Dear Fellow Workers:
Have you experienced the need for being refreshed by a good, solid, healthy meal? Bodily nourishment can give us a boost of energy to carry on with certain physical activities. Think of the real boost we receive through the great Meal that our Lord has provided for our spiritual needs. The Lenten season in particular is a good time for us to focus on the tremendous blessings our Lord Jesus places into his holy supper as he gives us his true body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. In the Large Catechism of Dr. Luther we read: "We often grow faint and weary and sometimes even stumble as the devil and the world confront us with their many obstacles and temptations. This is why the Lord's Supper is given us for daily food and sustenance to refresh and strengthen us, so that our faith may not become weary in battle but go from strength to strength." May we draw revitalizing energy from the Table where we have the very same body that went to the cross for our redemption distributed to our mouths as life-giving food for our souls.

ELS Bright Spots
In February, Peace Lutheran Church in Kissimmee, Florida, broke ground for a church/school addition on February 4, 2007. From preschool and kindergarten the school at Peace now has expanded to 1st grade. Barbara Huhnerkock, wife of Pastor Herb Huhnerkoch, serves as the teacher.

Steve Brodhead is the newest communicant member of St. Timothy in Lombard, IL. On Sunday, March 4, he was received into membership by Pastor Ed Bryant and welcomed at a reception following the service.

Lutheran Schools of America (LSA)
Recently the Board for Lutheran Schools of America met and approved a request for the disbursing about $12,000 for the school at Peace Lutheran in Kissimmee, FL. The board also is making plans for an LSA curriculum workshop and special funds are being sought for this purpose. We urge all in our synod to pray for the vital work of Lutheran Schools of America and to consider special gifts to be made to the "For You and Your Children" offering. Please contact
Mr. Michael Butterfield (708-466-8391) for more information on LSA. You may also wish to visit the LSA website at: www.lsaels.org

Home Missions
- Our ELS Board for Home Missions continues to work with the mission congregation at Rogers, MN, to help the newly formed Redeeming Grace Lutheran prepare for a building project this year.
- Also, at Farmington, MN, Vicar Dan Oberer continues to develop a prospect list for Hope Lutheran, our synod’s 2007 exploratory mission. There has been much promotion lately for a Bible Class being offered for the community in the month of April. If you know of people who may be interested, please contact Dan (952-898-9695).

Some of the plans for the 2007 Convention
Dates: June 17-21
Theme: "Declare His Praises!"
Essayist: Rev. Erwin Ekhoff
Sectional discussions: organized by our Board for Evangelism; Rev. Matt Crick, chm.
Chaplain: Rev. Timothy Hartwig
Preacher for Synod Sunday: Rev. Robert Harting
Convention painting: Rev. Don Moldstad
Convention offering designations:
    Synod Sunday Service - offering for the Evangelical Lutheran Synod
    Seminary Graduation Service  - offering for our Bethany Lutheran Seminary
    Wednesday Communion Service - offering for the Board for Evangelism

News from BLC:
- We are pleased to note that our synod’s Bethany College received full approval as a teacher training institution in Minnesota (K-8) for the next seven years. Bethany expects to have ten elementary education graduates this year.
- On March 2, Prof. Adrian Lo and the Bethany Band began a tour of the Midwest during the time of spring break.

Book of Reports and Memorials
Remember that the deadline for all items to be published in the 2007 Book of Reports and Memorials is April 1. Reports should be sent to the secretary of the synod, Rev. Craig Ferkenstad.

Ukraine
Rev. John Vogt, who serves as rector at St. Sophia Seminary, reports that through English classes being offered in the cities of Ternopil and Lutsk contacts are being made for having new attendees at worship services. Many in the classes are teachers, doctors, or university students.

Withdrawal from membership
At a special voters meeting in the month of February, Faith Lutheran Church of Litchfield, Illinois, and its pastor, Rev. Stephen Schmidt, voted unanimously to suspend fellowship with the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. The stated reason for their decision to leave the membership of the ELS is because of serious disagreement with the synodically adopted "Public Ministry of the Word" document. The congregation has charged that the statement contains false doctrine.

Responding to Questions on the Ossuary Documentary
Professor E. Teigen has drawn our attention to two interesting articles that may be of use for pastors in Bible classes. Teigen writes:

Many are now aware of the claims made in the documentary "The Last Tomb of Jesus," and certainly, many questions may be asked by lay people in our congregations. Two responses to "The Last Tomb of Jesus" have been made available on the website of the LCMS.

