24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.
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26 Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” 30 And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.  Numbers 11:24-30

It is now more that a week past the Festival of Pentecost, however, the Old Testament Reading for that day from Numbers is still reverberating in my mind. Although the day is past, the message of that passage is quite pertinent to the whole season of Pentecost. It reminds us of the gift of the Holy Spirit poured out upon all of God’s people and of the importance of all of God’s people in the ministry of the church. We hear Moses praying prophetically that the Lord would put his spirit on all of his people. 

In this regard there are three things that are of importance. The first is the giving of the Holy Spirit. We see at the time of this passage Moses has already been given the Holy Spirit. Now God takes some of that Spirit given to Moses and places it upon the seventy elders gathered at the tent of meeting. Upon doing so the elders prophesied. 

The connection between this event an the one in Acts 2 it evident; the giving of the Holy Spirit to a wider number of people. Before Pentecost the Gospels tell us of the Spirit being on Jesus (the new Moses) much as it was on Moses in our passage. Jesus then, ascended into heaven and sitting at the right hand of the Father, pours out his Spirit upon his people. As a sign of this gift, the people begin to speak in tongues even as the elders had prophesied. 

In our passage we are told that the elders prophesied but they did not continue doing so. No such thing is said of those in Acts 2. In fact, the implication is that the gift continues. And so, we celebrate each and every Pentecost that God has poured out his Spirit upon his people and continues to do so. In baptism and confirmation (the confirmation of what God has done in baptism) we confess and rejoice in the gift of the Holy Spirit is given to us too.

Second, we note that two men, Eldad and Medad, who were registered as elders but did not go out to the tent of meeting also began to prophesy. Numbers does not explain why God did this or what it means, so we don’t really know. However, looking at the accounts in Acts it comes to our attention that a similar thing happened. There were also others who receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit who are not in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. In Acts 10:44-48, as Peter was preaching, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Gentiles. What a surprise this was to the apostles and disciples back in Jerusalem! But then again, God pouring out his Spirit on Eldad and Medad was a surprise too. Perhaps the one was meant to prepare us for the other reminding us that God often works in surprising ways and is generous beyond our estimations.  

Finally, we note the alarm of Joshua as he reports to Moses and says, “My lord Moses, stop them.” No doubt Joshua thought that, by attempting to stop Eldad and Medad, he was being faithful to Moses and protecting him. But Moses by the Spirit of God saw the bigger picture. What was God doing? The burden on Moses to care for the people by himself was too great. He needed help and God was providing it in the elders as the Spirit was placed on them too. The parallel with Acts 2 is quite evident here as well. God is broadening the way for his people to participate in the ministry of the church. Moses desire for the Spirit to be upon all of God’s people is brought about on Pentecost.

Yet there is a word of caution to be observed as we apply this passage to our lives. The gift of the Holy Spirit on each of us includes each of us in the church and empowers us to ministry in the church and in our lives. But this is always in keeping with our vocation. And we do not all have the same vocation. Ephesians 4 reminds us God gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip the saints. Who are the saints? Well, that is most of us in the church. Just because we are gifted with the Holy Spirit does not mean we have the privilege of an office in the church and may assume the duties of such. No, those positions are given by the direction of God through the appointment of the church. 

So, in these days of the season of Pentecost, what does this mean? It means that we rightly rejoice in the gift of the Holy Spirit to each of us. It means that God has called and empowered you to live, serve, and speak the Word of God according to your vocation (spouse, parent, child, employee, neighbor, church member, participant in a ministry). It means that the ministry of the church is not all on the shoulders of the pastor but that God has given you as ones who can share in the work of the church. If the church of Jesus Christ is to be vital and growing in this day and age it will of necessity involve the Spirit filled people of God, it will of necessity involve you!

It is a wonderful gift! With the gift comes the responsibility to use it.

God bless this Pentecost season to us as we work together in his kingdom.

​The Spring 2026 Pastor Conference was held at the Erdman Center at Princeton Theological Seminary on May 18-20th. Dr. Joseph Terry (Ph.D., University of Nottingham), philosopher-theologian and educator in New York City, where he teaches at Kingsborough and York Colleges (CUNY) at the City University of New York, was our speaker addressing the subject of AI, Intelligence and the Mystery of Personhood. Participants were challenged and enriched by the presentation. Rev. Adam Carnehl led the Bible Study on The Two Books (Scripture and Nature). Our thanks to Messiah Lutheran Church for allowing us to use their sanctuary for worship and fellowship for dinner.

