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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Calls Received
The Rev. Theodore A. Hoham (Indiana District) has received a Divine Call to serve as Associate Pastor of Immanuel, Alexandria, VA.
Call Returned
The Rev. Mark R. Hartsough (Ohio District) has returned the Divine Call to serve as Sole Pastor of Redeemer, St. Clair Shores, MI.
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Like His Baptism (and every event of His earthly ministry), our Lord’s Transfiguration points squarely to His glorification on the Cross. In His resurrection, He continues to bear the glorious scars of His passion and crucifixion. At the Last Day, we will see these same scars as we behold Him with our eyes. Put simply, Jesus’ glory is directly tied to the redemption of sinners, namely all people. Having set humans at the pinnacle of His creation, God, out of His deep love for them, did not abandon them at the Fall. Rather, He sent His only begotten Son to take on their flesh, die and rise again, so that His special creatures might live with Him into eternity. Indeed, as we proclaim on Transfiguration Sunday and every time we gather to receive God’s gifts, all human life truly matters to Him, and, therefore, also to us.
We encourage congregations to reproduce and share this message with your members. Click here for Lifeline's "Transfiguration Sunday 2025" reproducible file in .pdf format. Click here for Lifeline's 2025 Coming Events, a list of upcoming sanctity of life learning opportunities. Click here for more information on Lifeline.
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Save the Date: Ontario March for Life, Saturday, May 10, in Toronto. Bishop Miskus will lead a pre-march service along with Rev. Dr. Dusan Tillinger, at 9 a.m. at St. Paul’s Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1424 Davenport Road, Toronto, ON, M6H 2H8. Following the service, carpooling will be arranged to the rally and march at the Ontario Legislative Building in Queen’s Park. Lunch and workshops will follow. Participants are encouraged to register here. For more information, email English District Lifeline Team member Glenn Kahle. | |
English District Missions | | |
This month, the Mission Action Team discusses "Church Planting in a Borderless World." The English District is a district, by the Lord’s blessing, WITHOUT borders, meaning that our scope for new missions is without horizon or edge. Click here to read more on how this ministry exemplifies cooperation and fellowship with our geographic counterparts. | |
In this video, the Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), talks about the founding of the LCMS in 1847. Even now, 175 years later, we still hold to the Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament as the written Word of God and the only rule and norm of faith and of practice — just as our church’s founders did. | |
Set Apart to Serve (SAS) is an initiative of the LCMS to recruit church workers. Since church work is rooted in Baptism and a lifetime of hearing the Word, SAS encourages young people to consider church work vocations primarily through their continued and faithful involvement with their congregation. Read the most recent Set Apart to Serve monthly report here. | |
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District daily prayers for February 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.
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Alliance Defending Freedom | | |
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"ADF advances every person’s God-given right to live and speak the truth. We contend for the Truth in law, policy, and the public square, and equip the alliance to do the same."
ADF provides legal guidance for church and ministries in adhering to God's Word regarding parenting, religious freedom, sanctity of life, marriage and family, and other issues.
English District churches and schools get 20% off when signing up to become an ADF member by using the discount codes. For churches it is LCMSdistrict and for schools it is LCMSdistrictMA.
Click here to see member benefits (like ADF's document review process) and to sign up. Click here to view current key cases to watch. For further information, email Isaiah Turner, Regional Manager with Alliance Defending Freedom’s Church and Ministry Alliance or call (812) 498-4058.
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JOIN ADF Livestream on Protecting Your Christian School’s Mission
Our partner, Alliance Defending Freedom, is hosting a Christian School Livestream on February 26th. Your school’s policies are more than just rules — they reflect your mission. Policies on admissions, hiring, and athletics are critical to protecting that mission. Without a clear and intentional approach, these policies could expose your school to unnecessary legal risks.
Join ADF’s "Legal Insights for Christian Schools in 2025" live stream on February 26, 2025, at Noon ET / 9 AM PT to learn how to strengthen your policies and protect your school’s biblical foundation.
This event features four experienced ADF attorneys who have worked closely with Christian schools nationwide. They’ll share practical insights and legal expertise to help you navigate today’s challenges.
