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TEXAS MESSENGER

TEXAS SEPTEMBER 2021 / 1

From the president

How blessed we were to gather in San Marcos for our dis-trict convention! The in-per-

son fellowship was encouraging and uplifting. Please accept my sin-cere thanks for entrusting me with the privilege of serving as district president for another term. It is a blessing to walk with you in faith, ministry and mission.

During the convention, a delegate asked a very good question. As the delegate pondered the reso-lution supporting our district’s prayerful efforts to send 500 new servant-leaders into 500 new com-munities by 2031 (the 125th anni-versary of the Texas District and a tribute to the 500th anniversary of the Reformation), he asked: “What is a servant-leader?”

It is a very good question and gets to the heart of the Gospel.

Some say Robert Greenleaf was the first to use this terminology in a 1970 essay called, “The Servant as Leader.” But long before 1970, on

the night Jesus was betrayed, He said to His disciples:

“ Let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.” Luke 22:26

The definition of a servant-leader starts with Jesus. Even Greenleaf acknowledged that he was informed by his Christian faith. As the ruler of all (Rev. 1:5), Jesus became the servant of all (Matt. 9:35, Phil. 2:5-8). Jesus declared boldly:

“ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

In Acts 5:31, Peter called Jesus “Leader and Savior” as he faced opposition. Jesus is the first and ultimate servant leader.

The moniker is then placed upon us as God the Father shapes our lives into the likeness of His Son. Rom. 8:29 says:

For those whom [God] foreknew He also predestined to be con-formed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.

By God’s grace and through the Holy Spirit’s work in baptism, Je-sus brings us through the cross and grave so that we walk in the new life He gives (Rom. 6:3-4). In our

vocations and ministries, we are made into servant leaders.

I pray that, over the next decade, congregations and ministries in Texas will send trained evangelists to develop at least 380 new evan-gelistic communities. I pray that, in the next 10 years, congregations and ministries will deploy new church planters to start at least 120 new congregations. I pray that these servant leaders will reach new gen-erations, cultures and locations so that as many people as possible may come to know and confess Jesus Christ crucified and risen.

It will be a joy to take this journey with you! You can find out more at txlcms.org (go to “Mission Move-ment” for support options in the drop-down menu).

Questions for reflection:Read Luke 22:24-27How do you fall into the trap the disciples did as they argued?

How does Jesus, the One who came to serve, redefine the way you steward your leadership positions, your congregation’s ministry and your vocational roles in life?

Prayer starter: Thank Jesus for humbling Himself to serve you with the gifts of forgiveness and eternal life. Ask Him to make your life that of a servant-leader like Him.

By Rev. Michael NewmanPresident, LCMS Texas District• txlcms.org • mnewman.org

What is a servant leader?

2 / TEXAS

TEXAS PARTNERS IN MISSION

STEP ONE: An individual opens a new fixed-rate investment of $5,000 or more and gives a gift of at least 10% of the initial investment amount to Texas Partners in Mission.

STEP TWO: Texas District Church Extension Fund will match the gift 100% to Texas Partners in Mission AND pay an additional 1 % APY during the first term of the new investment.

························· ············►

Texas Church Extension Fund and Texas Partners in Mission are pairing up to increase financial resources available for starting new ministries in Texas. Every dollar contributed to Texas Partners in Mission goes directly to support missions in the Texas District. Join the "Texas Two-Step" Program to increase your investment and double your donation. Take steps across Texas to share Jesus.

Your mission focus and self-sacrificial generosity are helping to share the Gospel of Jesus

Christ with more than 9,000 people each week through more than 100 missionaries in the

Texas District. Join us as we continue to follow Christ's call to ...

"Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." - Mark 16: 15

SEPTEMBER 2021 / 3

MISSIONS

The Scriptures are very clear that the

Gospel movement starts, mostly, with the downtrodden. The Israelites were slaves in the hands of the Egyptian Pharaoh. The apos-tles were ordinary men and not very learned, except for St. Paul. In the ear-ly days Christians were marginalized and scattered due to persecution, and they were not thought of very highly.

The early Christians did not have majestic buildings for worship cen-ters — they mostly met in homes. Except for the congregation in Je-rusalem, we do not hear of a large gathering of believers in the New

However, the religious establish-ment was not able to address the theological questions of the day. The establishment did not like what Lu-ther had to say, but the masses fol-lowed and the Christian world was to be changed in ways that Luther himself did not imagine. Research has revealed social movements be-ing bottom up and not top down.

Similar social phenomena are seen in the 21st-century North American mission context. While the estab-lishment and those with financial resources can have elaborate min-istry sites and programs, small communities and minority groups are deprived of it. The new gener-ation, as in Luther’s days, are also asking questions that the establish-ment has not been able to answer.

