Update on WELS’ effort in Vietnam
The COVID pandemic that began in 2020 affected the ministry and worship in all our WELS congregations. It also caused the temporary suspension of our synod’s efforts to build a…
Increased school enrollments offer new opportunities for outreach
ENROLLMENT IN WELS schools is up 9.8 percent this school year, according to the recently released 2021–22 school statistics, with 26,586 students in 282 Lutheran elementary schools and 11,672 students…
My Christian life: Finding real Christmas joy while in the hospital
A hospital stay during Christmas helps a pastor focus on real Christmas joy. “Please, Lord, please let next Christmas be different.” On Dec. 12, 2020, I was admitted to the…
Wisely using WELS statistics
For about seven decades, at the end of each year, WELS has asked congregations to supply church statistics. Generally, over 95 percent of congregations do just that. A compliance rate…
Moments with missionaries: Nate Walther
Plans A, B, C, D We were ready to take Minot by storm with a new, innovative approach. It was 2014. Childcare was a big need in a still booming…
Fear, fellowship, facts, and freedom
Online worship is truly a blessing. So, is there a curse? As with most things, there can be. My first Sunday of in-person worship since our move back to Arizona…
President’s message: Making normal a reality
You’re reading this in May, but it’s February as I’m writing. We’re at a time when we are all asking the questions, “When will this COVID thing finally be over?…
Pastors share letter and artwork to encourage students
St. Paul, New Ulm, Minn., typically celebrates Lutheran Schools Week with a VIP Day when students can bring guests to school. This year, VIP guests wrote letters to students rather…
Parent conversations: How do I approach vaccines as a Christian parent?
Many people enter conversations about vaccines with trepidation because opinions can vary widely. However, we at Forward in Christ think that it’s important to have conversations about places where your…