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It’s a long road to become a pastor. For Jordan Massiah, it’s 12 years of schooling in three different states over an international border from his hometown of Toronto, Ontario,…
Forward in Christ’s newest Bible study author is James Borgwardt. Borgwardt serves at Redeemer, Fond du Lac, Wis., where he’s been for nine years. Prior to Fond du Lac, he…
To help WELS members get a taste of the new hymns that will be included in Christian Worship: Hymnal, the WELS Hymnal Project has released Christian Worship: Hymn Preview. This…
Arizona-California—On Nov. 21, 2020, St. Paul’s First, North Hollywood, Calif., gave away 100 Thanksgiving grocery meal bags. South Atlantic—Our Savior, Birmingham, Ala., assembled and distributed Advent kits, which included…
Featuring: Let the Bird Fly! Hosts: Wade Johnston and Mike Berg Description: “A podcast about living freely in a world given back to us. When we see the world for…
Christ Alone, Dardenne Prairie, Mo., wanted to replace its annual Trunk or Treat with a contact-free option in October 2020. Christ Alone’s members still wanted to interact and connect with…
Synodical Council Six new members joined the WELS Synodical Council: Mr. Pete Aisbet (Southeastern Wisconsin District lay representative), Mr. Jake Lemke (Western Wisconsin District lay representative), Mr. Chip Woods (Nebraska…
Go and TELL In 2018 WELS World Missions’ Multi-Language Productions had a vision to reach the world with the gospel in a new way. Its vision was to equip people…
Full Accessories of God: The Spirit’s Makeover for Women by DeLyn Wagenknecht is a concise Bible study that takes a fresh, contemporary look at the full armor of God found…
We have reached the season of parenting at our house when kids are being shuttled to activities after school, when a shared electronic calendar becomes a necessity to manage the…
Since 2015, the Academia Cristo website, academiacristo.com, has been providing Bible classes, worship services, training for church planters, and other tools for Spanish speakers to study God’s Word. The program…
“At our final outdoor worship service at Carbon Valley Lutheran we could see the smoke coming across the sky, and by the end of worship we had ash and burnt…
From business success to health to basic activities that give us joy and fulfillment, the events of the past year have—even temporarily—robbed us of what we think makes life worth…
Did you know that more than 104 million Americans listened to podcasts in the last month?* This growing number of people are consuming content from more than 1.5 million shows…
Michigan On Sept. 27, Good Shepherd, Alma, Mich., held a mortgage-burning celebration. Western Wisconsin On Sept. 27, St. Paul’s, Adams-Friendship, Wis., dedicated its new worship facility. This location is part…
“Don’t ever downplay what God can do through his Word. It’s dynamite, pure dynamite.” When asked about lessons he has learned in his ministry, Mark Cares, founder of Truth in…
I’ll miss the mission I’ll miss the mission . . . but I am so thankful that I didn’t miss the mission. Almost 37 years ago, I was given a…
God’s Word continues to be spread in our congregations and communities, even during the pandemic. David Russow, pastor at Hope, Andover, Minn., shares how God’s work continues in the local…
For many Christians, hymns are woven into the fabric of our faith lives. “Jesus Loves Me” may be the first song we learn as a toddler; “Amazing Grace” may be…
“Marriage is foundational to so many things in our society, including our congregations,” says Donn Dobberstein, director of WELS Discipleship. “If we want solid congregations, healthy marriages are so important.…
Another tool in your tool kit The Christian Service Members' Handbook is excellent for any Christian as a daily companion. However, the book is explicitly organized for military service members…
WELS Board for Home Missions met at the end of September and authorized funding for three new missions as well as two restarts. An additional congregation will receive support from…
ARIZONA-CALIFORNIA Beautiful Savior, Carlsbad, Calif., was on the verge of closing its grade school at the end of the 2019–20 school year. Total enrollment was 14. God worked through changes that…
Richard Gurgel started in his new role as president of Martin Luther College (MLC), New Ulm, Minn., in July. With the COVID-19 pandemic still in place, Gurgel is starting his…
In July 2013, Forward in Christ reported on ALHS Online, a collaborative effort of the WELS Association of Lutheran High Schools (ALHS) to offer high quality online courses to expand…