This recalls the fivefold offices of the church:

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. Eph. 4:11-13

This especially involves the role of the evangelist. When evangelists take their proper role in the mis-sion of God, small communities, as in rural communities, will not be deprived of the Gospel message be-cause of their size. And when that truly happens, a mission movement in the 21st century will take place even in North America.

For more information on the evan-gelist development, please call me at the Texas District office (512-926-4272, ext. 518) or by visiting txlcms.org/lay-evangelist-training.

Near downtown Del Rio, April 17 Photo: LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!” Phil 2:6-8 (NIV)

Testament. The movement of the Gospel mostly took place among the masses and not the elite.

Furthermore, the Gospel was not restricted by economics. It did not take a huge budget to gather a con-gregation. They met in homes and were led by tentmaker evangelists. The mission work of St. Paul was not extraordinarily expensive; he served as a tentmaker too. Paul did not wait for a secured budget to go to the mission frontiers. He just went with the blessings of a fledg-ling congregation in a foreign land.

The Reformation movement came about by a man who was dissat-isfied with the status quo. Martin Luther was an ordinary monk who was tormented by the religious re-quirements of a church that lost its way. The elite were satisfied with what the religious establishment afforded them.

Rev. Dr. Yohannes MengsteabMission Strategist, Area B

4 / TEXAS

LEGACY DEO

By Rev. Dr. Jerry KieschnickChief Executive Officer

This is the final ar-ticle of a three-part series, which was inspired by an arti-cle in the fall 2020 edition of Thrivent Magazine — “Fam-ily Finances: How to Have the Talk.” To read the full article, go to thrivent.com/magazine/archive.html and click “Fall 2020.”

Discussing parents’ finances can be challenging, both for parents and for children. Here are some specific topics to discuss, respectfully.

Retirement and investment accounts What are the parents’ sources of retirement income? Do they have enough? Who are the beneficiaries? Do they have considered charitable donations or beneficiaries through retirement accounts? Is there a financial professional with whom they work?

Healthcare expensesWhat are parents’ wishes for how

they will be cared for as they age? What plans do they have in place to pay for those expenses?

Powers of attorney for health care and finance Have the parents designated some-one to make health and financial decisions on their behalf in the event of their disability?

Passwords and digital accounts Where is this information stored? What should be done with social- media accounts at death?

Will or trustDo they have one? Does it state the parents’ most current desires?

Life insurance Is there a policy? Who is the own-er? Who are the beneficiaries?

Location of legal documents Are they digital? If in printed for-mat, are they kept at home? In a safe deposit box? Where? How can they be accessed when necessary?

Taxes If parents desire to leave assets to their children, do they have a tax-efficient plan structured for a

smooth and cost-efficient transfer of their assets?

Transfer on death Do these agreements exist, thereby enabling transfer of parents’ assets to avoid probate administration?

Final arrangementsHave the parents planned their funeral or memorial service? Tradi-tional burial? Cremation? Are their plans in writing? If so, where?If only one child meets with par-ents, with their consent share the discussion with all the family. Send an email summary. Have a group phone call or online chat. Allow siblings to choose any resulting tasks based on their own strengths and interests.

Though it might be initially un-comfortable, talking about finances with loved ones will hopefully add to your family’s peace of mind. And to yours as well.

Do it. Soon.

legacy deo. org

7900 East Highway 290 Austin, TX 78724-2499

info@ legacydeo.

org

800- 880- 3733

Family peace of mind

HAPPENINGS

AUGUST 2021 / 5

PASADENARev. Brady Blasdel was installed as pastor of Zion on Jan. 10. Brothers participating were, from left, Revs. Ralph Hobratschk, Matthew Brackman, Randy Ledbetter, Blasdel, Raymond Van Buskirk, Jonathan Petering, Jason Moreno and Lonnie Gonzales.

HAMILTONSt. John was honored to welcome its new shepherd, Rev. Aaron Kalbas, on June 13. Pictured are, from left, (front row) Revs. Bill Sager, John Heckmann, Tim Ochner, Ken Hennings (interim vacancy pastor) Aaron Kalbas, Michael Nemec, Don Muchow; (back row) Vicar Ryan Pennington, Don Poole, Curtis Schneider, Alan Abel, Gerry Harrow, Keith Reich (former St. John pastor) and John David Bergman.

ALAMOOn July 4, Vicar Carlos Sandoval was installed at Zion under the new specific ministry program Español/English (SMP-EsE) through Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. Shown are, from left, Deacon John Thierfelder, Vicar Carlos and Rev. E.B. Holschuh, Zion pastor.

6 / TEXAS

HAPPENINGS

ARLINGTONConfirmation was held at Beautiful Savior on May 16. Confirmands shown are, from left, (front row) Collin Brooks, Connor Mason, Edith Odom, Aurdrea Martin; (back row) Tristan Brooks, Tyson Brooks and Cooper Mason. Presiding was Rev. Weslie Odom.

