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More Bible Study! Yes!


LWML Executive Committee members are eager to welcome you to the
Mobile Convention Center, June 20-23, 2019!

One thing comes up on evaluations for all conventions whether it’s a district or national LWML convention or zone events and that’s, “Need more time for Bible study”. I know a lot of districts have Christian Life conferences or retreats. I hope yours does! We have a new women’s day retreat called, “Let’s Grab Our Shoes and Go!”

At our convention in Mobile this June, if you get up early, you can choose from eight Bible studies happening between 6:45-7:45 on Friday and Saturday mornings at the convention center before convention starts. Four each morning. The Saturday one conflicts with the Mission Walk but we know not everyone can do the Walk so why not go study God’s Word? Or you can walk really early or fast and make it to one. Here’s the list of what’s being offered. Thanks to these Bible study leaders who are volunteering their time and sharing their knowledge to lead these studies.

Yes, I know that it will still show up on the evaluations but it’s a great sign that LWML women LOVE to study God’s Word—our mission inspiration!—we never get enough!

Friday, June 21, 2019

  1. An LWML Bible Study, led by Terri Bentley from the new retreat, “Let’s Grab Our Shoes and Go”.
  2. A Spanish-language LWML Bible Study, led by Deaconess Marta Luna.
  3. A CPH-sponsored Bible Study, led by Christina Hergenrader entitled “Create Olive Branches in Your Family Tree”.
  4. An LWML Bible Study, led by Karol Selle entitled “A Missionary? Me?”. 

Saturday, June 22, 2019

  1. Bible study led by author/speaker Donna Pyle, “Perseverance: A Prayer Battle Plan”.
  2. A Bible Study led by the LCMS Black Ministries Director, Rev. Dr. Roosevelt Gray
  3. Ministry to the Armed Forces Bible study by Chaplain Craig Muehler.
  4. A CPH-sponsored Bible Study, led by Deb Burma entitled “JOY! -Philippians, the Letter of Joy”. 

Hoping to see you in Mobile! Patti

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)


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March Madness to March Gladness!!

Last week I wrote about it being a week of March Madness as we worked hard to make our Mission Goal with one week left. Today I can happily report that we will be celebrating last week as a week of March Gladness! You did it! The Goal was met and although we have not gotten our reconciled numbers yet from our LWML accountants and Treasurer, Marilyn, we did make it and I think went a bit over!

To God be the Glory, His Grace and blessings are immeasurable! May the funding of our Mission Goal make an eternal difference in people’s lives! Praise be to God!

We will be sharing exact amounts with you probably by the end of the week so watch the LWML website and LWML Facebook!

It was a week of March Gladness for me as I got to award several grant checks for you in St. Louis. LWML was celebrated at the LCMS International Center with a reception and lunch. The final three grants going to the LCMS were awarded after Chapel services. The Sierra Leone Seminary received $20,000 for upkeep and remodeling of student facilities. The LCMS Medical Missions received $25,000 to scholarship nursing students on mission trips. The Deaconess Ministry received $7,000 for Liberian deaconess training. Lots of smiles all around!

President Patti delivering a grant check

Later that day at the Seminary Library, a grant check for $40,000 was presented for African Graduate Student Scholarships. It was another very happy group attending!

Monday evening, LWML hosted a dinner and program at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, for Vicars, Deaconess Interns and spouses. This was a great opportunity to talk about LWML with these new church workers before they go out to many of your congregations next year. I pray they will find welcoming LWML groups who will invite them to come and see what LWML is all about and see how we can partner with them in ministry. About 113 people attended, including Seminary President and Mrs. Dale Meyer.  Along with me were LWML PR Director, Michelle Zollinger, who did most of the planning, LWML Business Manager, Vanessa Johnson, and LWML Administrative Coordinator, Karen Andersen. Those attending were presented gift cards from LWML.

I wish you all could have been with me to feel the “gladness” at these events! You all made that possible. Whether large or small, given with love and prayer, your Mite Box offerings have impacted many lives during last week’s March Gladness!

