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Love your neighbor as yourself
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Servant to Servant 3-16-18
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Rebecca Kaiser
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Convention corner
Last week, we learned about the designer and creator of the English District Convention's banner quilt. This week, we learn about the designer and the inspiration that is behind the official Convention logo.
Rebecca Kaiser is the artist who created the "Love Your Neighbor" logo, which reflects the triennium theme of the English District. According to Rebecca, the "Inspirations for religious designs are always simple. It's about conveying the feeling and emotion of the Bible verse and picking a font and graphic to inspire that."
Rebecca worked with Bishop Hardy on the design, and she used the original design concept she came up with and tweaked it just subtly. Rebecca is a Visual Communication graduate from Ferris State University in Michigan, and has been doing graphic design and marketing for 20 years. She always looks forward to projects within the church where she can assist. On behalf of the English District, thank you, Rebecca!
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Candidates for District Vice-President Announced
During the 2018 District Convention, delegates will elect the Vice-Presidents of the District. Each congregation of the District had opportunity to nominate ordained ministers from the District Roster residing in its region to serve in this office. The nominating process started in September 2017 and ended on February 19, 2018.
The slate of candidates for District Vice-President is limited to the three ordained ministers from each region who receive the highest number of nominations and consent to stand for election. No floor nominations are permitted for this office.
In the Eastern Region, three ordained ministers received nominations; one consented to stand for election. In the Lake Erie Region, five ordained ministers received nominations; three consented to stand for election. In the Midwestern Region, three ordained ministers received nominations; two consented to stand for election. In the Western Region, six ordained ministers received nominations; four individuals consented to stand for election. Because two individuals received the third-highest number of nominations in the Western Region, a random draw was held to determine which name would be placed on the ballot.
The slate of candidates for District Vice-President is:
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Eastern Region
Rev. Ben C. Eder
Lake Erie Region
Rev. Ryan D. Beffrey
Rev. Daniel E. Grams
Rev. Jeffrey G. Miskus
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Midwestern Region
Rev. James E. Huenink
Rev. Robert A. Rogers
Western Region
Rev. Todd W. Arnold
Rev. Daniel W. Pezzica
Rev. James E. Thelen
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Convention Registration - Due April 20, 2018
Registration information and forms were emailed to all congregations, rostered church workers and certified voting delegates on March 6th. If you have not received your forms check your spam folder or contact the district office:
[email protected] or 800-755-9335. Registration information and forms are also available on our
website or you may
register online.
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Prayer Partners wanted!
Please sign up to be a Prayer Partner for the upcoming 56th English District, Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod Convention, to be held June 19-21, 2018 at Concordia University in Ann Arbor, MI. We are seeking prayers for all aspects of the convention: safe travel, the business sessions, elections, activities, discussions, theological presentations, fellowship and to celebrate the English District's ministries and missions. Just choose a time slot and then lift the needs of our delegates, presenters, guests, staff, and convention in prayer. Choose as many time slots as you would like, and pray!
Click
here to sign up for a time slot. Thank you!
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#LoveThyNeighbor
Socks of Love
The Sunday school children of Grace, Elyria, OH, doubled their goal and were able to create 55 hygiene kits for the Elyria Hospitality Center and the Salvation Army. Thrivent Financial supplemented the project with an Action Team Grant, giving the students the opportunity to expand what they originally planned to do. The students were thankful for the grant and for everyone who donated to their project.
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Building a home
A team of students from Martin Luther Chapel, East Lansing, MI, finished building a house in El Paso, TX. They painted the exterior, "mudded" the interior, sanded the interior, and installed a door. They had a dedication service and lovingly handed over the house keys to the family.
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In our churches
Installation
Candidate Seth Hoeppner was ordained on Saturday, March 10, 2018 at Faith Lutheran Church and School in Watertown, WI. He was then installed as the pastor of the congregation. The Rev. J. Derek Mathers, assistant to the Bishop and Mission Executive, officiated the ordination and the installation. The Homilist was The Rev. Dr. Neil Rand and the liturgist was The Rev. David Stevens.
Photos: Rev. Seth Hoeppner and his family - Shannon, Sophia and Shane (right); Rev. Mathers and the laying on of hands for the ordination (bottom left); and neighboring clergy who joined in the celebration of the ordination and installation (bottom right).
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In our schools
Little artists
Students at Concordia Lutheran Church and Little Lambs, Berwyn, IL, are learning about the artist Alexander Calder. Look at the beautiful art they were inspired to create!
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International Day
International Day at Lambs of Faith Preschool, Naples, FL, was a great way to end their interest in the Olympic Games. Students heard great stories, and ate great foods and snacks. The costumes and dresses were beautiful. It was a fun and educational time.
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Ringing in the New Year
Students at West Portal Lutheran Church and School, San Francisco, CA, celebrated the Chinese New Year with food, fellowship, dance, demonstrations and more.
