[DistUpd] May 20

Wed May 20 10:50:39 CDT 2009

Update for May 20
A publication of the Nebraska District, a District ABLAZE!

Greetings in the name of our loving and gracious Heavenly Father.

With the District Convention just over two weeks away, preparations and last-minute details are getting full attention at the District Office. With all of the details yet to be addressed, the Email Updates the next two weeks will be brief, sharing only urgent and timely information. There will be no Update on June 3, as District staff will be moving office equipment, including computers, to the Convention site. Full Convention coverage will be available on the District website, www.ndlcms.org<http://www.ndlcms.org/>, by Saturday afternoon, June 6, and shared in the Update on June 10.

Please keep the upcoming Convention in your prayers, as delegates and guests travel from across Nebraska to gather together for worship, fellowship, and to set the mission vision for the Nebraska District.

*         Important Convention Notes
*         Lutheran Family Services Father's Day Appeal
*         Prepare/Enrich Training Offered in Lincoln
*         CPH Memorial Day Sale
*         Concordia Theological Seminary Offers New Church Music Workshop
*         New Speakers Added to Mission Central Schedule

IMPORTANT CONVENTION NOTES
Blood Drive - Don't forget, the American Red Cross will be having a blood drive on campus Thursday, June 4, from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Everyone who donates blood during that time will be entered into a drawing for a $10 Target gift card as a thank-you for their time and their donation. If you are able, please consider taking some time Thursday afternoon to help save a life through your blood donation, thanking Jesus for the life He gives you through the shedding of His blood. The blood drive will be in the P.E. Building gym, and walk-ins are welcome. You may also pre-register by visiting www.givebloodgivelife.org<http://www.givebloodgivelife.org/> and searching for sponsor code #1953 or by calling 1-800-GIVELIFE.

Thank Offering - There's still time for your congregation to take part in the Convention thank offering by gathering your gifts during services on one or both of the upcoming Sundays. This thank offering will be used over the next three years to purchase Bibles and catechisms in various languages for the growing ethnic mission fields in Nebraska and for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Sudan. Christians today have the wonderful message of Jesus to share. As we build relationships with those who do not know this Good News of Jesus Christ, our conversations are to be "full of grace." To help equip Christians around the world be prepared to answer everyone with this Good News, the Nebraska District will use this thank offering to provide Bibles and catechisms for those whose primary language is not English.

Congregations that wish to include bulletin inserts in their worship folders may contact the District Office to request them. Email nicholeh at ndlcms.org<mailto:nicholeh at ndlcms.org> or call 888-643-2961 to request the amount your congregation needs. We give thanks to God for the opportunity to provide His Word and its explanation to those who might not otherwise receive it.

Ingathering of Bibles and Catechisms - Another opportunity to help share the salvation story with others is through the ingathering of Bibles and catechisms which will take place during Convention. Each delegate to the Convention is invited to bring with them a new Bible in the English Standard Version (ESV) and a new Luther's Small Catechism. These books will be collected at Convention and distributed to new mission congregations and ministry starts in the Nebraska District, with the prayer that they will be used to "season" conversations about Jesus Christ and His free gift of salvation for all people.

Delegates are asked to bring their books to the Convention floor and place them in the designated area before or after any Convention session.

More information on the ingathering and the thank offering is available on the District website at http://www.ndlcms.org/news/convention/thank_offering.html.

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LUTHERAN FAMILY SERVICES FATHER'S DAY APPEAL
Church offices of the Nebraska District should have received a mailing from Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska asking them to take part in their special "Father's Day" appeal this summer. Along with a letter of explanation is a reproducible bulletin insert congregations are asked to include one or more Sundays to educate members on the ministry of Lutheran Family Services and prayerfully consider support for this Lutheran human care ministry. Congregations that prefer to receive the materials by email or receive a specified number of pre-printed copies of the insert may contact Melissa Price at mprice at lfsneb.org<mailto:mprice at lfsneb.org> or 402-978-5678.

