A School Note
Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Blessed day to you. Here is today’s Lutheran School message.

Director Wendy Neuschafer
Open Arms, Holy Cross, Clayton NC

Miracles do happen everyday.  Here at Open Arms in Clayton, NC we have a miracle child and his name is Colten. Colten was born premature but just over two years ago he was able to join our center when he was just   12-weeks-old and weighed  a little over 6 pounds.  His parents knew that he would have some health issues, because he was born with a Hemi-vertebrae.  He was not expected walk and would eventually need surgery. At 15-months, Colten was walking and getting around like the other children in his class. His doctors were amazed at how well he was getting around but he still needed to have surgery before he turned three years old.

Colten was scheduled to have surgery at the Shrinners hospital in Philadelphia last summer.  We named Colten as our first ever Grand Marshall for the annual 4th of July celebration.  After the parade we presented his family with some special gifts for him to share with the friends that he would make while he was at the hospital. We also gave the family a gift to help them with expenses while they were in Philadelphia.  On the day of Colten’s surgery we held a prayer vigil with our parents and staff.  Colten under went an 8-hour surgery and was expected to be at the hospital and in the city for three weeks. After 10 days, he returned home.

Today, Colten still has a back cast but gets around very well.  He has such a great fighting spirit and we are blessed to witness the miracle of God working in the life of Colten, his family, the medical team, and, yes, even in the school and congregation. We know that Colten is a Miracle from God and a Miracle of God.

Indeed, we see miracles being shaped every day when we look at the children who fill our classrooms.  Each child is an incredible promise and blessing, for each one has been chosen by God and is dearly loved by Him. It is why we pray so fervently for every desk to be filled. There are so many who do not realize the grace and love that God wants to shower upon them and we have the space. And in Lutheran schools, God provides the place for them to learn.

Gracious Father, open the doors of our congregations and schools to the children and families of our communities that they may come to know your great love for them. Be with our children who have special needs and through the power of your Holy Spirit, help each child discover just how special they are to You. In your mighty name. Amen.

Contact Information
Sally J. Hiller
email: sjhiller@se.lcms.org
800.637.5723 ext. 205

Don’t forget that we will have Office Hours on the web for Mission U on Tuesday evening, March 9, 2010. Join us at http://lsportal.breeze.net/sedt at 7:00 until 8:00.

This is an opportunity to ask your outreach questions, seek resources, and speak with others involved in sharing the Good News of Jesus.

Lutheran Hour Ministries’ Sarah Guldalian and SED’s Sally Hiller serve as your hosts.

A School Note
Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Blessed day to you. Today we give thanks for each student. As they learn about Jesus, they share him with others: family and friends, and the light of the Gospel shines through them. We even see direct results of this. Of those schools reporting in from last year, 86 children and 94 adults were baptized as a result of attending a Lutheran School. Praise God for this outreach ministry that shapes lives in every way.

From Principal Judy Sykes
Trinity, Norfolk VA

A mom, who is a Brownie troop leader shared this with me. During their meeting on Tuesday evening, there was a discussion about things that light can do. Her 1st grade daughter said “I know; it can lead you to Jesus!” Mom was so proud and knew that her answer was a direct result of her attendance at Trinity Lutheran School.

Dear Jesus, Let your light continue to shine throughout the classrooms, hallways, lunchrooms, playgrounds, and parking lots of our schools. May your Word be clearly proclaimed everyday. We pray for our students and their families that as they learn about you, faith is nurtured. In your name we pray. Amen.

Sally Hiller

A School Note

Monday, March 8, 2010

Blessed day to you. This is Monday of National Lutheran Schools Week and across our country students are preparing for a very special week of events that will celebrate the joy of being in Lutheran education and the blessings of being able to worship, talk about, and be a witness for our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Mr. Bill Cochran, Executive Director of LCMS Schools writes about this week: “National Lutheran Schools Week is an opportunity for Lutheran schools to celebrate their unique ministry to children and families they serve,” said William Cochran, interim executive director of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) District and Congregational Services, the office that oversees school ministry for the LCMS.  “It is also an opportunity to share that message with the community in which the school is located.  Lutheran schools are Christ-centered, academically strong, and respectfully operated!”

