Official Notice: Nominating Ballots

The official nominating ballots for the offices of President, First Vice President, and other Vice Presidents have been mailed to every member congregation of the Synod according to the list of member congregations maintained by the Synod’s Department of Rosters…

Official Notice: Convention Reports and Overtures

The deadline established by bylaw for the submission of reports and overtures to the 2007 convention of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is March 10, 2007. The boards and commissions of the Synod are being asked to submit their reports to…

Pressure Points with Dr. Bruce Hartung

Q: I like fall because it brings revitalization of the programs and activities of my congregation.  But I dislike fall because it brings budget planning.  And that means making decisions about salaries, including mine. This fall, we had a tough…

Official Notice: Lawsuit

The lawsuit filed by more than 80 plaintiffs against President Gerald B. Kieschnick, First Vice President William R. Diekelman, and The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (as a necessary nominal defendant) in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, Mo., in August…

Need more information about `Consecrated Stewards`?

Growing stewardship is a growing interest, judging from the response to the November Reporter story about the new Consecrated Stewards emphasis developed by the Lutheran Church Extension Fund’s (LCEF) Capital Funding Services. Pastors seeking more Consecrated Stewards information can directly…

Wanted: LCMS hams for new amateur radio support network

By Kim Krull Hurricane Katrina changed many lives in many heartbreaking ways.  But for Rev. Larry Beane, one surprisingly positive change is his return to a boyhood hobby. “Hurricane Katrina convinced me to become active in ham radio once again,”…

Board approves missions fundraising change

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Synod’s Board of Directors has approved a resolution that, starting no sooner than next July 1, will transfer “Level 1” fundraising activities for the Synod’s Board for Mission Services (BFMS) from the LCMS Foundation to the…

Lutheran seniors show strength despite fire

By Kim Krull The woman who lost everything in the fire that devastated a Concordia Lutheran Ministries retirement building in Cabot, Pa. — yet donated $100 to help fellow homeless residents — is just one example of these senior citizens’ strength…

Graduate programs push `headcount` at Synod colleges to record

By Paula Schlueter Ross Thank God for graduate programs, which are continuing to draw ever-increasing numbers of students to the Synod’s universities with each passing year. This fall’s total undergraduate and graduate enrollment of 20,091 for the 10 Concordia University…

Roegner: Other church leaders `amazed` at Ablaze!

Participants in a symposium hosted last month by the American Bible Society expressed “a little bit of shock and amazement” that the Missouri Synod is reaching out with the Gospel through the Ablaze! movement, says LCMS World Mission Executive Director…

Observe `Life Sunday` with resources

Lutherans For Life (LFL) and LCMS Life Ministries are offering an array of resources to help congregations and other groups observe “Sanctity of Human Life Sunday” on Jan. 21.  The materials also are suitable to use any time of the…

`Fan Into Flame` raises $10.2 million in mission funds

By Paula Schlueter Ross “Fan Into Flame” — the Synodwide campaign to raise $100 million by 2010 to support the worldwide evangelism effort known as Ablaze! — is officially off and running. Rolled out early this year as a pilot…

Web sites offer information about Synod schools, church careers

As the son of a pastor and a church worker himself, Dr. Kurt Krueger says serving God as a pastor, teacher, or other professional church worker can be extremely fulfilling. “It’s a great life for those of us who’ve been…

COP eyes `harmony and trust,` OKs proposed alternate-route

ORLANDO, Fla. — The LCMS Council of Presidents (COP) focused on “restoring harmony and trust in the … Synod for the sake of Christ’s mission” at its Nov. 12-14 meeting here.  The council also “approved in principle” a proposed alternate-route program…

Commentary: Reaching out to the immigrants among us

By Karen Boettcher This commentary is in response to the “Statement Regarding Immigration Concerns” issued June 2 by Dr. Gerald Kieschnick, LCMS president, and Rev. Matthew Harrison, executive director of LCMS World Relief/Human Care.  The commentary — written from the…

Plans to introduce new health programs next year

Concordia Plan Services (CPS) says it will introduce several new health and wellness programs as part of the Concordia Health Plan (CHP), starting March 1. Free to all CHP members, those programs will consist of Health Risk Assessment (HRA), Health Advisors…