English District of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
| |
Living Our Baptized Life in Christ
Galatians 2:20
| | Bishop Miskus's Letter to the Canadian Parliament | | | |
"I’m writing to add my voice to those protesting the direction of Bill C-9 known as the Combatting Hate Act. While much in the bill is valuable and encouraging to religious people and their freedom to practice their faith, some aspects of the bill seem to endanger that freedom. I’m directly referring to the religious exemption which was removed from the bill. My understanding is that this exception allows religious people to cite religious texts without fear of being prosecuted under this act. This protection for religious people is now gone..." Read the Bishop's entire letter here.
Pictured with Bishop Miskus is The Honorable Member of Canadian Parliament Andrew Lawton.
| | We encourage congregations to reproduce and share the following message with your members. Click here for Lifeline's "Good Shepherd 2026" reproducible file in .pdf format. | | 1-1-1 Dollar for Missions | | | |
We read in John 20:29b, "Blessed are those who have not seen yet believed.”
In many of our churches, the story of “doubting Thomas” might have been featured in last Sunday’s Gospel reading. From this account might likely have come the adage “seeing is believing.” Jesus’ comment to the Eleven, and to us, is that seeing is not necessarily believing; in fact, He states that the converse is the more blessed state of faith.
That is good news for us and for every would-be believer who might cross our path at one of the missions that our dollars support. We all have to live and be declared righteous through our faith, which can only come through our baptism and the hearing of the Word. And in this way, once again, we see the dual purpose of our Mission 1-1-1 efforts: baptizing and preaching.
We know that there is no other way forward, because Jesus tells us so.
He tells us in John 14:6 “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; nobody comes to the Father but by me" and in Matthew 16:17, after Peter’s confession, He says, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of John, for this [truth] was not revealed to you by man but by my Father in Heaven.”
All of us believe without seeing, and through the gift of faith for now we receive our sight.
| |
Mission 1-1-1 is a very simple, yet powerful, ministry. It is NOT burdensome, nor sacrificial. It involves every baptized member of the Body of Jesus in your congregation, from the newest baby baptized to the oldest member. It demonstrates the power of the beautiful body of Christ working together, prompted by faith. It shows how much can be accomplished by many, giving little.
Here's the plan: $1/per baptized member/per week. Simple, right? Self-explanatory almost. Not burdensome, nor sacrificial. All can participate.
If your congregation has not yet begun this work, please prayerfully consider it. All of the information you need to get started can be found on the district website. It is the goal of this campaign to saturate our efforts with Scripture, through where the Holy Spirit moves us.
| | |
We pray for all who are experiencing health issues, that God would grant them comfort and healing.
We pray for all caregivers, that God will provide them strength and faith through the challenges they may face.
District daily prayers for May 2026 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.
| | |
“Exploring God’s Mission Here” is a self-study resource designed to help facilitate “tough conversations within congregations that are in challenging spots.” It seeks to address the spiritual and emotional side of those conversations while also helping to isolate the relevant facts and numbers. The Bible study includes questions to guide congregational self-appraisal, then points the congregation toward possible next steps, such as revitalization, developing partnerships, church planting/replanting, or even a blessed end. This study is designed to be led by an individual who has been prepared to serve in this role by our English District Mission Executive, Pastor Derek Mathers. If you or your congregation would like to make use of this beneficial study, please contact Pastor Mathers and he will resource your ministry to this end.
| | |
Pastor Jonathan and Deaconess Cheryl Naumann have made the bittersweet decision to retire from the mission field. "In the midst of this decision, Philippians 1:3-5, comes to our minds: 'I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. '"
We will continue to hold the Naumanns in prayer and know that God will provide for their every need in this new chapter of their lives. Read their final newsletter here.
| | |
Pastor Dale and Suzanne Kaster had a blessed Lenten season and they share, "We thank you for your prayers and support. God uses us here and you there to ring out the Easter message!"
Read the Kasters' most recent newsletter here.
| | |
As our family continues this journey, we remain focused on serving with integrity, humility, and joy, confident that He who began a good work in us will see it through to completion.
We thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and ongoing partnership. May God bless the ministry we share in His name.
Jeff & Gina Teeple
Read the Teeples' most recent newsletter here.
| | Contact John Hoover, LCEF District 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. | | |
St. Mark's, Mississauga, ON
Three South Sudanese Nuer-speaking Lutheran congregations recently gathered for worship. Two congregations from the Lutheran Church-Canada (LCC) and The Church of St. Mark Lutheran Nuer-speaking Fellowship (LCMS) came together to celebrate and share the Lord's Supper. This marks the second year that Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Kitchener-Waterloo, Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Hamilton, and the Church of St. Mark Lutheran have united to worship as one body in Christ, promoting unity among these three congregations.
