[DistUpd] June 27

Wed Jun 27 08:23:53 CDT 2007

Update for June 27

A publication of the Nebraska District, a District ABLAZE!

Greetings in the name of our Heavenly Father, who gave each of us the
greatest freedom of all, freedom from sin and death through Jesus
Christ.  May we find opportunities this next week and always to share
our joy in this freedom with those around us. The Nebraska District
staff wishes you a happy and safe Fourth of July holiday.

*	Prayer Requests
*	The Nebraska District Celebrates 125 Years of Ministry
*	District Office Holiday Hours 
*	Prairie Fire Sessions Offer Something for Everyone
*	National Youth Gathering Update
*	LLL State Fair Worship Service Information
*	Lutheran Family Services Brings Building Families Boutique
Program to Fremont
*	Eden By the Sea Retreat Ministry in Hawaii
*	Concordia, Seward, Leads Conference in Scholar Athletes
*	JCPlayZone Offers Children Safe, Christian Online Entertainment
*	Lutheran Theological Resources Available Through iTunes Store
*	Grace Place Retreat Opportunity for Parish Nurses

PRAYER REQUESTS

Dr. Norman Nagel - Dr. Norman Nagel, professor emeritus of Concordia
Seminary, St. Louis, suffered a stroke early Saturday morning, June 23.
The last report, from late Saturday afternoon, indicated his left side
had minimal function, but he hears and understands everything and can
speak with some difficulty. Please lift Dr. Nagel and his family up in
prayer, asking the Lord to place His healing hand on him and give them
all a measure of strength and peace.

Rev. Allen Vomhof - Pastor Allen Vomhof, formerly of St. John, Omaha,
and currently serving as pastor of St. Stephen, Dickson City,
Pennsylvania, has been diagnosed with cancer and is receiving radiology
and chemotherapy treatments in Omaha. We join with Pastor Vomhof and his
family in prayers for strength and peace during this time, and we ask
the Lord to restore him to health and return him to ministry if it be
His will.

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THE NEBRASKA DISTRICT CELEBRATES 125 YEARS OF MINISTRY

"On June 28, 1882, 32 pastors, 17 voting and 15 advisory, one teacher,
and 17 lay delegates gathered at St. John Lutheran Church, Logan, near
Hooper in Dodge County, and brought this new district into formal
existence." 

Taken from Thy Kingdom Come, W. Theophil Janzow, editor

And such was the beginning of the Nebraska District. The Lord has given
opportunities throughout the past 125 years for the people of the
Nebraska District to partner together in ministry. Since the District's
beginning in 1882, the people of the Nebraska District have worked
together to make sure the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being proclaimed.

Now we have come to a time to look back and celebrate the 125 years of
God's rich blessings on the Nebraska District, while at the same time
entering the future with confidence in His guiding hand.

Congregations are encouraged to offer prayers of thanksgiving this
weekend for those who worked for and gathered together to form the
Nebraska District 125 years ago, as well as the blessings the Lord has
provided since that time. We also join together as 245 congregations in
asking the Lord to bless our current partnership in the mission fields
and the ministry opportunities He will continue to provide.

A special thank offering is being gathered from across the District in
response to God's great love and blessings to His people and
congregations of the Nebraska District. Those who attend Prairie Fire
will have the opportunity to participate in the offering. Information
was sent to church offices with the Prairie Fire registration materials.

More information will be sent to congregations with materials for a
special Anniversary Celebration Service in mid-August. Pastors and
church councils are encouraged to begin thinking about ways their
congregation can be involved in this opportunity. Contact the District
Office at 888-643-2961 or info at ndlcms.org with questions or for more
information.

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DISTRICT OFFICE HOLIDAY HOURS

The District Office will be closed Wednesday, July 4, in observance of
Independence Day.  The office will reopen Thursday, July 5, at 8:00 a.m.
A safe and blessed Fourth of July to all! Please note, there will not be
a regular Email Update next week because of the Independence Day
holiday.

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PRAIRIE FIRE SESSIONS OFFER SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Where is one place you can go to attend any of the following workshops?

