Women On a Mission. SAVE THE DATE!! 27th Biennial MN South District Convention June 29-30, 2018 Verizon Wireless Center, Mankato, MN

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1 Women On a Mission Minnesota South District Winter 2017 Rallies We have had our LWML conference rallies this fall. Many people in many locations all across the LWML Minnesota South District have spent much prayer, time, planning and preparation for rallies. Most rallies include devotion and/or a Bible study, a mission speaker, an Ingathering of Gifts from the Heart, an offering, prayers, food, and wonderful fellowship with sisters and brothers in Christ. All of this is packed into a few hours. The dictionary definition of rally is a meeting of persons for a common purpose. Our rallies truly meet the definition. Rallies reflect the common core values of the Lutheran Women s Missionary League. Those values are: being in God s Word, support of missions, mission service, and fellowship. We are here to tell about Jesus to those who do not know Him, and rallies help LWML members do this. I have had the privilege to attend many rallies throughout the Minnesota South District. All the rallies were very well planned. All emphasized being in the Word and the support of missions through speakers and topics. All Gifts from the Heart Ingatherings supported urgent needs in their communities, in the Minnesota South District, or somewhere in the world. Pastors provided devotions, prayers and Bible studies, and were very helpful in many ways. Friends greeting friends in Christian fellowship made each rally special. It was a privilege to attend each rally. Each was memorable and unique. Each was a local mini convention honoring our Savior. Rally dates are listed in the Spring and Fall WOMs. I recommend that you find a rally close to you, and attend. (You can also attend rallies in other zones, you will be welcomed). Thank you to everyone who plans and works at a rally. Margaret Hesemann, LWML District President SAVE THE DATE!! 27th Biennial MN South District Convention June 29-30, 2018 Verizon Wireless Center, Mankato, MN Theme: Grace Above All Convention Verse - But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:10a ESV Inside This Issue Mission Grants Page 2 Wild Website Wonders Page 2 Counselor s Message Page 3 Your Mighty Mites at Work Young Women Representatives Page 3 Page 4 Your Mighty Mites cont. Page 4 Parliamentary Pause Page 5 Nominee Suggestions Page 5 Mite Moment Page 6 Quarterly Order Form Page 6 Gifts From the Heart Page 7 Memorials Received Page 7 Board of Directors Page 8 Submit articles for the Women On a Mission to: comm@mnslwml.org $24, in mites collected this quarter! Next Board of Directors Meeting tentatively scheduled for Saturday, February 4, 2018 Next WOM Deadline: January 28, 2018 This issue of the WOM was printed in November 2017

2 PAGE 2 MINNESOTA SOUTH DISTRICT WOMEN ON A MISSION WINTER 2017 ISSUE PRINTED: November GOSPEL OUTREACH Name of Grant The Dwelling Place, General Operating Support Tuition Assistance for Students Seeking a Lutheran High School Education Beginning Balance Previously Paid Paid This Quarter Paid to Date Unpaid Balance $10, $3, $1, $4, $6, $60, $23, $5, $28, $31, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Food Bank $5, $3, $1, $5, PAID IN FULL Mission Central Current Missionary Need $10, $4, $2, $7, $2, Minnesota South District Student Aid Scholarships for full-time professional church workers Concordia Theological Seminary Food Co-op, Fort Wayne, IN $40, $19, $5,090,.00 $24, $15, $10, $6, $0.00 $6, $3, Trinity/HOPE $5, $5, $0.00 $5, PAID IN FULL Camp Omega Rooted*Celebrating*Growing Capital Campaign $20, $7, $5, $12, $7, Lutheran Special Education Ministries (LSEM) $7, $7, $0.00 $7, PAID IN FULL Soldiers of the Cross $5, $5, $0.00 $5, PAID IN FULL Catechisms for Sudan & MN Sudanese Immigrants Lutheran Theological Seminary in Tshwane, South Africa $8, $8, $0.00 $8, PAID IN FULL $15, $7, $0.00 $7, $7, Pastoral Training for Alaskan Native (Partial) $3, $2, $1, $3, Total Mission Grants Projects $198, $106, $18, $125, $73, National LWML $66, $16, $6, $22, $43,644,.56 Total Mites $265, $123, $24, $148, $116,998,56 The WOMEN ON A MISSION (WOM) Is published four times a year by the LWML Minnesota South District, an auxiliary Organization of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Editor: Assistant Editor: Diane Frauendienst Roxanne Pieper Circulation Manager Carolyn Wagner Wild Website Wonders Visit to subscribe to the LWML enews. The monthly MNS LWML enews is the newest information source available to members. Once you have subscribed, you will receive a monthly from MN South LWML. The enews is about you, the members and societies of the LWML Minnesota South District. Editor Roxanne Pieper is accepting news and information about what is happening in Minnesota South LWML. Please submit your photos and articles to Roxanne at enewseditor@mnslwml.org.

