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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Call Received
The Rev. Gregory R. Lutz has received a Divine Call to serve as Sole Pastor of Grace, Saskatoon, ON, Canada (LCC-Central).
Call Returned
The Rev. Aaron D. Sterling has returned the Divine Call to serve as Sole Pastor of Immanuel, Waterloo, IL (Southern Illinois District).
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Western Regional Pastors Conference | | |
The Western Region Professional Church Workers Conference was held October 28-29, 2024, in Mesa, AZ. The topic of the conference was "Lutheran Liturgical Music and Hymnody: A Treasure Worth Recovering (and Keeping)!" Rev. Andrew Gerike, Mount Calvary, Omaha, NE, was the guest speaker. Devotions were given by Rev. Rodney Schmeltz, Rev. Michael Mathews, and Rev. David Kaiser. Bishop Jeffrey Miskus was the guest preacher during the Divine Service at Eternal Life Lutheran Church, Mesa, AZ. Bishop preached about Living Our Baptized Life in Christ. | |
On Sunday, October 20, 2024, Rev. Derek Mathers, Assistant to the Bishop and Mission Executive, visited with Rev. Colton LaMay, Deaconess Brenda Ryan, and the members of Redeemer Lutheran Church, Sarnia, ON, Canada. | |
1-1-1 A Dollar for Missions | | |
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Thank you to all those who joined in supporting our two 1-1-1 identified missions this past year. One dollar, placed into your congregation’s collection receptacle, gathered with all the dollars from individuals in other congregations across our district has raised $31,653.62.
This amount gathered has been distributed 50/50 between the Church of St. Mark – Lutheran: Nuer Congregation in Mississauga, ON and Eastern Washington University LCMS-U, connected to Blessed Sacrament Lutheran Church in Hayden, ID.
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Pastor Philip Gai serves at the Church of Saint Mark - Lutheran, Mississauga, ON. The following is his response when asked how the 1-1-1 ministry has helped him in his pastoral duties.
“The support we receive from the English District’s 1-1-1 ministry is a vital part of the success of our ethnic ministry at Saint Mark. Financial assistance from the 1-1-1 program helps offset travel expenses that would normally be paid by congregations that I visit, many of whom have limited resources.
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Financial support from the 1-1-1 ministry will allow me to work part-time in the coming year and dedicate more time to ministering to the Body of Christ. The assurance of receiving funding lifts a significant burden off my shoulders. As an added blessing, the 1-1-1 ministry has helped relieve the stress that can accompany financial concerns and has allowed me to manage my time more effectively. I see 1-1-1 as a gift to our churches that benefits various ministries, including new, multicultural, and ethnic ministries throughout the English District. | |
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I was very encouraged to see our own Nuer congregation members, with very limited means, contributing 1 dollar every Sunday. I see the excitement on their faces as they know that they are contributing to helping their pastors focus more on their ministry. I encouraged them to continue this ministry in partnership with our English congregation.”
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We encourage all congregations to participate in the 1-1-1 ministry.
Click here for a printable label for your 1-1-1 container, shared by Pastor Benjamin Janssen, pastor of a past 1-1-1 recipient mission.
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We encourage congregations to reproduce and share the following message with your members. Click here for Lifeline's "All Saints’ Day – Proclaiming the Sanctity of Life" reproducible file in .pdf format. Click here for more information on Lifeline. | |
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"Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation."
Revelation 5:9 (ESV)
Being on the mission field for over a decade has given us some friends far and near. While visiting Wittenberg. Germany lately, we were able to reconnect with Bishop John Donkoh, leader of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana. Read about that--and much more-- here in our most recent newsletter.
We ask for your prayers for all our work. And we pray that you, too, will be richly blessed as you hold out the Word of life to a world trapped in death.
Rev. Dale and Suzanne Kaster
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We lift in prayer the parents, family, and friends of Matthew Cassel that God will grant them His comfort and peace.
District daily prayers for November 2024 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.
