Thanksgiving for Today!
Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools. Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.  Ecclesiastes 7:9-10

I had a wonderful opportunity this past Sunday. Not only did I get to worship at the congregation where Cheryl and I are members, but I got to attend Bible Class! That doesn’t happen too often with my visitation and service schedule. But it did this past Sunday and I was able to study a portion of Ecclesiastes with the people of God.

The two verses above and the discussion around it captured my attention. While the participants explored why it is not wise to dwell in the quote from verse 10, my mind slipped off to our churches and the situations therein.

It is easy for us to reflect on the situation in our church and say, “Why were the former days better than these?” We remember those days when there were more services and they were all full! We remember when the budget was more robust. We remember when the Sunday School classes were brimming and the youth program was active. We remember when… and the list goes on.

Neither this article nor this verse is meant to deny or diminish the past. We give thanks for the past and the great things that God did in those days. We praise God for the ministry, the grace, and the salvation that was given for we have been recipients and beneficiaries of it.

So, what is the problem of saying? ”Why were the former days better than these?”

First because the very supposition is foolish. Is it really true that the former days were better than today? No doubt there were certain things that were better than today but it is also true that there are certain things that were not! The simple truth of the matter is that every age has its bright spots and its dark sides with unending shades of gray in between. To wistfully say that the former days were better is in short self-deceptive and thus foolish.

Second, as vs 9 reminds us, such a belief can root us in anger. Continually harkening back to the past and romanticizing it can develop in us an inferiority or injustice complex which in turn can lead to bitterness and anger. Dwelling on our perceived misfortune is simply not health. Paul reminds us not to let the sun go down on our anger. It is far better to deal with the source of our anger with the Word of God and in the mercy and forgiveness of Christ.

Third, and perhaps most significant, dwelling on such a saying betrays a misunderstanding of God’s ways and a lack of trust in him. You can never go back nor should we want to. We can thank God for the past but we rightly thank him for the present and the gifts, blessings, and grace that he gives us now! We believe that God has redeemed us in Jesus Christ and has placed us right where we are for his purposes. We believe Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

October has us rolling up on the end of the church year with its focus on the culmination of all things and Thanksgiving. Within that context, how do you view these days in which we live? God reminds us it is foolishness to say the former days were better. Rather he calls us to live in faith and trust, to give thanks for the blessings of this day, and, in the hope of Jesus Christ, to offer ourselves for God’s good purposes.
 
Pastor Appreciation and Holding Up the Prophet’s Hands
October was Pastor Appreciation Month but our appreciation of our pastors continues. If you missed the opportunity to say thank you to your pastor, no worries. You can show appreciation any time. In fact, Holding Up the Prophet’s Hands is a great way to show appreciation and give support to your pastor all year round.
We want our pastors to be healthy and feel supported. When they are they are able to serve you much better. The Worker Support Team described in the seminar can function in a congregation in many different ways. The point is to have a support system for your pastor.

The goal of this seminar was to two-fold; to equip congregations to better care for their pastor and for pastors to be healthier. If your congregation was unable to send anyone to the seminar the next best thing is to read Dr. Hartung’s book Holding Up the Prophet’s Hand. The District has a few more copies of this book available. Call the District Office and request one or simply order one from CPH or on Amazon.
 
Initiative for Ministry Development (IMD) and NJDU
The final session of NJDU is scheduled for this month. We will be focusing on outreach and ministry. Each congregation and the District will be offering TED-like talks on a creative or unique ministry they sponsor. The goal is to stimulate these congregations to ever greater and more creative ministry.

IMD is now turning its eyes toward a third phase in 2024 in which half and full day seminars and retreats will be offered to explore new areas of ministry and planning as well as helping congregations keep current with their plans. These additional sessions will be open not only to SCC and NJDU graduates but to all congregations interested in enhancing their ministry.
 
District Short Clips
Official Visits will continue in November until we take an Advent/Christmas pause. The visits will then resume in January. I am currently scheduled through mid-February. Soon I will be selecting another 7 churches and sending them an invitation to schedule a visit with me. That should just about finish the first year’s visitation (21 churches) and have me right on schedule to visit every congregation in the three-year cycle.

Call Lists. St. John, Bloomfield and Calvary, Verona have received their 3rd call list. St. Paul, Closter has received her 1st call list. Holy Trinity, Somerset, and Christ Memorial, East Brunswick are preparing for their 1st Call List. Rev. Anthony Iovine has three calls which he is considering. Gary Timm has declined a call to Salem, Buffalo, NY and has another call to Bettendorf, IA. Chris Schneider has two calls one to Beautiful Savior, Powell, OH and the other to Grace, Huntsville, AL. Lawrence Gboeah, Christ Assembly, Newark has retired and Borbor Zolue has completed his studies in the EIIT program and will be ordained and installed at Christ Assembly in the near future.

