Missions

Missions

The Board of Missions and Evangelism

Immanuel Lutheran Church supports many ministries and missions. The Board of Missions and Evangelism is charged with prayerfully seeking out mission opportunities from the local level up to international missions. The following represents some of the ministries that ILC has supported.

And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.

Mark 13:10

Seminarians

ILC has a history of supporting Seminarians during their studies at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana (CTSFW). If you would like to read more about CTSFW’s work in lowering the costs of Seminary education, please visit this link.

Current Seminarians

Aaron Wendorff (2018 – Present)

The following was taken from some of the first correspondence ILC received from the Wendorff’s in 2018.  On December 20, 2019, they were blessed with a son, Abraham Norman Wendorff. Their vicarage assignment for 2020-2021 will be at Pella Lutheran Church in Waupun, Wisconsin

“I am a first-year seminarian at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I have a wonderful wife named Leah, and we have two lovely daughters, Miriam (2 yrs.) and Hazel (1 yr.). We moved here in the fall so I could take Greek, and ever since then I have been learning tons and am excited to serve as a pastor in just a few years. Before this, I was the Youth Ministries Director for two years at Camp Luther in Leah’s home state of Nebraska.  Before that, I spent many summers working at Camp Omega in my home state of Minnesota. I grew up helping out on my parents’ farm, went to Lutheran schools all my life, and graduated from Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, MN with a degree in Communication. I love learning, serving, and telling people the good news of Jesus. I am so blessed by God to be able to be a husband, father, and student (and to have His help in balancing all of that!), and He is blessing me and my family through you now as well. I cannot tell you how grateful we are for your prayers and support!”

Brennick Christiansen (2018 – Present)

The following was taken from an early note in 2018. Brennick and his wife, Bethany, along with two- year old Silas welcomed new family member, Lydia Jane Christiansen in May of 2019.  Their vicarage assignment for 2020-2021 is at Risen Savior Lutheran in Basehor, Kansas

“Thank you for your support of us while we are here at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. My wife, Bethany and I used to teach at Faith Lutheran in Plano, Texas. Now we live about twenty minutes away from the seminary in the countryside and rent a 108 year-old farmhouse surrounded by cornfields!  We do not run the farm, but we do get to see tractors and livestock daily.  This country environment has thrown us quite a culture-change! The majority of our new neighbors (the Amish folk) drive a horse-and-cart buggy at a whopping 20 miles-per-hour, whether rain or shine.  Thus, my twenty-minute commute can sometimes take a tad longer. In addition to my studies, I work at the Seminary’s library at the circulation-desk.  Bethany stays home to raise Silas. She also finds joy in playing the piano and violin and teaches music lessons at home. “

Past Seminarians

  • Rev. Dagan Siepert (2014 – 2018)
  • Rev. Tyson Bentz (2014 – 2018)
  • Rev. Jason Toombs (2012 – 2014)
  • Rev. Philip Beversdorf (2010 – 2014)

Missionary Support

Current Missionaries

Missionary Phillip Magness – Africa (2020 – Present)

As a music specialist, Phillip Magness teaches hymnody and liturgy, composition, and music literacy at the Centre Luthérien d’Études Théologiques (CLET), or Lutheran Center for Theological Studies, in Dapaong, Togo, West Africa, as well as at workshops in surrounding countries.

“I’ll be the first to admit that working in Africa is not easy. This last trip I breathed in Harmattan dust for three weeks which took a couple more weeks to work out of my lungs. The temperatures in sub-Saharan Africa are particularly brutal when you come into them from the winter temps of the American Midwest. I’ve made six trips to Africa thus far and have picked up intestinal bugs four times — a .667 batting average I don’t want to have! This last trip I came down with malaria and spent two days in a hospital in Lomé.

So why am I so eager to go back? Well, I’ve got a story to share, but first let me offer a list of reasons why the work we are doing has meaningful, personal impact. As you know, our Lutheran hymns bless in so many ways. My African friends say they bring:

  • Comfort in times of hardship
  • Greater sense of our unity in Christ
  • Strengthening of faith, and
  • Much Joy

For these and many other reasons, our brothers and sisters take these songs to heart. Of course, not every hymn is memorized by every student. Just like you, they have their favorites. But sometimes seeds that I plant really take root and bear fruit. When I see and hear that happening, it brings me great joy and encourages me.”

More information can be found at https://missioncental.us/magness/ or https://www.lcms.org/magness

Phillip Magness visited ILC on Sunday, December 8, 2019. Phillip served as our guest organist for both services, and spoke during the Sunday School hour about his music ministry in West and Central Africa.

Missionary Daniel & Kathy Conrad – Mexico (2016 – Present)

“On behalf of ourselves and the Lutheran Synod of Mexico we thank you for your generous support of God’s mission in Mexico. God is using your donations in a powerful way to form pastors and deaconesses who will serve the Lord throughout the country. Our national pastors and vicars continue to proclaim the joyful news of Jesus’ resurrection through ZOOM, Facebook, and YouTube. We give thanks to God for these kingdom workers for their faithful service. Kathy, Ana, and I have decided to remain in Mexico during the Corona Virus Pandemic. We pray that the Lord will continue to use us as his ambassadors in a powerful way.”

More information can be found at https://www.lcms.org/conrad

The Conrad family visited Immanuel Lutheran in July of 2018. Rev. Conrad spoke during the Sunday school hour and preached the message at our worship services. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet them in person and learn more about their ministry first hand!

Past Missionaries

  • Roy Askins & Eliza – Asia (2016-2019)
  • Alissa Asmus – Hong Kong (2011-2016)
  • Sharon Owens – Hong Kong (2012-2015)
  • Jonathan Braun – Hong Kong (2011)

Uganda Secondary School

2020 Update

At the end of February, Stephen Maxwell and I visited the Secondary school in Nakabanga, Uganda, that Immanuel is supporting with funds through the Missions Board.

The school is busy and thriving and is the first Secondary school sponsored by the Lutheran Church in Uganda. Your sponsorship funds and some of the budgeted funds from Immanuel Lutheran provided school supplies, bunk beds with mattresses, personal soap, laundry soap and hygiene supplies. The students were grateful for the gifts! We were entertained by groups from the school with dances and skits. Bishop Bameka traveled with us every day of our trip, as well as Pastor James, who you may remember from his visits to Immanuel. Also traveling with us was the Uganda Lutheran Missions coordinator Violet. This level of senior leadership involvement from the Lutheran Church in Uganda demonstrates the high priority the leadership places on the Nakabanga Secondary school as a model for future Secondary schools in their educational system. The Lutheran Church in Uganda leaders also expressed their sincere appreciation to Immanuel for the Secondary school support.

The main portion of the budgeted funds from Immanuel will be used in 2020 to build a new, modern toilet/shower facility. On one side of the facility will be toilets and showers for the girl’s dormitory and on the other side of the facility will be toilet facilities for all students. The new facility will be able to be serviced frequently to keep it in use for twenty to twenty five years as opposed to the older facilities that were holes in the ground that needed to be replaced/relocated over a period of five to six years.

I am working with the Immanuel Mission/Evangelism Committee to lay out the future needs and priorities for the Secondary school that the Lutheran Church in Uganda apprised us of during our visit. Stay tuned for information from the Missions/Evangelism Committee on the possibilities for future support of the School!

Yours in Christ
Randy Kieschnick