“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  -John 16:33

God, you are our rock and our salvation. In you we trust completely, for you are the mighty conqueror who has overcome the world!

When tragedy strikes, whether it affects our homes, the families of our students, our friends, or our school community, protect us from anger and retaliation. You have loved us enough to overcome sin and conquer death.

When the people around us struggle to understand, provide peace, comfort, and the blessing of your grace.

Thank you for wrapping your loving arms around us. Thank you for being our rock and for providing eternal life so that someday all sadness and evil will end.

In your Son’s perfect name, amen.

~Max Lucado

Please join us in praying and thanking God for the following schools

this week:

Christ the Cornerstone Academy and Preschool, San Diego, CA

Bethlehem Lutheran Preschool, Santa Clarita, CA

Faith Lutheran School and Preschool, Tucson, AZ

Below are photos from Christ the Cornerstone Academy and Preschool,

San Diego, CA:

Spring planting in our Preschool Garden

Lutheran Schools Week 2022

Move up day. Our future TK/Kindergarteners visited Mrs. Jackson's class.

Field Trip to Old Town Historic Park San Diego

Below are photos from Bethlehem Lutheran Preschool, Santa Clarita, CA:

Ash Wednesday Chapel with Pastor Joe

Dr. Justin visited to talk to the kids about dental health in February 

Morning Prayer Circle

Thank you for joining us in prayer and thanksgiving to God for all of our PSD schools over the course of the 2021-2022 school year. Please join us in praying for LuTec, a new PSD high school in Norwalk, CA, and Saving Grace Lutheran Preschool in Queen Creek, AZ, as they will open their doors next school year! We will continue to pray for all of our schools over the summer, and we look forward to starting up our prayers for specific schools again in August!

Congratulations to the following teachers, administrators, and staff members who have announced their retirement. Thank you for your faithful service in Lutheran education in the Pacific Southwest District, and your dedication to the students and families where you served. God’s blessings in your retirement, and we will always remain Connected in Christ. 

Gretchen Cariker – St. John’s Lutheran School, Orange, CA

Gerry Fellwock – Emmaus Lutheran School, Alhambra, CA

Mary Flett – Pacific Lutheran High School, Gardena, CA

Steve Hight – St. Paul’s Lutheran School, Orange, CA

Kim Imes – Bethany Lutheran School, Long Beach, CA

Mark Klitzing – Lutheran High School, Orange, CA

Debbie Osman – Shepherd of the Desert Lutheran Preschool, Scottsdale, AZ

JoAnne Owens – Christ Lutheran School, Phoenix, AZ

JoAnn Renken – St. Paul’s Lutheran School, Orange, CA

Carol Smallwood – Prince of Peace Lutheran School, Anaheim, CA

Cheryl Stejskal – Bethany Lutheran School, Long Beach, CA

Elaynne Washington – Faith Lutheran Middle School & High School, Las Vegas, NV

Lee Zabinsky – Grace Christian School, Escondido, CA

Please let us know if someone on your staff is retiring and is not on this list. We would love to recognize him/her. Thank you!

Thank you to all of our schools for submitting their 2021-2022 PSD Stats @ a Glance! We had 100% of our schools report! We praise the Lord for increased enrollment at all three levels, with an increase of 1,821 students in the district this year! We've compiled the information into the 2021-2022 PSD School Statistical Information Report.

Faith Lutheran Academy in Las Vegas, NV, was one of nine LCMS schools named an NLSA Powerful Practice School for 2021-2022. In addition, several of our schools were recognized as having enrollment in the top 10 nationally in different categories. 

We praise God for ALL of our schools! To God be the glory!

Each year, we wish to honor exemplary educators in the Pacific Southwest District who exhibit exceptional leadership, teaching skills, and total commitment to Christ and the ministry of our Lutheran schools. We are asking for your help in identifying those who represent this spirit of dedication, commitment, and excellence. The 2022 Educators of the Year will be recognized at the Lutheran Educators Conference (LEC) in San Diego, CA, in November.

Below are the links to the nomination forms for the 2022 PSD Educators of the Year. This is an open nomination system. You may nominate in any or all of these four categories. The deadline for submitting nominations is August 31, 2022. 

