December 2006

Dear Fellow Workers:
May the season of Advent fill us with joy as we ponder the three-fold coming of our Lord: his arrival as the Bethlehem infant to work out our salvation, his continued coming into our hearts today through Word and Sacrament, and his anticipated glorious return. 

Once again we are providing you with a brief update of current activities in our beloved synod.  Please keep our Evangelical Lutheran Synod in your daily prayers as we ask the Lord to use our church body to further the message of the advent of God’s Son so that many more souls may be prepared by faith for the awesome day that is sure to come.

ELS Bright Spots
It is estimated that 540 people were in attendance at the Martin Luther School in Plzen, Czech Republic, on November 5, 2006.  This was the Sunday when the Czech mission celebrated its 15th anniversary.  Members of the Board of Directors for Thoughts of Faith were on hand, as well as guests from our sister church body in Germany, the ELFK.

Pastor Erich Hoeft reports that nine new members recently have joined our synod’s Faith Lutheran congregation in Clara City, MN.

Plans are under way for the biennial Home Missions Seminar. The seminar is scheduled for the last week in January in Orlando, Florida. The seminar will be funded by a grant from Thrivent.

We now have a new ESL teacher in Chile. Her name is Rachel Myers. Rachel has been a student at Martin Luther College.

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Morrison from Our Redeemer in Yelm, WA, will be traveling to Korea soon. They will be serving as teachers in the English program at our East Seoul Canaan Lutheran Church in Seoul, Korea. The plan is for the Morrisons to serve from December through August 2007.

New Face on Bethany Campus

Indian Seminary Student
Mr. Kalyan Kumar Gollapalli, also of Hyderabad, India, is planning to attend our Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary beginning the second semester. It is possible that another man from our sister church, the Lutheran Mission of Salvation-India (LMSI), will accompany him, pending successful visa application.

Vacation Bible School in Ukraine
The Ukraine VBS program will run from June 26th to July 15th of 2007. There are already about 17 ELS youth and adults wanting to go. Any individual who would like to participate in this program should contact Chaplain Don Moldstad at Bethany Lutheran College.

Redeemer Lutheran in Iola, WI, is served by Pastor Roger Holtz.  Redeemer was organized in 1973.  In 1988 two portable school units were purchased, moved to the present site and then adapted for worship services.

Pastor Roger Holtz and his wife, Kim, live in Kaukana, WI, near Green Bay. Roger travels each Sunday to Iola, WI, for the 9 a.m. church services.

Note from our Treasurer
As of the end of October, congregational receipts have totaled $493,955. This is $59,400 less than last year at this time. Let us pray that God would move the hearts of our people to respond to our synodical needs and enable us to meet our $790,000 adopted 2006 budget.

Appointment
Rev. Charles Keeler will be serving as Circuit Visitor of Circuit 1 until the election of a new visitor at the 2007 Synod Convention. Rev. Herb Huhnerkoch has been appointed to serve as alternate visitor.

Resignation
Rev. Matthew Thompson has resigned his pastorate at Christ Lutheran Church, Windsor, CA, and has resigned from the clergy roster of the ELS. Rev. Thompson has requested reinstatement in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

Pastors Providing Interim Assistance
Rev. Arlen Dethlefsen, who retired earlier this year and moved to CA, has graciously agreed to provide pastoral service to Christ Lutheran in Windsor, CA, for an interim period. 

Also, Rev. Mark Wold, has accepted an interim call to serve as pastoral assistant at Peace Lutheran in Kissimmee, FL.

Prayer Requests
We offer our prayers of thanksgiving upon the birth of a healthy son to Rev. Cory and Julie Hahnke. Caleb Roland Hahnke was born Nov. 16, 2006, at 7 lbs., 5 oz. and 18.5 inches long.

We also give thanks for the birth of a daugher to Rev. Matthew and Rebecca Brooks. Elizabeth Louise was born on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2006.

Address Changes
Rev. Nile Merseth: nile.merseth(at)yahoo.com

President’s Activities
December 1 - CELC Planning Committee
December 3 - Preach in Clara City, MN
December 7-8 - Thoughts of Faith
December 12 - Doctrine Committee
January 14 – Preach for Mission Sunday in Luverne, MN
January 28 - Preach in Sebring, FL
January 29-February 2 - Home Mission Seminar


In the blessings of our Lord’s advent,

John A. Moldstad