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Items wanted, available (August 2011)

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. Notices may be sent to Karen Higgins at…

Gifts help lift spirits of flood evacuees

By Kim Plummer Krull Five weeks after the sirens blasted a final evacuation warning, Amanda Mosser and coworkers at the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch are among the thousands of Minot, N.D., area residents still living in emergency shelters, campers…

Judge tosses out circumcision referendum

(RNS) — A proposed circumcision ban will not appear on San Francisco’s citywide ballot in November, a Superior Court judge ruled July 28. Judge Loretta Giorgi has determined that as “a widely practiced medical procedure,” circumcision cannot be banned by…

Stott, called 'evangelical pope,' dies at age 90

(RNS) — Rev. John Stott, a renowned and prolific author credited with shaping 20th-century evangelical Christianity, died July27 in England at age 90. While not a household name like evangelist Billy Graham, Stott was considered nearly as influential. He wrote…

LCMS musician Rev. Robert Bergt dies

Rev. Robert Bergt, whose work and reputation as a musician are known around the world, died in a St. Louis hospital July 26 at the age of 81. The cause of death was heart failure and its resulting complications. A private…

In Peru, quake relief effort leads to first worship service

“Uno … dos … tres … Jesús es nuestro Sanador!”  That phrase echoed through the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Lunahuanà, Peru, July 6, as more than 30 Peruvians gathered with LCMS missionaries for the first Lutheran worship service…

Mercy Medical Teams serve in India, Haiti

By Kim Plummer Krull The day after one Mercy Medical Team (MMT) returned from leading first-ever, much-needed diabetes education seminars requested by the India Evangelical Lutheran Church, another group of quickly organized medical volunteers headed to Haiti to answer an…

CPH releases new children's Bible

After four years — and hundreds of hours of research — Concordia Publishing House has produced The Story Bible for children ages 3 to 8. The new Bible features lifelike illustrations, Christ-centered stories and resources designed to enhance learning.  It…

Catholics look into buying Crystal Cathedral

(RNS) — The Crystal Cathedral, which has put its iconic campus up for sale to end a bankruptcy crisis, has an interested party that needs a large cathedral: the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, Calif. The diocese — the nation’s…

Pennsylvania debates whether thou shalt not hunt on the Sabbath

HARRISBURG, Pa. (RNS) — Two of the most influential forces in conservative lobbying are poised to go head-to-head this fall over an issue that some Pennsylvania lawmakers dread might be one of the most difficult of the session. It’s the…

Churches divided on Hungary's new religion law

(RNS/ENInews) — Christian leaders in Hungary are divided over a restrictive new law on religion, with larger denominations welcoming its curbs on church activities and smaller groups voicing fears for their future. “We wanted a new law to make it…

Church-state groups seek equal play for atheist concert

WASHINGTON (RNS) — Three church-state activist groups criticized the Army for allowing an evangelical concert at North Carolina’s Fort Bragg but not making similar provisions for a “Rock Beyond Belief” concert for nonbelievers. The three groups — Americans United for…

Presbyterians to officially allow gay clergy

(RNS) — On July 10, Presbyterians who support gay rights celebrated the passage of a new church policy that allows gay pastors to serve openly for the first time in the denomination’s history. As the new policy for the Presbyterian…

House directs Pentagon to uphold DOMA law on gay marriage

WASHINGTON (RNS) — House lawmakers voted July 7 to order the Pentagon to uphold the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that defines marriage as between one man and one woman. In an amendment to a larger Defense Department funding bill,…

Harrison issues 'Letter to the Church' concerning military chaplaincy ministry with ELCA

In a “Letter to the Church” released Monday, July 18, LCMS President Dr. Matthew C. Harrison announced that, beginning in 2012, the Synod will no longer co-sponsor its training conferences for military chaplains with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America…

Praesidium endorses CTCR document on assessing cooperative work

By Linda C. Hoops The Missouri Synod’s Praesidium (president and five vice-presidents) at its June 1-2 meeting unanimously endorsed a new document from the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) that offers more detailed theological criteria for assessing the…