Verna Weigand never envisioned working as a sign language interpreter. But then she married her husband, Dean, whose younger brother was deaf from birth. “I wanted to be able to communicate with him,” remembers Weigand. That desire led Weigand to take sign language classes. She quickly realized that although there are thousands of signs for everyday words and concepts, religious concepts like sin and grace, confession and absolution, were unfamiliar. That led Weigand to another realization: “I realized how many deaf people didn’t have a church home,” she says. In fact, it’s estimated that hea ..read more

The Central Africa Medical Mission (CAMM) has had a presence in Africa for more than 60 years—bringing health care and the gospel to the people of Zambia and Malawi. Altogether, the permanent, national-run clinics in those countries see about 70,000 patients each year. This year, CAMM—in partnership with the One Africa Team, WELS Christian Aid and Relief, and the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ–Kenya (LCMC)—had the opportunity to expand its reach by bringing a short-term medical camp to a village in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. During the medical camp in Kenya, patients received free ..read more

Christian parents holding their newborn baby are overwhelmed with emotions. They are thankful for the miracle of life that God has created. They are also filled with a sobering realization. They know that God has entrusted them with the huge, life-changing responsibilities of feeding, clothing, and protecting their child. They are ready to assume these responsibilities, trusting that God will provide them with the ability and the means to carry them out. But Christian parents are also mindful of another even greater responsibility. God has entrusted them to bring their child to know and belie ..read more

When Living Word, Waukesha, Wis., opened the doors to its own building in May 2021 after 18 years in a rented space, the congregation knew it wanted to meet a need in the community that was complementary to, but different from, the ministries offered by other WELS churches in the area. “Professional Christian counseling has been one of our dreams at Living Word for about a decade. We always wanted to have a counseling presence,” says John Borgwardt, pastor at Living Word. “As a mission congregation, there’s always a need for an outreach mechanism, basically a reason for people to be coming to ..read more

Connected. Supported. Encouraged. We all want to feel these ways in our personal and professional lives. The same is true for congregational called workers. “While many calling bodies informally provide support to their workers, having an intentional, structured plan and organization makes sure workers are heard and encouraged,” says Joel Gaertner, director of WELS Special Ministries. Having a congregational Care Committee for Called Workers (CCCW) can provide that structure so congregations can make sure their workers are cared for. St. John, Redwood Falls, Minn., has had a formal Care Commi ..read more

The Heart of Faith is an engaging and enlightening book written by six different authors, divided into a chapter for each. The chapters are deep dives into six foundational chapters of the Bible. Chapter 1 uses Psalm 51 as a basis to cover law and gospel. It bluntly calls out sin for what it is and ever so eloquently describes grace that springs from overwhelming love. Chapter 2 is based on the Luke chapter 2 ringside account of Jesus’ birth. Chapter 3 covers the lost being found as described in Luke chapter 15. I found the description of the account of the prodigal son especially insightful ..read more

For the past two years, Our Savior, San Antonio, Texas, has been offering monthly worship services at JSBA-Lackland, the site of all basic training for United States Air Force recruits. Providing worship in Word and sacrament on base offers that important opportunity for fellowship, spiritual support, and encouragement—especially since recruits can’t leave the base during basic training to attend worship at a local congregation. “Prior to these official worship services, I had fostered an informal relationship with the chaplain’s office and had been able to provide a devotion and the Lord’s S ..read more

“Women’s Ministry is here to nurture and encourage and equip women to faithfully use their gifts to serve God’s kingdom,” says Rachel Halldorson, a member of the Women’s Ministry Executive Committee. “We do that in a variety of ways, including our webinars.” In 2023, Women’s Ministry held two webinars, one on prayer in the 21st century and another on fostering faith in the next generation. “The WELS Women’s Ministry webinar on fostering faith in the next generation made a lasting impression and difference in my motherhood,” says Alexa Brodeur, a mom of three children, all under 6 years old. B ..read more

Luteranos Confesionales Colombia celebrated 50 years of preaching God’s Word in Colombia in February. What began as a three-man WELS missionary team to this Latin American mission field has now extended through national leadership into many new cities in Colombia and continues to exponentially grow through the online presence of Academia Cristo. Pictured are Pastor Tonny and Martha Quintero, Pastor Henry and Eliana Herrera, and Missionary Larry and Marlene Schlomer. Quintero is pastor at Most Holy Trinity in Medellín and an early member of the Colombian church; Herrera is president of the ne ..read more

Podcast: Hearts & Hands Podcast Hosts: Tim Babler and Drew Sonnenberg Description: “Tim Babler and Drew Sonnenberg interview creatives from around the world about their craft, their faith, and their process.” A taste of previous topics: Guests have included Brian Urbanek, CEO of Goldwing Productions; Hannah Schleef, founder of Evensong Baby Books; Seth and Jenna Herlich, the musicians behind Him & Her Worship; graphic designer Corissa Nelson; and many more. Length: Approx. 30 min. Some thoughts: Hearts & Hands exists to support creative people in WELS and beyond through in-person ..read more