A story in last month’s issue about registration for the 2004 National LCMS Youth Gathering said that both online and mailed registrations were still being accepted.  Online registration now has closed, but mail-in registration remains open. January 2004

Feb. 15 is the deadline for congregations to apply for competitive grants to help them develop support services for immigrants and refugees in their communities. The grants are from the Good Samaritan fund, a joint project of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee…

Although 2003 was the last year for awarding congregational-outreach grants from the Marvin M. Schwan Charitable Foundation, the Synod office for that program is getting calls about how to apply for the grants in 2004. “We simply have to inform these…

The nation’s three largest Lutheran church bodies are conducting a study to determine the extent of indebtedness of their rostered professional church workers. They are The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran…

The Synod’s Board of Directors has introduced a new question-and-answer feature to its Web site that it says is intended to “clear up … confusion and provide assurance to the members of our Synod” about some of the Board’s recent…

The Synod’s Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) has forwarded to the Council of Presidents (COP) a draft of “Guidelines for Participation in Civic Events.” LCMS President Gerald Kieschnick in November 2001 asked the CTCR to prepare the guidelines in…

By Paula Schlueter Ross Former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon will be sorely missed by fellow members of Our Savior Lutheran Church, Carbondale, Ill., according to Rev. Robert Gray, the congregation’s pastor. Simon, a member of Our Savior since 1974, was especially…

Lutheran schools will play a major role in the Synod’s Ablaze! initiative to bring the Gospel to 100 million unreached people by 2017, says Terry Schmidt, associate director of school ministry with the Synod’s Board for District and Congregational Services. …

By David L. Mahsman The Synod’s Commission on Constitutional Matters (CCM) Dec. 13 reaffirmed three earlier opinions that the Synod may not expel a member who, in the performance of official duties, follows the advice and counsel of his or her…

Retired Air Force General John A. Shaud of Springfield, Va., has been chosen to receive the Silver St. Martin of Tours medal in recognition of exceptionally meritorious service to the nation and the church. The medal, to be presented during…

A number of resources – most of them free — are available to help congregations observe “LCMS World Mission Month” in January. Theme of the monthlong mission celebration is Ablaze!, in recognition of the Synod’s Ablaze! initiative that seeks to…

The new site, launched Dec. 18, consolidates more than 20 individual departmental web sites, including LCMS World Mission, LCMS World Relief, the President’s Office, Higher Education, Black Ministry, and District and Congregational Services. Since the site was last updated in…

Registration remains open for the 2004 National LCMS Youth Gathering, July 24-28 in Orlando, Fla. Gretchen Jameson, communications manager for the Gathering and its sponsor, LCMS Youth Ministry, said that mailed-in registrations will be accepted “on a space-available basis,” as late…

Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, will inaugurate its new graduate-level deaconess program Jan. 19 with special events on campus featuring officials of President George W. Bush’s administration. Jim Towey, deputy assistant to Bush and director of the Office of Faith…

Representatives of the Missouri Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) met Nov. 11 for their first formal theological talks since both church bodies elected new leaders in 2001. “We sat down and talked about the hard questions…

Representatives of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the International Lutheran Council (ILC) have agreed that their organizations should maintain contact and continue to talk with each other. LWF and ILC representatives met Oct. 30 to Nov. 2 in Jarvenpaa,…