Lutherans

ENGAGE the WORLD

May June 2015, Vol. 3, Issue 5

Lutherans

ENGAGE the WORLD

May June 2015

vol. 3, no. 5

5
inspire
4 
5 
9 
15 
16 

Teaching the Faith to

Strengthen Congregations

The Secret Lives of Seminarians

From Foster Care to Adulthood

Mission Friends

Rethinking Educational Ministries

within Congregations

16
Engaging the Church in the work of witness and mercy across the globe in our life together.
LUTHERANS ENGAGE THE WORLD is published bi-monthly by The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod.
2015 The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod. Reproduction for parish use does not require permission. Such reproductions,
however, should credit LUTHERANS ENGAGE THE WORLD as a source. Print editions are sent to LCMS donors, rostered workers and
missionaries. An online version is available (lcms.org/lutheransengage). To receive the print edition, we invite you to make a financial
gift for LCMS global witness and mercy work. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are property of the LCMS.
888-THE LCMS (843-5267)
lcms.org

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001
by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

inform

engage

2
10
12 

DELIVERING THE FAITH

10 Questions

I found it necessary to write appealing to you to

contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to
the saints. (Jude 1:3)

Global Seminary Initiative

First Graduations Take Place at

LCMS-Supported Tanzania Center

Its who we are. Its what we do best. In this issue of

Lutherans Engage the World, were talking about how we in
the LCMS deliver the faith.
Confirmation, Sunday school, Bible class and vacation
Bible school are familiar in our parishes, bringing young
and old together to learn and grow in Gods Word. What is
delivered flows from and points back to altar and pulpit,
where the one, holy, Christian and apostolic faith is
proclaimed in Word and Sacrament. Check out our story
about how an LCMS parish has made education and
especially confirmation a top priority.
In our two seminaries, we vigorously prepare future
pastors and deaconesses to deliver the faith in the Synods
congregations and institutions. Almost unique among
American seminaries, our seminaries place a high value on
studying Gods Word in the original languages, along with
the careful study of Gods Word and Lutheran doctrine and
instruction in applying these things to the care of souls.

12
involve
21

Strengthening the GSI, the Chemnitz Library Project

is making it possible for Lutheran seminaries and
seminarians around the globe to access and study the very
best theological commentaries, textbooks and resources.
Thank you for your ongoing support that enables Lutherans
everywhere to ENGAGE the world with the Word of life!
Take a few moments to read about the difference you are
making, by Gods grace, as the Church does what she does
best: delivering the faith that was delivered once for all to
the saints!

Tackling Gods Mission On the Cheap

S TA F F
David L. Strand
Pamela J. Nielsen
Erica Schwan
Megan K. Mertz
Erik M. Lunsford
Lisa Moeller
Chrissy A. Thomas

Worldwide, the LCMS is highly regarded for our expertise

in teaching the faith. The most common request from our
36 partner churches is: Help us train our pastors so they,
in turn, can teach the children of God. Through the Global
Seminary Initiative (GSI), we are meeting those requests.
Your prayers and gifts are making it possible for us to send
theologians to teach in partner seminaries and for the
best students from around the world to study at LCMS
seminaries.

In Christ,
Pamela J. Nielsen
Associate Executive Director,
LCMS Communications

executive director, communications

executive editor
manager, design services
managing editor/staff writer
photojournalist/staff writer
designer
designer

EDITORIAL OFFICE
314-996-1215
1333 S. Kirkwood Road
St. Louis, MO 63122-7295
lutheransengage@lcms.org
lcms.org/lutheransengage

Cover image: Ann Anderson

(right), director of Childrens
Ministries at Mount Calvary
Lutheran Church in Holdrege,
Neb., laughs with a student
during a Sunday school class.
PHOTO: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

Questions

10
with

Brookfield Lutheran Church (BLC), Brookfield, Wis., has

been revising and improving its confirmation classes and
other educational offerings since 1999. Director of Christian
Education (DCE) Mary Stafford answers some questions to
provide insight.

DCE Mary Stafford

by Roger Drinnon

1.

How were you led to this ministry?

I was blessed with opportunities to be
active in my home church, Mount Olive in
Des Moines, to grow in my faith in Jesus,
which shaped me as a person gifted with
leadership and administration. My calling
was affirmed in my undergraduate studies
at Concordia University Chicago (CUC),
as I looked for opportunities to use my
gifts. Ultimately, it was my personal faith
relationship with Jesus that brought me to
where I am today.

2.

How and where did you get the

necessary education?
I graduated from CUC with a dual
certification as a DCE and elementary
education teacher. I greatly appreciated
my studies at CUC, where I grew in
understanding of Lutheran theology and
especially the Bible.

3.

What are the joys inherent in this type

of ministry?
Being in the Word of God with the
opportunity to share the Good News with
others is amazing. Honestly, it is the joy
that fuels my tank daily! I am charged
when small groups of youth or adults are
in conversation over Scripture, sharing
questions, insights and reflections.

4.

What are the challenges?

The greatest challenge for all of us is ordering
our lives to remain centered in the Word while
maintaining a regular relationship with the faith
community. So much fills our time, our minds
and our lives to distract us from what is most
important in life.

5.

