NLSA captain and consultant training
Feb. 17, 2012 • District office, Milwaukee

Presenter: Terry Schmidt

This training can be helpful for schools seeking accreditation or schools that are already accredited. It pertains to all levels (preschool, elementary and high school). Anyone involved in leading a school accreditation process, or serving as a captain, consultant or team member would benefit through their participation.

Teaching the faith workshops
Spring 2012

Dates have been set for the Teaching the Faith workshops for early childhood teachers.

Road to Emmaus, written and produced by an LCMS filmmaker, is back by popular request this year, at the greatly reduced price of $150 for a case of 100 DVDs (that’s just $1.50 each). This acclaimed Easter film offers a dynamic new opportunity to reach people with the story of Jesus, especially during the season of Lent and Easter.

Ordering information

"Sharing Christ with All Cultures" is the theme for the multi-cultural LWML Heart to Heart Sisters event to be held at Oklahoma Ave. Lutheran Church in Milwaukee on Saturday, April 14 from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Poster 

We invite you to be with us on March 15 for another special SWD mission celebration and fund raising event, this time at The Cannery Grill, 315 E. Linnerud Dr., Sun Prairie, WI 53590. As you enjoy the evening of fellowship in this historic location, you will also be sampling some of the Cannery’s entrées and learning about pairing food with various wines and beers. But the best part is that you will be supporting our District missions!

Brochure 

The SWD Parish Nurse meeting will be held February 21, 2012 (snow date February 28) from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at St. Mark Lutheran Church, 1019 North 7th Street, Sheboygan, WI. The speaker will be Mai from Safe Harbor, a women's shelter in Sheboygan. She will give a presentation on domestic abuse and what we as parish nurses can do in those situations.

RSVP to Carolyn Eiden at deiden@excel.net or phone 920-457-8627 or 920-980-1382.

Becky King (left) studies with Deloris Erlandson, member of Our Savior Deaf, Madison.

Becky King is deaf. It is difficult for people who can hear to really understand what it is like to be completely deaf. Even reading is a challenge. English is a language of words; sign language is a language of pictures. For Becky, a Christian, it is difficult to read and understand the concepts of the Bible and theological words like “justification”, “righteousness” or “sanctification.” They are meaningful words, but are terrible to sign! But that was not the only challenge in Becky’s life.

Feb. 25, 2012
Divine Redeemer, Hartland

The “Passionate Leaders" conference is for pastors, principals, teachers and leaders of our congregations and schools. The day will provide learning and interaction with Synod representatives, District staff, and other mission leaders. You will gain many resources throughout the conference to "Multiply, Magnify, and Maximize" your ministries! 

Cost is $25 per person or $75 per "church." Fee includes presenters, materials and lunch.

Brochure • Register online

The annual "Accelerated Reader" (AR) challenge is set to begin on Jan. 30, 2012. Any elementary LCMS school in the United States and Canada that is presently using the Accelerated Reader program may enter the contest. All students must be independent readers.

The purpose of this challenge is to provide an incentive and motivation for children at Lutheran schools to read more, get smarter and have fun. Reading for this contest can occur anywhere the children are – at home, at school, in the car, etc. All reporting of points will be done by each school’s coordinator via the AR challenge website.

On Dec. 11, 2011, a bilingual worship service was held at Oklahoma Avenue Lutheran Church (OALC) in Milwaukee. It was a multi-congregational worship service organized by OALC and Primera Iglesia of Racine, also known as Santa Cruz Lutheran Church (SCLC). The service was designed to celebrate the true unity of two different languages and cultures as made possible only by the common miracle of salvation as it arrived in the Christ child so long ago.

Live Loud Leadership
Learn how to become a Leader in Christ and Live Loud in every area of your life!

March 16-18 2012
Camp Luther in Three Lakes, WI

November 6, 2011, was a red-letter day not only for Vicar Dennis Harmon and Emmaus Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, but also for the South Wisconsin District. On that day Harmon was ordained under the conditions of the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, and installed as Emmaus’ pastor. This was the first such ordination/installation in our District since the SMP program was begun.

Rev. Kasongo Gui Kabeo returned home on Nov. 16 from a missionary trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “Everything will be fine,” he assured us over and over again before he left a month earlier. “It is God’s will that I go!” But this was no easy trip to make for a man who had left his Congolese homeland for political safety about ten years ago. Those who helped him plan his trip worried for his protection while there, and prayed for an uneventful and a safe return to his home in the U.S. Of course Pastor Gui was right, and God was with him all the way!

You can click here to see a slide presentation of Pastor Gui's mission trip to the DRC!

Brian and Jeanette Keller stand with SWD Pres. John Wille outside the newly dedicated church at Las Americas in the Dominican Republic.