Let’s continue to Serve the Lord with Gladness as we start the next biennium! Come to convention in Mobile, Alabama, June 20-23 and get excited about mission outreach! Come and be part of choosing the next mission grants. Elect a new President and other officers. Jump start our 2019-2021 Mission Goal by participating in the Mission Pledge Walk, the Golf Tournament, and bring an offering for the Mission Goal at the Opening Worship.

See you there!

Patti

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March Madness!

I’m writing this in Pittsburg after having spent several days here attending the NCAA Wrestling Tournament. Our dear Oklahoma State Cowboys finished third this year. Congratulations to all you Penn State and Ohio State fans and athletes for your first and second place finishes.

At the restaurant tonight there were at least 5 basketball games going on at the NCAA Basketball Tournament and the National Invitational Tournament. Teams winning or losing by one or two points. 

All these athletes and coaches have trained long and hard to be where they are today. They’ve followed a game plan, made sacrifices, spent physical and emotional energy for months or even years to reach their goal to win. 

March madness in LWML takes the form of working really hard during the month of March, odd-numbered years, because that’s when our biennium mission goal is finishing up! As of this Friday, the 29th our “game” will be over. That is the last day to put money in the bank towards our goal. 

We’ve taken the words of our “coach”, Jesus Christ to heart and worked to do what He commanded us in Matthew 28:19. We have all followed our game plan, sending 25% of all Mite Box offerings in for the mission grants chosen by district delegates at the 2017 Albuquerque convention. We have worked hard, doing fund raising activities, educating people about the mission grants, and praying for our grant recipients. Now we are in the final crazy week to see if we will meet our goal.

In the most important game we have already been given the victory. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, has won that for us by His death and resurrection. Everlasting life with Him is ours. We have received, through Jesus, the most valued prize of all – the CROWN of eternal life!

Talking to one of the young wrestlers at lunch one day he was telling us about something Coach John Smith from OSU tells them. After all your training and all the opportunities you are given as an elite college athlete, it’s most important to “give back” to others on your team, your college, and society. 

After all the blessings and God’s grace we’ve been given, all the work we have done to meet our mission goal, all that we’ve learned from God’s Word, it’s time for us to “give back”. With God’s blessings our “LWML March Madness” will end with our mission goal met and our grant recipients fully funded this week! So happy to be on our LWML team! 

Patti

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You Will be Busy Next Week!

Great news for March so far! Here is an unofficial totals for the Mission Goal giving as of March 14, 2019. Unofficial in that it doesn’t report some of our electronic giving and hasn’t been reconciled by our accountants and Treasurer yet but it’s in the ballpark!

Mite Box

District Mites         $51,751.58   

Thrivent                      $6480.00        

Restricted                   $2785.00

Mite Gifts                 $24538.00

Mite Challenge         $9066.00      

Total:                         $94,620.58       

Total needed officially as of February 28th was $156,821.

This puts us within $62,000! We have until March 29 to receive any contributions towards this 2017-2019 Mission Goal. Remember electronic giving must come in by March 27.

As a reminder of who we are helping, I will be in St. Louis in a week’s time to present checks for several of the mission grants you have funded. You will be with me through your offerings! You will be helping train deaconess students in Liberia. You will be remodeling and updating student quarters at the Sierra Leone Lutheran Seminary. You will be helping put in place a program for high school students to learn how to converse about life issues with their peers. You will be providing funding for an African graduate student to attend Concordia Seminary, St. Louis to return to teach in his home country.

You have a busy week ahead next week! Stay strong and praise the Lord for your work for His Kingdom!

Patti

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Random Thoughts

I was sick with RSV several days last week and haven’t been up to much so this blog is a little bit random.