What about the revision to confirmation and

other educational offerings at your parish?
Changes in our confirmation program began
in 1999 following [a holistic] evaluation. What
resulted was an overhaul of the plans for
confirmation. Changes were made in the
goals, the number of years for confirmationbased instruction, the number of confirmation/
celebration events, the handling of first
communion, the timetable for implementation, etc.

6.

Are there any notable teaching approaches

you want to mention?
Life in Jesus Youth. The program comprehensively
covers the developmental years of our youth in
order to achieve long-term results. Besides
Sunday mornings, the program also includes
personal spiritual activities, servant trips, a
mission trip, discipleship events, personal
testimonies, service opportunities in the church,
Bible/catechism study and memorization,
mentoring, and supporting youth fellowship
and ministry activities.


DCE Mary Stafford leads a small-group class
for parents of teens preparing for testimony
at Brookfield Lutheran Church.

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

MayJune 2015

lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

nform

7.

 hats the rationale behind your

W
teaching methods and the
curriculum used?
First is the concept of disciples. Nurturing
disciples is different than taking a class or
learning a teaching. It involves the headto-heart connection that shapes a person.
Second is supporting parents in their biblical
role of being the primary faith nurturers in
a childs life. Credibility increases when
a student hears a consistent message at
home and at church. Third is our emphasis
on relationships. We intentionally work
to build relationships in every aspect
of ministry.

8.

Do you employ any special teaching or

learning concepts?
In our youth program, we have four master
teachers who are each training up an
additional master teacher successor in
a two-year curriculum for a particular
level. Students gather in small groups
of peers with an adult small-group leader,
who mentors and guides discussions to
deeper relevance.

9.

How do you compare your parish

education now to 10 years ago?
Our approach to discipleship started in 1999
with Pastor Al Klatt, before my tenure at
BLC. He had a vision to develop followers
of Jesus who grew in faith nurtured by their
family, supported by their church community
and mentored by master teachers and
small-group leaders. I came on board in
2004. My role was to put the process into
motion, train up leaders, communicate with
families and leaders, and monitor the needs
of youth to continue to focus on relevancy.

10.

How do you compare your youth

education now to what you had
as a youth?
In many ways, what we have developed
at BLC is not new. We strive to encourage
believers at all ages to remember we grow
as disciples of Jesus our entire lives. As
disciples, we learn how to share our faith
every day in simple ways.
Roger Drinnon is manager of Editorial
Services for LCMS Communications.

PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

View photos from Brookfield Lutheran

Church: lcms.org/photo/brookfield2015



Children make crosses from palm
fronds during a hands-on activity
at Brookfield Lutheran Church.

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MayJune 2015

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Go therefore and make disciples of all

nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe
all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always,
to the end of the age.

nspire

nspire

(Matt. 28:1920)

ur Lord always keeps two things together: baptizing and

teaching. One doesnt go on without the other. This is still
the pattern in the life of the church. First baptize, then teach.
This issue of Lutherans Engage the World focuses on the topic
of parish education the content of the faith, the teaching and
sharing of the faith with the next generation. Why is this done?
How is this done? Who does it? What does it look like at home and
around the world?
In recent years, a few lone voices have lamented that Christian
education has taken a back seat in too many congregations. All the
way back in the 1990s, the LCMS concluded that if a congregation
seeks to strengthen its impact on faith and loyalty, involving
members of all ages in quality Christian education is essential.
A recent study conducted jointly by the Institute for Religious
Education at Concordia University, Nebraska and the LCMS Office
of National Mission is giving further clarity to the relationship
between strong Christian education and healthy congregations.
As we talk about the health and vitality of congregations, the
importance of the role of Christian education cannot be overstated.

The task of teaching in the church is given to the pastor, but not
the pastor alone. Each of us, in our daily vocations and stations of
life, has a role to play in teaching the faith to those placed into our
care. The LCMS has a long and rich history of pastors who are strong
teachers pastors who are well-trained and equipped to teach the
Word of God to children and adults. But there are even more. We
rejoice in Lutheran educators who not only teach core academic
subjects but also the faith in our day schools. We have been
blessed with directors of Christian education who are uniquely
trained to help lead and support the work of teaching the faith in
our congregations.
As the entire church talks about revitalizing and strengthening
congregations, lets keep Christian education as a critical part of
those conversations.

In His name,
Rev. Bart Day
Executive Director, LCMS Office of National Mission


Members chat during fellowship time at Living Faith
Lutheran Church in Cumming, Ga.

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PHOTO: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

Teaching the Faith

to Strengthen
Congregations

Seminarian Jacob Benson chats over coffee at

Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind.

nspire

Secret
Lives

es a Clark Kent look-alike, a

millennial from Worland, Wyo., who likes
comics and wont turn down a cup of good
coffee. His name is Jacob Benson, and hes studying
to be a pastor at Concordia Theological Seminary,
Fort Wayne, Ind.
Benson considered becoming a pastor while in
college, where he noticed that religious movements,
especially Christianity, were compartmentalized to the
point that the voices of actual adherents were muffled.
He expressed his frustration to his father, along
with his desire to blend true theological dialogue with
teaching and mercy work. He told me that sounded
a lot like being a pastor, and I told him that was the
stupidest thing Id ever heard, Benson recalls. Two
years later, Im at the seminary.
The Rev. Marcus Zill, director of LCMS U, the
Synods campus-ministry arm, also was formative in
Bensons life. When we first met, Benson recalls, I
had shoulder-length dreadlocks and would rather
debate whether or not Paul actually wrote the letter to
the Ephesians than hear anything he had to say about
Jesus or the Church.
But Zill slowly shepherded me back to orthodoxy
and, in the process, became like an older brother to

PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

The

by Adriane Heins

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MayJune 2015

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Seminarian Jacob Benson studies

at Concordia Theological Seminarys
Walther Library.

me . The patience he showed in dealing

with my ignorance, unbelief and apathy was
the exact loving kindness that a shepherd
should show to his flock.