Process:

May- August 31: Nomination period

September: Educator of the Year committees meet to determine finalists in each of the four categories

September/October: Evaluations/interviews completed regarding the finalists

Late October/Early November: Committees select winners

Monday, November 21: Honorees are recognized at LEC

Nomination Forms:

Administrator

ECE Educator/Director

Elementary (K-8) Educator

Jr/Sr High School Educator      

Thank you for your participation in honoring our outstanding educators in the PSD!

Below is a message from World Mission:

Dear Pacific Southwest District LCMS Schools,

It has been a great pleasure working with your district this year for your Hearts for Jesus program! We have been blessed to get to know your leadership team and have been so encouraged by the participation of your schools. We hope that your students have had a fun time and learned a lot about Unreached people groups. 

Your partnership with World Mission goes way beyond simply collecting change. YOU are reaching the ends of the Earth with the Gospel! We are on track to end our fiscal year with a total of 60,000 Treasures (audio Bibles) sent out to reach people who have never had one single gospel witness! Those Treasures will reach an estimated 8.6 Million people! Your district has had a hand in making that happen. 

I hope you have enjoyed the testimonies that we've shared with you over the past several months and have been encouraged by the beautiful stories of how God is working through the Treasures. Please read our most recent story from the field to share for our year end update. 

Once we have a list of participation and totals, we'll send a certificate to each as a celebration. We look forward to sharing that follow up in the coming months!

Thank you again for your partnership during this school year! We are very grateful for the Pacific Southwest District!  

Blessings,

Susan Delauter, World Mission

There is still time to send in your school’s contributions to World Mission! We need your school to help meet our goal of 708 Treasures! We are currently at 479 Treasures - 229 more Treasures needed! Can your school contribute to help meet our goal? Maybe you want to share this with your VBS coordinator for June VBS programs or with your DCEs for contributions from your congregation's Youth Ministry programs. We will continue to collect contributions through the end of June! Thank you for your participation in sharing the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ across the globe!

The 46th Regular District Convention will be held June 22-24, 2022, at

Faith Lutheran Middle School & High School in Las Vegas, NV.

Convention Workbook

The Convention Workbook is now available on the Convention website.

NEW Video: Part 1 of President Gibson's report to the convention

Take a few moments and view this NEW video from President Gibson, part 1 of his report to the convention. A transcript is also included in the convention workbook. (Part 2 of his report will be delivered at the convention.)

Registration & Hotel

Register on the PSD Convention Website. Some links you will find on the site are: registration for the convention, hotel information & reservations, and sponsor & exhibitor registration. You can also view the nominations and overtures and see/download the convention schedule and more! We look forward to seeing you in June!

Delegates

Although the deadline has passed, we will continue to accept Delegate credentials. Each rostered congregation in the PSD is entitled, and encouraged, to send one eligible Pastor and one Layperson as Voting Delegates. You are also asked to select an Alternate Lay Delegate who would serve in the place of the delegate if, at the time of the Convention, the elected delegate is unable to serve. All Pastors are expected to attend their District Convention, even if they are not a voting Pastoral Delegate. They are considered Advisory Delegates. Please note - Delegates submitted past the deadline will not be included in the Convention Workbook. 

Delegate Credential Forms

Rostered teachers, DCE’s and other commissioned ministers currently cannot serve as voting lay delegates. They are, however, Advisory Delegates and encouraged to attend. Advisory Delegates provide important perspective and are encouraged to express their opinion by speaking to the convention. In addition, there will be an enhanced role for commissioned ministers during the convention proceedings - more information to come on this.

Registration for the PSD Administrators Leadership Conference - July 20-22, 2022, at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells, CA, is live! Click here for all the registration details!

SAVE THE DATE! LEC will be held November 20-22, 2022, at the Hilton Bayfront in San Diego, CA. This year’s theme is Salt & Light, based on Matthew 5:13-16. We have already contracted three excellent speakers – national author Matt de la Pena, Donalyn Miller - the “Book Whisperer”, and Matt Miller, creator of “Ditch That Textbook.”

This year’s registration cost will be $170 per person. With hotel and travel reimbursement, we anticipate it will cost approximately $395 per teacher to attend. Please budget this expense for next year! As in past years, we will provide a guidance document for you to obtain Title Funds to assist in offsetting costs. We anticipate registration will open for LEC in late August.