  • Our Mission Goal for 2017-2019 is still short. We need to have electronic donations by March 25 and mailed donations by March 29 so that all can be in the bank by March 31. We are SO close!! Please check your Mite Boxes and take the $5 per member challenge!
  • Early discounted registration for the 2019 Mobile convention ends on the 13th (this Wednesday). Save $20 by registering before then!
  • The new LWML history book by Carolyn Blum will be available at convention. This book covers from 2005-2017. It has gone to print!
  • Several new Bible Study/Devotionals will be available at convention. Bring some funds from your congregational group to buy and save shipping by putting them in your suitcase!
  • There are some great Lenten devotions out there, many by our various mission grant recipient organizations. Be sure you are using several! See how they all blend together but present some different ways of looking at certain scriptures. LWML was asked to write one for the Lutheran World Relief series if you care to find it.
  • Plan an Easter dinner and ask some people who might be alone this year. It follows to say, “Hey, why not go to church with me before we have dinner!”
  • If you know women in your group who can’t attend convention in Mobile, make sure they know it will be live streamed on our website. Also, ask them to donate to your Pledge Walk! We are doing it early morning again this year with a BAND to lead it! Should be a lot of fun! The pledge walk donations make up 9% of our Mission Goal during a biennium so your walk is worth a lot!

That’s it for this week. I’m hoping to feel stronger this week and get back into gear!

Love, Patti

Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations (1Chronicles 16:23-24a).

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Goals

I ran across a document titled “BOD” in a stack of papers as I was cleaning (rearranging) my desk and my office bedroom this week. It was some things I wanted to bring up at a BOD and it’s not dated. I think it was from January of 2018.

Here’s what I had under the heading, “My personal goals for the coming year”.

  • Continue to engage women in discussion of how to improve participation in LWML activities.
  • Encourage LWML women to use our excellent Bible studies and devotional resources.
  • Work towards the goals and objectives chosen in October of 2016.
  • Continue quality outreach to our seminaries.
  • Encourage our talented LWML women to do their best in making quality opportunities available to women in the Lutheran Church for mission service and awareness.
  • Continue to improve the image of LWML among church and outside ministries and auxiliaries.
  • Review our mission statement with an eye to updating it.
  • Do outreach to international LWML women’s groups in partner churches worldwide.
  • Increase LWML visibility at LCMS meetings and events.

It was an interesting document to run across. Where did 2018 go? Wow, it’s down to four months until I’m finished as president. I really wish I could have had time to make that outreach to other international women’s groups in our partner churches happen. I only got as far as LWML-Canada and the Lutheran Church of the Philippines Women’s League. Hopefully, someone will take that to heart and make my goal their own reality.

I hope you set some goals for 2019 as far as LWML goes. Maybe you will do a better job of journaling as you go along and look at the progress you are making without losing them in a pile of papers!

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4: 10-11).

Patti

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Best Practices Update

Several of us attended Best Practices for Ministry in Phoenix, Arizona, Thursday through Sunday of this past week. For eight years, Christ Church Lutheran Lutheran Church and School in Phoenix has put on this gathering for people in the ministry of our church. It is to give encouragement, support, fellowship, and provide resources for these faithful workers. It’s to let them know they are not alone. It’s also to spur them on to spreading the Gospel, reaching the unchurched. I think I can answer for those women who were there with me that we came away encouraged and enthused!

LWML—Lutheran Women in Mission were chosen to present on two topics, “Resources on a Budget” about our Christian Life resources and “Money for Missions”, where we went over the submission of mission grants. This was to give help in concrete ways to ministries and churches and to encourage them as they build their outreach. I thank Linda Arnold, Jennifer Huecker, and Debbie Larson for doing the presentations with me. We received many “thank you’s” from grant recipients and got to tell about LWML to many attendees.

Sometimes we do feel alone in our ministry work in LWML, don’t we? It may be discouraging, especially as volunteers in a society where status is conferred often by job titles, pay grade, or celebrity. Don’t be discouraged if you feel overlooked. God knows what is in your heart. He can work through even the smallest things you do to bring about His will for the world. But don’t stop at the small things. Think big! Try something new in your group. Get with your Pastor or lay ministries head and partner with them on a new project to reach the unchurched in your area.

Unfortunately, we talked to many women who didn’t know what LWML was and what we do. They also did not know how to become involved. Would one of those women be from your church? Look around! If you need help or suggestions to build up your LWML, please, please, contact our Vice President of Organizational Resources, Debbie Larson, for suggestions and advice. She can be reached at depor@lwml.org.

Be encouraged and equipped as you engage with your congregations to spread the Gospel message that Jesus Christ is the Savior.

Patti

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Off to Sunny Phoenix (I hope)!

