Lutheran Women in Mission

LWML Interdepartmental 2017

What do you do at an Interdepartmental Meeting? Just ask an LWML committee member. Enjoy this article written by Public Relations Team member, Beth Weber, from the Rocky Mountain District! -Patti

We came from far and wide to St. Louis where we were Engaged, Encouraged, Equipped, and definitely Enjoyed our time together.

Meeting Manager, Leslie Jaseph made sure that we all had transportation, worked with an awesome hotel staff securing comfortable rooms, and fed delicious food.

As Lutheran women in mission, we brought Gifts From the Heart, mites, and purchased many LWML products and devotional materials from the LWML Store hosted by Bev England of the Public Relations Team and Karen Andersen.

We sang songs led by Carrie Brumbaugh, Chairman of the Committee on Young Women.

We met as committees, planning the activity of the LWML for the 2017-2019 biennium, focused on nurturing faith in Christ; making our faith meaningful; and sharing encouragement. To learn more about the LWML Committees’ and Teams’ Purpose Statements, visit lwml.org and click on the About tab.

LWML President Patti Ross, our very capable Captain and Navigator, led us on an exploration to discover the opportunities that God has chartered for us during the next two years. The committees and teams mapped out these possibilities by writing and presenting informative and entertaining sketches which brought much laughter to all.

The Interdepartmental Meeting closed as we gathered in worship. Rev. Robert Mundahl officiated and Rev. Mitchel Schuessler assisted with the closing service where the Word and Sacrament were offered and received. After many hugs, we departed St. Louis to return to our homes far and wide; energized, enthused, and enabled to use our unique God-given gifts in gladsome service to our Lord.

God’s Blessings,

Beth Weber, Public Relations Team 2017-2019

Lutheran Women in Mission

LWML – On the Road

On the road again! LWML Treasurer Marilyn Schroeder and I traveled to New Orleans, November 16-18 to attend the Lutheran Church Extension Fund Conference, love.BOLDLY! Men and women across the country involved with LCEF met to be inspired to love, boldly, in their Christian lives. Individuals and ministries who have loved, boldly over the past year were recognized.

A ministry familiar to LWML received the Lietz Mission Project Award. Redeeming Life Maternity Home, (Redeeming Life Outreach Ministries), Sanford, Florida, a 2015-2017 LWML mission grant recipient and the founders, Rev. Ed and Sheryl DeWitt expressed thankfulness to the women of LWML for the grant they received.

There was a great lineup of guest speakers over the weekend who motivated attendees to love boldly which included Herman Cain, Gregory Seltz, Dave Dravecky, and Rev. John Nunes. Also addressing the assembly were LCMS President Matthew Harrison, Rev. Tim Carter, LCMS Southern District President Kurtis Schultz, Megan Miessler, and LCEF Board Chairman Rev. Max Phillips.

Rev. Ulmer Marshall, Mobile, Alabama, was proclaimer at the Sunday worship service.

The Rev. Max Biesenthal, LCEF Senior Vice President—Ministry Support since 2011, served as conference host and emcee, opening and closing the conference through biblical applications of the conference theme, “Love BOLDLY!” Biesenthal is the son of the late Marie Biesenthal, a dearly loved LWML sister.

LWML past presidents were also in New Orleans for meetings during the week which included the LCMS Foundation Board (Kay Kreklau, 2011-2015) and LCMS Board of Directors (Gloria Edwards, 1995-1999).

Marilyn and I were pleased and honored to be invited to attend. It was a joy to see one of “our” mission grantees receive the Lietz Award. We enjoyed meeting many of the LCMS District leaders and their wives and other LWML women in attendance. We also heard many positive comments about the mission of LWML!

And what is that positive mission? LWML loves boldly! We boldly step out of our comfort zone in service to the marginalized and those in need. We step up to fund ministries, like Redeeming Life Outreach Ministries. We step out boldly to serve on LCMS boards and committees. We love our LWML sisters like Marie who have lasting impacts on our lives.

We are Lutheran Women in Mission!

 

Love boldly and serve gladly!