Intense and Rewarding

Bensons days are now intense but
incredibly rewarding. Structured around
the daily prayer offices, his seminary life
involves eating in the cafeteria, studying in
the library, doing plenty of coursework and
engaging in conversation with classmates
and instructors.
Theres no barrier between profs and
students, he says. The professors are all
ordained, and theres an amount of respect
that goes along with that, but because
theyre all pastors, they truly care about the
students and the future of the Church and
want to get to know us and care for us in any
way they can.
Even better than that? Seminary
formation intentionally shapes his day
around time spent in prayer and the
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MayJune 2015


Benson listens during class.

study of Gods Word. Placing worship

especially receiving the Lords Supper
alongside academic training for the Office
helps implant in us the idea that book
knowledge can never exist outside of the
context of a rich, Christ-centered devotional
life, Benson notes.
Its fitting, then, that his future
congregation and its members are among
those for whom he prays daily. I pray that

they will be patient with me, he says. I

know that my future congregation will have
a lot to teach me, especially in my first few
years out of seminary.
And he hopes theyll know one other
thing about him as a pastor, and all of his
classmates, too: Were regular human
beings, he says simply. We do what we do
because were motivated by the sacrificial
death of Christ Jesus.
lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

Every Day a

Sunny
Day
Joshua Palmer of Tuscon, Ariz., is, first and foremost, husband to Krissy and father
to Juliet, John, Charlie, James, Patrick, Joshie and Isaac. While his wife and kids, he says,
make every day a sunny day for me, it also seems keeping tabs on seven little ones will
suit him well for shepherding a very different kind of flock one day. Perhaps thats why hes

Palmer and his family.

Seminarian Joshua Palmer studies at

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

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Seminarian Joshua Palmer walks to
class at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

studying to be a pastor too, at Concordia

Seminary, St. Louis.
For Palmer, the desire to be a pastor is
simple: I basically cant think of a better
way to spend my life than spreading the
Good News that Jesus died on the cross
to save you from every last sin youve ever
committed, and that now you are fully
accepted as Gods child to bask in His love,
which will never change or end.
Palmers background varies from that of
some of his classmates. My mom and dad
raised me in a little Baptist congregation
that had a burning desire to spread the
Gospel all over the world, he recalls. We
had missionaries in all the time to tell
us about the progress they were making
translating the New Testament into the
language of some remote tribe in Papua
New Guinea. I like to joke that my mother
thought that the highest calling in life
was to be a missionary who was eaten by
cannibals, but a solid second place was to
be a pastor.
Together, he says, his parents showed me
how powerful the Word of God was, both in
their lives and by placing a strong emphasis
on learning and memorizing the Bible.
And the Word works. Now at the
seminary, Palmers days are packed full,
making him thankful for the uniquely
Lutheran education hes received.
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MayJune 2015

More and more seminaries in America

are no longer requiring that students learn
Greek and Hebrew, he explains, and I
think thats a real problem. Im thankful that
Greek and Hebrew were stressed during my
seminary career, as they help me daily to
understand the Bible better.
The other game-changer? Vicarage year.
You get two years of theological training
first, which is a necessary prerequisite
to shape your thinking. But then you get
thrown into the life of a congregation and
are given real responsibilities there for a
whole year, he notes. Its then that the
Holy Spirit can subtly teach you a thousand
things you may never learn in a classroom,
as well as the humility necessary to handle
Gods Word and His people.

Tremendously Humbling
And the day for this is coming. Palmers
seminary formation will soon be complete,
and hell receive his first call to serve the
Lords people.
It is tremendously humbling to think
that God will be working through me,
he says, using my hands to baptize His
people and to feed them Communion, for
example. God will be using me to proclaim
His Word. And He will expect me to care for
His people just as He does. Its a colossal
responsibility.

