Dear LFL Leaders,

Greetings to you in the name of the Lord of Life.

As many of you know, the LFL annual conference has always been a quality conference with excellent speakers and workshop leaders. I am confident this will continue well into the future.

However, we have decided we will not be able to hold the conference in 2008. This decision was not an easy one and was reached only after much discussion and prayer.

There were a number of factors involved. Hotels must be booked well in advance. The 2008 conference was scheduled for the weekend of the Fourth of July. While it seemed good at the time it was scheduled, our experience last summer with our conference close to the Fourth has given us reason to be more cautious. Attempts to reschedule were unsuccessful.

A positive result of this is that it does free up more time here at the National Life Center for the planning and preparation of LFL’s Renewal For Life initiative. You will hear much more about this in the next issue of Directions. In short, this is a bold initiative and a new approach to renew and equip Lutheran congregations to connect the Word of Life to the life issues thereby changing hearts, making a difference in lives, and engaging society. The message and purpose is no different than what LFL has always been about. But this initiative will also renew us, strengthen us, and bring us all together to impact pastors and congregations like never before. The message will remain the same. The delivery system will change! So stay tuned! Renewal is coming!

We will conduct a pilot of Renewal here in Iowa starting in January 2008. With your help and support and by God’s grace, we will launch the national campaign in the fall of 2008. These are exciting times. There is much to be done. So, saddened as we are about canceling the 2008 conference, we will value the extra time and use it in a very positive way.

Thanks for your understanding and for all that you do in promoting the God-given sanctity of human life. Be assured, we are planning for a national conference in 2009! In the meantime, I encourage you to attend local and state LFL conferences in 2008 as opportunities arise.

Your servant For Life,