Dear Friends in Christ,

Slow your mind for a moment, please. Try reading this Christmas hymn without thinking or humming the melody:

“Silent night, holy night!

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon virgin mother and child.

Holy infant so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace.” - LSB 363

The words without the music sound empty. It is difficult to read the words without hearing the melody in one’s mind. And of course, the style of the melody often compliments the message of the text. With words like “sleep in heavenly peace,” we would not expect to sing a thunderous melody such as the melody we sing with the hymn “Thy Strong Word.” The sweet melody we associate with “Silent Night” complements the text and helps carry the meaning into our hearts.

Here’s another example. What type of melody would you expect to sing with a hymn containing the following phrases:

“Saved us from the wily foe.

Forcing Satan to surrender,

Breaking all the powers of hell.

From the bondage that oppressed us,

From sin’s fetters that possessed us,

We, the captives, now are free.” - LSB 375

The hymn’s author writes with passion and takes us to the cross of Christ, even with the words of the Christmas hymn cited above. Paul Gerhardt, the beloved German hymn writer, does not lead us to the manger simply to confess that the Savior has been born. Gerhardt leads us there to rejoice in knowing that the One to whom we raise our voices has delivered us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. If it were not so, Christmas would have the life-impact of a candy cane. Gerhardt knows Christmas is about rescue, redemption, and the joy of salvation. He knows firsthand the price of confessing it and the utter devastation and depression one faces without it. The Gerhardt family house and possessions, and their church were destroyed in 1637 during the Thirty Years’ War. He was forced to leave his church position in Berlin for refusing to deny Christ’s real presence in the Lord’s Supper. Four of Gerhardt’s five children died in infancy, and when his wife died in 1668, his sole surviving son, Paul Friedrich, was then six years old.

Gerhardt’s tragic life-circumstances help us understand why he wrote with such care about Christ’s mission for us even in a Christmas hymn. But in this instance, “Come, Your Hearts and Voices Raising,” the hymn’s tune does not at first seem to match well with the strong words. Words and phrases such as “the wily foe, Satan, the powers of hell, and sin’s fetters,” seem to require a sure and sturdy melody to match, don’t they? Instead, the original melody assigned to this hymn, the same melody we sing today in LSB 375, is joyful and Christmas-like, not forceful or majestic. It is uplifting, but not robust. Perhaps the sense of the Christmas backdrop of Bethlehem, a baby, and a manger is what Gerhardt wished to convey musically, while expressing poetically the impact of God’s grace and mercy. Christ arrived to cover and to conquer our sin and death, and thereby secured all the reason for our Christmas joy and peace.

Were the following words of the Psalmist on the heart of Paul Gerhardt at the time of Christmas, maybe especially at Christmas?

“Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,

and he delivered them from their distress.

He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death

and burst their bonds apart.

Thank the LORD for his steadfast love,

for his wonderous works to the children of man.” - Psalm 107:13-15

Merry Christmas to you and to your families. Nancy and I look forward to seeing our children and grandchildren, and I have the honor of preaching on Christmas Day. Come, your hearts and voices raising!

Pastor Shoup

Rev. Timothy J. Shoup

District President, North Wisconsin District LCMS

Bringing Christ and His Word to people is the mission of the NWD. It is what every Christian organization is about, including our NWD congregations and schools. The NWD has established working teams to focus on the five strategic areas of the NWD Ministry Plan, listed below. The teams are meeting together for the first time on Monday, December 15 to get to the heart of what we can accomplish. The agenda for the day will include a time for all attendees to rejoice, learn, dialogue together, and to begin work in their respective groups. The five areas include:

• Fostering Lutheran Education
• Building Families and Children of Faith and Character
• Freeing Them to Live in His Image – to Serve
• Revitalizing our Smaller Congregations
• Helping Them Reach the Lost

Please pray for the work of these servant leaders.

