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Passionate Believers....Confessing Christ
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Dear friends and members of SWD:
What were the words of the angels who appear to the shepherds? "Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."
What a precious Gift our God has given us! It is a gift planned from eternity. Long before the first day dawned, the Psalmist tells us how it came to be: "I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, You are my Son; today I have begotten you." (Psalm 2:7). Do we really appreciate what that means for us? Think about it. Before God said, "Let there be light", he knew that Adam and Eve would sin. When the first light dawned, God knew that very soon the darkness of sin would set in. When God the Almighty breathed into the nostrils of that clay form to give life to Adam, God knew that death would quite soon reign in this world. When God planted the two trees at the center of the Garden of Eden, He was fully aware that the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil would be the death of mankind. When He said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply", He knew that Cain would kill his own brother Abel. And God was prepared. Being God, God is always prepared. The promise was pre-determined from eternity. Adam and Eve heard it. "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." That was as close as they got to Christmas. Eventually the gift is given. The Virgin gives birth to a Son. But who is that Son? His identity is debated and doubted to this day. But we know. It's not a fairy tale. It is a matter of saving faith. Because Luther's confession of faith is so perfect and true, here's how he describes it: It is also plainly stated in the articles of the Christian Creed: "I believe in Jesus Christ, God's Son, who was born of the Virgin Mary, etc." How can I grasp this with my reason and believe that He who can span heaven and earth with one hand and is seated at the right hand of God is at the same time lying in a narrow manger and is suckled by the Virgin Mary? How does this harmonize, that Christ is God in heaven and that He is also a small Child resting on Mary's lap? Indeed, I would be a long time trying to reason this out. For there He lies, and yet He never leaves the Father. But just close your eyes, and adhere to the divine Word. With the aid of this Word, in which He declared that He is both God and man, you will soon make it tally. I will let the matter rest there. Then all is harmony; then the fact that this one Person, Christ, is God and man will be harmonized and baked together. Luther's works, vol. 23: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John: Chapters 6-8 We give thanks to our Lord for His grace, for the faith which He has given us to grasp this precious miracle, and for the forgiveness that Christ the Lord purchased for us with His bloody sacrifice! Such even brings a joyful smile during the cold doldrums of January! God Bless! Rev. John C. Wille President, South Wisconsin District-LCMS ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Brothers and sisters our LCMS is firing up work overseas in foreign missions at a nearly unprecedented rate. In these two YouTube video vignettes you get a flavor of why we are so zealous and what we are trying to accomplish. In the second video which is only two minutes long the Kansas District is highlighted for its support of work along the Czech border with Poland. The Word is being proclaimed. Good things are happening. God is blessing. Along with the missionaries whom you support, I thank you for your generosity. If you would like to know how to support a foreign missionary, please give my office a call. We can talk about ways. http://youtu.be/_K5O6pn_A9M
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e5aXrXn62fY&feature=youtu.be
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Mission & Ministry News
Savior of the nations come!  Hispanic ministry end-of-year gifts By the wonder of His grace our God has brought those nations to our own South Wisconsin District: Africans, Asians, Hispanics. Immigrants, refugees, and students. This is our community to embrace. Look at the gifts that our Lord has brought to us: brothers and sisters in Christ from all over the world. This year the South Wisconsin District is lifting up our Hispanic ministry. What an incredible opportunity to reach the hundreds of thousands of Spanish-speaking friends in our District. - We have been blessed by the ministry of Alphonso Prada, a Lutheran pastor from Venezuela who has been serving at St. Martini Lutheran Church and School on the
- south side of Milwaukee. He has tirelessly worked to reach the families that God has brought to that neighborhood.
- Vicar German Novelli, Jr., another young Venezuelan, who will be ordained on December 14, 2014 as pastor of Grace Lutheran, also on the south side of Milwaukee. Thanks be to God this congregation saw the need for a bilingual man to serve the community.
- We also praise God for Pastor Tim Sims and Oklahoma Avenue Lutheran Church as they have recently added a Spanish-language service.
- And Santa Cruz, our long-standing ministry in Racine, has raised up Edmundo Rosales, who is now studying at the Center for Hispanic Studies at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis.
These and future Hispanic ministries could use your support. Please prayerfully consider a gift to support
God's mission work to Hispanic families in South Wisconsin. You are invited to make an end-of-year gift to Hispanic outreach ministry online, by mail to our address given below, or by phone to Barb Slak,
414-464-8100, ext. 13.LCMS Missionary of the Month  | |
Rev. Ted & Rebecca Krey and family
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Rev. Ted and Rebecca Krey serve the Lord based in the Dominican Republic. Ted serves as the regional director for the Latin America and the Caribbean region of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS). In this role, Ted oversees the missionaries and mission projects supported by the LCMS and maintains relationships with partner/sister churches in the region. As a result of what the Lord is doing through the efforts of Tedand this regional mission team, five missions, with four seminarians, are being established; one Dominican pastor and 13 deacons/deaconesses are in training; a school, from kindergarten through seventh grade, was started in 2011; a group home providing care for children with disabilities was established in 2011 (current enrollment is 6 children); and in 2013, a seminary and a group home for adults with disabilities was opened. Please continue to pray for Ted, this mission team and all of these mission projects, that the Lord would bless the preaching and teaching of His Word through each of them. More information about Rev. Krey's ministry.
