Dear Fellow Workers:
There is a much uncertainty in the news. What will happen to the economic “bailout” plan? Is it good for the future of our country, or not? How will you and I be affected– one way or the other? How will the presidential election turn out? What is best in the realm of foreign policy? The questions keep coming. Isn’t it great to know that when it comes to our spiritual lives, when it comes to the question of the standing of us sinners in the presence of our holy God, we have certitude? This Reformation month can serve to remind all of us that changes in the world around us, as great as they may be, cannot take away this overwhelming assurance: Because of Christ and his successful atoning work for the entire world of sinners, you and I can know we are in good standing with our God. By faith in Jesus, God credits to our account personally the righteousness of His Son! Luther drew attention to Isaiah 53 and gave this pertinent advice: “If you feel your sin, do not consider them in yourself but remember that they have been transferred to Christ, ‘with whose stripes you are healed’” (LW 26:132).

May this news–far more significant than any from Wall Street–boost our lives with renewed energy to serve Christ and our neighbor, no matter what may be in the wind economically or politically. Our spiritual economy with God is secure!

Webpage Check
Is your congregation’s webpage linked to our synod’s webpage? Does the link go both ways–from your local to the synod, as well as from the synod to your local? Please contact Rev. Jesse Jacobsen (jmjac(at)gorge.net) for assistance.

Lutheran Schools of America (LSA)
This week, October 2-3, 2008, the first “Classical Lutheran Education Conference” is taking place at Parkland Lutheran School in Tacoma, WA. Please pray for those who are traveling to and from the sessions and ask the Lord to bless the work we are doing together in promoting the cause of Christian education throughout our synod and beyond.

     

Newport Lutheran, Wisconsin Dells, WI
Some of the women of Newport Lutheran (rural WI Dells, WI) are pictured here with Pastor Bill Grimm and his wife, Janeen. On Sunday, September 14, 2008, President Moldstad preached and presented on the synod.

Building Progress at BLC
If you have visited our Bethany Lutheran College campus lately you will notice a huge hole filled with much construction activity. Progress is being made on the new 66,000 sq. ft. academic building.

Pension Plans for Church Workers
Beginning 2008 for church institutions (e.g., Bethany Lutheran College, Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary, and the Evangelical Lutheran Synod), and beginning 2009 for individual congregations, new reporting methods will be necessary in connection with church workers’ 403b plans. Our synod intends to work with the company called One America in order to fulfill the IRS requirements. Congregations may participate in the same system, if they choose to do so. To learn more about this, please contact Mr. Joel Petersen (507-388-3506) from our Board for Christian Service or Mr. Keith Wiederhoeft (507-344-7395), our synod’s Business Administrator.

 

Multi-use materials in India
Navina, wife of our Bethany seminarian Kalyan Gollapalli, is shown here displaying a pop-up Nativity card to assist teachers and students of the LMSI (India). The teaching materials, designed as the crafts to accompany the story of Jesus birth, were originally prepared by the Thoughts of Faith VBS program for work in Ukraine.

FREE PRESS – Mankato, MN – Sunday, September 21, 2008
 (photo by Free Press)
A photo of Stephanie Oliver (left) and Nicole Moldstad of our Mt. Olive Lutheran School appeared on the front page of the Mankato Free Press. The accompanying article told of students being asked to knit one cap by the end of the weekend for Save the Children’s Knit One, Save One campaign. Mollie Juberien, a high school sophomore and Mt. Olive member, enlisted the help of her former grade-schoolers on Friday to help knit baby caps for Save the Children. Mollie became interested in the project though a local high school teacher’s economics class and following a weeklong humanitarian visit to Bangladesh two years ago. Lately, Juberien appeared on stage at this year’s Clinton Global Initiative in New York City. The Save the Children project has students knit wool caps and donate them to Third World countries to bring awareness to low infant-survival ratios worldwide.

“I’m so honored to be a representative,” Molly said. “Getting more involved in Save the Children has affected my life in the biggest way.” She remarked on how the idea of making a difference with children and being able to affect change on a global level is very appealing.

Congratulations, and God’s blessings on the Trip!
We received this good news email recently from Rev. Shawn Stafford:

I am happy to report that on Tuesday, Amy and I were granted guardianship of a 17 month old girl named Anju from Ashraya orphanage in Bangalore, India. We will be traveling to pick up our new daughter during the second half of November. During our trip to India, we would welcome an opportunity to visit our brothers and sisters in Christ of the LMSI.

Reformation Lectures
On October 30-31, 2008, Bethany Lutheran College and Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary will be hosting the annual Reformation Lectures. This year’s topic is “The Freedom of the Will in Three Reformations.” The first lecture is entitled “The Lutheran Reformation,” presented by Dr. Cameron MacKenzie. The second lecture is entitled “The Radical Reformation,” by Prof. James Korthals. Lecture three is called “The Catholic Reformation” and the speaker will be Dr. John Maxfield.

Prayer Requests
Please pray for the family of Rev. John Schmidt. John was taken to his heavenly home on September 19, 2008. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have been living in retirement years in Tacoma, Washington. John served as pastor of the following parishes in our synod: Tracy/Cottonwood, MN; Lombard, IL; Waterloo, IA, Santa Rosa and Ventura, CA; and in his semi-retirement time at Lakewood, WA. We ask God to comfort Elizabeth and family with the blessed assurance that through faith in Christ we look forward to the glorious resurrection of all the saints.

We ask you to also keep in your prayers the family of Rev. Richard Wiechmann. Dick’s father, Edgar, died at age 97, in his home in Phoenix, Arizona. Edgar served for a number of years as a Christian Day School teacher in the WELS.

Please keep in your prayers Hannah Fries, the 10-year-old daughter of Rev. Paul and Terri Fries of Luverne, Minnesota, who experienced a near diabetic coma. She had to be airvaced to a hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Hannah presently is in the hospital but is now responding well to treatment. Please keep her and her family in your prayers even as we trust the promise from Scripture, “Cast all your cares upon him for he cares for you.”

Rev. Richard Warnke (WELS), who serves as the TOF pastoral mentor to the Ukrainian Lutheran Church, had to return home suddenly to the United States because of a blood clot in his eye. Continue to keep Dick and his wife, Sally, in your prayers.

Retired pastor, Rev. Donald McElwain of Murphy, Texas, has been diagnosed with cancer. Please include Don, who has experienced 92 years of grace on this earth, in your prayers. Don mentions that he drinks from a coffee cup that contains one of his favorite verses on its exterior: Romans 8:31-32, “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

Pres. Gaylin Schmeling’s father, Ray, had quadruple bypass surgery lately. Ask the Lord’s blessings upon Ray as he struggles to make a full recovery.

President’s Activities
October 6 – Evangelism Board meets in Bloomington, MN
October 6 – Board for Publications meets in Bloomington, MN
October 7-9 – General Pastoral Conference
October 10 – Board for Parish Education & Youth meets in Bloomington, MN
October 12 – Seminary recruitment night
October 19 – preach at King of Grace, Golden Valley, MN
October 20-21 – ELS/WELS Forum
October 22 – Synod Review Committee
October 25 – So. Minn. Women’s Missionary Society Rally at Norseland, St. Peter, MN
October 27 – Board for Foreign Missions
October 30-31 – Reformation Lectures
November 10-11 – Board of Regents
November 11 – Board of Trustees
November 12 – Synod Review Committee

May God grant all of you a very blessed month of October as we refresh ourselves in the truth that we are saved by grace alone through faith in Christ.

John A. Moldstad