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MARTIN LUTHER'S PRAYER FOR THOSE IN AUTHORITY
Dear Lord God, guide the hearts of our leaders to your praise and glory, and to the welfare of the land. Enlighten all who are in authority and move them to do what is right. Preserve your people, your judgment, your righteousness, and all administration of justice in this nation and throughout the world. Then good order will prevail. May peace in the world not be troubled by rebellion and treason. May proper discipline and respect not be disregarded or violated by unfaithfulness and other evil. Amen.
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NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN!
Registration Closes -- October 8, 2017
All Memorials due -- October 8, 2017
All Nominations due -- November 1, 2017
Hotel Block Rate Ends -- January 27, 2018
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OUR STEWARDSHIP OF HIS RESOURCES
District Mission Support Trends
2015 2016 2017
Total Budget
$900,000 $900,000 $900,000
Budgeted Income $375,000 $375,000
$375,000
through 05/31
Actual Income $358,295 $339,368 $317,446
through 05/31
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| SPIRIT OF SOUTHERN SUBMISSIONS  Remember that submissions for the July/August issue of SOS are due by July 15. The preferred means for receiving submissions is by email (sos@southernlcms.org). Please send photos as JPEG files, attached to the email. Congregational news that is received but exceeds space in the printed SOS will be published on the "Around the District" blog of our website. Thank you for sharing your news! (click on image for the current issue) |
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UPCOMING EVENTS
| July 7-10, 2017 |
SAVE THE DATE!!
Sr. Youth Retreat |
Blue Horizon Camp
Panama City Beach, FL |
| October 8, 2017 |
Grace Lutheran Church
150th Anniversary Celebration |
Grace Lutheran Church
Mobile, AL |
November 19-21, 2017
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2017-2018 Annual Teachers' Conference |
Grace Lutheran Church and School, Huntsville, AL |
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| IN TRANSITION: CALLING CONGREGATIONS Holy Cross - Mobile, AL Hope - Santa Rosa Beach, FL (Associate)
Trinity - Monroe, LA
Christ the King - Natchitoches, LA
If your congregation has extended a call, or had a call returned, please remember to notify the Southern District office.
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~ CALLED TO SERVE ~
Rev. Russ Gipson (Holy Cross, Mobile, AL) to Grace, Huntsville, AL ~ Accepted
Rev. Dr. Kevin Wyssmann (Bethany, Overland Park, KS) to Trinity, Monroe, LA ~ Pending
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| ~MILESTONE ANNIVERSARIES~ Celebrating the Ministry of Pastor and People 150th Anniversary - Grace Lutheran Church, Mobile, Alabama Rev. Wayne Miller, Pastor
~ JUNE ~
Anniversary of Ordination 55th - Rev. Sidney Ponseti - Emeritus - Good Shepherd, Baton Rouge, LA 50th - Rev. Adam Cooper - Emeritus - St. Matthew, Gulfport, MS 50th - Rev. Charles Pieplow - Emeritus - St. Paul, Birmingham, AL 45th - Rev. Clifford Hellmers - Emeritus - Vestavia Hills, Birmingham, AL 45th - Rev. Charles Truax - Emeritus - Open Arms, Slidell, LA 45th - Rev. Arthur Yunker - Emeritus - Grace, Mobile, AL 40th - Rev. Calvin Thompson - Emeritus - Christ, Albertville, AL 35th - Rev. William Gassett - Emeritus - Christ, Jackson, MS 35th - Rev. Steven Washington - Trinity, Selma, AL 30th - Rev. Charles Miller - St. John, Lake Charles, LA 30th - Rev. J. Richard Sawyer - Messiah, Vicksburg, MS & Holy Cross, Hattiesburg, MS 25th - Rev. Randal Ehrichs - Good Shepherd, Panama City, FL 25th - Rev. Warren Schulingkamp - Emeritus, serving First, Natchez & Trinity, McComb, MS 25th - Rev. Sanford Stanton - Trinity, Cantonment, FL 20th - Rev. Kenneth Babin - St. John, New Orleans, LA 20th - Rev. Robert Lydick - Redemption, Panama City, FL 15th - Rev. Michael Ahlemeyer - Vestavia Hills, Birmingham, AL 15th - Rev. Eric Johnson - Southern District, Slidell, LA 15th - Rev. David Moerbe - Good Shepherd, Gardendale, AL 15th - Rev. Limakatso Nare - Mt. Zion, New Orleans, LA 15th - Rev. David Tilney - Cloquet, MN 10th - Rev. Richard Rudnik - Grace, Houma, LA 5th - Rev. John Bussman - St. Paul's, Cullman, AL 5th - Rev. John Ninke - Christ Our Redeemer, Hartselle, AL |
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SAVE THE DATE:
ANNUAL TEACHERS' CONFERENCE
Please save the date for the 2017 - 2018 annual Teachers' Conference.
