PASTORS: In response to the requests of PSD pastors and congregations to reduce costs in this District Convention year, we have made some changes to the normal pastors’ conference schedule. To accomplish this, the conference will be held on the campus of Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Palm Springs, CA. Hotel accommodations have been arranged at the DoubleTree Hotel, Cathedral City, CA. Lunch and dinner on Monday, October 6 are included as part of your registration cost. Make sure to join in the fellowship, conversation and learning in Palm Springs!

Speakers include three of the outstanding theology professors from Concordia University Irvine: Rev. Dr. Paul Elliot, Rev. Dr. Jonathan Ruehs, and Rev. Dr. Mike Middendorf. Pres. Gibson will present a report with time for Q&A.

Learn more at the conference website. Note that the deadline for conference registration is August 31, and the deadline for hotel reservations to receive the conference rate is September 15.

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.

Nominations for more than 60 offices are due by October 18.

The full call for nominations for the following positions to be elected by the 2026 Synod convention may be found by clicking the link or, in the context of much more 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), at lcms.org/nominate. Offices include:

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

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:

• Instructions for logging in using an email address
• Instructions for logging in using a LISN ID

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

Redeemer Lutheran Church, Huntington Beach, CA is hosting a Breakfast Bible Study on Saturday, August 9 at 9:00 am led by Rev. Dr. Carl Fickenscher. 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 would like to participate over Zoom, a meeting link will be available on our website under Events, Upcoming Events.

God is moving in powerful ways at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Pahrump, Nevada through a new ministry called Shepherd’s Lambs—a homeschool co-op and PreK program meeting once a week. What began as a small outreach has become a growing community of children, mothers, and faithful volunteers.

Each Thursday, Pastor Andy leads the group with songs and Bible stories, currently focusing on the New Testament. Children are grouped by age—from babies to elementary students—while moms receive encouragement and support from the church staff.

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Now is the time to submit applications to LWML Pacific Southwest District for the 2026-2028 Gospel focused Mission Grants!

Forms are available at psdlwml.org, and can be completed and submitted online. You will also find instructions at that site, as well as guidelines and instructions, and a video of a grant application training seminar.

We hope to see many submissions for grants of up to $10,000, furthering the commitment our district has to share the Good News of God’s love for all.

For further information or questions, contact LWML PSD Vice President of Gospel Outreach Linda Koch at lwmlbutterfly@gmail.com. If you are interested, please don't wait - completed applications are due no later than September 31. We have coaches ready to walk you through the process and guide you to prepare a successful application. 

A 12-foot conference table with 10 swivel chairs is available for free to one of our churches or schools.

It is located at a law firm in Tustin, CA.

If you are interested, contact David Lenhardt from Pyka, Lenhardt, Schnaider, Dawkins at 714-835-9011 or email dlenhardt@plsdlaw.com.

While sunshine is essential for your body to process vitamin D, ultraviolet (UV) radiation can quickly damage your skin, no matter your skin tone.

• One in five Americans get skin cancer.
• Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S.
• UV light exposure causes most skin cancers.
• Just FIVE sunburns double your risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

How to safely enjoy the summer sun:

• Cover up. Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sun- protective clothing.
• Stay shaded. The sun is strongest at midday.
• Wear sunscreen and enough of it. Apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 to protect against UVA and UVB rays.
• Protect your eyes. Choose sunglasses with a UV400 rating or “100% UV protection” on the label.
• Check the UV Index.  The World Health Organization recommends protecting our skin from the sun when the UVI is 3 or higher.

Thousands of LCMS youth and adults are heading home from New Orleans from a very successful LCMS Gathering - praise God for this wonderful experience!

See video recaps and lots of other posts about the gathering on the LCMS Youth Gathering Facebook page. Learn how God worked mightily through attendees not only in fellowship together but in serving the community, with more than 160,000 mercy meals served, 3380 people serving offsite, 567 pints of blood donated, and much more.

Check out the Synod Youth Gathering webpage to learn about the next gathering in San Antonio from July 3-7, 2028.

The 47th Pacific Southwest District Convention was a big success! Thank you to all the committees and staff for their hard work.

Be sure to check to the Convention website for the daily recaps and other information. Look for publication of the official proceedings and more to come.

Building off the 2026 Tournament of Roses theme, The Magic in Teamwork, the Lutheran Hour Ministries Float Committee proudly presents its Bringing Christ to the Nations float.

The float features a "Team Jesus" blimp flying over the world. Coming forth from the church, Jesus celebrates with 12 modern-day disciples, as it features the message ALL WELCCOME. Riding on the float this year is a small representation of vocations Christ has called us for the building of His Church and furtherance of the Gospel message: a teacher, a missionary, a pastor, etc. Watch for more information on how you can support the LHM 2026 Tournament of Roses float.

Want to secure your spot to be a Petal Pusher? Volunteer Today!

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!

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