DISTRICT NEWS. Leadership INDIANA

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1 / MAY 2017 DISTRICT NEWS INDIANA Leadership lot has been said and written about leadership over the years. Congregations also think about this and look for leaders and potential leaders as they carry out their ministries. Rev. Daniel May District President This issue presents several articles about leadership in congregations. Some will say that leaders are born. Still others see leadership as a skill that can be taught and learned. Finally, there are those who tell us that leaders are those who put themselves forward and want to be in charge. Moses did not see himself as a born leader. He had no training in leadership, and he certainly did not desire a leadership role. He was called by God, equipped by God and sent by God to lead Israel. There are people who have innate leadership personalities. However, innate leadership skills can be honed, and some technical aspects of leadership can be learned. And even a reluctant leader (such as Moses) needs a willing spirit. If you are leading and no one is following, you are just going for a walk and not really leading. If you demand that people follow, you will never be seen as a leader, but people may see you as simply bossy. These are the stages of the people of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt by their companies under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Num. 33:1 Pastors are servant-leaders who dearly love their flock and lead by example and by preparing a host of lay leaders. St. Paul reminds the Ephesians: And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Eph. 4:11-14 In our congregations we seek opportunities for everyone to serve in some way. We spend time equipping our folks to lead in a variety of ways. The LCMS and the Indiana District provide a variety of resources to aid in equipping the saints. It rarely works to ask people to lead in areas outside of their interests and abilities. When that becomes necessary, it is important for us to provide assistance for officers in a congregation. It is amazing how God blends the gifts in a congregation to accomplish ministry. Together we can do what none of us can do by ourselves. INDIANA MAY 2017 / 1

2 PASTORAL LEADERSHIP Effective Leaders Become Bold Witnesses By Rev. Mark Teike, Senior Administrative Pastor, St. Peter s Columbus The Pastoral Leadership Institute (PLI) is devoted to training leaders to effectively lead congregations so they can be bold witnesses of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their communities. PLI had its beginning in It quickly recognized the importance of pastor and spouse growing together and the importance of affirming the spouse s unique gifts and roles. Since that time, PLI has trained more than 1,700 pastors, their wives and other church leaders investing in them as key mission-minded leaders who can lead in our rapidly changing world. Guiding congregations through the regular rhythms of life together and leading bold new initiatives can be challenging. Young pastors, and well-established pastors looking for a tune-up, have tapped into PLI s Leadership Essentials learning community to establish or reset: The fundamental elements of effective leadership Their understanding of their spouse as an integral part of their team Their courage quotient in the face of conflicting demands Their strategic-thinking skills These leaders understand that humanly speaking, their congregations are deeply dependent upon faithful, godly leaders who can model and center mission and ministry around God s vision for the Church. They realize gentle but courageous leadership is needed to align people and programs around the fulfillment of that vision. They trust the Spirit of God for the fruit that might result. The PLI learning community journey is two-and-a-half years in length. It includes a total of five four-day immersion experiences that occur twice a year (about every six months). At the end of every immersion experience, participants leave with an actionable six-month plan to implement in their congregational setting. Each participant engages in regular video-based coaching huddles for encouragement and accountability. The immersion and coaching experience provide the right combination of instruction and interaction to provides the tools and lay a foundation for building a culture of mission in the congregation. A PLI Learning Essentials community will be hosted by St. Peter s Lutheran Church, Columbus, and Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church, North Royalton, Ohio, this fall. 2 / INDIANA