And yet, with that responsibility comes

great joy. Palmer is already looking forward
to teaching people about the Bible.
I love that moment when the Holy
Spirit suddenly makes a truth about God
clear to one of His people. Watching their
face light up is like watching the sun come
out on a rainy day, he says.
Its a simple joy, made all the more rare
by the fact that we live in a culture that is
becoming more and more hostile to the
preaching and teaching of the Gospel, he
says. I pray that God will guard and protect
the minds and souls of His people and I
pray that God will keep me from giving any
offense except the offense of the Gospel.
Single and married. Fresh out of college
and second career. St. Louis and Fort
Wayne. In and by both, the Lord is forming
and shaping His servants men like
Benson and Palmer for lives of service to
Him and to His Church. And as He does, He
reminds the rest of us those in the pew
that He really does do all things well.
Adriane Heins is managing editor of The
Lutheran Witness and editor of Catechetical
Information for LCMS Communications.
Learn more:
Concordia Seminary: csl.edu
Concordia Theological Seminary: ctsfw.edu
lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

MERCY MOMENT

nspire

From
Foster
Care
to
Adulthood
RSO Program Eases the Transition
by Megan K. Mertz

PHOTO: LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF THE SOUTH

very year, some 1,300 young people

in foster care turn 18 and age out
of the system in Texas. At this time,
they usually have to leave their foster home
and strike out on their own. But without a
support system, they struggle to become
self-sufficient and often end up homeless, in
jail or sleeping on friends couches.
In the summer of 2013, Michael
became one of this number. The young
man, whose last name is being withheld to
protect his privacy, entered foster care at
age 8 and spent the next 10 years bouncing
between nearly 15 foster homes and
residential centers.
After graduating from high school a
feat only 50 percent of youth in foster care
accomplish he went to college. But after
two difficult semesters, Michael moved back
to Austin, Texas, where he lived out of his
car and worked at a fast-food restaurant.
Every evening, he either moved between his
friends houses or slept in his car.
Thats when Michael heard about the
BeREAL Supervised Independent Living
program, which helps 18- to 22-year-olds
transition from foster care to adult life.
Lutheran Social Services of the South
(LSSS), a Recognized Service Organization
(RSO) of the LCMS, started the program in
September 2014 in response to a growing
need in the community.
BeREAL provides each resident with a
fully furnished apartment and a stipend for
utilities and groceries. A case worker helps
residents set and work toward short- and
long-term goals. Residents are required to
work, attend college or do a combination
of the two.
The program currently has eight residents,
including Michael, although Program
Director Sarah Crocker said they plan to add
about 12 more in the next few months.
This summer, Crocker also hopes to
begin a mentorship component that will
pair volunteers from Redeemer Lutheran
Church in Austin with BeREAL residents.
lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

Mentors will meet regularly with residents

to provide support and guidance in
navigating everyday situations, such as
riding public transportation, getting a
drivers license or opening a bank account.
Crocker said she saw the great need for
transitional services like this while working
as a social worker in prisons. She was
struck by the fact that nearly 90 percent of
the inmates she worked with had been in
foster care.
It makes sense to stop that cycle before
it starts, she said. We provide support,
hope and guidance before young people
enter these lifelong systems. This is the first
program of its type in Austin; theres no one
else doing what were doing.
In 2014, the LCMS gave the BeREAL
program a $30,000 grant. The program
currently relies on grants like this, although
LSSS staff members hope to make the
program self-supporting in a few years.
BeREAL also has formed an important
partnership with a company that owns
several apartment complexes in the area.
The company is lenient with the application
requirements for BeREAL residents and gives
the program a substantial discount on rent.
The program offers an opportunity to
truly serve the least of these, and it provides
the residents with the opportunity to hear

the Gospel of Jesus Christ, said Dr. Kurt

Senske, LSSS president and chief executive
officer. By working with these students
day in and day out, there are numerous
opportunities to witness through example
and by our words.
Were not only providing the earthly
hope of a productive life, but also the
eternal hope that only our Lord and Savior
can provide, Senske continued.
For Michael, the program has been life
changing. He now attends a local college,
and he hopes one day to attend law school.
Upon graduation, he will join the 2 percent
of young people in foster care to graduate
from college.
This program is probably the biggest
blessing I couldve ever received, Michael
said. My goal for the future is to continue
in school as planned, and this program
gives me the amazing opportunity to save
up some money . I feel like my future is
pretty bright.
Megan K. Mertz is managing editor of
Lutherans Engage the World and a staff
writer for LCMS Communications.

This program is probably

the biggest blessing
I could 've ever
received . I feel
like my future is
pretty bright.
Michael, a resident of Lutheran Social
Services of the Souths BeREAL
Supervised Independent Living program
in Austin, Texas
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lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

Global Seminary/
Chemnitz Library Initiatives
The Global Seminary Initiative (GSI) strengthens international Lutheran church
bodies by strengthening their seminaries, while Chemnitz Library Initiative (CLI)
focuses on enhancing their libraries.

RECENT CLI PROJECTS

RECENT GSI PROJECTS

KENYA
books, on-site assessment, staff and student training

GHANA
seminary building

ETHIOPIA
books, on-site assessment and consultation

KENYA
library expansion

NIGERIA
books, on-site assessment, staff training

ETHIOPIA
textbooks, kitchen/dining hall, visiting professors

TOGO
books and on-site assessment

RUSSIA
financial support

ARGENTINA
books and on-site assessment
RUSSIA
building library collection

LEARN MORE:
lcms.org/makeagift/gsi

PHOTO: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

SOUTH AFRICA
books, staff training, library reorganization

TOTAL GSI BUDGET:

$1.2 MILLION

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MINARI ES

INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS RECEIVED
SCHOLARSHIPS

I NA
R

LCMS SEMINARY PROFESSORS

AND PASTORS TRAVELED
OVERSEAS TO TEACH

NAL SEM

15

GIO

REGIONAL STUDENTS
RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS

M PROFESSOR

RE

127

E
SS

INARIES
EM
S
AL

LC

I ON

25

150+
STUDENTS
TRAINED
WORLDWIDE

C
SE

I N T E R N AT

OL

Cameroon
Ethiopia
Ghana
Kenya
Liberia
Madagascar
Nigeria
South Africa
Tanzania
Togo
China
India
Japan
Philippines
South Korea
Taiwan
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Peru
Venezuela
Germany
Moldova
Portugal
Russia
Spain

REGIO
N
AL
S

2015 LCMS

IE

SHIPS TO RE
LAR
GIO
O
N
CH

SC

ARSH I PS T
HOL

nform

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11

PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

nform

p Twenty-one new pastoral candidates prepare to be ordained at a

March 15 service of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. More
than 1,000 worshipers attended.