Pastors Conference. Having concluded our Fall Pastors Conference, I am now pleased to announce our Spring Conference on May 13-15 at Tuscarora Conference Center, Mt. Bethel, PA. Our primary speaker will be Dr. Dave Reuter speaking on Growing Young. This conference will help our pastors understand the core principles and practices of congregations that are growing younger (in age). These principles and practices apply not only to larger congregations but to congregations of all sizes. Congregations that desire to do more with Dr. Reuter will be invited to participate in a cohort of NJD congregations and work together at Growing Young.

Pastors Wives. There is a Pastors Wives retreat coming up in February. Please watch the Grapevine for more details.

Outreach Council. The Outreach Council is working on developing a page on our District website that will be a resource of outreach ideas for congregations to use. Each congregation is encouraged to submit one idea along with a one or two paragraph description of the event/activity. Congregations will be able to go to the page for inspiration and encouragement toward outreach through their congregation. Pastors through their Circuit Meetings and Circuit Visitors are being asked to accomplish this.

Synodical Convention Resolutions. In an effort to bring Synod closer to congregations and to make Synodical resolutions relevant to ministry here in NJ, plans are in the making for District representatives to visit each congregation to share Synodical resolutions that are relevant to congregations. Knowing about these resolutions, congregations can then decide if there are any that can assist them in their ministry or decide to take up something new at the suggestion of a resolution. We pray that this can assist and stimulate us to vibrant ministry here in NJ.
 
Conclusion
The last two months of the year are filled with great blessings; reminders of God bringing his promises to fulfillment as the end draws near, Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas! Make every effort to be in person in the Lord’s house each week that you may receive the fullness of God’s blessings.
The LORD with you,

President/Bishop Gewecke

Open to Receiving and Ready to Give
Recently someone asked me if I have taken a day off lately? Most of the time I can honestly say, “Yes.” But this time I realized that for about three weeks I hadn’t. I had to answer, somewhat sheepishly, “No.” Now, the point here today is not that we all need to take a day off. That is true and I have written about that in the past. Rather, the point is that someone asked!

More specifically, there are two points to be made; one that we need to allow ourselves to be accountable to others and two, we need others to care enough to ask us.

The Scripture passage that comes to mind is Exodus 18 in which Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came to visit. One day Moses sat to judge the people and the people came to him for advice and judgement from morning until night. Jethro was appalled! “What you are doing is not good! You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you.” (vs. 17-18).

Thank God for Jethro! God’s mission could have been stalled simply because Moses didn’t see he was taking too much onto himself or didn’t know how to do things in a different way. But God sent Jethro to ask a question (“What is this you are doing for the people?... vs. 14) and bring a new perspective (“I will give you advice… look for able men… who fear God... and let them judge… vs. 19-23). Thank God for Jethro who cared about Moses and God’s people so that he spoke a word of love.

​And thank God that Moses listened! Evidently, Moses recognized that Jethro was right. He was taking too much onto himself. He was going to wear himself out! Moses also discerned that Jethro’s advice was a message from God and wise council. Moses heeded that advice, made some adjustments, and went on to lead God’s people toward the Promised Land.

Through this story it is not hard for us to see how God graciously works in our lives. He works through our fellow redeemed (and sometimes the unredeemed too – a discussion for another time). Thank God that, in our fallen sinfulness, he sends people to ask us questions, now and then, for our health and wellbeing. We forget to be healthy, believing that our efforts and actions are better for us and others. And I am not just talking about overworking now. We have other omissions and unhealthy behaviors that are detrimental (like lack of prayer, devotion, worship, or service, and addictions etc.) Thank God that he who sent his Son to seek us and redeem us continues to do so a he sends others into our lives.

And thank God when, like Moses, we can receive that word. Arrogance is a sin against the first commandment; humility is a gift of God in Christ Jesus. When we die to self in the waters of Holy Baptism, and are raised to new life in Christ, we can shed arrogance and put on humility. Like Moses we can be open to the loving words of others who challenge our unhealthy behaviors and guide us back to the ways of God.
Let’s be open to receiving and ready to give.

For more on this I refer you to the paragraph below and the article in this newsletter on “Holding Up the Prophet’s Hands”. The Biblical story, while still about Moses, is different, but correlates with this devotion.
 
Pastor Appreciation
October is Pastor Appreciation Month. I encourage congregational leaders and members to acknowledge their pastor is some way this year. The effort does not have to be expensive or extravagant but should be meaningful. Honestly, most pastors don’t want a big fuss and are a bit shy about recognition. However, they do appreciate hearing and experiencing your love and gratitude that comes from the heart.
If you need a few ideas to stimulate your thoughts, here is a link to the Missouri District’s website that lists five things you could do to show appreciation: https://mo.lcms.org/five-ways-to-celebrate-pastor-appreciation-month-2/
 
Holding Up the Prophets Hands: Worker Wellness and Congregational Leadership Training
Are you concerned for the health of your congregation? of your Pastor? They are related. One of the best ways to have a healthy congregation is to have a healthy pastor.

“Because of their passion and dedication, church workers are especially vulnerable to stress, burnout, and the assaults of the devil, who tries to destroy the relationship between the Church and her workers and among the workers themselves. How do we, as members of the Body of Christ, acknowledge the unique position we have put our workers in, and support them in their task.”

