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WLI Spring Appeal
Thursday, July 12, 2007 :: 410 Views :: News
July 2007
 
Do you believe God designs encounters for you that teach and affirm you in quiet, yet powerful ways? I do. I experienced such an encounter recently.
 
My husband, Dan, and I boarded a plane for Germany. I was seated next to a shy young German woman. We shared a timid glance, a smile, and our conversation began to unfold. I asked what she did in her homeland.
     “I have a farm,” she replied, “near Munich.”
     “Does anyone help you?” I asked.
     “My father,” she answered. “My sister used to help me. Now she has children and is too busy.” Then her face lit up as she continued, “But, I have Jesus! And I don’t know what I would do without Him!”
    
My heart skipped a beat as I exclaimed that I, too, was a Christian. Then I asked how she had come to know and love her Lord so much. Her answer surprised me: through Bible studies led by a Christian woman in the United States – beamed to Germany via cable television and translated into German!
 
Once again God was affirming my conviction that there is nothing more important in all the world than sharing the precious love of Jesus. This woman experienced the comfort of the Gospel because one woman stepped up to lead.
 
It happens all the time. The Women’s Leadership Institute is here to help. The Institute (one of several Concordia University Wisconsin servant institutes designed to serve the laity of the church) educates, encourages and equips women to use their God-given gifts of servant leadership. WLI programs equip women and men to work as partners in service and leadership in the church, home and community. The Institute seeks to build skills and attitudes that will serve the church well.
 
Founded in 2003, WLI helps God’s people explore the Biblical and historical record of women’s service in the church; encourages women in servant leadership; and equips women with leadership skills so they are ready and able to assume their roles as partners in sharing God’s love.
                                               
So much has happened in the past four years:
 
  • WLI has successfully sponsored a dozen events on the CUW campus.
 
  • WLI luncheons in Florida, Colorado and Nebraska have been well attended.
    
 
  • In May 2005 our first national conference, "WOMEN: Making a Difference," drew about 100 people from 15 states to listen, share and grow together.
 
  • Currently, Kristina Neumann, CUW senior, heads a history project sponsored by WLI that is collecting biographical information on women of North American Lutheranism. The goal of the project is to collect materials for a research library on LCMS women at CUW. Kristina has been interviewed on station KFUO in St. Louis and has written for the Lutheran Woman’s Quarterly about her work. She was the 2006 winner of the Donna J. Streufert Women’s Leadership Award presented each year to outstanding female student leaders at Concordia.
 
  • Word about WLI continues to grow as “Challenge 5” groups multiply, meeting locally to share personal journeys, discuss congregational projects, Bible studies and book discussions.
 
  • Excitement is in the air as we continue planning for our next conference, "SHARING THE LOVE OF JESUS: How-to's of Christian Leadership," April 4-6, 2008, in Milwaukee. The Rev. Dr. Paul Maier will serve as keynote speaker. Sectionals will emphasize practical how-to's every leader needs to do her job. We hope you'll plan   to attend!
 
  • We are grateful for a volunteer who has stepped forward to develop the WLI website – so badly needed. Keep visiting the site to see the progress: www.concordiawli.org.
 
We are especially grateful also to YOU for your support of WLI. Financial support is critical if we are to move forward to achieve our goals.
 
We desperately need both your prayers and contributions. Please send a gift today so that women in all our churches may be encouraged and enabled to "Go and tell!" as Christ commanded. There’s nothing more important than sharing the love of Jesus!
 
Serving Jesus with you,
 
 
 
Donna J. Streufert, Founder
Women’s Leadership Institute
 
P.S. Consider hosting a luncheon and inviting a WLI speaker to come to your area. Help us spread the word about WLI. For more information, call our director, Dr. Mary Hilgendorf (toll free: 1-866-559-0002), or e-mail Bonnie Treloar at our office: bonnie.treloar@cuw.edu.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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