Those who receive calls will attend orientation events March 2-14 and July 12-24, 2015, in St. Louis.
News

CPH offers free Advent planning guide
Concordia Publishing House is offering pastors a free, downloadable planning guide designed to help them with their preparations for Advent.

CTCR releases paper on gender-identity disorder
The paper responds to questions the LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations has received about the matter of transsexual or transgender individuals.

‘Be Lutheran,’ Harrison encourages collegians in tweet chat
For the tweet-chat discussion in its entirety, go to #lcmspresident on Twitter or twubs.com/lcmspresident on Twubs.

Global Sem Initiative: Supporting theological education worldwide
The initiative provides scholarships for pastors from emerging and partner church bodies to obtain advanced degrees at the two LCMS seminaries.

New Web page offers updates on task forces
Information and actions of the four convention-mandated task forces are available at lcms.org/convention/taskforceupdates.

First Youth Corps event includes service, learning, community
The Aug. 11-17 pilot event is a prelude to more extended Lutheran Youth Corps service experiences planned for the future.

St. Louis sem to celebrate its 175th anniversary
Local congregations and other supporters are invited to a daylong celebration on the Concordia Seminary campus Friday, Oct. 10.

Lower response clouds 2013 statistics for congregations
Only 3,591 congregations — 59 percent of all those in the Synod — report their financial and statistical information for 2013.

CUW, Bethesda pioneer program for those with disabilities
Bethesda College of Applied Learning is the new program of Concordia University Wisconsin and Bethesda Lutheran Communities.

Three CUS schools named ‘Colleges of Distinction’
Concordia University Chicago, Concordia University Wisconsin and Concordia College—New York are among 200-plus schools recognized.

Board approves matching funds to boost urban/inner-city mission
In addition to adopting several other actions at its Aug. 22 meeting, the Synod’s Board of Directors held its triennial retreat.

LCMS responders ready to assist after 6.0 quake
The Synod awaits damage assessments from a Napa, Calif., church following the Aug. 24 earthquake. Among damages are the organ, which is now unusable.

Commentary: Should Lutherans take ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’?
What should Christians watch out for when donating money to this ALS cause?