Episode 4: AI in Education

The conversation explores the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in Lutheran education, its historical context, current applications, potential for proactive student support and enhancing teacher-student relationships, and ethical considerations surrounding its use. Experts Dr. Bernard Bull and Dr. Eugene Kim share their insights on how AI can enhance educational practices while emphasizing the importance of maintaining human connection and discernment in its application. Key insights include the importance of using AI wisely and the adapting teaching methods to leverage AI effectively while maintaining the human element in education.

Episode 5: Politics & Ministry

The podcast discusses the intersection of politics and ministry, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a gospel-centered approach while engaging with contemporary social issues. The conversation highlights the challenges pastors face in addressing political topics without compromising their mission to proclaim Jesus Christ.

New episodes will be released every other Tuesday. We encourage you to subscribe, share with your networks, and engage with us by leaving comments and questions. Your feedback will help shape future episodes and make this podcast a true reflection of our community’s interests and needs.

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Make plans to attend the St. Paul’s Boutique on Saturday, November 7. Shop from a wonderful selection of local vendors featuring handcrafted gifts, jewelry, home décor, specialty foods, holiday items, and unique treasures.

Be sure to stop by our delicious Bake Sale, sponsored by the Women’s Ministry, featuring homemade baked goods and treats.

All are welcome to join us for a fun and meaningful day of fellowship, learning, encouragement, and inspiration, featuring LHM’s own Polly Gregali!  Polly knows her neighbors—and she helps others get to know their neighbors, too!

Don’t know your neighbors? Embarrassed that you’ve lived in your neighborhood for 28 years and still don’t know them?

Come join the SoCal LLL on Saturday, November 14 at Our Savior Lutheran Church, Arcadia, CA. There is no cost for this event. Continental breakfast begins at 8:30 am. We will finish up by 2:00 pm. Come be refreshed, inspired, and encouraged as we discover practical ways to connect with the people God has place around us.

Register today at LHM.org/districtservices or use the QR code above.

Questions? Email LLLSoCal3@gmail.com. Let's CONNECT!

Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Santa Clarita, is looking to obtain LSB hymnals. If you have some, please contact Kalie Mattice at the church office at 661-252-0622 or at office@bethlehemscv.com.

Ramona Lutheran Church, Ramona, CA has some items for sale.

• Curriculum - review list - most are new or gently used
• Furniture - student desks, chairs, tables
• Equipment - mobile science lab, Canon copier/scanner
• Technology - 44 student Chromebooks and computers

For more information and to discuss reasonable offers contact Julie Conkel at j.mconkel2@gmail.com.

Hope Lutheran Church, San Diego, CA has a significant collection of sheet music currently in storage that we would like to offer to other LCMS churches and ministry organizations. If your church, choir, or music ministry is looking for additional sheet music, we would be happy to share what we have available.

Music Inventory - If you are interested in knowing more please contact us at kelseyparker@hope4sandiego.org.

We will soon celebrate 100 years of ministry in the Pacific Southwest District. Join us for a walk through the headlines and stories from District publications that shaped the shared history of our District.

75 Years Ago

The Lutheran Witness Southern California Edition

Vol. LXX, October 30, 1951, No.22

Written by Rev. Armand E. T. Mueller, President of the Southern California District

Rooted in the Word:

