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Christ - Community - Connect
November 19, 2020
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Transforming lives and making the Great Commission REAL!
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The Weekly Newsletter and the Prayer & Praise are created with postings submitted by congregations. Please share with us so we can share with the entire Pacific Southwest District.
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The Weekly Newsletter and the Prayer & Praise will not be published next Thursday, November 26. Happy Thanksgiving!
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INTERIM PASTORS RETREAT POSTPONED
Please note the the 23rd Annual Seminar/Retreat for Interim Pastors that was scheduled to be held January 18-21, 2021 at St. Anthony Retreat Center, Three Rivers, CA has been postponed due to COVID restrictions. Please stay tuned! More information will be published when a new date has been scheduled.
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"ALL IS BRIGHT! A CONDORDIA CHRISTMAS"
COVID has brought a number of changes to the way we celebrate with our Concordia family, and Concordia Christmas is one such event! We have a unique opportunity to share the good news with the Southern California communities of Orange, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura Counties by airing "All is Bright! A Concordia Christmas" on PBS SoCal on December 22, 24 and 25. Join us in celebrating the light which is the birth of our Savior.
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PSD All Workers Conference
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PSD All Workers Conference
Last Days to Register
Click here to register for the conference. AWC registration will close this Friday, November 20, at noon. We will re-open the site for those who missed the conference but would like to watch the sessions on Monday, November 30.
Passwords
The password to enter the Monday and Tuesday Keynote and Workshop presentations is the individual email address that was entered for you as you were registered. We encourage you to log onto the Conference Hub and test your password to be sure it works. If you get an error message, either: 1) Your email address was entered incorrectly; 2) Your registration hasn't yet been paid; or 3) You have not yet registered for the conference. Please contact Kim Violette in the district office to correct the error. The deadline for payment to receive passwords before the conference begins is Friday at noon. If there are extenuating circumstances on receiving your payment by Friday, please contact the School Ministries office. Conference Hub
AWC Worship
The Worship Service for the All Workers Conference will be live-streamed on Monday, November 23, beginning at 3:15 p.m. PST (4:15 p.m. in AZ). Worship will be streamed from Christ Lutheran Church in Costa Mesa, CA, led by Pastor Drew Ross with a message given by PSD President Mike Gibson. The streaming worship service will not include Holy Communion. We are encouraging churches, schools, and watch locations to safely share the Lord's Supper together in those local settings after the conclusion of the online service. Please ask one of the local pastors to serve as the officiant. For more information, please see the Worship link on the AWC webpages at psd-lcms.org/awc-worship .
Arizona ministry partners, please remember the time change!
Times listed on the schedule are PST.
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A Big AWC THANK YOU To Our Tier Sponsors!
Tier 1 - Concordia University Tier 2 - Mission India and Concordia Plans Tier 3 - Lutheran Church Extension Fund and Lutheran Federal Credit Union Be sure to stop in their booths and thank them for their partnership! We encourage you to spend some time with our exhibitors in the Exhibit Hall. There are some new faces in there! Also take a look at the giveaway opportunities from some of our conference exhibitors on the Welcome page. Through the individual Exhibit Booths you can connect to LEA Connects Virtual Exhibit Hall. Just click on their name at the top of the page when looking at an Exhibitors booth.
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Host Sites
The 2020 All Workers Conference online format doesn't mean personal engagement isn't possible. We pray that groups of pastors, educators, DCEs, music directors, and more will safely gather at host sites, providing participants with the opportunity to engage around content, enjoy the fellowship of others and worship together. Larger church/school staffs may want to stay on campus and become their own host site, inviting others in their area to join them per their county's guidelines.
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INDIA IN CRISIS: EMERGENCY RELIEF
The Covid-19 pandemic has escalated into a humanitarian crisis in India impacting the poorest of the poor. Many of our ministry partners in India are already responding - and they are pleading for help. A gift of $40 will feed a family of 4 for 4 weeks. Will you help them? Donate Now
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PSD DCE LIAISON ACCEPTANCE
Steve Schedler, DCE at St. Paul's, San Diego, has accepted the offer to serve part-time as the DCE Liaison, a new position within the Pacific Southwest District. Steve will begin this new role December 1. Please keep Steve in your prayers and join us in congratulating Steve on this new position.
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ONE MINUTE: WHEN DARK MY ROAD
"It was Good Friday, but it was not good for me....I found myself contemplating my own death...planning, expecting to die, if not that day, then very soon."
