Workers Together. An Publication of the LCMS Kansas District MARCH 2017

Transcription

1 Workers Together An Publication of the LCMS Kansas District MARCH 2017 Each article title is listed in the below and linked to the location of the article in this document. After each article there is a link,, which takes you back to the. So, you can scroll down and read each article or pick and choose from the. We welcome your comments/suggestions, sent to Shannon Oldham at shannon@kslcms.org. President s Office Call Updates Prayer Requests District Calendar President Lange Attends the Life Conference PCWC Sectional Papers In Preparation for Celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation 2017 The Just and the Justifier Reformation 500: Congregational & Circuit Events Educational Services 2017 KAIRS Teacher of the Year 2017 District High School Summer Camp KINDLE Christ-Like Servant Leadership LCMS Early Childhood Educators Conference Calling a Minister of Religion-Commissioned 2019 NYG Co-Coordinators Annual DCE Retreat in May Church Worker Care Team 2017 Educators Retreat in August Mission & Stewardship Connect to Disciple Engaging the Wandering Business Have You Filed Your 2016 Statistical Report? Kansas District Scholarship Aid LCEF LCEF Investment and Loan Rates Join the Y.I. Club New to LCEF- Earn 3% with ConnectPLUS Term Note District Office Contact Information President s Office Rev. Peter K. Lange, President: kspres@kslcms.org, or ext. 200 Tami Lierz, Administrative Assistant: tami@kslcms.org, or ext. 200 Missions & Stewardship Rev. Dan Galchutt, Assistant to the President for Missions & Stewardship: dangalchutt@kslcms.org, or ext. 222

2 Educational Services Jim Bradshaw, Assistant to the President for Educational Services: or ext. 200 Tami Lierz, Administrative Assistant: or ext. 200 Business Office Debbie Crites, Business Manager: or ext. 204 Shannon Oldham, Administrative Assistant: or ext. 202 Lutheran Witness Subscriptions Shannon Oldham: or ext. 202 Retreat Center Reservations Shannon Oldham: or ext. 202 Communications Workers Together, District List, Website Shannon Oldham: or ext. 202 Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) Jeff Maltz, LCEF Vice President, Kansas/Oklahoma: or ext. 118 Curt Loupe, Administrative Assistant/Promotions Director: or ext. 100 Call Updates PASTORAL CALLS Rev. Mark Lovett to Our Redeemer, Herington, accepted; installation 4/2 Rev. Ben Ockree to Bethlehem, Greenleaf, declined Rev. Michael Brockman to Immanuel, Hoxie and Immanuel, Oakley, pending Rev. Mark Boxman to Trinity, Garden City, pending Rev. Andrew Wehling to Immanuel, Tilden, Nebraska, declined Rev. Rick Twenhafel to St. Paul, Duluth, accepted Rev. Justin Panzer to Calvary, Topeka, declined Rev. Daniel Ramsey to Grace, Larned and Our Saviour, Great Bend, pending Rev. Harrison Parker to Our Saviour, Kansas City, declined SEMINARY CALLS SPRING 2017 Immanuel, Netawaka, Trinity, Mission, SMP Benjamin Vineyard Ascension, Wichita, Pratt Mission Plant St. Paul, Coffeyville VACANT CONGREGATIONS CALLING OR GETTNG READY TO CALL Aliceville, St. John Coffeyville, St. Paul Elkhart, Christ Garden City, Trinity Greenleaf, Bethlehem Kansas City, Our Saviour (Associate) Larned, Grace and Great Bend, Our Saviour Oakley, Immanuel and Hoxie, Immanuel Netawaka, Immanuel Topeka, Calvary Wamego, Mt. Calvary VICAR REQUESTS SPRING 2017 Beautiful Savior, Olathe Ascension, Wichita Risen Savior, Basehor

