Worship Is All About the Benjies - LCMS Profiteering. WELS Cancels District Conventions!

Buy some LCMS Church Growth eyes.

"At the end of the year Concordia Technology Solutions will be increasing their price for their Church360 membership management solution. If you subscribe before the end of the year you will lock in the current WELS rate of $37.50/month or $450/year regardless of church size. This is a special rate worked out exclusively for WELS churches. Effective 2019 the price increases to $40/month or $475/year. Here is a link to the WELS Discount page for Church."

Matt the Fatt demonstrated Church Growth methods in
"Honey I Shrunk the Synod."

 No district conventions! We will appoint!

Decision on district conventions - Smuggled First Draft

2020/04/07/in Together

After thorough discussion and with great joy, the Conference of Presidents (COP) has concluded that the district conventions, scheduled for early June, will be canceled, an excuse caused by the COVID-19 virus. Even though it might seem somewhat early to cancel the conventions, a decision needed to be reached now to enable districts to cancel their contracts with convention facilities with no penalty. They are out of money.

The COP did consider whether the conventions could be postponed until later in the summer or early fall. However, several districts would not be able to hold district conventions at a later date due to unavailability of meeting facilities and accommodations for delegates, and the cost. The COP also discussed whether virtual conventions could be held, but several districts concluded that a virtual convention would be virtually useless. The COP agreed that if some districts could not hold conventions, none should. They may sound like - If some could, all should. But it is all about the benjies. You know that.

On the positive side, a benefit of canceling district conventions will be a significant cost savings. This is in keeping with synodwise efforts already undertaken to reduce expenses in the coming year - because the Church Shrinkage Movement has been so effective.

Even though we cannot hold “regular” district conventions as the bylaws state, we will continue to walk together in our irregular confession of unfaith and shared emissions. It is our commitment to the truths of Scripture (by opposing them) and our commitment to carry out God’s work (while trusting in gimmicks) that will guide us in times such as these—times that constitutions and bylaws and Fuller programs could not have foreseen. Even without specific guidance from bylaws, we are committed to moving forward in a united way, striving to do all things in good order.

With no district conventions, normal elections will not be able to be held. Instead, we will plan to have elections for the district officers conducted electronically. The details of how this will be done are still unknown, but we have been assured that called worker delegates and congregational delegates will be able to participate, or at least feel they participated.

Once the district officers are elected, we will follow the bylaw that gives responsibility to the district presidents, with input from the other district officers, to appoint people to serve in offices in which elections would have been held at the conventions. The district presidents will appoint those currently serving to continue in their positions until the next district conventions if they are willing to serve and if they have not reached the time limit for serving. For vacant offices in which there is no incumbent, the district presidents will make appointments using the information that the district nominating committees have assembled.

The decision regarding the proposed changes to the synod’s retirement program will likely be deferred to the 2021 synod convention. The planned discussion of the document “Male and Female in God’s World” also will not happen at the district conventions this summer; rather, discussions and study will continue in pastor and teacher conferences.

 How about some input from Sammy, Church and Change exemplar?

A digital version of the Report to the Twelve Districts as well as other important materials will be made available to each congregation and to district convention delegates.

We pray for the day when lives return to something like normal, and another Marvin Schwan of blessed memory opens his capacious wallet.

Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder

 "We are here for you."

"We had to wait until the New NIV to get a Bible that agreed with us on Justification. There is it - ALL, ALL are justified."

Start your own ministry in WELS.

 This is the proper attitude for Mequon students.

Rainwater, Vines, and Roses

 Trumpet Vines are the model for hummingbird feeders.

The first vines I ordered were Trumpet Vines, also called Cow Itch, a nickname never mentioned in the catalogs. They are known for their showy flowers which appeal to hummingbirds. Mine arrived separated from the pots, dry soil scattered in the box. I could ask for a refund, but I soaked them in rainwater instead.

All three vine starts filled out and sprouted at the roots, so I planted them. The first flower was so large and showy that it looked like a plastic one from the clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby.

The remaining vines did well and should be quite productive this year.

 If someone plants Honeysuckle vines, be sure to say, "Be careful, they can take over the yard." That seems to be a requirement, a rite of passage, a secret code phrase, the wisdom of the ages. My first honeysuckle got absorbed by the weeds the birds planted around it.

The two newest vines are a version of Honeysuckle. They were packed like heirloom china and arrived in great shape. However, I gave them an all day soak in rainwater, with sun shining on the tiny leaves. Digging them into rain-softened soil was no problem. I marked their places so they would not be trodden or weed-whacked. Each one will use a bush to climb, one in the backyard, another near the mailbox.

The roses came in good weather, so I plunked them into the rainbarrel. I fashioned a kiddie pool umbrella over them so they would not be submerged. If they had been arrived dry, I would have been an immersionist, if only for a few hours. The roots took up the rainwater overnight and the roses went into the soil just before a series of long, soaking rain.

With a little foresight, Creation will do the work a gardener cannot.

The new roses sprouted leaves, which start out red and green up in the sun. If all goes well, I will place 1/2 bag of peat compost (Stinky Peat) on the base of each rose bush. That is close to the advice a British gardener suggested - but he used his own compost.

 No creature is too abased to have its day in serving Creation, glorifying the Creator.