Strength and Unity in the Southern California District

In the study of the Book of Acts, we are reminded that the early Christians derived their remarkable growth and activity from a steadfast devotion to the "Apostles' doctrine." According to Armand E. Mueller, President of the Southern California District, that same deep engagement with Holy Scripture remains the true source of power for the Church today. Mueller warns that a church becomes shallow when it measures success by outward and material achievements. True strength, however, flourishes when the Scriptures take center stage in the thoughts, plans, and daily activities of believers. Building upon resolutions from the 1951 District convention in Pasadena, congregations are encouraged to actively embrace Bible study, home reading programs, and structured learning institutes. Leadership plays a vital role in this spiritual vitality. Pastors and teachers are urged to look upon seasonal group meetings and November conferences not as a day off, but as vital opportunities to study God's Word, refresh their spirits, and receive strength for their calling. Likewise, laymen and women are encouraged to participate in well-planned local Bible institutes, preparing themselves spiritually by applying the truths found in Ephesians 6:10–17 to "be strong in the Lord." Concluding with heartfelt appreciation for the faithfulness of congregations and members across the District, President Mueller emphasizes that unity in the Word is the key to effective Gospel work. As believers stand together in faith and knowledge, they are reminded to draw strength from Philippians 4:13—"I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me"—as they eagerly await the coming Day of the Lord.

50 Years Ago

The Lutheran Witness Southern California Edition

Vol. XCV, October 31, 1976, No.14

Written by Rev. Dr. Arnold Kuntz, President of the Southern California District

The Art of Decreasing: Lessons in Humility from John the Baptist

“I must decrease so that He may increase.” If John the Baptist had never spoken another word, those few phrases alone would have cemented his legacy as a great man and a saint. At the height of his ministry, John was doing remarkably well on his own. Without relying on sensational gimmicks or fleeting cultural trends, he drew massive, diverse crowds into the desert. Soldiers, publicans, and common sinners flocked to him alongside theological elites, Pharisees, doctors of divinity, and even Sadducees—the scientists of the day. This was no superficial emotionalism; men were genuinely converted, turning from darkness to light. John had massive influence and the crowds in the hollow of his hand. And then Jesus came.

Suddenly, John’s hour had passed. Stepping aside must have been profoundly difficult. John had sacrificed everything for his life’s calling—comfort, ease, security, and human love. To make matters harder, Jesus effectively took John’s crowds. It would have been easy for John to begrudge Christ every recruit, belittle His achievements, or fall into the petty jealousy and turf wars that sometimes plague ministry.

Instead, John embraced a radically selfless mindset: “He must increase; I must decrease.” How was he able to do it? John possessed the rare and great grace to realize that it does not matter who does the work as long as the work gets done. His whole attitude can be summed up simply: What does John the Baptist matter if God gets the glory? What does the messenger count if the message gets through? As Lord Shaftsbury famously put it, “Perish all things, so Christ be magnified.” In true Christian service, it does not matter if we are forgotten, receive no thanks, or get zero credit. The instrument is nothing; God is everything. Getting out of the way so that Christ can take center stage is the fundamental spirit of true ministry—and the very heart of the Christian life.

25 Years Ago  

PSW News, Trish Ollry

Oct 4, 2001, Page 6

In 2001, the PSD Newsletter reported that 94% of pastors who have access to the internet used it to help them with their pastoral duties. (Barna Research Online http://www.barna.org)

From the 2001 Digital Frontier to the 2026 Algorithmic Pulpit: How Protestant Pastors Adopted the Web vs. AI

Comparing how Protestant pastors used the internet in 2001 to how they use artificial intelligence today shows that technological adoption in the church has evolved from standard digital utility into an era of near-universal AI engagement—though one handled with immense theological caution. While early internet adoption centered on administrative streamlining and basic pastoral tasks, 87% to 93% of Protestant pastors now engage with or use AI in their ministry. Only 13% of pastors report not using AI at all.

The Core Difference: Utilitarian vs. Theological Friction

The biggest divergence between 2001 and today isn’t the adoption rate—it is the nature of the tool itself. In 2001, the internet was viewed primarily as a faster postal service or an expanded library card. With AI, pastors are facing a technology that mimics human thought, prompting intense ethical scrutiny. According to research by the Barna Group and Gloo, a staggering 94% of pastors express concern about AI misinterpreting scripture, and 79% worry about AI acting as a replacement for God. As a result, pastors predominantly relegate AI to behind-the-scenes administrative assistance, keeping a strictly human element at the pulpit.