Mission Update

Rev. Peter Kelm, Missions Executive

South Wisconsin District

Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.
You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

(Psalm 32:6-7)

LWML SWD Convention

Meets June 24-25, 2016 at the Madison Marriott West

LCMS National Convention

Use this link to get all the updates regarding the LCMS National Convention that will take place July 9-14

at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee!

RSTM National Conference

Read all about this Rural & Small Town national conference taking place in Wichita, KS, November 1-3, 2016.

June 2016

Urban Realities

The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod is primarily a suburban and rural church body. We're also 95% white. We've failed to gain much traction in urban ministry in the last few decades.

Of course, this was not always the case.

Many of you know that we used to have very large urban congregations, especially in the upper Midwest cities of Milwaukee, Detroit, Chicago, and St. Louis. Our own Concordia was in the city, too. But times have changed. As German Lutherans moved out of the city, the churches and schools went with them. Those who remained in the city struggled to reach the African American, Hispanic, and other immigrant groups that moved in.

None of this is news to you.

The question is, does it matter? Should we continue to focus on our suburban and rural ministries and cede our cities to other denominations and religious groups? I don't think so, and there are a growing number of people in our Synod who don't think so either. And I'm grateful to God for that.

Consider this: in the last dozen years, all of our congregations in Milwaukee that are primarily white have declined, and some have closed. In fact, in a statistical study of those churches I found a 50% decrease in worship attendance in those 12 years (2002-2014).

More

Thanks to our many LCMS Convention Volunteers!

We are very, very close to having all of our Volunteer slots filled! But there is still room for more help. Some of our Volunteers have had changes made to their schedules and have had to drop out. Some have switched days. It's a "work in progress."

We still have need of ushers for the opening worship service on Saturday, July 9, and also pages for July 10-14. Some spots have opened up for Hospitality/Welcoming, and we could still use extras to welcome attendees who are flying in to Mitchel International Field. Please go to our Online Volunteer Signup to see the open time slots remaining and sign up there.

Please call the District office, 414-464-8100, if you have any questions.

YOUR turn to be the missionaries!

Please share this with M.D.s, P.A.s and R.N.s whom you know or are members of your congregation!

Many of you have been on a short term mission trip of one kind or another. Some such trips are to assist areas that have been devastated by hurricanes, tsunamis and the like. Others are intended to build relationships through the teaching of English, or to build safer housing, or even to build a chapel. And some bring medical teams along to areas of our world that do not have access to basic health care. All of them, especially those initiated by an LCMS organization such as MOST Ministries, are motivated by our desire to share the love of God, Who in mercy sent the His Son, our Savior, to our broken world.

At the encouragement of Carol Claybaker, a District member who has gone on many medical mission trips, we are very interested in putting a medical mission team together through MOST Ministries. If you are at all interested-no commitment needed right now-in joining such a mission team to leave next spring or possibly fall, and likely going to Guatemala, please read further, and let us know ASAP!

Read more about this opportunity!

On a personal note...

Many of you have heard that I recently accepted the call to serve First Immanuel Lutheran Church in Cedarburg as Associate Pastor. I have enjoyed my time here at the District immensely. I look forward to seeing what God has in mind for the next leader in our District in this area. I'll be making my transition back to the parish in early July.

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