Pastor Wives Retreat. The Annual NJD Pastors Wives Retreat was held on April 24 - 26, 2026 at the Harvey Cedars Bible Conference, Harvey Cedars, NJ. The speaker was Deaconess Heidi Goehmann who addressed the wives on the theme of Mental and Relational Health. 

A big thank you to congregations who supported their pastor’s wife by paying for her attendance. Thanks also to the NJD LWML, Thrivent and the NJD for giving generous grants to cover some of the costs. 
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It is important for us to not only care for our pastors but their families. The health and well being of these women are critical to our pastors and congregations.

​Mission Golf Classic.  This year was the 20th anniversary of our Mission Golf Classic! All golfers received and commemorative 20th Anniversary golf shirt. The weather was great and the event, as always, was fun. It was held once again at Heron Glenn, Ringoes, NJ on May 7th. Thank you so much for your support over the years. 

​Continuing Education On June 1-3rd thirteen people from NJ (10 pastors and 3 lay people including 2 women) met at St. Peter Lutheran Church, Hopewell Township for a Prof Insights: Faculty-Led Workshop. Dr. Joel Elowsky a professor of Historical Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis was the presenter. He also is the director of the Seminary’s Center for the Study of Early Christian Texts and is a researcher for the Center for Early African Christianity at the Oden House in New Haven, Conn. He has been a faculty member at Concordia Seminary since 2014. His interests and areas of expertise include early church studies, the history of exegesis, mission work, and African Christianity.

The Apostolic Fathers was a study of the primary literature of the Apostolic Fathers with application to the life of the church today. The study primarily focused on the texts themselves, with attention given to issues of authorship, dating, the integrity of the text and the occasion for the writing, as well as major theological, ecclesiological and social issues that the writings address, such as martyrdom, church order, orthodoxy and heresy, and early Christian rituals.
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The intention is for the NJD to host another similar type class next summer for the continuing education needs of our pastors and lay people.

Initiative for Ministry Development and Strategic Plan Task Forces
At this time, it appears that most if not all of those congregations that desire to engage in Small Church Clarity or NJDU have done so. The process is still available for those congregations with new pastors or congregations that could not participate earlier upon request. Rather than participating with a cohort of congregations, though, the process will be done individually.

For all those that have completed SCC or NJDU the Annual Planning Reunions will continue. Look forward to one of these reunions this fall (November?) sporting a new and enhanced design.
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The Strategic Plan Task Forces have been meeting and working on their goals. The Healthy Congregations Task Force has completed it first task and produced a tri-fold that presents what it means to be a health congregation. The Healthy Workers Task Force and the Multi-ethnic Task Forces are finishing up their tri-folds. These products will be used to help us move forward with the work of our Strategic Plan.

Congregational Statistical Reports.  The final extended deadline for submitting Congregational Statistical Reports was June 1st. While the final results have not been published yet, it is quite possible that the NJD has attained to a 90% submittal rate! This was our goal (some Districts reached 100%!). Statistical reporting is a responsibility of each and every congregation that we have toward our shared life together in Synod. 
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Frankly, is was disappointing that some pastors and congregations had to be reminded numerous times to submit their statistics. My hope is that submitting becomes an expected part of our responsibilities and one that we undertake willingly and without procrastination each year. A special thanks to our Circuit Visitors who worked so hard to secure full compliance in their Circuits.

Synodical Convention 2026
The 2026 Synodical Convention will be held in Phoenix, AZ on July 18-23rd. 

• Housing and travel arrangements have been completed for all delegates.
• Orientation and training will be held in June 27th at Redeemer, Westfield 9:00am – 3:00pm.
• Voting for the election of the Synodical President will be online June 6-9th. This is the first round. Other rounds will be added if necessary.

Conclusion
We have now entered into the long “green season” of Pentecost. As we learn about living our lives in the Spirit of God, let us always remember that according to our vocations God’s Spirit is upon and active in us. We are each needed in the operations of the kingdom of God.

The Lord be with you,
President/Bishop Gewecke 

​9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”  Luke 18:9-14

As I write this message I am also preparing for my departure for the Council of Presidents meeting in St. Louis. We are still just under two weeks away from Ash Wednesday and yet by the time you read this Lent will be upon us and Ash Wednesday may even have passed. None-the-less it is good, right, and salutary that we spend a few minutes contemplating the importance of Lent.
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The above passage, while not the one we usually use as the Ash Wednesday Gospel, is the one appointed for Ash Wednesday in the daily devotional that I use. It reminds us that while fasting, generosity, and prayer are important results of faith, that a humble spirit before God is of greater importance. Even then it is not humility in itself that is important, but what that humility reveals is going on inside of us.