3 PAGE 3 MINNESOTA SOUTH DISTRICT WOMEN ON A MISSION WINTER 2017 ISSUE PRINTED: November 2017 T he survival strategies of our sinful nature or what Dr. Luther calls the Old Adam - are evident in our daily lives. If we should snap at someone in impatience, for example, the problem can t be with us. It s not because we have a weak, corrupt nature. We simply state that we are having a bad day. The Old Adam always has some sort of excuse or justification that gets us off the hook. It also gives us a false sense of security by keeping our attention on the faults and sins of others. The student who cheats at school simply shrugs his shoulders and states that everyone else does the same thing. Who hasn t cheated? As a matter of fact, we know people who have done some rather dastardly deeds. So how bad can we be? And if our guilt and shame because of our misdeeds should start to concern us or overwhelm us, the Old Adam has a solution for that as well. It states that we will make a better effort to shape up and behave ourselves. But this Son who was born to Mary reveals that we can t merely clean up our behavior. Our excuses, our justifications, and any other strategy the Old Adam devises won t cut it. After all, if we have it in us to make ourselves right with God, why would Jesus have to come into this world in our flesh and bone? The Old Adam will not put up with that. This Jesus threatens its rule in our lives. That is why it will not sing with big voices, Joy to the world, the Lord has come! Instead, it is this corrupt nature that would cry out, Crucify him! That is what put Jesus to death. He was not nailed to the cross only because the Roman governor found this to be a politically expedient answer. His death was not simply because the Jews plotted against him. It was sin that put Mary s Son on the cross. The cross is the evil, corrupt power of this world having its way with the Lord. It is getting rid of this threat so that it can maintain its hold upon us. In this way, the cross exposes the ugly nature of the Old Adam. The cross reveals that the sin that corrupted us is destructive and deadly. Look at what it did to Mary s Son. It will destroy us as well. But this wicked and destructive power that has managed to capture this creation and corrupt us could not contain Mary s Son. This Son of Mary is also God s Son. That is why he could face the deadly power of sin and overcome by rising again. Now we are free. Freedom does not mean that we can shape up and live a life in perfect obedience. It means that we are no longer blind and deceived. We can see and confess the truth of our condition. We can see why a cross was necessary. That is why we place our hope and confidence outside of ourselves. Our hope and confidence is now placed on the forgiveness and grace we have because of the blood Christ shed for us. When we trust in Jesus, the Old Adam is truly done. God s peace be with you! Pastor Eric Nelson Your Mighty Mites at Work! Deb Vinkemeier, Vice President of Gospel Outreach I would like to share with you some of the Thank-you letters that I receive from the recipients of our Mission Grants. You are the ladies that help make this happen with your mites. I hope that these special letters bring smiles on your faces and a joy to your heart, knowing that you are making a difference in many people lives. Please continue to strongly give to mites that we may reach our Mission Grant goal. We are behind of where we would like to be. It would be very heartbreaking to have to tell any of our Mission Grants recipients that we were not able to fulfill their Mission Grant this biennium and that it will have to be carried over to the next biennium. This would be sad that next biennium we would not be able to help and support other Mission Grants that are desperately wanting to reach out to spread God s Word. Please pray and find it in your heart to maybe double or maybe triple your mite giving for the next two quarters. Mission Central: From Missionary Johanna Heidorn God has truly blessed me with your outstanding generosity and kind hearts. I am over joyed and unbelievably thankful to receive your financial gift in support of my mission efforts in Hong Kong and throughout Asia. I am forever grateful for your giving spirits. This donation is truly impactful and helps me get that much closer to deploying in the field. It s a true answer to my prayers, Thank you all for your amazing kindness. Johanna Heidorn Continued on page 4

