New Altar for King of Grace, Waukon, Iowa

New mission congregations often need items that others take for granted. When the members of King of Grace Lutheran Church moved into their new worship facility last year they used a table for an altar. Howard Benzing saw the need and built an altar for the church. He has done woodworking for years. Howard is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Calmar, Iowa. His son, Dennis Benzing, is a member of King of Grace.

Circuit 3 Lutheran Women’s Mission Society Fall Rally

Saint Matthew Lutheran Church in Detroit, Michigan hosted the Circuit 3 Lutheran Women’s Mission Society Fall Rally on October 14, 2006. The Rev. Larry D. Vinton conducted the opening devotion, speaking on the theme “You Are the Light of the World” from Matthew 5:14-16. The children of the Monday Bible Club from St. Matthew entertained the group. The Rev. Steven Petersen, the ELS Missions Counselor, presented a Bible Study and photos about mission work.

The St. Matthew ladies served a soup and salad luncheon at noon. During the business meeting the ladies donated the Home Mission offering of $1,069.25 to Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary students to purchase books at the Bethany Book Store. The Foreign Mission offering was divided between a mission project in Chile and CrossStitch’s projects. Each women’s group told about the various projects they were doing, and new projects were discussed. After the closing devotion, Kimberly Russell, Rev. Larry and Betty Vinton’s daughter, signed her newly published book entitled “In a Heart Beat.”

Pacific Northwest Mission Rally meets in Gresham, Oregon

Fifty-six women and pastors were present at Saved by Grace Lutheran Church in Gresham, Oregon on September 30 for the twenty-ninth rally of the ELS Women’s Missionary Society, Pacific Northwest Region. Host pastor, the Rev. James Braun of Klamath Falls, Oregon conducted the opening and closing devotions. The Rev. James Krikava spoke about his fifteen years as a missionary in the Czech Republic. In the afternoon Rev. Krikava spoke about the role of music in mission work.

Jennifer Dahlke, Port Orchard, Washington was re-elected as president and Barbara Coggswell, Myrtle Creek, Oregon was re-elected secretary. The mite offerings will be sent to the mission congregation Resurrection Lutheran Church of North Bend, Oregon and to Four Corners Missions.

Christian Growth Chairman Kathy Kahler spoke about the “1 p.m. Mission Minute,” a plan to pray for missions at 1 p.m. each day. ELS Missions Counselor Steven Petersen showed pictures of what CrossStitch gifts have accomplished throughout the world.

PHOTO CAPTION: (left to right): Mary Szabo, treasurer; Brenda Hackett, vice president; Jennifer Dahlke, president; Barbara Coggswell, secretary; and Kathy Kahler, Christian Growth.

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Installation Service for Rev. Nile Merseth

The Rev. Nile Merseth was installed as the pastor of River Heights Lutheran Church, East Grand Forks, Minnesota on Sunday, October 22nd, 2006. The Rev. Norman A. Madson conducted the liturgy; the Rev. David Koeplin of Egan, Minnesota preached the sermon, basing his message on Isaiah 52:7: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news;" and the Rev. Ernest Geistfeld conducted the rite of installation. Special music included the following: "Preach the Word," sung by Janet Sorenson; "We Will Glorify" and "On My Heart Imprint Thine Image," sung by Pastor Merseth's four daughters. After the service, the ladies of the congregation served a delicious noon meal.

Caption below the Photo:

L-R: Norman A. Madson, Nile Merseth, David Koelpin, Ernest Geistfeld

ELS Women’s Missionary Society of Wisconsin Rally

Christ the King Lutheran Church in Green Bay, Wisconsin hosted 65 women and pastors attending the ELS Women’s Missionary Society Rally on October 22. The host pastor, the Rev. Leonard Buelow, opened the meeting with a devotion based on Acts 1:8.

Rev. Buelow next presented mission slides produced by the Rev. Steven Petersen about the foreign mission work which CrossStitch has funded over the past year. Mrs. Julaine Trapp spoke about her year teaching English as a Second Language classes in Korea.

After lunch, Colby Buelow and Amelia Lauth played the piano and the choir sang. Evelyn Daley opened the business meeting, and Mrs. Diane Skaaland served as secretary. The ladies resolved to give a total of $3994.00 to various projects, including $2,000.00 to CrossStitch. Christian Growth Counselor Mrs. Sandra Smith recommended several books for the women to read.

Teacher Minori Yamaki then told the assembly about her spiritual journey from growing up in a Christian home in Okinawa, Japan to attending Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota, to serving as a Christian Day School teacher in Illinois, and accepting the opportunity to teach ethnic Japanese students living in that state.

2006 Reformation Lectures Highlight American Commentators

The 39^th annual Reformation Lectures met at Bethany Lutheran College on October 26 and 27, 2006. They are jointly sponsored by Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary and Bethany Lutheran College, both in Mankato, Minnesota.

The 2006 lectures were entitled “The Exegetical Task: G. Stoeckhardt, R.C.H. Lenski, and J. P. Koehler.” Prof. Joel Pless from Wisconsin Lutheran College spoke about the life and exegetical work of Prof. George Stoeckhardt; the Rev. Peter Prange, the pastor of Jerusalem Ev. Lutheran Church in Morton Grove, Illinois, addressed the life and work of Prof. John Philip Koehler; and Prof. Steven Geiger from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary dealt with the influence of Prof. R. C. H. Lenski in Lutheran exegesis. Exegetical study is a drawing out or extracting of the true meaning of the original biblical Hebrew or Greek texts in order to understand the precise meaning of its words, phrases and sentences.

The complete lectures will be published in the March issue of the Lutheran Synod Quarterly.

First Trinity Celebrates 75th Anniversary

First Trinity Lutheran Church of Marinette, Wisconsin celebrated its 75th anniversary on September 10, 2006 at a special worship service. ELS President John Moldstad preached the sermon, the Rev. E. C. F. Stubenvoll Sr., the Rev. E. C. F. Stubenvoll Jr., and Bethany Seminary student Mr. Bob Oberg served as liturgists. Special music was provided by the choir, the Sunday School, brass instruments, and men's and ladies' quartets. A catered church picnic was held at the City Park after the service.

First Trinity Lutheran Church was incorporated on July 9, 1931 with 400 members, affiliated with the American Lutheran Church. The present church building was dedicated on December 20, 1931 at a cost of $20,843. First Trinity withdrew from the American Lutheran Church in 1969 and, after five years of being an independent congregation, it was received into membership in the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) in 1974. The congregation presently numbers about 300 baptized members. First Trinity Lutheran Church has been served by four pastors during its 75 years: the Rev. Herman C. Westphal (1931-1940), the Rev. Frank J. Zaiser (1940-1962), the Rev. E.C.F. Stubenvoll, Sr. (1962-1990), and the Rev. E.C.F. Stubenvoll, Jr. (1990-2006).