LCMS congregations operate the largest Protestant parochial school system in America.  A recent report for the 2009-2010 school year showed the LCMS has 2,444 total schools with an enrollment of 255,176 students in grades pre-school through 12th grade.  The average Lutheran elementary school has 114 students and the average high school, 187 students.

LCMS schools focus on educating the whole child, physically, mentally, and spiritually.  In some schools, more than half the students are not members of a Lutheran congregation.

Each day of this week, I will share a story from one of the 92 Lutheran Schools within the Southeastern District. I invite you to join with me in prayers of thanksgiving for the mission opportunities that are present daily in each of schools as children come to learn, to grow, and to know Jesus as Savior.

From Principal Cindy Deatherage
Prince of Peace Lutheran School
Springfield VA

Every morning as the teachers come to work, the love of Jesus Christ shines through each of them. The families and children are greeted each day by faculty and staff that share the love of Jesus, without hesitation. God works in all of our lives continually, never resting! Many, many of our faculty and staff have been tested this year, but God is always by our side giving us strength, comfort, and peace. I am reminded of a three-year-old during our Christmas Chapels that anxiously waited, and waited to see what was in the package on the Altar (a brightly wrapped package representing the present that God gave to us when His Son was born). The little boy came to understand that Jesus was the gift that we celebrate at Christmas each year. Faith is built when we can not see, but as we come to know that God is always there. I am blessed each day by being surrounded by women of such strong faith and women wanting to share that faith with others.

Dear Lord, we give you thanks for all who serve you in classrooms. Let their love and joy for you be a visible witness in the daily interactions with students, parents, and staff members. Grant them joy and delight in their serving. In your precious name. Amen.

Sally Hiller
sjhiller@se.lcms.org
800.637.5723 ext. 205

SHALOM

This week our staff and volunteers are gathering in St. Louis for a time of prayer, visioning, brainstorming, and encouragement in our mission work. Please pray for those who are able to join us for this special time in our 14th year: Ivan Peterson, Lisa Schnur, Brian & Kim Borcherding, Jerry Lucas, Steve & Nancy Cohen, and Alexey Shepelev.

Pray for wisdom, refreshment, passion in planning and preparing for the challenging times ahead.

Pray also for the opportunity to add more volunteers and mission partners who will help us further this mission of

BOLDLY DECLARING Y’SHUA AS MESSIAH TO JEWISH PEOPLE AND GENTILES AND URGERLY EQUIPPING GOD’S PEOPLE TO DO THE SAME.

THANK YOU!

Yours on behalf of all of us in service to the Lord…

Steve Cohen   Romans 10:1
www,appleofhiseye.org

Nancy Cohen, wife of Apple of His Eye founder, Steve Cohen, will come to your church for tea.  Click on this link and see the  Tea Party Flyer .  Nancy has spent many years in the mission field in Russia and Israel.  She will bring her passion to see women involved in community and in outreach.  There is no cost, only a free will door offering.  See flyer for details on how to arrange this unique event at your congregation

1 March 2010

From the President

Stewardship Thoughts
It’s been quite a winter!  Record snowfalls!  School, government, and business closings!  Flights cancelled!  Worship services and other church activities curtailed! It’s not surprising that contributions from congregations to the District through Mission Partnership Support during 2010 are lagging behind, almost $80,000 below anticipated receipts through the end of February.  The sense is that it may take some time for the faithful in many of our congregations to get settled once again.  Lots of us are already playing “catch-up” in one way or another as the challenges of this winter have heightened some of the financial challenges both here in the District and in congregations.  We know that congregations will want to send Mission Partnership gifts to us as soon as they are able.

Winter is also a fitting metaphor for tough economic times with which most all of us are struggling to cope.  It’s why we want to assure you that we are trying to the best stewards we can be of every bit of the income we receive from you.  All District salaries for this year remain frozen, and many of last year’s budget numbers have been reduced even further for 2010.