4 PAGE 4 MINNESOTA SOUTH DISTRICT WOMEN ON A MISSION WINTER 2017 ISSUE PRINTED: November 2017 Jesus Christ Above All. Grace Above All. These two statements are the 2017 National convention and 2018 District convention themes. Both tell us of the love of Jesus Christ and the vision of the LWML. At the 2017 National Convention, the LWML unveiled their new brand and logo. We now use the tag line "Lutheran Women in Mission" as a clear way of telling the world who we are and what we do. We know there are young women in the MN South District who have a desire to tell others of Jesus Christ and are looking for an opportunity to meet other young women to share ideas and collaborate. We want those young women to attend the district convention and learn how Lutheran Women in Mission can help them share God's love and grace to the world. If you know a young woman, or you are that young woman, please encourage them to complete the zone YWR application before February 1 to attend the 2018 district convention as a zone young woman representative. It is available online at Be in prayer for God to encourage young women to attend the convention. Amy and Adrienne, our District YWRs, have written about their experience at the National Convention. Their complete thoughts are available to read on the YWR page on the website. Here are some highlights from their amazing trip. Amy: I am so thankful that God had plans for me to be there, because it was truly an unforgettable experience. What a blessing to be surrounded by other women of all ages, worshipping, learning, and serving! Adrienne: As a District YWR, I got to go to the National Convention and see that it was even more of a meeting with God on a mountain experience. As a YWR, it was fun to be a part of parades, meeting the leaders, learning how the LWML works, and praying with thousands of other women that God would be glorified, that we would lift each other up, and that the lost would be reached. In His Grace, Tracy Eickhoff & Kelli LaVoie Co-Chairs for the Committee on Young Women Grace-Full Living Our Christian Life committee, along with President Margaret, has been prayerfully working on how to accommodate our LWML ladies wanting a shorter convention, and still working in Christian Life day in that timeframe. There will be two Bible studies offered at the same time on both Friday and Saturday morning, giving most convention participants an opportunity to attend both. The third Bible study will be on Saturday afternoon as part of the convention. The Christian Life theme is, "Grace-Full Living". The theme Scripture verse is from John 1:16, "From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace." We are looking forward to "Grace-Full" filled Bible studies. Blessed Christmas Season, Christian Life Committee - Pastor Loel Wessel, Debi Mahoney, and Sherrie Anderson. Your Mighty Mites continued from page 3 Concordia Seminary St. Louis Food Bank: All of the seminarians are keenly aware that the Food Bank operates solely on contributions like the mites we send to them. As has been the case for a number of years, each time our students enter the Food Bank to select items, they take three preprinted mailing labels from a plastic container at the checkout station. Each of these labels contains the name and address of someone who recently supported the Food Bank. The students then write thank you letters to these people for their kindness and generosity. The