Big challenge, bigger blessings
The 2021 synod convention was presented with an ambitious proposal. The Board for Home Missions asked the convention to consider approving a plan to start one hundred new home missions…
“God can do immeasurably more”
On March 24, WELS Board for Home Missions approved the first new missions and enhancements for the synodwide “100 missions in 10 years” initiative. “Our God is able to do…
WELS high schools experiencing record enrollment
This year, enrollment in WELS’ high schools reached more than 7,000 students, a first in WELS history. That is 10.9 percent growth across-the-board since 2020. WELS’ 27 area Lutheran high…
The heart of church planting
In January, WELS Home Missions teamed up with Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (WLS), Mequon, Wis., to organize a church planting course hosted at The Way, Fredericksburg, Va. The course was led…
Encouragement and support for new home missionaries
Being a new pastor fresh out of seminary is challenging. And being a new pastor called to plant a mission church—a church that does not yet exist—comes with its own…
Students gain hands-on experiences in home missions—and more
“When the Board for Home Missions announced the initiative to open 100 new missions in 10 years, at Michigan Lutheran Seminary (MLS) we contemplated how we could play an even…
Home missions launch first worship services
Three home mission congregations in Texas launched their first worship services on Sept. 11. In September 2020, the Board for Home Missions authorized funding to Our Savior, San Antonio, Texas,…
On mission statements and missions
Corporations grabbed the idea of mission statements from the church. At its best, a mission statement captures the drive, the focus, and the purpose of an entire organization. But most…
Board for Home Missions approves five new missions
This spring, the WELS Board for Home Missions met and approved 12 new mission requests—five new home mission starts, five enhancements at existing congregations, and two unsubsidized missions. New home…