Forward in Christ top 10 of 2025
In 2025, Forward in Christ‘s website, forwardinchrist.net, had more than 300,000 pageviews and 200,000 active users. Here are the articles published in 2025...
Organs, education, and the power of music
Benjamin Foster, a senior at Martin Luther College (MLC), New Ulm, Minn., has been taking organ lessons since he was ten years old. As a parish music/staff ministry...
Parent conversations: Ideas to foster a family-friendly church
We tell parents that they are supposed to bring their children to church, but how do we support and encourage them in that endeavor? Here are some family-friendly...
A family affair in Peru
We knew the question would come up sooner or later. “Can you share why Academia Cristo is LWMS’ 2025–26 kids c.a.r.e. project?” inquired our mission supporters....
Missionaries on the move
Several world missionary families are transitioning to new locations to further the ministry of the gospel. In Latin America, Missionary Matthew Behmer and his family...
Community news: December 2025
Emmanuel, Stratford (formerly March Rapids), Wis., celebrated its 125th anniversary in June. On Oct. 21, Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, Wis., celebrated the...
WELS podcasts: Passage, Paragraph, and Prayer
Podcast: Passage, Paragraph, and Prayer Hosts: Rev. Nathaniel Biebert Description: Each episode of this biweekly devotional podcast “consists of a passage from...
Global, vibrant, ever-changing
“New York City is a global, vibrant, ever-changing city,” notes Timothy Bourman, pastor at Sure Foundation, Woodside, Queens, N.Y. The same words could be used...
Reaching out to new people groups with the gospel
For Christians in the developed world, it’s hard to imagine places where the gospel cannot be easily shared. In fact, of the more than 8 billion people alive today,...
Integrating to benefit ministry
Institutional Ministries (IM), a WELS-affiliated ministry, was founded in 1901 for the purpose of meeting the spiritual needs of those who are institutionalized....
Community news: November 2025
On June 8, St. Andrew, Middleton, Wis., celebrated the 40th anniversary in the pastoral ministry of Randy Hunter. During the summer, the Ladies Aid of St. John,...
Where are they now? Lawrence McCatty
In March 2022, Forward in Christ introduced readers to Lawrence and Caroline McCatty, a couple from Gloucester, England. While in the United States for Lawrence’s...
Seven new home missions approved
In September WELS Board for Home Missions met and approved seven new missions toward the synodwide goal of starting 100 new missions and enhancing 75 ministries...
New administrator poised to seize opportunities for ministerial education
Charlie Vannieuwenhoven will begin serving as administrator of WELS Board for Ministerial Education in January 2026. Vannieuwenhoven, a 1998 graduate of Wisconsin...
Ministry recruitment counselors begin their work
When asked how they first considered becoming a pastor, teacher, or staff minister, many called workers point to someone who noticed their gifts and gently encouraged...
NPH debuts a new series: People’s Bible Devotions
When the first volume (Hebrews) of The People’s Bible series was released by Northwestern Publishing House (NPH) in 1986, it quickly became a favorite Bible commentary...
WELS podcasts: Light Talks with 922 Ministries
Podcast: Light Talks with 922 Ministries Hosts: Ali Novak (current); Jonathan Favorite (past) Description: “In a world that’s loud, the church does not have...
Telling stories of God’s grace
For more than 55 years, Abiding Word has been proclaiming God’s Word in the northwest part of Houston, Texas. Starting as a mission church with two families in...
Looking for a sign
Residents of Stoddard, Wis., always have something to look forward to when driving down Main Street, and it’s not just the ice cream shop or a donut from Kwik...
Community news: October 2025
On June 22, Beautiful Savior, Cincinnati, Ohio, celebrated the 40th anniversary in the pastoral ministry of Thomas Westra. St. John’s, Pardeeville, Wis., celebrated...
A legacy of trust: Celebrating 25 years of WELS Investment Funds
In 2000, WELS launched a new ministry tool with a simple goal: help WELS congregations, schools, and affiliated ministries manage God’s blessings wisely so they...
Meet a delegate: Joel Kassulke
Joel Kassulke went to the synod convention with the intent of learning more about the work of his church body. He returned home with serious thoughts of a change...
“My name will be great among the nations”
In keeping with this year’s theme of “Christ through us,” Steven Prahl, a home missionary at Foundation, Peyton, Colo., encouraged the assembly during his...
Elections usher in change
Election news was a highlight of the 2025 synod convention. New voting devices During the convention orientation on Monday afternoon, delegates received training...