3 PASTORAL LEARNING & SUPPORT Learning Post-Seminary By Rev. Kurt Gremel, PALS facilitator, Indiana District We have all heard the word pals in common everyday language, but what does the word mean in regard to pastors who have just graduated from the seminary? PALS stands for Post Seminary Applied Learning and Support. This process or development lasts for the first three years of ministry for newly graduated pastors. In the process, these new pastors worship, study and discuss new ministry experiences in the presence of an experienced pastor called a facilitator. These facilitating pastors, chosen by the district president in cooperation with those in the PALS office in St. Louis, are from the district to which the new pastors have been called. The wives of the pastors are also involved in PALS. As we all realize, supportive wives are vital to a successful pastoral ministry. In a typical meeting, the pastors worship, study, and discuss the experiences they have had and will encounter. Materials, DVDs and workbooks present a cross section of areas of ministry a pastor will encounter. Crisis counseling, premarital pastoral care, pastoring the dying and funerals are examples of some of these studies. There are many different topics they may choose to study over the threeyear period. Each pastor receives a recognition for participation, and up to six continuing-education units (CEUs) are awarded at the end of each year completed in PALS. These CEUs are reported to the district president and become a part of the pastor s file. The cost for the PALS program is shared by all involved. The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod pays for developing program materials and training of the facilitators. Districts pay an assessment for each pastor registered in the PALS program. The congregations are asked to reimburse travel costs involved with the meetings, and the pastors pay a $25 registration fee for each of the three years. PALS offers a great experience to help pastors grow in their leadership and development for the people they serve. SHARE YOUR NEWS! Do you have exciting news you d like to see published in the Indiana District Lutheran Witness? We d love to share your news and see photos of what s happening in our district! Be sure to send in your submissions, especially if you enjoy writing or taking photos at church events. The deadline for the August issue of The Lutheran Witness is June 12. Your stories and photos are welcomed and most appreciated. Please send all submissions to Jan Koenig at: jan.koenig@in.lcms.org or by postal mail to: Lutheran Witness Editor Indiana District LCMS 1145 South Barr St. Fort Wayne, IN Please remember that photos sent electronically should be in high resolution, with a minimum of 300 dpi. LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford The Rev. Luke Wolters (second from left), pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Wellsville, Mo., speaks during a panel discussion of a PALS Facilitator Training Conference in 2015 in St. Louis. MAY 2017 / 3

