Dear Friends in Christ!

Schools are humming along, Circuit District Partnership Events are beginning, Dr. Gauthier will be our guest for two District Adult Gatherings in October, and here’s a highlight from the fall pastoral conference hosted by Shepherd of the Hills in Greenville. I was walking down a corridor on site and could hear a teacher’s gentle voice addressing little children. Her voice was calming. I was hoping to catch a peek of her audience. I kept walking. Her voice grew slightly louder but still tender. I then saw her but not yet the children. I walked past the side hallway where she was standing, looked back to my left and there they were. A dozen little ones seated on a bench, their little feet dangling above the floor with different colored shoes and shirts, and quite an assortment of hair colors and styles too. Seeing them made me smile. Do you suppose the teacher is delighted to pour Jesus’ care, love, protection and forgiveness into their hearts?

Meanwhile, 142 conference attendees over the course of three half-days heard the same Words of the Shepherd, sometimes in simple language like the preschool teacher used. One pastor told us of his first grandchild. “Right now, our grandchild is the size of a spaghetti squash according to the weekly report from our pregnant daughter.” He held up a squash for us to see and after a lighter moment continued, “But of course what is in our daughter’s womb is not a squash, it’s a child, like the child Jesus set before the disciples, and like the children Jesus has in mind when He said, “Let the little children come to me.” The pastor then drew us in closer with more comments and then said something like, “And you are not a squash, either. You are a child, God’s child. And God is no mere earthly grandpa. He created you. But God did have an earthly Son, and He sent Him to save, forgive, protect, keep, and raise you.” It felt good to hear the Good News.

That is the main joy of people who study to become God’s servants in the Church, prepared to serve as pastors, music directors, teachers, school principals, early childhood directors, directors of Chrisitan education, directors of ministry, and more. They love to bring the Good News of Christ to God’s people and to their communities.

I imagine that if you are reading this you have thanked the Lord multiple times for your pastor or other church workers. They come with a variety and range of skills appointed them by birth, but they all come with the same gifts from God established in His promises and sealed with His Son’s blood. They pray for you, they think about you, they deeply desire to bring Christ and His Word to you in a way that sinks into your heart, and they feel privileged to do so. I encourage you to thank them. It means a lot. When I was full time in the parish, it meant a lot to me whenever I received a text, card or call with a word of appreciation, and to know parishioners were praying for me.

Continue to thank the Lord for His servants working in the Church and in your congregation, and… let’s encourage our children and grandchildren to pray and to consider whether God might desire to use them and the skills he’s given them to serve in His Church.

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Pastor Shoup





Rev. Timothy J. Shoup

District President, North Wisconsin District LCMS

Our church workers dedicate themselves, day in and day out, to serving their church and school communities. That means it’s always the right time to show them our appreciation. To help the church be intentional in showing that appreciation, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) has set aside the month of October and other special days throughout the year to highlight different kinds of church workers and their service — Oct. 11 (Pastor), Oct. 25 (Deaconess, Director of Family Life Ministry, Director of Christian Outreach, Director of Church Ministries), April 25 (Director of Parish Music), May 3–7 (Teacher) and June 26 (Director of Christian Education).

You are encouraged to join with your brothers and sisters in Christ across the LCMS in using these opportunities to show appreciation to our church workers, who serve us in a multitude of ways as they preach, teach and care for God’s people in body and soul. LCMS.org has a list of meaningful ways to say thank you to our churchworkers. Take time to send a note of encouragement, a gift card, a meal, something that says thank you for serving. We love our NWD churchworkers!

NWD Staff Transition

DJ Schult has announced his retirement for May of 2027. He serves as the Assistant to the President for Schools, Communication, and Business Manager. DJ intends to slow down while finishing a master’s degree in counseling and earning his training hours, hoping to eventually serve the church as a licensed professional counselor. We give thanks for his 30 years of ministry and last 13 in the NWD office.

The NWD Board of Directors intends to extend a call to a qualified candidate to serve as Assistant to the President for Schools, Missions, and Communications. They have approved a job description presented by President Shoup and formed a call committee. Applications will be accepted through October 30. The call committee will do their work in November, scheduling interviews for January. The candidate will begin in May-June 2027.

Please lift the entire call process up in prayer, including those serving on the call committee and those contacted for interviews.

