President’s Message April 2012

Dear members and friends of our ELS:
Welcome to Lutheran Sentinel Online. Through this electronic-only version, we encourage current readers of the Sentinel to forward the link to others. As we seek to “engage others with Jesus,” our hope is to draw more people’s attention to our synod’s Gospel-oriented periodical and to increase traffic to our webpage, where they may be directed to one of our churches in a certain locality. In our efforts to reach the unchurched and/or anyone searching for a confessional church home, we want to have individual articles from our online edition available for quick dissemination, as well as making them mobile-friendly.
Our Committee for Communication is currently working with a company named BolderImage in developing a new web system for our church body. The plan is to have the new site up and running before the convention this June. A hands-on demonstration will occur at that time.
Ever since our synod was founded in 1918, we have had a publication serving as a faithful tool for Law/Gospel instruction and reflection, also providing information on activities throughout the synod. When the original group of 13 pastors and their congregations decided to reorganize in 1917 after witnessing an unfortunate doctrinal shift in their former church body, the upstart church paper became “the chief synodical activity.” For many years, both a Norwegian version (Tidende) and an English version (Lutheran Sentinel) were offered. The year 1953 was the last year of publication for the Tidende, known for its more sermonic style with lengthier articles on doctrine.
In 1982, our Sentinel was given a new look, going from a 5½ x 8½-inch page layout to an 8½ x 11-inch page. The Lutheran Sentinel continues to be the official publication of our synod, striving for a balance of articles that are confessional, devotional, and informational in nature. We express here our sincere thanks for the continuing faithful service of our editor, the Rev. Theodore Gullixson of Grace Lutheran Church in Madison, Wisconsin.
Beginning this summer, the Lutheran Sentinel will be increased from 16 to 20 pages. The periodical will now be bi-monthly, that is, published every other month. Special collections of articles will constitute our Lutheran Sentinel Online. We are making these available here during the months when the magazine is not printed.
The source of truth for our own lives and for the lives of all we are privileged to assist is the verbally inerrant and inspired Word of God. May God bless us in furthering his Word so that more may come to saving faith and grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life through His name (John 20:31).
Rev. John A. Moldstad, ELS President