Rev. Rodney Flohr was installed at King of Grace Lutheran Church, Golden Valley, Minnesota, on March 5, 2006.


Rev. Phil Lepak was installed as pastor of Hope Lutheran in Portage, Indiana, on March 19, 2006. The Rev. Fred Lams preached the sermon; Rev. Ed Bryant served as liturgist; Pres. Moldstad performed the rite of installation; and Rev. Gene Lilienthal also participated.

ELS Bright Spots
Travel Canvass Witness teams assisted in outreach at our mission congregations in San Antonio, TX; Fort Mohave, AZ; Medford, OR; and Clermont, FL.  

Applying for membership at this year’s convention will be Resurrection Lutheran of North Bend, OR, which is located near Coos Bay. Rev. James Wilson serves as the pastor.

Our Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary recently received a $1.2 million gift from an estate in Florida.  We praise God for moving the hearts of people to express such generosity in enabling the training of future pastors for the work of his kingdom.  

During the month of February it was reported that 34 adults were under instruction in our home missions.

Cross-stitch
Our Missions Counselor, the Rev Steven Petersen, has announced that Cross-stitch has offered to support a special Vacation Bible School effort among our synod’s home missions.  The organization will try to match what the home mission congregation plans to spend on VBS this year.  Deadline for application for financial assistance is June 15th.

2006 Convention Plans
Dates: June 18–22, 2006
Theme: “For You and Your Children” (Acts 2:39)
Essayist: Rev. Edward Bryant
Kickoff for the Lutheran Schools of America special two-year offering
Synod Sunday preacher: Rev. Bradley Kerkow
Synod Sunday Service: 3 p.m. in the Bethany College Chapel
Sunday evening preacher: Pres. Gaylin Schmeling
Convention Chaplain: Rev. Timothy Zenda
Anniversary Service (Tuesday, 5 p.m.) speaker: Rev. Charles Keeler
Memorial Service (Wednesday, 5 p.m.) speaker: Rev. Glenn Obenberger
Communion service preacher: Rev. Timothy Erickson
Wednesday evening – Sloppy Joe Supper in the Bethany Dining Center hosted by Peace Lutheran Church
Convention Painting: Rev. Donald Moldstad
Monday night, 7:00 p.m. – Cross-stitch presentation
Order of Service arrangements, Synod Sunday and Communion Services: Prof. D. Marzolf
Devotion speakers: Rev. Matthew Crick, Rev. William Mack, and Rev. Thomas Westendorf
Organist for convention:  John Baumann

Anniversary Service
The Anniversary Service will be held on Tuesday, June 20, at 5:00 p.m. in Trinity Chapel on the Bethany Lutheran College campus. The following anniversaries of ordination will be observed:
The Rev. Harold Vetter    50 years
The Rev. Wayne Halvorson    40 years
The Rev. Thomas Kuster    40 years
The Rev. Erling Teigen    40 years
The Rev. Richard Wiechmann    40 years
The Rev. Daniel Faugstad    25 years
The Rev. Steven Reagles    25 years
The Rev. Carlton Sielaff    25 years
The Rev. Paul Zager    25 years

Memorial Service
The Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, June 21, at 5:00 p.m. in Trinity Chapel on the Bethany Lutheran College campus. The following pastors and pastors’ wives will be remembered:
The Rev. Milton Tweit (1908–2005)
Mrs. Bergit Runholt (1910–2005)
Mrs. Emma Rusch (1904–2005)
The Rev. Walther Gullixson (1913–2006)

Book of Reports and Memorials (BORAM)
Board Chairman and secretaries are reminded that reports were due for the Book of Reports and Memorials by Saturday, April 1. The secretary thanks everyone who has submitted items for the BORAM by the April 1 deadline. Thanks also to all those who have submitted congregational statistics for the parochial report!

Convention Registration
Registration materials for the convention should have been be returned to Denise Luehmann (6 Browns Court, Mankato MN 56001) by April 1. Delegates names were needed for the assignment of committees.

Recently a number of young people were confirmed by Rev. Young Ha Kim serving the exploratory mission in Seoul, South Korea.

Siebert Lutheran Foundation Pastoral Development Program
Pastors serve many roles in their position at the center of congregational life: preacher, teacher, counselor, administrator and spiritual care giver. The Siebert Pastoral Development Program is designed to allow the pastor to create a personal advanced development program utilizing existing programs and resources available in the marketplace. Congregations located in Wisconsin and upper Michigan can apply for grants between $2,500 and $20,000 for support of their pastor’s advanced development program (15 grants will be awarded per year to Lutheran congregations). For detailed information on the program, please visit the website <www.siebertfoundation.org> and click on the “Pastoral Development” tab.

The Bethany Lutheran College men’s basketball team recently took fifth place in the 2006 NCCAA national tournament.

Address Changes
Paul Madson: crosscurr(at)yahoo.com

Website Changes
Peace – Kissimmee, FL has a new website. The link to it is: www.peacelutherankissimmee.org.

Prayer Requests
Rev. Martin Doepel entered Luther Hospital in Eau Claire on March 6 with a slight heart attack. Further testing showed considerable blockage and he underwent quadruple by-pass surgery on March 9. We keep him in our thoughts and prayers and pray that God's grace and strength and healing be with him.

Please keep in your prayers the family of Gerhard Lee who died at the age of 88 and whose funeral was at Holy Cross Lutheran in Madison, WI, in the month of February.  Gerhard, the brother of Prof. Sigurd Lee, was one of the original members of the ELS Historical Society.

Rev. Herb Huhnerkoch of Kissimmee, FL, is recovering after a mild heart attack. We ask God to bless him, his wife Barb and also the congregation of Peace Lutheran.  

Vicar Andrew Burmeister’s mother recently was hospitalized in Winona, MN.  Andrew flew back from Australia to visit her.  Please keep Andrew’s mother in your prayers. 

We give thanks to the Lord for blessing Rev. Otto Trebelhorn with 90 years of life!
 
President’s Activities
April 3—Planning & Coordinating Committee
April 6–7—Thoughts of Faith (Madison, WI)
April 9—preaching at Abiding Word in Bowling Green, Ohio (10th anniversary)
April 11––Synod Review Committee
April 18–19—LSI Committee meets
April 23—preaching at Brownsburg, Indiana
April 24–26—Great Lakes Conference in Brownsburg, Indiana
April 28—Board for Foreign Missions
May 3—Board for Evangelism
May 3–4—Circuits 11 & 12 Pastoral Conference in Klamath Falls, OR
May 5—Board for Home Missions
May 8–9—Board of Regents
May 9—Board of Trustees
May 12–24—Turkey trip
May 22–23—Circuit 9 Pastoral Conference in Apple Valley, MN


God’s richest blessings to all of you in Christ our Redeemer.
John A. Moldstad