Here is the basic Information:
WHO: The teachers and DCEs of the Southern and Mid-South Districts
WHAT: Annual Conference
WHERE: Grace Lutheran School and Church, Huntsville, Alabama
WHEN:
Sunday, November 19 - Tuesday, November 21
WHY: For Professional Growth, Worship, and Camaraderie
For more information, contact Glenn Gerber g.gerber@southernlcms.org or
the Conference Chairman, Tom Naatz at Grace, Huntsville
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GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH CELEBRATES
150 YEARS!
Grace Lutheran Church in Mobile, AL will be celebrating 150 years of ministry in the Mobile area. Grace is the oldest Lutheran church in the state of Alabama! Pastor Wayne Miller is looking forward to sharing the celebratory events in upcoming issues.
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37th Biennial Convention of the LWML
"Jesus Christ Above All"
June 22-25, 2017
Join us as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the LWML!
Livestream Available During Convention
We celebrate 75 years of serving the Lord with gladness at the LWML Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico,
June 22-25, 2017
. It will be inspiring, uplifting, and enriching. But what if you can't travel and attend this memorable event? You can celebrate in your own home or with friends in your congregation. Watch the convention via Livestream.
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The saying goes, if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything. So, what do you stand for? Is it worth standing for?
Southern District Senior Youth Gathering
July 7-10, 2017
Panama City, Florida
Registration is done online by going to
southernlcms.org
Click on youth ministry tab and select senior high events.
Early Bird Registration - Monday, May 8, 2017 through Sunday, May 21, 2017 $180.00
Normal Registration - Monday, May 22, 2017 through Sunday, June 25, 2017 $200.00
The featured speaker for the Youth Gathering is Pastor Travis Hartjen. Pastor Travis is a  church
planter in Allen, TX, where he helped launch Tangible Grace. Prior to that, he was a DCE and focused on the discipleship of families and students. He speaks around the country weaving the truth of Jesus with humor and anecdotes from his own life.
The Great Romance Band - Worship/Rock Band from the St. Louis, MO area - will be featured.
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Have a Heart for Mission?
Consider training through the Health Outreach Partnership
Calling all health care professionals and others involved with mission
work both at home and abroad, who want to make a lasting impact upon
the lives and communities of those whom they serve:
We are excited to announce a five day
Community Health Education/Evangelism (CHE) Train the Trainer Workshop, October 20-24, 2017
at Camp Wartburg, Waterloo, IL.The workshop is presented by Lutherans
in Medical Missions, in partnership with LCMS Mercy Medical Teams,
LCMS Office of International Mission, LCMS Office of National Mission
and Concordia Lutheran Ministries/Angel Tear Ministries. Leading the
training are Stephanie Schulte, medical missionary serving in West
Africa, Rev. Gary Schulte, West Africa Area Director, Marguerite
Nickel, former medical missionary to Central Asia, and Sharon Thomas,
frequent medical team mission member and leader. Due to the
participatory teaching technique of CHE, space is limited. Register
soon!
