Always a Reason to Give Thanks
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‘Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’
1 Thessalonians 5:18
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I never thought landing in the hospital with a terrible case of pneumonia several years ago would cause me to give thanks to God. I had a schedule and calendar filled with NLSA preparations and reports to be finished for the upcoming visit by our validation team not to mention the day to day responsibilities. I had laid out my plan. God had the master plan for me. I believe the bout with pneumonia came because God knew I needed to slow down my schedule for the wellness of my body and soul. It was a time to rest, reflect, and remember that God is in control and knows what is best for me. I daily give thanks for that.
We live in a fallen world. Sin separates us from God and leads our thoughts and actions away from God’s will for us. When we face challenges, struggles, health concerns; we could go on… let’s always remember that God holds us. When trials arise, we can give thanks (in all circumstances), because, indeed, we know that God holds us and leads us in the direction He has for us. Jesus submitted to the Father’s Master Plan and it included suffering for His Greater Purpose. His plan is for our good and in eternity. When Jesus suffered, died, and rose again, He defeated sin, death, and the devil. Therefore, no matter what troubles we face, we can and should give thanks to God. It is His will that we give thanks for the many blessings we receive.
We can all be thankful that God holds us in the palm of His hand and gives us what He knows is best for us. So, when trials come, step back and know God’s plan is perfect. Give thanks in all things and lift your voice in praise to God!
Serving the Master Teacher,
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Here are the latest opportunities to strengthen your faith, connect
with the community, and flourish in our life together.
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Congratulations and God's Blessings
We have received notification and are very excited to share the following news with the NID. Many of you had heard about the 2018 Kaleidoscope Fund Grant that LCEF was offering for elementary schools. We are so very thankful and exited to share that two of our NID schools will be receiving grants from LCEF. Congratulations to St. Paul Lutheran School on Dorchester in Chicago and Bethany Lutheran School in Naperville! May we praise God for these ministries!
Watch for more to unfold in the near future!
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News from the National School Ministry Office in St. Louis
The
LCMS Early Childhood and School Statistical Reports login information has been sent out to schools for online submission. That website is
www.lcms.org/school_stats . Let’s have the NID report 100% this year! That would be a great thing for us to celebrate! These reports are due
November
1, 2019
. Of our 94 schools required to report, we currently have 25 completed. Please access your link and complete that material. If you need assistance with your school ID number, please contact Lois at the NID office for assistance.
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Hearts for Jesus
Our NID ‘Hearts for Jesus’ focus for missions this year will be The Lutheran Heritage Foundation. Visit
https://www.lhfmissions.org for general information. All schools will be receiving a school information packet.
If you have not received your packet, it will be getting to you soon.
Let’s set a goal that each child in the NID contribute 2 quarters to the mission fund this year! What a blessing that will be for LHF.
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Celebrating Worker Anniversaries
It is never too early to think about how your school and congregation will celebrate service anniversaries of your faculty and staff. The men and women in our schools and congregations serve faithfully. Think about ways you can celebrate them!
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Mission InSite
If you have never used Mission InSite to do demographic studies for your school and/or congregation, please visit
www.missioninsite.com. This demographic study service is available to all of our NID congregations because our LCEF Vice President, Vanda Toner feels so strongly that this tool can be a big benefit to you. Thank you, Vanda for supporting all congregations and schools in the NID!
Mission InSite is launching some new and updated features: PeopleView System, enhanced maps, and user tools. They are offering a training webinar available on October 22 and October 24 at 1pm.
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Early Childhood Network Meetings
The 2019-2020 school year has begun and professional development and group networking is a blessing. The NID Early Childhood Consultants work very hard to offer engaging and meaningful network topics for your interest. You will find the new network meeting schedule attached here. The next opportunity for you to meet will be
Tuesday, October 15
from 4:30 to 6:30pm. This meeting will take place at St. Peter, Arlington Heights (111 W. Olive St.). You may contact Julie Klopke for more information. The topic for the evening is “Special Needs and Referral Procedures”. A round table discussion will follow.
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Professional Development Credits
Administrators, please remember that you are able to give your teachers professional development credit for approved training done in your building. Contact Roberta Smith at Concordia Chicago for more information (roberta.smith@cuchicago.edu).
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Share Stories and Celebrations
God is at work in our schools each and every day. There are celebrations happening that we would like to share with our NID family. When you have a special story or celebration, please share it with our office so we can all give thanks to God with you. You may send those celebrations to
lois.stewart@nidlcms.org or
ann.ciaccio@nislcms.org.
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Life and Liberty Conference
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Bethany Lutheran Church, 1550 Modaff Road, Naperville, will host the Life and Liberty Conference November 1, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Guest speaker is Rev. Dr. Peter Scaer.
Print flier
. For more information and to register, call 630-234-1491 or email
kbwrk123@gmail.com
.
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Stop the Bleed
We have been informed that the ‘Stop the Bleed’ kits are available. They are available free of charge to private and public schools in the state. This is made possible as part of the safety initiative developed by the School Safety Working Group of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force. These kits should be available to you by contacting your local public school district office or regional education office.
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Empower Illinois
Empower IL has worked through some of the details for the testing portion of the scholarship program. You may now complete the ‘Site Establishment Form’. Please list the school system as “LCMS-Northern District”. The NID will be paying the $300.00 fee as a district. You will not be responsible for that cost.
The testing information will be shared as it is available. So far, we know that the testing window is in spring, 2020. The dates will be emailed to you. The test may be done on paper or on line. Watch for emails that will be sent out to your school.
There are two helpful documents attached here for you to read.
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60th Anniversary of DCE Program
We will be celebrating the gift of our DCEs during the coming year! God blessed that ministry for 60 years. All praise and glory to Him for His blessing of DCEs. Rostered DCEs in the NID will be receiving an invitation to join together for chapel at CUC on Thursday, October 24 starting at 11:00am in the Chapel of our Lord. There will be a meet and greet following. We hope to see all NID DCEs there so we can thank you!
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NLSA News
Watch your mail after September 1 for your invoice for your annual NLSA fee to St. Louis. Please note annual fee changes that will go into effect over the coming years:
2019-2020 $650.00
2020-2021 $700.00
2021-2022 $750.00
As you work on your annual reporting form and/or prepare for a school visit, please contact Keith Wilharm with questions. Keith’s email is
keith.wilharm@nidlcms.org
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“Joy:Fully Lutheran” the 2019-20 “Chapel Talks for Lutheran Schools”, explores 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 and focuses on the joy of Jesus’ Word and Sacrament present in Sunday worship in the Christian congregation.
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National Lutheran Schools Resources
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National Lutheran Schools Week provides the network of 1,950 LCMS preschools, elementary schools and high schools with the public opportunity to proclaim and celebrate God’s work in Lutheran schools. You can find resources at
www.luthed.org/national-lutheran-schools-week.
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Church Workers:
Update Your Contact Information Online
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All rostered and non-rostered church workers are asked to please update their NID contact information when there is a change of email, address, phone, etc., or if new in the district.
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LCMS Northern Illinois District
2301 S. Wolf Road, Hillside, IL 60162
Phone 888-708-LCMS
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