Throughout our Synod, congregations cope with the challenges of the recent economic downturn. Yet our commitment to you remains the same:  to develop partnerships with you to reach others with the saving grace of Christ.  Plans for 2010 are to continue to develop mission partnerships with existing congregations and schools, support the development of lay leaders and church workers, and to provide resources for congregations as they bring the Good News of salvation through Jesus to those in need of hope.   We are thankful for your financial support through your gifts through Mission Partnership contributions to enable us to continue to be bold for Christ.

Prayer Requests
Let Us Pray:
+ Rev. Ed Birner, EM is at the National Lutheran Home, Rockville MD and has been moved to the Hospice Unit.
+ Rev. Cliff Gade, EM (Florence SC) recovering from a recent auto accident.
+ Rev. John Costello, EM (Raleigh NC), recovering from broken wrist.

Official Acts
Calls
+ Rev. Duncan McLellan, (Faith, Lincoln NE) to Trinity, Norfolk VA
+ Rev. Alan J. Flynn (Messiah, Citrus Heights CA) to Redeemer, Hyattsville MD

Calls Declined
+Rev. Bob Stevens (Our Savior, HIckory NC) to St. Paul’s, Holtville CA

Emeritus
+ Rev. Rudy Kampia, EM  February 15, 2006

Installations
+ Mr. Kyle McClure, Minister of Music (Concordia, Conover NC)  on 2/14/2010.
+ Rev. Charles M. Long, Sole Pastor, Grace, LaPlata MD on 2/28/2010

Transfer
+ Rev. Ronald A. Nicols, EM, to Texas District

Disbanded
+ Victorious Life Lutheran Mission, Jefferson, NC, has disbanded effective January 21, 2010, and was removed from the congregational roster of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.

Available to Ministries
Martin Luther VHS Videos – 10 assorted videos on Martin Luther are available. They include: Where Luther Walked, Travels of Luther, Footsteps of Luther, Luther – Heretic. Send and email to Sirpa to request them. We’ll send them out to the first request we received – again, they are vhs format.

Victorious Life has a few items that they are unable to store and would like to offer them to another church or mission. These include an altar, lectern, and small table all in matching design.

The altar is 24″deep, 68″ wide and  35″ high and is accented under the top surface with a glass, etched panel reading “Do in Remembrance of Me” that lights up from behind.  The lectern stands 48″ tall  and is 24″ wide.  The small table is 11″ deep, 11″ wide and 30″ high.  All pieces are wood stained in a light finish.

If any of you are able to use these pieces or know of another church/mission who can benefit from these, please email us or call our church number of 336-982-4188 and leave a message.

District Calendar

March 5-6    SED Board of Directors    Alexandria VA
March 7-14    National Lutheran School Week
March 9        Mission U Office Hours    On-Line
March 13    Regional Gathering Make-up Meeting    Alexandria VA
March 13    MDA: Evangelism    On-Line
March 23    Mission U Office Hours    On-Line

April 4        Easter
April 10    MDA: Developing A Mission    On-Line
April 12    Spring Regional PCW Meeting     Cary NC
April 13    Spring Regional PCW Meeting    Silver Spring MD

April 13    Mission U Office Hours    On-Line
April 16-18    Pastors Wives Retreat    Richmond VA
April 23-24    MDA Retreat
April 25    District-wide LCEF Sunday
April 29-30    Multi-Cultural Task Force
April 29-30    Circuit Mission Advocate Meeting

May 5-6        Circuit Counselor Meeting    Virginia Beach
May 11        Mission U Office Hours    On-Line
May 17-19    Lutheran School Funding Academy
May 21-24    LCMS Convention Floor Committees    St. Louis MO
May 25-26    Spiritual Life Team    Richmond VA

June 4-5    SED Board of Directors    Alexandria VA
June 6 – 14    District-wide Pre-Convention Meetings

July 9-17    LCMS Convention    Houston TX
July 17-21    National Youth Gathering
July 30-Aug 1   Tending the Flame     Richmond VA

LCMS Convention: March Prayer
Reflect on All Who Have Been Nominated for Office

I Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:6-9 What kind of leaders does God want us to elect? How might
we pray for discernment as our delegates elect those who will lead us?

