They are the synod. In WELS churches, Christians help each other grow and mature in faith through public worship and a life-long study of the Word of God. It can be assumed that the people answering this survey were mainly regular church attenders. Even among this group there is a sense of needing to improve in the use of God's Word together. Compared to the level of agreement in the previous categories, WELS falls short in fostering a sense of urgency for the lost.
More emphasis is needed especially on the local level.
We have a huge challenge and opportunity to get more WELS Christians and their churches actively sharing the gospel in their locales. WELS encourages and equips members to apply their faith in Christian service to the Lord, his church, and his world. In spite of increased efforts to recruit future pastors and teachers, the need is great. In this time of called-worker shortages, more help is needed especially within our congregations. WELS does a good job of training candidates qualified for public ministry.