On Sunday, February 26, the First Lutheran Church of Venice (FLV) joined hands with its community to recognize Black History Month. During its 11:00am worship service, FLV honored the past with a musical and life tribute to the Queen of Gospel, Mahalia Jackson.

The service featured a world-class gospel band, led by guest Praise Band Leader, Carol-Raines Brown. The special Gospel Praise band included members from the First Lutheran Church of Venice, Christ Lutheran Church of Los Angeles, and musicians from the broader community. From the first song, “Oh Happy Day” to the last, “Oh When the Saints Go Marching In,” attendees joyfully sang and clapped to these Gospel favorites.

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Hosted by Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour, these two half-hour specials will include dramatic multi-voice readings of the account of the betrayal, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the 26th, 27th, and 28th chapter of Matthew, one of the four ancient biographies of Jesus. Rev. Zeigler and Senior Producer Mark Eischer reflect on the unique features of Matthew's account of history.

• Part 1 focuses on the events of Holy Thursday.
• Part 2 focuses on the events of Good Friday and the Resurrection.

The specials invite listeners into the Passion of Jesus and prompts them to consider the questions of "Who is this Jesus?" and "Why does He matter?"

The specials feature new original musical arrangements of hymns by internationally known vocalist Erin Bode. These beautiful hymns offer the listener a time of introspection during the holiest season of Christianity.

Listen to these specials beginning April 3 at lutheranhour.org/holyweek or check the broadcast guide on the site for airing on a radio station near you.

Do you know someone who doesn’t speak English as a first language, and you want to introduce them to the Savior? Check out the Lutheran Heritage Foundation’s database of free Lutheran books, translated into more than 140 languages of the world! Resources include children’s Bible storybooks (often also good for adults with lower literacy levels), Luther’s Small Catechism, and devotion booklets in languages like Spanish, Chinese, Hindi and Swahili – all available at no cost to the ministries, short-term mission teams, and individuals who need them.

Search the LHF Publication List

Save the dates for the 2023 PSD Pastors’ Conference to be held at the Double Tree by Hilton Golf Resort in Palm Springs (Cathedral City), CA. Early check-in/arrival and exhibitor setup will start late afternoon on Sunday, September 24 with the conference running Monday, September 25 – Wednesday, September 27.

The Deacons/Parish Ministry Assistants Conference will be held at the same location on Saturday, September 23.

Stay tuned for more information on registration, programming and schedule.

Pastors, have you ever thought about serving as a full-time or part-time Navy Chaplain? If this has ever crossed your mind, join Chaplain Paul Smith at Marine Corps Air Station - Miramar on Thursday, April 13, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Helpful information can be found here. To register for this event or for more information, please me paul.l.smith2@usmc.mil or call 858-307-4433.

Join Concordia University Irvine on Saturday, April 29 at 5:00 pm for their 21st Annual Gala of Stars. The evening will include outstanding entertainment provided by the talented Concordia students, gourmet dining, and fellowship to support Concordia University Irvine's scholarship fund and programs.

Early Bird tickets are available through April 5.

Learn More & Purchase Tickets

Jr. High Camp 2023 is coming, May 25-28 and we are so excited for your students to participate in this life-changing camp! Junior high is a pivotal season for most people and many Christians point to experiences in junior high where they saw Jesus working the most positive change in their lives. Our theme for this year’s JH Camp is "Peace Quest." In John 16:33 Jesus says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” At camp this year, we’re on a quest to find ultimate peace - a peace that offers wholeness to our hearts and lives, and a peace that only comes from Jesus, who has overcome the world.  Click here for more information!