English District of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
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Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. |
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Bishop Hardy to Receive Distinguished Alumnus Award |
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Bishop Jamison J. Hardy has been selected as Concordia University Wisconsin's 2021 Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient. This award is given to a Concordian who has consistently demonstrated faithful stewardship of her/his talents and has rendered notable service to the Church and to the University.
Concordia University President Rev. Patrick T. Ferry writes in his letter to Bishop Hardy, "You are an example of a true Concordian living out our mission through your service to our country, church, and community."
Congratulations, Bishop Hardy!
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On Sunday, March 14, 2021, Bishop Jamison J. Hardy spent the afternoon with Rev. Daniel Gruenwald and members of Hope Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, MI. May the Lord continue to bless the efforts of this congregation in proclaiming the gospel and serving God’s people.
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The Rev. Ronald C. Mohr (LLC-East ) has received a call to serve as sole pastor of Redeemer, Sarnia, ON, Canada. |
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Besides going to the dentist for a root canal, the situation I loathe the most is haggling to make a deal with a sales person - whether that’s trying to get a cell phone as a new or existing customer or looking to purchase / lease a new car. How do you feel in those circumstances? Both the sales person and you are asking the exact same question in the midst of the back and forth bartering, “What’s in it for me?” Both sides want to come out victorious with a great deal for themselves. Unfortunately, when it comes to evangelism and sharing the Gospel, we may ask the same question. There’s no special place in heaven or reward program for conversion points. Plus, it’s the Holy Spirit that changes hearts and lives - not our glorious witness. But there is something in it for you. On behalf of the District’s Evangelization Team, please read the following article written by Rev. Diener to encourage you in the midst of this Lenten season to see what God has in store for you and for those with whom you share the Gospel.
Read the entire article here.
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Concordia Plans created a new guide to the Paycheck Protection Program that should answer most of your ministry's questions. This reflects the latest updates to the program and includes the information you need about eligibility, loan terms, acceptable use of funds, loan forgiveness and more all in one document. Remember, you can also read about other provisions of COVID-19 legislation at ConcordiaPlans.org.
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Zoom Fatigue and How to Deal with It |
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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.
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English District Virtual Gala |
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1-1-1 - Focus on Campus Ministry |
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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.
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The Bible's promise is true: "If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us" (1 John 5:14).
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.
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LCMS Statistical Reports - Due March 31st |
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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.. For those of you who have not submitted your reports, the deadline is March 31, 2021, and these reports will be used when we invoice the convention assessments this year.
When you file your statistical report, please update 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.
Congregation statistics are entered 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.
Again, the deadline to submit the congregation statistics is Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Convention assessment invoices will be mailed from the District office in early April using the figures available at that time. If no report has been filed, the last known figures will be used. For questions regarding the assessment, contact the district office: info@englishdistrict.org or 800-755-9335. |
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We live in a sinful world and conflict is inevitable, even in the church. Watch this LCEF Ministry Moment video called A Simple Path to Conflict Resolution for a few simple steps to resolve conflict in a godly way.
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.
Are you currently receiving LCEF's Interest Time publication? Subscribe today to the print or electronic version.
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For more information, contact the English District Gift Planning Counselor Ron Grimm by phone (412)-584-7039 or email.
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Livestreamed/Recorded Services |
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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.
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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!
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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.
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If you'd like to share our emails, please forward
using your email's forwarding option.
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