The Health Outreach Partnership between Lutherans in Medical Missions and LCMS Mercy Medical Teams makes Community Health Education (CHE) available to all congregations and districts-including yours. Our training provides the tools you need to bring hope and healing in the name of Christ-in your neighborhood and around the globe. For more information or to register, contact
anne.gonzalez@lcms.org
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STEWARDSHIP OF OUR CONGREGATIONS MOVING FORWARD
JUNE 2017
Pentecost and God's outpouring of His Holy Spirit brings JOY and EXCITEMENT to Christ Followers around the world. We in the Southern District are especially blessed this season of Pentecost in our mission and ministry of Making Disciples for Jesus. The Stewardship Committee is privileged to share the good news that Mrs Laurie Ninke has answered the call to serve on the Stewardship Team. Welcome Ms Laurie!
Information about the Stewardship of Our Congregations project has been shared in enough detail to identify and select congregations for the prototype test. In April, we asked regional and circuit leaders to help by identifying candidate host and satellite congregations to form the first cluster or clusters for the proof of concept effort. Last month, spiritual leaders across the district identified an initial list of nineteen congregations (19) in eight (8) circuits as potential participants. Circuit 12 had the largest concentration with six congregations, followed by Circuit 15 with three congregations identified. All other circuits had two or fewer congregations identified. We began contacting circuit visitors and pastors in Circuit 12, Circuit 15, and Circuit 4 as additional congregations make their interest known.
We have received strong interest from enough congregations in Circuit 12 to potentially form two clusters each consisting of a host with two satellite congregations. What a blessing! We have made available the project brochure and participant survey to share the envisioned way ahead. The brochure and survey are companion pieces. Together, they provide a common set of terms for understanding what the project is about and seeking the congregation's views on topics about shared ministry. We are currently coordinating calendars to meet with pastors and lay leaders from these potential host and satellite congregations. We are excited about asking and answering the right questions to include working out the details to form initial clusters for shared ministry.
Clearly, we are relying on the Holy Spirit and spiritual leaders with "on the ground" knowledge to connect alike congregations. Survey questions and interview topics guided by God's Holy Spirit will help connect host and satellite congregations with a compatible ministry context. Emphasis is on connected multi-point parishes in a cluster, never consolidated or combined.
For more information on the Stewardship of Our Congregations initiative to include interest in participating in the effort, please contact Stewardship Team members Pastor Tony Ramsey or Don Panzenhagen using contact information on the District Stewardship Who We Are web page.
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WE LIFT UP IN PRAYER. . .
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;..."
John 11:25 (NIV)
These brothers and sisters in Christ coping with cancer:
Rev. Jerry Conley (Emeritus - Marianna, FL)
Mrs. Gloria Moritz, widow of Rev. Victor Moritz (Emeritus - Metairie, LA)
Rev. Sidney Ponseti (Emeritus - Baton Rouge, LA)
Mrs. Doris Taglauer, wife of Rev. Jim Taglauer (Emeritus - Folsom, LA)
Rev. David Robatzen (Lutheran Church of the Resurrection - Pensacola, FL)
These brothers and sisters in Christ coping with various health issues:
- Mrs. Melodie Rupp, wife of Rev. Bob Rupp (Emeritus - Pensacola, FL)
- Rev. Michael Shannon (Faith - Shreveport, LA)
- Rev. Rory Hermann (Emeritus - St. Augustine, FL)
- Rev. Dr. James P. Brown (Emeritus - Pensacola, FL)
- Dr. J. B. Marshall (Concordia College Alabama Board of Regents member)
- Rev. Dr. Edgar Homrighausen (Emeritus - Lacombe, LA)
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed. Thessalonians 2: 16-17
(NIV)
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THE GIFT OF GENEROSITY-Electronic Giving
A definition of generous includes this phrase:
Freely sharing valuable things.
Freely sharing
. . .no strings attached. . .no tit for tat. . .nothing expected in return.
Valuable things: your child. What is more valuable than a life of someone you love beyond measure? As we reflect on this message, remember
Those Who Don't Yet Know Jesus. Your continued support for the mission and ministry of the Southern District is requested.
If you need a convenient way to make regular offerings, we encourage you to look into our electronic online giving options.
Visit
here or contact Ronnie Giaise
at the Southern District office for more information --- r.giaise@southernlcms.org.
Illustration by Patti Miller, Member of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fairhope, Alabama.
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