CHRIST - COMMUNITY - CONNECT

June 5, 2025

Transforming lives and making the

Great Commission REAL!

The Weekly Newsletter and the Prayer & Praise are created with information provided by PSD churches and organizations.

Visit the Job Site to view current job openings in congregations and schools.

The PSD has moved to a new job site format. The old Job Site is available to view but will no longer be updated with new jobs. You can use this new space to post your positions and talk with possible candidates or get recommended candidates.

The PSD Office has moved to CUI's Spectrum Campus

Our new address is 16355 Laguna Canyon Road, #300, Irvine, CA 92618. Our phone number remains the same. We look forward to seeing you at our new office.

Visit the Disaster Response website to stay up-to-date on current information and how you and your congregation can help.

PSD News

47th Pacific Southwest District Convention

The 47th Pacific Southwest District Convention beings in a couple of weeks! Running 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.


Delegate Registration

If you have not registered your delegates please do so ASAP. (Note that the deadline to receive the convention rate at the hotel has passed.) If you have questions regarding delegate registration, please email convention@psd-lcms.org.


Livestream of convention proceedings

The convention will be livestreamed beginning when the convention is called to order at 1:0pm on Wednesday, June 25. Access the livestream at this link.


Convention Workbook updates

Note that the convention workbook is subject to revision and correction until convention proceedings begin, and the latest workbook version can be found on the convention website.


Convention weather: Hot!

Delegates and attendees at the convention should be mindful that the weather during the convention will be very hot, possibly into the 100s. Protect yourself from the heat by hydrating well, keeping energy up by eating nutritiously, and wearing hats, headcoverings or using an umbrella when outside. Consider also that the convention and exhibit hall will be running A/C continually, so having a light coverup, jacket or sweater may be good if you think you'll get cold inside.


Be sure to check to the Convention website for updated information.

Upcoming Events Around the District

Breakfast Bible Study: In Every Home a School

Redeemer Lutheran Church, Huntington Beach, CA invites you to a Breakfast Bible Study on Saturday, June 14 at 9:00 am. Our guest speaker is Caleb Keith of 1517 with the topic "In Every Home a School: Lessons from Luther's Small Catechism". 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 wish to participate over Zoom, a link will be posted on our website under Events, Upcoming Events.

LCEF Giving Month

Giving Month is here - and faithful investors like you are already making an impact. From June 1-30, every donation to Lutheran Church Extension Fund supports the Church Worker Loan Pool, helping LCMS pastors, teachers and church workers find financial stability through low-interest loans. Let's bless those who bless the church.


Make an Impact Today

Contact Our Team

Parish Nursing

Movement: Medicine for your physical and mental health

by Wellness Champion, Concordia Plans

submitted by Sherri Spicer, Parish Nurse parish.nursing@psd-lcms.org


Therefore, lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Hebrews 12:12-13


Did you know that 61% of Concordia Health Plan members use movement and exercise to boost their mental health? What gets you moving: music, fresh air, family or staying healthy? Instead of collapsing on the couch after a long day, try a walk, playtime with your dog or gardening. You’ll ease stress, get active and if you're registered with Vitality, earn rewards, too!


Start moving with the Power of Vitality program.

Upcoming Events Around the District

Continuing Education Course

Join us for a CTSFW continuing education course that will examine the pastoral writing of key contemporary practitioners of the art of pastoral care including Helmut Thielicke, Bo Giertz, Eugene Peterson, James Nestingen, and William Willimon. We will read and discuss key sections of their writings and draw applications for faithful pastoral care in our increasingly secularized but fear-ridden environment. Class will be held June 10-12 at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Anaheim, CA. Led by Rev. Professor John Pless.


Please Register Early!

Craft of Preaching Workshop

Preaching is a constant task, proclaiming God's promises in Christ weekly. Yet, pastors seldom reflect on its broader mission or receive ongoing encouragement. Join us for a three-day workshop on preaching with Dr. David Schmitt, focusing on The Pilgrimage of Preaching: Sermon Structures. Scripture uses diverse forms—stories, letters, proverbs, parables, oracles, and psalms—to convey salvation. Preaching can fall into familiar patterns, limiting this variety. This workshop helps preachers adopt diverse sermon structures to enrich their proclamation. Dr. David Schmitt, Professor of Practical Theology at Concordia Seminary since 1995, holds the Gregg H. Benidt Memorial Endowed Chair in Homiletics and Literature. He teaches, writes, and leads workshops as a pastor and academic. The workshop will be held July 7-9 at Faith Community Lutheran Church, Las Vegas.