Patti

Lutheran Women in Mission

LWML a Mentor for the Next Generation

For 75 years as an organization and for more than that as united groups of women, women in the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League have served their church, their families and strangers in strange lands. This service is given to the glory of God. How do we pass on LWML—Lutheran Women in Mission from generation to generation? It’s important to remember that we don’t pass on the organization per se, but we pass on the Mission and purpose when we speak of His glory [of God] and all His redeeming acts, extending His kingdom throughout the world. We pray that these things are always present in the work of women in LWML.

I don’t think you will get too far sharing the organizational structure, the election of officers process, or the financial status of LWML. What you do share that has the most impact with those around you is the joy of being able to share the love God first gave to you with others. What is your passion that is expressed through LWML? What is it that excites you? Is it coming together to provide radio broadcasts to the Middle East? Is it giving women in Tanzania a chance to learn a trade and provide better for their families? Is it providing goods for the homeless in your community? Is it meeting together to study God’s Word?

I hope that you can pass along to the next generation the “why?” of LWML and the “why?” of your participation in it. This is the best way for our organization to continue to the next generation.

One generation shall commend your works to another,
And shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
And on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
And I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
And shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
(Psalm 145:4-7)

What’s your “why”?

Spend some time thinking about that this week and be ready to tell someone about it. Pass it along to someone in a different generation and see if you can communicate your passion, the “gladness” of serving in LWML.

(And it better include Jesus)!

Patti

Mother and daughters praying during bible study at home.

Lutheran Resources

LWML History

On my blog this week I’m sharing the article I wrote for the Lutheran Layman. I was asked to write about the relation of women of the Reformation to current LWML—Lutheran Women in Mission. I learned some history while doing this and plan to dig deeper into the lives of these women of the time of the Reformation. I got the history information from our LWML history books by Marlys Taege Moberg and Ruth Fritz Meyer.

Throughout the 75 year history of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML), the Reformation has been revealed in the work of women in this organization. In 1929 a committee of seven women, working with the encouragement of the International Lutheran Laymen’s League (LLL), began to organize district women’s groups under a national umbrella for better coordination of mission support efforts. One of the names they considered for the organization was, “Lutheran Women of the Reformation.” Continuing efforts to organize and be recognized were supported by the LLL and came to a conclusion when LWML was officially organized in 1942. In 1962 LWML became one of the official auxiliaries of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS); the other auxiliary being the International Lutheran Layman’s League/Lutheran Hour Ministries (Int’l LLL/LHM).

Women of today rejoice in the full salvation by grace through faith that Christ won for them and the reality of being a part of the priesthood of all believers. These components of the Reformation encourage women to share their God-given gifts and talents in representing the church in mission. This inclusive mission of serving all people through sharing of the Gospel and practical application of that Gospel, is key to the LWML as they declare the praises of Jesus.

Early women reformers influenced by Luther’s teachings exhibited gifts of service that continue in Lutheran women today. The most well-known, Katie Luther, is known for her hospitality, hard work in the garden and on the farm, and hymn writing. Argula von Grumbach wrote in support of the Reformation. She is remembered for her emphasis on Scripture and her support of the priesthood of all believers, including women. Katherine Zell, a gracious hostess, offered food and lodging to the Protestant travelers and floods of refugees who came through Strasbourg. She wrote hymns, campaigned for better run hospitals and visited troops in the field during the Peasants’ War. Working with other reformers, Elizabeth von Muenden developed guidelines and orders of service for Protestant worship. This faithfulness in every vocation in life continues in women of the church today. “How can I help?” is a familiar phrase.

In LWML we engage with and equip women to support mission work, write devotions and Bible studies, search for opportunities to serve, learn how to be leaders in their women’s groups, and look outward with Christ’s love.
Just as the Reformation brought major changes for women in the church, and necessitated a look into the future, so today we are faced with many changes. The new realities in communication, family life, and education have brought changes in human relations. These changes call for a new kind of commitment and focus on God’s mission in His world: new understanding of differing needs, new plans for effective programs, and new support for all Christian woman. LWML — Lutheran Women in Mission — continues to bring gifted women together to recognize, identify, and then address these pressing issues.

Equipping women to serve has fostered new family resources in the form of the “Balance” Bible study series on family issues, the “Dear Mother” devotionals for new mothers, and the “Together is Better” marriage devotion book; all written to address their specific needs. Service opportunities for families and women’s groups are evaluated and posted online. Flexible meeting and activity plans are suggested to involve working women and families in the mission outreach of the church while considering the best use of their time.