Pictured L-R: Pastor Peter Koang Gatluak of Pilgrim, Pastor Philip Gai of St. Mark's, and Pastor William Deng Chuol of Holy Cross
| | |
Catalina, Tucson, AZ
LWML Arizona Zone President, Shirley Holle, presented a check in the amount of $300 to Karina von Hindenburg, a member of the Altar Guild at Catalina Lutheran Church, for the purchase of a Traveling Communion Set. This was the fulfillment of a Mission Grant request from the LWML Arizona Zone.
| | |
Ascension of Christ, Beverly Hills, MI
For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100:5
In joyful thanksgiving for the Lord’s enduring goodness and mercy, the people of Ascension of Christ Lutheran Church are preparing to celebrate the 75th anniversary of their congregation.
This celebration will be held on Sunday, May 17, 2026, beginning with a Divine Service at 10:15 a.m.
Please RSVP by May 1st by calling 248-644-8890 or by email.
| | Financial Aid for Future Church Workers | | | |
The LCMS Church is facing a significant shortage of professional church workers. The English District provides financial aid to English District applicants enrolled in synodical-approved church work programs (pastor, teacher, DCE, DCO, deaconess, etc.). Click here for more information and the application. (Scholarships are not given to interns, vicars, or graduate students.)
There is a separate application for colloquy students which also can be found using the link above.
The deadline for receipt of applications is June 1.
Please consider sharing this information with your church and school families, especially those considering professional church work. It might be that this assistance will add one more worker to the Kingdom!
| | |
Happy Easter from Lutheran Summer Music!
Please enjoy this joyful musical offering of “O Clap Your Hands” by Ralph Vaughan Williams, performed by the LSM 2025 Festival Choir, conducted by Dr. Shannon Gravelle, with Dr. Catherine Rodland, organ.
| | Concordia Deaconess Conference | | | |
Synod President Rev. Dr. Matt Harrison encourages congregations in the district with a rostered deaconess to provide for her to attend the 2026 Concordia Deaconess Conference (CDC) planned for June 15–18, 2026, at St. John Lutheran Church in Dublin, Ohio. This year’s conference will encourage attendees to consider their devotional life in Christ, to treasure and meditate on His Word and to live under that Word in service to neighbor. The total estimated cost for the 2026 conference, which is being generously subsidized, is $764.
In a recent correspondence, President Harrison made several suggestions, summarized below:
- Consider providing scholarships for deaconess candidates or emeritus deaconesses to attend the conference.
- Grant the deaconess paid time off to attend
- Do not require the deaconess to pay for their substitute; schedule back-up coverage for their normal duties during their absence
- Provide funding, in part or full, for the deaconess to attend the conference
President Harrison reminds us that a portion of Article III, Objectives, of the Synod is to provide “… care for pastors, teachers, and other professional church workers of the Synod in the performance of their official duties.” Congregations agree to accept this objective as a member of Synod and should be encouraged to do so to the best of their ability.
For more information about the CDC or the upcoming conference, please reach out to CDC President Deaconess Jillene Houser.
| | |
The Free to be Faithful® newsletter offers updates on religious liberty issues that impact the rights of Christians to live faithfully.
Click here for the Spring 2026 issue that includes an update on the court case against Dr. Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Rev. Dr. Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland. On March 26, the Supreme Court of Finland handed down a shocking ruling that found the two Lutherans guilty of hate speech for a 2004 pamphlet on Christian teachings, a column by editor Rev. Jonathan Lange about the difference between “politics” and “pre-politics," and more.
| | 2026 Prof Insights Workshop Series | | | |
The Prof Insights: Faculty-Led Workshop Series offers in-depth study on contemporary topics that influence the practice of ministry and worship. Members of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, faculty and other scholars host workshops in person at various locations nationwide to share their expertise with pastors, church workers and lay people. Catalina Lutheran Church in Tucson, AZ will be hosting one of these workshops October 7-9 with Dr. Gerry Bode on Lutheranism in the Era of Orthodoxy. Click here for more info.
| | |
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!
| |  | |
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.
| | |
If you'd like to share our emails, please forward
using your email's forwarding option.
| | | | |
