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NID Communicators & Admission Directors Network Group Meeting

Please join us for our next NID Communicators and Admission Directors Group gathering  Tuesday, June 3, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. via Zoom (Contact Ann for Zoom link)

Speaker: Seth Hinz

Topic: From 2019 to 2023, Seth served as a Certified StoryBrand Guide, implementing Donald Miller's proven narrative marketing framework to help churches and ministries clarify their message. This experience with the StoryBrand methodology continues to shape his approach to helping organizations identify their unique value proposition, understand their audience's needs, and create compelling narratives that drive engagement and mission advancement.

The StoryBrand framework revolutionizes organizational communication by positioning the audience - not the organization - as the hero of the story. This methodology draws from timeless storytelling principles, helping organizations clarify their message by identifying themselves as a guide who helps their members and/or ministry partners overcome challenges and find a path forward. For ministry organizations, this approach is particularly powerful as it aligns with biblical narratives where God sent His Son to redeem the world and additionally worked through faithful guides to help His people overcome obstacles and experience transformation. 

We look forward to seeing you there!

Parish Professionals Retreat

Please save the date for the Parish Professionals retreat this fall! The retreat will be held November 3 - 5, 2025 at the Shallowbrook Farm Retreat and Conference Center in Bradford, IL (LCMS Central Illinois District).

If you choose to stay at the farm, the three LCMS Districts in Illinois (Northern Illinois, Central Illinois, and Southern Illinois) will cover the cost of your housing. If you choose to stay at one of the nearby hotels, you will be expected to cover your own housing cost (average of $99 to $119 per night). The registration fee for the retreat will be $75.00.

Our keynote presenter and workshop leader will be Rev. Dr. Jeff Leininger (First St. Paul Lutheran Church, Chicago). He will be presenting on his book Callings for Life. There will be plenty of personal retreat time as well. Please put these dates on your calendar and make plans to join us! More information and registration details will be passed along when they are available.

Save the Date: Back-to-School-Worship

Wednesday, August 6, 2025 is the date set for the fall Back-to-School Worship service and keynote. Mark your calendars now, so you will be with us when we gather at St. Andrews in Park Ridge. Watch for more details in the future.

2025 Save the Date!

The 2025 Lay Leadership Summit will be held on Saturday, August 23, 2025 at Walther Christian Academy.

This summit is designed to bring together lay leaders from all parts of the District to:

• Worship our Lord
• Build one another up in our given talents
• Provide best practices for effective service
• Provide practical application across a number of disciplines 

This year's keynote presenter will be Rev. Dr. Chad Lakies, Vice President of Ministry Engagement with Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Our 2nd annual Lay Leadership Summit workshops will have options ranging from best practices in congregational administration to the latest in healthy small church ministry ideas. There will also be a special Sunday School and Family Ministry track for lay members who serve those vital areas of congregational life.

Watch for early bird registration information in early June! Early bird and group registrations will be $25/person.

Save the Date: The Katie Event

The Katie Event is an annual opportunity for LCMS Northern Illinois District pastors' wives and widows to gather for a day of fellowship and learning.

The planning committee for The Katie has secured a speaker and will work on the rest of the days' details in the coming months. Please get this date on your calendar so that you don't miss a wonderful opportunity for joining in community with one another!

We hope you will be able to join us on Saturday, October 4, 2025!

If you have never attended The Katie before, please consider it. If you know of other pastors' wives or widows who have not yet attended, encourage them to do so! There will be many more details to come.

East Region Pastoral Conference

Save the Dates: October 20 - 22, 2025

Location and Accommodations: DeKoven Center, 600 21st Street, Racine, Wisconsin, 53403

Speakers: We have two great speakers lined up, the Rev. Dr. Scott Bruzek and the Rev. Dr. "Ike" Nicholson. 

Pastor Bruzek will present on Beauty in Word, Liturgy, and Eucharist to start us off.

Pastor Nicholson will present on and be part of a big discussion on urban ministry challenges. Part of our urban ministry discussion will be a larger presentation by staff from the NID. We may also have some extra guests from Synod too, stay tuned. We are going to roll up our sleeves and have some tough talk about concerns and challenges in our urban churches and the pastors that lead them.  