Lent seeks to accomplish four things in us:

• A recognition of our sinful depravity and repentance
• A focus on the gospel of salvation in Jesus
• A preparation for the celebration of Easter
• A renewed life in Christ

A recognition of our sinful depravity and repentance.  This is what was lacking in the Pharisee in the parable above. He was proud of himself, his religious practice, his standing before God. He was self-righteous. As such, he really didn’t believe he needed God and so departed unjustified.

Lent reminds us that we are we are sinful human beings who have fallen short of the glory of God. It reminds us that we are far worse than we often realize and utterly depraved. It reminds us that we cannot deliver ourselves from this sinful condition. Of ourselves, we are hopelessly lost. 
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This is a difficult message to hear, receive, and believe. But it is necessary. Lent is meant to remind us of this and bring us to repentance. The themes of Ash Wednesday and the First Sunday in Lent do an especially good job of confronting us with this reality. In part, humility is the act of embracing this truth.

Focus on the gospel of salvation in Jesus.  Repentance is important and necessary but is not salvation. It is only preparatory for the gospel and salvation in Jesus. In the parable above the tax collector beat his breast in repentance and sought mercy form God. His salvation was not to be found in himself but outside of himself in God.

Lent reminds us that salvation is external to ourselves. We don’t save ourselves by our acts of righteousness but rather God comes to us and gives us salvation. This gospel is so clearly proclaimed in a passage we learn early,
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

That is the gospel my friends! God gave. Jesus died. Your sins are paid for. You are justified.
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Lent reminds us that while repentance is important and necessary, that it is nothing without the gospel of Jesus Christ. Lent will always remind us of our sinfulness and call us to repentance, but specifically for the purpose of hearing the gospel in Jesus Christ. Lent focuses on the gospel of salvation in Jesus.

A preparation for the celebration of Easter.  In the parable above the two men went to the temple to pray. This was their time of worship and participation in the daily sacrifices, a participation in the salvation of God as given in the Old Testament. Did their prayer at the temple properly prepare them for this celebration of God’s salvation?

Lent is meant to prepare us for the celebration of the resurrection of Christ and the salvation he brings to us. Failure to recognize our sin and repent, failure to focus on the gospel of salvation in Jesus will leave us unprepared to receive the wonderful gift that comes in the Easter story. 
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I am constantly amazed at how so many Christians want to rush to Easter services but blow by Holy Week and even Lent as irrelevant! Can we hear and receive the gospel of Easter without those two? Well, I guess we can but to be properly prepared and to receive the full blessing of the resurrection it is quite necessary to spend time in Lent and Holy Week. Again, new life in Christ is not needed until we realize that we are dead in sin! The grand significance of Christ’s resurrection cannot be fully embraced until we embrace the necessity of his death for our sin! How can we take a place at the empty tomb until we have taken our place at the cross?
Lent prepares us for the celebration of Easter.

A renewed life in Christ.  In the parable the second man went away justified. Justification is the beginning of the new life in Christ. Scripture tells us that in Christ we are a new creation. It tells us we have the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, and the fruit of the Spirit! We have put on Christ and walk with Christ in newness of life.

Lent, which means “springtime” is just that, a springtime for the soul. It calls for new growth and new ways of life. Lent come to us with the traditional disciplines of Lent; alms giving, fasting and prayer. It is always important for us to locate these acts properly. They come after faith and not before. To locate them before faith would be to say that they are efforts to gain or earn favor or salvation from God. Scripture condemns such theology. Rather they are to be located after faith and as a response of love and gratitude toward God. 

So, in Lent we seek to renew and reestablish as godly habits such things as generosity and care for those in need (alms giving), denial of the fleshly passions (fasting), and worship and devotions (prayer). We renew and reestablish these disciplines not just as a 40-day exercise but recognizing that they are characteristics of the new life in Christ that we have. 

Two men went up to the temple to pray. They are two types of people. Without asking the question, but simply in telling the parable, Jesus is asking what type are you? In which of the two men do you see yourself? Lent invites us to enter into the life of the second man and the justification he received in Christ.

​God bless your Lenten season!

​The Spring 2025 Pastor Conference will be held at the Erdman Center at Princeton Theological Seminary on May 18-20th. Dr. Joseph Terry (Ph.D., University of Nottingham), philosopher-theologian and educator in New York City, where he teaches at Kingsborough and York Colleges (CUNY) at the City University of New York, will be our speaker addressing the subject of The Church at the Crossroads of Theology and Technology. Registration materials have been sent by email to every pastor. If you have not received them please contact the District Office or go to the District website 

Pastor Wives Retreat. The Annual NJD Pastors Wives Retreat has been planned for April 24 - 26, 2026 at the Harvey Cedars Bible Conference, Harvey Cedars, NJ. The speaker this year will be Deaconess Heidi Goehmann who will focus on the theme of Mental and Relational Health. 

