The Charles E. Benidt Foundation of Elm Grove, Wis., has committed a challenge grant of $4 million toward the “How Will They Hear?” campaign of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. The “advanced gifts” phase of the campaign began July 1, 2005. …

Now through Dec. 31, Concordia Publishing House is offering 20 percent off the first quarter of each new subscription of Growing in Worship, a new Sunday worship folder for children and their families. The four-page children’s worship folder highlights the…

Janet B. Leet, principal of Christ Community Lutheran School (CCLS), located at Webster Gardens Lutheran Church, St. Louis, is one of 62 national and international educators recognized as 2008 National Distinguished Principals (NDP) by the National Association of Elementary School…

A consulting group consisting of eight men and eight women appointed by the Synod’s Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) discussed a revised draft document on the scriptural relationship of man and woman at its fourth and final meeting…

Lutherans For Life (LFL) is launching a new, church-wide initiative that seeks to help pastors and congregations apply the Gospel message in dealing with and discussing complex life issues. Dr. James Lamb, LFL executive director, said that the initiative is…

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, announces the 17th season of “Bach at the Sem,” featuring presentations of the music of J.S. Bach by The American Kantorei, under the direction of Robert Bergt. The concerts are held at 3 p.m. on weekend…

New subscriptions of the devotional magazine Strength for the Day from Concordia Publishing House will receive the first issue free — in any quantity, as long as it’s delivered to one address.  For example, if your congregation orders a 60-copy subscription,…

By Paula Schlueter Ross Two years ago, Ida Mall, who served as president of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) from 1991 to 1995, received a letter from Synod President Gerald Kieschnick asking her to consider serving as an “ambassador”…

“Teaching For Life” is a new resource from Lutherans For Life (LFL) designed to help Lutheran school teachers apply God’s Word to life issues in their classrooms.  The program teaches nine key pro-life concepts — one for each month of the…

The Lutheran Services in America Disability Network (LSA-DN) is sponsoring a Spiritual Life Conference focusing on the needs of developmentally disabled people Oct. 20-22 at the Minneapolis Airport Marriott Hotel in Bloomington, Minn. LSA-DN is a network of 17 Lutheran…

By Joe Isenhower Jr. From statistical reports for 2007 filed by two-thirds of the 6,075 LCMS congregations, totals indicate that baptized membership throughout the Synod decreased by an estimated 34,913 (to 2,383,084) for the year and confirmed mem-bership dropped by…

While on vacation in Canada this summer, Kristy, of St. Louis, and her husband, Michael, decided to get pedicures.  When the manicurist found out Michael was a seminary student, she was surprised a pastor-to-be could be married.  That gave Kristy…

With only nine years left until the Reformation Day 2017 deadline — and the Ablaze! counter now at 9 million — is it possible for The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and its partners worldwide to share the Gospel with 100 million…

By Paula Schlueter Ross The Web site “counter” for the Synod’s worldwide Ablaze! faith-sharing movement got a big boost in September as 183,203 was added to “the number of unreached or uncommitted people with whom the Gospel has been shared…

“Youth Ministry 2009 (YM 2009)” — set for Jan. 9-11 at the J.W. Marriott Hotel at the Galleria in Houston, and geared toward all lay and professional youth workers in any LCMS setting — will concentrate on the theme “Teaching the…

LCMS World Mission and LCMS World Relief and Human Care have given emergency grants of $10,000 and $5,000 each, respectively, to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Haiti (ELCH) to help the LCMS partner church respond to the needs of people…