English District of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
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God in All Things - Without Borders | |
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Call Received
The Rev. Paul Douglas (Colloquy) has received a Divine Call to serve as Sole Pastor of St. John’s, Golden Lake, ON, Canada.
The Rev. Joshua P. Moldenhauer has received a Divine Call to serve as the Sole Pastor of Trinity, Elgin, MN (Minnesota South District).
Call Returned
The Rev. Joshua P. Moldenhauer has returned the Divine Call to serve as the Sole Pastor of St. Peter, Portage, IN (Indiana District).
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Crisis on the Campus - Campus Ministry was Active | | |
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Late in the evening on February 13, 2023 there was an active shooter on the Michigan State University (MSU) campus. The gunman took the lives of three students and injured five more before taking his own life when confronted by law enforcement. Out of this darkness has come light that shone through a number of communities across this great nation that came together to support the students at MSU. Our Campus Ministry at Martin Luther Chapel (MLC), East Lansing, MI, was present to bring the peace of Christ to those in need.
Pastor Curt Dwyer coordinated many activities in his role as the President of the Religious Advisors Association (RAA) and lead pastor for Martin Luther Chapel. He was presented with the idea of handing out index cards with kind words from community members to the students. Word of this effort spread quickly nationwide.
In the weeks following the shooting, the campus ministry staff and congregational leadership, including Pastor James Robinson, Pastor David Dressel, and others, reached out in a number of ways that may not have been available under normal conditions. Pastor Curt was able to make the church building a safe location for students and parents to reunite.
Martin Luther Chapel held a prayer service in the early evening so all could attend but would be able to make it back to a location they deemed safe or were comfortable before nightfall. Congregational members, friends of the congregation, and local businesses volunteered to distribute thousands of cookies, along with the index cards, to students on campus, as well as those who walked by the various distribution locations in the area. One of those areas was in front of the church.
Pastor Curt and Pastor James had many unique opportunities to reach out, showing care and comfort to many people. Pastor Curt spoke at a prayer vigil on February 15 that was also attended by Michigan’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer, and the MSU interim president, Theresa Woodruff. He was also invited to speak to the Department of Education faculty. Pastor James spoke to a class in the Department of Engineering. He was also on campus for many hours every day, as he participated in the listening stations established to support faculty, staff, and students. He was able to make contact and provide support at these locations.
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Rosters and Statistics Deadline is March 31 | | |
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It is time for congregations to submit end-of-year statistics and to update their current list of lay leaders at the following website: lc.lcms.org. Up-to-date statistical information is critical for determining proper voting representation at conventions. Emails for lay leaders will be increasingly important as channels for critical convention communications.
If you do not have your congregation’s login information, contact [email protected], or the LCMS Church Information Center at 888-843-5267.
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Lutheran Heritage Foundation Free Resources | | |
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Do you know someone who doesn’t speak English as a first language, and you want to introduce them to the Savior?
Check out the Lutheran Heritage Foundation’s database of free Lutheran books, translated into more than 140 languages of the world! Resources include children’s Bible storybooks (often also good for adults with lower literacy levels), Luther’s Small Catechism, and devotion booklets in languages like Spanish, Chinese, Hindi and Swahili – all available at no cost to the ministries, short-term mission teams, and individuals who need them. Search the LHF Publication List.
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The Bible's promise is true: If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us - 1 John 5:14.
District daily prayers for April 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 Dan Lepley, DVP - English and SELC District Lutheran Church Extension Fund, for more information at 317-402-9401.
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Sherman Oaks, Sherman Oaks, CA
Sherman Oaks Lutheran Church was happy to grow their congregation on March 5th welcoming new members.
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New Beginnings, West Branch, MI
The congregation at New Beginnings Lutheran Church enjoyed muffins baked by their youth on Sunday, March 5th to support their fundraising efforts for the 30 Hour Famine. The youth exceeded their goal and thank everyone who supported them.
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Holy Spirit, Elk Grove Village, IL
Volunteers recently delivered donations from Packages4Patriots to the General Wayne A. Downing Home for Veterans in Peoria, IL. When P4P receives donations that can’t be mailed in care packages they often pass them on to local food pantries or homeless veteran outreach efforts. Logan, the house manager, told us that they have approximately 15 residents, who are largely Army and Marine veterans. Each veteran has a room of their own, access to a nice kitchen, and a community living room. Logan was thrilled to receive the Packages4Patriots donation on behalf of the 15 veteran residents.
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Prince of Peace, Mesquite, NV
At Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, January was the month to pray for the sanctity of life from conception to glory. They prayed for the Women's Resource Medical Centers of Southern Nevada. This faith-based pro-life organization provides counseling as well as medical and material help to women and couples struggling to make decisions about their unplanned pregnancy. On January 29, Michelle Caven, Director of Partner Relations at Resource Medical Center, gave an informative presentation to the congregation.
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Jacob's Well, Fort Wayne, IN
The students at Faith Preschool of Jacob's Well all enjoyed Right to Read week with a focus on Dr. Suess.
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Hope, Hastings, MN
Students at Hope Christian Preschool had an amazing Monday morning! Ms. Mo brought in some ducklings and chicks for the preschoolers. They learned all about poultry and so much more. Thank you so much Ms. Mo for your time and education. The children are so lucky to have people in the community who share special lessons with them.
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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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Also, please share the unique ministries of your school or congregation with the rest of the District. Send pictures and stories for consideration to [email protected] 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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If you'd like to share our emails, please forward
using your email's forwarding option.
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