NEWARKVictory in Christ Classical Lutheran Academy held commencement exercises on May 30. Graduate Kara Rohloff is pictured with Rev. Dr. Philip Schielke, Victory in Christ pastor. Kara is now attending Texas A&M University.

PLANOOn May 22, the graduating seniors of Faith Lutheran School celebrated with faculty, staff, family and friends. Pictured are, from left, Timothy Merritt, high school principal; Olivia Hitz, class valedictorian; John Merritt, class salutatorian; and Rev. Stephen Kieser, school headmaster.

WEATHERFORDOn June 6, Karsyn Rori Spitzenberger was baptized into the family of God at Trinity Lutheran Church. Pictured are, from left, Rev. Tim Fraker (Trinity pastor), elder Dustin Maschmeier, parents Kallie (holding Karsyn) and Rob Spitzenberger, Gianna Hale, Logan Hale, Ryker Spitzenberger and Kambree Smith.

DEVINEThe members of Divine Savior welcomed into their fellowship Randy and Lizbeth Gerber on June 27. Pastor is Rev. Randall Wehmeyer.

SEPTEMBER 2021 / 7

HAPPENINGS

HAMILTONOn June 20, St. John welcomed its newest member, Sloan ReAnne Reich, through Holy Baptism. In center is Sloan with her parents, Alex and Reagan. She is surrounded by her family, (from left) Stacy and Rev. Keith Reich, Jonathon and Emma Reich, Mattea and Riley Reich, Melanie and Rick Housden, and Abby Housden. Pastor Keith, who baptized his granddaugh-ter, is former pastor of St. John.

CENTERVILLEOn June 6, from left, Christian and Logan Tuley were baptized by Rev. Keith Bowman at Our Savior.

Siblings Jacque and Reagan Hunter confirmed their Baptismal vows and became communicant members of Christ on May 16. They are shown with Rev. Daniel Hinton and, from left, their parents, Dr. Marque and Amy Hunter, and grandparents.

Cali Michelle Penns was welcomed through Holy Baptism on Easter Sunday, April 4. From left are parents Terrell and Lyric, Pastor Hinton and Hubert Lingnau, elder.

ARLINGTONOn May 16, Rev. Dr. David Joeckel, emeritus, baptized great-grandchildren Hank Tobias Joeckel, Molly Kathryn Joeckel and Clayton Alan Skrove. Pictured in foreground are Pastor David and his wife, Judy. Behind them are, from left, Luke and Cameron Joeckel with son Hank; David and Reecanne Joeckel (grandparents) holding Mary (Molly’s sister), David and Kelly Joeckel, who are holding daughter Molly; Kenneth and Sarah Skrove with son Clayton; and Matt and Taylor Joeckel, sponsors.

LUBBOCK

8 / TEXAS

HAPPENINGS

PLANOOn June 6, the Faith Lutheran School high school choir sang the national anthem before the Frisco RoughRiders minor league baseball game. The choir is directed by Rebekah Roundey. A large crowd from Faith Lutheran Church and School enjoyed the choir performance and an evening of baseball, fun and fellowship.

SERBINSt. Paul Lutheran School alumni were honored for ranking in the top 10 of their respective classes at Giddings High School. They are, from left, Chase Oltmann, Kailey Burgdorf, Sophie Becker, Baylie Becker, Reagan Hinze, Ehren Mitschke, Malia Droegemueller, Emily Gruetzner, Emily Schulze and Carlie Weiser. In addition, Kailey was named Giddings High School Class of 2021 valedictorian, and they are all members of St. Paul Lutheran Church.

SEALY Grace Holtkamp, member of Trinity and Ladies of the Quilt Guild, made a variety of quilts for the new EMS Station. Grace is pictured in the middle, eighth from left.

SEPTEMBER 2021 / 9

HAPPENINGS

HILLSBOROSix students were confirmed at Christ Lutheran Church on June 6. With Rev. Michael Nemec are, from left, (front row) Lucy Cox, Jaylen Olsen, Kaegan Dentler; (back row) Wyatt Christensen, John Christensen and Sandon Tompkins.

COPPERAS COVEOn June 6, Immanuel mem-bers moved back into their beautiful sanctuary after a year-plus of social distancing, including meeting outside and in the Parish Hall. On this mo-mentous day, the congrega-tion also witnessed Rev. Dave Reedy confirm Hailey Crites as its newest member.

THE GROVEOn May 30, St. Paul received 32 new members through adult confirmation and profession of faith. Pictured with Rev. John Heckmann are, from left, Eric and Linda Rachut; Steven and Denise Blankemeier; David and Vivian Blankemeier and grandson Ethan; Lee and Jan Johnson; and Chad and Rebecca Burrow and children Elizabeth and Nathaniel. Not pictured are Savannah Clawson; Rance Rainer; Carrie Winkler Smith; Justin and Jenna Springfield and their children Henry, Jarrett and Mason; Sonya Shafer; Jim Stephens; Michael and Melanie Kunkel and their children Claire and Klein; Rev. Alan and Audrey Abel; and Kyle, Kayden and Kinsley Schenk.