3 CALLING COMMISSIONED Bethany, Overland Park - DCE Messiah, Hays DCE Holy Cross, Dodge City - DCE Trinity, Mission (Shawnee campus) Family Ministry/Music Teacher(s): Trinity, Atchison; Hope, Shawnee; Bethany, Overland Park; Christ, Overland Park; Topeka Lutheran School; Holy Cross, Wichita; Trinity, Winfield; Good Shepherd/Marysville -Principal/Teacher COMMISSIONED CALLS: Katie Morgan, Prince of Peace, Topeka to Christ, Overland Park, installation (3/5/17) Principal Eric Pralle, Zion/Independence to Good Shepherd Lutheran School Association/Marysville - pending Prayer Requests Rev. Dean Von Stroh death of wife Betty Rev. Tom Van Duzer death of mother Debbie Crites and family death of her father Rev. Wally Friedrichs If you have a prayer request you would like the staff to pray over, please the request to Tami Lierz at tami@kslcms.org.. District Events Calendar Mar. 3-4: Pastors Wives Retreat, Herington Mar. 4: Adult Education Committee Meeting, Topeka Mar. 4-5: Teen Fellowship Retreat, Hesston Mar. 13: Guinea Task Force Meeting Mar : Teen Leadership Institute, St. Louis, MO Apr. 3: Board of Caring Ministry Meeting, Topeka Apr. 13: District Office closed at 2:00 P.M. Apr. 14: District Office closed Apr : Council of Presidents, St. Louis, MO You can find the full District event calendar at the District website, HERE. President Lange Attends the LCMS Life Conference in Washington D.C. Five members of the Kansas District attended the LCMS Life Conference and March for Life in Washington D.C. on January Pictured from left to right are: Curt & Debra Engelbrecht (Trinity, Wichita), President Peter Lange, and Rev. Jeff Duncan (St. Andrew s, Wichita). Rev. Duncan serves as the Kansas District s Life Coordinator. This is a volunteer position in each LCMS district to support and promote Christ-centered communication efforts concerning sanctity of life issues in service to the Kansas District, circuits, congregations and the efforts of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and the national or state federation Lutherans for Life.

4 PCWC Sectional Papers Attention all Kansas District Pastors: The Committee for the Professional Church Workers Conference, to be held October 8-10 in Topeka, is inviting for submissions for the break-out sectionals. The sectionals will be 75 minutes in length and should be pastoral / theological in nature. If you would like to present a sectional, your title (or at least a working title) and abstract MUST BE submitted to Pastor Mark Lovett no later than May 1st. This does not mean you have to have your paper written or presentation prepared, but only that you must have a working title and abstract submitted. LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. This is a great opportunity for the pastors of the Kansas District to sharpen their own thoughts on a particular subject, and do the godly work of preparing to teach. It is also a wonderful opportunity to share ideas and thoughts with other pastors; to open together the Word of God and strengthen one another. Please consider it. The Just and the Justifier by the Rev. James Bender, Faith Lutheran Church, Topeka, Kansas In recognition of the 500th anniversary year of the Reformation in 2017, the LCMS Kansas District Board of Education has commissioned brief articles for inclusion in Workers Together on the Lutheran Confessions. The Board of Education brings these before you in the hopes that you, as workers in the church, might use them as a springboard for further study within your own congregation or school. What follows is the first of 12 such pieces. We pray that you will find it beneficial not only as a review of the Confessions, but also for the ministry in the place the Lord has called you. Salvation through faith alone in Christ this teaching, which is expressed succinctly in AC 4, is the chief and central article. On it the whole Christian church stands or falls. To justify means to declare righteous. It involves an external word, a declaration. It is legal and binding and not subject to appeal. God declares us righteous for the sake of Christ, without any merit or worthiness in us. Through the gift of faith we hear this Gospel and believe it. Jesus is the Just. Only He has lived the just life, expressed by His obedience under God s Law. This Obedient One comes to us rebels as one of us, truly human. His obedient and just life is offered to God the Father on our behalf. And this truly human Brother is also truly divine. Thus, all humanity is represented in His own obedience. True God. True Man. The only obedient one (Rm 5:19; Ep 3.3 and SD 3:9 a wonderful summary). He has lived the life we should have lived and has died the death we deserved. In Jesus life, death, and resurrection, we have been saved by the judgment of a just and gracious God. He is our Justification. An external word was spoken from this Man who offered himself as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world It is finished (Jn 19:30). What hope and comfort does this chief article offer us? First, it clearly defines the work of Jesus Christ for our salvation and makes very clear as in declaring it so that the work of your salvation is finished. Second, it offers us comfort in that it removes doubt and uncertainty over our salvation. Since it s God s work alone, and we can offer nothing to it, we trust that God has completed finished His work. There are no conditions yet to be met. Third, the more we settle into this blessed rest of having been saved, the glory of God and His riches toward us are made more apparent. God becomes not Judge, but Savior; and we become more blessedly aware of His grace and our daily sustenance in it through His Word and Sacrament. We rest in God and find our joy in Him just like you do at the end of hard day that has been finished. When [the chief article] is understood correctly, it illumines and amplifies Christ s honor. It brings necessary and most abundant consolation to devout consciences. (AP 4.2) Further reading Summary AC 4, SC 2, SD 2.9; Deeper Ap 4, SA 8, LC , SC 3; Scripture Rom 1:17, 3:9-21, 4:13-25, 5:17-19, 8:33; Eph 2:4-10, Gal 3:11, Heb 11 An index listing the abbreviations for the scholarly sources cited in these articles is available HERE

