To the members of Epiphany and others in God's kingdom,

The Lord of the Church certainly knows what He is doing. The Lord called the right person to be the associate pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church and School in Hortonville. Many of the same struggles they are facing, we have faced here. Increasing the enrollment in their school, calling the straying into the fold and reaching out to the lost in the community are all things the Lord has trained me to do both in Radcliff and in Racine.

I could certainly do the work in Hortonville, but the Lord is not finished me here yet. There is much more to accomplish here at Epiphany, WLS and in Racine.

Yesterday I returned the Call to Bethlehem. I remain here as your pastor.

We have almost unlimited potential here - for additional members in our congregation, for students in our classroom, for additional called workers in our church and school, for spiritual growth among the members in Bible studies and worship, for outreach in our community and music in our services. People were reminding me, also, of everything else I'm involved in like the joint ministries of our Racine WELS Churches, Training Camp, coaching soccer, and trying to get girls soccer at Shoreland. How could I leave with so much for us to do and accomplish?

Besides, if I left, I was told I would be limping. If I accepted the call, the Home Guild threatened to break my other knee. Now I call them the "Home Guild Mafia."

Three weeks ago I wasn't saying this, but in hindsight, the Lord obviously sent the call at the right time. Not to have me move to Hortonville, but to have us move forward as a congregation. So that we might look ahead at God's upcoming victories instead of looking back at what we may have lost.

We lost a true leader in Sue, for she did much of the unseen work around here. But in reading all of your correspondence, God is raising up a whole congregation of leaders to do, increase and expand our ministry work. I think that over the past three weeks you've realized that a pastor can only take you so far. You have to be the ones who want to pick it up a notch.

I believe God used this Divine Call so that we might consider what the Lord has created for us here at Epiphany, to appreciate it, to never want to lose it, but to build on it. To never take it for granted again. We can never remain status quo. Instead, we are to get off our seats, move our hands, open our hearts, increase our offerings and multiply our involvement to do the Lord's ministry.

God wants me to be a faithful Moses, leading His people into battle. He wants you to be faithful Aaron and Hur, lifting up the prophet's hands.

Today we move forward, carrying the banner of Christ to war, as pastor and congregation. May the Lord bless us at Epiphany.

Serving in Christ's name,
Pastor Michael Zarling