Report to 316NOW’s Board of Directors
Winds of Summer & Change - August 2024
In late June, we had two events that affected our hearts and our work: Pastor Steve Witte (a member of our Board of Directors) was called home to heaven with five family members. (News Report; Obituary) Steve had a level of experience and influence that could have brought many blessings to us as a non-profit affiliate to WELS world missions. But God had other plans. And, as you can read in our ministry blogs (The Police Detained Them), some of our brothers and sisters in China were arrested, investigated, and threatened. As our liaisons reported, this will definitely affect our work for a time. We had been charging ahead and now we’re going to be operating in a lower-than-normal profile mode. God has other plans.
Keep in mind what the first disciples experienced. Paul captured it when he wrote, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.” (2 Cor 1:8) And again a little later in the book, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (1 Cor. 4:8-9) We carry the Gospel in us and with us because we are convinced that Jesus opens the door to eternal life, or as the apostle states it, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” What appears to us to be trouble and hard times can lead to deeper study, persistent prayer, and fellowship with the Father of our future and his Son our Savior.
Some key areas will be addressed in our August Board meeting:
To expand our work. Despite these challenges, we are continuing to build bridges wherever we can in China and beyond. We are praying for the Lord to open doors for further gospel outreach, as Paul said, “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” Colossians 4:3
To commit to the goal of discovering our best practices for Expatriate work. Ask the Lord to show us how best to invite our Chinese brothers and sisters to study with us. We have much to learn but we are listening to our Chinese consultants. We’re just beginning to figure things out.
To retool our Educational model to the newly emerging opportunities, while not crashing the processes, relationships, and curriculum into which we have invested so much. This includes the use of technology and restructuring our communication with students, especially in the mainland.
To engage more volunteers in meaningful service. There are systems and even apps that seem to be working well in congregations. We need to find ways to get people involved in their areas of skill/passion, engaged in and working with emerging groups.
Divisional Information
Grace Bible Institute (GBI)
Classes that started in mid/late Spring are nearing completion. We especially appreciate the consistent work of Pastors James Witt, and Joel Luetke among others this year. It is our goal to offer new classes for the Fall Semester starting in September.
New Students – in a couple of classes we’ve had a surge of newcomers. This is wonderful but also a challenge because it can shape the direction of the class. They will often need and ask questions that are predominantly about doctrinal basics so our teachers have to lean more in that direction than narrowing the scope toward the curriculum goal. It’s a good problem, as we all have experienced, but means that the more mature class members have to be patient with those who are in the discovery phase.
Deaconess Curriculum – Our Education Division Administrator, Pastor Bob Balza, has nearly completed the 410 “Introduction to Deaconess Ministry” course and is, with the aid of several female consultants, evaluating its effectiveness. He has started the second course and will follow the same process: teaching it himself, reviewing it, revising it, and then offering it on the GBI site. The third class has been outlined and prepared for writing and teaching.
Security – working with our liaisons, we have explored new ways to communicate to the student body. This is not as easy as it has been in the past. We are trying to isolate ourselves to the safest channels.
Expatriate Outreach
Engagement - We continue to work and meet with Amory Stephenson as our technical and media consultant. Through Google Ads we have been seeing a substantial click rate per month. However, this has generated fewer inquiries for class than we had hoped for.
Follow Up – We’ve added to our Expat Team a consultant and contact teacher for those who show interest. Recently he has been working through issues with these potential students. This gives us a superbly qualified pastoral person to test our process and figure out how best to interact with people of the Diaspora. We also still have Pastor Kevin Stellick who is assisting where he can. You’ll see him speaking Mandarin on the introduction video for our expatriate Grace Bible Institute website.
Curriculum – We have been discussing the pathway that an expatriate student might follow once they do engage in study. Leaders of our divisions (Pastors Balza and Enderle) have been in dialogue about this. We will continue to try to offer materials (classes, courses, and videos) that make sense to Chinese people.
Mentoring Counseling Ministry (MCM)
Monthly Interaction – our monthly meetings have been of great benefit to us all for planning and encouragement. During May and June, these meetings helped us to mutually find solutions to our field challenges. Our division leader, Pastor Adam Gawel, has shown his gospel heart again and again as he seeks to build bridges vertically (with the Father in heaven) and horizontally (with co-workers and leaders of the house churches).
Direct Contact – almost all our work now has to be done by the shepherds and leaders of the local ministries in the mainland. This heightens our need to keep an open line of communication with the federation and synod leaders in China.
Counseling – we bring to our indigenous co-workers a mature pastoral theology and experience. This demonstrates the depth of our training and the richness of shepherding under Christ. As we have worked with Asia Lutheran Seminary (ALS), we have praised God for the love that sustains us through the gospel. This is growing our ministry even when difficult events occur. It is, as the Psalms say, a glorious blessing to work in harmony with one another (Psalm 133).
Mission Advancement
Summer – is generally quiet for development work due to vacations. Our division administrator, Pastor Jim Kleist, noted that we had a slowdown at the end of the fiscal year but have seen that rebound again during July. He works diligently with his team to communicate with our constituents.
Endowment – we’re working with synodical people on how to set this up.
Fall Appeal – we’re preparing materials and a schedule for this, sent out in early September.
New Online Forms App – we continue to be amazed by the products available to enhance our advancement work. We’re in the process of reviewing this, accessing it, and learning how it will benefit our online giving forms and communication.
Other
Technology - we are leveraging a professional grade of apps and tools for our integrations, whether email or online storage or domains or dealing with SPAM. We have solved several issues lately. We have begun to explore the use of AI translations to assist in writing and speaking Mandarin whenever and wherever it can be used without compromising doctrinal truths.
Presentation Update – since Covid changed so many aspects of our ministry we will need to upgrade our major presentation which we share with congregations and at special events.
Liaisons
Laying Low – Due to the serious threats made to our brothers/sisters in Shanghai (they were told that the next arrest would be accompanied by a steep fine), every pastor and lay leader is on alert. He said, “I won’t take any cell phone call unless I know it is a delivery person. Rumor has it that if they can’t reach you, they’ll stop trying to call you. They’re fishing for information about relationships, who you know and interact with. So, we are keeping quiet except in our closest circles.” When I asked about what ALS is going to do this fall, he said that they hope to open classes in September quietly online. They will not be able to meet for classes in person.
Teaching – He ( lead liaison) has been encouraged by several new contacts in his own ministry and in teaching classes online. Once vetted, these new students show how much they need the Gospel because of the persistent work righteousness of the Three-Self churches. He stated that it is refreshing to share the simple, clear biblical perspective of justification by faith alone and see the Holy Spirit plant this seed in a soul who is searching for peace and salvation.
Travel – They will be visiting several areas (much like Paul would ride the Asian circuit) to check in with house churches and groups throughout the country. They know some women who are still connected to the local church for social and community ties but are craving deeper biblical teaching. They see how the Lutherans dig into Scripture and study. This is what they want.
Pastor Mark C. Wagner - Executive Director