This opening paragraph gets the reader's attention. It is from the Preface of Pastor Todd Peperkorn's personal journey into clinical depression. He is an LCMS pastor and he wrote this book for pastors who find themselves struggling with depression and anxiety in the pastoral office. This is not a manual for pastoral care nor is it written for lay members of congregations who may also be struggling with depression or other mental illness. This is from a pastor to other pastors who find themselves in an emotional and spiritual fog who may find it very difficult to do their ministries anymore. Read Full Article
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PRAYER REQUESTS
Christina SpalIek (UPDATE), wife of Rev. Peter Spallek, is awaiting surgery to repair damage to her colon and remove the tumor. She spent the last week in the hospital receiving nutrients and fluids and is now in an acute rehab facility awaiting scheduling of her surgery. We continue strong in our faith and awaiting the next phase of this battle. Our children and grandchildren are very supportive in this busy and still uncertain situation. What a comfort it is to know this is all in God's hands and her (and our) eternal future is secure.
Rev. Scott Ganas (UPDATE), is home recovering from quadruple bypass surgery.
Rev. Ray Kibler III (UPDATE) - is in treatment for immunodeficiency disease and cancer. He is in severe pain. He has surgery scheduled in late December.
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Elections - Father, we plead for your mercy and blessing for our nation in light of the elections. We pray for peace and wisdom, and for those newly elected or re-elected. Enable them to diligently seek Your will and lead with the righteousness that exalts a nation while shunning sin that is a reproach to any people. Help us in Your Church to always remember that as Your dear children our citizenship is in Your Kingdom, and grant us diligence, wisdom and grace to continually work to fulfill Your mission in our communities, our nation and our world.
Hate & Injustice - Our Gracious Heavenly Father, we cry out to you for mercy during these difficult days. Please, O God, heal our land, bring peace to our neighborhoods and cities, and tear down the walls of hate and injustice that divide us. Raise up your church to be a life-giving force - ambassadors of reconciliation. Empower us for action that we will do more than talk - for it is time to act. May we model for our world the oneness in Christ, who alone is the hope of the world. Give wisdom to our civil authorities and faith leaders to make decisions and lead in directions that will result in repentance, healing, forgiveness, new directions, and peace.
Coronavirus - Please be in prayer: for infection rates to slow and cease; that those who have been infected will heal quickly; that healthcare staff and first responders will be sustained as they carry this very heavy burden; that our churches, schools and preschools would be sustained and reliant on our loving God and His guidance; for courage and peace for our pastors, lay leaders, church and school administrators, faculties, and all church and school workers who are making difficult decisions, creating innovative solutions for continuing to reach people for the sake of the Gospel; for our federal, state and local leaders to seek God's will as they make important decisions and take actions against this disease; for God to bring many, many people to faith through this situation, and that His Church would be more effective than ever in sharing the Gospel with the lost and loving our neighbors.
First Responders - For protection, provision and encouragement for our first responders who serve our communities faithfully and sacrificially, facing risks every day on our behalf in order to preserve the peace, our lives and property.
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President Gibson invites all of us to join him each day at noon for a time of prayer on behalf of PSD Congregations and Schools. Simply set your phone alarm for noon and take a moment to unite your hearts with many others across our District.
Join us in praying: Pour out, O God, the power of your Spirit upon our congregations and schools as we proclaim together the message and hope of Christ.
This week, along with PSD School Ministries, we specifically pray for:
- Christ Lutheran School and Early Childhood Center, La Mesa, CA
- Faith Lutheran High School, La Verne, CA
- Concordia Lutheran Preschool and Childcare, Chula Vista, CA
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CONTINUED PRAYERS
Rev. Edward Ambrose - vascular/orthopedic issues
Jo Ambrose - fighting bone cancer
Owen Arizmendi - battling Krabbe Leukodystrophy
Rev. Charles Brady - recovering from two strokes and neurological issues
Dora Collins - chronic pain due to auto-immune issues
Rev. Alfonso Conrado - dementia, paralysis and diabetes
Rev. Scott Ganas - hospitalized with heart problems
Noah Gerdes - recovering from Valley Fever
Rev. Dave Gruenhagen - fighting cancer
Rev. Michael Harnack - suffering from CIDP
David Hendry - suffering from dementia
Kim Ingwersen - battling ALS
Jenny Lawson - fighting cancer
Marla Lichtsinn - fighting cancer
Rev. Johnny Lopez - fighting cancer
Rev. Harry Matelski - recovering from heart surgery
Susan Matelski - inoperable deteriorating spine
Mark Nadeau - fighting cancer
Rev. David Peterson - renewed health
Christina Spallek - fighting cancer
Rev. Hal Teuscher - fighting cancer
Rev. Rex Umbenhaur - fighting cancer
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Is there something exciting happening in your congregation or school? Let us know so we can celebrate with you! Does your church or pastor have a blog, vlog, or do you live stream your services? Let us know so we can help drive engagement! Visit the Around the PSD page on our website to hear some great stories. You can submit your story from this page. Please Note: This is not an events page.
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Pacific Southwest District-LCMS
949-854-3232
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