This week is the get together at Christ Church Lutheran in Phoenix that is called “Best Practices for Ministry”. It brings together church leaders and congregation members from all over the United States to learn from others’ experiences what has worked and what has helped make a difference in their congregations or in their ministries. LWML has been chosen to present two sessions and exhibit.

There are several plenary speakers that speak to the entire group and multiple interest sessions during the course of the day. This is a ministry of the Christ Church Lutheran congregation. It’s an indoor-outdoor affair with the exhibits and eating areas outdoors on their school grounds. And food! Oh my, they have great food, snacks, musicians playing during meals. It is really a fun event to be part of and  you can learn so much and meet so many people from many ministries and get good ideas to bring home.

This year LWML is presenting “Money for Missions” about district and national LWML grants and the application process and “Resources on a Budget” about the LWML resources we have available on our website and in our catalog. VP of Organizational Resources, Debbie Larson and I will be taking the lead on the grant session and VP of Christian Life, Jennifer Huecker and former LWML VP of Communication, Linda Arnold will be the main presenters for the resources session. We will all be helping with the exhibit.

There are many of our grant recipients there and it’s always good to talk with them and get updates. We may be presenting a couple of grant checks, as well.

Please pray for safe travels, good weather, and that our presentations will present the best about LWML and how we support our church families. May God bless others through the work that we do in LWML!

If you are on Facebook, you can follow along on their FB account: BestPracticesforMinistry .

Enjoy reading Psalm 19!

Love, Patti

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Last Minute Push to Mission Goal

Click on the image to see the Mission Grants

When this is posted on February 11th we will have 59 days to finish funding our Mission Goal for the 2017-2019 LWML Biennium. Oh, that I would live to see the day that we don’t have to make this final last minute push, pull, grab, squeeze, or whatever you want to call it, to make our goal!

I guess we could lower it next time. We could make it something easy for us to attain. We could then sit back and pat ourselves on the back about a job well-done. But if we did that it wouldn’t really be a goal. I think of a goal as something you want to work towards that you haven’t reached before.

We could reduce the amount. Our grant recipients could just look elsewhere for funding. But they’d have to find someone who prayed for them, learned about their work, put out publicity about their work, or someone who would be inspired by their work.

We wouldn’t have to work so hard trying to raise money—the “M” word. We could quit having bake sales, craft sales, pledge walks, or offerings. But then the opportunity to witness and share the “why” we do those things gets taken away.

We could withdraw into our own little congregational groups and not worry about the big, bad world out there and all the lost souls. Let someone else do that—decreases my workload!

Yes, I guess I’ll just have to participate in the push, pull, grab, squeeze, or whatever it takes to meet our Mission Goal this year and probably every year going forward because that’s what I do as a woman in mission. I want to fund our mission grants so that God’s Word will be preached to all. So that God’s children will be cared for. And, so I will be reminded of the blessings of God given to me to share.

Patti


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Looking Ahead Toward Convention

We have a convention every two years as prescribed in our LWML Bylaws. We meet to conduct business by our delegates who represent our membership from our 40 districts. Over the years it has grown into much more than that. We now enjoy servant events, tours around the convention city area, entertainment, mission speakers, worship services, and exhibits. You can learn a lot at convention.

This June 20-23 in Mobile, Alabama we are going to have a couple special recognition opportunities. We need your help getting the word out. LWML would like to honor our overseas missionaries, those currently serving and those who have served in the past, and give them an opportunity to visit with old friends and be recognized for their service. A Friday night reception will be held for overseas missionaries. There will be a table in the registration area for them to sign up for the reception and to receive a special recognition ribbon for their name badge so that they can be recognized by convention goers.

The other special group we would like to recognize is our LWML women active duty and veteran military. As I traveled to different district conventions I found we had quite a number of LWML women who had served in the military or were currently serving. We’d like to hear from them and are asking them to check in at a special table near the registration area at convention and receive a special ribbon for their convention badge.

We need your help to spread the word that we are looking for these people attending the convention and that we have special sign up tables for them to find when they register. Thanks for your help!

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near (Hebrews 10:24).

Love, Patti