In this live stream, you’ll learn:
- How to strengthen your admissions and handbook policies
- Why faith-based hiring policies matter
- How to navigate gender identity issues in athletics and create athletic policies that align with your biblical values.
REGISTER NOW
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Lumen Christi Award Nominations | | |
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Our gracious Lord blesses our English District by providing dedicated and talented professional and volunteer leaders/teachers in child, youth, adult, and family ministry areas. These servants of our Lord exercise their God-given gifts in many creative and unique ways to bless those they serve. The Lumen Christi award is presented to publicly recognize the service of educators, to further promote and encourage all professional and volunteer leaders/teachers who are active members of an English District LCMS congregation.
The 2025 Lumen Christi Award nominations for the English District Professional Educator of the Year and English District Volunteer Educator of the Year are due by May 7, 2025. Nominations can be completed and submitted online. Please prayerfully consider making a nomination.
Click here for criteria and definitions.
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Lutheran Heritage Foundation | | |
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Free Ukrainian resources for sharing the Gospel: Great news! The Lutheran Heritage Foundation (a recognized service organization of the LCMS) has just gotten a huge shipment of books carrying two FREE new resources available in Ukrainian, including the classic children's Bible storybook A Child's Garden of Bible Stories and Best of Portals of Prayer. These materials are available to any LCMS church, mission or individual who wants to share the Good News with their Ukrainian-speaking neighbors. To order, send an email or call the LHF office at (800)554-0723.
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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 | |
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West Portal, San Francisco, CA
Participants of the recent Walk For Life West Coast Pre-Walk Gathering met at West Portal Lutheran Church. The Walk began from the Civic Center Plaza down Market Street to Embarcadero Plaza. We give thanks and praise to God for those who work to preserve the sanctity of life.
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St. Thomas, Magnolia, TX
The congregation of St. Thomas Evangelical Lutheran Church recently welcomed John Patrick Lacey. John was baptized into Christ by his father, Rev. Stanley Lacey, who serves the church. Congregation members are excited to note that this is the second baptism since the church was chartered in April 2024.
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Prepared to Serve Scholarship | | |
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Concordia University Chicago has launched the "Prepared to Serve: Church Professional Guarantee", exemplifying the University’s commitment to equipping undergraduate students through its church professional degree programs. Beginning fall 2025, eligible full-time students will pay a maximum of $5,000 in tuition and mandatory fees each academic year. This amount includes all CUC institutional scholarships, Illinois MAP grants and federal Pell grants. Click here to learn more.
This affordability commitment also closely aligns with the Set Apart to Serve initiative of the LCMS, which encourages young people to consider church vocations as honorable, sacred and joyful ways to serve God and His people.
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Youth musicians from across the country are headed to Valparaiso University this year for the 2025 Lutheran Summer Music Academy & Festival (LSM). Students in grades 8-12 will be immersed in a supportive community that nurtures their musical growth, and invites them to share their musical gifts in performance and in worship. With the Standard Enrollment deadline approaching on March 1, now is the perfect time to nominate students so their families can directly receive information and an invitation to apply. Do you know young musicians who would thrive at LSM? Nominate them today.
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Church and Childcare Center Operations Director
Ascension of Christ Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Beverly Hills, MI
Ascension of Christ Lutheran Church is seeking a dedicated individual to join their team as a Church and Childcare Center Operations Director. This position is part-time (30 hrs/wk), pays $20-22/hr, and includes benefits (employee discount, paid time off, professional development assistance, and retirement & disability). It offers an opportunity to serve and contribute to the growth of God’s kingdom in their community.
If you’re excited about the prospect of working in a team environment and using your talents to serve and contribute to the growth of God’s kingdom in the world, submit your resume to info@ascensionofchrist.org or apply through Indeed.
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Outreach Leader
Lutheran Church of the Prince of Peace (LCMS), Menomonee Falls, WI
Lutheran Church of the Prince of Peace is searching for a full-time Outreach Leader. Duties include working with and reporting to our pastor, becoming immersed in the local community with the Gospel message, and identifying lost, lapsed, and unchurched persons.
Email office.popmf@gmail.com for more information.
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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.
- They can subscribe by clicking on the "Sign up for our emails" link at the bottom.
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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