*        Ministering to Inactives

*        Responding to Conflict Biblically

*        Youth Confirmation: An Outreach Ministry?!

*        Outreach to 30-Somethings and Younger

*        Witnessing to Family and Friends

*        Outreach Through Midweek

Answer: Prairie Fire! With 48 different sessions being offered on one
day, everyone is sure to find topics to inspire, equip, and resource
them in their personal or congregational outreach efforts. Whether you
are a church worker, a lay leader, or a member in a congregation, there
are workshops that will help encourage you in the sharing of your faith,
along with keynote speaker Rev. Scott Snow. Rev. Snow is the National
Director of Outreach for LCMS World Mission, and he will take time to
help participants see the open doors the Lord gives them for witness and
help dispel some common misconceptions about sharing faith in Jesus. The
more people who come from a congregation, the more ministry tools can be
taken back to do ministry in that place. 

So, gather a group from your congregation, browse the catalog of session
topics, send in your registration forms, and plan now to join fellow
believers from across Nebraska on August 4 for an unforgettable day of
fellowship and resourcing.

Registration materials were mailed to each church office and are
available on the District website at www.ndlcms.org
<http://www.ndlcms.org/> . Online registration is also available from
this site. Make your plans now - the registration deadline is Friday,
July 13.

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NATIONAL YOUTH GATHERING UPDATE

Now is the time to check out all the new information added to the
Gathering website, www.lcmsgathering.com <http://www.lcmsgathering.com/>
. You'll find: 

*        the 4th Edition of The Peel pre-Gathering Bible studies,

*        copies of on-site Bible studies, 

*        music downloads, 

*        talent stage sign-ups, 

*        and much more available on the website. 

The Gathering schedule is now available on the website.  Download the
schedule to your assigned personality, "Caitlyn," "Blake," or "Julie,"
to guide your activities at the Gathering. 

The Gathering Guidebook will be given to all participants at the
Gathering, but it is also available on the website.  Download this
resource now so you'll know where to locate information when you arrive
at the Gathering. 

Participant substitutions must be made to the Gathering office by July
1!  (Remember, July 1 is a Sunday, but if they have the substitution in
their office on Monday, July 2, they will accept it.)

Stop by the Nebraska District booth in the CHOZONE Commons area on
Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday of the Gathering to say "Hi."  Maybe you'll
be CHOSEN to play "Let's Make A Deal" and win a fabulous prize!  Or
better yet, make sure your group is signed up to help at the booth.
Contact Julie Johnston at Julie.Johnston at cune.edu if you want to help.
Groups who've already signed up to help will receive their assigned
day/time soon! 

Monday, July 30, is District T-shirt Day.  If you got a District
T-shirt, be sure and wear it that day at the Gathering!

Monday, July 30, is the day for our District Event at the Rosen Centre.
Come anytime between 8 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. (event ends at 10 a.m.) for
breakfast, music, and fun.  "Rough Draft" will perform from 8:30 a.m. -
9:15 a.m. Everyone gets fun Nebraska District giveaways! There's still
room to join us! Contact Dave Kumm at David.Kumm at cune.edu ASAP if you'd
still like to register your group.  

Groups riding the District charter buses will be receiving final details
and reminders soon. This information will be sent to PALs to be shared
with the rest of the congregational group.  

Be sure to contact your Nebraska District Coordinators Julie Johnston
(402-643-7354) or Dave Kumm (402-643-7380) if you have any last minute
Gathering questions.

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LLL STATE FAIR WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION

Pastors and church office staff - please consider including this
information in your August newsletter, as well as one or more bulletins
prior to the State Fair.

Are you planning to take in the Nebraska State Fair? Will you be there
on a Sunday? If so, join the Nebraska District Lutheran Laymen as they
provide a worship service at the Open Air Auditorium each Sunday at 9:00
a.m. 

Rev. Bo Baumeister, chaplain at Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska,
will be preaching on Sunday, August 26. Serving as liturgist and sharing
a children's message will be Rev. Bob Paulson, who serves as visitation
pastor at St. Paul, Utica, and St. John, Seward. Special music will be
provided by the Christ Lutheran Choir of rural Columbus.

