Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

 

We are looking for youth to attend our English District 56th Convention this summer as youth delegates. 

 

Our English District 2018 Convention is meeting at Concordia University, Ann Arbor, MI from June 19-21, 2018. This is a wonderful opportunity to select, encourage and support a high school youth to serve as one of your circuit's youth delegates. Travel, lodging and meals are covered for the youth delegates, so cost should not be an issue.

 

All high school aged youth (ages 14-18) are invited to apply to attend. Students will be exposed to a district convention but they will be serving the greater Ann Arbor area, spending time getting to know the other youth from the English District, participating in fun activities in and around Ann Arbor, and developing a group devotion to share Thursday morning at convention. 

We are able to accommodate two youth per visitation circuit so this is a first come, first accepted basis.

 

Click here to find additional information from DCE Jim Bretthauer and a sign-up form for your youth delegate. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact DCE Jim Bretthauer at [email protected]. Please send in your form as soon as possible as registration information will be sent March 1st.

 

Many thanks for your support of our youth and our English District.

 

Sincerely yours in the name of Jesus,

 

DCE Jim Bretthauer, Youth Delegate Leader

Call Accepted

The Rev. Dr. Robert M. Roegner, Peace, O'Fallon, MO has accepted the call to serve Apple of His Eye Mission Society, Israel.

The Rev. Christopher R. Gillespie, Candidate Status, Dyer, IN, has received a call to serve Mount Olive, Cleveland Heights, OH.

Call Returned

The Rev. John H. Diener, Grace, Wyoming, MI has returned the call to serve Grace, Wayne, NE

ServeLocal at Epic Church, Shelby Township, MI, blessed ten families in their community with groceries.

Youth and their families from Fairlawn Lutheran Church and School, Fairlawn, OH, volunteered at the Akron-Canton Foodbank.

Worshippers at Hope, Hastings, MN, are marked with ashes and told, "You are dust and to dust you will return," during the Ash Wednesday service.

The Youth Group Movie Night and the post-movie pillow fight was a blast at Peace, McMurray, PA.

Celebrating Black History Month

This year, to celebrate Black History Month, as Trinity, Scarsdale, NY has done for the last 26 years, the members invited family, friends and neighbors to attend "An Evening with Dr. S. David Bailey ". Dr. Bailey has been a Tuskegee Airman, master jazz musician, pilot trainer, and music arts administrator. At 92 years old, he is one of the only remaining Tuskegee airmen. On Saturday, February 17, 2018, Dr. Bailey provided the participants of this year's celebration with a wonderful and meaningful history and context for understanding the struggles and advancements of the African-American both on the battlefields of Europe as well as the profound struggles for full rights here in the United States.

The Rev. Gordon Naumann led the meal prayer and reminded all of why we are able to be here to celebrate:

"Sure enough men and women, especially under undue duress and prejudice, have had to work that little bit harder, muster that little bit more strength just to survive if not thrive in a world that is set against them, just so, we are all, every one of us, under the mercy of God. None of us can take what we have for granted, even if we think we have it easy, for without God's grace and divine providence, none of us would be here. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away! Thanks be to God and to Him be the glory."

First LCMS Mission Church Plant in Pittsburgh in the 21st Century

  

"We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world."

The Holy Cross Evangelical-Lutheran Mission held its first service on Ash Wednesday, February 14, 2018 in St. Paul's Lutheran Church in the Hazelwood neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh.

In August of 2017, Pittsburgh Area Lutheran Ministries (PALM) held a Community Day in Hazelwood which included booths from several of the area congregations and mission outreaches along with City of Pittsburgh Fire, EMS, and Police, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and games by our Pioneer Camp and Retreat Center in Angola, NY.  Since that Community Day, the Rev. Dr. Douglas H.Spittel, PALM Urban Ministry Director and Senior Pastor of First Trinity, Pittsburgh, PA, has been spending time in the neighborhood meeting merchants, residents, and local volunteers.

In early January LCMS Rosters and Statistics mailed each congregation instructions, along with a  congregation ID and password, to use in completing the 2017 statistics report online.  Please be sure this letter gets to the person in your congregation who is responsible for completing this report.  Due date for completing the form is February 28, 2018

If you have not received this letter yet or have questions, please email [email protected] or call the LCMS Church Information Center at 888-843-5267.

  

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.

  

Next month, we will invite everyone involved with the English District to be Prayer Partners for our upcoming Convention, which will be held June 19-21, 2018. Look for a link to Signup Genius in future issues of Servant to Servant and on our social media pages. Then, click on the link and register for times to pray.

Greetings all!

  

Click here to read some of our latest news. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. God's blessings as you enter this Lenten season,

En Cristo,

Rev. Ted & Rebecca Krey,

Esther, Matthias, Natalia, Evangeline & Azariah

With great joy and gratitude, the Ferry family proudly announces the birth of Charlotte Grace, born on Saturday, February 17, 2018 in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. She arrived feet-first, and weighed 7 lbs. She's big by Indonesian standards, but her size makes her the smallest Ferry kid born to us. Both mom and baby are doing well, and the family looks forward to Charlotte's upcoming re-birth in the waters of Holy Baptism on Sunday, February 25, 2018.

 

Yours humbly and joyfully in Jesus,

The Ferry Family: Charles, Cheryl, Caleb, Caitlin, Carissa, Cassandra, Chloe, and Charlotte.

Prayerfully Consider Campus Visit

March 14-17, 2018

This free of charge event allows men and women considering a vocation in church work to visit the campus of CTSFW to learn about these vocations. To learn more, click here or call (800)481-2155.

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.