English District of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
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Living Our Baptized Life in Christ
Galatians 2:20
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Bishop Jeff Miskus recently visited the congregation of Blessed Sacrament Lutheran Church, Hayden, ID. Blessed Sacrament is served by Rev. Marcus Williams. Members were celebrating the 5-year anniversary of this English District Mission Congregation. The weekend included an Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday and a meeting with the leadership on Sunday before the Divine Service.
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Call Received
The Rev. Philip Moses Palet Gai has received a Divine Call to serve as Senior Pastor of the Church of St. Mark, Mississauga, ON, Canada.
Call Received and Returned
The Rev. Timothy P. Halboth has received and returned a Divine Call to serve as Sole Pastor Messiah, Parker, AZ.
| | In case you missed it, over 70 Lutherans in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, participated in the 2025 March for Life. "With pastors, families, congregations, and students in attendance, this Pro-Life Lutheran presence gave testimony that Christ’s church cannot remain silent while innocent lives are threatened." Mount Calvary Lutheran Church sponsored this event. Read more here. | | |
Thanksgiving will be celebrated by our neighbors in Canada on Monday, October 13, 2025. Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!
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It's been a busy and blessed autumn for us. We ask you to include in your prayers thanksgiving for 125 years of LCMS missions in the Latin America Caribbean region and for 20 years of LCMS mission work in the Dominican Republic. We give thanks that God's Word is taking root in the hearts of many Latin American people who learn of His love and saving grace through the preaching, mercy work, and witnessing of LCMS missionaries.
God bless and keep you.
Deaconess Cheryl & Pastor Jonathan
| | Cheryl (sitting) with Dominican Republic Lutheran deaconesses (in their red uniforms) who have graduated from our deaconess training program, along with three other LCMS missionary deaconesses in navy blue! | | Pastor Jonathan, assisted by a seminary student from Mexico, led Divine Services outside in Palmar Arriba in June and July. Despite the challenges of worship outside without the benefit of shade from the sun, the people still came to hear God's Word and receive His Body and Blood in the Lord's Supper! | | |
Please keep in prayer English District staff member Peggy Oke and her family as they mourn the loss of Peggy's husband, David. May God surround them with His peace and comfort.
We lift in prayer all congregations seeking a pastor, especially Faith Lutheran Church, Arlington Heights, IL.
We ask for the Lord's blessing and comfort on Pastor Jacob Swenson, who serves West Portal Lutheran Church and School, and his family, on the passing of Pastor Swenson's mother.
Please keep in prayer Lutheran parish nurses who are traveling to Seoul, South Korea, for a study tour and short-term mission.
District daily prayers for November 2025 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.
| | 1-1-1 Dollar for Missions | | | |
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” Matthew 13:31-32
Jesus talks of both the kingdom of heaven and our faith as coming like the smallest of seeds. In both cases, what we view as impossible God makes possible. In a similar fashion, our weekly 1-1-1 Dollar for Missions is the smallest form of our currency. Yet when a mustard seed of faith is applied to that giving, the Lord makes our offering grow through Word and Sacrament, then thrive on faith and fellowship. What might our collective “mustard seed of faith” giving do? The Lord knows. Isaiah 55:11 tells us, “...so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." As we see, God is both the source for the means and the end. We merely participate in faith.
More Scripture and messages for Mission 1-1-1 are available on the district website. Please consider using this resource as a way to build up the visibility and awareness in your congregation.
| | Contact John Hoover, LCEF Vice President, by email or phone 314-276-3370 for more information. | | Lutheran Federal Credit Union | | | For more information, please contact our Operations Department at 314-394-2790. | | Church Worker Appreciation | | | |
On October 12, we begin our year of church worker appreciation by thanking God for our pastors, who stand in the stead of Christ as they bring us His gifts of Word and Sacrament. The LCMS offers suggestions and resources to show your gratitude and support for pastors.
As you celebrate your pastor, deaconess, DCO, DCM, DPM, or others in service to our congregations, please email photos to be considered for future issues of Servant to Servant.
Credit: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
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St. Luke's, Chincoteague, VA
The first new members of Saint Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Chapel, a satellite worship site of Immanuel Lutheran Church, are Wayne and Betty. The couple, formerly of Glen Burnie, Maryland, but now residents of Chincoteague, were thrilled to discover an LCMS chapel on the island, which they can now call their church home. Welcomed by their profession of faith, Wayne and Betty are the newest members of Immanuel Lutheran Church of Alexandria, Virginia, worshipping at St. Luke's Chapel and under the pastoral care of Chaplain Douglas Spittel.
We rejoice that the Lord has provided a place at St. Luke's for Lutherans to hear the Word and receive His Sacraments for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation!
| | Pastor and Leigh Spittel with Wayne, Betty, and Jeanette (a resident of Chincoteague and member of St. John's Lutheran Church, Dover, Delaware). | | |
West Portal, San Francisco, CA
Members of West Portal Lutheran Church and School recently enjoyed a great performance by some very talented musicians. The program included Ms. Amy Kao on harpsichord, Yi-Hsuan Lin on violin, Chris Young on cello, with vocal performances by the West Portal Lutheran Church Choir and the West Portal Lutheran School Children’s Choir.
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Redeemer, Oakmont, PA
The congregation of Redeemer Lutheran Church, served by Pastor Adam Koontz, welcomed four new members. We join in giving thanks to God for them and ask for His continued guidance in their faith journey.
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Zion, Detroit, MI
Fr. Mark Braden and members of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church welcomed attendees to the St. Michael the Archangel Liturgical conference, which was hosted at Zion. Conference attendees were from all over the U.S. and Canada, including Winnipeg, Toronto, Los Angeles, Baltimore, and many places in between. We give thanks and praise to the Lord our God for the success of this time together.
| | Alliance Defending Freedom | | | |
Ministry Insider:
Facility Use Policies That Reflect and Protect Your Mission
Tuesday, October 14
9:00 AM PT / 12:00 PM ET
Your facilities are more than just buildings — they’re tools for ministry. But how you use them can raise complex questions that require careful consideration.
That’s why we’re hosting a free livestream exclusively for Church & Ministry Alliance members.
During this free livestream, ADF attorneys will:
- Explore various approaches to facility use, highlighting the benefits and potential risks
- Provide practical legal insights to help you craft facility use policies and processes
- Share a new members-only resource on facility use
Whether your church regularly hosts outside groups or is just starting to think through its policies, this livestream will provide clarity and actionable steps to help you better protect your ministry. Register here.
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Please share the information from Servant to Servant with members of your congregation.
- All are invited to subscribe to this weekly publication.
- Forward the newsletter to members of your church.
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Thanks for spreading the word!
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Please share the unique ministries of your school or congregation with the rest of the English District. Send pictures and stories for consideration to llinthicum@englishdistrict.org by Wednesday at 12:00 noon ET.
We want to see how YOUR congregation or school is showing the love of God to those in your community and around the world.
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