Below is the first “Daily Dose” message that Rachel sent out on Monday. "Daily Dose" is daily encouragement during this time of crisis and uncertainty. If you'd like to receive this and have not already received it (Rachel is sending to all PSD administrators), please email Rachel and she will add you to the distribution list.

"And He <Jesus> answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.'" -- Read Luke 10: The story of the Good Samaritan  

As this pandemic began to mess with my life, I first took a rather selfish stance. My concerns went to my immediate family. How will COVID-19 affect us? Do we enough food and water? Of course, do we have enough toilet paper? What about our trip to Europe this summer? We were so excited. Much worse, what will happen to us financially?

 

For a moment there, I felt this very strong survival instinct take over. And I could have easily empathized with someone who might fight over the gas pump or food or toilet paper if the crisis worsened. And then I snapped out of it. With one tiny question, my entire perspective changed. With one question, I realized that COVID-19 is giving me a chance to be the best version of myself. What about the people that are worse off than me?

 

Think about that question for a moment, like really ponder it for a minute. What about the people that are worse off than we?

 

See that? What just happened? Like the flip of a switch, my entire mindset changed. What about the HIV patients in Wuhan who can’t get medicine? What about the woman in a nursing home who feels all alone right now? She doesn’t have much time left and she might not ever be able to see her daughter again, who can’t visit for fear of spreading the virus. What about the couple who had planned their retirement for this year, working their entire lives for the moment when they’d be able to hit the road in an RV to see their country? And then they watch in horror as their savings—just like the chance of living their dream—dwindled in a matter of days. What about the single parents who somehow have to navigate working a full-time job (or two), while taking care of their children who won’t be going to school for maybe the rest of the year? How in the world can they, with so little notice, figure out how to 'home school'? Who will help?

 

What about the hourly wage workers living paycheck to paycheck? How will they pay their rent? Or even eat! What about the couple in Seattle who put all their money and time into the restaurant of their dreams, opening it just in time for spring? Their first few days are a success and they hug and kiss each other, knowing they’d finally done it. They’d made it. And then, suddenly, their restaurant is empty. For that matter, what about all the people who took giant risks and started their own companies in the past few months? And what about the people who actually have the virus and are dying? Or those who are losing their loved ones?

 

The lesson I’ve learned and will white-knuckle all the way to the end of this crisis is that it isn’t about me protecting myself or my family. It’s about me (and my family) looking out for strangers. It’s about me finding the strength to offer my last roll of toilet paper to my neighbor. It’s about me wondering if that elderly man down the street needs any help. It’s about me putting my selfishness aside and being the person my parents raised me to be. Now is the time for me to love harder than I’ve ever imagined possible.

 

My heart breaks for all of you who are struggling right now. If I can do anything to help, please let me know! When I read stories about the brave souls in Wuhan finding ways to help people get medicine, or about the heroes racing to create a vaccine, or about anyone going out of their way to pull up their fellow man, I am filled with tremendous hope. Not only will we overcome this awful plague, but mankind will come out better because of it – and much more importantly – God is God – and He is in the midst of all of our lives! He yearns for you to come to Him! Pray, praise and give thanks! Help your fellow man. Now is not the time to run out and hide, but the time to run in and help.

 

God be with you, my friends! God keep you in His mighty care! God grant you and your neighbors peace! 

             

-Rachel (with a few snippets taken from author Boo Walker)

The new normal - doing Jesus time online with the teacher. Thank you, educators, for your dedication to your students and for continuing to point them to Jesus.

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

Lamb of God Lutheran School & Little Lambs of God Lutheran Preschool, Las Vegas, NV

First Good Shepherd Lutheran School and Preschool, Las Vegas, NV

First Lutheran Sonshine House Preschool, Temple City, CA

Below are photos from Lamb of God Lutheran School & Little Lambs of God Lutheran Preschool, Las Vegas, NV :

Please be sure to check our PSD website about COVID-19: psd-lcms.org/coronavirus . We are frequently updating these pages with new and additional information, so please check back often.

The South Wisconsin District shared a google sheet in their district for pastors who are willing to do Chapels. There are several who livestreamed or recording this morning. For many students, chapel is the only “church” they get. If you have pastors who are doing the same, please share this with them and have them add their information. Chapels from this morning can be found in this folder .

Here is a great resource, #21DaysTogether, from Red Letter Challenge.

Here is a great article regarding talking to children about coronavirus, shared with us by one of our preschool directors. We encourage you to share it with your staff and school families.

Here is another article, written by Dr. Tim Elmore, titled Five Steps to Lead Students Wisely During the Coronavirus Pandemic .

 

Below are two videos our PSD office has sent out regarding COVID-19. Please watch if you haven't already.

Schools should consider how the coronavirus may affect the business contracts they have with vendors. Many schools are considering or have implemented school closures and are cancelling events, including upcoming international and domestic trips. Whether the school is entitled to a refund or whether it must pay the vendor upon cancellation, will depend on the specific contract terms, including whether the contract has a force majeure provision. Click here to read the full article from Liebert Cassidy Whitmore.

On March 14, 2020, at 12:51 am, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in an effort to reduce the impact of the virus on American families, the House of Representative passed H.R. 6201, titled the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the Act). The bill will now move to the Senate, where it will be debated and voted upon. If the bill passes in the Senate, President Trump will likely sign the bill into law, as he released a statement on March 14, announcing his full support of the bill.  It would become effective within 15 days of the Act’s passage. We will presumably learn the effective date when it is passed. Click here to read the full article from Liebert Cassidy Whitmore.

Access inspirational messaging anytime you need it by listening to SENT Radio , the online radio stream from Lutheran Hour Ministries.

