Monday, March 1, 2010

PRESIDENT'S INVITATION

You are cordially invited to attend the annual convention of the
Women’s Missionary Federation of the AFLC
to be held on Tuesday, June 15, 2010,
at the AFLC Schools Campus.


At this convention you will experience times of prayer, praise and worship, and Bible study, all based on the theme of the conference: “Encourage one another. . . for such a time as this.” The theme verses are from Hebrews 10:25b: “but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” and Esther 4:14b: “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this.”

There will be special speakers like our 2010 Bible study writer, Mary Christiansen, from Fergus Falls, Minnesota, who will lead the morning Bible study and Brazil missionary Becky Abel, who will speak at our banquet. We look forward to being led in praise and worship by the 2010 AFLBS Ambassadors. We plan to have a time to remember those who have gone home to eternity during the past year.

You will also be able to participate in the conducting of important business of the WMF. There will be election of officers, adoption of resolutions, passing of the budget for 2011, and the final vote on the amended recommended amendment that was brought before the WMF convention last year.

That amended amendment reads as follows:
Section 2: Officers in the WMF shall be a President, a first Vice President, a Second Vice President, a Communication Secretary, a Recording Secretary and a Treasurer.
Section 5: Officers shall be elected for a term of three years. All officers may be eligible for re-election but no officer shall hold the same office for more than two successive terms. The President and the Communication Secretary shall be elected one year; the First Vice President and the Recording Secretary the following year; the Second Vice President and the Treasurer the third year. Newly elected officers shall officially assume their duties at the first regular National Board meeting following their election.

This amended amendment passed by a ballot vote of 174 to 17. If this is approved by two-thirds of those present and voting at WMF Day in 2010, it will become part of the constitution.

In the afternoon, workshops will be held based on our theme verses. The workshop leaders will lead you from several different perspectives of encouragement, where we are in our lives and where God has placed us.

Wednesday morning, the Leadership Breakfast will be held. This breakfast will be for any woman who is interested in women’s ministries in your congregation. The theme of the breakfast this year will be “Encouraging you in your Women’s Ministries.” We hope that you will come and participate. We would like to hear from many of you about what you are doing in your congregations and communities to share Christ with the women. Come and expect a blessing on Wednesday morning. We plan to be done with our breakfast meeting in plenty of time to get to the opening business session of the conference.

AFLC missionary on loan to World Mission Prayer League in Mexico, Darwin Jackson, will speak at the Mission Festival Service on Wednesday evening. Again we will have special music and there will be a time of honoring Tim and Renata Heinrichs for their service as AFLC missionaries on loan to Eastern European Mission Network serving in Poland.

Ladies, we would welcome you warmly and are very grateful to the faculty and staff at the AFLC schools for serving as our hosts this year. We look forward to seeing the beautiful campus and you will get to see what some of your gifts have done to improve life on the campus for students and faculty alike! Because of your faithful giving, many things have been accomplished from the completion of the kitchenette and coffee lounge area in the girls’ dorm to the work done on the Seminary chapel after the installation of the beautiful pipe organ. You will get to experience the beautiful sounds of the pipe organ at the WMF Day and throughout the conference. It is truly a wonderful gift to the schools.

You may register for this special day and other days of the conference by using the registration forms in the March issue of The Lutheran Ambassador magazine. There is also information regarding housing in that issue.

Please pray that God would be honored and glorified in all that is said and done. Pray that hearts and lives would be changed by this special day in the lives of the AFLC women.

WAITING

By Theresa Boe
Wife of Intern Pastor Brett Boe
Serving in Grafton, ND

Wait. No one likes to hear the word. When I tell my 2-year-old to wait, he asks again. And again. Often times he will keep repeating his request until the wait is over. The fact that he was told "wait", and not "no," instilled a hope that he would eventually see his request realized. Every person, in every stage of life, is waiting for something. Right now I am waiting for the birth of a second child, each day feeling the weight and discomfort increase as the date of delivery comes closer. My family is waiting for the Lord's leading as we do not know where we will be living in just four months when my husband's seminary internship ends. Just wait.

Despite the discomfort that is often involved, waiting is directly tied to hope. For me there is hope that, in just a few days, the baby that now causes discomfort in the womb will be in our arms. Hope that in four months, the Lord will have directed our family to our next home. And the greatest hope, belonging to all believers, is that Christ will return to redeem us and take us home to glory. Psalm 130:5, "I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope." This hope keeps us from despondency: "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD" (Ps. 27:13-14). Galatians 5:5, "For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness." Romans 8:23-25 expresses the hope of righteousness further: "...we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved...But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it." This is the kind of waiting that does not weary. According to Isaiah 40:31, "those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength..."!

One common misconception of waiting is that while we wait, we do nothing else. This only allows room for impatience. David says that while he waits "all the day" for the LORD, he prays to know His ways, to learn His paths, to be led in the truth of God's salvation (Psalm 25:4-5)! We are to wait with diligence, keeping ourselves for the One who called us: "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You" (Ps. 25:21). John Waller, in his song "While I'm Waiting," sings, "I will serve You while I'm waiting, I will worship while I'm waiting. I will not faint; I'll be running the race, even while I wait." Attached to Jude's exhortation to wait for our ultimate hope of Christ's return is also a call to use the time for evangelism: "You, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear..." (vv.20-23).

