March: The Mission Field of Rural North Dakota

It has been a joy traveling around to the different congregations and visiting with the saints here in North Dakota. The welcomes that I have received have been quite warm. As I visit congregations and present the goings on in the district, I have been upfront about two mind resets that we, as a district, need to have. The North Dakota District is a rural district with many small churches in rural communities. In each of these congregations, not only do they have fond memor

...

February: The "Little Seasons" of Lent

This month marks the beginning of the most somber times of the Church Year. We enter the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday. The 40 days of Lent, excluding Sundays and feast days, begin on February 18 and end at Easter. The number 40 is significant in the Bible, as it is associated with trials, preparation, temptations, and testing. There are several well-known examples in the Bible, such as the Flood, Israel’s wilderness wanderings, and Christ’s temptation. Other biblical ex

...

A light to the nations

The twelfth and final day of Christmas is January 5 every year. The Church spends 12 straight days celebrating and basking in the joy of our Lord’s nativity. Christmas is widely understood, its purpose, its setting, its reason: Jesus’ birth. The season that follows, Epiphany, in my experience, is less understood. 

The Church Year unfolds in a marvelous way. In Advent, we are promised a gift; at Christmas, this gift is given; and throughout the season of Epiphany, this gift

...

All My Heart Again Rejoices

God’s peace to you and your family as this Advent Season gives way to Holy Christmas. No doubt, you have your favorite Christmas hymns that have a life of their own. Not just a hymn that confesses and proclaims the birth of Christ, but is also tied to the nostalgia of Christmas. Joy to the World, Silent Night, O Come, All Ye Faithful, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, along with other popular favorites, come to mind. I enjoy singing these favorites myself, but I would like to

...

Christ, the Source of True Thanksgiving

The Christian celebrates Thanksgiving quite differently than the unbelieving world. For most other religions, bounty and abundance are signs of their god’s favor, a reward for having done right. Plentifulness is a sign that their god or gods are smiling upon them. Therefore, the thanksgiving and gratitude comes back to them. “I thank myself for all the good I have done that has impressed the gods, such that they have delighted in me.” I don’t know how atheists and agnostic

...

Celebrating the Marriage of Martin & Katie Luther

It is a fun and fascinating time that we live in. Beginning in 2017, and every year since, we have celebrated and considered the 500th anniversary of some event that took place in the history of the Reformation. Of course, 2017 marked the 500th anniversary of the posting of the 95 Theses. In 2021, we learned about the Diet of Worms and Luther’s famous “Here I Stand” statement. This year, 2025, marks the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s marriage to Katharina von Bora.

Th

...

Nicea: 1,700 Years Later

The confession of the Church stretches back centuries. What Christians confessed millennia ago, we confess to this day. The Church walks backwards; that is, she moves forward in time while looking back to the good confession the faithful have passed down as a heritage. However, the Church doesn’t make her confession in a vacuum; the faithful confess the doctrines and dogmas given in God’s Word to the realities and controversies and contexts of their day.  

This year, we com

...

Catechesis, Rural Ministry, and Preaching Stations

The Planning Council is an annual meeting at which the North Dakota District Board of Directors, the Circuit Visitors, and the Standing Committee Chairs gather to share reports and discuss plans for the district. At the meeting last May, I shared with the attendees my three emphases for the North Dakota District. They are: 1) catechesis, 2) rural ministry, and 3) preaching stations. I would like to share with you some brief thoughts on these three areas.

Catechesis

A couple

...

Our District and the ELCK

The 2025 convention adopted Resolution 2-05 titled “To Address the Evangelical  Lutheran Church in Kenya’s Membership in the Lutheran World Federation.” This  resolution, in part, directs the District President to report to the 2025, 2026, and 2027  Spring Pastors’ Conferences on the synod’s status of moving the Evangelical Lutheran  Church in Kenya away from the Lutheran World Federation. The resolution also directs  that this report be published in the district’s media.

...

Our Common Confession

The treasures of our Lutheran heritage are great and abundant, wide and deep. This marvelous confession of faith, drawn from the Sacred Scriptures contained in the Book of Concord, has been passed down to us by the faithful who have come before us. As a cherished heirloom is bequeathed down the generations, so too have we received this Confession of Christ and His redeeming work from our forefathers in the Faith. Each document in the Book of Concord, also called The Luther

...

God's Hand and Providence

“Be present, merciful God, and protect us through the hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of life may find our rest in you; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.” This little collect is one of my favorites. It comes from a service called Compline, a prayer office that is prayed at the close of the day (LSB pages 253-259). We go to bed not knowing what will happen the next day, or even what may happen through the night. The changes and

...

Thanksgiving and Prayer for the North Dakota District

Thanksgiving and Prayer for the North Dakota District

     I am writing this final article to you 4 days after the North Dakota District’s 60th Convention held January 19-22, 2025, even though you first read it now in March.  At that convention, the delegates elected a new district president, Rev. Mark Chepulis.  He is a great pastor and theologian.  He will serve the district very well.  I say all of this because I had chosen him to be the 2nd vice president of the distric

...

He First Loved Us

He First Loved Us

     So what could, should, or would I write about in this month of February?  Bear with me as I think out-loud.  

     Let’s see, those of you in the One Year Lectionary will celebrate “The Transfiguration of Our Lord” this month; where as those in the “Three Year Lectionary” will celebrate “the Transfiguration of the Lord” next month, therefore, I will skip that topic.  (I may have stirred your mind as to what I am talking about with these “lectionaries.”

...

The 60th Convention of the North Dakota District

The 60th Convention of the North Dakota District 

The following is a portion of my District President’s Report for the upcoming convention.  

The Convention Theme is: “Clothed in Christ’s Righteousness”

This theme is from 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 with emphasis on verse 21: If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;

...

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! And you're thinking, President Bertsch, it is only December, so why are you saying Happy New Year? Well, last month I wrote about the end of the church year, so it only seemed appropriate that now I write about the beginning of the church year.

Advent is the beginning of the Church year because advent means “coming.” With that many churches have mid-week Advent Services. These services aren’t meant to be a burden but another opportunity to prepare for the ce

...