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The Westfield Hymns - Sacred Texts for Ascension, Pentecost, and Holy Trinity

First Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church, 1301 N. LaSalle Dr., Chicago, IL 60610, will host this discussion Sunday, June 8, 2025 at 11:00 a.m.

During Adult Education hour, Dr. David Rogner will discuss The Westfield Hymns, a collection of twelve new hymn texts he composed while on sabbatical last fall at Westfield House, Cambridge. Dr. Rogner will illustrate for us the hymn-writing process, focusing on hymns composed for the festivals of Ascension, Pentecost, and Holy Trinity. This will include a sneak preview of “Praise to the Father, Whose Word of Creation,” the Trinity text which will be premiered at First Saint Paul’s on June 15, 2025, in a new setting by Dr. Steve Wente.

Online Spanish Workshop Series

Join us for a 4-week online Spanish workshop series for LCMS NID congregations and CUC staff and faculty. Facilitated by a local Spanish teacher, this series allows you to practice common Spanish words and phrases so you can begin feeling comfortable in casual conversations.

Workshops will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4pm-5pm Central on Zoom from July 8-July 31, 2025.

Shake, Rattle, & Stroll 5K

Please save the date for "Shake, Rattle, & Stroll" - an exciting new event. Everyone is invited to join Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 195 Nesler Road, Elgin, IL 60124 on Saturday, July 26, 2025 for a leisurely walk down the "Shepherd's Path", surrounded by wildflowers and the beauty of God's creation. There will be fun for all ages, and this will be a morning you don't want to miss. More details will be coming soon!

Preaching Workshop with Dr. Peter Nafzger

Though a weekly duty, pastors rarely reflect on preaching’s broader mission or receive ongoing encouragement. St James Lutheran Church, 2101 N. Fremont, Chicago, IL 60614, invites you to a three-day workshop (August 4-6, 2025) on preaching, led by Dr. Peter Nafzger, focusing on No Lonely Listeners: Preaching from, in, and toward Community. Individualism pervades our culture, leaving many believers disconnected, even in worship. This “loneliness pandemic” (Harvard Magazine, 2021) and “social frailty” (National Academy of Sciences, 2023) reflect a theological issue. Lutherans, often “ecclesiologically challenged” (Arand, Concordia Journal, 2008), have let individualism shape preaching. Yet, our theology offers resources to restore Christian community. This workshop will: (1) explore individualism’s causes, (2) examine preaching’s role in the problem, and (3) discuss practical ways to foster communal life through preaching. You’ll also reimagine recent sermons to build community. Dr. Peter Nafzger is Associate Professor of Practical Theology and Director of Student Life at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

Part-time Office Manager, St. Paul Lutheran Church, 85 S. Constitution Dr., Aurora, IL 60506 Purpose: To oversee the day-to-day business and operational activity of the church. Download full position description

Help Launch a Hispanic Lutheran Mission in Chicago

A new Hispanic Lutheran mission is being planted in Chicago’s northwest side, rooted in the Gospel and centered in Word and Sacrament ministry. Pastor Ted Fischer is assembling a bilingual launch team to help lay the groundwork.

He is seeking 5–10 Spanish-speaking Lutherans who feel called to serve Christ boldly in a cross-cultural, urban setting. Team members commit to 3 hours per week for one year. This is a temporary commitment and does not require transferring membership or leaving your current church.

If you or someone in your congregation is interested in learning more, please contact Pastor Ted Fischer directly: PastorTedFischer@gmail.com or 847- 414-0715.

Let’s walk together as we sow seeds of Gospel hope in our District! Download flyer

The LCMS Northern Illinois District is congregations, schools, and ministries of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, spanning the northern 24 counties in Illinois. Filled with living hope in Christ, Confessing, Praising, and Advancing His Kingdom through Word, Wellness, and Witness. Our website can be found at nidlcms.org.

Contact:

Ann Ciaccio

Director of Communications

708-223-3118

ann.ciaccio@nidlcms.org

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