May 26, 2017 | Posted by Randy Raasch
In my last blog entry, I shared my experience of being “unplugged” while spending two weeks overseas. It was relaxing to say the least. As I returned to the states, I fired up my phone and was greeted by hundreds of emails, phone messages, texts, Facebook notifications and all the communications from Linkedin, Twitter and […]
May 11, 2017 | Posted by Taylor Overstreet
“May we have the Financial Report?” I’ve heard that request in several congregations I have served as a District staffer and a consultant. The answers often fall into one of these categories: “I don’t have the figures with me. They are pretty much the same as last month. But we are in good shape. All the […]
April 11, 2017 | Posted by Ken Chitwood
As we turn from Lent to the celebration and season of Easter, it is tempting to think that Lent is over. But for some of us, life is Lent. In the book, “City of God: Faith in the Streets,” Sara Miles wrote, “Lent is the world we live in.” Suffering, decay, and death surround us. Anguish, sadness, […]
March 23, 2017 | Posted by Tom Eggebrecht
We’ve taken one of our church’s small groups online. It was such a busy crew that we decided to use the fantastic tool of Facebook Live to meet together every Thursday evening. Our leaders begin with a devotion, move into some commentary on the devotion, and then end with prayer requests and prayer. All the […]
February 23, 2017 | Posted by Art Scherer
I live in a large urban area where about half of the Lutheran Schools have closed in the last five years. The once large, urban, “mother churches,” that supported them now have attendances under 100 in buildings designed for many times that amount. For those congregations, as well as many rural congregations in communities of […]
February 9, 2017 | Posted by Ken Chitwood
The other day I was spending some time with a friend who is in human resources at a major recreation company. As we talked about his experience and training he reminded me of an important principle: diversity and inclusion are not one and the same. While we often hear them together, and they are related, […]
As a consultant for Capital Funding Services (CFS), Randy enjoys assisting the Lord’s people in experiencing the joys of generosity. He is a firm believer in the Scriptural truth that “whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). He says, “Stewardship is simply reflecting the image of our generous God, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing.” His leadership has encouraged his congregation to provide generous support for ministries locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
Randy has been a parish pastor for 35 years. For the past 28 years, he has been serving First Immanuel Lutheran Church, Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Leading a large congregation has enabled him to experience six capital campaigns, allowing him to provide great insights to pastors in capital campaigns and stewardship.
Randy has served Concordia University Wisconsin as an adjunct professor of theology for 26 years. In 2010, the university awarded him the honor of “Distinguished Alumnus.” He has also served 12 years on the South Wisconsin District Board of Directors, including six years as Board Chair and First Vice President of the district. He conducts seminars on generosity and provides encounters for parish pastors to discuss cultural issues and the church’s impact.
Randy resides in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, with his wife, Diana, who is the South Wisconsin District’s Lutheran Church Extension Fund’s District Vice President. They have two married daughters and three granddaughters. Randy’s mission statement is to serve God by serving others.