In some circles, as we observed last month, it has become fashionable to maintain that the missionary task of the church is completed. The church was sent into the world, it is true, once upon a time. Then we got … (read more)
In December 2010 President Obama signed into law the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. In addition to a wide range of income and estate tax changes, the act extended the IRA Charitable Rollover for the … (read more)
In some modern circles, it has become fashionable to maintain that the missionary task of the church is completed. Once upon a time, it is reckoned, the Great Commission of Jesus Christ commanded our collective attention, demanded our personal involvement, … (read more)
“…but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” – John 4:14 Two days of heavy rain in mid-July overwhelmed … (read more)
Every once in a while I can’t resist the urge to tabulate statistics. It is something that I have always enjoyed and something that my position at the Home Office occasionally requires, so that works out nicely. I recently took … (read more)
A few weeks ago, I pulled out a bit of history. And this bit pulled back. It happened one day during our annual missionary candidates’ Briefing Course, held every summer during the month of June. I was leading a Bible … (read more)
There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. – 1 Corinthians 12:5,6; NIV For more than one year our family had been planning a trip to Washington D.C. … (read more)
In the first full week of June, our missionary staff, inquirers and candidates, together with a few members of our governing Council, gathered in retreat at a family resort near Balsam Lake, Wisconsin. We gathered to pray for the evangelization … (read more)
Over the past few months we have considered Martin Luther’s counsel regarding prayer. In 1535, he wrote a booklet on the topic. This month we conclude with a final bit of Luther’s profound and practical advice. When you pray, Luther … (read more)
Last year Thrivent Financial for Lutherans ® started a new charitable grant program called Thrivent ChoiceSM. This replaced Giving Plus®, which was discontinued at the end of 2009. Giving Plus® worked out very well for us. Between 2005 and 2009 … (read more)