5 Reformation 500: Congregational & Circuit Events Is your congregation or circuit planning an activity or event to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation? If so, please share what you are doing with the Kansas District office. We are asking for this information so that we can help you publicize your event. Additionally, we hope that sharing information regarding your event might help others as they plan for ways to celebrate this milestone year of the Reformation. Please send the information regarding your event to Curt Loupe at 2017 KAIRS Distinguished Lutheran Teacher of the Year Mrs. Rebecca Denney (St. Paul/Leavenworth) has been named the Kansas District Lutheran Teacher of the Year by the Kansas Association for Independent and Religious Schools (KAIRS). Mrs. Denney has served at St. Paul since August, 1992, teaching at various grade levels (Gr. 5-8). She is a 1992 graduate of Concordia/Austin. The award was presented at the KAIRS Hall of Fame banquet on February 13. The Kansas Association of Independent and Religious Schools (KAIRS) is the state s largest organization of non-public schools. Now in its 46th year, KAIRS is committed to excellence in education and to maintaining unity within its membership and productive relationships with public school leadership District High School Lutheran Valley Retreat Summer Camp Camp at the Lutheran Valley Retreat (LVR) will be held July 16-21, 2017 in Colorado. It will once again be a highlight for over 100 Kansas high school students, as they focus on Jesus while being surrounded by God s creation. All the details are in the LVR brochure. If you have any questions about how your church can participate, please call Brian Amey at You can find the detailed brochure & registration form HERE. KINDLE Christ-Like Servant Leadership: A Further Explanation by Jim Bradshaw, Kansas District Education Executive In the February issue of Workers Together, I shared that I am currently enrolled in a continuing education process known as KINDLE. KINDLE (Karpenko Institute for Nurturing and Developing Leadership Excellence) is a non-profit organization formed in KINDLE s mission is to foster and multiply Christ-like servant leaders to enhance the ministry of congregations in their communities and the world. KINDLE s mission is grounded in PHILIPPIANS 2:5-8: Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (NIV 1984 and ESV) The KINDLE curriculum identifies strands and practices that shape the heart of the KINDLE program for developing Christ-like servant leaders. There are four strands in total. They are the big rocks the major pillars supporting Christ-like servant leadership. These four strands are: Cultivating Faith; Cultivating Health; Cultivating Individuals; and, Cultivating Groups.

