In this month’s letter, President Harrison begins a series of three articles on the “Witness, Mercy, Life Together” emphasis for the Church and the world. To find out more about these themes, check out: www.lcms.org/emphasis.

The greatest eras in the history of the Church have all begun with repentance. Those times when the Gospel of free forgiveness by faith in Jesus Christ has shone brightest in missionary witness and expansion—in a burning desire to care for the weak and needy with Christ’s own mercy, and in zealous and creative endeavors in church life and organization—have all begun with the preaching of repentance.