“I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.” Ephesians 4:1-7

 

These words are probably very familiar to you. Please take a moment to read them again and reflect on Paul’s words. They are powerful, deeply meaningful, and impactful! Truly they are as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago! 

 

One of the things that disrupts ministry from flourishing is a lack of unity. In verse three, Paul urges that we "make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Putting these words into action means talking things out with one another when you would rather avoid the conversation. It means compromise when you would rather have your way. It means praying together and coming to a mutual understanding and respect for others’ perspectives.

 

God produced this unity through the reconciling death of Christ. It is, therefore, the important responsibility of us, as Christians, to keep that unity from being disturbed! This is a prayer I pray daily for our schools, our congregations and our educators.

 

Lord God, we come to you with our failings and frailties. We confess that we have not always “kept the unity” by our words and actions. Forgive us for the sake of your Son, Jesus, who reconciled us so that we can be “ambassadors of reconciliation” to those around us. Bind us together, Lord, through your love! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Please join us in praying and thanking God for the following schools this week:

First Lutheran Preschool, Monrovia, CA

Christ the King Lutheran Child Care Center, Redlands, CA

Shield of Faith Christian School, El Monte, CA

Below are photos from First Lutheran Preschool, Monrovia, CA:

Below are photos from Christ the King Lutheran Child Care Center, Redlands, CA:

Pastor Wiley Smith during chapel with the children

Fruit of the Spirit snack

Kindergarten working in their reading boats

Orange Lutheran High School recently celebrated Pastor Appreciation Night

at a football game. We are grateful for all our PSD pastors!

LEC 2019: November 24 – 26

JW Marriott Desert Springs in Palm Desert, CA

Registration website

We have 1,011 people registered for LEC!  Thank you to all who have registered to attend. There is still time to register – we will close registration at 4:30 pm on Friday. We are at an overflow hotel now. TODAY is the day to book rooms at the overflow hotel, the Courtyard Marriott, for a guaranteed room.  Click here for the Courtyard page. After today you can still book a room, but only if they still have rooms available. 

 

Have you been sharing your Pre-Conference Devotions as a staff? Please do! It is a wonderful way to prepare our hearts and minds for the conference. Even if you are unable to attend, it is a great way to still have a little part in the event.

 

The LEC committee is excited about all that will be offered in our exhibit hall this year! Come discover new resources for your classrooms, your school communities, and your own professional growth. Perhaps you might even do some shopping! You’ll want to use the app to scan a code at each booth you visit. Ten visits earns an entry in the RAFFLE - Tuesday morning at 10:05. 

 

Friday is the deadline for Appreciation Ads. Please contact Kim Violette in School Ministries if you have any questions or need assistance. To purchase your ad, please use  this website . 

Our annual PSD Service Day is next Wednesday, November 20. How are you and your students planning to serve your school and community? We'd love to see your photos--please send us pictures of your students serving that day!

TEC21 is thankful for the district education executives and principals who have encouraged their teachers to participate in the TEC21 Workshop Program. As TEC21 looks ahead to their ministry’s 12th year, they give God all the glory for how He has blessed their work in support of Lutheran education throughout the LCMS and Lutheran schools internationally. They look forward to continued growth in the 2020/2021 school year and pray the timing is right for your school to join them!

 

Registration opens January 2, 2020! Now is the time to talk to your teachers and start conversations about TEC21 in your school.

Contact Brent Dieckhoff at [email protected] with any questions you may have about the program. He will be happy to talk with you and encourage your participation in this innovative professional development program!

Click here to download the TEC21 flyer.

Click here to read the most recent issue of CAPE (Council for American Private Education) Outlook.

My prayer is that early childhood educators and elementary teachers will find this new book helpful as they encourage families to prepare for a Jesus-centric Countdown to Christmas! It also makes a great Christmas gift to those special room moms and dads! It's called The Family Time Bible by Dr. Mary Manz Simon.

We are excited to share our New Teacher Investment Program with you! This program serves as a tool to help support new teachers in their new positions. In each module of this program, you will find resources and discussions on given topics that are applicable to being a new teacher. We encourage you to participate in these discussions and to get connected with other teachers in the district. This will help you to work through questions that you have and to build a network of educators who you can collaborate with for years to come.

This program is for all new teachers, their mentors, and principals. Click here for the webpage with a video, more information, and a link to join the program!

We are excited to welcome the POLS Conference (Principals of Large Schools) to the Pacific Southwest District and specifically to Orange County this January 15-17, 2020! This year, Early Childhood Directors are welcome to attend as well! If the enrollment of your school is 300 (combined preschool through eighth grade), your Preschool Directors and Principals are welcome to attend!  Please click here for more information and to register to attend. Let’s have a great PSD attendance for this national conference!

Red Hill Lutheran School, Tustin, CA, was voted Best Faith-Based Elementary / Junior High School in Orange County by the readers of Parenting OC Magazine. Congratulations!

Each week, prayers of thanksgiving and prayers for teachers, administrators, support staff, pastors, students, and families of the Lutheran schools, early childhood centers, and churches of the Pacific Southwest District are listed. To include names on the list, please send information to [email protected] by noon on Wednesday of each week. This week we pray for:

Schools we are praying for the week of November 17:

Christ Lutheran School and Preschool, La Mesa, CA

Faith Lutheran High School, La Verne, CA

Concordia Lutheran Preschool and Childcare, Chula Vista, CA