On Thursday, December 4th at St. Mark's Lutheran in Wausau, District President Shoup spent a half day with the non-ordained, non-teacher called workers of the NWD. This gathering included called DCEs, DCOs, DCMs, DFLMs, DPMs, and Deaconesses no matter their specific ministry responsibilities. The day included an overview of the mission/vision of the NWD, a closer look at the vision pillar Building Families and Children of Faith and Character, and a sharing of both best practices and ministry needs. We give thanks for these workers and their service to the church.

The Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty (LCRL) is a religious liberty organization in Washington D.C. that serves as a voice for the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and its partners in the public square. The LCRL provides input, education, advice, advocacy, and resources in the areas of life, marriage, and religious liberty and seeks to engage in discussions with lawmakers, media, and the public to uphold the rights and responsibilities of Christians in society. The LCRL also connects and equips missional leaders across the country through its Champions for Liberty Network. They have bulletin announcements, court cases, outstanding podcasts with national leaders and more. Explore their podcasts and website HERE.

Below is a graphic of how the NWD stewards the undesignated congregational income sent by churches. Your gifts make a difference, helping to do ministry many of our congregations could never do on their own. The mission of the North WI District LCMS is to Bring Christ and His Word to People. Watch for the detailed annual report in February and review the past report on the nwdlcms.org website.

The annual NWD Lay Leader Training (for lay members serving on church boards) will be held on January 13, 6-8pm, at St. John Lutheran Church - Pulaski. Lay leaders will spend time with Pastor Shoup and his staff to explore leadership and other key areas to help lay leaders serve effectively in their role. Registration is open under Events and Info at nwdlcms.org or directly HERE.

This annual event is for ministry staff and will be held January 22 from 9am-3pm at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church - Wausau. The theme for the day will be family ministry. President Shoup has designated building families and children of faith and character as an emphasis in the NWD triennial ministry plan. The event will be led by Rev. Dr. Todd Biermann, Executive Director at Concordia Center for the Family. Pastor Biermann will help explain an effective family ministry framework for our world today, as well as explore tools and resources available to support your ministry to families. Pastors, DCE/DCO/DCM/DFLM, Deaconesses, and principals are encouraged to attend, but even teams of one can participate in this valuable event. Registration is open under Events and Info at nwdlcms.org or directly HERE.

Advent greetings to you in Christ!

Starting our precious children down their stewardship path early can make all the difference. Whether celebrating a new addition to the family or creating a lasting legacy for your grandchildren, the Y.I. StewardAccount is a meaningful Christmas gift and an impactful way to invest in their future.

You can start a Y.I. (Young Investor) StewardAccount with a minimum investment of $25. It grows at a premium interest rate (currently 3.042% APY) with your young investor, building both their savings and their financial responsibility. Perks come along the way, with opportunities to earn extra dollars for community service and good grades. By age 16, your young investor can explore the freedom of a debit card and online account access (with custodian approval).

Additionally, high school seniors with a Y.I. StewardAccount can apply for the Take Heart Scholarship each February, giving them another step toward a bright future. This scholarship celebrates their next educational chapter by encouraging them to reflect on their faith, share their unique perspective and embrace the future with confidence. Awardees receive financial support for further education, with awards of $3,000, $1,000 and $500.

More details and an application for the Y.I. StewardAccount can be found here. The peace of the Lord be with you this Christmas!  

Bill Jordan

District Vice President - LCEF

North Wisconsin District

bill.jordan@lcef.org - 715-845-8241 ext. 102

LCMS – Christmas Media Kits

The media kits are designed to allow churches to add invitations to Advent and Christmas services or simply generate opportunities for pastoral conversations. View resources - HERE.

God's Mission Here

The congregations and schools of the LCMS are teaching God’s Word and caring for souls every day. National Mission partners with districts to walk alongside, offering support. The monthly newsletter, God's Mission Here, will highlight several items each month. BECAUSE GOD’S MISSION IS RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE.

• The Concordia Plans website contains a wealth of information.
• Stay informed with Connecting the Dots newsletters - HERE.
• Visit the Concordia Plans page of the NWD website listing the main contacts for churches using their services - HERE.