English District of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
|
|
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. |
|
Mrs. Donna D. Hay, Commissioned Minister-Emeritus
March 4, 1943 - March 3, 2021
Mrs. Donna D. Hay, Brighton, MI, was called to glory on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. Donna was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Hay, on April 3, 2020. A memorial service was held today, Friday, March 12, 2021, at Our Savior, Hartland, MI. Please keep the Hay family in your prayers.
“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord!”
|
|
Welcome to the English District! |
|
|
The English District is pleased to welcome Jill McGarr to our team as part-time Communications/Media Facilitator. Jill is the secretary at Prince of Peace, Medina, OH. You can reach her at jmcgarr@englishdistrict.org. |
|
Since You Can Be Anything, Be... |
|
|
We all had to endure the elementary school writing assignment: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Do you remember your answer? How far was your answer from what you actually became when you grew up? When it comes to evangelism and sharing the Gospel, we might think the right answer as a child would have been to say we wanted to become a missionary, a pastor or teacher, or maybe even the next Billy Graham. We have such tremendous blessings in America. We have all been told, “You can be anything you can dream.”
On behalf of your English District Evangelization Team, I would like to encourage you simply to BE who God has created, re-created, redeemed, sanctified and enlightened you to BE: HIS. His temple of the Holy Spirit to bear His fruit with the world. Please take a moment and read this article to encourage you TO BE the fruit of the Vine, Jesus Christ. Read more.
|
|
Zoom Fatigue and How to Deal with It |
|
|
Ministerial Health Commission
If you find yourself drained at the end of a day of ZOOMing, you join many people who have had a day looking at their computers.
Rev. Steven Sutterer, member of your Ministerial Health Commission, offers some deeper insights as to why this might be and some suggestions for how to manage it.
Your English District Ministerial Health Commission is here to be a confidential sister or brother in Christ, walking alongside our church workers and their families. Please reach out if you need assistance.
|
|
English District Virtual Gala |
|
|
|
|
Time to "Spring" those clocks forward! Daylight Savings Time begins this weekend. Make sure to set your clocks ahead one hour before bed on Saturday night and enjoy all that extra sunshine! |
|
Re:Vitality - Shepherding Our Strays (SOS) |
|
|
Rev. Dr. Mark Wood has news to share with us. Shepherding Our Strays: Actively Serving Our Inactive Members (SOS) has successfully completed the doctrinal review process. This was the last step in SOS becoming available to LCMS congregations in its production version.
The production version of SOS is provided at no cost to LCMS congregations. If your congregation is interested in using this resource please request the materials by emailing WOR@lcms.org.
Download the SOS Quick Guide that provides an overview of the resource here.
If you haven’t seen the promotional video for SOS (which proves that Dr. Wood is "outstanding" in a field), here’s the link: https://youtu.be/33yRV1J9k_c.
|
|
2022 LMCS Youth Gathering Update
Greetings and Blessings in the name of the One who is In All Things, Jesus Christ!
My name is Terry Leu and I am both humbled and honored to have been asked to serve the English District as the District Coordinator for the 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering! This Gathering will be the twelfth Gathering I have been blessed to attend. Hard to believe but I started as a 20 something year old adult leading a group from Prince of Peace, Medina, OH to the first Gathering in Ft. Collins CO, in the summer of 1980. All of these Gatherings have been Mountain Top experiences for me, and I have been truly blessed by each of these experiences. I hope to be able to share some of the valuable lessons of leading I have learned along the way with other youth leaders of our District.
But I need some help! First and foremost, I need the prayers of EVERYONE in the English District. This is a daunting task, just ask DCE Kristi Bauer or Vicar Jim Bretthauer whose shoes I’m trying to fill. They set the bar high at the last Gathering. Secondly, I need the names and contact information of people who will be leading your youth. I have reached out to the list from the last Gathering and the response has been better than I expected. But that list only includes 20 congregations. So please answer two questions for me here.
My email is terleu@gmail.com. Stay up to date by checking our Facebook English District-2022 LCMS National Youth Gathering page.
