Dear Fellow Workers:
Post-Easter greetings to all of you! Near the end of an Easter sermon on Mark 16, Dr. C.F.W. Walther exhorted: “Dear friends, don’t be satisfied with just wondering at the greatness of the Easter gift and with a mere passing joy in it. It really will not benefit you at all to believe only in general that God the Father has already absolved the whole world in the risen Christ… Every one of us must learn to say from the heart: I, too, am absolved. The forgiveness of sins is mine. God has declared also me free from all my guilt. The little words, ‘I,’ ‘me,’ and ‘mine’ are the words upon which everything depends here. Though you do not want to deny that the Risen One has brought forgiveness from the grave for His unfaithful disciples and even for Peter the denier, yes, for all men, yet your faith also is in vain if in faith you do not add: And, praise God, there is forgiveness also for me!” (The Word of His Grace, 1978 ELS publication, p. 234). May the personalized Easter-proven absolution we have received through Word and Sacrament spur us on to serve as the Lord’s ambassadors in bringing such grave-breaking news to fellow sinners all around us.

LYA Convention 2008
The Board for Parish Education and Youth will be hosting this summer's LYA Convention near San Antonio, TX, July 24-27th. On our synod’s website (www.evangelicallutheransynod.org) are the registration forms and also an informational sheet. The convention director is Pastor Jonathan Madson.

Missouri Flooding
Please keep the members of Grace Lutheran in Piedmont, MO, in your prayers. Near the end of March over 13 inches of rain hit much of their area in a twenty-four hour period of time. We believe that most of the members’ homes have been spared, but there is some uncertainty about one of the homes. Pastor Henry Gieschen has informed us that the church building had a foot of water covering its entire lower level. Our Board for Christian Service is in touch the congregation.

A Collage of Mission Photos
A library of mission photos is now available online. Several thousand photos from our missions in Peru, Korea and India are available for use on church websites, bulletin boards, newsletters, classrooms, etc. The photos may be downloaded by following this link: www.conradfries.com/elsmissions

Please click on "Request Username" and a username, password and directions will be emailed to you. If you have any questions, please email Pastor Paul Fries: blcpastor(at)iw.net

Seminary Vicarage Assigned
Mr. Christian Eisenbeis (wife, Leah) has been assigned in advance to serve his year of vicarage at King of Grace, Waukon, IA. Christian recently returned from a special teaching assignment in the Czech Republic. The Rev. Kincaid Smith serves as pastor of the congregation. The Board for Home Missions is sponsoring the vicarage at Waukon.

Instruction in Mission Congregations
Rev. S. Petersen, our ELS Missions Counselor, reports that during the month of February eighteen adults were under instruction for communicant membership in our seven home missions.

Pastors’ Institute at Lakeland, Florida
The annual pastors’ institute of Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary has been held in various locations throughout the country in order to make it possible for more of our pastors to attend. This year the institute took place at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Lakeland, Florida, March 24–25, 2007.

This year’s institute included two presentations. The first presentation was a history of the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference, the international body of Lutheran churches of which the ELS is a founding member. The presentation was entitled Make Known the Manifold Wisdom of God. The second presentation was on the life and work of Paul Gerhardt, the renowned Lutheran hymnist and theologian. These presentations were delivered by Prof. Gaylin Schmeling.
 
Left to Right: Revs. Andrew Palmquist, Andrew Schmidt, Richard Fyffe, Matthew Luttman, Herbert Huhnerkoch, Timothy Schmeling, David Lillegard, Mr. Don Weston, and Prof. Gaylin Schmeling.

Jean Goebel
On March 2, 2008, Mrs. Jean Goebel of Hillman, MI, was taken to her eternal rest, after having undergone an open-heart surgery. Jean and her husband, Marlin, a member of our synod’s Board for Foreign Mission, have served as editors and publishers of Mission News, a periodical full of pictures and articles on mission work carried on by our Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Mission News was originated in June of 1972 and a few years ago was recognized by the synod as having raised in accumulated contributions through the years about $1 million for foreign mission items and projects not covered by our synodical budget. We give thanks to God for Jean’s faithful service to our synod.
 
This year Norseland Lutheran, St. Peter, MN, is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Pastor Craig Ferkenstad, here pictured with his wife Teresa, has served this congregation and the nearby Norwegian Grove Lutheran (Gaylord, MN) since 1993. The pinnacle celebration for Norseland Lutheran’s sesquicentennial is Sunday, June 22, 2008.