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Mixing it up
Fourth graders at Hales Corners Lutheran School, Hales Corners, WI, enjoy their "Mixtures and Solutions" unit. They used their knowledge of density to find the solutions that would stack on top of each other.
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Shenanigans and fun
Little ones at West Park Lutheran Preschool, Cleveland, OH, had a fun day of hunting for signs of leprechauns, writing the little green guys some letters, and building leprechaun traps!
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Sweet time with dads
Dads, donuts and Chapel Time rounded out the week at Faith Preschool of Jacob's Well, Ft. Wayne, IN.
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Science fun
Students at Shepherd King Preschool, West Bloomfield, MI, explored the rainbow using their senses. They made edible rainbow necklaces, improving their fine-motor control. They also had fun playing with rainbow slime. The children observed how the colors mixed into beautiful patterns and designs as they played.
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In the kitchen
The Cooking Club at Martin Luther Christian School, Pennsauken, NJ, is a hit! Students baked their own loaves of bread from scratch.
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Students + Competition = Award
Congratulations to Amy, Blake, Colin and Jack for competing in the first annual Martin Luther Math'Lympics. The team, representing Hales Corners Lutheran School, Hales Corners, WI, earned a second place finish. Great job, Wildcats!
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When I grow up...
Students enjoyed Career Day at Faith Lutheran School, Tucson, AZ. They especially liked trying on different uniforms and test equipment that was on display.
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Future visionaries
It all started with a piece of paper and a marker. First, the blueprints were drawn, then on with the project. These little architects and builders took it upon themselves to build the most wonderful zoo. It's all part of learning through play at Bethesda International Academy, Chicago, IL.
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Divine Calls
Calls Received
The Rev. John H. Diener, Grace, Wyoming, MI has received a call to serve Immanuel, Lindenwood, IL.
The Rev. Ronald G. Millard, Jr, Immanuel, St. Charles, MO, has received a call to serve Peace, O'Fallon, MO.
Call Received
The Rev. John H. Diener, Grace, Wyoming, MI has returned the call to serve Immanuel, Lindenwood, IL.
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Laborers For Christ - An ideal ministry for those who want to build for eternity
Laborers for Christ (LFC) is a service to help LCMS ministries save money on building projects by utilizing laborers. LFC can use as many as 100 new people to help congregations throughout the country tackle building projects. The laborers are retired carpenters, handy people, farmers, school teachers and other willing workers. They are committed to working at minimum wage for LCMS ministries who desire to undertake the construction and improvement of their own facilities. We've attached a brochure for you to pass along to anyone who might be interested or is looking for a way to serve the Church in their retirement.
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Concordia Center for the Family (CCF)
Resource and Products Survey
Pastors, DCEs, DFLMs, and lay volunteers involved in any aspect of Family Life Ministry, please take this brief resource and products survey from the Concordia Center for the Family (CCF). CCF's goal is to find the "holes" that currently exist in Family Ministry resources. What have you been looking for but can't find? What do you use that you'd recommend to anyone in Family Ministry because it is THAT good?
We're hopeful that by your completion of the following 4-minute survey (6 questions) we can gather the information we need to help locate or produce the resources Family Ministry leaders everywhere need to reach families with the Gospel. After you take the survey, please share it with other workers and volunteers that you know. Thank you for your time!
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IMPORTANT!
Rosters and Statistics mailed each congregation instructions, along with a
congregation ID and password, to use in completing the 2017 congregation statistics report online. This statistical information will be used to calculate congregational assessments for the 2018 District Convention. It also assists a wide variety of ministry efforts at the national level, as well as fulfilling the expectation of membership set forth in Bylaw 1.3.4. If the report has not been completed, please do so and return it as soon as possible. If you have questions, please email
[email protected] or call the LCMS Church Information Center at 888-843-5267.
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Shop Amazon?
Three times the impact! From March 12-31, 2018, Amazon is tripling the donation rate on your first
smile.amazon.com
purchase! Click here to sign in or create your own Amazon account. Make a purchase and
Amazon will donate a percentage of the price to the English District LCMS.
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Chaplains Conference | April 25-26, 2018
The Michigan Chaplains Association Conference will be held in DeWitt, MI, April 25-26, 2018. Participants will learn how to cope with emergencies and learn how to prepare, respond to, and recover from trauma. There will be two presentations;
one on PTSD and the other on psychological first aid. Click
here for a conference brochure.
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2018-2019 English District Financial Aid
Dear Future Church Worker,
Below are links to important information about the 2018-2019 English District Financial Aid Applications. Please read the information carefully and note that the deadline for submission is Friday, June 1, 2018.
Please note that the
first time you apply for aid, there are two forms to complete. They are the Financial Aid Information Form and the District Financial Aid Application.