The committee has selected this relaxing retreat center on Long Beach Island at an economical price which includes overnight accommodations, meeting room, and meals. NJD LWML, Thrivent and the NJD are giving generous grants to cover some of the costs. Registration materials have been sent to the wives.
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A letter has also been sent to each congregation requesting that they cover the costs to send their pastor’s wife to this gathering. It is important for us to not only care for our pastors but their families. The health and well being of these women are critical to our pastors and congregations.

Mission Golf Classic.  This year is the 20th anniversary of the Mission Golf Classic! What a wonderful testimony to the fun and fellowship we have had over the years. For so many of you this has been an annual event and we are looking forward to seeing you again in this special anniversary year. 

Thursday May 7th is the date for this year’s Classic. We will return to Heron Glenn, Ringoes, NJ for our tournament. As usual, there will be opportunity to sponsor holes, carts, and other aspect of the Classic. A brochure is been produced and will be mailed out to congregations and others. Consider inviting friends to play with you for the day or even sponsor a foursome. This is a fun event for congregations especially if they can bring a few foursomes!
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Thank you so much for your support over the years. The price is very reasonable for an outing of this sort, but please remember that it is a fundraise for our mission work as well. Be generous if you can.

Lutheran Schools Initiative
We are in the early phases of the exploration into starting a few Lutheran Schools in the District. The NJD has never had a lot of schools but those we had have all closed. The last three closed between 2012 and 2018. 

Is there now an opportunity to start or restart a few Lutheran Schools across our District? That is the question we are trying to answer. Our first steps have been the following:

• Engage with Rosa J. Young LLC on a consulting basis
• Introduce the idea to the BOD and pastors in Circuit meetings
• Distribute a survey to congregations to ascertain interest
• Identify possible sites
• Constitute a Steering Committee

The first two step have been completed and the others partially completed. Congregations (the Pastor and/or President) should expect to receive the survey in the later half of February. The invitation to participate will come in an email and the survey will be completed online. A partial site list has been compiled and the steering committee is being formed. Two pastors are needed to serve on the Steering Committee.

​Please pray for this initiative. It is a huge undertaking but if this is God’s will for us then he will see it through for the blessing of his people.

Upcoming SCC Events and Strategic Plan Task Forces
Four additional congregations have indicated their desire to participate in Small Church Clarity (SCC). Participation will assist these congregations in ministry planning and prepare them for future Advanced Studies events and training. They are now in the home stretch as they have completed three of the four sessions. The final session is below:

• SCC/NJDU Session 4 Zoom     March 3rd

For those congregations that have completed either Small Church Clarity or NJ District University there will be future Advanced Studies that will build upon the learning and planning that has taken place. We are looking to schedule another Planning Reunion for the summer in which ministry ideas will be shared. This will be a great opportunity to encourage and learn from one another.
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The Strategic Plan Task Forces have been meeting and working on their goals. They will meet again Thursday March 12th at 7pm when finalized plans from the first step assignment will be shared.

​Congregational Statistical Reports.  Requests for congregations to fill out statistical reports were sent out in January. The deadline for filling out these reports is February 28th. Each pastor and one other person in every congregation was sent the notice about reporting. Especially if your congregation has a pastoral vacancy, please make sure someone from your congregation is giving attention to this matter. Annual reporting is important to our life together as a Synod.

​Synodical Convention 2026
The 2026 Synodical Convention will be held in Phoenix, AZ on July 18-23rd. 

• Nominations for President, Secretary, and Vice Presidents are currently happening. Congregations should have received ballots in the mail. Nominations should be done at a congregational meeting. Nominations matter since only the candidates who receive the most nominations will appear on the convention ballots. The deadline for nominations is February 18th.
• Synod’s assignment for housing should be announced soon.
• Delegates will be asked to arrange travel plans later this month.
• Orientation and training will be held in June.
• Election of the Synodical President will be online in spring. From now until March 8th one lay and one pastor from each congregation can register to vote. You should have received an email as to how to register. So far registration for voting has been slow. Please register now as the time is quickly passing.

Conclusion
Lent is a springtime for our souls. It may start in a dark place with recognition of our sin, but its focus is always our salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. That brings new life and a renewed life. May this season of Lent be a spiritual springtime for you.

​The Lord be with you,
President/Bishop Gewecke