AZ/CA Women’s Mission Rally
The twenty-fifth annual Women’s Mission Rally for Circuit #11 was held at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Scottsdale, AZ, on March 1, 2008. Presenters for the day were: Joslyn Moldstad (“Mission Work begins in the Home”), Rev. Steven Petersen, ELS Missions Counselor (“Mission Work Globally”) and Rev. David J. Webber, pastor at Redeemer (Mission Work in Our Communities”).

Dedication Invitation
Redeeming Grace Lutheran, Rogers, MN, will dedicate its new building on April 27. Events for the day include: Service of Word and Worship at 10:00 a.m. with special music by the King of Grace Hand Bell Choir, followed by a lefse and cookie coffee; afternoon concert at 2:30 p.m. featuring Elaine Stindt, harpist, and the duet, “In His Service”; Dedication Service at 3:30 p.m. with special music and choirs, followed by dinner.

Synod Finances
Our synod treasurer reports that through the month of February the members of the ELS gave $95,228 to the Lord's work. This is $29,722 short of our projected monthly 2008 budget.

Prayers Requested
Rev. Juul Madson suffered a severe stroke on the Saturday morning before Easter. He presently is at Immanuel-St. Joseph’s Hospital in Mankato, MN.

Vangeleen Wiederhoeft, the mother of our synod treasurer, Mr. Keith Wiederhoeft. She is in serious condition while suffering with cancer this past year.

Linda Marozick, wife of Rev. Mark Marozick who is recovering from heart surgery in Madison, WI.

We also pray that God comforts the Goebel family, following Jean’s death. Jean’s funeral was on March 7, 2008, at her church, Faith Lutheran in Hillman, MI.

We pray the same comfort for the Petersen family, following the death of Marilyn Petersen, the daughter of the late Rev. Paul Petersen (Lois); Marilyn, age 52, died on March 17–same monthly date as her father’s passing.

2008 Synod Convention

Dates: June 15-19
Location: Bethany Lutheran College, Mankato, MN
Theme: “God’s Power for Salvation,” Romans 1:16-17
Essayist: Prof. Erling Teigen, Bethany Lutheran College and Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary
Synod Sunday preacher: Rev. Bernt Tweit, Holy Cross Lutheran, Madison, WI; liturgist: Rev. Matthew Brooks
Convention chaplain: Rev. Jeffrey Londgren, Faith Lutheran, East Jordan, MI
Devotion leaders: Rev. Micah Ernst, Rev. Matthew Luttman, Rev. Cory Hahnke, Rev. Dennis Schmidt
Tuesday evening: commemorating 40 years of mission work in Peru
Communion service (Wed.) preacher: Rev. Dan Larson, Saude & Jerico Lutheran Parish, Lawler, IA
Anniversary Service (Tues. afternoon) preacher: Rev. Ron Pederson, First Lutheran, Suttons Bay, MI
Memorial Service (Wed. afternoon) preacher: Rev. Carl Wosje, Our Savior Lutheran, Bishop, CA
Convention painting: Rev. Don Moldstad, chaplain at Bethany Lutheran College

Phoenix Area Worship Services

Rev. David Jay Webber (wife, Carol) serves Redeemer Lutheran at 7670 E. Jomax Road Scottsdale, AZ, and also Redeemer’s preaching station in Queen Creek, AZ. Sun of Righteousness Lutheran Mission meets each Sunday in Queen Creek at 4 PM in the Frances Brandon-Pickett Elementary School (22076 E. Village Loop Rd. South). More information can be found on Redeemer’s website: www.redeemer.vze.com

President’s Activities
April 1-2 – Doctrine Committee
April 2 – Evangelism Committee
April 3-4 – Thoughts of Faith in Madison, Wisconsin
April 8 – Planning & Coordinating Committee
April 10-11 – Board for LSA
April 15-16 – Great Lakes Pastoral Conference in Suttons Bay, Michigan
April 23-24 – Circuit 11 & 12 Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah
April 27 – Dedication at Redeeming Grace, Rogers, Minnesota
April 28 – Board for Foreign Missions
April 29 – Mission Advancement Project (MAP)
April 30 – Pre-convention meeting with synod secretary
May 2 – CELC Planning Committee
May 5 – Board for Home Missions
May 6 – Board of Trustees
May 12-13 – Board of Regents
May 15 – Vicar Workshop and Seminary Call Day

In Christ, our risen Savior,

John A. Moldstad