Six of the 11 pastors in the Texas District from the Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Class of 1983 gathered for a photo at the district convention. Pictured are, from left, (front row) Revs. Allen Doering, Mark Dankis; (back row) Richard Pfaff, Donald Fraker, Craig Schinnerer and Mark Brunette. Not pictured but serving in the Texas District from this class are Revs. James Menke, John Davenport, Stephen Gallo, Chad Miller and William Reagan.

Pastors enjoy impromptu reunion

10 / TEXAS

TIES THAT BIND

These Lutheran friends of yours celebrated or will celebrate wedding anniversaries of 50 years or more.

Lago Vista, Christ Our Savior Edgar and Harriett Engelbrecht 62 years, Aug. 8Mike and Marlene Royer 54 years, Aug. 12Bob and Edna Henry 66 years, Aug. 13Leonard and Nancy Miller 61 years, Sept. 4

San Angelo, Trinity Dave and Janet Lange 60 years, June 10Gary and Edie Jones 57 years, June 14Andy and Sue Daniel 55 years, June 18Bill and Karen Pfluger 60 years, June 14Ken and Susan Baker 51 years, July 16

Devine, Divine Savior Andrew and Ethel Martin 52 years, Sept. 13

Klein, Trinity David and Millie Martin 54 years, Sept. 1Ben and Betty Frank 66 years, Sept. 2Neville and Yvonne Symons 51 years, Sept. 5

Conroe, St. Mark James and Jeanette Faske 61 years, July 23

Houston, Gethsemane Roy and Sharon Albe 64 years, Sept. 21

Georgetown, Faith Rick and Susan Schmidt 50 years, Aug. 21

Congrats!

Charles and Helen Conrad, members of St. John, Mansfield, celebrated 50 years of marriage on June 12.

Frank and Mary Strouhal, members of Trinity, Klein, will celebrate 66 years of marriage on Sept. 21.

Bill and Cathy Leimbach, members of Zion, Pasadena, celebrated 65 years of marriage on June 30.

Doyle and Barbara Cook, members of St. John, Hamilton, celebrated 65 years of marriage on Aug. 18.

Darman and Jane Wagner, members of St. John, Hamilton, celebrated 62 years of marriage on Aug. 1.

Glenn and Phillis Wiseman, members of Our Savior, Centerville, celebrated 63 years of marriage on June 14.

Ernest and Bernice Beisert, members of Christ, Loebau, will celebrate 60 years of marriage on Sept. 9.

Rev. David and JoAnn Cecil, members of Cross of Christ, Waller, celebrated 50 years of marriage on June 19.

John and Irene Zaruba, members of St. John, Hamilton, celebrated 64 years of marriage on Aug. 31.

Harold and Vernell Reich, members of St. John, Hamilton, celebrated 60 years of marriage on July 9.

SEPTEMBER 2021 / 11

TIES THAT BIND

Ron and Barb Schanz celebrated 52 years of marriage on Aug. 2. Lou and Martha Jander

celebrated 55 years of marriage on June 11.

Jim and Dianne Jones celebrated 54 years of marriage on July 22.

Robert and Virginia Warnsman will celebrate 53 years of marriage on Sept. 14.

Don and Ruby Wilson celebrated 57 years of marriage on July 19.

Rev. Marion and Marlene Parker celebrated 59 years of marriage on Aug. 18.

ST. MARK, CONROE

SHARE YOUR NEWS WITH US!

Send photos, stories and newsletters for The Lutheran Witness to:▶ txmess@txlcms.org▶ Texas Messenger,

LCMS Texas District, 7900 E. Highway 290 Austin, TX 78724-2499

Please be sure all photos are in color and high resolution.

SERBIN

Top left, Class of 1969, from left (front row) Linda Meyer, Lynette Wiederhold, Bonnie Wenke, Elaine Krause; (back row) Larry Kalbas, Stephen Kasper and Jerry Fischer.

Bottom left, Class of 1970, from left, (front row) Diann Pietsch, Donnie Krause, Gary Becker; (back row) Patricia Lehmann, Mary Ann Prellop, Joyce Hinze, Rachel Haberer and Michael Symm.

Below, Class of 1971, from left, Lois Kalbas, Lynette Schatte, David Schmidt, Jane Kalbas and Rev. David Symm.

St. Paul’s confirmations classes of 1969, 1970 and 1971 have been gathering for 50th anniversary celebrations, and the photos show those present for the reunions. The 1969 photo is from May 2019, while the 1970 and 1971 photos are from May 2021. The 1970 class reunion was delayed because of the pandemic.

