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 Jeffrey Miskus recently visited the congregation of Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY. The congregation, served by Rev. Jonathan Lackey, celebrated ten years of being in their building. The celebration included worship, fellowship, and a great meal.
We join the members of Grace in their celebration of this milestone and ask for God's continued blessings upon their ministry.
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. Matthew 18:20
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Pastors, family members, and friends of the Canadian circuits of the English District gathered for a wonderful Advent/Christmas event in London, ON. Rev. Dr. Roger Ellis preached at the worship service at Faith Lutheran Church, a Lutheran Church—Canada congregation.
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Called to Glory - Rev. Robert L. Fitzpatrick, D.D., Emeritus
March 28, 1944 to November 21, 2024
Born in Pittsburgh, PA (1944), the Reverend Robert Fitzpatrick was baptized at Concordia, Brentwood, PA, where he would also affirm his faith in the rite of confirmation (1956), be ordained (1970), and be married (1972) to Janet (nee Stocker). A graduate of Concordia Prep (Bronxville, NY; 1962), Concordia Junior College (Bronxville, NY; 1964), Concordia Senior College (Ft. Wayne, IN; 1966), and Concordia Seminary (St. Louis, MO; 1970), when he would enter the ministry.
During his ministry, Pr. Fitzpatrick served as the Nebraska District's Circuit Youth Advisor, an English District Circuit Counselor, a member of the board of directors for the Lutheran Council of Greater Cleveland, the Lutheran Agencies Organized for Service, the Redeemer Crisis Center at Iglesia Cristiana Hispana, and Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries, and the Secretary of the English District. On May 8, 2013, he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity from the English District, honoring his service. Pr. Fitzpatrick would minister at various pulpits in the Cleveland area and officially retire in 2017 from active ministry due to Alzheimer’s disease. A pastor and friend to many, he touched countless lives through baptisms, confirmations, marriages, funerals, and other life events.
A Memorial Service celebrating Pr. Fitzpatrick’s life and ministry will be held on November 30 at 10:30 a.m. at Ascension Lutheran Church 28081 Lorain Road, North Olmsted, OH. Visitation with the family will also be held at Ascension Lutheran Church on November 29 from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. and November 30 from 9:30-10:15 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests memorial contributions be made to Ascension Lutheran Church, North Olmsted, and/or Redeemer Crisis Center, Cleveland, Ohio, in honor of Pr. Fitzpatrick.
Read his obituary here.
“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15
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Call Received
The Rev. Daniel K. Greg has received a Divine Call to serve as Sole Pastor of St. John’s, Marengo, IA (Iowa East District).
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Calling a Seminary Candidate/Requesting a Vicar | | |
If your congregation is interested in extending a divine call to a seminary candidate, or plans to make application for a vicar, the call documents and vicarage applications must be received no later than Friday, January 31, 2025. Please add this topic to your congregational voters meeting agenda for discussion in December. This will allow for the necessary paperwork to be completed in a timely manner. Calling congregations must access the Call Documents for Ordained Ministers and the Vicarage Application using a web address/URL. Please contact Kathy Stanis, Administrative Assistant, at 248-476-0039 or by email at kstanis@englishdistrict.org for the login information.
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"As You Go"
By Rev. Brian Pratt, Chair
District Evangelism Team
One of my seminary professors encouraged us to understand and explain the Great Commission of Matthew 28 not as "GO Make Disciples," but rather "AS YOU GO (about your everyday life) - Make Disciples!" Building on the natural relationships in our people's daily lives to share their saving faith in Christ is far more effective than mission trips or cold-call door-to-door efforts. Our goal in this series is to encourage pastors to proclaim God's priority of evangelism in a simple, practical way based on the selected readings we are already preparing for sermons.
In Mark 13. Jesus tells us of our priority as Christians living in the End Times to hold fast to God's Word and not be swayed by false teachings, conflicts, or natural disasters. As We Go through these difficult situations, we are "to bear witness" and proclaim the gospel to all peoples - with the very words supplied to us at the time by the Holy Spirit! We need not be anxious or have perfect Bible knowledge in order to love our neighbors but be willing to trust God to speak to them through us with the saving good news of forgiveness found through Jesus.