God of compassion, Your Son came among us not to be served but to serve. We give You thanks for the men and women who offer themselves for leadership among us. Help our delegates to discern those You have chosen and called to serve among us. Give them faith to serve You with gladness, sustain them with a living hope, especially in the time of despair, and kindle in them Your love, so that they live as Your disciples. May all of us boldly proclaim the Good News of Your Son in our words and actions, rejoicing always in Your powerful presence among us; through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and Savior. Amen.

Please note: District Office Hours
Our current hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 P.M. We use the answering machine when we have a staff meeting, devotions (Wednesdays at 12:30) and during the lunch break (11:45-12:30)

The Southeastern District (SED)
is a regional district of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Connecting people with Christ, the 205 churches, 91 schools and 43 missions are located in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, North and South Carolina. The SED office is located in Alexandria VA..

www.se.lcms.org

Sally J Hiller
Executive Director for Congregational Outreach and District Operations
Southeastern District, LCMS
6315 Grovedale Drive
Alexandria VA 22310-2501

voice: 703.971.9371, Ext. 205 or 800.637.5723, fax 703.922.6047
web:  www.se.lcms.org

1 March 2010

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ. Colossians 4: 2-3.

Dear Mission Prayer Partners,
How is the Lenten journey going? In my daily devotions, I am instructed to lean into the strength of God as I listen for his voice. It reminds me that in Lent we journey to the cross where we experience the fullness of God’s strength in the victory of life over death. It is a strength that has a daily impact on my life – one that brings hope and comfort especially when the challenges seem overwhelming. This is the same strength that I want others to know in their own personal journey.

Your mission prayer partnership helps to share the story of salvation as doors are being opened. These same prayers are providing hope and comfort’s strength to others as the news about Jesus is being shared in new places and with people who have not heard. Thank you, do not give up in your prayers for these new and emerging missions. Your prayers are making a difference.

Our Prayer Goals for 2010

Let us join our hearts and voices as we pray for:
Those who do not know Jesus Christ and the joy of His salvation for them.
1. The work of mission outreach teams, missionaries, and outreach efforts that will make a Gospel difference in our communities.
2. Boldness in each of our lives that we will regularly share the Good News of Jesus with others.
3. The continued growth in prayer partners for mission. (Our goal is 3000 pray-ers and a prayer team for each new mission.)
4. For 750,000 recorded faith-sharing events.
5. For the work and the people of the Convention of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.

Praying through March
for the Work of the LCMS Convention

REFLECT ON ALL WHO HAVE BEEN NOMINATED FOR OFFICE

Read: I Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:6-9
What kind of leaders does God want us to elect? How might
we pray for discernment as our delegates elect those who will lead us?

God of compassion, Your Son came among us not to be served but to serve. We give You thanks for the men and women who offer themselves for leadership among us. Help our delegates to discern those You have chosen and called to serve among us. Give them faith to serve You with gladness, sustain them with a living hope, especially in the time of despair, and kindle in them Your love, so that they live as Your disciples. May all of us boldly proclaim the Good News of Your Son in our words and actions, rejoicing always in Your powerful presence among us; through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and Savior. Amen.

Closing Headline
10:02 am Prayers for the Harvest and Workers
Don’t forget to set your cell phones alarm/alert to 10:02 a.m. and pray for the Harvest and Workers. Luke 10:2 Jesus told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Contact Information
Deaconess Sally J. HIller
Director of Congregational Outreach
Southeastern District

Shalom!

During our Miami outreach we (Alan Butterworth, Steve Cohen, Marilyn Smith, and Jerry Lucas, along with others who joined us from time to time) handed out nearly 4,500 Gospel tracts. We had dozens of conversations with Jews and Gentiles who did not know that Messiah has come, or had lost contact with their church and their faith. Many people have initiated ongoing dialogs with Alan Butterworth, the local Apple of His Eye contact in South Florida, and more may develop as time goes by.