Responding to God’s Love,
Terry
|
|
1-1-1 - Focus on Campus Ministry |
|
|
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 the effort of Grace Lutheran Church, Oberlin, Ohio at Oberlin College, $1 at a time.
Read more about the campus ministry being envisioned and birthed at Oberlin College and Conservatory.
|
|
The Bible's promise is true: "If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us" (1 John 5:14).
Please pray with us for Sally Naglich's father for healing and strength.
District daily prayers for April are located on our website.
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.
|
|
LCMS Statistical Reports - Due March 31st |
|
|
2020 Congregation Statistics and Lay Leader Reports
Thank you to the English District congregations who have already submitted their end-of-year statistics on the LCMS Information Support Network (LISN) for Congregations. We are able to maintain current data with electronic submission. When you file your statistical report, please update us on your lay leaders and provide their email addresses. These will be important to your congregation receiving timely reminders to participate in Synod governance through the convention cycle.
We are eager to achieve unanimous participation:
- because it is useful, especially now. We want to know how our congregations are doing and how best to work for their benefit and on their behalf.
- because we need to be able to contact leadership by up-to-date emails to facilitate their governance of their Synod. This was of key importance in the recent congregational referendum and will be increasingly so as we move toward convention.
- because the Bylaws expect it (1.3.4.3) and require the Secretary (3.3.3.2 [e]), district presidents (4.4.8), and circuit visitors (5.2.3 [h]) to urge it, consistent with an objective of the original 1847 Constitution of the Synod (Ch. IV 13).
Each congregation is able to enter its statistics directly into the LISN database, which is designed to provide better service and greater access. If you have problems logging in, or need assistance, please send an email to rosters.stats@lcms.org or call (314) 996-1366 to request your login information. Deadline to submit the congregation statistics is Wednesday, March 31, 2021.
|
|
Hospitality is important when we gather together in person, but just as important when your members gather virtually. Learn more about providing hospitality to your virtual viewers in this LCEF Ministry Moment video titled Streaming Hospitality.
Contact your LCEF District Vice President, Pastor Daniel Lepley, to discuss this and other ideas to help your ministry move forward according to God's will.
|
|
For more information, contact the English District Gift Planning Counselor Ron Grimm by phone (412)-584-7039 or email.
|
|
Ascension of Christ, Beverly Hills, MI
The new and returning officers and elders at Ascension of Christ Lutheran Church were officially installed by Pastor Daniel Grams.
|
|
Ever since COVID hit a year ago, All Saints Lutheran Church and Student Center has been searching for new ways to connect with college students attending Slippery Rock University, Grove City College, and Westminster University. Campus ministry continues to make personal phone calls, send emails, and take students out for lunch. We’ve also recently discovered a wonderful additional way to meet students’ needs! We are now giving them very readable and very topical Christian books to read and to keep. Who would’ve thought that books would go like hotcakes? Click HERE to read more from Augusta Mennell.
|
|
LCMS Life Ministry will host its first-ever virtual life conference next week, March 19–20, under the theme “Making Disciples: Valuing Life.” Register at www.lcms-life.org.
- Be equipped to speak up for the sanctity of life within your community and our society
- Gain ideas on how to care for all human life
- Interact with fellow Lutherans on Life Ministry topics
- Be a part of the LCMS Life Ministry community
Dozens of experts in Life Ministry will present throughout the conference with multiple video presentations available for immediate on-demand viewing as soon as you log in. Engage in live Question and Answer sessions with experts in Life Ministry.
|
|
An Update from the Kasters |
|
|
Joy-Fully Lutheran!
As this pandemic creeps along, we are under quarantine again. That means live-streaming worship services via Facebook and catechizing over the internet. But no matter what the limitations are, we joyfully trust in Christ and sing of His salvation.
Download our most recent newsletter HERE and find out what is happening here in Prague... and please pray for our work.
|
|
Livestreamed/Recorded Services |
|
|
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.
|
|
 |
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!
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
If you'd like to share our emails, please forward
using your email's forwarding option.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