In subsequent years, you only need to complete the application unless your financial or personal situation has changed. Scholarships are not given to interns, vicars, or graduate students.
The following information and forms can be found on the English District
website:
Financial Aid Instructions
Financial Aid Information Form
District Financial Aid Application
Colloquy Financial Aid Application
In Christ,
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Save the date!
First, El Cajon, CA will be hosting a Lutheran Early Response Training (LERT) on Saturday, June 9, 2018 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. For information, or to register, please contact Sue Neff, RN, Parish Nurse at 619-444-7444.
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Every One His Witness™ kits available from CPH
The Every One His Witness core module kit is now available through Concordia Publishing House. The kit provides everything groups need to implement this evangelism program at their church, school, or organization.
What is Every One His Witness?
Every One His Witness
is a Lutheran evangelism program that teaches you to witness to your friends, coworkers, and any other nonchurched people you may know. Using the LASSIE approach to witnessing (listen, ask, seek, share, invite, and encourage), you will learn how to naturally share the Good News of Jesus Christ through relational, contextual witnessing.
What does this mean? It means listening to those who are unsure about Christianity. It means asking questions that aren't accusatory. It means sharing the Good News about Jesus. Notice how there's no bashing, no judgment, and no forced imposition of beliefs. Instead, there's understanding, communication, and honesty between friends. And Every One His Witness teaches you how.
Each kit, which is designed for a group of 12, contains:
- Every One His Witness workbooks (12)
- DVD (1)
- LASSIE journals (12)
- Experience cards (6)
- Pens (12).
Click here
to order Every One His Witness kit.
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Vocatio - For High School Men and Women
June 23-28, 2018
Vocatio is a fun opportunity for high school students entering grades 9 through 12 to participate in Bible study, worship, a discussion about vocation, a servant event and some St. Louis fun. A Concordia University System college fair is also included.
This five-day retreat held on the campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO encourages participants to find God's calling for their lives through studying theology, learning from Seminary professors and engaging in thoughtful conversation. If you have q
uestions, please call the office of Ministerial Recruitment and Admissions at 800-822-9545 or use the link below.
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Interested in ministry?
Christ and Phoebe Academies are summer programs held at Concordia Theological Seminary (CTS), Fort Wayne, IN for high school students potentially interested in ministry or interested in theology. Their time at CTS consists of confessional catechesis in classes taught by world-class professors, liturgical worship in beautiful Kramer chapel, and fun together as they build life-long friendships during activities and free time.
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Youth Workers Conference
The 2018 National Lutheran Youth Workers Conference (#National18) is scheduled for July 8-11 at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, MN. The conference is geared toward youth workers, and there will also be a youth track following the 2018 Lutheran Youth Fellowship Teen Leadership Training. Questions? Contact Terry Leu at
[email protected].
For more information and to register online, click here.
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2018 National RSTM Conference
The 2018 National Rural & Small Town Mission Conference will be held November 8-10 in Kansas City, MO.
The conference will address blessings and challenges facing rural and small-town congregations today. Congregations will be encouraged in becoming healthy churches, eager to bear witness for Christ and able to show mercy to those in need in communities and develop a robust life together with fellow members. Registration will begin on Thursday, March 15, 2018. For information and to register, click here.
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Permission to Publish
A friendly reminder...
As the world of social media grows, we need to be diligent in protecting the privacy of others, especially our youth and children. In an effort to mitigate the potential problems of sharing photos of minors in newsletters, on websites and through social media, the English District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) is requesting that our schools, churches and youth groups implement a "Permission to Publish" policy, if they haven't already.
Most of our schools have this policy in place, and are careful not to share photos of children without written permission from parents. The English District LCMS would also like to extend that courtesy to the parents of our churches' children and youth groups. If your church needs copies for Sunday school students and/or youth group members, please visit our website (link below). We suggest you keep a copy for your records.
Additionally, the English District LCMS has a compliance form for church leaders to complete. Upon completion, please return the compliance form to the English District office. This will ensure that the photos the district office receives are available to share in either print or social media formats.
Copies of these forms can be found on our website by clicking
here.
For questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Sally Naglich, Business Administrator
or Lynne Cobb, Communications Coordinator
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Previous issues of the Servant to Servant eNewlsetter are available on the English District website.
You are encouraged to share the information from Servant to Servant with members of your congregation.
All are invited to subscribe to this weekly publication. Forward the newsletter to members of your church using the "Spread the Word" link at the bottom left of this newsletter. They can subscribe by clicking on the link at the bottom right titled, "Sign up for our emails." Thanks for spreading the word!
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Please share your congregation's or school's unique ministries with the rest of the District. Send pictures and stories for consideration to
Lynne Cobb by Wednesday, 12:00 pm ET.
We want to see how YOUR congregation or school is "loving your neighbor as yourself."
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