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F irst

G raduations
Take Place

at LCMS-Supported Tanzania Center

by Erik M. Lunsford

p Pastoral candidate
Frank Mdindi is ordained in
the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Tanzania.

anzanian Pastor Frank Mdindi isnt yet used to being called pastor.
On a Friday in March, he jotted notes during a church history class taught
by the Rev. Dr. Lawrence Rast Jr., president of Concordia Theological
Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. (CTSFW). The following Monday, by the grace of God,
Mdindi was ordained.
Now, he said, he knows how to stand in the
Lutheran church with the Confessions.
In a nearby thatched hut, cows grazed outside
while Deaconess Amy Rast, associate director of
deaconess formation at CTSFW, taught a group
of Tanzanian deaconess students.
Deaconess candidate Edna Shoo listened
intently to the lecture. She said she benefited from
the deaconess training and counseling and wants
to continue learning with refresher courses. Her
dream is to minister to widows and children in the
church because of her own experience as a widow.
Mdindi and Shoo are both students at the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania
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South-East of Lake Victoria Dioceses (ELCT

SELVD) Bishop Emmanuel Makala Training
Center in northern Tanzania. At the entrance to
the center, a young boy shepherds animals along
a field dotted with dazzling yellow sunflowers.
The Rasts, along with other members of
CTSFWs faculty, teach short-term classes in the
centers two-year training program. Although
the LCMS has worked with the ELCTSELVD
for 13 years, the partnership with the training
center began in 2013 when Bishop Emmanuel
Makala of the diocese requested CTSFWs help
in developing the program. The LCMS MidSouth District provides financial support for
MayJune 2015

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13

Equipping
Seminary Libraries

Deaconess Edna Shoo (right) is one of seven new

deaconesses commissioned in the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Tanzania.

the theological education of the pastors,

and funding for the training program is
made possible by a grant from the LCMS
Global Seminary Initiative (GSI). The Rev.
Dr. Timothy Quill, dean of International
Studies and associate professor of Pastoral
Ministry and Mission for CTSFW, oversees
the Tanzanian project.
The GSI is a special initiative for the
LCMS that seeks to fill the need for trained
pastors and leaders who are native to the
regions and cultures in which they serve.
Visiting LCMS professors and pastors help
increase the capacity of partner church
seminaries and encourage their faculties
and students. It serves as a bridge to emerging or established church partners, as they
build strong faculties of their own.
The initiative works in three ways: (1) it
awards scholarships for the top students
from established and emerging partner
church bodies to attend Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, or CTSFW for advanced
degrees; (2) it provides scholarships for students in other countries to attend regional
seminaries in their own areas; and (3) it
sends LCMS professors and qualified pastors to teach at regional seminaries around
the world and to hold continuing-education classes. So far, professors have taught
in South Africa, Siberia, Argentina, Chile,
India, Kenya, Lithuania and elsewhere.
Theological education is one of the six
mission priorities of the LCMS, and the GSI
is a big part of that.
The day after the Rasts lectures, Quill
stood in the towering Ebenezer Cathedral
in Shinyanga and spoke to the 21 pastoral

The Chemnitz Library Initiative (CLI), named after

the great Lutheran Reformer Martin Chemnitz,
is part of the Global Seminary Initiative. It seeks
to strengthen confessional seminaries around
the world by providing materials, expertise
and training, said CTSFW President Rev.
Dr. Lawrence Rast Jr. But its also about the
relationships that help make it possible to exist.
Its the spirit of reaching seminary
to seminary, library to library, to raise up
theological education, said the Rev. Robert

candidates and seven deaconess candidates, along with their family members
and other guests.
Today we give thanks to God as
we celebrate the graduation of the first
pastoral and deaconess classes from the
Bishop Makala Training Center, he said.
Be alert, study, keep on reading,
Lawrence Rast advised later at graduation,
reciting Martin Luthers words as he spoke
to the candidates. Truly you cannot read
too much in the Scripture; and what you
read, you cannot understand too well; and
what you understand, you cannot teach
too well; and what you teach well, you
cannot live too well. Believe me, I know by
experience! It is the devil, it is the world, it
is our own flesh that storm and rage against
us. Therefore dear sirs and brothers, pastors
and preachers: pray, read, study, be diligent!
I tell you the truth: there is no time for us to
lazy around, to snore and sleep in these evil,
wicked times. So bring your talents that
have been entrusted to you and reveal the
mystery of Christ.1
During the graduation ceremony,
pastoral candidate Lucas Mwigulu joyfully
accepted his certificate of accomplishment
from Rast. It was next to impossible to catch
him without a beaming smile all day.
When Jesus ascended and left the
apostles, and after then apostles became
church fathers, so now we are on behalf of
them, Mwigulu later said, reflecting on
his upcoming ordination. Through us, the
mission of Jesus will be fulfilled.
The next day, more than 1,000 worshipers gathered at the cathedral to watch as

