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Love your neighbor as yourself
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Servant to Servant 11-10-17
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Perfect Christmas Gift for a Child!
Give the gift of a Young Investors (Y.I.) Club StewardAccount this year and give kids a way to learn to save while also learning valuable stewardship concepts.
Y.I. Club features:
- Minimum of $25 to open the account.
- Premium interest rate of 3.5% on balances up to $1,000.
- Interest compounded and paid monthly.
- Older children can earn up to $25 a year for good grades.
- Empowering ministries in Kingdom work.
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The Young Investors (Y.I.) Club makes saving money fun while teaching children to give thanks for God's blessings.
Click here to view samples of three (3) bulletin inserts/posters LCEF is offering for the holiday season (Thanksgiving and Christmas). Please place your order for bulletin inserts and/or posters by returning your order form to Peggy by TODAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2017.
For more information on the Y.I. Club, call 1-800-843-5233 or visit
lcef.org.
LCEF is a nonprofit religious organization; therefore, LCEF investments are not FDIC-insured bank deposit accounts. This is not an offer to sell investments, nor a solicitation to buy. LCEF will offer and sell its securities only in states where authorized. The offer is made solely by LCEF's Offering Circular. Investors should carefully read the Offering Circular, which more fully describes associated risks.
LCEF StewardAccount access features provided through UMB Bank n.a. The Demand/Dedicated Certificate and StewardAccount are not available to investors in South Carolina.
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Reformation 500 Celebrations
in Our Churches
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Gathering together
St. Mark, Sheboygan, WI, held a brunch in honor of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation.
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Traveling to celebrate
Several members of Grace, Elyria, OH, send greetings from Germany, as they travel and see where history was made.
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Celebration and Baptism
Not only did the congregation of Hope, Hastings, MN celebrate the Reformation on Sunday, October 29, 2017, but also the baptism and joyous welcome of baby Faith into God's forever family.
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Talented artist
This very special Reformation 500 painting was done by Jeff Arnold, a member of Chapel of the Cross, St. Louis, MO. It is displayed in the fellowship commons for all to enjoy.
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Celebrations
Members of Angelica, Allen Park, MI, created their own Wittenberg door featuring their favorite Bible passages and confirmation verses. Their Wittenberg door, along with other Michigan LCMS congregations who decorated Wittenberg doors, were featured at the all-Michigan LCMS Reformation Festival on October 15, 2017. The Reformation service was held at the Michigan State University Breslin Center. Nearly 13,000 people attended the celebration, concert, and worship service.
Recently, Angelica celebrated with their annual Oktoberfest where members enjoyed delicious food and lively music by an oompah band.
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Reformation skit
What better way to celebrate Reformation Day than with a skit of the life of Martin Luther? The skit was performed by the third- and fourth-grade students at Bethesda International Academy, Chicago, IL.
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Divine Call
Call Returned
The Rev. Caleb M. Adams, St. Lorenz, Frankenmuth, MI has returned the call to serve Hope, Hastings, MN.
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#LoveThyNeighbor
Comforting children
The Luther Village ladies from Faith, Arlington Heights, IL completed the Vacation Bible School outreach of G.U.T.S.Y. bears (God's Uniquely Talented Special You.) Fifty bears were decorated by Faith's VBS children and have since been provided to the Children's Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County. The stuffed bears will be given
to children who have suffered abuse.
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Sharing God's Word
Children enjoy reading their Haitian Creole Bible storybooks donated by Hales Corners, Hales Corners, WI.
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Kathy Beutel and The Rev. David Beutel |
Comforting our communities
The Rev. David Beutel, Redeemer, North Tonawanda, NY, recently presided over the funeral of Officer Craig Lehner of the Buffalo Police Department. Office Lehner died tragically while diving in the Niagara River on October 13, 2017. His loss captivated the community to the extent that the funeral filled the hockey arena where the Buffalo Sabres play, and was televised live on all the local TV stations. Pastor Beutel gave a clear and powerful proclamation of the Gospel, not only to the Lehner family and the assembled police and dignitaries, but to the entire community of Western New York.
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Supporting our troops
Packages4Patriots
, a mission of Holy Spirit, Elk Grove, IL, received the following letter:
This is a little delayed and for that I apologize, however, we received the boxes you have again sent to us and we are very grateful for everything.
With the ongoing blockade that Qatar has with their neighboring countries we have had difficulties at times getting toiletries, so all of the shampoo, deodorant, soap, etc. was very beneficial. In these very trying times that the world and our country is in, it is a blessing to know that there are those who are willing to go out of their way to remember us over here and what we are doing for the people of the United States. We thank everyone who has had a hand in donating, collecting and shipping these goods to us, as it instantly boosts our morale! There is no greater feeling than God's love coming from complete strangers and that is exactly what I have seen with every box we have received. God bless you all, God bless your church congregation and God bless the United States of America. Thank you again Kathi and may you and yours have a happy and blessed holiday season.
