In support of the Ablaze! outreach movement, the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) and LCMS World Mission have established a “Mission Planting Fund” to provide low-cost loans for new mission starts in the United States. “We are committed to providing…
LWR catalog features international gifts
The 2007-08 Lutheran World Relief (LWR) Handcraft Project catalog — featuring hundreds of handmade items from artisans around the world — is now available. Included in the full-color catalog are food and home-décor items, baskets, crosses, jewelry, Christmas ornaments, nativity…
Worker health, retirees, recruitment could offset pastor shortage
By Roland Lovstad Better health practices, engaging retired clergy, and student recruitment are among efforts that seek to deal with a projected shortage of pastors during the coming decade. The projections show the Synod will need 300 to 350 new…
Responsibility for recruiting extends beyond seminaries
“Aggressive” is the way representatives of the LCMS seminaries in St. Louis, Mo., and Fort Wayne, Ind., describe their recruitment efforts as they do their part in addressing the projected shortage of parish pastors. Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, has three full-time recruitment…
Seminary to explore 'hope' within ethnic communities
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, is sponsoring a first-ever multi-ethnic symposium, “Expressions of Hope,” Jan. 28-29 on its campus. The event is beind conducted in partnership with the Synod’s National Mission Affiliates, an LCMS World Mission umbrella organization that represents 10…
Seminary to host Lay Bible Institute
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, will host its winter 2008 Lay Bible Institute from 7 to 9 p.m. on four consecutive Wednesdays — Jan. 9 through 30. The topic, “Paul through the Ages: A Look at the Message of Galatians in…
LCMS membership down, donations up in ‘06
By Joe Isenhower Jr. With more than a third of the 6,073 LCMS congregations not reporting statistical information for 2006, approximate totals indicate that baptized membership Synodwide decreased by 22,867 (to 2,417,999) and confirmed membership fell by 13,876 (to 1,856,783)…
New ornament depicts Wittenberg church
The first in a series of Ablaze! Christmas ornaments to be issued annually by LCMS World Mission through 2017 — the 500th anniversary of the Reformation — is now available. This year’s ornament features the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany…
Sánchez named to sem chair for Hispanic ministry
Dr. Leopoldo Sánchez is the first occupant of the newly established Werner R.H. and Elizabeth Ringger Krause Chair for Hispanic Ministries at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Sánchez is associate professor of systematic theology and director of the seminary’s Center for…
New books available from CPH
A number of new books for children are now available from Concordia Publishing House in St. Louis, just in time for Christmas: The Real Story of Creation ($16.99, item no. 56-2407), by Paul L. Maier, teaches children ages 4 and…
LFL offers adoption resources
November is “National Adoption Month,” according to Lutherans For Life (LFL), and the pro-life, pro-family ministry is offering a number of resources designed to help congregations call attention to both sides of adoption — those who give up their babies…
LCMS, ELCA focus on cooperative ministries
BALTIMORE — Leaders of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) discussed their denominations’ cooperative ministries when they met Oct. 24 here at the Lutheran Center. The ministries address domestic disaster response, immigration matters,…
Call for nominations: CPS President/CEO (November)
The Board of Directors of the Concordia Plan Services is seeking nominations for a President/CEO. The President/CEO reports to the Board of Trustees of Concordia Plans and the Board of Directors of Concordia Plan Services. Both boards are composed of…
Fort Wayne sem to host visit to Frankenmuth
Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, is sponsoring a charter bus trip to Frankenmuth, Mich., Dec. 8. The itinerary includes a visit to historic St. Lorenz Lutheran Church, established in 1845 and one of the Synod’s 14 charter congregations; a Christmas…
Some 20 member homes lost to California fires
By Sarah Schafer An estimated 20 to 25 LCMS families returned to piles of ash and rubble — where their homes once stood — after a week of wildfires that raced across much of Southern California, from Los Angeles to…
Two LCMS schools get 'blue-ribbon' honor
By Joe Isenhower Jr. Two schools operated by LCMS congregations have been named “blue-ribbon schools” for 2007 — the highest honor that the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) gives to individual schools each year. They are Immanuel Lutheran School, Albuquerque, N.M.,…