So as we wait, we fix our eyes on Jesus, looking eagerly for what He is going to teach us while we wait. The Lord may use what He teaches us now to be an encouragement to others; He will definitely use times of waiting to refine us, His dearly beloved children, setting us apart daily for Himself. Now let us "Be strong and let [our] hearts take courage, All [we] who hope in the LORD" (Ps. 31:24).

Fall WMF Gatherings

2009 Eastern District Fall Conference

The Annual Eastern District AFLC Women’s Conference and Pastor’s Luncheon was held at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Ambridge, PA on Saturday, October 17, 2009. The focus was on 1 Timothy 1:7 “For God had not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

The program was opened by Pat King, St. John’s WMF President. A welcome address was given by Theresa Thayer, Eastern District AFLC Representative. Each congregation was recognized. Those attending were women and pastors from:
St. Paul’s Evangelical Free Lutheran, Hagerstown, MD; Pastor Terry Culler
Christ Community Church, Hagerstown, MD; Pastor Richard Carr
St. John’s Lutheran Church, Newark, OH; Pator Thomas Olson
St. John’s of Lovi Evangelical Lutheran Church, Cranberry Twp., PA; Pastor
William Steele
Ruthfred Lutheran Church, Bethel Park, PA; Pastors James Molstre, Steven
Carlson and Vicar Micah Hjermstad
Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, Landisberg, :A
Tressler Memorial Free Lutheran Church, Loysville, PA
St. John’s Lutheran Church, Ambridge, PA and Pastor Gordon Strunk
Peace Lutheran, Canal Winchester, OH

The hymn, “Hark! I Hear the Savior Walking” followed by a prayer offered by Pastor Gordon F. Strunk of St. John’s Lutheran, Ambridge. A buffet luncheon followed.

A presentation and discussion groups addressed “Outside My Comfort Zone” and “Facing Fear Through Rejection.” Coffee and dessert were served. During this time, the possibility of beginning an Eastern District News Letter was discussed.

The service followed. A welcome was given by Pastor Strunk and the hymn “My Hope is Build” was sung. After the confession, absolution and prayer, the hymn “Holy Spirit” was sung. The sermon, given by Pastor Strunk addressed “Getting Rid of Fear.” Closing remarks by Theresa Thayer and Pat King were followed by the closing prayer and the Lord’s Prayer. After the Benediction, the hymn “Lift High the Cross” was sung.

Immediately following the service, we gathered in the courtyard, where we were given helium balloons of various colors. Attached to the bottom of the balloon was a small envelope containing the passage John 3:16 and information about St. John’s church. While we sang the doxology, we released the balloons. What a beautiful ending to a blessed day!!

Respectfully submitted by Theresa Thayer, Eastern District Women’s Representative
E.N.D. DISTRICT FALL RALLY
September 26th, 2009


The Eastern North Dakota District WMF met for its Fall Rally at West Prairie Free Lutheran Church in Kindred, ND. The theme was “Mount Up on Eagle’s Wings”. The theme verse was Isaiah 40:31, “Yet those who wait upon the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, and they will walk and not become weary.” The theme hymn was “Jesus, Savior Pilot Me”.

The morning session opened with hymns of praise led by Pam Twedt from St. Paul’s Free Lutheran in Fargo, ND.

Joanne Mundfrom, Valley City, ND, read scripture and prayer from the theme verse, Isaiah 40:31.

West Prairie Free Lutheran WMF president, Debby Strand, welcomed the guests and made housekeeping announcements.

Heidi Larson, accompanied by Ruth Larson, both of Park River, ND, sang “His Eye is on the Sparrow” for special music.

Guest speaker for the day was Mr. Lavon Bohling, FLAPS Director of the AFLC. FLAPS is the Free Lutheran Association of Pilots Supporters. This organization works with various missions within the AFLC that need airplanes and/or transportation for mission work. FLAPS especially works with Home Missions and the Alaska mission.

Fern Bohling, representing the AFLC Parish Education Department, gave an update on a variety of projects in the works at the Department.

District President, Ruth Antal, opened the business meeting. The Secretary’s and Treasurer’s Reports were read and approved.

There was no old business.

New business included Rally offering designation and discussion, donation to AFLC missions, nominations and elections, resolutions and Spring Rally invitation.

MSC to divide the Rally offering three equal ways for FLAPS, Parish Education and the Ambassador Institute.

MSC to send a donation of $550 out of the WMF District treasury designation half to the World Missions Department and half to the Home Missions Department.

The Nominating Committee presented the nominations for Vice President and Secretary. The results of the unanimous ballot were: JoAnn Miller, Vice President and Jennifer Dryburgh, Secretary.

MSC to accept the 2009 WMF Resolutions as presented by Rose Carlson.

A Spring Rally invitation was extended to the WMF District Women by New Luther Valley in McVille, ND. The Spring Rally will be held April 24th, 2010.
MSC to adjourn the END District Fall Business meeting.

District Treasurer, Katrina Zeltinger, directed the ushers in taking the morning offering.

Carol Hoops closed the morning session with prayer.

Phyllis Peterson, Portland, ND, opened the afternoon session with devotions. She shared from Ephesians 3:14-21.

Pam Twedt led the afternoon hymns of praise.

Mr. Lavon Bohling gave a PowerPoint presentation on the Alaska Mission.

Afternoon offering and prayer was directed by Treasurer Katrina Zeltinger. The total offering for the Rally was 1115.00.

The Registration Committee reported that there were 48 guests in attendance, 45 ladies, 2 visitors and 1 pastor.

Pastor Lee Hoops closed in prayer and with the benediction.

Respectfully Submitted by


Jennifer Dryburgh
WMF Secretary