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Lutheran Federal Credit Union | | |
For more information, please contact our Operations Department at 314-394-2790 | |
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Ascension, Atlanta, GA
The Lutheran Church of the Ascension recently hosted its 4th Annual Veterans' Appreciation Dinner. It was a well-attended, incredible event that allowed the church to say thank you to all of our veterans — both in the church and in the community — for their selfless service. We pray for God's continued blessing upon the congregation who recognized veteran service members and all veterans who protect our freedoms.
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Messiah, Danville, CA
Congregation members of Messiah Lutheran Church celebrated Oktoberfest following their Reformation Sunday Service. Messiah's Pastor Kevin Belter and Vicar Cory Willweber performed an educational skit on the Reformation with Pastor Belter playing the role of Martin Luther. The celebration included German food, beer, and music. We give thanks to God for this fun event that emphasized the importance of Lutheran history as well as fellowship.
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Trinity, Ocala, FL
Cathie Howe, a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, spent part of the last couple of weeks serving with the Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) at Good Shepherd Lutheran in Sarasota. The team helped to remove damaged trees and tree debris from properties that resulted from recent hurricanes. The work is done at no cost to the clients, some of which were church members. The LERT teams are made up entirely of volunteers who must go through basic LERT training and complete a background check before serving. Cathie completed the necessary training before "hurricane season" to be able to serve, as well as being trained on-site for using the small tractor with attachment to grab limbs, logs, and debris. Despite the damage she witnessed, Cathie enjoyed her experience in helping others. We give thanks for her servant's heart and ask for God's continued blessings upon her and upon those who were affected by the recent hurricanes. Click here for more information on the LCMS-LERT program.
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Peace, Palm Desert, CA
The Lutheran Women in Mission (L.W.M.L.) at Peace Lutheran Church of the Desert recently helped out at church by greeting worshippers and visitors, ushering, and reading scripture. The ladies are always willing and "Ready to Serve" the Lord! To God be the Glory!
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St. Mark, Sheboygan, WI
Congregation members of St. Mark Lutheran Church recently held a Trunk or Treat event for their community. They served between 30-40 children and their families. The event was a roaring success, and everyone had a great time!
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St. John's, Pembroke, ON
The congregation of St. John's Lutheran Church celebrated Pastor Stephen Alles during church worker appreciation month with a sandwich luncheon. The luncheon was well attended and greatly appreciated by Pastor Stephen. We give thanks to the congregation for recognizing their pastor for the hard work he does for the Kingdom of God.
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Grace, Wyoming, MI
The saints of Grace Lutheran Church welcomed three little ones into the holy family of God through Holy Baptism! We pray for God's continued blessing upon these children and their parents.
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Nominate Students for Lutheran Summer Music 2025!
Lutheran Summer Music (LSM) is a faith-based residential music academy for high school students (grades 8-12) who come together from all over the country to immerse themselves in musical excellence and build an intentional, supportive, and FUN community. LSM 2025 takes place at Valparaiso University in Indiana from June 22-July 20 (Full Session) or June 22-July 6 (Half Session). Priority Enrollment is open now through December 1. Click here to nominate students. Click here to learn more!
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CTSFW's New Recording Available | | |
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Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), is pleased to announce the release of a new recording, “Alleluia, Sing to Jesus: Hymns at Concordia Theological Seminary.” The recording, available in audio streaming and CD format, features hymns from the Lutheran Service Book recorded live at Choral Vespers and hymn festivals at CTSFW. Click here to order. Click here to listen to a sample track!
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Lutheran Bible Translators | | |
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7,000+ languages are spoken in the world, but only 750 languages have the full Bible. Help raise awareness as a church advocate for Bible translation ministry.
Host a Bible Translation Sunday at your church to advocate for the mission of Lutheran Bible Translators. Engage your church with a call to action by inviting individuals and families to contribute $35 monthly to translate one verse of Scripture until the work is done (or set a total goal for your church). It’s a simple yet powerful way to gather in prayer, inspire generosity, and make a huge impact, translating entire chapters and books of the Bible. Join us in this mission to let the world know, “God speaks your language.” Ready to make a difference? Click here to take the next steps.
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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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