Equipping missionaries and missions and educating congregations about them is the work of the national and district LWMLs. These are funded through mission offerings and the familiar LWML Mite Box. Through these grants missions have been equipped to improve the physical and spiritual lives of families. One recent grant was to Lutheran Hour Ministries for outreach in refugee camps in Lebanon. In the same way that women of the Reformation worked to improve the physical and spiritual lives of God’s people, so we today continue that work in LWML.

Engaging, equipping, and encouraging women in the church continues from Reformation to the present and will go on into the future. The LWML — Lutheran Women in Mission — looks back on 75 years in 2017, but just as importantly, looks ahead to a future as women of the Reformation even now. We are embracing change while enjoying the delight of being a child of God and serving Him with gladness!

Lutheran Women in Mission

LWML Districts Day

The work going on in our LWML districts is the focus of the LWML Districts Day that is being promoted. Districts were invited to send in information about a grant or some service project they have been working on for us to highlight via the media outlets we have at LWML. When we promote mission offerings we pray that donations will be sent to the district treasurers for them to distribute. When a dollar is put in the offering, 75 cents stays in the LWML district and 25 cents is sent to LWML. Last biennium, district mission offerings for district grants totaled around $7 million. Isn’t that fantastic?

Our other district focus as I write this (on Friday, the 25th) is the dedication to providing human care needs in the districts. I’m watching weather forecasts for torrential rains in the Texas-Louisiana coastal areas. The districts are the ones who are the “feet on the ground” during times like this. LWML Texas and LWML Louisiana-Mississippi districts are making plans to provide aid as needed and requested.
Our districts are varied, like the members of the body of Christ. There are some that are heavily Lutheran, others face the statement I frequently encounter, “what’s that?” Some face challenges of large geographic areas to cover, like Washington-Alaska or Montana.

We have concluded our LWML convention in Albuquerque. What a force for the Gospel to have so many women come together to praise God and be part of a movement to spread the message of God’s saving Grace through Jesus Christ. Now, going into 2018, the focus is on our 40 LWML districts. They have their conventions, retreats, conferences and workshops to reach out to more women. These will be fun and informative. But, in the meantime, the districts are hard at work providing funding for mission grants in their districts and providing that loving touch in human care need situations.
I pray that today you will tune into the LWML Facebook page to see the work of these districts and perhaps, if one pulls at your heart, you will consider supporting that work in even a small monetary way and as always, with your prayers.

Have you signed up to attend your fall retreat or fall mission fest? Please do and be part of your district’s work. You will be blessed!

Writing from the great LWML Oklahoma District,
Patti

Lutheran Women in Mission

School Day!

I play Mahjong with a group of women from Lutheran churches in Tulsa. One of our players is a young woman who teaches 8th grade in a public school. Kristin is amazing. She has a lot of patience, a great sense of humor and empathy for the situations her students are in at home and at school. She struggles with lack of materials and low pay as many of our public school teachers in Oklahoma do. But she is making such a difference in the kids’ lives!

So many of our LWML—Lutheran Women in Mission women are getting ready to begin a new school year this month. Many are blessed to teach at our Lutheran schools. Many are blessed to teach at public schools. All are blessed to be a blessing to the children they teach. I remember all of my teachers. Mrs. Hoover, my first grade teacher, eased my fears as a terribly shy girl starting school. Mrs. Gray, second grade, was a joy-filled teacher who also played piano and we sang a lot! Mrs. Grimsley taught us penmanship in 3rd grade. Mrs. Lemon in fourth grade was very strict. I thought I was going to have to confess to hiding Peggy Smith’s shoes in the ditch during recess until another child found them and returned them saving me the confession. And so it went through college—teachers making a difference and making a place in memories.

I’m sure a lot of you young moms will feel like I did. After seeing my oldest child on his first day of school waiting for the bus, seeing that huge bus pull up and the tiny child reach up the big steps, and see it drive off, I headed into the house and cried for half an hour. I know moms will be blessed if when their kids get off the bus there is an LWML woman waiting in their classroom!

I salute all of you LWML women who work or used to work in schools with children. As representatives of the love of Christ for children, who could be more important an influence on their lives outside of the home? I never had the patience to be a teacher. I’ve always admired those who could do that.

