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WELS Statistical Report: My projection of "WELS 2045"
For the next couple weeks we are going to dig into Jon Hein's WELS Statistical Report for 2023 . This week we'll discuss some observations on trends and I will provide my 20-year synodical projection based on those trends. I'll present this with minimal commentary, and in the upcoming weeks we'll discuss several specific interest areas in the report including fertility, school enrollments and of course ECE's. First, let's consider communicant membership The report provides data for the years 2000-2023 and does not attempt to project communicant membership into the future. I only make two assumptions in the projection of the data. The first key underlying assumption I am going to make is that membership is Lindy . If it is Lindy, then the local slope of our membership decline will persist in proportion to the slopes existing persistence. The longer-term trends that predate the near-term trends will predominate the future. It's not perfect, it's only a mo...
Where you at, MLC?
Marxist inroads into Minnesota Christian colleges (substack.com) "The Upper Midwest Law Center is seeking a Christian college [in Minnesota] to be a plaintiff in a lawsuit (pro-bono) to challenge the constitutionality of these new standards. Will any Christian college join the resistance and become a plaintiff?"
Woke in the WELS: CDA ECE, DEI & SEL Oh, my!
I've posted before about Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) making inroads in the WELS, and actionable strategies for parents to counter SEL. I've also expressed why a Christian might be concerned about the proliferation of Early Childhood Education (ECE) centers. Previous posts centered around teacher's conferences and master's theses. But now the rubber hits the road for the broader synod as the WELS is actively advertising their four-tier accreditation system in the latest WELS Connection . I noticed during the WELS Connection as they spoke of certification the teacher had a manual issued by the CDA Council , which could have just been any book off the shelf to stage the shot, but my suspicions were confirmed later that week when the WELS came asking for money, as I found out, to support SEL in WELS ECE's The WELS chose The Child Development Associate accreditation for teachers in WELS ECE's. The CDA Council "sets the standard fo...
Dr. Harold Ristau, On the Line
On the Line with Dr. Harold Ristau - YouTube This is a really fantastic interview with Rev. Dr. Maj. Harold Ristau, a Lutheran pastor who has written on his experiences with exorcism , participated in the Canadian Trucker Convoy protest, served honorably as chaplain for the Canadian Armed Forces , and is an excellent selection for the President of Luther Classical College. The interview and his biography show a man actively engaged with faith in the public square. Listen to the whole thing, and consider subscribing to On the Line , they have had a number of impressive long-form episodes. A few highlights. The conversation starts with a discussion of COVID. Around the 20 minute mark Dr. Ristau eviscerates the "remote distance of evil" arguments with respect to the COVID vaccines, moving on to the Lord's Supper a few minutes later, including the theology of the Common Cup and "shooter cups." Next up is exorcisms. Dr. Ristau is very measured here trying not ...
The Evangelical Lutheran Breviary
Evangelical Lutheran Breviary - buy at lulu.com I've had my copy for a little less than a week so this is an initial impression. First - the quality is excellent, Caleb did a great job with the typesetting and formatting. The hardcover has a dust jacket with the ELH logo and under the dust jacket is a simply labeled spine. (a much better job that NPH did on their print-on-demand Volumes 1 & 2 of Adolf Hoenecke's Evangelical Lutheran Dogmatics. On the right is a traditionally published volume in 1999, on the left the print-on-demand from 2009.) The Table of Contents: Following the table of contents is a brief description of how to use the offices, explaining the liturgical elements and the use of the psalter and Propers. Then follows the four offices (note that if there is a bracketed page number, this is where you can locate the office in the Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal), a section of prayers (the Litany, Prayers for the Sick and Dying, and The Suffrages) followed by seve...
WELS Southerner's take on Mike Novotny
Well done, WELS Southerner. (but please get that fire alarm looked at) (If I ever get doxed, I'm totally moving to this format)