APPLICATION OPEN

The North Wisconsin District Board of Directors is accepting names for the position of Assistant to the President for Schools, Missions, and Communications.

Applications, including the cover letter, resume, and questionnaire, may be mailed to Lori Kavajecz at the NWD LCMS office, 3103 Seymour Lane, Wausau, Wisconsin 54401, or emailed to lori@nwdlcms.org through October 30.

• Directions for Application
• Job Description
• Application Questionnaire

The job description and forms can also be located on the nwdlcms.org website under Events and Info.

Ministry Pillar #2 – Building Families and Children of Faith and Character

The North WI District is expanding its partnership with the Concordia Center for the Family by offering the popular Family Discipleship (FD) Facilitator Training in our own district. Family Discipleship, as defined by Concordia Center for the Family, is “Christ’s gifts nurturing faith in God’s children through the partnership of home and congregation.” CCF’s mission is to unite homes and congregations in making lifelong disciples of Jesus. A key step to achieve this mission is to train called, commissioned, and lay church leaders as Family Discipleship Facilitators. Watch for registration and other details for this winter event coming out in November. 

Ministry Pillar #4 – Revitalizing our Congregations

Small Church Clarity has been meeting for three cohorts the past two years with one cohort still coming this spring. The NWD is working with LCEF to provide this important training for ministry leaders. Small Church Clarity meets four times with each cohort, helping local ministries analyze their specific context, assets, and options given by God to serve their neighborhoods. By the end of the training congregations will create a ministry plan with practical, structured frameworks and concrete annual goals for the coming year. 20 pastors and 70 lay leaders from 30 congregations have already participated in Small Church Clarity. Contact President Shoup or LCEF District Vice President Bill Jordan to be part of the fourth cohort this spring! 

Colloquy is a program of theological study designed to enhance the understanding of Lutheran doctrine and practice. It is aimed at Lutheran teachers, administrators, and other Lutheran church workers who have not previously had the opportunity to formally study Lutheran doctrine. The program consists of eight online courses which may be taken with the goal of becoming rostered by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod as a Minister of Religion—Commissioned, or simply for personal enrichment.

The NWD-LCMS distributes funds annually to support our teachers working to attain colloquy. Over the past 10 years the NWD has committed over $57,000 to support 34 teachers. 2025 was a significant year of over $19,000 gifted to eight teachers. The NWD has been able to allocate these funds from a large endowment gifted to the NWD.

An individual must meet the Synod’s requirements for teacher colloquy, as described in the Synod’s Policy Handbook. They include…

• Communicant member in good standing of a congregation of the Synod for at least the past two years
• Possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• Eligible for teacher licensure
• Successful completion of student teaching in a Lutheran school under the supervision of a Concordia college or university offering a bachelor’s degree in teacher education or one year of successful teaching in a school recognized by the Synod.

You may have heard about partnership events coming to each circuit this fall and winter. District President Shoup has planned these events to develop his relationship with pastors and laity across the NWD. The sessions will provide discussion time for attendees to listen and talk with people from other congregations, as well as hearing what is happening in our district ministry focus areas. Each pastor is encouraged to bring a small group of lay leaders to the event scheduled in their circuit. Talk with your pastor if interested in attending.

Concordia Plans provides the results of the CDST for congregations across the Synod. The NWD has been using this tool for many years to help congregations consider a fair wage for their workers. Concordia Plans is in the midst of their annual review process to update the tool with new data. The tool with refreshed data should be out by February 1 each year. General questions about the CDST can be sent to DJ at dj@nwdlcms.org and detailed questions about the tool data can be sent to MinistrySolutions@ConcordiaPlans.org.

The NWD is currently creating a NWD salary matrix that simplifies finding salary numbers by providing a simple lookup based only on ministry role and years of experience. As the Administrative Services Committee completes their work, the tool will need NWD Board of Directors approval. Watch for more information later this winter.

As believers, we are called to be good stewards of God's resources. What if your personal savings and institutional reserves could earn a competitive rate of return while simultaneously building up Lutheran churches, schools and workers in communities across our district?

That is the core of Lutheran Church Extension Fund.

LCEF is a trusted ministry-through-investment organization serving members, congregations, and workers of the LCMS. As District Vice President LCEF here in the NWD, my role is to help you align your financial resources with Gospel outreach.