The quote above is taken from the back of Dr. Bruce Hartung’s book Holding Up the Prophet’s Hand. It makes us aware of a critical issue among us and hints at some of the solutions that will lead us toward healthy pastors and healthy congregations.

I invite you to come and hear Dr. Hartung address the members of the NJ District on Saturday November 4th, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm at Somerset Hills Lutheran Church, Basking Ridge. Please see the article in the main body of this newsletter for more information on the content of the workshop and how to register.
Who is invited? Well, anyone who loves our Lord Jesus and cares about his church and pastors. But we especially invite Pastors and Church Workers, Elders, Church Leaders of all sorts, members of Women’s and Men’s groups, and others.

​God bless you for loving, caring, and making this effort toward better pastoral and congregational health.
 
Installation at Bethlehem, Ridgewood
Rev. Peter DeMik accepted the call to Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Ridgewood and was installed on Sunday September 24th. Sixteen Pastors and two Commissioned Ministers processed in the service. He and his family are in the process of settling into their new home and community. Welcome DeMik family! God bless your life and ministry among us.

Initiative for Ministry Development (IMD) and NJDU
In September our NJDU congregations gathered for their 5th session of NJDU. The subject was Worship Planning. Once again, a robust review of the previous session was done to ensure that all of the congregations were up to date on the development of their plans. Then we moved on to worship planning in which congregations were given resources and tips to assist in developing year-long worship plans. Next session is Spiritual Life.

​For these congregations the completion of NJDU is near. There are only two more sessions left. But that is not the end. These congregations will have a plan that can be easily updated and made current on an annual basis. Developing a ministry plan is an ongoing process.

In addition, IMD is looking to enter its third phase in 2024 in which half and full day seminars and retreats will be offered to explore new areas of ministry and planning as well as helping congregations keep current with their plans. These additional sessions will be open not only to SCC and NJDU graduates but to all congregations interested in enhancing their ministry.
 
District Short Clips
Congregational Statistics. Congratulations NJD! You get the most improved award! At the last Council of Presidents meeting our Synod’s Secretary reported on the results of Synod’s Districts and congregations submitting congregational statistics. While NJ did not appear in the top rung of responders, it was noted that we were the most improved over last year! My thanks to all of you who made the effort to submit your statistics and especially to our Circuit Counselors who gave an extraordinary effort at encouraging our pastors and congregations to submit. With continued diligence and faithfulness, I can easily see us move into the top rung of responders!

Official Visits. I have made five Official Visits to congregations and have five more scheduled for this fall. I do have one more slot available this fall but visits are scheduled by invitation. If you did receive an invitation but have not responded please let me know and I will get you scheduled. I have found these visits to be a delight as I have spent time with pastors, leaders, and congregations.

Call Lists. Holy Trinity, Somerset, St. Paul, Closter, and Christ Memorial, East Brunswick are preparing for their 1st Call List. St. John, Bloomfield and Calvary, Verona are preparing for their 3rd call list. Rev. Anthony Lovine has a call to Faith, Easton.

Pastors Conference. The NJD Spring Pastors Conference will be on Thursday October 26th at King of Kings Lutheran Church, Mountain Lakes. Rev. Dr. Richard Serina, Associate Executive Director of the CTCR and former Pastor at Christ the King Ringwood, will be our speaker. He is one of the primary authors of the CTCR document on the Order of Creation which will be our subject. This conference will better equip our pastors to understand and teach about the nature of the pastoral office and the role of laypeople in the congregation. Registration for pastors can be accomplished through the link in the article in the main body of this newsletter.

Circuit Pastors Meetings. At the request of our Outreach Council, our Pastors at their Circuit meetings are doing two things. First, they are reading and discussing the book “Autopsy of a Deceased Church”. Our prayer is that, with all of our pastors reading and discussing this book, we can have a greater sense of what a healthy congregation is, recognize the signs of being unhealthy, and lead our congregations into greater health.
Second, they are helping to develop a District resource webpage that will list outreach ideas that congregations can use. Each pastor/congregation is asked to submit 1-3 ideas their congregation has utilized along with a paragraph or two of description/explanation. We hope to have this up on our District website by 2024.

Synodical Convention Resolutions. In an effort to bring Synod closer to congregations and to make Synodical resolutions relevant to ministry here in NJ, plans are in the making for District representatives to visit each congregation to share Synodical resolutions that are relevant to congregations. Knowing about these resolutions, congregations can then decide if there are any that can assist them in their ministry or decide to take up something new at the suggestion of a resolution. We pray that this can assist and stimulate us to vibrant ministry here in NJ.
 
Conclusion
As we move out of September and into October, we recognize the great amount of work the Lord has given us to do. We can’t do it alone nor are we called to do it alone. God has placed us into a community of believers called the church. In that church, working together, let us always be open to receiving and ready to give.

The LORD with you,
President/Bishop Gewecke