So, blessings to all of you who are getting ready to begin a year of school. You are important. You are appreciated. You are valued. You are a woman in mission!
I’m sending my youngest granddaughter to Kindergarten this year. You’re gonna need that patience!

Love, Patti

“Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them (Mark 10:14-16).

Lutheran Resources

Where Love Abides

Please enjoy the photo gallery in this post. It includes photos of the production team for “Where Love Abides”, Donna Pyle, the audience at the taping, Mikayla and I, Debbie Curry and I, and finally the Texas District leaders that attended the taping of “Where Love Abides”.

Ambient noise check – Applause check, loud, enthusiastic, not so loud – No gum chewing – nod in agreement – show “ah-ha” moment facial expression – Don’t look into the camera. Ready to roll!

That’s what you heard as a member of the audience for the recording of the fourth LWML DVD Bible study by Donna Pyle titled, “Where Love Abides”. This study is based on John 15, the story of the Vine and the Branches. About 70 people were attending this event which the LWML Texas District hosted to participate as audience members during the Audio Visual recording sessions at Salem Lutheran Church, Tomball, Texas, July 21-22.

If you were in the middle of a speech and someone interrupted to say you needed to start back and correct something you said, could you do it? Not many of us could. You have to remember what you said, what your expression was at the time, where you were onstage, etc. It’s amazing to watch Donna and her production team work. This team includes two pastors backstage with earphones doing review of her speech as she does it. If they hear something that needs to be said a different way, they interrupt, conference, and she rerecords that portion. If the air conditioning vent is making her sweater flap, rerecord.

Other things occur like stopping to remove a stapler she had used as an example from the table where she stands to teach because it was reflecting on her like a mirror does with the sun. Duct taping fruit to the vines onstage. It can be crazy funny sometimes!

Crazy funny but crazy good, too! It never ceases to amaze me how you can study God’s Word and go over a story for the umpteenth time and the Holy Spirit reveals something you hadn’t seen before! I’m not going to tell you what that was. You’ll have to do the study and find out for yourself if you learn something new looking at this story of the vine and the branches again.

Filming winds up this October at the Gage Orchards and Vineyards in New York state. Thanks are given for the generous donor who gave money to finance this DVD Bible Study. I hope you will look forward to this study. It is visually impressive with beautiful vineyard shots and you will learn more about vineyard cultivation.

There are three DVD studies currently available from LWML. These are so easy for your group to do in any setting – church, home, groups or private study. The latest one is “Peter – From Fisherman to Fisher of Men”. Engage in Bible study! Be encouraged, equipped and enjoy! http://www.lwml.org/store

Enjoying my chewing gum!
Patti

Lutheran Women in Mission

All for Jesus – Know him, Confess Him, Serve Him Philippians 3:7-11.

All for Jesus – Know him, Confess Him, Serve Him Philippians 3:7-11.
This was the theme and scripture for the 2017 Black Ministry Family Convocation held in Birmingham, Alabama, July 12-16. LCMS Black Ministry is celebrating their 140th Anniversary this year!

As LWML President I have the opportunity to go to many different events and bring greetings from all Lutheran Women in Mission across our 40 districts. I had the opportunity to give your anniversary congratulations and support to those attending the Friday morning session of the meeting.

LWML Vice President of Special Focus Ministries, Kaye Wolff, presented a breakout session about LWML on two different days. There were many LWML members in attendance, as well as several pastors who had been LWML Pastoral Counselors. LWML Public Relations Director, Michelle Zollinger, attended as did LWML Michigan District Past President and LWML board member, Willie Marie Henry. I also got to talk with several women I met at Louisiana-Mississippi district convention last year.

I was able to meet five pastors from the six New Orleans’ churches who received one of our grants for the coming biennium (Grant #8 NOLA 4H: Hearts for the Hungry, Homeless, and Hurting.) To say they were excited is to put it mildly. You have become part of their ministry to God’s people in New Orleans!

Another grant recipient at the convocation who expressed excitement and thanks to LWML was Rev. Matthew Heise of Lutheran Heritage Foundation (Grant #6 Lutheran Children’s Books for Families Worldwide.) Representatives from Bethesda Lutheran Communities (Grant #15 Sharing Jesus with People with Disabilities) were eager to tell us what they would be able to do now that LWML was supporting their ministry with a grant. And gratitude was expressed by the prison ministries included in the grant for the synod-wide conference in 2018 (Grant #20 Prison and Jail Ministry Synod-wide Conference in 2018.)