How Ministry-Through-Investment Works

LCEF operates through a powerful cycle of mutual support within the Body of Christ. When LCMS members and congregations invest with LCEF, their money earns a reasonable rate of return. Those dollars are then loaned to LCMS organizations and Rostered Church Workers at competitive rates.

As you and I invest, funds are made available for NWD congregations and schools to secure custom loans for building projects, as well as take advantage of ministry planning, fundraising and real estate support. Rostered workers gain access to competitive mortgages and home equity loans. Without investor dollars, none of this happens. Sure, your money earns a solid interest rate through LCEF - but most importantly, you’re taking an active role in expanding the Church.

How I Can Help You

Whether you represent a parish, a Lutheran school, or your own household, I am here to partner with you in three key ways:

• Find Investment Solutions: Identify solutions that fit your specific financial goals as an individual, school, church, or organization.

• Connect you to Ministry Solutions: Access planning support, fundraising expertise and strategic guidance when you need clarity to move your ministry forward with confidence.

• Connect you to Real Estate Solutions: Inform decisions about buying, selling, or reimagining property to directly support your long-term ministry goals.

Serving the NWD - Together

Across the North Wisconsin District, every LCEF project funded is made possible by LCMS investors – a group of believers blessed to use their earthly resources for eternal impact. Let’s talk about how your dollars can do so much more than earn interest.

In Jesus,

Bill

Bill Jordan

District Vice President - LCEF

North Wisconsin District

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

A significant gift from an estate or faithful donor can be a tremendous blessing to a congregation. It can also raise difficult questions about how those resources can best serve ministry today and in the years ahead.

On Tuesday, October 27, at 10:30 a.m. CT, the LCMS Foundation is hosting a webinar titled “Big Gifts Bring Big Decisions” for pastors and congregational leaders. The webinar will focus on what congregations should know about investing when considering how to best steward a significant gift. It will cover the benefits of long-term investing, the differences between an investment fund and an endowment, and how an endowment can provide ongoing support for ministry and encourage future gifts.

Learn more and register at lcmsfoundation.org/biggiftswebinar26.

If you have any questions, please reach out!

In Christ,

Gary

Gary Vought

Gift Planning Counselor, LCMS Foundation

Phone: 715-891-1447

Email: gary.vought@lfnd.org

LCMS Life Ministry - New Resources

People have strong feelings and beliefs on life issues, and, as Christians, we want to make a winsome witness. But how? LCMS Life Ministry is pleased to offer Common Questions and Pro-Life Answers: A Quick Reference Guide to help prepare Christians for conversations that challenge the biblical view of abortion and the value of human life. In a simple, easy-to-read format, this guide presents common questions and answers on many issues, equipping Christians to confidently speak the truth in love.

View resources - HERE.

National March for Life - January 22, 2027

On Jan. 22, 2027, the Body of Christ will come together to value all human life — from conception to natural death. Join LCMS Life Ministry and tens of thousands of other pro-life marchers in Washington, D.C., for the 54th annual March for Life as they speak up for the sanctity of human life and care for people in body and soul. To connect with LCMS Life Ministry to see how you can support and walk with them during the march, contact LifeMinistry@lcms.org.

Learn more - HERE.

LCMS Life Conerence - February 26-27, 2027

The 2027 LCMS Life Ministry Conference, will be held online from Feb. 26–27, 2027. The conference will feature video presentations on life issues for the strengthening and support of lay members and church workers as they advocate, educate and share the truth of God’s Word, the sanctity of life at all ages, and Christ’s mercy for all people. Registration for the conference is free, although attendees may choose to purchase extended access to the library of presentations for on-demand viewing. Several sessions conducted in Spanish will be included. Congregations are encouraged to host watch parties during the conference to facilitate further discussion of the presentations. Join LCMS Life Ministry to be strengthened and supported in our shared confession of God’s creation and value of all human life.

More information - 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 current pastoral vacancy & supply lists are available on the District website under Congregations/Vacancies - HERE.

• The Concordia Plans website contains a wealth of information.

• Stay informed with the Connecting the Dots newsletter.

• Visit the Concordia Plans page of the NWD website listing the main contacts for churches using their services.