following note was received from one of the student recipients: Thank you very much for supporting the Concordia Seminary food bank. I am a 3 rd year advanced studies student and the gifts you provide help keep my wife and I out of too much debt and frees me to better serve when I am done. Thank you in Christ, Ben Nickodemus Lutheran Theological Seminary in Tshwane, South Africa: From LTS staff and students Dear friends of the LTS - The Lord is faithful, and once again we are privileged to see his faithfulness at the seminary students are being instructed, theological discussions are taking place, the Lord s servants are being prepared for their important task in the Lord s kingdom. Thank you for your support! We have again benefited tremendously from wonderful guest lecturers to the seminary. Your prayers and ongoing support are most welcome as we seek to go about our task which the Lord has set us. In

5 PAGE 5 MINNESOTA SOUTH DISTRICT WOMEN ON A MISSION WINTER 2017 ISSUE PRINTED: November 2017 PARLIAMENTARY PAUSE BYLAWS and the LWML Handbook Do you know you can go to the web to find help when writing or updating bylaws? Go to the website at mnlwml.org, click on Ministries and then Bylaws. Here you can click on a link to the MN South 2016 Bylaws and read a short description on bylaws, standing rules and the Order of Articles when writing new bylaws or when reviewing your society s bylaws. For more help, log on to lwml.org, click on About, then Bylaws and Structure and this will take you to the page where the LWML Handbook July 2017 revision, the Leaders Manual or the new 2017 LWML bylaws can be downloaded. For other Minnesota South information on bylaws contact the district Bylaws chairman; and phone number are under Parliamentarian on the back page of this WOM. Irene Mensing Parliamentarian and Bylaws Chairman From the Vice President of Servant Resources Christmas will be here shortly. Are you planning a Christmas event for your society? Be sure to check out the activities, Bible studies, devotions, skits and much more at lwml.org/resources. You should be able to find something to fill many devotions and/or meeting needs. Also, are you planning to get some LWML gifts for your society? Go to and click on Shop Now. You might want to combine orders with friends to save on postage. Enjoy searching and shopping! Kathy Roslansky VP Servant Resources TIME TO SUBMIT MISSION GRANT PROPOSALS Start preparing Mission Grant Proposals applications if you haven t yet. Application forms and instructions can be found on the mnslwml.org website. Application deadline is January 5, If you have any questions you may contact Deb Vinkemeier, Vice President of Gospel Outreach, at: gospeloutreachvp@mnslwml.org. LWML CANDIDATES NEEDED The Nominating Committee requests your help selecting candidates for the 2018 LWML Minnesota South District officer s ballot. Please complete the form and send it to Patti Pierson, Nominating Committee Chairman. Nominee Suggestion Form for LWML MINNESOTA SOUTH DISTRICT OFFICERS Deadlines for submitting names: January 15, 2018 Nominations are needed for these offices: President, VP of Gospel Outreach, VP of Communications, Recording Secretary, Financial Secretary, and Nominating Committee Your Name: Phone: Your address: (Street Address) (City, State) (Zip Code) Your address: I suggest the following person for office: (Please fill in as much information as you can.) For the office of: Name: Address: Home Church: Church Address: Mail/ Patti Pierson, Nominating Committee Chairman st Street, Hardwick, MN Please photocopy this form as needed! nominations@mnslwml.org Phone: Home or Cell