We assisted Pastor Mark Wessling of Faith Lutheran Church in Hialeah to re-initiate their door-to-door efforts in the neighborhood around the church by inviting the neighborhood to Holy Week services. At lunch the Lord arranged that we meet two Spanish speaking Sephardic Jewish men who were very helpful with our lunch orders and who will continue in dialog about the Messiah. We spent some time at Florida International University where Alan Butterworth, a lawyer before he started work as a full time missionary, started a dialog that will be continuing with a Jewish law student there. It seemed like the Lord was affirming what we were doing, because there were several witness opportunities with Jewish people who were open to talking about the Gospel that happened when we were not in “official” outreach mode during the week.

We visited the outdoor Holocaust museum at South Beach and spent the evenings on the street with restaurants a couple of blocks from the beach there handing out tracts and talking to people until the Coconut Grove Art Festival opened. At the Coconut Grove Art Festival we continued to hand out fliers and to engage in dialog when the Lord opened that door. Once when I was talking to a vendor at the festival who had asked who we were and how we were different from the Jews for Jesus people who were also there, one of the Jews for Jesus came up and hugged me and thanked me for being there. The main differences are that we are a recognized Service Organization of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, We are made up of both Jews and Gentiles, We “target” both Jews and Gentiles, and that we engage in dialog when possible instead of concentrating mainly on handing out tracts (I was amazed at how many we did hand out).

We attended services at Bet Hesed Messianic Congregation Friday night and at the local LCMS congregation that that both Alan Butterworth and Steve Cohen had been members of, Gloria Dei on Sunday. The pastor Darrell Stuehrenberg was very courteous, and two of the parishioners, Michael and JoAnne (a Jewish couple) joined us on Monday for our last day of outreach.

Pray that the Lord will use the tracts and the conversations to allow people to question their doubt and seek the answer in the scriptures and in dialog with the witnesses that God will put in their path.

To find more information, go to http://aohe-dc.org.

Jerry Lucas

Apple of His Eye Mission Advocate, Washington DC

703-582-1198

lucasjs@verizon.net

http://aohe-dc.org

http://sedablaze.org

February 24, 2010

Dr. Dale Meier is the featured speaker at the Spring Regional Professional Church Workers Conference. He will speak on “Living Lutheran Theology in a Post-Church Culture: Sola Fide (Faith Alone)” We are holding two separate one-day PCW Conferences this Spring: one in Cary, North Carolina and the other in Silver Spring, Maryland on April 12 and on April 13. You will find additional information on the website.

Are you a Living Letter?
In what ways are you God’s message in this time and place? Join us at Tending the Flame, Living Letters on July 30- August 1 to celebrate the joy we have in being Living Letters. Reggie McNeal will share with us how others read us and how we as church, may indeed let the message shine through our actions. A dynamic youth program featuring Echelon will be offered simutaneously. And of course, our children’s program is back. Check out last year’s wrap up and don’t forget to register now.

Hearts For Jesus Project

Each year the schools in our district support a Hearts for Jesus project with their chapel offerings. This year students have an opportunity to make an incredible difference in the lives of children in Flahn Town Village, Liberia where there children need a school. Since the civil war there has been no school in this region, so about 150 or more children in fifteen surrounding villages have no means to an education.

Working together we can make a difference – an eternal difference as we provide for Lutheran education in this area that is about 90 miles from Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. With a united effort, our chapel offerings from the Southeastern District can raise the $10,000 needed to build a school.

Please send your Hearts for Jesus check to the Southeastern District.

Northern Region Events
Benefit Concert for Haiti, Ascension Landover Hills MD on Saturday, March 6, at &:00 P.M. Free will offering for Lutheran World Relief will be matched by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. The concert will host musical performances by: The Jon Lewis Combo – original contemporary Christian music; Ascension Lutheran School children; The Bowie State Gospel Ensemble; Lamb of God Lutheran Church Choir; and C. Anthony Bush and Friends – Gospel-Jazz pieces.