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Passionate Leaders Conference
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Saturday, January 31, 2015
8:00am - 2:45 pm
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Keynote Speaker: Mike Zimmer, NID Mission Facilitator "For the Healing of the Nations" - Rev. 22:2 Here are a couple of the breakout sessions that will be available: First Amendment, Congregational Marriage Policy, and Confessional Lutheranism: Rev. Dr. John Wille, SWD President While we are guaranteed the rights of free speech and religion in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, those rights are often trampled underfoot by court decisions. We find ourselves in this post-modern, post-Constantinian culture where wrong has become right, where the gross sins formerly scorned by society are now not only accepted but celebrated, and where morality has been replaced by immorality as accepted norm for society. It has been said that we live in an age where everything is permitted and nothing is forgiven. What does this mean for our pastors and our congregations? This is our time to be uniquely Lutheran, to be clear in our confession, to honor or Christ-centered vocations. The WHY of Church Multiplication: Rev. Dr. Peter A. Meier, Executive Director, Center for United States Missions will present on exploring the biblical call to multiply, the urgency of multiplication in our context, and models of church reproduction, all within the context of planting Lutheran churches.  
Once again the conference will be held at:
Divine Redeemer Lutheran Church & School
N48 W31385 Hill Street, Hartland, WI 53029
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Schools Youth & Family
Hearts for Jesus
The recipient for the 2014/2015 Hearts for Jesus is: CPTLN
CPTLN (Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones or "Christ for all nations") is made up of several District congregations, supported by our District and Lutheran Hour Ministries, working together in Hispanic outreach ministry. This ministry supports four congregations from our District: Santa Cruz, Racine; Grace, Milwaukee; Oklahoma Ave, Milwaukee; and St. Martini, Milwaukee. Resource materials are being developed and should be available by the end of December.
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A Special Gift That Keeps on Giving
 As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, there is anticipation and hope. God gave us the greatest gift: His only Son.Often we struggle to find the most appropriate gift to show our love to family and friends. What about giving a gift that continues to give? Consider beginning a Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) investment for your children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews. The investment will grow along with them, while providing funds for Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod churches, schools, universities, child-care centers and other ministries to expand the Kingdom.
Y.I. Club December Interest rate 3.5% Join with the tens of thousands of LCEF investors helping LCMS Lutherans in their vital witness and mercy work among people around the world. Invest with ConnectPLUS today!
3% fixed rate (on first $5,000) and the opportunity to empower LCMS ministries.
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Our Mission:
Empowering life-changing
ministries
of
bold, passionate witness
of the
Gospel
of
Jesus Christ
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 Prayers
Roger Laesch recovering from hip replacement surgery
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For the sick, lonely, and homeless, that they may be blessed this Christmas
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Safety for the men and woman in our Military
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For all those traveling this Christmas
Stay Connected  
And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manager;" And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.
Luke 2:10-14 ESV
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Upcoming Events Around the District
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- January 31, 2015: Passionate Believers Conference - Divine Redeemer, Hartland
- February 6-7, 2015: LWML Winter Getaway (Young Women's Retreat) Racine Marriott
- April 20-22, 2015: Spring Pastors Conference - Holiday Inn, Manitowoc
- June 7-9, 2015: District Convention - Concordia, Mequon
- October 12-14, 2015: Fall Pastors Conference - Stoney Creek Conference Center, Onalaska,
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Pastor Calls and Vacancies
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Calling Congregations
- St. John - Beloit
- Immanuel -Brookfield
- Divine Redeemer - Hartland
- St. Peter - Lebanon
- Hope-Milwaukee
- St. James/St. Paul - Necedah/New Miner
- Good Shepherd - Pleasant Prairie
- St. John - Portage
- Prince of Peace - Racine
- Bethlehem - Sun Prairie
- St. Paul - Union Grove
- Bethlehem - Wales
Temporarily Non-Calling
Pastors Accepting a Call
- James McCoid - Community of Faith, Spring Grove, IL to Community of Life, Oregon
- Patrick Niles - St. Paul, Concordia, MO to Trinity, Rantoul/Hilbert
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Contact Information
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President John C. Wille
414-464-8100
Karen Rayner
414-464-8100
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