Roethemeyer, CTSFW director of Library and

Information Services.
Roethemeyer and the Rev. Dr. Timothy Quill
have worked since 1997 with Lutheran seminary
libraries in places like Russia, Argentina, the
Baltics, India, Brazil, Togo, Kenya, Ghana,
Nigeria, South Africa and now Ethiopia. The
purpose of CLI is to strengthen Lutheran
identity around the world, while providing solid
theological education to the Synods emerging
and established church partners.

the 21 pastoral candidates were ordained

and the seven deaconesses commissioned.
Makala preached during the service on
spiritual nourishment through the body
and blood of Jesus Christ. Following the
service, he invited Rast, Quill, LCMS Office
of International Mission Area Director for
Eastern and Southern Africa Rev. Shauen
Trump and a group from the LCMS MidSouth District to offer greetings to the
congregation.
Thanks to the GSI, Tanzania is only
one of many places where the LCMS is
helping to strengthen the educational
opportunities available to future church
leaders and pastors around the world.
Not only that, but the LCMS is
preparing to reach out in mercy by
providing Tanzanian churches with tin
roofs, as churches often lack the funds
necessary to build beyond four walls and
the wooden pews, altar and pulpit.
We trust [the LCMS and CTSFW], and
we trust their theology as true, said Makala.
Now, they look forward together in the
journey of continuing education. Makala
said the theological education from CTSFW
cuts through the theological confusion all
around the world surrounding the Word
of God. For a church that is growing by
about 2,000 new people a year, Makala said
the education of church workers is of the
utmost importance.
Erik M. Lunsford is the photojournalist and a
staff writer for LCMS Communications.
View the photo gallery: lcms.org/photo/
tanzania2015

1 Martin Luther, introduction to Spangenbergs Postille of the Year 1542, Vol. XIV, Page 379ff. (From C.F.W. Walther, Third Sermon at the Synodical Convention, trans. Everette W. Meier, in C.F.W. Walther,
Lutherische Brosamen: Predigten und Reden (St. Louis: Druckerei der Synode von Missouri, Ohio, u. a. Staaten, 1867), Page 11.

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lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

WITNESS MOMENT

nspire

Updated Curriculum Explores Work in 35 Countries

by Megan K. Mertz

When I was about 7 years old,

said the Rev. David Preus, I
wanted to be a missionary just like
the apostle Paul in the Arch Book.

PHOTO: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

Now years later, Preus; his wife,

Jennifer; and their six children, ages
1 to 11, are preparing to move to the
Dominican Republic, where Preus will
serve as a missionary for the LCMS. His
work will include planting new churches
and supporting the growing Dominican
Lutheran church.
The Rev. Dr. Edward Grimenstein,
associate executive director of the LCMS
Office of International Mission (OIM), said
Preus story is not unique.
We have people applying to be
missionaries who are 30, 40, 50 years old,
and they still remember when they were
10, and a missionary came to their church,
and they got excited about missions,
Grimenstein said. They dont want to
be missionaries just because theyll get
to travel; they want to be missionaries
because they want to tell people about Jesus.
Thats awesome.
To encourage LCMS members
especially children to become more

Friederich

Tiko

mission-minded, the OIM is releasing an

updated version of Mission Friends, a free
program that explores the wonders God
is doing in proclaiming His Good News of
salvation to the world.
The program, which was originally
created in the 90s, is geared for fourthgraders, although it can be adapted for
younger or older children.
Through the updated curriculum,
children will learn about the 35 countries
where LCMS missionaries currently
are working. Materials for each country
include passages from the Bible and Small
Catechism; a story about the mission field;
a coloring page; games, crafts and recipes;
and a devotion for families to read together.
Thanks to assistance from Concordia
Publishing House, Mission Friends will be
available in two formats: (1) a digital version
for use on computers or other devices, and
(2) a downloadable PDF version.
On June 15, materials for the countries
of Latin America and the Caribbean will
be available. Materials for the other four
world regions Africa, Eurasia, Southern
Asia and Oceania, and Asia Pacific will
become available on a quarterly basis.