As we gather for the Thanksgiving meal, many have the tradition of taking turns around the dinner table to name the blessings they're thankful for. We can encourage our members to plan an "eternal level of thanks" - not just for God's provision of earthly things but for saving us by grace through faith in Christ - and even giving us the faith He looks for in us by His Spirit!
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Ascension Lutheran Church is the only confessional Lutheran church building in Canada’s 2nd largest city. Planted in the 1930s, Ascension now ministers to the diverse population of the Parc-Extension neighbourhood. Within a fifteen-minute walk of the church’s door live over thirty thousand people, almost 90% of whom are immigrants or the children of immigrants. How will they hear the Good News of Jesus unless the Word is proclaimed among them?
The Montreal Forum is made up of individuals representing church bodies, districts, mission groups, and congregations that support the work going on at Ascension. They meet in person each fall to review what the Lord has been doing through Ascension, what work the mission team and congregation will engage in over the coming year, what financial and personnel needs exist, and to pray for the Lord of the Harvest to empower this work. Current Montreal Forum partners include Ascension, the SELC and English Districts of the LCMS, the Mission of Christ Network, Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston, TX, and the Lutheran Church—Canada.
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We encourage congregations to reproduce and share the following message with your members. Click here for Lifeline's "Advent 1 - Proclaiming the Sanctity of Life" reproducible file in .pdf format. Click here for more information on Lifeline. | |
Greetings from the Dominican Republic from our family to yours! We wish you a very happy Advent and Christmas. Click here for our most recent newsletter. As always, thanks to all who support God's work through us as we serve in LCMS missions.
Blessings,
Deaconess Cheryl and Pastor Jonathan
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We ask that you join us in prayer for church workers who experience compassion fatigue that they be nourished, strengthened, and protected by the Holy Spirit.
Please keep the Fitzpatrick family in your prayers, that God will provide them comfort and peace.
District daily prayers for December 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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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 | |
Prince of Peace, Mesquite, NV
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church's Women of Life group worked tirelessly to make 100 pillowcases and 500 greeting cards for the "Any Soldier Project" conducted by their local chapter of the Veterans Administration. These pillowcases and greeting cards are just two of the many items that were donated by members of the congregation. Donations will be sent to 100 active military personnel who are serving our country overseas in remote areas.
Pictured are Sue Pratt, Jane Benham, Lois Hazelwood, Wyntress Balcher, Cheryl Schwing, Linda Gwynn, and Barbara White. We give thanks for the Women of Life and their support of those serving in our armed forces.
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Ministry Focus Debt Reduction Grants | | |
Current rostered church workers of Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod are eligible for MinistryFOCUS loan repayment assistance program (LRAP) grants.
MinistryFOCUS recognizes that individuals often assume educational loans in order to serve the Lord and that, for some, such loans often distract from or even undermine their very purpose. The LRAP was established so that these servants of the Lord can focus more on ministry, and less on money. Thru the partnership of LCEF, Lilly Foundation, and the English District, three grants are available to English District church workers.
Click here for more information and to apply. Applications must be submitted online no later than 11:59 p.m. Central Time on December 31, 2024.
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International Lutheran Council | | |
Employment Opportunity
The International Lutheran Council (ILC) is seeking a Mission Advocate to help advance the strategic goals of the ILC. While not a requirement, this position is open to rostered individuals—ordained or commissioned—depending on the candidate's qualifications. To view the position description, click here.
For more information, email Rev. Dr. K. Detlev Schulz, ILC General Secretary.
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Adult choir robes are available from the recently closed Grace Lutheran School at no cost. They are in good shape but have been in storage for a few years. Below is a listing of the sizes. Message Vicki for more information.
48” - 8 robes
51” - 8 robes
54” - 9 robes
57” - 13 robes
60” - 5 robes
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Did you know you can search for LCMS churches, schools, and even church workers through the LCMS Locator ? Take a minute to ensure that your information on the Locator is correct. Misspelled site information, transposed phone numbers, and even having ".org" when it should be ".com" following your website address can make a difference for visitors or prospective members, so check today. | |
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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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