6 Each of the fours strands has a total of five practices, for a total of 20. These are the defining behaviors of a Christ-like servant leader. Each practice has three outcomes, for a total of 60. The outcomes focus on the specific knowledge, skill and attitude needed for each of the twenty practices. A KINDLE Christ-like Servant Leader helps others to: CELEBRATE THEIR BAPTISMAL IDENTITY, Restored, gifted, called GROW MORE CHRIST-LIKE, MANIFESTING THE GRACE-FILLED MARKS OF OBEDIENCE, HEALTH, PURPOSE, COMMUNITY AND GENEROSITY; AND A reconciling servant in the world who follows the example that Jesus set FOSTER AND MULTIPLY THE GENERATIONS OF CHRIST-LIKE SERVANT LEADERS IN THEIR HOMES, WORKPLACES, CONGREGATIONS, COMMUNITIES, AND THE WORLD. Helping others recognize themselves, accept the role, and actively engage as reconciling Christ-like Servant Leaders wherever they may be. I will share more about each of the four strands in subsequent issues of Workers Together. In the meantime, if you desire further information regarding KINDLE, please contact me at the District Office, or check out the KINDLE website at The Kansas District LCMS Early Childhood Educators Conference The Kansas District LCMS Early Childhood Educators Conference will be held on Saturday, July 29, 2017, at Our Saviour Lutheran Church (4153 Rainbow Blvd.), in Kansas City, Kansas. The conference theme, Growing In Grace, will be presented by Angela Naeve. Angela is an LCMS music teacher, singer, songwriter, and VBS writer. She is a mother of four and farm wife. Children s ministry and family ministry are the focus for her music as she seeks to communicate the Gospel truths in a dynamic, fun way to impact lives for Jesus. She s been involved with a traveling music ministry for over 17 years. She and her husband, Russ, farm near Gilmore City, Iowa. Conference registration will open later this spring. Five State-approved clock hours will be available. Questions? Please contact: Donna Bottemuller - (816) Calling a Minister of Religion Commissioned (The Second in a Series) by Jim Bradshaw, Kansas District Education Executive Besides the calling entity, who else is involved in the Call Process? The district becomes involved in the call process when a calling entity seeks to issue a call, whether from the field or through the placement process at colleges/universities of the Concordia University System and the two Synod seminaries. The District President is the chief executive officer of a district (Bylaw 4.4.1). He functions as the ecclesiastical supervisor of all members of the Synod in his district, i.e., congregations and all ministers of religion ordained (i.e., pastors) and all ministers of religion commissioned (i.e., teachers, directors of Christian education, etc.) whose names are entered on one of the rosters of the Synod. The district president administers the call process within his district (Bylaw 4.4.3; also Bylaws [b]; ). The District Education Executive is usually the individual delegated and appointed by the district president and/or the district s board of directors to assist the district president in administering the call process for ministers of religion commissioned in his district. District presidents normally exercise their responsibilities in the call process through the district education executives. Source: LCMS Council of Presidents Manual

