In January 2025, three different groups of students from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (WLS) went on Winterim trips as part of a special partnership with WELS Home Missions. These trips were an opportunity to help mission churches connect with more people, strengthen their presence in their communities, and develop clear ministry plans. At the same time, they gave WLS students a chance to learn what it takes to start a new church and grow their confidence in sharing the gospel. By mixing classroom lessons with hands-on experience, the students got to see what mission work is really like and build skills they’ll use when they become pastors.

One group of ten students traveled to The Way Church, Fredericksburg, Va., to receive a more theoretical foundation in church planting under the guidance of veteran home missionaries and a mission counselor. They also engaged with lay leaders and experienced worship in a mission setting.

Risen Savior, Parrish, Fla., hosted 11 WLS students, offering hands-on experience in a variety of ministry and outreach activities that are typical at a new mission start: volunteering at community service events, helping with a sports camp, and interviewing civic and religious leaders to build community profiles.

Nine students traveled to the greater Houston area in Texas to focus on canvassing neighborhoods and building community profiles for a new mission that was approved in fall 2024 in Cypress/Waller and a mission opportunity in Rosenberg that’s currently being explored.

The Winterim trips are a testament to the collaboration between WELS Home Missions and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. By combining academic study with real-world experiences, these trips help train pastors for the unique challenges of mission work. As student Collin Maurice summarized, “Every interaction is an opportunity to share your faith. This trip reinforced that mission work is a mindset, not just a strategy.”

ENCOURAGING FUTURE CALLED WORKERS

Student ministry experiences don’t start at the college and seminary level. WELS’ two ministerial education high schools—Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, Wis., and Michigan Lutheran Seminary, Saginaw, Mich.—already offer opportunities for students to participate in hands-on ministry work in WELS churches and schools. It’s just one of the ways that these schools encourage students to consider serving in the full-time public ministry.

Michigan Lutheran Seminary offers a structured program of called worker interactions and ministry experiences throughout the four years to expose students to the joys and challenges of full-time gospel ministry. For example, freshmen spend an afternoon hearing from called workers about how—and why—they became called workers, while juniors travel to Wisconsin and Minnesota to visit the other WELS ministerial education schools. Luther Preparatory School hosts an annual Ministry Day, at which presenters from all over the country share more about their ministries as they encourage students to consider their best avenue of service. Both schools offer “Taste of Ministry,” a program pairing seniors with experienced teachers or pastors for a multi-day, behind-the-scenes look at the life of a called worker.

Learn more about the importance of encouraging future WELS called workers in the March 2025 WELS Connection.

Author: FIC
Volume 112, Number 03
Issue: March 2025