Thanks John!

One of the great blessings of serving at Wheat Ridge Ministries is meeting and enjoying relationships with so many inspiring, interesting and unique people. Across the breadth of our constituency of project leaders, recipients of services provided by ministries we assist, donors who support our work, and colleagues from other organizations, there is an amazing variety of people who have many different stories to tell. I’ve met some real “characters” over the years. I’ve listened to and learned from some really wise and intelligent people. So many individuals who exemplify Christ-centered living have encouraged my faith-journey.

Someone who fits into all of these categories was my good friend, John Walz. John passed away recently. He was 76 years young when the Lord took him to heaven following a bout with cancer and subsequent medical challenges.

My predecessor, Rich Bimler, recruited John to the Wheat Ridge staff as Director of Finance not long after I joined the team as Vice President for Programs in the early 1990s. He served in this role until just a few years ago. 

John Walz (center), pictured here with wife, Donna,
and Dave Siebert at a President's Circle Retreat, 
was a great friend of Wheat Ridge Ministries and a
devoted churchman who will be greatly missed!  

John just couldn’t seem to get enough of being involved in the work of the church. Prior to coming to Wheat Ridge, he had a long history of involvement and leadership in the Walther League, a youth and young adult organization of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. He was also extremely involved in his home congregation. I recall John coming into the office on many occasions extremely excited about some new strategy or structural change that he felt was going to make the congregation more effective in its outreach. I also remember him expressing his frustration when many of these efforts didn’t pan out the way he had hoped. But the frustrations never led him to “throw in the towel.” He was always convinced that he could contribute to making his church more effective.

The same was true at Wheat Ridge Ministries. One of the things I respected the most about John was his ability to combine his expertise as a “numbers guy” and his ability to be comfortable in the messiness and imprecision that is often a part of ministry efforts. While many finance and accounting types seem most comfortable with black and white objectivity, John worked well with “shades of gray.” He did a great job of keeping those of us on the team who always wanted to pursue a new idea mindful of the financial realities and consequences of our activities, but his main objective was to see as many people as possible served by our ministry efforts and he recognized that this often involved more than having good numbers on a financial report.

Up until the time of his death, John remained committed to using his gifts and abilities to serve the Lord through organizations he loved. In addition to sharing their time and talent, he and his wife, Donna, have been generous supporters for the ministry of Wheat Ridge for many years and they have regularly attended our annual President’s Circle Retreat. John was also a great blessing to other ministries including Lutheran Life Communities, Lutheran Education Association, and Bright Stars of Bethlehem, serving on boards and committees and providing accounting services. As John’s pastor quipped during his sermon at John’s funeral, “John never met a meeting he didn’t like!” I will say, however, that I saw John on a many occasions find a way to blend his love for meetings with his need for a nap!

I am deeply grateful for John’s assistance and strong encouragement. He consistently expressed his support and confidence in me. He was always curious about what I was doing or thinking, and often his inquiries led us to engage in great conversations about the mission of the church. I always knew I could count on John if I needed his help.

Thanks, John, for your friendship, encouragement and example! I’m one of many, many people who thank God for the privilege of knowing you and working with you. We celebrate your life and we celebrate that you are now experiencing the joy of your heavenly home at the feet of Jesus!

By the Time We Got to Phoenix …

I admit that my reasons for looking forward to a recent trip southwest on behalf of Wheat Ridge Ministries included the hope of relief from this year’s endless Chicago winter.  Phoenix, Arizona in March.  No snow.  No sub-zero temperatures.  Clean cars.  No potholes. No heavy coats.  Sunshine.  A parting blow as Deb and I made our way to O’Hare airport was yet another “snow event” that resulted in a two-hour flight delay.

Fortunately, once we arrived in Phoenix, it didn’t take long to remember the real purpose of our trip and experience the joys of this journey to the Grand Canyon State.  I was so pleased to be part of two great gatherings there - our Board of Directors meeting and our annual President’s Circle donor retreat.  Here are just a few “snapshots” from these meetings:

Kathy Anderson, Executive
Director of Survivors of
Torture International

• Getting to know Shahzad, an amazing young man from Pakistan, who is bringing the concept of parish nursing to his home country in spite of the many risks involved.  Shahzad’s story of faith and courage is amazing!
• Receiving a report from Susan Work, CEO of Holy Family Ministries in Chicago, that posted the first successful project on our new WeRaise crowdfunding platform for the “Peace Exchange” project, an innovative effort to teach and promote peace and end violence in urban neighborhoods.
• Touring the Christ Cares Clinic, an amazing new ministry developed by Christ Church Lutheran in Phoenix that is already serving hundreds of uninsured and underinsured people.
• Learning about the important work of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services to train volunteers who provide a caring presence for refugees who often must live in prison-like conditions in U.S. detention centers before they are allowed into our country.
• Getting updated on the important work of Survivors of Torture International, an organization in southern California that received seed funding from Wheat Ridge a number of years ago. They continue to share health and hope with people struggling to recover from the trauma of physical and emotional torture that resulted in being forced to flee their home country.
• Being inspired, challenged, and encouraged by excellent speakers and resource people who joined us for these meetings, including Paul Miles, VP for Development for the Make A Wish Foundation; Dr. Don Christian, Dean of the College of Business at Concordia University in Austin, Texas; and Dr. Rich Bimler, past President of Wheat Ridge Ministries.

Dr. Rich Bimler with
Jan and Dale Van Wulfen

During the retreat, Rich Bimler suggested to us that the letters ‘WRM’ not only stand for Wheat Ridge Ministries, but also for Where Relationships Matter.  These gatherings in Phoenix of our board and other key supporters of our mission are great examples of the immense blessing of significant relationships that are so much a part of our ministry.  It is wonderful to gather with such caring and generous people, to be honored by their friendship and support, to learn from them, and to be inspired by their spirit of generosity in response to the Good News of Jesus Christ.  This spirit of generosity was especially evident in the testimony that several of our President’s Circle participants provided as they shared with other attendees what motivates their generosity and why they continue to make our work a priority in their charitable giving.

Deb and I are back in Chicago.  It’s only snowed twice (so far) since we have returned!  In spite of the weather, we returned warmed by great relationships and the reminders of how people around the world continue to be moved by God’s Spirit to initiate and support new ministries of health and hope that are offered in the name of our healing Christ.

Blessings as you visit the empty tomb this Easter season to celebrate Christ’s ultimate act of healing!