“Hosanna!,” a 25-by-52-inch print of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem painted by a professional artist and member of Memorial Lutheran Church, a Missouri Synod congregation in Houston, is among the items featured in the first annual online auction to benefit…

Dr. Ralph Mayan, president of Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC), last month presented LCMS President Gerald B. Kieschnick a check for $65,000 for hurricane-relief work through LCMS World Relief/Human Care. The gift represent funds donated by congregation members of the Synod partner…

“The design of the Synod’s first museum at the International Center [in St. Louis] is beginning to jell,” says Dr. Martin R. Noland, director of Concordia Historical Institute (CHI), which is planning the museum on the Synod’s history. Last year,…

“The [Synod’s] Board of Directors respectfully ask[s] the Bylaw 3.2.5 Nominations Committee to reconsider the lists it has provided for filling current vacancies.” With those words the Synod’s Board of Directors (BOD) at a specially called Jan. 13 meeting resolved…

A grant of $100,000 from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will allow Family Shield Ministries, Inc., of St. Louis, to take a number of steps toward raising an estimated $1 million to support its popular Family Shield radio ministry and present…

Rev. Larry Reinhardt retires Feb. 28, after nearly 10 years as director of Stewardship Ministry with the Synod’s Board for District and Congregational Services (DCS). Reinhardt, 65, and his wife, Diane, will move from the St. Louis area to Las…

Eulogies can be apt The January Reporter (“Letters to the Editor”) raised the question of whether eulogies are appropriate in Lutheran funeral services, such as that of the late Dr. Oswald Hoffmann.  I believe the answer is conditioned by the…

By Kim Krull Three Indonesian church leaders who are involved in confessional Lutheran renewal say at least one blessing has emerged from the tsunami that devastated their country just about a year ago. “People (in Indonesia) see that Christians care…

Dr. J. Thomas Lapacka, executive director of the Synod’s Board for Communication Services (BCS) since 2001, left that post as of Dec. 31. The BCS will begin the process of securing a new executive director in the near future. In…

Promotional resources are available to help Lutheran schools and congregations observe National Lutheran Schools Week (NLSW) 2006. Set for March 5-11, the week has the theme of “Lutheran Schools — A Great Place To Grow,” with “a sub-theme of “Developing…

The family of Ronald Schulz, an American Lutheran who was taken hostage by an Iraqi insurgent group in November, now believes he was killed by his captors. The Schulz family held a memorial service for him Jan. 14 at St. John…

By Joe Isenhower Jr. Wet conditions from intermittent rain and a new parade route didn’t dampen the spirits of an estimated 100,000-plus people — including several dozen under the Lutherans For Life (LFL) banner — who gathered for this year’s…

Commentary: Lessons from the late ‘Book of Daniel’ By Gene Edward Veith The controversial TV show “The Book of Daniel” has been canceled after only three episodes, making it one of the biggest bombs in television history.  Christian activists denounced…

By Paula Schlueter Ross In its quest to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to at least 50 million “unchurched” North Americans over the next 12 years through Ablaze!, LCMS World Mission will be depending on the participation of congregations…

For shorter versions of key Reporter stories, downloadable in PDF format and suitable for use in congregational newsletters, go to the online Reporter Digest. Posted Jan. 19, 2006

For shorter versions of key Reporter stories, downloadable in PDF format and suitable for use in congregational newsletters, go to the online Reporter Digest. Posted Jan. 19, 2006