SENT Radio broadcasts the Gospel of Jesus Christ worldwide twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Go to: https://www.lhm.org/sentradio/ for continuous broadcasting from Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Scripture readings , hymns and instrumentals … and every hour, SENT Radio features sermons from The Lutheran Hour  Speakers through the years.

Morning Prayer and Evening Vespers can be heard each day at 7 am and 7 pm respectively.

Daily Devotions can be heard at the 7 am hour and 7 pm hour following Morning Prayer and Evening Vespers respectively. Additionally, at 1 am and 1 pm at the top of the hour.

Each Sunday, the current Lutheran Hour program will be heard at 5 am, 7:30am, 10 am and again at 12:30 pm. The Lutheran Hour program will be followed by a broadcast of the Speaking of Jesus podcast for the week.

*Please note that all times listed are Pacific time zone.

It’s not too late to begin participating in the HEARTS FOR JESUS: Mission India project--even remotely!

The photo to the left was taken at Yuma Lutheran School in their sanctuary at Christ, Yuma (same campus). Each heart stands for a donation to our 2019-2020 Hearts for Jesus project, Mission India!

How beautiful to see children reaching children with the love of Christ!

To date, $8,658.72 has been received for Mission India through our Hearts for Jesus project. Thank you!

Through the work of Mission India, children in India will get to hear the Gospel (many for the first time!) and share what they learn with their families. The ripple effect? Entire villages and communities hearing about Jesus and His saving grace.

There are still millions more children in India who haven't heard the opportunity to hear about Jesus. There's still time to help us reach them with the Gospel! 

 

Here’s the link to all the information you need:  http://missionindia.org/hearts . The site is password protected because of the sensitive nature of sharing Jesus in India and persecution of Christians, which is on the rise.



 If you have any questions, please contact Rachel Klitzing at [email protected] or Ellen Pratt at [email protected] . Thank you for getting involved!

We are very excited for our All Workers Conference in November 2020. The planning and hard work has already begun. We will be honoring Jubilarians at the All Workers Conference (AWC). Jubilarians are those educators on your staff who have completed 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 or 50 years of service at the end of the 2019-2020 school year. The forms requesting the information will be linked in Connections beginning in April. If you are an administrator, please identify those on your staff that will be Jubilarians so that when the forms are sent out, they are able to be completed and sent in by the June 15 deadline. Please look for information in the upcoming Connections newsletters. A $25 gift card will be sent to the first person to email Rachel!

Making Jesus Real is a course that serves as a modified version of the Early Childhood Curriculum for Lutheran Teachers. It grew out of needs expressed by congregations of the Pacific Southwest District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod to inform and acculturate early childhood teachers with answers to the following questions: What is a Lutheran school, specifically, early childhood center? How are Lutheran schools unique? What do Lutherans believe? What is the heritage of the Lutheran schools? What are the characteristics of the Lutheran teacher? 

With the goal of training and equipping early childhood educators for careers in Lutheran early childhood centers, this course will focus on the following critical areas: 1) Lutheran thought and teaching (theology); 2) Nurturing the faith (faith development); 3) A distinctively Lutheran education (history of Lutheran education); 4) Methods and materials for teaching the faith to the young child. We pray that our new version will accomplish these goals in a way that is accessible, attractive, affordable, applicable and authentic. 

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Click here for the video sessions, discussion guides, response exercises, and more.

The PSD has created a new full-time position in the School Ministries department.

Title: Associate Education Executive

Description:  Support the Executive Director of School Ministries. In this role, the Associate Education Executive will also provide support and facilitate the planning and operating of Lutheran early childhood centers, elementary schools, high schools, and youth and family ministries by congregations and governing boards as they carry out the Great Commission of our Lord, serving children and families. Key responsibilities will be appropriately divided with the Executive Director, based on skill sets, giftedness,expertise, interest and passion. Many of the key responsibilities will be shared and will overlap.

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Click here to view the job description

Click here for the application - send to Rachel Klitzing at [email protected] by Monday, April 20, 2020.

Coronavirus got you down? Let's Rally Together!

We realize we are asking you to commit to something in questionable times. However, we want to encourage you to RALLY with us June 16-18, 2020, for the Children & Family Ministry Conference at Concordia University Irvine.

“Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes… In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” Nehemiah 4:14b & 20

More information on speakers and registration: https://www.psd-youthandfamily.org/children-and-family. Early registration ends April 1 ($90 each for a group of 4 or more, $110 for individual registration)

In this chaotic world, families are facing all types of pressures. This is a ministry conference for all parents, volunteers and staff who desire to make a positive impact on children and families.

The health and safety of our participants are important to us, so we will keep this developing issue in our prayers. We will continue to monitor the recommendations from the CDC and will update you accordingly.

In the hope and cleansing power of Christ,

2020 Children & Family Ministry Conference Planning Team

WEBINAR:

CONDUCTING AGE-APPROPRIATE AND TRAUMA-INFORMED

ACTIVE SHOOTER DRILLS

Presented by Safe Kids Inc.

Thursday, March 26 at 2:30pm PST

Join the President of Safe Kids Inc., Adam Coughran, as he discusses the evidence behind today's ineffective drills that are scaring students. With our nation's growing concern, Adam will guide you through the effective, safe and psychologically empowering ways to prepare your school body .

Registration is required. REGISTER NOW!

We have a great relationship with SafeKids, with about 10 schools in the district partnering with them to help train and make their schools, teachers and students safe.

The PSD is pleased to announce a scholarship that will assist PSD Lutheran school teachers participating in the teacher colloquy program . Grants will be distributed until funds are exhausted. Each course will be funded up to $500. Click here for the form and more information.

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 March 22:

Yuma Lutheran School and Preschool, Yuma, AZ

Trinity Lutheran Preschool, Temecula, CA

Sherman Oaks Lutheran Children’s Center, Sherman Oaks, CA