At some point in our lives, every one of us has been blessed through the actions of a skilled and caring nurse. Each day in the U.S., millions of nurses…
WELS Christian Aid and Relief and Good Shepherd, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, partnered to organize cleanup after storms blew through the Midwest in August. The line of storms, called a derecho,…
The vision of Kingdom Prep Lutheran High School, in Wauwatosa, Wis., says it all: “Where young men develop their God-given gifts to lead in the home, serve in the church,…
“COVID-19 affected so much this spring and summer,” notes Brad Taylor, secretary of the South Central District. “District conventions were no different.” WELS’ 12 districts canceled their in-person conventions that…
NORTHERN WISCONSIN Grace, Oshkosh, Wis., dedicated its new school addition on Aug. 22. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! WW—Paul E. Kante celebrated 50 years in the pastoral ministry on July 26. Kante currently…
“It just wasn’t going to work to host an in-person soccer camp this year because of health concerns with the coronavirus,” explains Kurt Wetzel, pastor at Cross of Christ, Boise/…
From its inaugural 1964 convention in Winona, Minn., to its 2019 convention in Des Moines, Iowa, the Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society (LWMS) has faithfully hosted annual conventions for the past…
Two new men joined the staff at the WELS Center for Mission and Ministry (CMM), Waukesha, Wis., in July. Paul Patterson is serving as the associate director of the Commission…
WELS schools around the country were faced with the difficult job this summer of determining what school is going to look like in the fall, after the 2019–20 school year…
Chaplains in Schools, a WELS-affiliated organization, is set to reach nearly 3,000 students in seven different Christian voucher schools in the Milwaukee area with the gospel this school year. Because…
“Every time I hang out with one of my brothers, I gain nuggets of wisdom that stick with me,” says Paul Bourman, who graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis.,…
It might not originally have been on his list to do that day, but when Mark Luetzow, a member at Christ, Saginaw, Mich., heard that people needed help cleaning up…
Folsom is in northern California, between Sacramento and the Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s an exciting place to start a church. I arrived in Folsom in the fall of 2019, with an…
Ever ask yourself, “Who are these people who write for Forward in Christ?” Through this series, you can find out. This summer, Forward in Christ welcomes Richard Lauersdorf to the…
View the musical tributes produced by Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and Martin Luther College. Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary tribute | Martin Luther College tribute To see Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary's graduates, visit forwardinchrist.net/2020-wls-grads. …
“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one…
In June, Dan Sims will begin his work as the new full-time director of WELS Christian Aid and Relief. “As much as I will miss parish ministry, I’m really excited…
WELS Missions and the Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society (LWMS) are partnering to offer Taste and See, a first-of-its-kind free online mission event, from June 27–July 11. This new opportunity to…
In God’s Orchard: Cultivating the Fruit of a Spirit-Filled Life may not be the first Bible study ever written about the fruits of the Spirit, but it has a lot…
WELS Commission on Discipleship is offering devotions developed for the entire family to use. The devotions coincide with the previous Sunday’s Bible readings. Each devotion is complete with a set…
Simply Lutheran: A Practical Guide to Lutheran Teachings is a versatile book that has something to offer readers of all backgrounds. The book gives a fantastic overview of the Lutheran…
One of the many groups served by WELS Commission on Special Ministries is military service members and their families. One way the commission does this is through military contact pastors—pastors…
They’ve been referred to as “a model of can-do blindness”—and those who know Sue and Larry Povinelli would certainly agree with that description. Sue, a federal government employee, and Larry,…
WELS President Mark Schroeder shares the following about the June district conventions: After thorough discussion and with great reluctance, the Conference of Presidents (COP) has concluded that the district conventions,…
Volume 107, Number 7 Issue: July 2020 To see Martin Luther College's graduates, visit forwardinchrist.net/2020-graduations.