7 What can you expect from the District Office? Initial Pre-Call Meeting (scheduled with the designated call committee) Review LCMS Council of Presidents Manual Rubrics Governing Call and Placement Procedures for Ministers of Religion-Commissioned Explanation of calling options (First Placement Candidate vs. Candidate Already In Ministry) Provide a copy of the Kansas District Salary Guidelines Additional guidance to assist the call committee with the call process. Vetting names for call eligibility, if seeking a candidate already in ministry. Request the completion of Commissioned Minister Information Forms (CMIFs) for individuals from Districts. Provide CMIF search information to the call committee of the calling entity. Provide guidance to access the Concordia University System (CUS) universal placement application form (for first placement candidates only). Provide information to access call documents. Provide paperwork for the commissioning/installation to be conducted. Next Month: How does a congregation identify candidates? 2019 Kansas District National Youth Gathering Co-Coordinators The District Board of Education affirmed the appointments of DCE Kate Soeken (St. John/Ellinwood) and DCE Amanda Adams (Christ/Topeka) as the 2019 Kansas District National Youth Gathering (NYG) Co-coordinators. Soeken served as Co-coordinator for the 2016 NYG in New Orleans. Adams was the District NYG Coordinator while she served in her previous parish in Montana. The 2019 NYG will be held July in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Annual Kansas District Directors of Christian Education Retreat Annual Kansas District Directors of Christian Education (DCE and DCE Types) Retreat Dates: Monday, May 1 (2 p.m.) - Wednesday, May 3 (Noon) Location: Retreat Center/Herington Theme: Burning Hearts, based on Luke 24:13-35 (The Road to Emmaus) Cost: $45.00 Hosts: Topeka DCE Cluster Digital registration will be online. Church Worker Care Team by DCE Jeremy Pera, Chair, Kansas District Board of Education The Children s and Family Life Committee met with the newly appointed Church Worker Care Team at the District Office on January 19 to process research from the Church Worker Needs Survey, conducted in early Glenn Gritzon, lead researcher, was asked to reference Kansas only data and present the most urgent needs of Kansas Church Workers as well as suggest possible resources and types of interventions based on the survey. The committees spent an intensive day processing the information and eventually agreed upon a list priorities to guide further work. The priorities are: Increasing the practice of couple devotional and prayer time together; Handling conflict in a more Christ-like manner leading to confession and absolution; and, Preparing for and managing life-transitions, such as retirement and the like. Each of these priorities has a knowledge, attitude and skill component. The survey is also very helpful in designing a means of delivery. Church workers are not a monolithic group; we are quite segmented. Interventions will have to take a number of these factors into account.

8 These teams will meet again on March 23 to produce action plans to address the priorities listed above, based upon a wealth of data which will direct the course of our next steps Educators Retreat, Innsbrook, MO on August Educator's Retreat Innsbrook Resort August Innsbrook, MO Grace Place Wellness is pleased to announce a get-away weekend designed just for Lutheran teachers and their spouses, August 11-13, 2017 at scenic Innsbrook Resort, an hour west of St. Louis, MO. Refresh, renew and prepare for another school year by learning the secrets to a healthy, vibrant, and joy-filled ministry. It's your turn to experience the Grace Place Wellness Retreat enjoyed by over 8,000 LCMS rostered workers and spouses. A registration fee of $100 covers the cost of all lodging, meals and the wellness retreat program. Saturday afternoon is entirely free time to enjoy the amenities at Innsbrook. There are 16 spots available for this retreat. First come, first serve. Registration is now open at For more information, please call Beth McAnallen at or bmcanallen@graceplacewellness.org. Connect to Disciple Prologue by the Rev. Dan Galchutt, Mission and Stewardship Executive, Kansas District. The following comments come from Rev. Luke Brown regarding the Connect to Disciple module of our synod s ReVitality program. A facilitator for the program came, at no cost, to Rev. Brown s congregation in Ellsworth during the middle of February. ReVitality is a program that comes from Mark Wood s office at the LCMS. What is outreach and how can we do it more effectively? Those were questions I was asking. There are a lot of evangelism programs, but I like the Connect to Disciple program from the LCMS. Last year when I was pastor at St. John, Aliceville, my congregation was one of the first to go through the program. Some good things came out of it. So, one of the first things I did when I accepted the call to serve Immanuel Lutheran Church, Ellsworth, was get on their calendar for a similar workshop. The program has been even more developed since the first time I saw it, and I liked it even better. The program is encouraging and adaptable. No matter what a church is doing, the good news is it is doing something. And whatever it is doing can be tweaked to reach out to the unchurched in the neighborhood and community. I believe this program is helpful in defining outreach and focusing efforts in outreach. I have found it to be flexible as we adapt it to the context of our local congregation. We are to do what God gives us to do, but ultimately results are up to the Holy Spirit. I believe that God will bless our efforts often in ways we don t expect and probably far better than anything we could ask for. I also like the workshop on personal evangelism, Everyone His Witness, and hope to schedule it soon.