Gina

Eventually, Grimenstein also hopes

to add a pen-pal component to Mission
Friends, so children in the United States
can connect by email or Skype with the
Preus children and with those of other
missionary families.
By this summer, we will have 200
missionary kids on the field, Grimenstein
said. We want the LCMS to begin
supporting missions again by realizing the
sacrifices missionary families make. [The
pen-pal component] is one way to care for
our missionaries and their children.
Learn more:
Visit lcms.org/missionfriends for updates
about the June 15 release

Pinga

Join Friederich, T iko, Gina, Pinga and Pablo on a journey to learn about

mission work around the world. Pablo will introduce children to the work of missionaries
in Latin America, such as the Rev. David Preus and his family,
lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

Pablo and the Preuses

MayJune 2015

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

15

Rethinking

Educational Ministries
within Congregations

PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

by Roger Drinnon and Mark Blanke

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MayJune 2015

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 A father and son worship at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in

Holdrege, Neb. Nathan Birtell participates in a Bible study after
worship at Mount Calvary.

nspire

As we look for better ways to teach the Gospel

and the Lutheran Confessions to adults and children
alike, its no surprise to find the Bible helps.
esus was THE master teacher. He was
often referred to as rabbi, which
means teacher. We have more stories of
Jesus teaching than we do of Him preaching. He asked probing questions that were
focused on the life of the learner. He used
words and stories that His learners could
relate to and understand. He often didnt
give answers. Instead, He posed questions
or told parables that often left His disciples asking more questions. His process
of preparing His disciples was made up
of many service opportunities and life
experiences. He welcomed children to be
with the crowd as He taught.
Note how the focus is always on
the learner, not the teacher, to instill
a deeper level of understanding of the
Word. Modern educational methods are
beginning to echo this type of teaching
method for adults and youth.

lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

Luther and Education

Martin Luther also elevated the
importance of education and used many
effective educational strategies. The
Small Catechism initially was published
as posters that could be hung in a church
to help educate people visually. He
recommended the use of language that
could be understood by the learners. He
recommended a standard format for what
was to be taught, and he planned for an
educational process that was built on
prior learning.
Luther saw education as intimately
connected to the church, helping the saved
to live out their vocations. With the use of
the Small and Large Catechisms, Luther
sought to develop what we would now
call a scope and sequence for education
in the church using goals and objectives to prioritize learning. Regarding his
support and encouragement for education

in the church, part of Luthers preface to

the Small Catechism should provide a
good understanding of the importance he
placed on it:
But those who are unwilling to learn
the catechism should be told that they
deny Christ and are not Christians.
They should not be admitted to the
Sacrament, accepted as sponsors
at Baptism, or practice any part of
Christian freedom. They should simply
be turned back to the pope and his
officials, indeed, to the devil himself
[1 Corinthians 5:5]. Furthermore, their
parents and employers should refuse
them food and drink, and notify them
that the prince will drive such rude
people from the country. (Luthers
Preface from Luthers Small Catechism
with Explanation, Pages 248-249)
The line between pedagogy (child
teaching) and andragogy (adult teaching)
MayJune 2015

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17

 The Rev. Kenton Birtell, pastor of Mount Calvary Lutheran

Church in Holdrege, Neb., preaches during worship.

Young parishioners
participate in Bible study
at Mount Calvary.

is now blurred, as younger people have

the aptitude and appreciation for higher
learning methods previously reserved only
for grown-ups. However, this makes youth
education evermore challenging.

Confirmation, Not Graduation

One parish re-examined its youth
confirmation classes upon the realization
that after Confirmation Day, youth also
were graduating from the church
clearly not the intent of confirmation.
After many years celebrating the Rite
of Confirmation, we found that while
we had the pictures of our youth on our
wall with their confirmation gowns, the
vast majority had simply graduated from
church, said the Rev. Kenton Birtell,
pastor at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church
in Holdrege, Neb. Something needed to
change, so we started over. We wanted our
youth to live out the promises they made
in their confirmation.

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MayJune 2015

Parental Involvement Essential

Birtell said changes were made based
on well-defined learning objectives, the
need to look beyond confirmation and the
realization that parental education and
involvement were essential to success.
He said relationships among the youth
also were essential to youth learning and
supporting one another.
Teaching methods at his parish
include repetition, incremental learning,
multimedia classes, discussions and
placing some responsibility for learning
on the students.
Each summer, our junior high youth
attend Basics Camp, said Birtell. In this
camp, we teach the Six Chief Parts of the
Christian faith in a hands-on, interactive
manner. Each lesson has clear objectives
. We bring in guest speakers, and youth
meet with mentors, pray, watch video clips,
join in small discussion groups, build
relationships and explore the basics using
their eyes, ears and all their senses.

Birtell said parental involvement benefits

both youth and parents in the longer term.
Each year in the fall, our sophomores
along with their parents go through the basics
of the Christian faith prior to Confirmation
Day. This has been incredible, he said. Not
only do our youth go through the basics of
the Christian faith again, but their parents are
by their side. Then, when our youth are ready
to graduate, we go through the basics yet another time and work to connect them with a
campus ministry or new congregation as they
prepare for Commissioning Sunday. On this
Sunday, our seniors receive a special blessing
from their parents and are commissioned to
go and serve as the salt and light of the world
wherever they may be led.
A recent study conducted jointly by
the Institute for Religious Education at
Concordia University, Nebraska and the
LCMS Office of National Mission found that
effective educational practices dont just
benefit individuals; they also benefit the
churches that implement them. Children
lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

 A family worships at
Mount Calvary.

and youth were more likely to participate

in congregations that set written goals
for educational practices. More adults
participated if churches had teacher
training for adult leaders and if the church
articulated expectations for participation.
The Lutheran tradition is one that
elevates the importance of education. As
congregations look for ways to enhance the
ministry that has been entrusted to them, it
is worthwhile to consider the efforts being
made within congregations like Mount
Calvary as possible benchmarks. What steps
could be taken to enhance the effectiveness
of your educational efforts? Even small
efforts can yield benefits for a congregation
and its members.
Roger Drinnon is manager of Editorial Services
for LCMS Communications.
Dr. Mark Blanke is director of the Institute for
Religious Education, a professor of Education
and DCE program director at Concordia
University, Nebraska, Seward, Neb.
lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

