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Love your neighbor as yourself
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Servant to Servant 11-11-16
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Early Thursday morning (November 10, 2016), I woke up to a call from my local police department requesting my assistance with a tragic situation in our neighboring community. At 3:30 AM, a man targeted two police officers and killed one of them as they responded to a domestic dispute. Tragically, officer Scott Bashioum, of the Canonsburg, PA police department, was killed while performing his duties. I was called to be available to speak with and counsel those involved. I have never been around such a situation as this in my whole career. However, I am glad they called me and allowed me to be there to share the love of Christ and to support those who serve and protect this great nation we live in. What great people live in and around Canonsburg, PA!
During the morning, while everything was still transpiring, people from all walks of life stepped in and offered any and all assistance that they could provide. Food was brought in and other support items where delivered. After speaking with the four officers that were first on the scene, I quickly realized these men were performing their jobs and loving their neighbors. They were carrying out the duties that they had been trained to perform. In fact, their actions saved the life of one of the officer's shot. Everyone of those involved wanted to go back to the scene and assist. Please keep the families of Officer Scott Bashioum (killed in action) and Officer Jim Saieve (wounded in action) in your prayers as they deal with a senseless and unnecessary act of violence. Pray that Officer Saieve fully recovers from the gunshot wound he suffered.
At such a time as this, I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve in the parish office when I am in town and not traveling for the district. I am happy to be able to carry out the day-to-day functions that our pastors across this great Church body are privileged to carry out each day. It confirms for me the decision that I made prior to being elected Bishop/President in staying in a parish and being connected to the members. They are the relationships that were created when I was solely in the parish that allowed me to be called on for this situation. What a humbling feeling to hear a non-member, Christian brother in Christ say, "I called you because you said if I need you, you would be there. You were the first one I thought of when I got the news that we had an officer down."
I share this story with you to remind all of you who read this, we are called on by our Lord to serve. Sometimes we are ready and other times we are not. He calls us at His will and it is up to us to respond to the call. Loving your neighbor is not always something that can be scheduled or planned. It is not something that we can always anticipate. We simple remain ready to respond when we are called upon.
This is a time for us to reflect on our own lives and to thank God for the freedom we have and the protection that is offered as we live in this great country. Support the police and what they are called to do on a regular basis to bring safety and protection to all of God's people. Be ready when you are called on to serve and love your neighbor as Christ has called us to do.
A parish pastor
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Veterans Day - United States
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Veterans Day is the day that we ensure veterans know that we deeply appreciate the sacrifices they have made to keep our country free.
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Remembrance Day commemorates those who died in armed conflicts, particularly in and since World War I.
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Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come before you in prayer, in celebration of the men and women who have served in the armed forces of the United States and Canada. We pray for those who have served and continue to serve our countries during times of war, conflict and peace. We pray for their good health, comfort and safety. We pray that all come to understand and appreciate what those who have served in times of war, armed conflict and peace stand for and what they have sacrificed for our countries. We pray for Your help in supporting them to the best of our ability. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
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Church and school activities
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#LoveThyNeighbor
Feeding the hungry
Hope for Haiti/Numana Update
Beautiful Savior, Lee's Summit, MO, held a food packaging Servant Event on Saturday, November 5, 2016.
The financial commitment and meal packaging goal was exceeded.
People from ages 4 to 88 helped out. There were over 130 volunteers and 32,500 meals were packed and sent to Haiti. Click here to watch this Servant Event review video.
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Health and Wellness
This past October, Parish Nurse Carolyn Eiden, RN, of St. Mark Lutheran Church in Sheboygan, WI, hosted her annual Health Fair and Bread Social in the fellowship hall after the church service. It was open to both the congregation and the public. What a wonderful way to promote health among the community!
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Transportation Services
November 6, 2016 was the dedication service for the Liberty Line Transportation Ministry, started by Hope and Holy Trinity Lutheran Churches, Lakeview, MI. Its mission, as the grace of God has directed, is to provide freedom of movement for all those in the Lakeview/Central Montcalm school districts, who for physical or financial reasons have no means of transportation. Another purpose of this ministry is to form relationships with those people, which will allow the sharing of the Good News of God's love through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. Please keep Liberty Line in your prayers, asking that the Holy Spirit use this ministry to do great things for the Kingdom of God.
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From the DRLM
We celebrate the work being done through our Dominican Republic Lutheran Missionaries!
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| The Rev. Sergio Maita, The Rev. Justin Laughridge and The Rev. Dr. Roger Ellis |
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| Vicar Idjon Fritz and The Rev. Ted Krey (Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean) |
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In our churches
Baptism!
God's blessing to Serenity Rose Clough as she was reborn in the name of Jesus Christ at Lutheran Church Prince of Peace, Menomonee Falls, WI.