9 Engaging the Wandering Workshop in Humboldt On Saturday, January 21, people from all over Kansas came to St. Peter s Lutheran Church in Humboldt. The reason for the gathering was a workshop entitled Engaging the Wandering. This workshop is offered by our Synod s Rural and Small Town Mission. While geared toward congregations in communities with 15,000 people or under, the workshop was attended by people from larger communities as well. Those who made the journey and spent their day at the workshop said it was well worth it. Rev. Todd Kollbaum is an engaging presenter and provides thoughtful material about reaching out to members of congregations that have wandered. If you are interested in this workshop or Engaging your Community (also offered by Kollbaum) you can make an inquiry at rstm@lcms.org or by contacting Rev. Dan Galchutt at dangalchutt@kslcms.org about hosting a workshop in your area. Have You Filed Your 2016 Statistical Report? The LCMS Office of Rosters and Statistics sent out detailed information to all congregations in January. The deadline to file was February 28th but it s still not too late to file. Follow the information provided in your mailing to navigate to the website at Log in with the congregation ID and password provided. For questions or filing help call (314) or Rosters.Stats@lcms.org. Kansas District Scholarship Aid Do you know someone pursuing a degree at one of our LCMS colleges or seminaries in professional church work? Are they in need of financial aid? If so, request an application for financial assistance from these Kansas organizations who award money yearly to students from congregations in the Kansas District. Kansas District LCMS 1000 SW 10th Ave Topeka KS shannon@kslcms.org Deadline: June 1, 2017 Lutheran Laymen s League Charles Friedrichs 457 Arrowhead Bremen KS kidsrit2@hotmail.com Deadline: June 1, 2017 St. John s Alumni Association Larry Junker PO Box 376 Winfield KS sjcaa1@cox.net Deadline: April Lutheran Women s Missionary League Kris Koops 2017 Hillpointe Place Dodge City KS financialaid@kansaslwml.org Deadline: June 1, 2017 LCEF Investment and Loan Rates LCEF Interest Rates Personal Investments LCEF Loan Rates Personal and Ministry Loans

10 Ministry Investments Join the Y.I. Club with a Y.I. StewardAccount Often we struggle to find the most appropriate gift to show our love to family and friends. What about giving a gift that continues to give? Consider beginning a Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) investment for your children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews. The investment will grow along with them, while providing funds for Lutheran Church Missouri Synod churches, schools, universities, child-care centers and other ministries to expand the Kingdom. Join the Y.I. Club with a Y.I. StewardAccount With an investment of just $25 to open the Y.I. StewardAccount, your young investor becomes a Y.I. Club member with special fun activities that grow with three different age levels. Y.I. StewardAccount Features: Minimum of $25 to open account Premium interest rate of 3.5% on balances up to $1,000 Savings grow with the child, but are accessible Checks and debit card available to custodian Debit card available at age 16 Interest compounded and paid monthly Make additional investments with checks or Y.I. Stamps For details, contact Jeff Maltz, District Vice President at ext New to LCEF- Earn 3% With ConnectPLUS Term Note NEW TO LCEF- EARN 3% WITH ConnectPLUS Term Note ConnectPLUS is for the new LCEF investor who wants to experience the over-and-above reward of supporting LCMS ministries ultimately helping to expand the kingdom of God. Realize not only the financial benefits that LCEF offers, but start a new relationship with LCEF, the financial arm of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Features of ConnectPLUS: Open with a minimum of $500. Earn a fixed rate on the first $5,000 (principal & interest) during the two-year term. Balance above $5,000 earns second-tier fixed rate. Additional investments of $25 or more allowed during the term. Available to new* LCEF investors only; one account per investor. At the end of the term, the funds remain yours to re-invest or redeem. Interest compounded and paid quarterly (March, June, September, December). For details, contact Jeff Maltz, District Vice President at ext. 118.