WASHINGTON (RNS) — The Saudi Arabian embassy on June 24 denied as “completely false” reports that U.S. Jews would not be able to travel to Saudi Arabia under Delta Air Line’s planned partnership with Saudi Arabian Airlines. U.S. Jewish groups…

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (RNS) — Middle school is no picnic for a lot of students, but for Alec McGuire, it was intolerable. He transferred from one Catholic school to another in eighth grade to get away from another student whom…

Concordia Plan Services (CPS) received a first-place “Award of Excellence” from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) for work on a 2010 growth campaign for the Concordia Retirement Savings Plan (CRSP). Founded in 1970, the IABC is a network…

DETROIT — The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, Lutheran World Relief (LWR), Baltimore, and the United Nations Foundation announced June 27 an unprecedented partnership to mobilize Lutherans in the United States in the fight against malaria in Africa. The Lutheran Malaria Initiative…

By Paula Schlueter Ross PEORIA, Ill. — Delegates to the 34th Biennial Convention of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, meeting here June 23-26, adopted a new mission goal of $1.825 million for the 2011-2013 biennium. The goal is the same…

By James Heine ST. LOUIS — Leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod continued their talks regarding “cooperation in externals” during a meeting here May 25-26. The top leaders of North America’s two…

The 2011-12 edition of Chapel Talks for Lutheran Schools is now available for order through LCMS School Ministry. That volume is titled “Equipped to Serve,” based on 2 Tim. 3:16-17, which reads, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and…

Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod Communications announces an opening for the position of managing editor: Witness, Mercy, Life Together. The position is accountable to the director of News and Information and will be responsible for gathering, editing and supervising the production of…

Note: Reporter cannot accept notices about items offered for sale or that people wish to purchase. Items described as “Wanted” or “Available” are sought or may be obtained for shipping costs only. Available The Lutheran Hymnal, CPH 1941 (red), 40,…

By Roland Lovstad With a Witness, Mercy, Life Together emphasis, the coordinative services that the Synod will provide to districts and congregations and its mission work around the world will be carried out by two offices — National Mission and International…

By Kim Plummer Krull Every morning when Kimberly Johnson arrives at work, the Immanuel Lutheran Church secretary says her telephone message box is full. “We get calls from all over the country from people wanting to help, wanting to volunteer,…

Prolific author and frequent speaker Dr. Paul Maier talked about his new book, The Constantine Codex, in a June 22 interview on KFUO Radio, the LCMS-owned station in St. Louis. Maier, who retired this year as professor of Ancient History…

by Kim Plummer Krull Historic flooding in Minot, N.D., has forced evacuations for scores of LCMS families from their homes and some 70 residents from the Minot campus of Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch — a Synod Recognized Service Organization. …

(RNS) — United Methodists (UMC) will begin a trial June 21 against a Wisconsin minister who’s accused of breaking church rules by celebrating a same-sex marriage and being in a lesbian relationship. The Rev. Amy DeLong, 44, of Osceola, Wis.,…

NEW ORLEANS (RNS) — Even before the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) elected the Rev. Fred Luter to national office, there was already widespread speculation that Luter is poised to become the denomination’s first African-American president. Representatives of 16 million Southern…