September 2004

The President’s visit I was surprised by the negative tone of the letter in the August Reporter regarding the visit of President Bush to Concordia University Wisconsin’s commencement.  As one who was there (and very proud of my alma mater for…

Gift reflects soldier's love for children

By Kim Plummer Krull Pvt. Michelle Witmer died in Iraq, but her love for children continues to live through a matching gift to Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services, Inc. “Michelle had a special place in her heart for the disabled orphans in…

Wheat Ridge issues Christmas seals

Wheat Ridge Ministries is rolling out nine seal designs from the past for its 2004 Christmas seals. Getting set to mark its 100th anniversay next year, Wheat Ridge has offered seals and received donations from those using them since 1911.…

Preus criticizes resolutions but urges restraint

By David L. Mahsman Rev. Daniel Preus says that he believes some resolutions adopted by this year’s Synod convention “represent a serious change from our historic LCMS polity, others a disenfranchising of God’s people in the matter of their right to…

Lutheran Youth Fellowship chooses board

Young people from congregations with groups at this year’s LCMS youth gathering elected a new five-member executive board for Lutheran Youth Fellowship (LYF), the Synod’s youth organization, when they met as the LYF delegate assembly July 24 at the Rosen…

Endowment to aid sem students

Students at the Synod’s two seminaries will benefit from a new endowment fund established by the late Ella Pelz of Wilmette, Ill., who was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Evanston, Ill. Paul Geidel of the LCMS Foundation, which is…

Sem adds discussion board to lectionary Web resource

“Lectionary at Lunch,” a Web resource from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, that provides audio files to help pastors prepare sermons, offers a new discussion-group feature.  At www.csl.edu/lection.htm, pastors can hear seminary faculty members translating the Old Testament and Gospel lessons…

Kids play, recall storms during `hope` camp

When 11 children arrived at Carol Joy Holling Camp near Ashland, Neb., for a July 17-18 weekend just for them, they had one thing in common — they all rode out the F-4 tornadoes that hit a 52-mile swath of southeast…

`What a Way` initiative awards scholarships, launches Web site

The Synod’s “What a Way” initiative officially got under way this summer by awarding 24 scholarships and continuing-education certificates to Concordia University System schools and announcing its new Web site.   “We felt that the best thing we could do…

Aug. 2 storm inflicts damage at `island` camp

Strong winds in a pre-dawn Aug. 2 storm toppled scores of trees at Lutheran Island Camp in Minnesota — damaging buildings and vehicles, but inflicting no injury on campers, according to Rev. Tim Vaughan, the camp’s program director. Vaughan said that…

Wheat Ridge announces medical-mission service

Wheat Ridge Ministries is offering a new service to connect short-term medical-mission volunteers with Lutheran and Lutheran-related agencies and congregations.  Dr. Les Schmidt of Kansas City, Mo., has been named coordinator of the new program, known as the Short-Term Medical…

Campus-ministry group wants to link colleges, congregations

Note to outreach-minded congregations:  If you’re near a college or university campus, a huge mission field is right in your own backyard. That’s the message of the Lutheran Campus Mission Association (LCMA), a newly formed LCMS mission society that has signed…

Bjarne Wollan Teigen dies; rep to talks with LCMS

Dr. Bjarne Wollan Teigen, former president of Bethany College, Mankato, Minn., and a principal in doctrinal discussions between the Missouri Synod and his church body — the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) — died July 10 of congestive heart failure at…

Wheat Ridge honors 21 youth

Wheat Ridge Ministries of Itasca, Ill., awarded its Youth Health and Hope Award to 21 young people who are members of Synod congregations at a July 26 luncheon during the National LCMS Youth Gathering in Orlando, Fla.  They are Heather…

Seminaries set fall visits

Both Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod seminaries are inviting men who are at least college age and interested in the pastoral ministry to campus-visit weekends, as they have done in past years. The “Prayerfully Consider Visit” at Concordia Theological Seminary is Sept. 23-25;…

Mequon to host health conference

“Ethical Conflicts in Health Care: The Christian Response” will be the focus of the 10th Annual Parish Nurse and Congregational Health Fall Conference, to be held Oct. 15 at Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon. In his keynote address, Dr. John Saleska,…