Dear Fellow Workers:
To present the Gospel to fellow sinners such as you and me is both a huge responsibility and a tremendous privilege. Sinful human reason cannot accept the message of Christ crucified for sinners, and yet the Holy Spirit works through the power of his Gospel to transform hearts and lives. Luther wrote: “By my own reason I cannot understand or declare for certain that I am accepted into grace for the sake of Christ, but I hear this announced through the Gospel and take hold of it by faith” (from his Galatians commentary). We pray that God would have us think of the saving power packed into the Good News of the Savior each time we are in Law/Gospel conversations with others, but especially as we preach and teach.

Dedication
Abiding Shepherd Lutheran Church, Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, dedicated a new church building on July 24, 2005.  President Moldstad preached for the service. The church is located in a fast-growing community near Madison.  Pastor Krause reports that already many new residents have been visiting once worship services began in the new facility.  
 

Pastor Nathan Krause serves Abiding Shepherd in Cottage Grove, WI.

 

New altar and chancel furnishings at Abiding Shepherd

Installation
Rev. Jerry Gernander will be installed at Bethany Lutheran Church, Princeton, Minnesota, on August 21, at a 4:00 service.

LSA Website
A new website for the Lutheran Schools of America is currently under construction. The web address for this site is: www.LSAELS.org.

ELS Bright Spots
The Board for Home Mission, with the authorization of the Board of Trustees, recently purchased land in Roger, MN, where we hope to start the next exploratory mission.  Rogers, MN, is a growing community located NW of the Twin Cities along Interstate 94.

The board also recently made an offer on land in Clermont, Florida.  Pastor Greg Sahlstrom serves the South Lake exploratory mission.

Call for Nominations
Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary
   Pursuant to the guidelines of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod for calling a professor to the seminary (cf. Handbook p. 37-B), the Board of Regents of Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary, Mankato, Minnesota, herewith issues to the congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod a call for nominations to a professorship.
   The nominees must be ordained clergymen of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod or of its fellowship.
   Nominees are to be qualified primarily to teach New Testament, which requires expertise in the Greek language. They shall have secondary qualification in Symbolics or Dogmatics. In addition to this, they will be responsible for the seminary field-work program.
   Nominations are to reach the undersigned by August 1, 2005.

Rev. Kenneth Schmidt
1288 Pleasant Valley Rd
West Bend WI 53095
Kvs612(at)execpc.com

Congratulations
Our congratulations go to Rev. Stephen and Sarah Schmidt on the birth of a son. Jonathan Athanasius Augustine Schmidt was born on July 12.

We also congratulate Rev. Glenn and Maria Smith on the birth of a son. Micah Edward Smith was born on July 10.

Prayer Requests
Please pray for the family of Mark Theiste who recently died while leaving behind a wife and two young children. Mark is the son of Barb and the late Rev. Victor Theiste.

Also we ask that you petition our Lord for Rev. David Thompson’s father who is suffering from a serious illness.

Address Changes – save these for also updating your 2005 Synod Report!
Rev. Gregory Haugen
8482 Liberty School Road
Omro WI 54963
920-685-0319
gregjhaugen(at)yahoo.com

Rev. Ernest Geistfeld
507-386-1598

Mr. Michael Butterfield
mbutterfield(at)LSAELS.org

Rev. Robert Lawson, Sr.
rlawson(at)arvig.net

Synod Finances
Through June, the synod has received $353,055.58. This is $29,444.42 behind meeting the budget.

President’s Activities
August 2—Board for Stewardship
August 4-5—Thoughts of Faith
August 8-9—Board of Regents
August 9-10—Board of Trustees
August 11-12—Board for Foreign Missions
August 21—Board for Publications
August 22-23—Doctrine Committee
September 8-15––Riga, Latvia and Plzen, Czech Republic
September 16—Doctrine Committee and WELS CICR
September 21—Presidium’s Committee on Ministry
September 22-23—Circuit Visitors’ Conference


May our gracious Heavenly Father fill you with the abundance of his mercy in Christ.

John A. Moldstad