English District of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
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Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. |
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On January 24, 2021, Bishop Jamison J. Hardy visited with Rev. Jeffrey Teeple and the members of Peace Lutheran Church in Fremont, IN.
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English District Virtual Gala |
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District Life Committee Update |
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As your circuits meet throughout the District to begin nominations and prepare overtures for the Convention please think of creating an overture through your congregations to support life in all aspects. Whether it be pro-life issues, right to life issues, or even greater care and keeping of our most vulnerable both old and young please think of ways to encourage our Missouri Synod to take steps to show our love and care for all of our Synod churches and their members. If interested please call me for any ideas.
The Chicago circuits just put out a great overture to the convention. They can serve as a model. Thank you!
May God bless our English District, its churches and members, and the most in need around us.
Rev. Timothy P. Halboth
Chairman, English District Life Committee
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Esther 4:14 National Grant Program |
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New Congregational Grant from LCMS Office of National Mission is Available to All English District Congregations.
The Lord has established and equipped His Church to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). As people worldwide face isolation, career displacement and their own mortality, the Gospel alone brings real relief and help. New technologies and communication techniques have enabled us to proclaim the Lord's timeless truth in new and exciting ways. Many LCMS congregations have demonstrated resilience and innovation in using technology to their advantage. Because this is also a time of economic distress, some congregations have not been able to afford technology purchases. Therefore, this new national grant program is designed to encourage congregations to purchase equipment to meet the challenges of the day. Grants will be awarded based on need, innovative character and willingness to share discoveries with other LCMS congregations and organizations.
How may grant funds be used? First, the awarded grants will favor advancing congregational technological capacity. Grants may provide technology (e.g., cameras, mixer boards); end-user equipment (e.g., tablets for shut-ins); software or software subscriptions (e.g., editing software, Microsoft Teams, Zoom pro accounts); training; and other equipment or technologies to meet timely needs.
Congregations applying are asked to demonstrate that grant funds will allow congregations to reach out to members and their communities. Grants may provide for new programs or provide necessary supplementation to existing programs.
Click here for more information and a link to the grant application.
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The Bible's promise is true: "If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us" (1 John 5:14).
Pray with us for Rev. Manuel de la Rosa for strength and healing.
Pray with us for Rev. Steve and Wendy De Santo for strength and healing.
Pray with us for Rod Lane for strength and healing.
Pray with us for the Ulm family, for strength and healing.
Your prayer concerns are important to the English District. If you have a prayer request you would like shared in this newsletter, email the District office.
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I Will Pray for You! Cliché or Intimacy? |
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You come across an acquaintance at the store or some other gathering place. While maintaining the proper social distancing (of course!), you make some small talk but you also mention some challenges you have been facing recently – be that work, health, financial, or in your relationships. The person responds as they go on their way, “I will pray for you” as you respond with a cordial, “Thank you!” This begs the question, “Will they really pray?” Has this Christian phrase become as much cliché as asking someone, “How are you doing?” without really expecting them to say anything but, “Fine”? Making the offer to pray for someone and then doing it may be one of the best, most intimate Gospel gifts you can give any person.
The Evangelization Team encourages you to intentionally ask someone, “What is one thing I can pray for you?” Read more about this means of sharing the Gospel from Rev. John Diener.
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Lumen Christi Award Nominations |
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Our gracious Lord blesses our English District by providing dedicated and talented professional and volunteer leaders/teachers in child, youth, adult, and family ministry areas. These servants of our Lord exercise their God-given gifts in many creative and unique ways to bless those they serve. The Lumen Christi award is presented to publicly recognize the service of educators, to further promote and encourage all professional and volunteer leaders/teachers who are active members of an English District congregation.
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Continuing Education Opportunity |
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CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY - CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSE
“The Atheist Who Became a Bishop” - Bo Giertz is a Unique, Broad, & Deep Voice North Americans Need to Hear
June 14-16, 2021 at Grace Lutheran Church, Auburn, Michigan
Instructor - The Rev. Eric R. Andrae
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Church Worker (Student Loan) Debt Reduction Grants Available
The purpose of the English District Endowment Fund is to provide God's people with a unique opportunity to participate in a perpetual fund. This fund has been established to assist congregations and rostered workers alike. One aspect of the Endowment Fund currently being offered to Rostered Church Workers is a grant for financial assistance with their student loans. Those rostered ordained workers who are currently serving (called workers) in ministry in their first through eighth year in an English District LCMS congregation or school are eligible to apply for this education indebtedness grant.
For a Church Worker (Student Loan) Debt Reduction Grant we ask that you complete an Application for Church Worker Transitional Assistance. These forms are available on our District website.
If you have any questions, please contact Rev. J. Derek Mathers at 800-755-9335 ext. 311.
Deadline for applications is March 1, 2021.
