Serve the Lord with Gladness

The Executive Committee of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) met recently to select committee leaders for the biennium. Many qualified women are dedicated to “Serve the Lord with gladness.”

You may be the woman who accepted your role immediately knowing this is exactly where God wanted you to serve, or one who hesitated, was fearful, prayed awhile, and are now wondering what in the world you’ve gotten yourself into. Trust God! He guides His leaders in His path and steps — and He will certainly bless you. In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps (Proverbs 16:9 NIV).

See yourself as a leader and learn from the best ones ever — the God blessed men and women of the Bible. We are all gifted by Christ for service in the church … just not all in the same area. Remember Paul’s analogy of the body of Christ … we’re not all eyes, ears, legs or arms, but we all serve to the Glory of Christ and the benefit of His body — the Church. Enjoy your role as a leader gifted by God.

Find leader resources here.

Learn more about LWML here.

Marilyn Schroeder

Treasurer, 2015–2019
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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MISSION STATEMENTS

Our homework assignment given by Bible Study Leader Deaconess Betty Knapp at the 2017 LWML Convention in Albuquerque was to write a personal mission statement. Betty said that we are all evolving in our daily walk so what we focus on today might be different next year, but the focus of our faith is changeless: Jesus Christ Above All. Betty’s statement holds true for me. I actually did my homework 24 years prior at the 1993 ILWML Convention. Our assignment in Edmonton was to break into small groups and write our personal mission statement. With mentoring and encouragement from Marilyn McClure, I completed the assignment.

Throughout the years, my personal mission statement and the LWML Mission Statement have reminded me of God’s love and grace and has encouraged me to show His love to others. The gift of grace is given to us through the waters of our Baptism and comes to us through faith in Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection. God’s love enables us to use our gifts and open our hearts in ministry to the people of the world.

For additional information on the LWML Mission Statement, click here.

Michelle Zollinger

Public Relations Director, 2017–2019
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Chances are, your pastor does not regularly visit this website. Actually, I have found that many of my LWML Sisters don’t come here too often. This page is updated each week, and committees regularly post updates on their pages about new opportunities, products and processes to assist you in your society, zone and district activities.  Each week your visit is like seeing it anew.

As a women’s organization, we sometimes forget to inform and include our pastors in our LWML activity. Our pastors are our partners in mission. By right of his office as shepherd of the congregation, pastors should be considered as ex officio members of our LWML societies. They should be invited and encouraged to participate in meetings, activities, and leadership.

Reach out to your pastor and share this website with him and other LWML sisters. Encourage them to visit here often. Pastors and other church workers are encouraged to send in comments, suggestions, and district updates.  For more information about our partnering together, click here or go to our Church Workers in Mission page under the Service tab. Let’s serve the Lord with gladness, together.

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 (Ephesians 4:11–12).

Kaye Dumas Wolff

Vice President of Special Focus Ministries
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Change is constant. My husband and I recently made an extreme change in our lives, moving from our North Dakota home of 21 years to a new home in Colorado. We are meeting a new church family and new neighbors, learning new ways to garden and bake at high altitudes, and adjusting to life in the mountains. While exciting, change can be overwhelming at times.

In times of change I thank my Lord for His unchanging love and mercy! Each morning, I look forward to what God has in store for me that day. I know He is with me whether I’m in North Dakota or Colorado, whether I’m walking the path He has laid out for me or even if I’ve strayed from His will and am feeling lost. My God is with me each step of the way.

Please take time to read this short devotion: “Comfort from the Psalms – an Unchanging God.” This is a Mustard Seed Devotion and you can sign up for a new devotion sent to your email each day here. These devotions are a reminder of how God is always with us. Enjoy!

In His service, filled with His joy,

Debbie Larson

Vice President of Organizational Resources
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Remember those “mountaintop” experiences in our lives? In June of 2017 God granted a “mountaintop” experience to our Women in Mission who planned, prepared, presented, and attended our 37th LWML Biennial Convention and the 75th Anniversary celebration in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Every aspect of this convention was a motivation to equip us, as we serve Christ in our daily lives, and continue “mountaintop” journeys.

What do you need to help engage and encourage someone with the gift of hearing about Jesus? Many helps are available in the new Catalog 2017–2018 and online:

• New Balance Bible Studies for groups (LWML 20441,42,43);
• the new reSources planner (LWML 14223) also downloadable; and
• group DVD Bible studies: Overflowing Abundance, (LWML 68932); Your Strong Suit, (LWML 68930); and the new study Peter: From Fisherman to Fisher of Men, (LWML68934).

More? Search this site! Go — engage and equip others to spread the message of Good News!

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act (Psalm 37:5).

Jennifer Huecker

Vice President of Christian Life
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Has your summer been a busy one filled with vacation, family trips, and reunions? Perhaps you celebrated the LWML 75th Anniversary at the convention in Albuquerque. Now back to school shopping and plans for fall begin to fill the last days of summer.

What are some of your plans for your LWML events in the coming months? LWML Sunday materials "Be Ready In Season and Out of Season" are available at www.lwml.org/lwml-sunday.

Will you include celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Lutheran Women in Mission on that LWML Sunday or plan a separate time to celebrate? There are many ideas available at www.lwml.org/75. You might like to include watching some of the videos from the 2017 LWML Convention sessions during your celebration. All are available to view at https://livestream.com/TheLWML

Great ideas for planning LWML events are also now available for free as a download at reSOURCEs for Planning Programs, or you may order a hard copy at www.lwml.org/store

What's Next? Lots of opportunities in LWML to Engage, Encourage, Equip, and Enjoy

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10 NIV).

Edie Norris

75th Anniversary Committee Chairman 
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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The LWML Convention in Albuquerque certainly set Jesus Christ above all, where attendees shared God’s abundant generosity through the convention offerings, and other gifts received for missions around the world.  God’s blessings were evident through four convention offerings. One of the offerings will support a mission serving a diverse population living in the poorest area in and around the city of Albuquerque, and another will help provide a bilingual Worker Priest on the US/Mexico border. See LWML website for details.

Two years ago LWML’s mission minded servants set a $2 million dollar mission goal, and God said “you can do better,” and so we did! That mission goal was exceeded with 100% of the biennium’s adopted mission grants funded. To God be the glory!  Now the 2017–2019 biennium is before us and a new mission goal of $2,075,000 has been adopted. God knows we can meet it. After all, we just can’t out-give God — Jesus Christ above all!

Marilyn Schroeder

Treasurer, 2015–2019
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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