We got updates from former grant recipients Rebecca’s Garden of Hope, Rosa Young Academies and the Acts 2 Enterprise in Detroit. Inquiries about starting LWML organizations in Liberia and Kenya were very exciting as possibilities in the future!

Since I share your encouragement at these events, I wanted to share with you how thankful the recipients of our grants are. I am blessed to be in the position to hear their stories and their plans. You are answers to their prayers. God is enabling you to engage, encourage, and equip these dedicated fellow servants of God! Thank you for serving the Lord with Gladness by supporting these mission grants!

Serving with you,
Patti

LWML Convention

LWML Convention Is Close!

Bags are packed, cats are scheduled at the kennel, meeting agendas are printed off, clothes are clean — guess I’m ready to go to convention in Albuquerque. I’m looking forward to seeing many of you there! It’s so nice that today’s media offers you the chance to watch the convention happenings on your computer at home, either live or recorded for later. I hope those of you who can’t attend will watch and perhaps plan to attend in person when we go to Mobile, Alabama in 2019!

Convention is mainly to accomplish the business of the organization. Over the years we have added many events to enhance the convention experience for those attending. At convention our activities reflect the objects of our organization — mission inspiration, mission service, mission education and gathering of funds for mission grants.

There are three women who have been at the head of planning for this convention. Lois Anderson, LWML Treasurer 2011-2015, from the LWML Utah-Idaho District, is the Host Committee Chairman. Nancy Bogenhagen, Vice President of Communication, from the LWML South Dakota District is the Convention Programming Committee Chairman. Marguerite Christman, from the LWML Oklahoma District is the Convention Manager. These women have worked tirelessly over the past two years to bring this convention into being. Much appreciation goes out to them.

As of Friday, June 16, our registration total was 3,427. There are 83 Young Woman Representatives attending this convention. The Mission Pledge Walk has 1,106 registered to participate. The choir has 252 singers signed up. We will have five Mission in Action speakers telling about their ministries, 66 exhibitors in the Above All Exhibit Hall and programs for children attending with their parents.

This convention is dedicated to proclaiming Jesus Christ above all. Our prayer is that after attending, either in person or through the media, LWML women will be renewed in enthusiasm to do just that!
Gotta run print off my airplane ticket and see if I got “TSA Precheck”! See you soon!

Love, Patti
2017 Convention Logo

 

 

 

 

 

More LWML convention news can be found here www.lwml.org/2017-convention

LWML Convention

Gifts From the Heart

Tomorrow my LWML group will be boxing up 93 quilts to take to the Albuquerque Convention! Sunday we prayed in church for the recipients of these quilts with all our members. They are one of the Gifts From the Heart donations brought to convention by convention goers. I’m not sure historically, when LWML conventions first started having people bring items to convention for distribution to local and national agencies. If someone knows, please write to me. I do know that like our mite offerings, where an individual’s small but Spirit-led contribution is added with those of others to bring about a tremendous offering, so, too, these gifts will combine for a huge “gift” at the convention center!

Organizations receiving our shared material blessings are Albuquerque Christian Children, a privately funded foster care that emphasizes Christianity; Care Net, a pro-life group working with unplanned pregnancies; Lutheran World Relief (LWR), a Lutheran organization focusing on international disaster relief and sustainable development; and Ysleta Lutheran Mission, providing ministry and human care in the El Paso/Juarez border area.

Our quilts will go on one of two trucks that LWR is bringing. Other items such as new baby kits, school kits, health kits, sheet sets, children’s underwear and, of course, gift cards will make a definite impact in caring for God’s children in need in the immediate Albuquerque area and worldwide. This is so much a part of the heart of LWML! Women who identify needs and work to fulfill those needs. They take to heart the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:40, “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”

Buses, cars, suitcases and purses will be carrying Gifts From the Heart—an apt name for gifts given with heartfelt gratitude for the blessings received from our gracious God. If you’d like to add yours, find someone going to convention and send it along with them!

What to bring or send? Click here http://books.cph.org/lwml-gifts-from-the-heart

Gotta run get my gift cards purchased!
Love, Patti

Pictured is Patti and baled quilts at LWR warehouse. 35 quilts per bale.