God in All Things - Without Borders

January 12, 2024

On Sunday, January 7, 2024, Bishop Jamison Hardy was the guest preacher at Redeemer, Ft. Wayne, IN. He visited with Rev. Dr. David Petersen and members of the congregation. In addition, Bishop Hardy was present for the dedication of the new library.

Call Received and Accepted



The Rev. Marc G. DiConti has received and accepted a Divine Call to serve as Associate Pastor of Blessed Sacrament, Hayden, ID.

Call Received

The Rev. Dr. E. Anthony Sikora (Michigan District) has received a Divine Call to serve as Senior Pastor of Christ the King, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI.

REMINDER: Lutheran Witness renewal forms are due back to the district office by January 31. They only need to be returned if there are changes. If there are no changes, the subscriptions will automatically be renewed.

Contact the district office if you have any questions: info@englishdistrict.org or 248-476-0039.

Nuer Language Fellowship - St. Mark, Mississauga, ON

For the 2023-2024 one of the Dollar for Missions recipients will be Nuer Language Fellowship. For more than 10 years, the Nuer-speaking fellowship has called St. Mark Lutheran Church their home. Many parents are confirmed members of this church, and many children have been baptized and confirmed here.

Worship Service

The Nuer-speaking fellowship at St. Mark's Church is composed of dedicated and faithful members who worship every Sunday afternoon. The worship service format is similar to the church’s English divine service which uses the LSB divine service setting, but it's shorter, typically about one hour long. Pastor Philip Gai leads the Nuer service, preaches the Word, invites everyone to confess their sins, after which he announces the absolution and administers the sacraments. They use the Nuer Hymnal and Bible. The hymns are selected to coordinate with the weekly readings in the LCMS liturgical calendar, and everyone is familiar with the Nuer songs which are stored on a keyboard. While there is no music director, occasionally there is someone who helps the pastor in this regard.

Children’s Program

Pastor Gai and others are working with the youth to establish a Sunday school program for the children. As a youth mentor in the congregation, Pastor Gai spent a considerable amount of time praying and listening to the young people. He made an effort to visit them in their homes, universities, and workplaces and called them weekly to check in. He also made sure to celebrate their special occasions such as birthdays, game times, and any victories they achieved.



Special Events

The congregation holds a special event called Family Sunday on the last Sunday of each month where everyone is encouraged to bring food to share. It's a time for everyone to come together and enjoy each other's company after the Sunday service and hear each other’s testimonies and encouragements. The English service pastors at St. Mark and their spouses are encouraged to join them.

Saturday, January 27    

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Ascension Lutheran Church

28081 Lorain Rd, North Olmsted, OH, 44070

Join us in Cleveland!!

God’s richest blessings to you and those that you serve in this new year of 2024. Our District’s Mission Action Team has been hard at work in recent months and is very excited to share a growth and learning opportunity with you. Many pastors and church workers have already heard about Church Planting Simplified (CPS), a particularly helpful collection of guiding principles and ideas that can benefit you and your congregation as you begin a new ministry in your local context. This new ministry could be a new outreach, a new ethnic ministry, a new congregation – CPS can be applied in those contexts and more!

Thanks to the generous hospitality of God’s people at Ascension Lutheran Church in North Olmsted, OH, our Mission Action Team will be hosting a workshop for lay leaders and clergy from the area. This invitation is open to English District congregations as well as neighboring districts' congregations and anyone whom God might lead to attend. The goal is to explore and learn more about what Church Planting Simplified is all about.

Rev. Derek Mathers (Assistant to the President and Bishop and Co-chair of the English District Mission Action Team) and Rev. Justin Laughridge (Co-chair of the English District Mission Action Team) will be leading the workshop.

Please give prayerful consideration to this opportunity for yourself and invite others you think would be interested in thinking about church planting. If you would like more information, please reach out to Pastor Derek Mathers at 1-800-755-9335. A light lunch will be provided.

Click here to register.

Please click here to read all about what has been happening at All Saints Lutheran Church with their campus ministry.