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VOTE BY FEBRUARY 15, 2021
A letter from Synod was sent by mail and email to all member congregations on December 28, 2020 describing the convention delay referendum, where to find more information online, and a description of the process and credentials for logging into the website to vote. If your congregation has questions about logging in, using the website to vote, or did not receive a letter, please send an email to rosters.stats@lcms.org or call 314.996.1366.
Please note: the deadline to vote is February 15, 2021.
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District Nomination Ballots |
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This is a reminder that the deadline for returning nomination ballots for District President and Vice-President has been set for February 17, 2021, as required by District Bylaws IV.B.3 and IV.C.3. If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Luke Zimmerman at EnglishDistrictSecretary@gmail.com. |
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This information is being published in the hope that you may know of someone in your congregation or ministry who would be interested in applying for the position. We would very much appreciate your putting a notice in your bulletins or newsletters. Thank you.
The English District of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod is seeking a part-time (approximately 10 hours per week) Communications/Media Facilitator. This position is available immediately.
Qualifications required: Experience in communicating through all forms of media. Knowledge and ability to work with others throughout the District and in the print, social networks, and communications field to reach an end product. Must be self-motivated, well-organized and team-oriented.
Duties include: Responsibility for public relations and communications for the purpose of disseminating information and mission and ministry awareness of the English District - LCMS.
Anyone interested in this position please submit a resume and cover letter which includes compensation requirements and availability to Sally Naglich at snaglich@englishdistrict.org.
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1-1-1 - Focus on Campus Ministry |
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Our English District identified recipients of 1-1-1 (A Dollar for Mission) for 2020-2021 are the campus ministries of our District. We want members of our District congregations, those who bring a (1) dollar per (1) person per (1) Sunday, to have a clear picture of how these gifts are being used to directly support the mission of our District. These gifts come together to fund important ministries across the District, like LCMS-U – Whitewater, $1 at a time.
Read more about the campus ministry birthed at The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus.
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Calling a Seminary Candidate/Requesting a Vicar |
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If your congregation is interested in calling a seminary candidate or making an application for a vicar, please contact Administrative Assistant Kathy Stanis at 248-476-0039 ext. 320 or by email. The deadline to submit call papers and vicarage applications is February 1, 2021.
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Ministerial Health Commission |
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Your English District Ministerial Health Commission is here to be a confidential sister or brother in Christ, walking alongside of our church workers and their families. We strive to be a listening ear with a non-judgmental heart, supporting you where you are, not where anyone thinks you should be. We will encourage, not chastise, listen without advising, and pray without ceasing for you. May God grant you the strength to reach out if and when you need assistance.
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LCEF has employed numerous financial tools to help our borrowers, including several specifically put in place by our COVID-19 Response Team. Needs are unique. So are the remedies. And we continue to look for more.
Some need a simple re-amortization of an existing loan. Others need a quick line of credit to bridge the gap. Others need a specialized loan to carry them through a greater need. For more challenged circumstances, those identified as most vulnerable, including early childhood centers and our church workers, LCEF stands ready to provide more aggressive financial solutions.
Need and duration are unique. Congregations are encouraged to contact your LCEF District Vice President, Pastor Daniel Lepley, to discuss the remedy that allows your work to continue.
For more information and a link to apply for PPP funds through the Lutheran Federal Credit Union, see the January 11, 2021 LCEF update.
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Livestreamed/Recorded Services |
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We encourage everyone to take advantage of alternative opportunities to hear God’s word and to be blessed by the Divine Service. We have compiled a list of opportunities on the English District website that is continually updated.
If your congregation is recording or live streaming and is not included on this list, please email us at info@englishdistrict.org and let us know how people can access it.
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For more information, contact the English District Gift Planning Counselor Ron Grimm by phone (412)-584-7039 or email.
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2021 National Lutheran Schools Week
January 24 – 30, 2021
Send your NLSW pictures and stories to Gail so we can feature them in our newsletter!
If you haven't already, use the #NLSW21 and #LuthEd hashtags to share your activities and stories!
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Faith, Tucson, AZ
After a special chapel, Esther Lang, Faith's dedicated principal, and students returned to class and soon after SNOW started falling! In Arizona, that is a rare event. The children and teachers had a blast. Of course, you can't tell it was snowing in the picture.
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Faith Preschool of Jacob's Well, Fort Wayne, IN
These are the bookmarks the preschoolers made for the members of Jacob's Well. Faith Preschool is under the very capable direction of Judy Berggren. Faith will be celebrating 50 YEARS of service to the Fort Wayne area, sharing the love of Christ with young children and their families!
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Please 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. They can subscribe by clicking on the "Sign up for our emails" link at the bottom. 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 info@englishdistrict.org by Wednesday at 12:00 Noon ET. We want to see how YOUR congregation or school is showing the love of God to those in your community and around the world.
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If you'd like to share our emails, please forward
using your email's forwarding option.
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