4 EDUCATION Teacher Licensure in Indiana LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford Commissioned ministers make up a large percentage of professional church workers in the Indiana District. Thirty-two of our 44 elementary schools and all three high schools have Indiana Dr. Jon Mielke Executive Counselor for Christian Education State Accreditation, and 38 of the 44 Lutheran elementary schools and all three Lutheran high schools are recognized by the state of Indiana as Choice schools. Teachers in those Lutheran schools must maintain licensure in their respective content areas. Having licensed teachers is required to administer ISTEP+ and IREAD assessments and for schools to maintain state accreditation. All Indiana District schools have achieved National Lutheran School Accreditation (NLSA). Teacher licensure is an indicator recognized by NLSA as criteria to meet for accreditation status. The Indiana District Education Office gives excellent assistance and guidance to teachers who need help in obtaining an initial Indiana state license or renewing an Indiana state teachers license. So commissioned ministers who are teachers in any one of the many Lutheran schools in our district know where they can obtain help to get the needed information the Indiana District Education Office! The Indiana Office of Educator Effectiveness and Licensing (OEEL) has a website dedicated to licensure, doe.in.gov.licensing, and the office has various types of licenses and various ways to obtain a license, and can explain which license is correct for Lutheran teachers. The Indiana District Education Office helps teachers in obtaining the right Indiana teacher license. We cannot grant licensure. But we guide teachers through the process and explain the necessary documents needed to apply for a license. Once teachers have a license, our office further helps by approving professional growth points that are used toward license renewal. In addition, our office maintains a good working relationship with the OEEL and will often communicate with them on a teacher s behalf for more complicated situations. Licensure is just one of the many important tasks that the Indiana District does to encourage and help our commissioned ministers in our schools. 4 / INDIANA

5 Improving Your Congregational Stewardship Ken Schilf Council of Resources The goal of stewardship ministry is to help God s people grow in their relationship with Christ. This is done with individuals within their congregation, using time, talents and treasures entrusted to them. The following is a list of Lutheran Church Missouri Synod websites that have a list of resources. 1. lcms.org Click on Administration/Education and then scroll down to Stewardship Education. There you will find resources, StewardCAST newsletters, and bulletin/newsletter content. promotional materials, liturgies, Bible readings, hymns, Bible studies and more. 3. godsstewards.com This site is for the Center of Stewardship at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. If you click on Resources, you will find 10 different categories on this topic. STEWARDSHIP May Prayer List Week of May 1 Missouri District Circuit 12 St. James, Marion Grace, Muncie St. John, Peru Emanuel, Tipton Zion, Wabash Mission: Campus Ministry, Fort Wayne RSO: Lutheran Child and Family Service, Indianapolis Week of May 8 Montana District Circuit 24 Holy Trinity, LaGrange Holy Cross, Shelbyville Divine Savior, Shepherdsville Good Shepherd, Bardstown Resurrection, Louisville Mission: Asian Ministry (ESL), RSO: Lutheran Foundation, Fort Wayne Week of May 15 Nebraska District Circuit 4 St. Mark, Medaryville St. Peter, North Judson St. John, Wanatah St. Luke, Winamac Emmanuel Wheatfield St. Paul (Denham), Winamac Mission: Asian Ministry, St. Paul, Fort Wayne RSO: Lutheran Life Villages, Fort Wayne 2. in.lcms.org Click on Stewardship and find, under Articles, New Stewardship Programs. There you will find two programs that are free and copyready that will give your congregation a three-week series emphasis on stewardship. They include Finally, I read the book Ask, Thank, Tell by Charles R. Lane. You can order it online through Amazon. The emphasis is on mission not maintenance and on discipleship, not membership. Week of May 22 New England District Circuit 8 Bethlehem, Fort Wayne Emmaus, Fort Wayne Mt. Calvary, Fort Wayne Peace, Fort Wayne Shepherd of the City, Fort Wayne Mission: African Ministry, St. Paul, Fort Wayne RSO: Lutheran Military Vets and Families, Fort Wayne Week of May 29 Memorial Day Weekend MAY 2017 / 5

