Newsletter Newsletter Archive for downloading
November 2025
Dear Friends,
If April showers
bring May flowers,
what do May flowers bring? Pilgrims.
I remember the day my brother came home from elementary school and told me this
little joke. It would have been about 1960 at a time when people put out their
cornucopias, paper pilgrims and turkeys. There were always the standard stories
of the pilgrims’ arrival in 1620 and the first thanksgiving. Through the years I
have learned that these events have been exaggerated, embellished and sometimes
purely fabricated yet still there remains a fascination with the original story.
While exactly all the pilgrims did may be open to varying interpretations, the
essential gist of the story is quite factual. They were people who came here as
they believed they were directed to by God. They came to find a new promised
land, a place where God would freely bless them as they industriously worked the
land under His auspices. They were at a certain level utopianists, many of them
with leanings toward amillennialism/post-millennialism who believed that God
would usher in a golden age of harmony if they would remain faithful to their
religious expression now liberated from the fetters of Kings.
The pilgrims could never have realized what their experiment would yield. The
present colossus would not even have been possible in their view. Still the
present manifestation is what came of the “pilgrim dream”. However the dream
isn’t yet concluded. There is a future still to be realized and that future is
in the hand of the same God the pilgrims worshipped in freedom, the one to whom
they offered thanks for bounty and providence. The lesson of the pilgrims isn’t
found in their history as much as in their confidence. Confidence to face the
future guided by the hand of the true God, this is the legacy the pilgrims left
to their descendants and we are misguided if we give in to the present spirit of
pessimism that permeates a faithless age and lines the pockets of those who
market their dark vision without conscience. So Psalm 121:
<A Song of degrees.> I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh
my help. 2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will
not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is
thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite
thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all
evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and
thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. (Psalm 121:1-8 KJV)
God remains with us. The pilgrims were right; we are wise to trust in Him.
Happy Thanksgiving!
God’s Peace,
Jay Weidner
DONATIONS RECEIVED...
In memory of Annette Dahlmeier
From Steve & Marilyn Dahlmeier
Kirk Jr. & Carol Otto
In memory of Myrna Maikkula
From Joyce Tibbs
DOUBLE YOUR DONATIONS
The seminary’s matching funds program continues through December 15, 205. A kind
and generous donor has come forward with a matching fund donation of $25,000 for
the year end of 2025.
We are seeking additional donations above and beyond normal giving that would be
matched dollar for dollar within this program. If you are able to contribute to
this program, please earmark your contribution “matching funds” in the memo
section of your check.
Your continued support of the seminary is deeply appreciated and enables us to
continue to grow and carry on the work of teaching and preparing our students
for ministry. God bless you for your generosity!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of
our
Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20 (KJV)
ATTENTION: SUPPORTERS
THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT THE SEMINARY.
CHOICE DOLLARS DETAILS: Eligible clients with membership can recommend
where Thrivent distributes some of its charitable grant funds. These
recommendations are shared by directing Choice Dollars to enrolled nonprofit
organizations, including churches.
Eligibility requirements: To be eligible to direct Choice Dollars as part of
Thrivent Choice®, you must be a client with benefit membership. Individual
eligibility is also based on at least one of the following:
• Having $750 or more in annual billed premiums of qualifying life and health
insurance products.
• Having $20,000 or more in contract value of qualifying life insurance and
annuity products.
Eligibility is determined monthly and reevaluated on an annual basis.
Minimum and maximum Choice Dollars designations: Eligible clients will be
designated a minimum of 25 Choice Dollars and a maximum of 5,000 Choice Dollars
per eligibility period (Jan. 1 to Dec. 31).
Choice Dollars expiration date: Choice Dollars designated during the calendar
year can be directed until March 31 of the following year.
For more information about Choice Dollars, visit http://www.Thrivent.com/thriventchoice
or call 800-847-4836 or contact your local Thrivent Financial representative.
THRIVENT CHARITABLE IMPACT & INVESTINGTM
The Inter-Lutheran Seminary has established an Endowment Fund through Thrivent
Charitable Impact & InvestingTM (formerly InFaith Community Foundation). All
earnings of the endowment will be used for the seminary’s needs thereby ensuring
the continued existence of this funding source. This is the preferred method
used by many non-profit entities, especially ongoing religiously focused
organizations such as seminaries. To learn more about this organization, go to
www.thriventcharitable.com.
We would love to grow our endowment into a major source of ongoing seminary
support. Although the seminary still needs the financial ongoing regular
contributions of our supporters, please consider the endowment fund for your
planned giving needs. For more additional information, please contact Kirk Otto,
Jr. at (715) 821-8574 or Cheryl Hendrickson at
(906) 482-3337.
ANOTHER OPTION FOR GIVING – PayPal
Online giving is as easy as clicking the DONATE button on our website: https://ilseminary.org.
Simply go to the How to Contribute tab and tap the yellow DONATE button to
begin. There are options for credit and debit card donations and even the option
to help the seminary cover the PayPal processing fee. (Note we are charged 1.99%
+ $.49/transaction fee). As always, we are thankful for your continued support!
**PLEASE NOTE**
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the mailing list, please complete the form below and mail to: P.O. Box 449,
Hancock, MI 49930.
Or call 906-482-3337 or email: cilseminary@ilseminary.com. Thank you!
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Inter-Lutheran
Theological Seminary
James Weidner, President
P.O. Box 449
Hancock, MI 49930
administrator@ilseminary.org
Phone: 906-482-3337
FAX: 906-482-0694