Church offices are encouraged to use these materials to help share the ministry of Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska. LFS is a Recognized Service Organization of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and a Social Ministry Organization, of which the Nebraska District and its congregations are ministry partners.

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PREPARE/ENRICH TRAINING OFFERED IN LINCOLN
PREPARE/ENRICH is a customized couple assessment completed online that identifies a couple's strength and growth areas. Based on a couple's assessment results, a trained facilitator provides 4-8 feedback sessions in which the facilitator helps the couple discuss and understand their results as they are taught proven relationship skills.

Rev. Kevin Kohnke will be leading a one-day workshop designed to help facilitators learn how to use the PREPARE/ENRICH Program with premarital and married couples.

Date:                           Saturday, June, 13, 2009
Time:                            9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location:                      Concordia University, Nebraska Lincoln campus
                                    570 Fallbrook Blvd Suite 203, Lincoln, NE 68521
Cost                             $175
Payable:                      Rev. Kevin Kohnke
Registration Deadline:  June 1, 2009

Mail to:            Rev. Kevin Kohnke
                        800 N. Columbia Ave
                        Seward, NE 68434
Email:               kevin.kohnke at cune.edu<mailto:kevin.kohnke at cune.edu>

To learn more about Prepare/Enrich visit www.prepare-enrich.com<http://www.prepare-enrich.com/>.

Follow the "Find a Workshop" link to find the registration form to be completed and included with your payment.

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CPH MEMORIAL DAY SALE
Concordia Publishing House is offering its Memorial Day Sale every day this week, with savings of 50% on Christian resources for church, school, and home.

Visit www.cph.org<http://www.cph.org/> every day to see the daily special. Each day, they offer a one-day only sale for 50% off the regular price.

The sale runs through Friday, May 22.

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CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY OFFERS NEW CHURCH MUSIC WORKSHOP
This summer, Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, is offering a new workshop for church musicians. In addition to a week-long organist workshop at the primer level (June 15-19), they are offering a church music week (June 22-26). This church music week is intended not only for organists, but also for choir and handbell directors. This workshop would also be fruitful for active handbell ringers. Instructors include Kantors Richard Resch and Kevin Hildebrand, as well as Dean of the Chapel Paul Grime-all on the staff of the seminary. Additional instructors include Charles Brown, director of choral activities at Concordia University-Chicago, and Janet Muth, a church musician from Houston.

For further information visit http://www.ctsfw.edu/events/organist, e-mail organworkshops at ctsfw.edu or call 260-452-2224. Please forward this information to the musicians in your congregation as well as in your community.

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NEW SPEAKERS ADDED TO MISSION CENTRAL SCHEDULE
The following special events are planned at Mission Central near Mapleton, Iowa. Gary Thies invites everyone to come and hear these wonderful folks talk about their work around the world. All speaking events are at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in the barn at Mission Central unless otherwise noted. The newest additions to the speaking list are in red. For more information on Mission Central or on these special events, visit the Mission Central website at www.missioncentral.us<http://www.missioncentral.us/>.

June 6 - Dr. Lo and family - Indonesia
June 12 - Delano and Linda Meyer - Sierra Leone, West Africa
June 17 - Rev. Mark and Rose Krause - Riga, Latvia
June 20 - David and Radka Fiala - Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia
June 21 - Rev. Greg Sawyer - Hong Kong at 10:00 a.m. (worship service)
June 24 - Rev. Claude & Rhoda Houge - Kenya, East Africa
June 27 - Rev. Joel Scheiwe and family - Southern China
July 7 - Rev. J. P. Cima and family - Vietnam
July 20 - Donna Meyer - Indonesia
August 22 - Vicar Heath and Aunnee Trampe - Riga, Latvia at 1:00 p.m. only
September 16 - Rev. Matt Heise - Georgia, Russia, and Mongolia

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Blessings,
Nichole Hetz
Nebraska District LCMS
Director of Communications
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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