6 PAGE 6 MINNESOTA SOUTH DISTRICT WOMEN ON A MISSION WINTER 2017 ISSUE PRINTED: November 2017 Mite Moment Because we are always looking for ways to collect more money for mites the Gospel Outreach Committee has decided to try something new at the 2018 LWML district convention this summer. We re having a silent auction! This will replace the Rocking for Mites activity. We are asking each zone to put together a basket of goodies. Zone presidents will work with their society women on a theme for their basket and bring it to the convention for auctioning. Work together, solicit donations and use your creativity! Baskets could include items that are famous from your area. Maybe you want a Bible story or verse themed basket. Consider including items from a skilled artist or an author s book from your zone. A Feeding the 5,000 basket might include a church cookbook and ingredients for one of the recipes. The Let the little children come to me basket may be filled with Christian children s books and music. If you have a winery or two in your zone a Wedding at Cana basket is perfect for you. The options are endless. If this sounds fun to you contact your Zone President and let her know you want to help. Start saving your money now because you don t know how high those bids will go. Let s work together and collect some mites so we can reach our goal! Joy Anderson Gospel Outreach Committee Member 2018 QUARTERLY SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM Please renew your Quarterly subscription now. Subscription rates will be the same as last year. The cost is $5.00 per subscription when 10 or more are sent to one address. If less than 10 are ordered, the cost is $6.50 per subscription. Please include all society information AND sender information as requested on the order form. This order assures that you will receive the Summer, Fall and Winter 2018 and Spring 2019 issue of the Quarterly. All Quarterly renewals or questions regarding your subscription should be directed to the LWML MN South District Quarterly Manager, Jeanne Ponto. You may contact Jeanne at or via to quarterlymanager@mnslwml.org. Please do not mail your Quarterly renewal check with your Mites or to the national office. Please send this entire page with your order. YOUR QUARTERLY ORDER IS DUE MARCH 1, 2018 Send this entire page Up to 9 $6.50 per subscription: # ordered x $6.50 = $ - - OR or $5.00 per subscription: # ordered x $5.00 = $ Add $5.00 Late Fee if order is placed after March 1, 2018 TOTAL ENCLOSED: $ $ Society Information Society Name Church Name Address Quarterly Should Be Sent To City State Zip Sender Information My Name Address City State Zip Phone Number Please send this COMPLETED WHOLE PAGE ORDER FORM and a CHECK FOR THE TOTAL AMOUNT (made payable to LWML MN South District) to: Jeanne Ponto LWML Quarterly Manager th Street Round Lake MN 56167

7 PAGE 7 MINNESOTA SOUTH DISTRICT WOMEN ON A MISSION WINTER 2017 ISSUE PRINTED: November 2017 Gifts from the Heart The Human Care Committee is excited to share the Gifts from the Heart that were chosen for the 2018 MN South District Convention. We have chosen three pregnancy and family services agencies within the Whitewater Conference, hosts for the convention. They are: Grace Place Winona (Winona zone) New Life Family Rochester (Rochester zone) 1 st Choice Redwing (Lake Pepin zone) We will be collecting Baby Kits as well as separate items for them. Baby Kits New: Baby Wipes*, flat packet Baby Shampoo* Baby Wash* Baby Lotion* Baby Comb or brush Onesies: NB 24mos. (2 or a package) Receiving blanket *Unscented is preferred All items should be placed in a 2 gallon food storage bag. ~ Please label with the Onesie size ~ Baby Kits...cont. Baby Supplies Separate from Kits: Box/Pkg. of diapers: NB sz 5/6, Pullups, Swimmers Formula Pack-n-Play sheets (new) Baby clothing: NB to size 3T (new) Christian storybooks Christian Lullaby CD s Christian tracts, devotions, etc. for new moms. We have also chosen Global Health Ministries as a Gifts from the Heart recipient. We will be collecting Hospice Kits to be distributed world-wide. Hospice Kits New or very gently used: 1 bath towel, not to exceed 48 long 1 wash cloth Please follow these directions carefully 1. Lay items on the towel and fold towel to enclose everything. 