The first Lutheran sanctuary in Las Americas, just east of the capital city, Santo Domingo, was dedicated on October 9, 2011. The service began outside of the church on the back piece of the property where the congregation had previously held their services under a little tarp tent for the past two years. “Give thanks with us to God the Father, in Jesus’ Name,” says Pastor Ted Krey, “that His holy ministry goes forth, and that our Lord is with us in this place!”

Bible Bowl 2012
St. Mark Lutheran Church, Wausau

Join the fun at Bible Bowl 2012 on March 31. The competition will include questions based on Exodus using NIV translation.

KINDLE servant leader workshop
Feb. 11, 2012
8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Brookfield

Participants will:

• understand better the concept of servant leadership
• continue growing to be a more effective servant leader
• assess strengths in one's leadership of groups
• challenge growth in a selected area of leadership, resulting in strengthened group leading skills

Certification in Lutheran early childhood teaching
February 4, 2012 and March 3, 2012
9 am - 3 pm

This certification will:

• provide early childhood professionals with a foundation of Lutheran thought and teaching
• introduce early childhood professionals to the mission and ministry of early childhood education in the church
• assist early childhood professionals in supporting the faith life of young children

Grace Place has  taken 4500 LCMS pastors, teachers, and spouses through an integrated health program, encouraging body, mind, spiritual and financial well-being. All retreats are heavily underwritten, making participation affordable to all. Retreats run Monday afternoon through Friday at noon.

1. Grace Place in Ohio: April 30-May 4, 2012. Salt Fork State Lodge and Conference Center, Cambridge, Ohio.
2. Grace Place for Single Clergy and Church Workers: June 18-22, 2012. Stonebridge Inn, Snowmass, Colo.
3. Grace Place in the Rockies for Pastors and Wives: June 25-29, 2012. Stonebridge Inn, Snowmass, Colo.
4. Grace Place in Michigan for Pastors, Teachers, Spouses: July 23-27, 2012. Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Falls, Mich.
5. Grace Place in Indiana for Pastors, Teachers, Spouses: July 30-Aug. 3, 2012. Swan Lake Resort, Plymouth, Ind

DOXOLOGY: The Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care and Counsel, is a LCMS RSO offering training in advanced skills for pastoral care. This continuing education experience draws from the insights of contemporary Christian psychology as well as the longer heritage of the cure of souls. Doxology’s advisory board includes recognized Lutheran leaders from five church bodies and three continents. Executive directors are Dr. Harold Senkbeil (experienced parish pastor and seminary professor) and Dr. Beverly Yahnke (professor of psychology, Concordia University Wisconsin).

The program includes ten days of intensive instruction and peer learning spread over three separate events held in conference retreat settings: 1) The Gathering (pastors only); 2) The Encore (pastors and lay leaders); and, 3) The Grand Reunion (pastors and wives). Each enrolled pastor is eligible to receive up to five hours of individual consultation/mentoring for his personal or professional growth.

Ramona	Ramona	Junior
Stefani	Moises	Randy

What beautiful faces! These are the children living in our Dominican Republic group home! All of these developmentally challenged kids have grown and changed so much since they came to live in the group home early this year. Living as family with Christian caregivers, actively participating in a community, and becoming part of the Body of Christ has been life changing for these 6 children. We would love to give you the opportunity to get to know them better and to help them continue to grow and prosper in their new life.

In an episode of the well-known TV show Seinfeld, the three friends spontaneously decide one day that they want to be volunteers. One of the volunteers went to visit an elderly lady with a goiter; the other two friends went to visit a couple of elderly gentlemen. None of them gave a great deal of thought or planning as to what their responsibilities would be a volunteers. What would be the needs of those they would be visiting, and would they be able to provide the services? It is much the same situation with people wanting to respond to a disaster.

After great response to last year's stewardship learning communities (SLC), the South Wisconsin District is again offering SLCs, beginning Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011.

The theme for this year’s workshops is, “Feeding the Passion of the Believer.” Each workshop will be lead by a different presenter that will focus on a particular step in the ongoing journey of discipleship.

Since June 2010, the FCC prohibits wireless microphones in the 700 MHz band. That band is reserved for “public safety” use, such as police, fire, and emergency services.

Is your church legal? There is one area that your church operations may not be legal, and your church may not be aware of the reason. It has to do with modern technology. These days, many  churches use wireless microphones throughout their facilities for the spoken word and for musical presentation. Think of wireless microphones as miniature radio stations, with a transmitter and a receiver.

Will you or someone in your congregation be receiving care at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.? Trinity Lutheran Church in Rochester offers their TLCare ministry to out of town medical guests. They strive to serve people in many ways such as prayer support, a homemade meal, a visit from one of our caring members, free parking in their lot, a comfortable place to go between appointments and more. An apartment (no cost) within walking distance of the Mayo Clinic is also available on a first-come, first-served basis for LCMS congregation members. For further information, please contact Jennifer at  (507) 292-0439 or Pastor Otte at (507) 289-1531.