Dear Fellow Workers:
Has a deposit been made for 2008? Banking is one thing, but a deposit on life and for life is another. God tells each of us as his believers that he has put down a deposit guaranteeing security. It is an unusual but eminently valuable deposit–the gift of his Holy Spirit! This kind of deposit brings with it the guarantee of life everlasting in heaven, since the Spirit works within our hearts the necessary faith in our Savior Jesus Christ. “Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13, 14). Again, we read: “Now it is God who made us for this very purpose [i.e., that we mortals might go to the heavenly dwelling] and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 5:5). As we go into this new calendar year, let us thank God that he has made a tremendous deposit for each of us. May we enjoy the life it brings as this superior surety spurs us on to sanctified service for our Savior.

Strategizing for Home Missions
On January 4, 2008, some members from the Board for Home Missions and others gathered to consider options in the planning of future mission starts for our synod. The high financial costs associated with establishing home missions (purchase of land, building, and operational subsidy) make it imperative for the board to look at various alternatives in developing its home mission policies. If any have ideas to share, we urge you to contact Rev. Rodney Flohr (comchap(at)aol.com), who serves as secretary for the BHM.

Farmington, MN, Outreach
Our synod is conducting worship services each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. at the Farmington Elementary School (500 Maple Street). Pastor Dan Oberer serves as the pastor of Hope Lutheran Church. Names of evangelism prospects in the area may be forwarded to Dan at 651-463-1055. Please see the map below for directions.

 

Preschool dedication
Grace Lutheran Church in Vero Beach, FL, dedicated its new preschool building on Sunday, January 6, 2008. The building is located on the same property as the sanctuary but is separate from it and is situated to the east. Rev. Matthew Luttman, who serves as the pastor of our Vero Beach congregation, writes:

January 7 was a banner day for Gracie’s Preschool, which is operated by Grace Lutheran Church, Vero Beach, FL.  The preschool opened in a new building that was completed and certified for occupancy late in December.  The building project took nine months to complete, although it was in the planning stages for several years.  The congregation is very thankful to God that the cost of the building was paid in full, so the church is not burdened with mortgage payments. 

Gracie’s Preschool opened in the fall of 2006 in the fellowship hall of Grace Lutheran Church.  Mrs. Ann Holmes, a long time member of the congregation, is the Director and Teacher.  During the first year of operation the preschool was licensed by a private school association.  State licensure was achieved in November of 2007.  The enrollment at the end of the first year was 7 students.  The enrollment for the 2007-2008 school year currently is 6. 

For information about Gracie’s Preschool see the Grace Lutheran website at www.gracelutheranvb.org or contact Ann Holmes at gracevbpreschool(at)bellsouth.net.

      

Seminary Training in India
Prof. Michael Smith of our Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary is currently in Hyderabad, India, where he is teaching a course in New Testament studies to twenty-plus seminarians. Rev. Paul Fries from the Board for Foreign Missions and Rev. Steven Petersen, our ELS Missions Counselor, are also serving as instructors at the LMSI Seminary as they jointly present Lutheran doctrine on the basis of Dr. F. Pieper’s Christian Dogmatics. We ask the Lord to bless them and their important work.

Thoughts of Faith
In accord with action from the 2007 convention, the appointed Exploration Committee continued its study of bringing the church-related organization of TOF directly under the synod. At its November meeting, the ad hoc committee unanimously approved the following to send to the 2008 convention: “Resolved, that this committee, after thorough discussion, recommends that Thoughts of Faith be brought under the direct auspices of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod and that this resolution be brought back to the 2008 convention.” A full report from the special committee will appear in the Book of Reports and Memorials (BORAM) for this year’s convention. On December 7, 2007, the Board of Directors for Thoughts of Faith, Inc., passed its own resolution supporting the recommendation of the study committee.

Weddings and Baptisms in Peru
Eleven couples from three Chayahuita villages in the Amazona region participated in a mass wedding service on December 16 in Parinari. The couples had been married according to tribal customs either years or months before. However, the couples also wanted to be married in the church, exchanging their vows before God and their brothers and sisters in the faith. After the wedding ceremony Missionary Terry Schultz and Evangelist Tangoa officiated at seven baptisms.
 
Baptisms also at Jesus Redentor (Redeemer) Lutheran School
On December 8, 2007, eight baptisms occurred at an evening service in Ano Nuevo. This certainly testifies to the importance of our operating Lutheran elementary schools in the Lima area. Let us continually pray that God the Holy Spirit uses our schools to reach lost sinners with the saving Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Synod Offerings
Treasurer Keith Wiederhoeft indicates that January 9, 2008, will be the cut-off date for congregational treasurers submitting synod offerings for this past year of 2007. Offerings received after this date will be credited toward 2008. Online submissions can be made through use of our synod webpage (evangelicallutheransynod.org).

Clergy Transfer
Pastor Wayne Borgwardt has accepted a call to serve Holy Scripture (WELS) in Red Deer, Alberta. His clergy membership is therefore being transferred to our sister synod. Wayne will continue serving Thoughts of Faith, but now as a newly elected member of the Board of Directors. We wish God’s blessing on the Borgwardts as Wayne takes up his new pastoral charge in Canada.

Prayers
Please keep the Humphrey family in your prayers. A long-time worker for the Board for Publications, Leighton Humphrey, died in December. Leighton served as the business manager for the Lutheran Sentinel over a twenty-year period or so. In working with the mailing lists, etc., he enjoyed serving his Lord and his church.

Our prayers also go with Joe and Peg Moll, members of Faith in Oregon, WI, and faithful supporters of our synod. Peg has been receiving treatments for brain tumors.

In Circuit #3 pastors and people have been praying for a woman from our Hillman, MI, congregation, Heidi MacNeill. On Christmas morning, Heidi, wife of Brett MacNeill, whose infant son was Pastor Dale Jaech's first baptism at Faith Lutheran, Hillman, suffered a cardiac arrest due to a blood clot and collapsed. Emergency treatment was rapid, but she has been in critical condition in Alpena General hospital, Michigan. We ask God’s blessings upon the MacNeill family.

Christmas in Plzen
Pictured here are children from grades K through 2 at their service (evening) on Dec. 16. They are holding candles at the end of the service and singing the closing hymn. The words of the hymn (in English translation) are: Christ the Lord is born/ Let us rejoice/ For us a beautiful flower has blossomed/Let us break forth in joyful song/He will live a sinless life/ He comes from the royal line/ For us, for us He was born.

New email address
Rev. Larry Vinton: PastorVinton(at)gmail.com

President’s Activities
January 4 - Board for Home Missions strategy session
January 11-12 - Board for Parish Education and Youth, Apple Valley, MN
January 14 - Circuit #9 Winkel at Mount Olive, Mankato, MN
January 16 - Meeting with ad hoc committee, KOG, Golden Valley, MN
January 17 - Synod Review Committee
January 18 - Regents/Trustees Subcommittee at BLC
January 20 - preach at Heritage in Apple Valley, MN
January 28-29 - Board for Foreign Missions
February 3 - preach at the Northwood, IA, parish
February 4 - Board for Stewardship
February 11 - Board for Home Missions at Rogers, MN
February 11-12 - Board of Regents
February 12 - Board of Trustees
February 13 - TOF Exploration Committee
February 13 - Synod Review Committee

May God’s blessings in Christ our Savior go with each of you in this new calendar year.

John A. Moldstad