12 / TEXAS

SCHOOL MINISTRY

By Dr. Bill Hinz Director, School Ministry

Our Lutheran school principals and directors have walked with their faculties and staff mem-

bers through a very challenging year, which also provided great opportuni-ties to minister to students and their families. Learning is always a continu-ous process for leaders guided by the Lord.

On June 2, our administrators and their marketing/admission personnel were blessed to be able to gather in person once again for a one-day workshop geared toward marketing, recruitment and retention, which continue to be a vital part of our school’s mission. It was a successful day of learning and collaborating.

Summer learning continued July 19-21 as our administrators gathered at Prince of Peace School, Carrollton, for our annual Texas District Administrators’ Conference.

Our theme this year was “Leading in Times Such as These” from Gal. 6:9 (NIV):

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

We were challenged by our keynote speakers, Dr. Steve Buuck, CEO of Faith Luther Middle School and High School in Las Vegas, and Laura Colangelo, executive director of the Texas Private Schools Association

(TPSA). An advocacy organization, TPSA represents the more than 800 private accredited, non-profit Texas schools in the state legislature and in Washington, D.C. In addition to our keynote sessions, there were individual sessions in which the administrators were able to enhance their learning.

Throughout our conference, we were blessed during worship, led by Rev. Travis Hartjen, church planting pastor of The Grove, Bartonville, and Rev. Anthony Ce-lia, associate pastor of Waters Edge, Frisco.

As we celebrate the 2021-22 school year, we as His ser-vants commend ourselves with conviction to the Lord’s direction in all things that we do — confident that He will equip us with everything needed to do His will and serve His schools and their students and families.

Oct. 3-4 Beginning Teachers Retreat, Camp Lone Star Nov. 8-9 Early Childhood Directors Retreat, Drury Plaza,

San Antonio Nov. 21-23 Educators Conference, Embassy Suites,

San Marcos Jan. 20-22 Early Childhood Educators Conference, Embassy

Suites, San Marcos June 8 Marketing, Recruitment and Retention Day,

Tomball July 18-20 Summer Administrators Conference, Austin

Our leaders press on

Texas District Administrators Conference attendees, June 2

SEPTEMBER 2021 / 13

CTX

Concordia University Texas (CTX) recently established the School

of Ministry within the College of Arts and Sciences.

While the School of Ministry is new to Concordia, the university’s com-mitment to prepare students for church vocations began nearly 95 years ago. Founded in 1926, Con-cordia was established to prepare young men for ministry in The Lu-theran Church—Missouri Synod.

“We want to give our church work students a chance to learn and grow together as well as opportu-nities to go theologically deeper in the classroom,” said Dr. Grant Carey, School of Ministry director.

Learn more about each program by visiting concordia.edu/academics/school-of-ministry.

About the School of MinistryThe new school houses the bach-elor of arts in religious education (DCE) program, pre-seminary studies minor and multiple certi-fication programs, including DCE specialist certification, Christian teacher diploma, Lutheran teacher diploma and Lutheran teacher col-loquy.

Through an interactive cohort model rooted in the Lutheran tradi-tion, students experience a unique-ly designed, rigorous curriculum that promotes deep theological discussion and Christ-centered col-laboration as members of the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27-30).

School of Ministry’s PrinciplesFive principles serve as the foun-dation of Concordia’s School of Ministry:▶ Fellowship

The School of Ministry is a learn-ing community composed of students who desire to serve the church. Students will take several classes together and participate in retreats, service opportunities and other events.

▶ Scholarship CTX holds students in the School of Ministry to a higher academic standard in specific coursework, including exegesis, doctrinal study, the primary texts of the historic church and the scholarship of the modern church.

▶ Mentorship Students receive one-on-one guid-ance from program directors, sup-port from internship and practicum mentors, and career guidance be-fore and beyond graduation.“Stu-dents learn from our outstanding faculty who have extensive parish ministry experience,” Carey said.

▶ Stewardship The school enables students to hone their God-given gifts while discovering ways to develop tal-ents in others. Graduates of the

School of Ministry will excel in using their unique skills and talents to serve and train others.

▶ Discipleship Students are prepared for the Great Commission of Jesus Christ to “go and make disciples” (Mat-thew 28). They learn how to spread the Gospel and equip others to do the same by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Support CTX church work studentsWe ask that you prayerfully consider supporting the School of Ministry. Your generosity will help students who plan to work in the church and the lives of those they impact.

To support the School of Ministry, visit concordia.edu/give. When making your gift, you can desig-nate the area you want to support, whether it’s the entire School of Ministry or a program within it.

Concordia launches School of Ministry

PRAISING CHRIST IN SONG: CTX students use their God-given musical gifts to participate in daily chapel.

To view upcoming events, go to concordia.edu/calendar.

You can also check out the Concordia Tornados schedule and results at concordia.edu/ athletics.

14 / TEXAS

CAN-DO

By Pat FickCAN-DO Director

One of my favorite questions from Rev. Greg Finke’s book Joining Jesus on His Mission is “How is God messing with you?”

