(RNS) — Three outbursts of violence in or near churches, including one during worship services, are raising safety concerns for church leaders. Eddie Contreras, youth pastor at Walnut Park Casa De Mi Gloria Church in Garland, Texas, was speaking to…

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. Wanted Pastor’s Companion Agenda, the style used in the…

The Religious Life and Church Relations Department of Bethesda Lutheran Communities has a full-time position available for a ministry consultant in the Pacific Northwest Region, based in Portland, Ore. Empowered by the love of Christ, a ministry consultant advocates for and…

LAURIE B. ERIKSEN, Delray Beach, Fla.; REBECCA RUTH HILLMAN, Cheney, Kan.; NADINE L. HOGER, Matteson, Ill.; MICHELLE URBAN, Columbia City, Ind.; and CAREN MEYER VOGT, Hamburg, N.J., have applied for reinstatement to the Ministers of Religion-Commissioned roster of The Lutheran…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (RNS) — The archaic sounds that fill the historic former church sanctuary echo, hauntingly, like a whispering ghost from the past. Inside the 1902 building that once housed the Second Presbyterian Church, the elaborate archways bounce back the…

From now through Reformation Day (Oct. 31) Concordia Publishing House is offering Lutheranism 101 at a special introductory Web-only price of $14.99, plus shipping.  The book’s regular price is $24.99. Whether you’re a lifelong Lutheran, a newcomer to the faith…

Concordia University Chicago invites the public to join its faculty, staff and students for a free workshop exploring the principles of “servant leadership” and “why traditional top-down leadership is no longer appropriate or effective for most contemporary organizations.” The workshop…

“Bach at the Sem,” the Sunday afternoon concert series at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, begins its 19th season this fall. Four concerts will be performed in the seminary’s Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus — all begin at 3…

By James Heine The LCMS Council of Presidents (COP) has approved the placement of 214 church workers. The number includes 34 pastors and 180 commissioned ministers. Also, the council assigned 29 men to vicarages, including 23 men engaged in the…

Two tornadoes with winds of up to 125 miles per hour struck parts of Brooklyn and Queens in New York City Sept. 16, damaging structures at two LCMS schools and churches. They were just the ninth and 10th tornadoes to…

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (RNS) — Doug De Vries describes Sunday evening worship as “a lot less formal” than the morning service at Plymouth Heights Christian Reformed Church. It’s also a lot less crowded. Plymouth Heights is in step with a…

WASHINGTON (RNS) — Religious minorities — especially Muslims — figure prominently in religious freedom investigations by the Justice Department, a new report shows.  “Jewish synagogues and schools, African-American churches, and, increasingly, Muslim mosques and schools are particularly vulnerable to discriminatory…

(RNS) — The basic text used for Alcoholics Anonymous programs, known as “The Big Book,” initially used stronger religious language but was reduced to appeal to a wider audience, The Washington Post is reporting. Hazelden, a nonprofit addiction treatment center,…

Convention Proceedings 2010 — the official record of the 64th Regular Convention of the Synod that met July 10-17 in Houston — is online in downloadable PDF format at http://www.lcms.org/proceedings. In line with Synod Bylaw 3.1.10.1, the printed Proceedings will…

Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Ind., invites nominations and applications for the position of executive director of Campus Ministries. The executive director of Valparaiso University Campus Ministries is responsible for the management and direction of the various campus ministries of the university,…