6 EVENTS & CELEBRATIONS CALENDAR OF EVENTS Please add these important dates for both informational and exciting events to your personal calendar. MAY 1-3 Southern Pastors Conference Camp Lakeview Northern Pastors Conference Oakwood Resort JUNE 8 Musician Workshops Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne Phoebe Academy High School Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne 18-JULY 1 Christ Academy High School Concordia Theological Seminary Higher Things, Valparaiso 25-JULY 3 Church Interpreter Training Institute Concordia Theological Seminary JULY 9-12 LCMS Children and Youth Ministry Conference, Milwaukee LCMS Black Ministry Family Convocation Birmingham, Ala Summer Administrators Conference Brown County LCMS Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music, Concordia University Chicago SEPTEMBER Circuit Visitors Fall Conference Council of Presidents Teachers Conference Concordia Lutheran High School, Fort Wayne MAY BIRTHDAYS MAY 1 Eleanor Rodenbeck, 97 St. Paul s, Fort Wayne Myrtle Trubey, 94, Trinity, Hobart MAY 2 Margaret Moeller, 91 Heritage, Valparaiso MAY 3 Margaret Gutt, 92 Heritage, Valparaiso MAY 5 Doris Axtell, 93, Faith, DeMotte MAY 7 Alberta Duwe, 95 Immanuel, Seymour Pauline Zaegel, 95 Zion, Fort Wayne MAY 8 Fran Sapper, 93, Trinity, Hobart Kelley Porter, 90, Zion, Decatur MAY 9 Dorothy Darlage, 90 MAY 10 Kathryn Adams, 91 Trinity, Dillsboro Janas Brandt, 90 MAY 11 Bernice Freeman, 94, Zion, Garrett Lois Linker, 91 MAY 12 Oguerita McKinney, 95 Leslie Meyer, 90 St. John, Indianapolis MAY 13 Martha Rindahl, 95 Redeemer, Seymour Josephine Lawson, 90 MAY 14 Doris Loretta Hackman, 91 Immanuel, Seymour MAY 16 Lucile Hall, 90, St. Paul s Fort Wayne MAY 17 Kathleen Dickerson, 91 St. John, Indianapolis MAY 18 Mildred Krampe, 94 Neil Aase, 92, MAY 20 Donald Voelker, 92 St. John s, White Creek Edgar Baumgart, 90 St. John, Lanesville MAY 22 Ruth Dyer, 93, Redeemer, Seymour MAY 23 George F. Bremer, 90 St. Peter s, Fort Wayne MAY 24 Opal Foertsch, 94, Zion, Seymour MAY 25 Dean Bennett, 92 Calvary, Plymouth MAY 26 Madeliene Moody, 94 Redeemer, Seymour MAY 27 Fred Bieberich, 92 St. Paul (Preble), Decatur Harriett Facks, 92 Rev. Dave Graef, 90 Heritage, Valparaiso MAY 28 Mary Mellencamp, 91 Redeemer, Seymour MAY 29 Laverne Bernhardt, 94 Calvary, Indianapolis MAY 30 Geneva Braun, 97 Emmanuel, Tell City Bob Hegerfeld, 93 St. John, Monroeville Belated Birthdays APRIL 2 Dorothy Ellerman, 91 APRIL 3 Marilyn Roehrig, 90 Faith, Louisville APRIL 9 Dorothy Hehman, 95 6 / INDIANA

7 CELEBRATIONS MAY ANNIVERSARIES MAY 1 Mr. and Mrs. Jack Hayes, 63 Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Hockemeyer, 58, Zion, Woodburn Mr. and Mrs. Gaylord Sonner, 52 St. John, Lanesville MAY 2 Mr. and Mrs. Gene Baumgartner, 60, St. Paul (Preble), Decatur Mr. and Mrs Thomas Diederich, 58, Zion, Garrett MAY 3 Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Smith, 60 Immanuel, Avilla MAY 4 Mr. and Mrs. Roland Woebbeking, 60, Zion, Woodburn MAY 6 Mr. and Mrs. Wade O Brien, 62, Shepherd of the Hills, Georgetown Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Kruger, 56 Bethlehem, Fort Wayne Mr. and Mrs. James Kalinke, 50 Heritage, Valparaiso MAY 7 Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Mroz, 57 Trinity Memorial, Merrillville MAY 8 Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Leeper, 57 St. Paul s, Bremen MAY 9 Mr. and Mrs. Don Diekmann, 64 St. Paul s, Evansville MAY 11 Mr. and Mrs. Don Voelker, 70 St. John s, White Creek Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Minton, 60 MAY 12 Mr. and Mrs. John Myers, 66 Calvary, Plymouth MAY 13 Mr. and Mrs. George F. Bremer, 67 St. Peter s, Fort Wayne Mr. and Mrs. Robert Crowley, 53 Mr. and Mrs. Dick Howell, 51 Immanuel, Avilla MAY 14 Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Wortmann, 62 Trinity, Darmstadt MAY 15 Mr. and Mrs. Richard Kinser, 63 Calvary, Indianapolis