WMF
PRESIDENT

Being Pruned for God's Glory

Are the last of the leaves picked up at your place? Flowers cut down and protected for winter? Are your vines or bushes trimmed or pruned? Should be, is my answer. Pruning is hard for me, just ask my husband! We had to cut back what looked healthy but I’m understanding the need to prune more as our apple tree was struggling with a disease.

I’m understanding even more so after our November WMF Bible Study from Vicki Johnson: The Light that Abides: Living the De-Vine Life. I need and want God the Vinedresser to prune me to be healthy.  For a plant to be healthy and for me as Christian to be healthy, I need to 1. Check my root system- grounded in the Bible 2. Check my spiritual growth- am I becoming more like Jesus and 3. Check myself is fruit of the Spirit being produced in me.  

I don’t want to produce sour grapes, I want my life to glorify God, to live a life worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in every way and bearing fruit in every good work plus growing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10). I had made that my life verse back in Bible School and it’s good and necessary to refocus, to reevaluate, each season and each year. Am I ABIDING in the VINE?

“Draw me close and teach me to Abide”, which is a phrase from this song that ran through my mind as I worked through the November Bible Study.  “I am the branch, You are the Vine, Draw me close and teach me to abide,” has become my prayer after our lesson and as I went back to prune some branches in my yard.  

I just had a milestone 70th birthday and I was challenged by verses from Psalm 90 as my birthday approached, I read that the length of our days is 70 years and now I’m there!! So, my prayer became, "teach me to number my days that I may gain a heart of wisdom" and also to "satisfy me in the morning with Your unfailing love, that I may sing for joy all my days."

This is such a special season as we come into Thanksgiving to live a grateful life for our blessings, physical and spiritual then we focus on Advent, our Promised Messiah coming and celebrating Christmas, the Long-awaited one has come. “Come and See what God has done,” is the call from Lauren Daigle’s song NOEL. 

We can use that invite as we plan our Christmas events in your home and ladies’ ministries at church. The reason we celebrate Christmas, our Savior of the World has come to redeem us, a lost and condemned sinner.  There are ladies out there who need to know Christmas is more than decorations and gifts, it's our God is with us- Emmanuel! I challenge you to use this season to reach out to the women in your community that seem on the fringe and need to know they can, Come and See What God has done!!  

This edition of our WMF E-News is focusing on our AFLC Seminary. Read the article that Bethany Aichele wrote to find out how her husband Daniel and their family received their call to seminary. When our WMF board spoke with her in the kitchen at the seminary during all boards, she mentioned that after 13 years of living as a banker's family they were now living college life hours again, with study happening at late hours but with little kids!! I later asked her to share about what their call to seminary was like going from a banker’s wife in small community to living in seminary housing and preparing for ministry with a houseful of children! I hope her article encourages you to pray for all of our seminary students and their families as they prepare to be our pastors. 

Each semester, because of your gracious giving, our WMF is able to give $100 to each seminarian towards their needed books and with any extra funds, we give a gift to their wives and families in the Christmas season. We met with seminary Dean James Molstre at All Boards in October, and he told us how the seminary is growing, especially their families. We’d like to update the playground in the seminary housing area to make sure it’s safe and playable for all the children and their families who watch over them. 

Remember the challenge to Pray the Lord of Harvest to "send out laborers into His harvest" (Matthew 9:38) and Luke 10:2, "The harvest truly is great but the laborers are few, therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send our laborers into His harvest."

Letting the Holy Spirit Guide

The changing weather coming with fall is always interesting & I enjoy the change of seasons, especially the colors. If change is hard for you, then you'll be comforted knowing that God said, "I am the LORD, I do not change." Malachi 3:6

When the world says all roads lead to heaven, Jesus said, I am the Way the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me. He is faithful and Just, our Savior Redeemer who does not change even if our society tries to tell us so.   

Above: Women praying at WMF Day 2025. 

Our September Bible study, The Light that Directs, was such a good reminder of the work of the Holy Spirit in placing Jesus before our eyes, convicting us of sin and guiding us into all Truth in order to sanctify us and enlightens us with His constant presence in our daily lives.   

Now that Sunday School has started, this September WMF lesson encouraged me that the work of the Holy Spirit is being done in hearts as we are faithful to teach these children each Sunday.  The Holy Spirit works with God’s Word which was placed in their hearts to keep them in Jesus, and for some adults, to draw them back to Jesus if they have wandered away from the faith. I can say this because of the promise from our God, who does not change, when He said in Isaiah 55:11, “My Word will not return to Me empty without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.”

I can also claim this truth from Philippians 1:6 “...being confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus". So ladies, we must be faithful to continue teaching every chance we get because it is the powerful Word of God that we share.  

Above: Karen Pederson teaching Sunday School at her home church, Zion Free Lutheran, Tioga, ND.

I recently learned new verses from a familiar song “O Lord You’re Beautiful": O Lord please light the fire, that once burned bright and clear, Replace the lamp of my first love that burns with holy fear. I want to take Your Word and shine it all around. First help me just to live it Lord and when I’m doing well, Help me never seek a crown for my reward is giving glory to you.

Just like the name of our Bible study, Seeing the Light of God in the Face of Christ, we desire to reflect Jesus to our Sunday School kids, neighbors, family.

Father, we pray for our sisters today that you would make Your Son Jesus, to look as He is, as He’s always been, as He always will be, That you would make Jesus look beautiful to our friends today through me. Asking this in His Name, Amen. (Taken from the Worship Initiative, Museum of the Bible with Shane & Shane.)

This spotlight of our WMF E-News Edition is on our Parish Education department, with director Marian Christopherson sharing the work of her department in providing Sunday School material. We also feature an article from long time Sunday School teacher, Rebecca Moan on why she teaches and how she prepares for her Sunday School class. 

I hope you all get or have had a chance to attend a fall WMF Rally in your district. Please send highlights, photos and updates to [email protected] or Jenn Thorson, our WMF Executive Secretary, at [email protected]. Please also let her know if your officers have changed. I know some districts have already met in September and our district met on October 11 (read more about our rally HERE). It’s so refreshing to spend the day together as fellow WMF ladies, getting time in the Word and fellowship to be encouraged to keep on serving the Lord in our churches.   

Karen Pederson, WMF National President