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. Dr. Adam C. Koontz (Rocky Mountain District) has received a Divine Call to serve as Sole Pastor of Redeemer, Oakmont, PA.
Call Returned
The Rev. Andrew P. Richard (Wyoming District) has returned the Divine Call to serve as Headmaster of Immanuel, Alexandria, VA.
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2024 Professional Church Workers Conference | | |
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Registration closes on March 18 for this mandatory conference!
2024 Professional Church Workers Conference, Board of Directors meeting and Circuit Visitors Conference
Advent Lutheran Church
11250 N. Michigan Rd.
Zionsville, IN 46077
GO and tell what you have seen and heard.
Matthew 11:4
Board of Directors – April 29 (1:00 p.m.) – April 30 (12:00 p.m.)
Conference – April 30 (3:00 p.m.) – May 2 (11:30 a.m.)
Circuit Visitors – May 2 (12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.)
Visit our website for more information.
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LCMS-U Eastern Washington University
For the 2023-2024, another one of the Dollar for Missions recipients will be LCMS-U at Eastern Washington University. This mission of Blessed Sacrament Lutheran Church [Hayden, ID] exists to seek, find, and give religious ministry to synod-member students and staff, and to offer ministry support to all others interested and referred. Led by Rev. Marc DiConti, EWU LCMS-U Campus Pastor and Associate Pastor of the congregation, they have been a presence on the LCMS.org "LCMS-U map" for a year, but it took months of navigating and overcoming the university administrative hurdles before they could begin ministry outreach on the EWU campus.
Their motto is "Loving God and Neighbor in Fellowship with Jesus Christ". Offering free cider served by a "priest-like" man, an amazing spiritual phenomenon often occurs… The Holy Spirit provides His rapport of peace and trust for friendly open dialogue between complete "strangers", including poignant sharing from the heart.
Only the Holy Spirit can woo and evoke such ministry and sharing of heart in conversations in brief moments with a Christian they’ve just met. Only God can bring vulnerability to someone to share their painful past to a Christian stranger about suicidal thoughts. Using LCMS-U at EWU, Jesus is introducing Himself, inviting and calling students into relationship with Him; by it He tills hearts' soils, sows, and waters His Gospel seed; by LCMS-U’s efforts, God’s Spirit is preparing others to trust Him to share their prayer requests.
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Eighteen From English District Congregations | | |
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God gives His church pastors and church workers for the sake of the Gospel and for the blessing of all people. Set Apart to Serve (SAS) is an initiative of our LCMS national office to identify, encourage, and support individuals to consider and commit to the vocation of the many opportunities available to become a full-time church worker.
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. SAS also encourages parents/grandparents, pastors, professional church workers, Sunday school teachers and others in our congregations help speak into the lives of children and young people to consider serving the church in these sacred and joyful vocations.
It is with joy that in 2023 four men entered seminary programs from the English District. In the fall of 2024, we have another potential twelve men ready to begin seminary education in preparation to serve in God’s church as pastors, each being raised up, identified, and encouraged by their English District home congregation. Our District joy grows even larger with one person entering Lutheran teacher education training and another starting her preparation to becoming a deaconess.
Is there someone in whom you see potential and aptitude to be a Church Worker? Can you tell them what you see as an encouragement? Let us pray that God will continue to raise up and provide workers in his church.
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Show Us Your 1-1-1 Container | | |
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Holy Cross Evangelical-Lutheran Chapel in Pittsburgh, PA
They are a mission congregation of the Pittsburgh Area Lutheran Ministries and First Trinity Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Pittsburgh, PA.
Congregations are invited to send a picture of their container, with their congregation’s name and location to jmcgarr@englishdistrict.org. Watch for your container to be shared in an upcoming issue of Servant to Servant.
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Pastors and members of English District congregations joined their counterparts from the Pacific Southwest District at the Arizona March for Life in Phoenix on Friday, March 1. Peter Slayton and Erik Lunsford covered the event for the LCMS. They were blessed with beautiful weather and wonderful fellowship as they proclaimed Christ-crucified, and the Sanctity of Life from fertilization to forever. | |
REMINDER: 2023 Congregational Statistics and Lay Leader Reports Due | | |
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Please submit your congregation’s end-of-year statistics and update your current list of lay leaders by March 31st.
Click here to submit: LCMS Information Support Network for Congregations. Congregational leaders should use the same login information that was used last year to register for the Presidential Voters. If the username and/or password that was created for the congregation is unknown, follow the on-screen helps on the login page to recover the congregation’s credentials.
Up-to-date statistical information is essential for the Synod as it plans current and future ministry efforts. Such information is also critical for determining proper voting representation at conventions.
Thank you for providing this information in a timely manner.
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Church Worker (Student Loan) Debt Reduction Grants Available | | |
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The purpose of the English District Endowment Fund is to provide God's people with a unique opportunity to participate in a perpetual fund. This fund shall assist congregations and rostered workers alike. One aspect of the Endowment Fund currently being offered to Rostered Church Workers is a grant for financial assistance with their student loans. Those rostered workers who are currently serving (called workers) in an English District LCMS congregation or school are eligible to apply for this education indebtedness grant.
For a Church Worker (Student Loan) Debt Reduction Grant we ask that you complete an Application for Church Worker Transitional Assistance. These forms are available on our District website.
If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Derek Mathers at 1-800-755-9335. Deadline for applications is April 26, 2024.
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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.
Please pray for the newly established LCMS-U Chapter at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, WA and its ministry to students and staff under the auspices of Blessed Sacrament Lutheran Church.
District daily prayers for April 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 Dan Lepley, DVP - English and SELC District Lutheran Church Extension Fund, for more information at 317-402-9401.
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Lutheran Federal Credit Union | | |
For more information, please contact our Lending Department at 314-394-2790. | |
Family of Christ, Phoenix, AZ | |
On February 18, Mariah and Alison received the sacrament of Holy Baptism at Family of Christ Lutheran Church. Pastor Fred Gerlach and the congregation welcomed them into Christ's family and our Lord's salvation. | |
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Sunday March 3, Pastor Fred Gerlach and the congregation welcomed Ashley and her children Natalie, Jetty, and Nolan; Daniel, Lee Anne and their sons Samuel and Daniel; Karen, Curtis and Alison; and Evan and Mariah as new members. We thank God for His faithfulness and enlarging
His kingdom.
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Holy Spirit, Elk Grove Village, IL | |
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On Shrove Tuesday, Rev. Dan Greg of Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit blessed 18,000 paczki at a parishioner’s bakery.
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This week Faith Lutheran School students and older friends celebrated Lutheran Schools, rejoicing with different generations.
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West Portal, San Francisco, CA
The students at West Portal Lutheran School enjoyed a demonstration of celebrations of the Lunar New Year.
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Christ the King, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI
Students at Christ the King Preschool went on a hunt this week for signs of spring!
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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 jmcgarr@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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If you'd like to share our emails, please forward
using your email's forwarding option.
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