August, 2009, LCMC’s ranks have swelled by 74 congregations departing the ELCA.

Ryan Schwarz, the chair of Lutheran CORE’s Vision and Planning Working Group, Washington, D.C., said, “We were particularly pleased to find consensus that Lutheran CORE and LCMC are ‘fraternal twins’ traveling on ‘parallel tracks,’ with both benefiting greatly from the contributions of WordAlone. We look forward to the prospect of substantial cooperation in mission and ministry with LCMC, and continued collaboration with WordAlone, as we move forward.”

He added, “WordAlone was instrumental in the founding of both LCMC and Lutheran CORE, and its varied ministries are critical to Lutheran CORE’s efforts to catalyze a reconfiguration of North American Lutheranism.”  The recent meeting included the first formal discussions between leadership of LCMC and Lutheran CORE.

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 GJ - Some will leave ELCA for a Pietistic group that turns back the clock a few years. Others are trying the old Synodical Conference churches.

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Jim Becker WELS has left a new comment on your post "ELCA Come Outters":

I'm a little confused. If LCMC and Augustana are Confessional and Scriptural, is there a conflict with having women pastors? Or will these churches put carryover ELCA Doctrine ahead of true Confessionalism? Will these new associations interpret the Bible from a historical-literal, historical-critical, or historical-liberal approach? Why aren't these "Confessionals" looking at Missouri, WELS, or the CLC?

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GJ - There will be many more flavors in the future. Some will have women pastors. Perhaps most of them will. Why not? WELS has women pastors without ordination or even an explanation. WELS has women teaching men, whenever and wherever possible. Tiefel made a point of doing this at his pan-denominational worship conferences.

Tiefel had Missouri teach WELS back at the first conference at Carthage College (ELCA), so what is the big deal about Jeske teaching Missouri? - Reciprocity of the fourth genus: genus Wauwatosum.

That old liberal Methodist had it right. When women take over a role in the church, men will no longer take that office. Sunday School teaching is for women, and men hardly ever teach Sunday School. In my first LCA call, the men taught all the Sunday School classes except kindergarten, and a man was the superintendent.

In all-women congregations, where the pastor and council members are women, there are very few men in attendance. Look at the infamous HerChurch in ELCA.

Top Views on Ichabod

 

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Ichabod evil for quoting and citing."

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GJ - Someone asked that I stick feature stories up where they will stay, so I did that. They change every so often, but not as much as the pictures that go with them. The photos are easy and fun to change.

If y'all wonder why I repeat things, the answer is obvious. The first page is the most read page. Newbies are going to read that first.

If anyone criticizes this blog, just ask, "Have you read all 3,700 posts and the links to all the books? You are a worse sinner because you have not." Or - "Have you sat down and told him his sins? You are violating the Eighth Commandment and Matthew 18!"

But they won't criticize it, because "nobody reads Ichabod."



"Marge, look for me. Is my name highlighted in yellow?"

Luther's Solution

Scott E. Jungen has left a new comment on your post "God's Will Is To Use His Word, The Double-Edged Sw...":

As many of you might know, I am fairly new to this blog. It has helped me "connect the dots" about the WELS' problems. The greatest help for me has been in pointing to places I can look for myself. "Church and Change", go to their website, read and decide for yourself. "Core", go to their website,read and decide for yourself.

WELS folks, I believe Dr.Jackson has "hit the nail on the head" with one sentence. "Luther's approach was to apply the Word and let God do the work". If we are honest with ourselves, has the WELS done this? My answer is "no". Just look over the last thirty years at all the strategies, programs, studies and on and on. What do we have to show for it? A smaller Synod with a huge financial problem. My key word is "we". I believe it's time in the WELS to get back to quietly and without "personal fanfare" preaching God's Word faithfully and let God do the work. Pastor Jeske, are you listening?

Women Hazing Women - For Their Own Good - Arrests Follow

Here is the complete story.

"They told us there was no hazing, that they didn’t believe in it," she said.

Then the paddles came out. The pledges, clad in sweat pants, were instructed to wrap blue and gold tape around the wooden paddles, each a foot long and 6 inches wide, she said.

She was struck 19 times that night, she said. Four sorority members delivered the blows, the pledge said, while two others supervised. She said the group was told the beatings would "humble" them and would get them to rely upon one another.

"At the end, we were supposed to be helping each other," she said.

The WELS schools have been known for hazing, disguised as initiation. I hear it is officially banned and still going on, here and there, including GA at Mequon.

The excuse for sadistic behavior in WELS is just the same as in this Black women's sorority. GA will make us closer. WELS places a priority on conforming, something a regular beating (emotional or physical) will accomplish.

Identifying the evil of hazing is a good way to be ousted from WELS. Two students objected to an official at the Sausage Factory. He defended GA. The students went elsewhere.

The Shrinkers are always saying "Matthew 18" but Matthew 18 is a good way to be pushed out, as they know.

Mao was more candid, "Let the flowers bloom so their heads can be cut off."

Some day the arrests or lawsuits will happen in WELS. Their defense will be, "He was disgruntled, bitter, exaggerating."

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Michael Schottey has left a new comment on your post "Women Hazing Women - For Their Own Good - Arrests ...":

I would be interested in a single story of GA/Zexing/Initiation from a WELS college/prep school since 2002.

There were two straight years of national initiation stories. MLS, my alma mater, scrubbed initiation down for two years (my frosh year) and then shut it down entirely (my junior year).

The "knighting" process at MLC takes place during the homecoming game and is more of a freshman game time than anything else (and is not mandatory).

This year it was mostly canceled due to cold...sad because the giant inflatable hamster ball races would have been fun for all.

I will readily admit it happened...to excess...for a long time. But at some point, you have to admit it stopped.

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GJ - It is mostly stopped, but not all gone. GA still goes on secretly at Mequon. The character of WELS has been established through GA, so the lying and the sadism will not disappear faster than a July frost. The ongoing deception about GA is proof of that character being indelible. I have it - a new doctrine for Wauwatosa - the indelible character of GA. It has a nice ring to it. "Once a GA synod, always a GA synod."

Wachet Auf

"Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying"
by Philipp Nicolai, 1556-1608
Translated by Catherine Winkworth, 1829-1878

1. "Wake, awake, for night is flying,"
The watchmen on the heights are crying;
"Awake, Jerusalem, arise!"
Midnight hears the welcome voices
And at the thrilling cry rejoices:
"Oh, where are ye, ye virgins wise?
The Bridegroom comes, awake!
Your lamps with gladness take!
Hallelujah!
With bridal care Yourselves prepare
To meet the Bridegroom, who is near."

2. Zion hears the watchmen singing,
And all her heart with joy is springing,
She wakes, she rises from her gloom;
For her Lord comes down all-glorious,
The strong in grace, in truth victorious,
Her Star is ris'n, her Light is come.
"Now come, Thou Blessed One,
Lord Jesus, God's own Son,
Hail! Hosanna!
The joyful call We answer all
And follow to the nuptial hall."

3. Now let all the heav'ns adore Thee,
Let men and angels sing before Thee,
With harp and cymbal's clearest tone.
Of one pearl each shining portal,
Where, dwelling with the choir immortal,
We gather round Thy radiant throne.
No vision ever brought,
No ear hath ever caught,
Such great glory;
Therefore will we Eternally
Sing hymns of praise and joy to Thee.

Hymn #609
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Matthew 25: 1-13
Author: Philipp Nicolai, 1599
Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1863, alt.
Titled: "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme"
Composer: Philipp Nicolai, 1599
Tune: "Wachet auf"

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Kelmed from Extra Nos.