Pastor’s Perch
Romans 16:25-26
25 Now to Him who is able to establish you by My Gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey Him.
In a few weeks, you will be celebrating the greatest gift God the Father has given his fallen world. You might get the impression that it was a shock and surprise to hear that Jesus was finally in the world. Perhaps Jesus’ entry into the world was even a bit mysterious. However, God had given his people plenty of clues to the mystery.
Immediately after the first sin, God promised Adam and Eve that “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel.” (Genesis 3:15) God gave a clue to be on the lookout for a child from the seed of a woman. Normally, children come from the seed of a man, but not so with this special child. Later, God would clear up the clue, “Therefore the Lord himself will give a sign for all of you. Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and name him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) God even told his people where the virgin would give birth to the one who would crush the serpent’s head. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, from you will go out the one who will be the ruler for me in Israel. His goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of eternity.” (Micah 5:2)
God gave clues to point people to the Savior born to rescue all people of every nation from sin and death. Paul makes it clear that God intends to reveal this mystery to all people. All we need is God’s Word, which reveals the truth to us, a truth that releases us from the guilt and shame that wells up in each of us. This is the sweet gospel now available to everyone. As we celebrate Jesus being revealed as a baby in Bethlehem, let us not lose sight of the reason why he came. He came to give up his life as a ransom for all our sins and to give us eternal life.
It is no longer a mystery. The clues were given and fulfilled! Let us ever cling to God’s word, which strengthens our faith in the Christ who crushed the serpent’s head under his foot. Let us hold tight to the word of God, which makes us prepared for the Christ to return triumphantly and bring us into his eternal kingdom!
Dear Gracious Father! Thank you for fulfilling your promise to send your Son to be our Savior. Help us stay connected to your word every day so that our faith may increase as we wait for Jesus to return! In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
A Servant of Christ,
Rev. Patrick Feldhus
Grace’s News
We are offering a Family Bible study on familiar Sunday school stories, after worship on Sundays.
Our online bible class will continue on Tuesday nights at 7:30 pm. We will discuss the topic of the importance of the Virgin Birth of Christ.
We will celebrate Advent by Candlelight on December 3rd, beginning with supper at 5:30 pm.
Our next Jesus Cares program will be on December 11th at 6:30 pm. We will meet at the Cura Care Center to sing Carols. After singing, we will go back to church for refreshments and Bingo.
The Women of Grace will meet on December 17th at 10:30 am. Please bring a Christmas goodie to share.
The Church will have a Christmas party following worship on December 21st. Please bring a Christmas treat to share.
Our Christmas Eve worship will begin at 7 pm on 12/24.
Our Christmas Day worship will begin at 10 am on 12/25.
Our New Year’s Eve worship will begin at 7 pm on 12/31.
Synod News
WELS Synodical Council meets
The Synodical Council met Nov. 7–8 for its fall meeting at the Center for Mission and Ministry, Waukesha, Wis. The Synodical Council (SC) is a group of lay leaders and called workers that oversees the synod’s operations, planning, and budget.
The following issues were addressed at this meeting:
• Mr. Kyle Egan, WELS’ chief financial officer, reported that synod finances remain healthy, with higher-than-expected Congregation Mission Offerings and gifts from individuals this year and lower expenses than forecasted. All areas of ministry reported increased levels in their special funds. The annual audit has been completed with all entities receiving an unmodified opinion—the best that can be given.
• The “Christ through us” long-range strategic plan is beginning to be implemented by all areas of ministry.
• A task force on ministry recruitment is continuing its work. Three new ministry recruitment counselors have been called and are working to define the duties and scope of the program.
• Planning for building projects at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis., (classrooms, offices, library remodeling, and a gathering center) and Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, Wis., (music classrooms and auditorium) is proceeding.
• The SC approved calling two new missionaries to begin work in Senegal, Africa; a church planting coordinator in Latin America; coordinators for women’s ministry in Europe and Africa; and a professor at Asia Lutheran Seminary. These positions do not require additional synod operating support, since the funds are available from World Missions special funds. The SC also approved additional staffing in WELS Communications to allow the team to better leverage existing and emerging digital communication tools to reach a new generation while also maintaining valued communication tools upon which older members rely.
• Synod subsidiaries (WELS Investment Funds, WELS Foundation, WELS Church Extension Fund, and Northwestern Publishing House) all reported strong financial results.
• WELS has received more than $4 million in gifts toward the 100 Missions in 10 Years initiative. With the seven recently approved new missions starts, we are slightly shy of the goal of 30 in the first three years of the effort.
• The SC discussed issues relating to WELS VEBA health insurance, the synod pension, and the synod’s compensation guidelines.
This was the first meeting of two new SC members who were elected at the 2025 synod convention: Rev. Bart Brauer (pastor at-large) and Rev. Jon Bauer (pastor at-large). Newly called administrator of the Board for Ministerial Education, Rev. Charlie Vannieuwenhoven, will join the SC after the first of the year.
The next meeting of the Synodical Council will take place in April 2026
Striving to provide called workers.
“Calling” is one of the four priorities outlined in the synod’s “Christ through us” long-range strategic plan (along with “Culture,” “Congregations,” and “Commission”).
For our synod to carry out its mission faithfully, we need an adequate number of well-trained pastors, teachers, and staff ministers to teach and proclaim God’s Word in our congregations, schools, and mission fields. That need has become more acute in recent years as we are experiencing a significant shortfall in the number of called workers available to serve.
So it comes as no surprise that “Calling” has been identified as one of the priorities of our synod as we plan for the future.
The “Calling” priority has five main components. With God’s help, we will:
1. Expand pathways to ministry. Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minn., and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis., will be examining how we can provide new ways for future pastors, teachers, and staff ministers to enter ministry. Some of those things are already being done. At Martin Luther College, we are already attempting to recruit WELS members who are serving in public schools. Such people already have a teaching degree; MLC provides the instruction needed to become ministry-certified in WELS. Other WELS people may have degrees in other fields. We will develop ways to provide them with the educational skills needed to teach, along with the instruction needed to become ministry-certified.
2. Innovative recruitment efforts. We will be looking at ways to improve and expand our efforts to recruit traditional students for entry into Martin Luther College. Those efforts will likely expand the current practice of school recruiters meeting with high school students by specifically working with current called workers and congregations to expand recruitment efforts.
3. Ensure ministerial education stability. We will look for ways to ensure that our synodical schools remain on a firm financial foundation and to enlist our members in working toward that goal.
4. Establish a sustainable strategy for called worker development. We will look at how best to deploy the workers that we have now, exercising the best stewardship in how and where we use them.
5. Support called worker well-being. Having spiritually and physically healthy called workers ensures that they will be able to cope with the challenges and pressures of ministry, thus reducing the number of called worker resignations. We will find ways to help congregations provide the best support and encouragement possible.
Of course, we can make our plans. But in the end, it is only with God’s blessing that these plans will bear fruit.
Serving with you in Christ,
WELS President Mark Schroeder