New This Week Archives

Blue Ribbon Committee on Lutheran Schools wraps up work

The LCMS Blue Ribbon Committee on Lutheran Schools was created by the Synod in convention in 2013 and directed to continue its work in 2016. It will report its findings and recommendations at the 2019 Synod convention in Tampa, Fla.

Register now for prison ministry conference

Registration is open for “Captive Souls … Mercy for All,” a Synodwide prison ministry conference set for Aug. 17–18 at the Hilton St. Louis Airport.

Texas Lutherans provide quick response to shooting

On May 18, a shooter opened fire on students and faculty at Santa Fe High School, ultimately killing 10 people and injuring 10 more.

Fire guts historic Milwaukee church, pastor sees ‘tremendous opportunity’

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Milwaukee was destroyed by the four-alarm fire on May 15, but there were no injuries.

Seminaries offer summer learning opportunities

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis and Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. are offering a series of summer workshops — open to pastors, church workers and laypeople — in various locations across the country.

LCMS members play key role in passing Iowa fetal heartbeat bill

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed the bill — which prohibits most abortions once a heartbeat is detectable by ultrasound — on May 4. Previously in Iowa, most abortions were permitted up to 20 weeks of pregnancy.

CPH book focuses on helping the needy

In a book about caring for the poor, LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison takes the example of St. Paul and applies it to today’s church.

Xavier climbs through a play tunnel at ACTS of Love Early Childhood Education Center on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016, in Leander, Texas. LCMS Communications/Erik M. Lunsford

In the May ‘Lutheran Witness’: Children are blessings

The May 2018 edition of “The Lutheran Witness” includes an overview of Lutheran K-12 education in America by Heather Smith and contributions from well-known voices including the Rev. A. Trevor Sutton, the Rev. Dr. Peter Scaer and Adriane Heins, former LW managing editor.

James Connelly, an industrial technology teacher at Morton West High School in Berwyn, Ill., holds his Award of Excellence. A 2017 graduate of Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, Ill., Connelly was named as one of 10 Illinois “Teacher of the Year” finalists for 2018 in recognition of his “outstanding contributions to Illinois education.” (Janelly Corona)

Campus Clips – May 2018

Concordia University Chicago alumnus James Connelly named one of 10 Illinois “Teacher of the Year” finalists in Illinois. Concordia University Texas team claims LCEF National Student Marketing Competition. Concordia University, Nebraska, women’s soccer players doing mission work with Urban Plunge.

Britt Odemba, LCMS career missionary to Kenya, teaches first-grade students at Karama Academy, a Lutheran school in Kibera, the largest slum in Africa. Odemba, who is an educational consultant at the school, recently celebrated five years serving in Kenya. (Yasser Berenjkoup)

From the Mission Field – May 2018

Leaders of six Lutheran church bodies, three seminaries and five Bible institutes gathered with over 40 other theologians and church workers at the Concordia The Reformer Mercy Center and Seminary in Santiago, Dominican Republic. In Kenya, Britt Odemba is celebrating five years of service as an LCMS career missionary.

Denninger re-elected president of LCMS Southeastern District

The Rev. Dr. John R. Denninger of Springfield, Va., was elected on the first ballot to his third term as president of the Southeastern District during the district’s 38th convention on May 10-12 in Hickory, N.C.

Lange elected to first term as California-Nevada-Hawaii president

The Rev. Michael R. Lange of Brentwood, Calif., was elected on the third ballot to his first term as president of the LCMS California-Nevada-Hawaii District during the district’s 71st convention, May 11–12 in Sacramento, Calif.

Concordia College Alabama closes: ‘Nevertheless,’ Dr. Rosa J. Young’s legacy continues

Students, families, faculty and regents gathered on the campus of Concordia College Alabama on April 28 for the school’s 92nd and final commencement. Founded in 1922, the historically black Lutheran college closed its doors for good following the ceremony after a multi-year effort to stay open.