Dear Fellow Workers:
Someone has aptly observed that parents find more joy in the stammering of their children than in the eloquence of great orators. Carry that thought over to our spiritual relationship in God’s family of believers. Our Heavenly Father takes pleasure in hearing his children come to him with their prayers, no matter how stammering they may be. His interest is in the voices of his children, not the polished voices of what the world calls wisdom. Why? These prayers are brought forward in Jesus’ name. They arise to his throne with the conviction that the Father will hear and answer, all because of the work of our greater Brother who made atonement for every one of our sins. Do we wonder if we are asking the way we should? Does it seem like all we can do is stammer? Here is a comforting thought: “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express,” Romans 8:26. Let’s keep our petitions coming. We have a Heavenly Father who cares and loves us dearly!

We share with you once again some news from around the synod…

Candidate Oberg Assigned
The synod’s Assignment Committee met on July 23, 2008, and assigned Candidate of Theology Robert Oberg to a three-point WELS parish located in Hurley and Ashland, WI, and Bruce Crossing, MI. The ordination/installation service is scheduled for August 31 at 3 PM at St. Paul Lutheran in Hurley, WI. Former ELS pastor, Rev. Burgess Huhn, had been serving this parish for a number of years. We are please to announce that now all of our 2008 seminary graduates have been assigned.

LYA Convention
Youth and counselors from our synod, totaling 241(– every 1 counts!), descended on the city of San Antonio, TX, for the annual Lutheran Youth Association Convention. The theme for this year’s convention was Friends Forever. “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” served as the convention hymn. Bible Studies focused on the following areas of life under the cross:
• Reconciliation –with God and with friends; learning to resolve conflicts in a Christian way
• Marriage – personal relationship with men and women; dating
• Brotherhood – qualities of good friendships as young people belonging to Christ

Ordination in Florida
Brian Klebig was ordained and installed as pastor of New Life Lutheran Church in Sebring, Florida, on Sunday, July 6, at 2:00 p.m. Rev. David Lillegard was liturgist. Rev. John Mahnke (WELS retired) of Austin, Texas, preached the sermon. Circuit Visitor Herbert Huhnerkoch conducted the rite of ordination/installation. Additionally, pastors Charles Keeler, Andrew Palmquist, Tim Schmeling, Andrew Schmidt, Greg Schmidt, and Greg Sahlstrom participated in the laying on of hands.

Ordination at Forest City
Boyd Longshore was ordained and installed at Forest Lutheran Church on 13 July 2008. Boyd serves as pastor of Forest Lutheran Church, Forest City, IA and Zion Lutheran Church, Thompson, IA. President of the Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary, Reverend Gaylin Schmeling, served as liturgist, while the Reverend Wayne Halvorson, Circuit Visitor conducted the ordination and installation. Your synod president preached the sermon for the occasion. Other pastors at the service were Dan Finn, Glenn Smith, Sam Schmeling, Dennis Schmidt, Tom Rank, and Vicar Christian Eisenbeis.

New Mission Sites
The Board for Home Missions is continuing to look at possible sites for doing exploratory work. Among areas currently being studied are: Wauseon, OH, Dundee, MI, Allentown, PA, Anchor Point, AK, and Faribault, MN. There are other cities being considered, as well. If any of our readers have information to share with our mission board, we urge you to contact our Missions Counselor, Rev. Steven Petersen (spp(at)blc.edu).

Bible Blast-off Day
Nick Proksch, a student at Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary in Mankato, Minnesota, recently canvassed 1,000 homes in the town of Roseau, Minnesota, for Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. Nick has been on a summer vicarage assignment. He organized a one-day class for children of the community. The project was supported by our synod’s Board for Parish Education and Youth.

Bad weather discouraged many children from attending. However, 12 Korean children, who were visiting relatives in the United States, attended this event. Nick and the Rev. Nile Merseth had a unique opportunity to teach the Gospel message of Jesus Christ to these children and to tell their parents about our mission church in Seoul, Korea.

Along with Bible classes, the children also assembled and launched small rockets.