Update

on the Explanation of Luthers

Small Catechism Revision Project
The 2013 Synod convention called
for a revised Explanation section
of Luthers Small Catechism with
Explanation from Concordia Publishing House (CPH) due to many
changes in the understanding of
morals, civil law and natural law in
church and society that have developed since the Explanation was
last revised in 1991.
In keeping with Resolution
3-13A, a drafting committee has
been at work on this project
for more than a year. A major
proposal of this committee, which

MayJune 2015

was approved by the LCMS

Commission on Theology and
Church Relations (CTCR) and the
presidents office, is that the revised
Explanation would feature a fourpart template for each section of
the Small Catechism.
An initial field-testing survey was
made available through May 15.
Next, a roughly yearlong drafting
process will begin under the
oversight of the CTCR.
Learn more: lcms.org/convention/
catechismexplanationupdate

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

19

Discover what it's like to be a

missionary. Have fun learning

about different cultures.

With Mission Friends, you
can download free coloring
sheets, quality educational
materials and find other fun
ways to open up the world
of international mission in a
child's life.
lcms.org/missionfriends

WORLDWIDE

The Leader in Christ

20

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MayJune 2015

Centered Programming
lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

STEWARDS CORNER

nvolve

TACKLING GODS MISSION

On the Cheap
by Mark Hofman
n the fall of 1935, my grandfather and
his new bride boarded a steamship and
headed off to South America. In the midst of the Great
Depression, few congregations in the United States were calling
new seminary graduates to be pastors. Grandfather had agreed
to proclaim Jesus and teach the faith in a foreign mission field,
lived as
attending to a community composed of seven small congregations
their neighbors lived, without
and six preaching stations in the mountains of Espiritu Santo, a
greater wealth or comforts. And their
province in Brazil.
firstborn son followed, graduating seminary and becoming a
He would be paid as generously as the local farmers could
church-planting pastor as well.
afford sometimes in currency and, at other times, with tangible
Today, the LCMS does not send its missionaries into the
goods. He was supplied with a sturdy mule, Duke, on which he
field under such conditions.
traversed the muddy mountain
Congregations expect welltrails. The parsonage, as my
formed pastors and missionaries
grandmother later told me,
Fear not, little flock, for it is your Fathers good
to carry the Gospel into the world;
had a dirt floor. Grandmother
pleasure
to
give
you
the
kingdom.
Sell
your
by combining our resources,
stitched together clothing with
possessions,
and
give
to
the
needy.
Provide
we are bold to pay the costs of
a needle and thread. There
those expectations. The national
was no telephone, no Internet
yourselves with moneybags that do not grow
office encourages and receives
and, at the time, not even a real
old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not
generous financial contributions
road leading to their home.
fail, where no thief approaches and no moth
to appropriately support and care
Grandfather recorded detailed
for official LCMS missionaries.
destroys.
For
where
your
treasure
is,
there
will
expenditures of precious cash
Gods people invest millions
and the resulting balance in his
your heart be also. (Luke 12:3234, emphasis added)
each year in the formation of our
journals, alongside the notes
future pastors. The national office
about his daily activities.
encourages those donations to
His career began at the
either seminary, or to both via the LCMS Joint Seminary Fund.
intersection of pastoral formation and missions. On his first
Some may believe there are less expensive ways to provide
ride through the 13 stations, a burial party appeared on the trail
pastors and send missionaries, and they are right. Like other
carrying a body wrapped in a blanket. Grandfathers first act of
church bodies, the LCMS could do it on the cheap. But why
mercy was to preach Christs own death and resurrection to those
would we? Are not faithful pastors and courageous missionaries
present, under circumstances where advance preparation for a
worthy of our greatest levels of generosity? They carry the one, true
funeral was impossible.
Gospel to others on our behalf.
In some respects, mission work in that era was done on the
cheap for those back home. The Missouri Synod did not wire
money to pay his salary. It funded their travel to Brazil and back,
when they returned in 1946. A world war prevented any temporary
trips home for furlough, yet they were comforted by other
missionaries and the few pastors of the Brazilian church. They
lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

Mark Hofman, CFRE, MBA, is the executive director of LCMS

Mission Advancement.

MayJune 2015

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21

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Burlington, WI
Permit No. 12

Two seminaries.
One mission.
The LCMS Joint Seminary Funds purpose is to form and
equip compassionate pastors for the proclamation of
the Gospel through Word and Sacrament ministry.
We thank our Lord for entrusting the LCMS with two
world-class seminaries Concordia Theological
Seminary, Fort Wayne, and Concordia Seminary,
St. Louis for this great task. May He continue to
bless His Church with laborers to serve and lead as
shepherds among His people.

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for

them, because they were harassed and helpless,
like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his
disciples, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers
are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord
of the harvest to send out laborers
into his harvest.
(Matt. 9:3638)

LCMS Joint Seminary Fund

lcms.org/jointseminaryfund 800-248-1930