I would have to say that God is really messing with me in trust and dependence. He has put a plethora of people in my life with serious health conditions — friends and family members with terminal cancer, incredible pain, debilitating strokes, dementia and difficult life or impending death situations. Where does one turn when the heat is on high? How does one cope when you feel like you’re losing hope?

I think we need a lifeline! A lifeline is defined as something on which to depend, or a rope or line used for life-saving.

I’ve been listening to the book Suf-fering, written by Paul David Tripp. The author, pastor, counselor and speaker shares how suffering took him by surprise. He was perfectly healthy, feeling fit and at the top of his game professionally one day, and the next he was tormented with 36 straight hours of excru-ciating pain, which led to kidney damage and six difficult surgeries during the following months.

As he discovered, suffering truly brings to light what we are trusting in. Do we trust in our health, our happiness, our relationships, our possessions, our occupations or our talents and abilities? When these good things are taken from us, do

we still trust that God is good? Suffering forces us to look for a lifeline.

Let’s look at Philippians for start-ers. The apostle Paul states that he has learned to be content in every situation.

I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Phil. 4:12-13

Did Paul really know hardship? I think so!

Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I

was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hard-ship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 2 Cor. 11:24-27

Paul learned that God is faithful. He will never leave you. He proved His love for you on the cross.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Phil. 4:19-20

Jesus truly is our lifeline on whom we can depend, our lifesaver.

Hold on to Jesus. Reach out to other Christians so they can pray for you, encourage you and walk through the valley of the shadow of death with you. Everyone needs Jesus: he way, the truth, the life — the lifeline.

Donations for CAN-DO Missions are welcome!Send to:Concordia University TexasATTN: CAN-DO MISSIONS11400 Concordia University Dr. Austin TX 78726

Or call 512-313-4332 to donate via credit card. Donations may also be made at can-do.concordia.edu

SEPTEMBER 2021 / 15

TEXAS DISTRICT CHURCH EXTENSION FUND

By Raelyn PrachtCEF Marketing Specialist

National Grandparents Day will be celebrated on Sunday, Sept. 12.Growing up, my family and I spent a month every summer living with my grandparents in Syracuse, N.Y. The house sits only about 200 feet from Lake Oneida.

As a kid, I had no idea this lake had an actual name. I thought it was called “Grandma’s Lake.” I also thought my grandparents owned the lake. How incredibly nice it was of them to share their lake with so many people!

Even though I eventually learned that they did not own the lake, I enjoyed thinking back on how generous I thought they were. Even though I was wrong, God still used it to teach me a lesson about being generous. I learned many other lessons from my grandparents as well, like how to catch tadpoles in their little pools and fireflies on the grassy bank.

On the same grassy bank where I used to catch fireflies stands a weeping willow tree. This tree was planted by my grandfather years before I was born. He planted the seed and watched it grow. It grew tall and with a

purpose — to provide shade with its graceful yet strong branches. All from one little seed.

Grandparents are gifted with special wisdom gained from their life experience and lessons they have learned along the way. This wisdom can be used to teach grandchildren how to be good stewards and how to be responsible with the gifts God has blessed them with — especially financial gifts.

There is an old proverb which says, “From little seeds grow mighty trees.” Grandparents can help their grand-children plant a little seed of only $10 and help them grow in the understanding of financial responsibility and wisdom. They can open a Flex Savings today for only $10.

Together, Texas CEF and grandparents can provide a savings place. Find out more at texascef.org.

▶ 7900 E. Highway 290 Austin TX, 78724

▶ 888-951-1233 • 512-646-1233▶ rpracht@ texascef.org▶ TexasCEF.org

Texas District Church Extension Fund

Get

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ages

16 / TEXAS

UPBRING

Upbring.org /UpbringOrg @UpbringOrg UpbringOrg

8305 Cross Park Drive • Austin,TX 78754

Can you remember when you realized what you wanted to be when you grew up? Samantha*, an English teacher at

Upbring New Life Children’s Center, can. Her passion for teaching can be traced back to her mid-dle school days as a student struggling in math class when her teacher, Mr. Keller*, noticed she was strug-gling and shared his wisdom. He never gave up on her and at the end of the year, Samantha was inspired to one day make the same impact as a teacher herself.

Since 2014, Samantha has taught English to hundreds of girls at New Life through the on-campus Trinity Charter School. Her support has helped students learn grammar, how to analyze a text and how to articulate themselves through the written word, skills they will continue to use long after they leave New Life. Some-times she still asks herself, “What would Mr. Keller do?”

Almost a third of a century later, Samantha and her

teacher reconnected online to discover that they both coincidentally had a heart for the girls being served at New Life. Both the teacher and his wife are passionate about supporting Upbring’s mission to break the cycle of child abuse and are longtime supporters.