Register Today!

Elevate Your Handbell Leadership:

Professional Conducting Workshop

Are you looking to enhance your musical direction skills, broaden your conducting techniques, or take your handbell choir to the next level?


We're pleased to invite you to our inaugural Concordia Handbell Conducting Workshop featuring talented clinician Dr. Christian Guebert, award-winning composer and distinguished music educator.


The workshop will be held on Saturday, August 2 from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm at Concordia University Irvine, BMC Music Center, Choral Hall. Early bird registration of $50.00 is available until July 5.


This workshop is perfect for handbell conductors of all skill levels; church music directors; music educators; current handbell ringers interested in stepping into conducting roles; and musicians of all backgrounds curious about handbell leadership.


Register Today

Questions or Additional Information

Previously Posted

Foundations of Lutheran Teaching

Enrollment for the Fall 2025 cohort of Foundations of Lutheran Teaching (FLT) is now open! The mission of FLT is to support and equip school professionals for ministry in Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) schools.



A Lutheran Teacher Certificate through the Mission Training Center (MTC) is an initiative to equip educators in our Lutheran schools to be transformational teachers of the Lutheran faith, resulting in longevity at and employability across districts, creating a consistent Lutheran ethos in ministry, and further uniting school and church ministry. Through the program, spiritual self-care is prioritized, resulting in the fruits of the spirit being evident in the classrooms and beyond. 

 

Click here to be directed to the MTC website for more information, course descriptions, and the registration link (be sure to choose PSD). Applications will be accepted through August 11. Don't Wait! Classes start August 18!

KINDLE Next Callings

Registration is open for KINDLE Next Callings cohort launching October 13-16. this initiative is meant for all the 2nd chair ministry workers in your district that plan to retire in the next 10 years or less!


  • Individuals who participate receive encouragement, support and renewal during a time of transition and connect with others on the same path.
  • 2nd chair ministry leaders are better equipped to share and live out the Gospel in a changing environment.
  • Both the individual and the congregation are engaged in a process that has a positive impact right now and can be replicated for years to come.


Watch this teaser to hear a bit more and scan the QR code at the end of the video for the full Q&A session! Deadline to register is July 1! Learn More & Apply


Questions about the Next Callings initiative or want to have more conversation before you sign up? Contact Program and Communication Director, Emily Phoenix at emily.phoenix@kindleservantleaders.org.

2026 Synodical Convention

The 2026 Synodical Convention will take place in Phoenix, AZ, July 18-23, 2026.

Call for Nominations:

National Synod Officer, Board & Commission Positions

The Committee for Convention Nominations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) requests nominations of qualified members of Synod member congregations for the following positions to be filled by the Synod convention, which will meet July 18–23, 2026. Officers, agencies, ordained and commissioned ministers, and member congregations of the Synod and their lay members are all invited to submit nominations, to be received preferably before August 18, 2025, and no later than October 18, 2025.


Nominees are sought for:

  • Secretary of the Synod
  • LCMS Board of Directors (at-large and regional)
  • LCMS Boards for National and International Mission (regional)
  • Commission on Theology and Church Relations
  • Concordia Historical Institute Board of Governors
  • Concordia Publishing House Board of Directors
  • Lutheran Church Extension Fund Board of Directors
  • LCMS Foundation Board of Trustees
  • Concordia University System Board of Directors
  • Synod University and Seminary Boards of Regents


Important information, including an explanatory memorandum, a detailed description of the offices to be filled (with present terms and incumbents), and instructions for use of the new online nomination system, is available at lcms.org/nominate. Any member of a member congregation with a valid email address will be able to establish an account and submit a nomination.


To complete a nomination, visit forms.lcms.org and log in via a LISN ID (for rostered church workers and a few others) or an email address you control. If you need assistance to log into the system, the following documentation is available to assist you:



If you have already created an account, you can follow this direct link to the Nomination Form.

Pacific Southwest District
949-854-3232