Rev. Steve Siegel will be preaching the message on Sunday, September 2.
Pastor Siegel is the director of United States Ministries for Lutheran
Hour Ministries. Leading the worship service and sharing the children's
message will be Rev. Duane Fahr of Bloomfield, Nebraska. Pastor Fahr
serves as the Nebraska District's LLL Pastoral Advisor. Special music
will be provided by the Verdigre Men's chorus of Verdigre, Nebraska.

If you are at the Fair, don't miss this special time to worship our
Lord. 

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LUTHERAN FAMILY SERVICES BRINGS BUILDING FAMILIES BOUTIQUE PROGRAM TO
FREMONT

Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, Inc. (LFS) is bringing its
Building Families Boutique program to Fremont in September 2007.
Lutheran Family Services currently provides pregnancy counseling,
adoption, and mental health and substance abuse services through its
Fremont location at 4th & D Streets.

The Fremont Boutique will use the same program model as the LFS Building
Families Boutique in Council Bluffs, Iowa, which serves 340 families
with children prenatal to age 5. 

Meghan Malik, Young Families Initiative Program Supervisor, said "This
incentive-based program encourages parents to engage in healthy
activities, rewarding positive behaviors with points redeemable for much
needed items including diapers, strollers, infant clothing and car
seats."  Malik commented, "This program, remarkably successful in
Council Bluffs, also provides parent education classes with free on-site
childcare. We are excited to offer such needed services to not only
Fremont families, but to families in the surrounding communities as
well."

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fremont has offered program and office
space as well as assistance with securing Boutique store items and
volunteers.  "I am absolutely delighted about Good Shepherd's thundering
and unanimous vote of approval to this partnership between our
congregation and Lutheran Family Services," said Rev. Tim Gierke, Senior
Pastor.  

In 1892, LFS began as an orphanage for children in Fremont.  In the
1950s, two cottages replaced the orphanage as group homes to care for
homeless children, and today Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is located on
the site of the former orphanage.  Gierke said, "It's icing on the cake
that we are privileged to welcome LFS back to the very place where they
had their beginning - here on our growing campus at the corner of East
Military and Lincoln.  This congregation and its staff stand solidly in
support of what LFS is doing to help improve the lives and health of
families and children in the Fremont area." 

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EDEN BY THE SEA RETREAT MINISTRY IN HAWAII

Eden by the Sea is a non-profit (501c3) retreat ministry designed solely
for the rest and renewal of LCMS church workers and their spouses. In
its fourth year of ministry, hosting over 70 couples thus far, Eden by
the Sea is a very unique and much-needed ministry providing a customized
experience of renewal, rest, and recreation in one of the most beautiful
places in God's creation - Hawaii. Not only is Eden by the Sea focused
specifically on offering a customized, private, comfortable, and totally
relaxing experience for our tired LCMS church workers (and their
spouses), but the requested donation is under $70 a night - a third of
the cost of other vacation accommodations of this quality and location
on the island. 

Visit their website or contact them by phone or email via the website if
you are interested in receiving more information. They would love to
answer all your questions and bless you with the peace & renewal of the
Lord through the ministry of Eden by the Sea. 

Website: www.edenbythesea.org

Phone Number: 808-261-9504

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CONCORDIA, SEWARD, LEADS CONFERENCE IN SCHOLAR ATHLETES

For the fourth consecutive year, Concordia University, Nebraska led the
Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) in number of NAIA
Scholar-Athletes. The GPAC, which features over 4,500 student-athletes
in 19 sanctioned sports, had 401 student-athletes earn the NAIA honor.

During the 2006-2007 season the Bulldogs paced the conference with 54
scholar-athlete award winners. In the last four years Concordia has had
188 student-athletes garner the NAIA Scholar-Athlete award. In order to
receive the honor, players must carry a cumulative grade point average
of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and be junior or above in academic standing. 

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JCPLAYZONE OFFERS CHILDREN SAFE, CHRISTIAN ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT

Lutheran Hour Ministries offers a fun way to entertain children while
they're away from school for this summer. LHM's website,
www.jcplayzone.com, engages children through interactive games, crafts,
recipes, and other activities in a safe, Christian environment. 

