WILLIAM H. VAN DUZER, Sebring, Fla., has applied for reinstatement to the Minister of Religion-Ordained roster of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.  MARK FAERBER, Belleville, Mich.; DOUGLAS JACOBY, Port Washington, Wis.; and CAROL OLDAY, Lake Worth, Fla., have applied for reinstatement…

All 35 LCMS districts hold their conventions this year — just as they do every three years — starting with North Dakota’s Jan. 22-25 and ending with Central Illinois’ July 9-11. Reporter plans to carry a summary story on each convention, as…

In their first meeting in at least 10 years, development teams from the Synod’s two seminaries got together with staff from the LCMS Joint Seminary Fund to get to know one another, share strategies, and discuss ways they can work…

“Seven Practices of Effective Ministry” for congregations is the focus of the current issue of “Mission Moments,” a free biweekly electronic newsletter from the Center for U.S. Missions in Irvine, Calif. The practices, related by Rev. Glenn A. Lucas, director of…

The two seminaries of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod will be holding campus-visitation events in February, March, and during the summer months for men and women interested in church vocations. Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, will sponsor three events: The Institute on the…

Concordia Publishing House is offering English, Spanish, and bilingual vacation Bible school programs for summer 2006: “Treasure Cove,” available only in English, takes children on a treasure hunt through God’s Holy Word.  The five-day program uses different color gemstones to…

“Hosanna!,” a 25-by-52-inch print of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem painted by a professional artist and member of Memorial Lutheran Church, a Missouri Synod congregation in Houston, is among the items featured in the first annual online auction to benefit…

Dr. Ralph Mayan, president of Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC), last month presented LCMS President Gerald B. Kieschnick a check for $65,000 for hurricane-relief work through LCMS World Relief/Human Care. The gift represent funds donated by congregation members of the Synod partner…

“The design of the Synod’s first museum at the International Center [in St. Louis] is beginning to jell,” says Dr. Martin R. Noland, director of Concordia Historical Institute (CHI), which is planning the museum on the Synod’s history. Last year,…

“The [Synod’s] Board of Directors respectfully ask[s] the Bylaw 3.2.5 Nominations Committee to reconsider the lists it has provided for filling current vacancies.” With those words the Synod’s Board of Directors (BOD) at a specially called Jan. 13 meeting resolved…

A grant of $100,000 from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will allow Family Shield Ministries, Inc., of St. Louis, to take a number of steps toward raising an estimated $1 million to support its popular Family Shield radio ministry and present…

Rev. Larry Reinhardt retires Feb. 28, after nearly 10 years as director of Stewardship Ministry with the Synod’s Board for District and Congregational Services (DCS). Reinhardt, 65, and his wife, Diane, will move from the St. Louis area to Las…

Eulogies can be apt The January Reporter (“Letters to the Editor”) raised the question of whether eulogies are appropriate in Lutheran funeral services, such as that of the late Dr. Oswald Hoffmann.  I believe the answer is conditioned by the…

By Kim Krull Three Indonesian church leaders who are involved in confessional Lutheran renewal say at least one blessing has emerged from the tsunami that devastated their country just about a year ago. “People (in Indonesia) see that Christians care…

Dr. J. Thomas Lapacka, executive director of the Synod’s Board for Communication Services (BCS) since 2001, left that post as of Dec. 31. The BCS will begin the process of securing a new executive director in the near future. In…

Promotional resources are available to help Lutheran schools and congregations observe National Lutheran Schools Week (NLSW) 2006. Set for March 5-11, the week has the theme of “Lutheran Schools — A Great Place To Grow,” with “a sub-theme of “Developing…