Bryan Queen, SSgt, USAF
Al Udeid AB, Qatar
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In our churches
Treats for all!
Grace, Redford Township, MI, hosted their second annual "Trunk-N-Treat" on Sunday, October 29, 2017. Roughly 2200 people attended!
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Celebrating life
A picture of the oldest and youngest saints at Fairlawn, Fairlawn, OH, on All Saints Sunday. Violet Thomas was baptized on November 5 2017, and is being held by Jessie Loman who celebrated her hundredth birthday this year.
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Welcome!
Martin Luther Christian School, Pennsauken, NJ, is happy to welcome Pastor Woody Mather as Principal. He is pictured here with his wife, Karen. Pastor Mather brings enthusiasm, faith and commitment to the children. Please keep Pastor Mather and Martin Luther Christian School in your prayers.
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Welcome, too!
A warm welcome to Irene Swift, Deaconess Field Worker at Concordia Lutheran Church and Little Lambs, Berwyn, IL. Click here to read her biography.
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A Joyful noise unto the Lord!
Grace English School, Chicago, IL, was part of "Music Alive," a joint venture among three schools called Mutual Ministry Trio. The other schools included Good Shepherd Christian Academy and Lutheran Day Nursery. The schools meet throughout the school year to plan events and work on ways they can support and build up each other's ministry. Children from Grace shared their talents with performances on the organ by an 8th grader, music with handbells by students in grades 6 through 8, demonstration of beginning ukuleles by students in grades 6 through 8, and Reformation music by the choir.
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Fabulous 50s
The Kindergarten classes at Hales Corners, Hales Corners, WI, celebrated the 50th day of school with root beer floats and a Sock Hop!
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Enjoying the first flurries
If all the snowflakes were lemon drops, and gum drops, oh what a snow it would be! The excited preschoolers at Grace Beginnings, Wyoming, MI, stood outside with their mouths open wide, happy to see the snow!
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Magical day
Peto the "almost" Magnificent performed his magic at Faith Preschool of Jacob's Well, Ft. Wayne, IN. The students were entertained and mesmerized!
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Online pals
Seventh and eighth grade students from Bethesda International Academy, Chicago, IL, began an online pen pal project as part of their reading class. They're meeting and learning with students from the U.S. and the world. They're excited to begin this six-week project.
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In our District
Annual Giving
Here is an excerpt from the Bishop Jamison J. Hardy's Annual Giving Letter:
"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..."
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.
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Board of Directors Meeting
The English District Board of Directors met November 2-4, 2017 at Prince of Peace, Medina, OH.
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Special thanks to the Leu family for hosting the English District Board of Directors for dinner. A welcome gesture for the busy and weary travelers.
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The Board members enjoyed having dinner with area congregational leadership, hearing about the joys and struggles of mission and ministry in Cleveland-Akron, OH. This type of gathering is valuable to the work of the Board as it keeps a connection between their work and the real mission of God's people.
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A Listening Congregation is a Witnessing Congregation
By the Rev. John H. Diener
Grace, Wyoming, MI
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is relational! This is a statement that has been at the heart of the English District Evangelization Team's encouragement for every individual and congregation to share the Gospel. We love because Christ first loved us. And there is no greater love that we can share with one another, our neighbor, than the relational Gospel of God's ultimate Gift of love, Jesus Christ and His saving grace through His life, death and resurrection.
BUT, one of the great discovery points of our time is that we are short on being relational. We (and by we, I mean the "world" in general) are a selfish people. We live in a "ME" first and foremost world. Therefore, we take little time to listen to the issues and concerns of one another. This begs the question, "How are we going to practically 'love one another' if we don't even relate to one another or know each other and, therefore, know how we can love each other best?"
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December Prayer List
We encourage you to use the District prayer list for your daily personal,
congregational, school, classroom, staff, and circuit prayers. Please feel free to use this list in your weekend service folders, on the congregational website and in newsletters.
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Christmas shopping!
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.
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March for Life
Save the date: Friday, January 19, 2018 is the date for March for Life. Click
here
for details on this annual pro-life event held in Washington, D.C.
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ELEA IGNITE
Administrator & Pastor Conference
Come to the ELEA IGNITE Administrator & Pastor Conference: Minneapolis, MN, February 28-March 3, 2018, and learn from peers and experts what you need to take your school or center to the next level.
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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, 3:00 pm ET.
We want to see how YOUR congregation or school is "loving your neighbor as yourself."
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