To God be the Glory, and may each of these new members grow and flourish in the faith walk with Jesus.The Holy Spirit is showing the saints of First St. John’s that he is working through them.  Primarily through the ministry, ideas, and work of vicar, James Driskell, First St. John’s received nine adults into membership in the Transfiguration Service (Feb. 14). Then today, the 1st Sun. in Lent ( Feb. 21)  five children 5 children were baptized. Who says the Spirit can’t move in an “old” inner city church!

Central Region Events

ONE4ONE SUNDAY , King of Glory, Williamsburg VA
A One4One campaign is in full swing. During the season of Lent, the congregation of King of Glory has made a commitment to each pray for 5 unchurched or non-Christian people that they know, and between now and Easter invite them to a church event.

On Transfiguaration Sunday 265 people made a commitment to pray and invite people. That means that between now and Easter 1,325 people will be lifted up in prayer asking the Spirit of the Lord to lead them to hear His message of salvation and believe! It also means that 265 people will be invited to a church event on or before Easter. Praise the Lord! May the Lord bless this effort with courage and commitment.

Help for Haiti in Circuit 9
Prince of Peace in Springfield VA is planning a mission trip to Haiti from 18 -23 March 2010 they partnering with Nursing School at George Mason University. Planning for another mission team for June 2010 is underway.  Prince of Peace is also sponsoring an UNO Pizzeria fundraiser.

Meals for 144,000 Haitians Packaged – Over 700 people of all ages participated in a Stop Hunger Event at Prince of Peace in Springfield last weekend. Members from St. John’s Alexandria, Grace in Woodbridge, Our Saviors Way in Ashburn were some of the many congregations from circuit 9 to help fill the bags with rice, soy, vegetables and a scoop of vitamins. Each bag feeds a family of six. The rice bags were boxed and loaded on trucks ready for shipment and are expected to arrive in Haiti in time for the March mission team to help distribute them.

Expanding “Hope” in Virginia Beach, Va.
When growing Hope Lutheran Church decided to tackle a challenging remodeling and building project, Rev. Mark Nieting “strongly encouraged” the Virginia Beach, congregation to participate in the Laborers For Christ program.

Laborers For Christ are a ministry of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) that helps LCMS congregations take on their own construction projects and build within their budgets.

“I absolutely wanted this congregation to enjoy the wonderful experience of Laborers For Christ,” Nieting said. When Laborers worked for Nieting’s previous congregation, Emmanuel Lutheran in Asheville, N.C., that experience proved so positive that three congregation members joined Laborers – and the pastor joined the ranks of Laborers boosters.

Today, eight Laborers couples and Hope Lutheran volunteers are building a new fellowship hall and remodeling the church’s old fellowship facility into a “kids’ kingdom” for young children and expanded space for the church’s popular youth ministry. The congregation hopes to finish the project by mid-summer.

The church also looked to LCEF for construction loan support and to LCEF’s Capital Funding Services for help with a capital stewardship campaign. “Our campaign was so successful, we shifted gears and actually built a bigger project,” Nieting said. “We were so blessed by the campaign.”

Since Laborers For Christ was founded in 1980, the ministry has helped congregations complete more than 780 “building for eternity” projects. To learn more about Laborers For Christ, visit www.lcef.org/services/laborers_for_christ.

Southern Region Notes

Get Your Blaze On!
From Coalition for Lutherans in Black Ministry. Plan now to gather in the North Carolina area (site T.B.A) on March 12-14, 2010 under the theme:  “Get Your ‘Blaze On!!” .  Expect to see new faces as we seek to engage ALL PEOPLE in Black Ministry! Contact Sherry Edmonds  (sedmo27421@aol.com) for more information.

