A church body that is energized by God’s promises and is not content with what is but zealously strives for what could be.
A church body where all members view reaching lost souls as their personal privilege and responsibility.
A church body that willingly and joyfully carries its crosses for the sake of the gospel.
A church body in which members build authentic, welcoming communities through meaningful relationships with each other.
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod exists to glorify God by proclaiming the truth of the Holy Scriptures as articulated in the Lutheran Confessions—supporting congregations as they equip their members to serve as Christ’s ambassadors, training called workers to serve in the ministry of reconciliation, and coordinating mission efforts at home and abroad.
The Christian landscape in North America has shifted. Fewer people are gathering to hear God’s Word, disinterested and disillusioned by the idea of church. The new long-range strategic plan is meant to guide ministry and address the challenges we face today—a declining membership, a death rate that exceeds the birth rate, a decreasing number of youth confirmations. This is the reality we face, but we do not face it alone. God, in his grace, continues to guide our ministry and share his message of reconciliation.
“Christ through us” emerges as our prayerful response to these current realities. With humility before God’s grace and bold confidence in his promises, we seek to navigate this shifting landscape by supporting congregations in their effort to faithfully extend the reach of the gospel locally and abroad. To accomplish these goals, the 68th biennial synod convention approved the long-range strategic plan, “Christ through us,” to prayerfully guide our efforts through 2035.
