Jesus appeared to His disciples behind locked doors. They were afraid. He said, “Peace be with you.” What next? He showed them His hands. There’s the peace! The work of the North Wisconsin District reflects our 2026 Synod convention theme: Christ Is Risen Indeed! It is my honor, on behalf of 80,000 baptized children of God in northern Wisconsin and upper Michigan, to report on His work in our midst.
God’s Work in the District Through the Rev. Dr. Dwayne Lueck, President In June of 2025, upon the completion of his 13th year as district president and his 38th year of service in the district, the Rev. Dr. Dwayne Lueck retired from his call. God used him in the district to support Lutheran schools, presently numbering 20 elementary schools, 3 high schools, and 25 preschool childhood centers; to allocate support for candidates desiring to colloquize into LCMS ministry; to begin and sustain support for missions work in Peru; to launch the support of missions grants to congregations across the district; to sponsor two additional full-time LCMS pastors, one at Peace Campus Center at UW Stevens Point and the other a chaplain for the Veterans’ Home at King serving 300 residents; to establish and complete a two-year $1,000,000 campaign to reduce the educational debt of individual professional church workers; and to commit support for smaller congregations to benefit from revitalization efforts by participating in Small Church Clarity cohorts led by the Rev. Kennaugh through the Lutheran Church Extension Fund. In keeping with the resolutions of the 2023 Synod convention, President Lueck applied district resources advocating for Set Apart to Serve, disaster response and Lutheran Early Response Team training, Worker Wellness, Post-Seminary Applied Learning and Support, and Concordia University System scholarships. President Lueck prioritized the work of the Synod by serving the district with a streamlined staff including two full-time workers, Executive Assistant Lori Kavajecz and Education Executive DJ Schult. He relied upon their skill to meet district ministry needs and directed a larger portion of district offerings for the Synod to allocate.
Camp Luther’s 80th Anniversary The Lord continues to use Camp Luther to bring Christ and His Word to people, to draw them closer to Him by His grace, and to plant seeds in the hearts of many for serving Him in professional church work. Camp Luther is planning an 80th anniversary celebration for 2026 with the theme “Unchanging” based upon Heb. 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” The district gives thanks to God for our camp and takes pride in supporting it.
A New Mission Statement and Initiatives Upon Lueck’s retirement and my election June 1, 2025, and official start July 1, work began to review the breadth of district ministry and expand it. We Bring Christ and His Word to People is the new district mission statement, under which five initiatives are being introduced, each guided by an action team or committee:
Fostering Lutheran Education Much of our American culture is ungodly, and Lutheran education matters. We will support traditional Lutheran grade schools, high schools, and universities and expand our efforts to support home school families, classical schools, and children and families of public schools.
Building Families and Children of Faith and Character Family ministry will focus on building strong marriages and on training fathers to shape the faith of their children in their homes. The Rev. Matthew Baye is leading this committee and will draw upon work from his D.Min. studies and from the Rev. Dr. Todd Biermann of Concordia Center for the Family to help build up Christian families.
Freeing Them to Live in God’s Image—to Serve We know God is the one who serves, protects, provides, sacrifices, and saves. We know He created us in His image. The stewardship initiative will work to set people free through the Gospel to reflect God’s image at home, at work, and in their communities and congregations. We plan to host workshops and introduce simple material accessible by social media.
Revitalizing Congregations Ninety-nine district congregations have fewer than 50 people in worship each week. Church Clarity is a ministry tool to help congregations reclaim their purpose, identify their current ministry actions and needs, assess facility and financial limitations and capabilities, and establish a ministry plan for the sake of the Gospel. We believe a number of district congregations, by God’s blessing, can grow in faith and accomplish more with a plan in place.
Expanding Our Missions Footprint The district participates in a FORO in Peru and supports French African Missions, and a number of congregations support missionaries directly. The goal is to expand the missions impact the district is making across our district and to facilitate personal, congregational, and district participation in our Synod’s national and international missions. One avenue will be the sending of one or more people from this committee to a FORO. It is my honor for the district to have elected me to serve as president. It is my prayer that He will well use us working together to bring Christ and His Word to people every day. The One who showed them His hands and side is the One who claims us, forgives us, and promises never to lose us, for He is risen indeed! Timothy J. Shoup, President