JCPlayZone's activities encourage children to visit frequently because
the site's content changes often to reflect seasonal activities or an
upcoming holiday. New coloring pages, crafts, and e-cards are now
included on the site, and music from "That's the Joy," a CD produced by
Bobby and Julie Schroeder of BLS Ministries in Leawood, Kansas, has been
added as well. 

A companion website for parents, www.jcparentzone.com, provides parents
access to relevant parenting information from a Christian perspective.
The articles and spiritual question and answer section are updated
regularly. Fathers can also discuss timely parenting issues through the
site's blog for single dads.

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LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL RESOURCES AVAILABLE THROUGH iTUNES STORE

On May 30, Concordia Seminary became one of 16 higher education
institutions featured in the iTunes Store, the world's largest catalog
of songs, television shows, movies, and now educational content.
Concordia Seminary's iTunes site is accessed through iTunes U, the new
educational section of the iTunes Store. Additionally, the Seminary's
Elementary Greek course is one of 12 highlighted resources on iTunes U
and can be accessed through an icon link in the center section of the
site.

The addition of iTunes U to the iTunes Store enables Concordia Seminary
to deliver theological and educational resources to an unprecedented
number of people around the world. Previously, the Seminary's iTunes U
site, which could only be accessed directly at itunes.csl.edu, received
approximately three to four thousand visits per week. Its inclusion in
the iTunes Store gives the Seminary the potential to reach millions.

"We are thrilled to be one of the educational institutions included in
the iTunes Store," commented Rev. Anthony Cook, the Seminary's director
of educational technology. "It is our hope that Concordia Seminary can
leverage this new technology to deliver free Gospel-based educational
content directly to students, congregation members and those who seek a
better understanding of Jesus and His Church." Online resources
available from "Concordia Seminary on iTunes U" include symposia,
convocations, lectures, interviews, chapel sermons, course material, and
more. 

To access "Concordia Seminary on iTunes U" directly, go to
itunes.csl.edu. To access iTunes U from within the iTunes Store, click
on the iTunes U link in the top, left-hand box or in the center section
of the iTunes Store. Both Macintosh and Microsoft Windows-based
computers are able to utilize this technology.  

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GRACE PLACE RETREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR PARISH NURSES

Spaces are still open for parish nurses in the Grace Place Retreat to be
held September 24-28 at Camp Arcadia (Arcadia, Michigan). Registration
closes August 22, so sign up now!  

Grace Place Lutheran Retreats provides a haven for Lutheran church
workers through education, restoration, and recreation.  During the
week-long retreat, individuals will learn new ways to be totally healthy
- spiritually, physically, emotionally, intellectually, relationally,
and fiscally.  It is the hope that the attendees will walk away from the
retreat week renewed in body, mind, and spirit.

Grace Place charges only $95 per person for the parish nurse retreat
...a terrific fiscal investment for this unique health training (this
retreat is for individuals, not couples). Many congregations have
assisted their workers with these costs, thus enabling them to
participate in a retreat. The actual cost of the retreat is more than
$1,000 per person - however, through grants and generous donations the
price is kept to $95 for the parish nurse retreat. This amount covers
meals, room, and the program costs for the week.  

For more information and to register, contact Grace Place executive
assistant Annette Woehlke at annette.woehlke at graceplaceretreats.com or
(314) 842-3077. Or visit their website (www.graceplaceretreats.org
<http://www.graceplaceretreats.org/> ) for on-line registration and
payment.  

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Thanks to all who contributed information for this week's Email Update.
If you have items to share in future Updates, please send them to
communications at ndlcms.org. Past Updates are available from
www.ndlcms.org/news/communications/update.html.

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July,

Nichole Hetz
Nebraska District LCMS
Director of Communications and Events
1-888-643-2961
nicholeh at ndlcms.org <mailto:nicholeh at ndlcms.org> 
www.ndlcms.org <http://www.ndlcms.org/>  

* Please Note: The inclusion of items in the Update from outside sources
is for informational purposes only. Inclusion of such items does not
constitute District endorsement.

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