Upbring believes that education is empowering and life-changing. Day in and day out, its teachers pour out their hearts and dedicate their time to empowering the girls and helping them achieve what may have seemed impossible, just like Samantha’s teacher once did for her.

Future doctors, artists, teachers and more fill the class-rooms at New Life — all because of the power of educa-tors and the generous support from donors.

To learn more about Upbring’s programs, please visit Upbring.org.

* The story is true, but pseudonyms and a stock image were used to protect privacy.

SEPTEMBER 2021 / 17

LUTHERAN OUTDOORS MINISTRY OF TEXAS

Lutheran Outdoors Ministry of Texas▶ P.O. Box 457; La Grange, TX 78945▶ lomt@lomt.com▶ 979-968-1657 • LOMT.com

v Sept. 3-5 Father and Child Retreat

v Sept. 17-19; Oct. 1-3; Oct. 8-10 Embark Confirmation Retreat (group registration)

LOOKING AHEAD

CONTACT US

Summer camp is behind us, but the memories made at Camp Lone Star are unfor-

gettable. Throughout the three months, campers were exposed to the truth found in the Bible and experienced what it means to be chosen by God.

We were blessed to serve more than 2,000 campers this summer. They enjoyed the Bible studies and activities, which were based on John 15:16a:

“ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.”

All of our songs, skits and activities were centered around this idea of being chosen and our prayer is that this message will stay with our campers their entire lives.

Our biggest week of the summer is Discovery camp, which is designed specifically for high school students and sells out within an hour of registration opening. For many of our campers, this is a highlight of their entire year. The main event during Discovery is an all-

day experience called Race for the Kingdom. The day consists of all camp activity games, such as basketball, canoeing, flag football, speed rock-climbing, Bible knowledge and many more.

Our campers are split into two teams, Gray Gladiators and Blue Boltz, and they compete to win at each activity. This day is filled with excitement and encouragement from early morning until night. While competition is fun, the heart behind this day is to learn and practice how to glorify God through the various talents and abilities He has given each of us.

Seeing this generation of youth take ownership of their faith and boldly speak about the impact this week has serves as a constant re-minder of how God is using camp ministry to impact and transform lives for the sake of the Gospel.

It was an exciting summer filled with lasting friendships and mem-ories! A summer camper described it best: “A wonderful week of pas-sion, pursuit and praise in God’s creation. Camp Lone Star is always a must in my summer!”

Passion, pursuit and praise — we cannot agree more with how this summer camper described it.

At Camp Lone Star, our hope is for each camper to experience and know the passion our Father has for them, and that they can praise Him not only at camp, but when they go back home.

We pray the message of being cho-sen continues to guide each of our campers and those they interact with throughout this year.

‘Passion, pursuit, praise’

v Nov. 5-7 Fall Blast (group registration)

Camp Lone Star▶ 2016 Camp Lone Star Road

La Grange, TX 78945

18 / TEXAS

LONE STAR DISTRICT LLL/LHM

Please circle Saturday, Sept. 25, for Lutheran Hour Ministries’ (LHM) fall program overview. This will be a free virtual event for everyone to attend.

The event begins at 11 a.m. (central time) and concludes at 2 p.m. There will be a break at noon for lunch. Churches are en-couraged to host a gathering and have lunch as part of the program.

Presentations will be made by LHM staff on various topics. Key speakers include Kurt Buchholz, LHM president and CEO, and Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, speaker of “The Lu-theran Hour.”

A targeted presentation on Households of Faith, a re-cently released program for individuals and congrega-tions to use for group study, will be given.

Register for the event at lhm.org/LLL2021. You will receive a link to enter the event. Click on it around 8:30 a.m.

to enter a chat with those in the Texas District, which will lead into the LHM national event.

How Christians order their days and connect with relatives and

housemates is a critical aspect of spiritual growth. House-holds of Faith, the second in a series of studies produced in partnership with the

Barna Group, presents a vivid portrait of the domestic lives of practicing U.S. Christians.

Households of Faith presents vital principles that strengthen followers of Christ, which ultimately strengthens the family of God. For more information, visit lhm.org/households.

The Households of Faith kit

Fall 2021 virtual event is Sept. 25

‘Where’s God in all of this?’Name the event … a hurricane, a flood, a large forest fire or a very severe snow storm. What do they all have in common? Death and devastation of many people.

As we well know, we just lived through a terrible event — a pan-demic. Most of us have never lived through a pandemic and some did not even know the definition. The result was the same — death and destruction.

The World Health Organization now estimates that total deaths from COVID-19 virus worldwide will exceed 3.5 million people. So as a Christian, you may ask the question: Where’s God in all of this?

Remember that we have a God who is beyond human comprehension, who is awesome and powerful. We

are tempted to think that a com-mon answer to suffering is that “you must have done something wrong” and God is giving you a wake-up call. But we have a perfect God who has a perfect plan for our lives. So how does this work?

