These are the highlights for the month of November:

The year-end meetings of the Lake Union Conference were attended by administrators, directors, selective ministry coordinators, and treasury staff. Various seminars, departmental training, and advisories were organized, which provided a wealth of information and inspiration for the success of our ministry. The four-day retreat culminated with the Board of Education and Executive Committee.

The Hispanic Advisory celebrated the miracles of God in the Hispanic ministry across Wisconsin. They shared news of programs and activities that have positively impacted their respective churches and communities. We are grateful to have our brothers and sisters as part of the Wisconsin Conference family and appreciate their contributions.

My wife Rozina and I attended the Hmong Thanksgiving Program which brought together members and guests from Milwaukee and Madison to express gratitude to the Lord for the blessings in their lives and ministries. After the program, we enjoyed a delicious meal, and sports activities were organized for the entire afternoon.

I enjoyed accompanying my wife to the Milwaukee annual Hispanic Evangelistic Women Banquet. The event was attended by more than 250 participants from all Hispanic churches across Wisconsin and their guests. It was a delightful evening with a concert and a spiritual message by Loyda Martinez and Karol Mantilla, respectively. The Hispanic pastors and volunteers served a delicious meal, gave gifts, and made other presentations. I want to thank Noemi Miranda and the entire team for organizing such an exceptional event.

I recently attended the Richland Center District Pastoral Search meeting with Pastor Adam Case. During the meeting, a list of characteristics for the potential new pastor was compiled, and several names were proposed for the Personnel Committee’s consideration.

We sincerely appreciate the excellent pastoral ministry Pastor Bob Staffer and his wife, Alma, provided. They have decided to retire at the end of December 2023, and their presence will be greatly missed by the church members and colleagues in the ministry.

This month, I was privileged to worship on Sabbath with the Hmong, New London, Portage, and Milwaukee Central Hispanic Churches. I had the opportunity to learn about their spiritual and outreach programs for their churches and communities.

November is a significant month for family gatherings, including Thanksgiving. I am grateful to God for our church family in Wisconsin and the many blessings we experienced in 2023.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

 

Titus Naftanaila, president