2. Place the wrapped items in a 2 gallon or larger Ziploc plastic bag. 3. Include note: Hospice Kit so that it is visible through the bag. Squeeze the air out of the bag before sealing. New items: 1 bath-size bar of soap, wrapped & unscented, i.e. Dove Unscented for Sensitive Skin 1 toothbrush, in original individual packaging 1 pick-style comb 6 Band-Aids, banded together 1 jar or tube of petroleum jelly, 4oz. or larger, lid taped 1 pair heavy-duty kitchen-type gloves, size medium Christian tract, Mustard Seed, etc. Through these Gifts from the Heart, we will be blessing little ones at the beginning of their lives as well as those whose lives are nearing the end. I would encourage zones to choose one of these GFH as one of their Spring rally Gifts from the Heart. As always, following the directions for each is important! Pamela Hunter VP of Human Care Memorials Received August 1, 2017 October 31, 2017 DeLoris Dunk Richard Graf-Peters Marlys Schafer Billy (William) Ernst Verda Templin Dorothy Koens Keith Mundahl Delmer Sturges Myrtle Lenz Loren Behrens Norman Vogt Ed Rettmann Madonna Stuedemann Darkebe Martens Hazel Lindren Ruth Krueger Delores Ische Lillian Rasmussen Leonard Gehrking Emma Rewerts Lorraine Peterson Florence Juergens (2) Robert Radunz (2) June Dahlke Evelyn Stueven (3) Jim Schwarze Dale Hamann Lawrence Linkert Irma Katzenmeyer Nathan Naatz Envelopes for the MN South District Memorials are available from Financial Secretary, Joann Rosenfeld. Please contact her at or financialsec@mnslwml.org if you need some. Memorials and bequests can be sent to Joann Rosenfeld at th Street, Arlington, MN 55307

8 PRESIDENT MARGARET HESEMANN Phone: VICE PRESIDENT OF CHRISTIAN LIFE DEBI MAHONEY-YLITALO Phone: VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATION WENDY GREINER Phone: VICE PRESIDENT OF GOSPEL OUTREACH DEB VINKEMEIER Phone: VICE PRESIDENT OF HUMAN CARE PAMELA HUNTER Phone: VICE PRESIDENT OF SERVANT RESOURCES KATHY ROSLANSKY Phone: RECORDING SECRETARY RUTH BADCIONG Phone: FINANCIAL SECRETARY & EQUALIZATION JOANN ROSENFELD Phone: TREASURER & MEMORIALS & BEQUESTS DARLENE FRETHAM Phone: NOMINATING COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN PATTI PIERSON Phone: NOMINATING COMMITTEE MEMBERS: CAROL HUBERT... DARLEEN HARENS KAY GOTTSCHALK... LINDA ZABEL PARLIAMENTARIAN IRENE MENSING Phone: ARCHIVIST-HISTORIAN LOIS MARQUARDT Phone: QUARTERLY MANAGER JEANNE PONTO Phone: DATABASE MANAGER SHIRLEY VOLK Phone: COUNSELORS REV. MATTHEW LEHMAN Phone: (cell) (church) REV. LARRY GRIFFIN Phone: (cell) (church) REV. ERIC NELSON Phone: REV. LOEL WESSEL Phone: MEETING MANAGER RENEE CHAMBARD Phone: ASSISTANT MEETING MANAGER JOAN LUEDTKE Phone: LWML STORE MANAGER JULIENE KLAUSTERMEIER Phone: CO-WEBMASTERS DELORES MCGILLIVRAY Phone: JOY ANDERSON Phone: COMMITTEE ON YOUNG WOMEN TRACY EICKHOFF Phone: KELLI LAVOIE Phone: WOM EDITOR DIANE FRAUENDIENST Phone: ENEWS EDITOR & ASSISTANT WOM EDITOR ROXANNE PIEPER Phone: WOM CIRCULATION MANAGER CAROLYN WAGNER Phone: HEART TO HEART REPRESENTATIVE KAILIA LO Phone: CONVENTION CHAIRMAN NANCY KOHRS Phone: ZONE PRESIDENTS CAPITOL CONFERENCE NE SUBURBAN: SANDY WYATT ST. PAUL METRO: BETH SCHUSTER CROW RIVER CONFERENCE ARLINGTON: DONNA WOLTER LITCHFIELD: LILLIAN KENT MANKATO: WANDA SCHWARTZ... MCLEOD: GLENDA SCHUFT... LYNDALE CONFERENCE ST. CROIX RIVER: RUTH ANN MOLDENHAUER SE SUBURBAN: LOIS PETERSEN MINNEAPOLIS CONFERENCE MINNEAPOLIS METRO: RUTH HICKEY NW SUBURBAN: MADELYN KRINKE SW SUBURBAN: PAMELA HUNTER MINNETONKA CONFERENCE LAKE MINNETONKA: ANNA GERBER NORTH CARVER: RUTH BURY SOUTH CARVER: HELEN ANDERSON OWATONNA CONFERENCE AUSTIN: CHYERAL STOHLMANN... FARIBAULT: GLORIA KENOW WASECA: JUDIE WATERS SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE BLUE EARTH: JULIE EBERT PIPESTONE: LAURIE GIFF SHERBURN: CAROL HENNING WORTHINGTON: CAROLINE WITT WHITEWATER CONFERENCE LAKE PEPIN: NANCY KOHRS ROCHESTER: DOROTHY ZEMKE WINONA: KATHY KOHNER