#LoveThyNeighbor

 

Sharing with those in prison

Hales Corners, Hales Corners, WI, showed the love of Christ to children whose parents are incarcerated. The church purchased and wrapped gifts for the children. The presents were given at a Christmas party, and during a video screen visit, the children were able to open the gifts "with" their parent. Inmates had to earn the Christmas gifts by completing certain courses. Click here to read the article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which further explains the program and Hales Corners' participation.

Sharing with children

Santa's helpers at Shepherd King, West Bloomfield, MI, filled 127 stockings for their annual mission. Treats, activities and toys for girls and boys were literally "stuffed" into festive snowman, elf and Santa Claus stockings that will be distributed to Headstart children.

Sharing with the community

Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit, Elk Grove Village, IL, shared the Good News with their community during their recent Living Nativity.

Sharing with kids

Morning Star, Lakeside, CA, held a "Christmas for Kids" event with a trip to Rome as Caesar Augustus declared a census be taken; then walking with Mary and Joseph on their journey to Bethlehem (the City of David); witnessing the angels declaring "Glory to God in the Highest" to the shepherds outside of Bethlehem; and finally arriving in Bethlehem, just in time to see the Baby lying in the manger and the arrival of three wise men with gifts.

 

 

 

 

Sharing warmth

Prince of Peace, Menomonee Falls, WI, collected 160 pairs of socks for those in need. The socks are headed to Mongolia to help people there.
 

In our schools

 

Snowing indoors

West Park Lutheran Preschool, Cleveland, OH, answered a tough question: What do you do after the first big snowstorm, when it's too cold to play outside? Bring the snow in to paint!!

 

 

 

Concerts

The preschool children from Faith, Jacob's Well, Ft. Wayne, IN performed a Christmas concert for family and friends.

Tips for writing a hymn

• Begin with a Scripture passage.
• Add visually descriptive or figurative language.
• Choose a melody from a well known and beloved hymn.
• Make it a rhyme or use repetition as a method.
• End the hymn with your best line.

Lutheran Women in Mission

Free copy of the LWML Quarterly

Calling a seminary candidate

Is your congregation interested in requesting a candidate from the seminary to fill a vacancy? If so, please contact Administrative Assistant Kathy Stanis at 248-476-0039 ext. 320 or email her to receive information needed to request a candidate and how to obtain call documents online. Deadline to make a request and submit call documents to the English District office is February 1, 2018.

Learn More

Convention nomination ballots

By now, all congregations should have received in the mail their official nomination ballots for District President and Vice Presidents. These ballots are to be returned to Rev. Luke Zimmerman, District Secretary. The nominations deadline is February 19, 2018. Please prayerfully consider pastors who may serve well in those offices. If your ballot is lost or misplaced, email Rev. Luke Zimmerman for a new ballot.

Please prayerfully consider joining us in ministry, so that the English District - LCMS can continue its work in spreading the message of Christ. We have established the English District Endowment Fund, which is designed to support current and new missions and ministries, church worker and seminary students, and campus ministries in the areas where our congregations live and witness. Every gift matters. Whatever God leads you to give will be a great blessing as we all work together to plant new missions and schools and provide resources to existing ministries and church workers across the United States and Canada and around the world.

 

Click  here for our giving page. Thank you!

  

For our Canadian friends: To receive a tax receipt, please make your cheque payable to your congregation and designate the gift for the English District Endowment Fund. Your congregation will forward your gift to the English District and provide you with a receipt for income tax purposes.

For the past couple of months, we have been focused especially on music, and teaching all people young and old to be able to express their faith through song. What a great gift it is to be able to sing to the Lord! May we never take it for granted! In preparation for Reformation Day celebrations, and for Christmas this year, missionaries and volunteers from the USA, together with Sri Lankan pastors and parishioners, worked hard to learn Reformation, Advent, and Christmas hymns, to furnish the Tamil confession of faith and prayers with new musical wings to ascend to heaven. It is a great joy to be able to witness this transformation taking place, by which the Lutherans in Sri Lanka are reconnecting with their Lutheran musical heritage.

Read more about recent events in our newsletter.

 

Attention all online shoppers!

Are you one of the millions of online shoppers? If so, you can help the English District when you shop online this year. Remember to #StartWithaSmile! Why? Because Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to the English District of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod. Bookmark the link  https://smile.amazon.com/ch/38-1675740  and support the missions and ministry of the English District every time you shop.