Bridge Hispanic Mission – Hickory NC
It is fascinating to watch a space shuttle launch into space.  Each launch is an impressive feat of energy, calculation, and preparation.  Millions of details and dollars all culminate when the countdown reaches zero.
3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . Liftoff!

The comparison is exaggerated, but twice a year The Bridge has its own version of a launch as we begin a new semester of outreach.  Volunteers recruited and trained.  Meetings completed.  Students invited, registered, and evaluated.  Curriculum developed and photocopied.  Facilities confirmed and materials prepared.

And it all culminates on a Thursday night at St. Stephens Elementary School:  Several levels of English classes begin and 5 small groups of Kids Connect are organized.  50 volunteers arrive early to welcome 40 Hispanic adults and 40+ kids.  There are dozens of people to direct and hundreds of details to coordinate.

Yet as chaotic as launch night can be, there is always a great sense of excitement and anticipation as we witness God’s faithfulness in drawing together so many people to a place where they can experience his compassion and hear his word.

On January 21, we launched into our third semester of outreach.
·      Please pray that the Hispanic families would experience God’s love though the volunteers.
·      Pray that the volunteers would develop great relationships with kids and adults.
·      Pray that God would use these relationships to open doors for his Good News to be shared!

From the National LCMS Office

Orphan Grain Train Aiding Haiti.  Recently, the Orphan Grain Train, in cooperation with LCMS World Relief and Human Care has shipped over 500,000 “Kids Against Hunger” meals to Haiti.  Cash donations of any amount will help the survivors in that beleaguered country.  Checks may be sent to Orphan Grain Train, PO Box 1466, Norfolk, Nebraska 68702-1466.  Please write “Haiti” on the memo.

Also, Orphan Grain Train, Maryland Division, is planning to ship a 40 foot container to Haiti as soon as possible!  We need clothing sorted and packed from churches, in addition to health kits and crutches, canes, and wheelchairs.  If you are able to help, please contact Elfie Eberle at or Ron Phipps. Thank you for your support and helping send Relief for Human Need Worldwide!
CAMPUS VISIT PLANNED FOR THOSE CONSIDERING SERVICE TO THE CHURCH

FORT WAYNE, IN (CTS)-Do you have questions about the possibility of serving in The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod?  Would you like more information on the possibility of serving as a pastor or deaconess?  Then attending the spring Prayerfully Consider Campus Visit, March 24-27, 2010, on the campus of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana, is the place to start.

There is no fee for the visit.  On-campus meals and housing are also provided free of charge.  For additional information or to register online, please go to www.ctsfw.edu/pcv. Also at that site, you will find a downloadable poster that pastors and congregations can use to advertise this special opportunity at CTS. You may also feel free to call 260-452-2155 to speak with our Admission staff.

Greetings from Grace Place Lutheran Retreats.  I ask that you remind single clergy and educators in your District of the special Grace Place Retreat for Single Clergy and Teachers to be held at the spectacular Retreat House of St. Benedict’s Monastery in the Colorado Rockies in Aspen Valley, September 1-5, 2010.

This is the fourth annual Singles Retreat held at St. Benedict’s and it provides single church workers with a wonderful “pause point” in ministry to reflect, restore and rejuvenate, focused on body, mind and spiritual health.  Our interest is keeping healthy church workers healthy.  The retreat center is easily accessible by car, train and air near Aspen, Colorado.  Cost $360 per person covers room, meals and all retreat expenses.  Leaders:  John D. Eckrich, M.D., Exec Director of Grace Place,  and Drs. Mel and Mary Jacob of Orlando, Florida.  Visit the Grace Place Website:  www.graceplaceretreats.org or call Annette:  (314)842-3077.

CELEBRATE CONCORDIA SUNDAY, APRIL 18
Concordia University System colleges and universities are a special gift to The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. It has been said many times but it’s worth repeating: A church body that teaches is a church body in mission!

April 18 has been designated as Concordia Sunday, a day to celebrate our colleges and universities.  They help prepare individuals to serve the church as pastors, teachers, directors of Christian education and outreach, deaconesses, lay ministers, and directors of family life ministry and parish music. They also prepare individuals to serve the community as Christian leaders in business, education, nursing, pharmacy, and numerous other professions.