From our Board for Foreign Missions
A special fund has been established to help provide assistance for the education of children in India. The fund is called: India Orphans Scholarship Fund – Opportunities for Higher Education. The fund has $11,000 at present.

In the month of July a meeting was held with a donor who is willing to support the cost of opening and maintaining a new Lutheran elementary school in the rainforest region of Peru.

Strategic Planning
On September 16-17 the fifteen-member Planning and Coordinating Committee will
gather at the synod office building (6 Browns Court, Mankato, MN) to begin work on
a strategic plan as urged by action at this year’s convention. Mr. Arvid Schwartz, a lay member from our sister synod (WELS), has agreed to assist us in the planning process.

Saude Sesquicentennial
On Sunday August 17, 2008, Saude Lutheran Church of rural Lawler, Iowa, will be celebrating its 150th anniversary. The church is the oldest congregation in the synod with a continuous affiliation to the ELS. Rev. Ulrik Koren conducted the first worship service in 1856. Today the congregation, along with neighboring Jerico Lutheran, is served by Rev. Daniel Larson.

Church Directory on ELS Website
Is your church listed on the directory at http://www.evangelicallutheransynod.org? Each church is expected to maintain their own website listing. If your congregation is not listed, please contact the synod office. We may have a record of your login name (each pastor has been assigned a login), or we can help you set up a new login.

Notices
Rev. Karl Kuenzel is no longer on the clergy roster of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Karl has colloquized into the LCMS.
Rev. Michael Langlais is no longer on the clergy roster of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Michael has colloquized into the ELCA.

Deaths
Marge Otto, wife of former pastor of our synod Rev. Milton Otto (who also served for many years as the dean of our seminary), passed away on Tuesday evening, June 15, 2008. Her funeral service was held on Saturday, July 19, at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church.

Mrs. Dorothie Vetter also died on the morning of July 15 in Alliance, Nesbraska.
Dorothea “Dorothie” C. Vetter died on July 15, 2008 at the Good Samaritan Health Care Center in Alliance, Nebraska at the age of 93.

Prayers
Please pray for Rev. Charles Degner (WELS) of St. Peter, MN. He is recovering after being hospitalized for some heart trouble. Earlier this summer Pastor Degner was elected president of the WELS MN District.

Note from our Giving Counselor

AN OPPORTUNITY:

Did you know?

 * Each year, over 15,000 savings bonds and 25,000 payments are returned to the Department of the Treasury as undeliverable. (Forwarding addresses have not been given.)
 * In addition, billions of dollars in savings bonds have stopped earning interest, but haven’t been cashed.
 
Do you…
 * or a deceased loved one own a savings bond, or registered Treasury note or bond that has matured and is no longer earning interest?
 * own a savings bond that you haven’t received in the mail?
 * have HH/H interest that you haven't received?
 * have Legacy Treasury Direct payments that you haven’t received?

Check out the "Treasury Direct” Web Site (www.treasurydirect.gov) or call the Estate Planning Office and talk to the giving counselor. You may have an opportunity to put some of those old savings bonds to work for you and for the ministry of the Gospel.

We can offer you a life-time income with direct payments at a good annuity rate and you can be sure to support the ministry of your choice when you no longer need the income. Call 507-344-7311 to find our more.

President’s Activities
August 5     –    meeting with representatives from the Board for Foreign Missions and Thoughts of Faith, Inc. (TOF)
August 6 -7     –    Board of Directors for TOF
August 6     –    Board for Home Missions
August 11-12 –    Board of Regents for Bethany College and Seminary
August 13    –    Board of Trustees
August 14    –    Synod Review Committee
August 18-19    –    Doctrine Committee
August 21     –    Administrative Staff meeting
August 24-29    –    Visiting the mission field in Chile
September 9    –    Board for Stewardship
September 14    –    Preach at Portage, WI
September 16-17 –    Planning and Coordinating Committee
September 18-19 –    Circuit Visitors’ Conference at Hampton Inn in Bloomington, MN
September 23    –    Mission Advancement Project (MAP)
September 26 –    Joint meeting of ELS Doctrine Committee & the WELS CICR

May the peace of our Lord Jesus go with you,

John A. Moldstad