The following is a thank you from one of our seminarians, written in response to the gifts he and his family receive through the Food & Clothing Co-ops. The ladies there like to share these letters with donors (generally through the mail), and thought that our Facebook followers might enjoy it as well.
Dear Saints in Christ,
Greetings from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne. My name is Bill and I am a fourth-year student in the Master of Divinity program. I look forward to receiving a call to serve saints like you in Christ’s church at the end of this year. My wife, Erin, is here with me in Fort Wayne and she enjoys working a full-time job as a computer programmer. My daughter, Jill, is also working full time and going to college here in Fort Wayne. She joined us our second year here at seminary and even stayed in Fort Wayne while Erin and I went on vicarage (internship) our third year of seminary in Palo Alto, California.
We are from Casper, Wyoming. Erin and I grew up in different places but Wyoming is our married home, so we consider it home! We also became Lutheran in Wyoming. Erin and I grew up in different denominations and knew nothing about Lutheranism before we were looking for a church that handled the Word of God seriously. What a joy for us to discover the treasures of the Lutheran confessions! Attending seminary has only strengthened my conviction of what a treasure we have in the Lutheran Confessions because they faithfully confess Christ and the work He has done for all of us in His life, death, resurrection! I look forward to being a pastor where it is my full-time job to share the depths and riches of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ!
One of the biggest things I have learned during my time at seminary is the love saints like you have for your pastors and pastors to be. The four years of seminary are a huge commitment and can only be accomplished with the help of others. I am humbled by how many people, especially people we don’t even know, support us as I complete my training to become qualified to serve God and His people. In Galatians, Paul exhorts us, “as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” The generosity of you, and other saints in Christ like you, is amazing. I see that generosity first hand and am very grateful. I know my gratitude is shared by my classmates and the whole seminary community. It really wouldn’t be possible to train future pastors without your support.
A big way we see that support is with the generous gifts given to the Food Co-op and the Clothing Co-op. We receive points to “shop” in the Food Co-op for food and medicine like aspirin. We receive clothing and other household goods at the Clothing Co-op. Both are necessary to care for ourselves and our families. There are so many times our Co-ops had just what we needed!
Thank you for your generosity and support. Your support of the seminary and seminarians helps the church equip the next generation of pastors and deaconesses to serve the next generation of saints. Thank you for your service to God and His church.
Blessings,
Seminarian Bill Maggard