LCMS congregations are encouraged to celebrate Concordia Sunday.  This special day highlights the importance of a Christian education in a Lutheran context. It can encourage youth to consider serving in positions that benefit both the LCMS and society. It is also a special time for congregations to pray for the continued blessings of our Heavenly Father for ongoing ministry that proclaims Jesus Christ as the Lord of Life

Free Resources – Click here to request free materials to use in celebrating Concordia Sunday.

DCE Interns and Deaconesses Seeking Ministry Placements
Did you know that a ‘bumper crop of DCE interns and Deaconesses are seeking ministry placements? If you are interested in more information about DCE interns, contact Tim.Rippstein@CUNE.edu. The DCE Intership Site Cordinator at Concordia, Nebraska.

Contact Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Rev. Robert Hoehner:  for Deaconess placements. Deaconesses serve in congregations and schools by teaching, visitation, counseling, youth ministries, family ministries and other caring ministries. They are also equipped to serve with compassion in health care institutions, and older adult care ministries.  Our deaconess candidates have received an M.A. in Deaconess Studies, after completing two years of post-graduate academic coursework, six quarters of field education, and one year of internship.

Annual Benefit Breakfast Expressions of Abundance: Hope Springs Eternal! March 10

Expressions of Abundance Hope Springs Eternal!
Wednesday, March 10  – Marriott Key Bridge, Arlington, VA

Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSS/NCA) cordially invites you to a benefit breakfast celebrating more than 90 years of Lutheran service in our communities. Hear inspiring, personal stories of triumph over adversity and how your support of LSS/NCA’s mission has made a difference in the lives of our neighbors in need. LSS/NCA programs include Foster Care & Adoption, Refugee resettlement & Immigrant Services, Disaster Preparedness & Response, and Youth Haven Camps for children and teens affected by HIV/AIDS.

Breakfast is provided free of charge; contributions will be welcomed.  For more information and to RSVP, contact Summer Parrish at LSS/NCA at (703) 698-5026, ext. 138 or . We look forward to seeing you!

HearUSA will provide a free hearing screening for Concordia Health Plan members with diabetes in the month of March, 2010. Call 1.800.442.8231

VBS curriculum includes Dominican Republic mission project
Concordia Publishing House’s 2010 vacation Bible school curriculum, “Planet Zoom,” provides a hands-on opportunity for children to become more involved in God’s mission. The curriculum’s featured mission concept, “Project: Dominican Republic,” is a joint project of LCMS World Mission and LCMS World Relief and Human Care. The mission project encourages vacation Bible school participants to give offerings and supplies to share God’s love with our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Dominican Republic.

The proceeds from offerings given by children attending vacation Bible schools across the country will help build two Lutheran church buildings, purchase musical instruments and Christian resources, and purchase medicine and medical supplies for children with disabilities.

For more details on Project: Dominican Republic, and to view a brief video about mission work in the Dominican Republic, please visit www.lcms.org/vbs.

The “Planet Zoom” curriculum is available for purchase on the Concordia Publishing House Web site or by calling 1-800-325-3040.

Learn  about how LCMS missionaries in the Dominican Republic are responding to the earthquake in Haiti.

Summer Conference: Tending The Flame

Start planning now to attend this summers conference with Reggie McNeal. This three day event if full of informative sessions lead by Dr. Reggie McNeal, exciting workshops, and time for ministry celebrations. Cick for more information
The Southeastern District (SED)

is a regional district of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Connecting people with Christ, the 205 churches, 91 schools and 43 missions are located in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, North and South Carolina. The SED office is located in Alexandria VA..

Sally J Hiller
Executive Director for Congregational Outreach and District Operations
Southeastern District, LCMS
6315 Grovedale Drive
Alexandria VA 22310-2501

voice: 703.971.9371, Ext. 205 or 800.637.5723, fax 703.922.6047
web:  www.se.lcms.org