First Trinity Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Pittsburgh, PA is hosting a Higher Things retreat. This retreat will take place on February 16th and 17th at First Trinity located at:

531 N. Neville St.

Pittsburgh, PA 15213

This retreat is intended for communicant members of LCMS congregations in youth group and/or high school and will include plenary lectures on Baptism by Rev. Eric Andrae and different breakout sessions by laity from the Pittsburgh region and LCMS clergy.

Regular registration ends Monday, January 15. Cost is $50 per person which includes two meals and a t-shirt. Registrations received after January 15th are $60 and will not include a t-shirt.

All aspects of the retreat (including sleeping) will take place at First Trinity. Students will need to bring sleeping bags, pillows, toiletries, one change of clothing, etc. There will be separate sleeping areas for boys and girls and the building will remain locked and secured by chaperones during the event.

Registration for the event can be accessed here.

Calling all adults ages 26+, this opportunity is for you! The application to serve as a Gathering Ambassador is now available.

Ambassadors commit to: 

• Paying a $400 volunteer registration fee 
• Staying in assigned Gathering hotel accommodations covered by the Gathering 
• Attending volunteer training July 16–19, 2025 in New Orleans
• Serving the Gathering July 19–23, 2025 in New Orleans 

Gathering Ambassador applications are OPEN NOW and will remain open until March 15, 2024. 



Click here to learn more and submit an application.

Our English District 1-1-1 serves as a model for other districts for mission funding. LCMS Central Illinois District has produced a frequently asked questions video about “A Dollar for Missions”, featuring Rev. Dr. Ken Schurb, which is worth watching. Dr. Schurb serves as Stewardship Executive for the LCMS Central Illinois District.

Click here to watch the video.

Each year, the primary way that music students find their way to Lutheran Summer Music (LSM) is through the encouragement of their church musician! LSM offers opportunities for musicians of all kinds: brass, winds, strings, percussion, piano, organ, voice, harp, guitar, handbells, and more! Students receive advanced musical instruction through large ensembles (Festival Choir, Band and Orchestra), chamber music, private lessons with collegiate-level faculty, and elective classes (such as conducting, composition, church music, intro to the pipe organ, jazz band, musical theatre, music therapy). In the evenings, students attend recitals and Evening Prayer services, and social events with their friends.

LSM 2024 takes place at Valparaiso University in Indiana from June 30-July 28 (Full Session) or June 30-July 14 (Half Session) and is open to students who have completed grades 8-12.

Know a musical young person who would thrive at LSM? Nominate them here!

The Bible's promise is true: If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us - 1 John 5:14.

Prayers for the family of Vicki Helmling at the passing of her mother, Dorothy Tetro, a former English District princip.



District daily prayers for February 2024 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.

Contact Ron Grimm, English District Gift Planning Counselor, 412-584-7039 or visit www.LCMSFoundation.org.

St. John's, Bridgeport, WV

The last half of 2023 was a busy one for St John’s Lutheran Church. They welcomed 10 new members and two older children were baptized, with one requesting and receiving an immersion baptism in Simpson Creek in December! Two boys completed First Communion classes with Pastor Lacey and partook in their first communion. The congregation gathered for a Heritage Dinner, with each family contributing a dish from their specific heritage, and for a baby shower. The Sunday school classes continue to grow and the children have been singing at services under the direction of organist Pam Dodds. They sang Away in a Manger for the Christmas Eve service.

Ascension, Tucson, AZ

The JOY (Just Older Youth) group at Ascension Lutheran Church enjoyed the performance of Silk and Soul at their January meeting.

Beautiful Savior, Lee's Summit, MO

Preschoolers through 4th graders enjoyed their final Christmas lesson on January 7, 2024 at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church.

Shepherd King, West Bloomfield, MI

Students at Shepherd King Preschool had lots of fun celebrating Christmas in December.

Immanuel Lutheran School, a mission of Immanuel, Alexandria, VA, is a Classical Lutheran school with a liberal arts curriculum for Junior Kindergarten through 8th grade. They are seeking a Headmaster for the school.



Click here for a compete job description, responsibilities, and necessary qualifications.

ENGLISH DISTRICT LCMS

248-476-0039

info@englishdistrict.org

www.englishdistrict.org

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