Thank you people of the Pacific Southwest District for your continued prayers on behalf of our brothers and sisters affected by the Southern California wildfires.

Your donations to fire relief now total more than $400,000 - THANK YOU!

Since the fires spread on January 8, the PSD has received more than $400,000 in donations for disaster relief. We praise God for your generosity and eagerness to help those in need!

Your donations continue to fund Visa gift cards that are distributed to those impacted through the local congregations. More than $28,000 has now been distributed, providing much-needed financial resources to help victims purchase essentials, and pay for gas, housing, etc. Your donations are also going to affected families as larger grants enabling them to pay for temporary housing and related expenses. This is all possible because of your gifts - and the need is just beginning and will last for months if not years - please give as you are able.

We encourage you to stay up-to-date on current information and how you and your congregation can help. Please visit our Disaster Response website.

The 47th Pacific Southwest District Convention will be held this summer from June 25-27, 2025, at the beautiful La Quinta Resort in La Quinta, CA. This gathering promises to be an enriching time of fellowship, worship, and strategic planning for our district's future. 

Your congregation plays an important part in this effort by submitting nominations and choosing delegates. Your congregation should have recently received an email from our office with instructions and links to forms that need to be completed by the extended deadline of February 10, 2025. This email was sent to the email addresses we have on file for your congregation, including pastors, lay leaders and church office contacts.

If your congregation did not receive this email, please let us know as soon as possible by emailing convention@psd-lcms.org so we can get this information to you as soon as possible.

Concordia Plans has partnered with Mineral, a leader in HR solutions, to bring you HR Services. HR services gives you access to valuable resources and tools to help you manage and solve your HR issues. Plus, their certified HR advisors can help you navigate complex HR situations and find the answers you need. If you are new to your role, exploring Concordia Plans programs for the first time, or simply looking for a refresher on their powerful HR tools, join Concordia Plans for a walkthrough of Mineral's Platform and Compliance.:

Monday, February 10 @ 11:00 am CT - Kickstart 2025 with Concordia Plans presents the Mineral Platform: HR & Compliance Made Simple (Register Here)

This webinar will cover:

• Tap into HR Expertise: Consult HR Experts for immediate solutions to complex issues.
•  Effortless Handbook Creation: Easily create and update your Employee Handbook so it's always up to date—no matter your team size.
• Streamline Employee Training: Access a catalog of hundreds of interactive courses and assign them to your employees with just a few clicks.
• Stay Compliant: Navigate a vast library of HR compliance tools, templates, and resources that keep you on top of regulations.
• Save Time & Increase Efficiency: With these resources at your fingertips, you can focus on what really matters—growing your organization.
• Plus, much more!

Even if you're unable to attend in real-time, register to ensure you receive the recording directly in your email inbox!

Are you familiar with the Compensation Decision Support Tool? It’s a free tool Concordia Plans created to assist with salary planning for pastors, teachers, school administrators and other ministry roles. Estimates have been run in all 35 LCMS districts, totaling nearly 70,000!

The data used in the tool is reviewed and evaluated annually, and has recently been refreshed. Learn more on our webpage and check out the FAQs. Contact MinistrySolutions@ConcordiaPlans.org if you have any questions.

Redeemer Lutheran Church, Huntington Beach, CA is hosting a Breakfast Bible Study on Saturday, February 15 at 9:00 am led by Pastor Mark Jasa on "Jesus in the Old Testament." Pastor Jasa is a former overseas missionary and campus ministry evangelist and is currently Pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Pasadena, CA. Breakfast starts at 8:30 am in the Fellowship Hall followed by the presentation at 9:00 am. RSVP to the Church office at churchoffice@redeemer-lutheran.net or call 714-846-6330. For those who prefer Zoom, a link will be posted on our website under Events, Upcoming Events.

Pastor John Reinke and Deaconess Becky Catchpole will be at Life in Christ, Peoria, AZ for Deaf Ministry Week, February 15-23. Activities that will appeal to wide variety of interests have been scheduled. There will be interpreters who sign and speak so everyone should feel free to attend. For additional information, contact Gerald Last as geraldlast@gmail.com. View Schedule

The Mercy: Love Throughout Life conference, hosted by LCMS National Mission, will take place March 14–15.

Conference sessions, all of which will be livestreamed, will take place in three different locations. Participants may attend in person at one of these locations, or they may watch online.

The three in-person locations will focus on the following subject areas:

• Concordia University, Irvine, CA, will host sessions on marriage, life and the family at its Concordia – Spectrum Campus.
• Grace Lutheran Church in St. Petersburg, FL, will host sessions on spiritual care.
• The International Center in St. Louis, MO, will host sessions on advocating, teaching and caring for human life.

Several sessions, conducted in Spanish, will be available to watch online.

Register at lcms.org/mercy-conference-2025. Space is limited for both in-person and online registration.

New look, same mission! For decades, LCEF has stood alongside the LCMS, faithfully pursuing the mission of sharing Christ’s love with the world while providing crucial ministry financial support. As LCEF unveils a bold new look, they reaffirm their dedication to the core values and mission while paving a way for a stronger future. This rebrand marks the beginning of a modern, enhanced experience for investors, borrowers, and partners.

LCEF will continue to serve LCMS churches, schools, organizations, workers, and members with innovative financial solutions today, tomorrow, and for generations to come. Click on over to LCEF's website for more information, or email Pacific Southwest District LCEF Vice President Tyler Fewins, or Field Solutions Assistant Vice President Gail Kanneg.

Great news! The Lutheran Heritage Foundation (a recognized service organization of the LCMS) has just gotten a huge shipment of books carrying two FREE new resources available in Ukrainian, including the classic children's Bible storybook A Child's Garden of Bible Stories and Best of Portals of Prayer. These materials are available to any LCMS church, mission or individual who wants to share the Good News with their Ukrainian-speaking neighbors. To order, send an email to info@LHFmissions.org or call the LHF office at 800-554-0723.

The newest version of MissionInsite will go live on Monday, February 3. Not a MissionInsite user? Contact Gail Kanneg at gail.kanneg@lcef.org for access to this valuable resource. Don't want access, but would like a demographic report for your area? Contact Gail and she will run a report for you.

Join Lutheran 6th, 7th, and 8th graders from across Southern California on Saturday, March 29 for this one-day conference experience at St. Paul’s Lutheran School, Orange, CA, where students will hear from speakers in two main sessions and three breakouts, play games, worship, and more!

This year’s theme is “Pressure.” Students will explore the multitude of ways they feel pressure to "be and do" and the freeing Gospel that says Christ "has done for you." Tickets are only $35 until March 1st when they will increase to $45. This rate includes lunch and dinner!

Visit YOUTHXOC.COM for more info and to buy tickets now! You can register your entire group at once or have students register individually with their parents’ help. Contact Adam Dougherty at adougherty@salemorange.com or Jim Meyer at jmeyer@stjohnsorange.org with any questions.

The The application is now available for the second cohort of Foundations of Lutheran Teaching (FLT)! There are five courses the cohort will move through together. The first class begins August 18, 2025, and the fifth class ends June 28, 2026. For specific details, including course descriptions, costs and application, please visit the FLT webpage on the Mission Training Center's website. You will find the specific dates for each course and the cost for the program on the application itself. Please be sure to utilize the PSD Application.