Greetings from your Lutheran Military Support Group, “LMSG” and WELS National Chaplain, Paul Ziemer. It would be greatly appreciated if you could either post this letter or copy and include in an upcoming bulletin.
The LMSG Board meets every third Saturday morning via conference call, that was until Tuesday August 23rd when we held our first live face to face meeting at WELS Synod Headquarters in Waukesha, WI. All twenty board members were present. Our Synod leadership and staff could not have been more gracious hosts. A special thank you to President Schroeder for welcoming and addressing our group after our opening devotions.
At this meeting, Important business was accomplished and many pressing issues were discussed. Pastor James Behringer, Director of Special Ministries arranged for various Synod Ministry Leaders to address our board as to how we might work together with our Ministry to the Military. LMSG has approved grants to Time of Grace to purchase broadcast time on the American Forces Network for the month of November. Time of Grace was selected to provide Military Minutes between programing. We also have recently provided a grant to Blue Star Mothers for postage expense as they prepare to mail care packages to deployed troops worldwide. Our National Chaplains office provides a list of WELS and ELS Service members to them. I encourage you to go to the following WELS Military Services form https://form.jotform.com/61036130392950 to post your family’s Active duty service members most current military address. We ask that each congregation post the above link to your church website also.
LMSG is also working closely with the WELS Military Services Committee to help with support to post Pastor Donald Stuppy, the new European Chaplain from Newport News, VA to Munich, Germany. We pray that our Gracious Lord would bless Pastor Stuppy’s ministry to our troops in Europe.
This year’s membership goal of 200 congregations has been far surpassed and membership as of today stands at 259 – thank you for your overwhelming support and your continued prayers and gifts for our Ministry to the Military.
As our Nation readies to celebrate Veterans Day, we respectfully ask that you display your LMSG Ammo can for our Veterans Day free will offering. If you would like to receive a free Ammo Can sent to your congregation, please email me at president@lutheranmilitary.org
It is truly amazing how our Good and Gracious God has blessed our humble efforts to provide spiritual help and guidance to our military church members, past and present through our Lutheran Military Support Group. To Him be the Glory!
Semper Fi
In His Service,
John L. Stedman
President, LMSG
president@lutheranmilitary.org
703-909-4792 (cell)
