Official Workbook report source text
Official Workbook source-navigation report record. No analysis has been added.
- Report number/id
- R50
- Report title
- R50 South Wisconsin District
- Workbook start page
- 134
- Workbook end page
- 135
- Source pages
- 134, 135
- Source status
- source_checked
- Committee
- Not available
R50 South Wisconsin District The South Wisconsin District consists of 199 congregations in the southern half of the state. These congregations are a mix of urban and suburban areas around population centers like Mil- waukee, Racine, Kenosha, Madison, and Sheboygan and rural congregations that serve as the very heart of America’s dairy land. Many of these congregations have roots in the very earliest days of the Synod. Others were planted in the halcyon days of the postwar boom. Others are newly birthed and serve growing Hispanic, Hmong, and French-African communities. This triennium has not been without its challenges. With the Lord calling home our long-time District President Rev. John C. Wille in June 2024, the service of President Eric Skovgaard, and my election, there has been a great deal of turnover. But the effort of Confessing Christ for the Next Generation has continued be- cause the Lord of the Church has been in the lead the whole time! The confessing of Christ has centered on four mission prior - ities: 1. Being distinctly Lutheran 2. Planting new congregations and schools 3. Honoring our Christ-centered vocations 4. Embracing our communities First, the district is at its very heart distinctly Lutheran. Our congregations have an abiding commitment to proper distinction of Law and Gospel as it is lived out in faithful Word and Sacra- ment ministry rooted in font, altar, and pulpit. This radiates out to day school classrooms and outreach efforts that seek to faithfully steward the Gospel entrusted to us. Whether the congregation is numbered in the hundreds or tens, it is the Gospel that defines our distinct Lutheran identity that is desperately needed in our communities and our world! Second, over this past triennium we have been active in plant- ing new congregations and schools. In conjunction with 2023 Res. 1-03A, the district has utilized the Office of National Mis- sion’s Church Planting Simplified to assist in the planting of two mission starts in Monroe and Viroqua. These plants have used the method and the associated grants so that we now have two church 2026 Convention Workbook 135 OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS for rostered workers and lay leaders to grow in faith, further de- velop their God-given gifts, and strengthen their leadership for the glory and praise of our Lord and King. Men and women, young and old, rostered and lay alike, are equipped by God for service to His Church and for witness within the communities in which they live. We envision dynamic learning and growth where church work- ers and lay leaders are equipped to lead with confidence, courage, and compassion. Through conferences, webinars, regional gather - ings, the Lay Deacon Program, and wellness and witness cohorts, the district seeks to cultivate leaders who are spiritually grounded, mission-driven, and prepared to navigate the challenges of mod- ern ministry. By fostering collaboration, innovation, and personal growth, we aim to raise up servant leaders who will inspire trans- formation in their communities and congregations for the sake of the Gospel. D. Visitations and Engagement As we continue to walk together as the Church, being pres- ent within each ministry context allows us to understand both the unique aspects of each community and the people they are called to serve. To support this work, we have developed a model of en- gagement for our own use and as a resource for the wider Church, helping us faithfully carry out God’s command to love our neigh- bors. This model includes: • Rejoice: We rejoice in a God who does immeasurably more through the saving power of Jesus Christ. This rejoicing is our inspiration and foundation as we connect people with Jesus. • Engage: We engage with our partners by listening, celebrat- ing who they are, understanding their context, affirming their value, and building lasting relationships. • Encourage: We walk alongside our partners to create an en- vironment of possibility, rooted in the power of the Gospel, encouraging them in their unique callings. • Serve: We love and serve our partners by supporting their callings as they connect people with Jesus—so that lives are transformed, and God’s kingdom grows. E. Rejoice! We preach Christ crucified! Through His death and resurrection, we are set free from sin, made heirs of salvation, reconciled with God, and live with the promise of eternity. This is the good news for which we rejoice. “Now to him who is able to do imm easur- ably more than all we ask or imagin e, according to His power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Eph. 3:20–21 NIV). William A. Harmon, President