The responses are by Dr. Paul L. Maier, well-known church historian and Second Vice President of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod and Dr. Jeffrey Kloha, Assistant Professor of Exegetical Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO. Dr. Maier's response can be found on the LCMS website, www.lcms.org. Dr. Kloha's response can be found on the Concordia Seminary faculty website, www.concordiatheology.org or the Concordia Seminary website, www.csl.edu.

Dr. Maier's response is brief and will be understood most easily by lay-people. Dr. Maier is already well known for his popular histories and his historical novels dealing with early Christianity.

Dr. Kloha's response is longer, but contains a more detailed analysis and refutation of the "Lost Tomb" claims.

Seminary Retreat

President Gaylin and Rebecca Schmeling conducted a Seminary Retreat in Minneapolis on February 16-17, 2007. President John and Joslyn Moldstad gave a presentation entitled "The Pastor and His Children" and Dr. William and Lynne Kessel gave a presentation on "Crisis in the Christian Marriage." This retreat was made possible through a special grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. The purpose of this seminar was to strengthen our students' family relations and prepare the students and their families for life in the parsonage.

Candidates of Theology
We are anticipating this year that four men will be ready for Call Day when pastoral assignments are given in May. Congregations should make known their requests for either candidates or vicars to the synod’s Assignment Committee by the date of April 15.

Budget for 2007
Due to a shortfall in congregational contributions in 2006, the Board of Trustees felt the need to adjust the previously adopted 2007 budget. The budget now has been reduced to $735,000; the original figure was set at $788,900. (The Trustees chose the $735,000 amount, since this is the average of the past two years of contributions.) Members of the standing boards should take note of how the across-the-board percentage reduction affects the planning of projects. Our synod treasurer informs us that congregational giving so far for the first two months of 2007 show giving that is ahead of 2006 giving by about $27,000.

Note from our new Giving Counselor, Rev. Dan Basel
If you're looking for the most tax-effective way to give to your church or synod, consider using your individual retirement account (IRA). You can name the ELS as beneficiary of your IRA or, under the Pension Protection Act of 2006, if you are 70 1⁄2 or older you may make a gift to a qualified charitable organization like the ELS using funds transferred directly from your IRAs. Furthermore, you will not have to pay taxes on the amounts transferred and the amount counts toward your minimum required distribution. You can transfer any amount you desire up to $100,000 on or before Dec. 31, 2007.
 
If you would like assistance in completing a gift from your IRA or obtaining the necessary forms from your IRA administrator, please contact the ELS Giving Counselor at 507-344-7311. Or you can write or send an e-mail to danbasel(at)blc.edu to request information on how to make your gift to the ELS mission of your choice.

Resignations
- Rev. Chuck Howley has resigned for personal reasons from the clergy roster of our synod.
- Mr. Greg Griffin has resigned from the Board of Trustees. We are thankful for his many years of faithful service on the board. The vacated position will wait until convention to be filled.

Direct to your email box
Would you like to receive the monthly President’s Newsletter directly? Please go to our ELS website (evangelicallutheransynod.org), then under "Navigation" on the left-hand side go to "President’s Office." Under "Our Newsletter" on the right-hand side place your email address and then click the subscribe button. A note will be sent to you, and then you simply respond with the reply button that acknowledges your email address to be the correct one.

President’s Activities
March 2 - CELC Planning Committee
March 4 - Preach at St. Timothy, Lombard, IL
March 5 - Synod Review Committee
March 11 - Preach at River Heights, East Grand Forks, MN
March 12 - Colloquy for Rev. Thomas Zeller (also on March 20)
March 15 - Thoughts of Faith special meeting in Mankato, MN
March 19-20 - Doctrine Committee
March 26 - Planning & Coordinating Committee
March 27-April 5 - trip to our mission in South Korea
April 12-13 - Thoughts of Faith, Madison, WI
April 22 - Preach at Saude and Jerico, Lawler, IA
April 23 - Iowa Pastoral Conference
April 24-25 - Board for Evangelism
April 24-25 - Great Lakes Conference
April 25 - Board for Foreign Missions

Let us pray that God grants all of us - pastors, teachers, missionaries and all the members of our congregations - the renewed zeal to share the powerful good news of our Savior with people in our vicinities who do not know the meaning behind the Passion history that we are pondering at this time in our church services.

In Christ’s grace,

John A. Moldstad