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Baptisms!
On Sunday, September 18, 2016, The Rev. Robert Voelker had the privilege of baptizing eight people, in addition to confirming one adult at Gethsemane, Windsor, ON, Canada. The children got a copy of a new children's book, God's Own Child, I Gladly Say It [Kloria Publishing], which our pastors saw in October at the Lake Erie Pastoral Conference.
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Historic photo
Faith Lutheran Church in Watertown, WI, shared a picture of their oldest member, E. John Nelson, age 101, with their youngest member, Malachi Mock, age six weeks.
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Around the District
Pastors gather
Fairlawn Lutheran Church, Fairlawn, OH, hosted the monthly English District LCMS Pastor's gathering. Pastor Beffrey from Mount Olive Evangelical Lutheran Church, Cleveland Heights, OH, played the organ at worship.
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In our schools
Welcome dinner
On October 18, 2016, St. Paul's Lutheran Church and Preschool in Long Beach, CA, hosted a back-to-school dinner for their parishioners and preschool families. Over 200 people were in attendance. Preschool staff and church members worked hard to make the night a warm, inviting time of family, fellowship, and fun. Senior pastor, Rev. Brandon Scott Jones, began the evening by welcoming everyone and giving a brief overview of the six chief parts of the catechism that the children will be learning throughout the year. After Pastor Jones blessed the food, the families enjoyed dinner, catered primarily by a "taco truck" and supplemented by the ladies of the church. After dinner, the evening's raffle winners were announced (prizes provided by local businesses, English District Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF), and/or donated by preschool/church families). Lastly, the group had the opportunity to visit the preschoolers' classrooms, meet the teachers and see the children's artwork.
The event was very well received as exemplified by one parent's comments: "I want to thank you for hosting such a great back to school night! I was so excited about it and was telling all our friends and family. When doing so, I quickly learned no other schools compared. The church greeting by Pastor, dinner and raffle were all surprises to them, and I was proud and honored to be a part of such a great night! Everything was just perfect!! [My son] had a blast, and it was so nice meeting some of the other parents too, as we are all so rushed in the morning and at pick up..."
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#PrayWithUs
This sweet second-grader from Hales Corners Lutheran School, Hales Corners, WI, takes prayer requests from her friends in the morning before school starts. Imagine if, as adults, we greeted our friends by asking how we could pray for them! The things we can learn from the heart of a child!
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"What's done is done."
Congratulations to the cast and crew at Redeemer Lutheran School, Oakmont, PA. The hard work showed in a wonderful production of the Shakespeare play, MacBeth. Thank you to Mrs. McKenzie for her direction and everyone who helped to make the play a success.
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A Thousand Acts of Kindness
By Augusta R. Mennell
"Our church does not have a program to reach out to college students. We need a program like the church down the street has."
Maybe we have all said something like this. Campus Ministry at All Saints Lutheran Church and Student Center, Slippery Rock, PA, has found that reaching out to college students is not so much a church program but simply a thousand acts of kindness done by members for the students who come in the building. These acts help to plant seeds of faith. These acts can be done by any of us Christians.
Augusta R. Mennell is the Campus Ministry Director at All Saints Lutheran Church and Student Center in Slippery Rock, PA. If you would like to highlight your work in the ministry, send a submission for consideration to Lynne, Communications Coordinator for the English District LCMS, [email protected].
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Christ Academy Confirmation
A Retreat for Confirmation Aged Boys and Girls, March 17-19, 2017
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The Lord's Supper: Where Heaven and Earth Converge
The Sacrament of the Altar is the meal at which the "whole company of heaven" descends upon earth and meets with us around the table of the Lord. This is the meal which the Bible describes as a "marriage feast" and "great banquet." It is the place that our Lord makes Himself available in His flesh and blood for us to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of our sins. Whereever He is, there heaven and earth are joined together. In an interactive setting, Pastor Michael Frese will expand upon the Small Catechism's explanation of the Lord's Supper. During the four, one-hour sessions, he will explain the biblical context of Christ's institution of Holy Communion, explore the liturgical setting in which the Church celebrates the Eucharist and offer insight from the Large Catechism, the Lutheran Confessions and select quotations from the Church fathers as to how we participate in this meal worthily and for our eternal salvation.
Retreat Fee: $110/person, includes on-campus housing and meals.
Register: Email [email protected] or phone 260-452-2204.
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We encourage you to use the prayer list for your daily personal, congregational, school, classroom, staff, and circuit prayers to the Lord, our God. The Scriptures tell us to "pray without ceasing." Please feel free to use this list in your weekend service folders, on the congregational website or in newsletters.
December prayer list
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Previous issues of the eNewlsetter, Servant to Servant, are available
here.
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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