We are all sinners. God’s spirit comes to Christians and reminds us that even in the midst of seemingly pointless suffering, God has a pur-pose and it will ultimately work for our good because God has called us as His children.

In Rom.8:18, Paul writes: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

For those of us who have faith in Jesus Christ, the worst thing that could happen to you today will ul-

timately seem like nothing when compared to the joy that eternity will bring. This is a comforting phrase to remember. Reprinted from the LHM booklet “Where’s God in All of This.” (2005 LHM, written by Joe Burnham)

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SEPTEMBER 2021 / 19

LUTHERAN WOMEN IN MISSION

Runningthe race

By Frances Molitor LWML Texas District President

I certainly hope many of you were able to virtually join in “Running the Race” with the in-person

delegation from Texas attending the LWML 39th Biennial Convention in Lexington, Ky. We may not have all “ran,” but we did plenty of walking, singing, serving, worshiping and visiting as well as taking care of the important business matters presented to the assembly.

The convention activities began on June 24 with servant events and other activities, booths from so many LCMS ministries and, of course, the LWML store, where many of us followed the request to “buy, buy, buy.”

Opening worship was indeed uplifting, as were the Friday, Saturday and Sun-

Convention reflectionsLiz Burnett (right) of Bethel, Bryan,

attended the Heart to Heart Leader training and received her pin from Frances.

Frances (center) takes part in the banner procession with district Young Woman Representatives (YWR) Ashley Figur (left) and Jessica Loc. The banner was designed and crafted by Betsy Martino of Hope, Austin.

See REFLECTIONS, Page 20

Frances and past presidents (from left) Peggy Turnipseed and Lois Teinert, and Debbie Curry (second from right) introduce and pin the 2021-23 YWRs, (from left) Ashley and Jessica. At right is Amanda Hankemeier, Committee on Young Women chairman .

Representatives of the Texas District delegation at the national LWML convention gathered for a group photo.

20 / TEXAS

LWML DISTRICT NEWS

2020-22Mite Goal

$377,500

Please include a remittance form when submitting your mite offerings. Send them to:LWML Texas DistrictAttn: Kathy Walther, Financial SecretaryP.O. Box 124Giddings, TX 78942

Mites received through June: $237,172

Mites still needed to meet goal: $140,328

Mission grants paid through June: $117,550

Send LWML news and photos to Joanna Roche, District News editor, districtnews@lwmltxdist.org.

lwmltxdist.orgSTAY CONNECTED

day morning Bible study, mission speak-ers, music and fun. And yes, what about our very own Texas humorist extraordi-naire, Abby Goehring? What a joy it was to watch her character, Marcy, banter and exchange lines with Gertie, por-trayed by an LWML favorite, Jan Struck. They make quite a hilarious pair!

The voting body adopted a $2.15-million mission goal for the 2021-23 biennium which, along with the abundance carried over from the past biennium, will by the grace of God fund 28 mission grants. To God be the glory!

Elected to serve on the 2021-23 Nom-inating Committee is our own Lois Teinert. Congratulations Lois, and we know you will represent Texas well!

Keynote speaker Linda Reiser, past pres-ident, inspired us to treasure our times on the mountaintops because “our hard work is in the valley.” So as we have now returned to the valley, it is my prayer that the mountaintop views we are bless-ed with can and will serve to fuel the purpose God has for each of us. Let us keep looking to Jesus!

More information can be found at lwml.org/2021-convention.

REFLECTIONS (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19)

The first Sunday in October is traditionally

set aside for the ob-servation of LWML Sunday, but it may be celebrated at any time.

“Our Hearts in His Hand” is the theme for LWML Sunday 2021 and is based on Peter’s first letter to persecuted Christians in Asia Minor. In 4:8, Peter tells them:

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly.

The heart of the LWML is its

members; our hearts have been made holy by God. We are fully dedicated to serving Him by serving His

church at home and abroad. Our

hearts for Christ are in His hand of service, wherever and when He has need of us.

LWML Sunday materials were authored by Rev. Dr. Dale A. Meyer, who recently retired as president of Concordia Semi-nary, St. Louis. To download, visit lwml.org/lwml-sunday.

Celebrate LWML Sunday

▶ Plans for the 2021 Rest and Renewal Retreat were still being made at the time of printing. Current information can be found at lwmltxdist.org/christian-life or by contacting your zone or group president.

▶ Deadline for mission

Please note grant proposals and officer nominations is Nov. 1.

▶ The LWML Texas Dis-trict 42nd Biennial Convention will be held June 16-18, 2022 in Hous-ton. The theme is “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” based on Lam. 3:22-23.

Texas District’s own Abby Goehring (right) plays the role of Marcy, who is taking some deep breaths as the humorous interrupter Gertie, portrayed by LWML favorite Jan Struck, had a new idea on sharing LWML’s mission — a “pot cast.”