We often are asked for suggestions for chapel offering recipients - so, here is a link to a special listing of six very worthwhile projects that you might want to consider as you plan for next year. These are suggestions we offer BESIDES our new Hearts for Jesus unified mission project - details below!

Tri-District Rodeo & BBQ Lunch at NYG

Final registration closes May 31!

psd-lcms.org/psd-youth-gathering-event

Join us for an authentic Texas Rodeo and BBQ lunch at the Historic George Ranch; Wednesday, July 13th! Transportation to George Ranch will depart from Minute Maid Park immediately following closing worship and will return groups back to their hotel, George Bush, or Hobby Airport following the event. Registration includes transportation, lunch, entertainment, and a t-shirt! If you have already registered, you should have received additional transportation information. If you did not receive it, please contact Laura Bredehoft.

Save the Date: San Diego Day at the Bay

San Diego area churches are invited to bring their High School youth groups to Playa Pacifica area of Mission Bay on Sunday, June 26th, from 4:30-7:00pm for a day at the bay! Bring your youth, beach chairs, and a potluck food item to share. If your church is attending the LCMS Youth Gathering in July, this will be a great opportunity to make connections with other youth and adult leaders. Please watch your email for registration materials arriving soon.

Questions? Contact Laura Bredehoft 

[email protected] | 858-272-6363

Do you know someone interested in getting in on the ground floor of an amazing start up school?  LuTEC (Lutheran Technology, Education and Career High Schools) is a cutting edge, technology based, Lutheran high school network, providing an individualized and flexible education to all learners, focusing on relevant knowledge and skills for work or advanced studies in preparation for a career and life in service to their communities.

LuTEC is currently seeking a full time Academic Learning Guide and a full time School Assistant. To learn more, click HERE.

Lutheran Hour Ministries has many resources that could be a great benefit on your school campus. Project Connect booklets bring hope and address a variety of topics, from forgiveness and the after-life to depression and anger management. Some are for equipping individuals to share their faith. All of the more than 50 booklets are written from a Christian perspective. Many have been translated into Spanish. Project Connect booklets would be great to have in the office/foyer area of schools!

Please contact Lou Marting for more information, as well as the current list of booklets. He is happy to help!

Also from Lutheran Hour Ministries:

Spiritual Conversations & Disciple-Making in the Digital Age

Gain confidence and learn strategies for how to talk about your faith and disciple others. This free workshop is presented by Rev. Dr. Chad Lakies, Lutheran Hour Ministries, and Rev. Nader Hanna, Salam Ministries. Our engaging presenters will guide you through research-based tips, tricks, and approaches for mentoring others in following Jesus.

Saturday, June 11, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm (includes lunch)

Zion Lutheran Church, Anaheim, CA

Sunday, June 12, 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm (includes lunch)

Christ Lutheran Church, La Mesa, CA

Register today!

• We pray for peace and comfort for the families and community of the students and teachers who lost their lives at school in Uvalde, TX. We pray for our nation as once again we see this senseless tragedy unfold. We pray that our civic leaders and school leaders are wise and exhibit strength of character to keep our schools and communities safe. We pray for healing in the name of Jesus, our Savior!
• A prayer from Christ the Cornerstone Academy and Preschool,
• San Diego, CA: We pray that the Lord will bring us Christian Preschool teachers who love working with children in a Christian environment. 
• We are thankful for the years of service of all of our educators retiring at the end of this school year. God's richest blessings to you!
• We pray for all of our schools as you have end of the year activities, graduations, and other celebrations this year.
• Congratulations to all of our graduates -- preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, 8th grade, and high school!
• Join us in praying for congregations, high schools, elementary schools, and early childhood centers searching for administrators, directors, teachers, and staff for the 2022-23 school year.
• We pray for peace in Eastern Europe, that the Lord may bring an end to the war and restore peace and freedom to the people of Ukraine.

Each week, prayers of thanksgiving and prayers for teachers, administrators, support staff, pastors, students, and families of the Lutheran schools, early childhood centers, and churches of the Pacific Southwest District are listed. To include names on the list, please send information to [email protected] by noon on Tuesdays.