Mr. and Mrs. Jim Kleiman, 58 St. Paul s, Evansville MAY 16 Mr. and Mrs. Willard Niederbaumer, 58 St. John s, Farmers Retreat Mr. and Mrs. Alan Collins, 53 Calvary, Indianapolis MAY 18 Mr. and Mrs. Erich Rensner, 60 Calvary, Indianapolis Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Peerman, 50 Our Redeemer, Evansville MAY 19 Mr. and Mrs. Roger Koeneman, 60 St. John (Bingen), Decatur Mr. and Mrs. Mike Hawkins, 52 Zion, Seymour MAY 20 Mr. and Mrs. Ewald Grieb, 56 Mr. and Mrs. Mike Snyder, 50 MAY 21 Rev. and Mrs. Richard Maassel, 57 St. Paul s, Fort Wayne Mr. and Mrs. Willard Brown, 51 Bethlehem, Fort Wayne MAY 22 Mr. and Mrs. Pete Reigert, 63 Mr. and Mrs. Chester Rust, 62 Immanuel, Seymour Mr. and Mrs. Karl Scheumann, 52 Mr. and Mrs. Dale Schuette, 52 St. John s, Farmers Retreat Rev. and Mrs. Paul Borg, 51 MAY 23 Mr. and Mrs. Don Brown, 53 Zion, Decatur MAY 24 Mr. and Mrs. Paul Luke, 59 St. John s, Farmers Retreat MAY 25 Mr. and Mrs. Ken Wiser, 70 Mr. and Mrs. Don Feagley, 60 Trinity, Darmstadt Mr. and Mrs. Louis Herring, 54 St. Peter, North Judson Mr. and Mrs. Ed McCoy Sr., 54 Trinity, Darmstadt MAY 26 Mr. and Mrs. Jim Walston, 63 Trinity, Dillsboro Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hackman, 54, MAY 27 Mr. and Mrs. Edward Nance, 56 St. John, Lanesville Mr. and Mrs. Bill Moree, 50 Zion, Garrett MAY 28 Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Schulte, 62 Immanuel, Seymour Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Wiese, 56 St. John, Indianapolis MAY 29 Mr. and Mrs. Bill Nash, 63 Mr. and Mrs. Everett Nass, 63 Zion, Decatur Mr. and Mrs. Paul Scare, 52 Mr. and Mrs. Fred Woodward, 52 MAY 30 Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Desmond, 64 Trinity Memorial, Merrillville Mr. and Mrs. William Gaunt, 64 Bethlehem, Fort Wayne MAY 31 Mr. and Mrs. Glenroie Pruss, 59 St. John s, Farmers Retreat Mr. and Mrs. Carroll Scheer, 59 Belated Anniversaries MARCH 9 Mr. and Mrs. Loren Grabner, 60 St. John, Monroeville APRIL 4 Mr. and Mrs. Tom Nolting, 58 APRIL 7 Mr. and Mrs. Stan Goeglein, 60 Zion, Fort Wayne APRIL 8 Mr. and Mrs. Donald Hoffman, 66 St. John, Monroeville APRIL 22 Mr. and Mrs. Leon Hackman, 55 APRIL 29 Mr. and Mrs. Karl Turmail, 62 MAY 2017 / 7

8 CELEBRATIONS Celebrating Installations! The Rev. Nathan Kramer was installed as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Hobart, on Jan. 8. Participating in the installation were, from left (front row) the Revs. Tomas Angon, Richard Boshoven, Kramer, Daniel May, Kent Wartick; (back) Patrick Kuhlman, Stephen Henderson, Gary Nagy, David Kipp, Juan Garcia and Richard Ungrodt. The Rev. Steven Voelker was installed as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (St. Marys Ave.), Fort Wayne, on Feb. 26. Participants in the installation were, from left (front row) the Revs. Herb Schumm, Daniel May, Voelker, Lesley Joe Fichtner, Thomas Ahlersmeyer; (back row) William Mueller, Dennis Goff, Theodore Taykowski, Jeffrey Springer and Roger Olson. Katie Retreat 2017 Recap About 50 wives and widows of LCMS Indiana District pastors attended the 2017 Katie Retreat in Greencastle Feb The retreat theme was Katie and Martin, in anticipation of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The keynote speaker, Jan Struck, entertained and informed the women with a monologue as Katherine Katie Von Bora Luther to begin the weekend. Lindsey Eggold served as Bible-study leader. The retreat is held annually at the Inn at DePauw University and offers a refreshing weekend of activities, including breakout sessions on a variety of topics. The opportunity to be with other pastors wives is one of the chief draws of the retreat. One participant called it an awesome weekend sharing with an awesome group of women the love of Jesus and the joy of being a pastor s wife. Scholarships are available each year for those needing financial aid to attend, thanks to generous donations from around the district that also help keep the costs manageable for all. Next year s retreat is planned for Feb / INDIANA