[DistUpd] March 31

[District Updates]

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March 31, 2010

In this issue:

What a blessing to draw together this week with fellow believers at the foot of the cross and the entrance of the empty tomb to remember the tremendous sacrifice God made to save us. May the Lord bless your Holy Week and grant you a blessed Easter celebration!


 *   Prayer Requests
 *   Correction to Seventh Grade Presentation Announcement
 *   Spring Pastors' Conference Registration Deadline NEXT WEEK
 *   Man Feast 2010
 *   LCEF Outreach Grants Due TOMORROW
 *   Delegates Provide Feedback on Task Force Proposals
 *   Service Opportunity in Macau
 *   Take a Short "LHM Sunday" Survey
 *   Seminary Continuing Education in Nebraska
 *   Spanish Resources to Help Parents Talk About the Birds and the Bees



PRAYER REQUESTS
Family of Mrs. Maxine Cook - Please lift up in prayer the family of Maxine Cook of Lexington who passed away due to a stroke she suffered last week. Her funeral will be held at Trinity, Lexington, on Saturday, April 3, at 10:30 a.m. We ask the Lord to wrap His loving arms around her family at this time of loss, assuring them of His presence and granting them peace and comfort at this time. Mrs. Cook was the widow of Rev. Ed Cook.

Yolisa Felix and family - Please remember in prayer Vicar Obdulio and Yolisa Felix of Omaha at the passing of Yolisa's grandmother in Mexico. We ask God to grant this family His strength and comfort at this time of mourning, especially as they are not able to return to Mexico for the funeral. Vicar Felix is a vicar at Beautiful Savior, LaVista, serving the new congregation of Jesus Es el Senor, Omaha.


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CORRECTION TO SEVENTH GRADE PRESENTATION ANNOUNCEMENT
The announcement made last week of the special presentation at King of Kings to seventh graders and their parents did not include the date of the presentation. The presentation will be Sunday evening, April 18. The announcement, including the date, is below. Sorry for any confusion this oversight may have caused.

All seventh graders and their parents are invited to a parent/youth seminar on Sunday, April 18, entitled "How to Have a Home Life Where Everyone Makes the Honor Roll" by Ty Schenzel, recognized teen speaker and Director of Omaha's Hope Center for Kids.

This evening is just for seventh graders and their parents - both parents, if possible. The topic will be communication skills that express honor between parents and kids. This seminar will improve communication in your family because God-ordained honor will be motivating it.

This event is sponsored by and will be held at King of Kings, Omaha, and Kids Kount Publishing. It will be filmed and a DVD will be made to be part of the Faith Legacy Series. Film clips of the participants will make brief appearances in the final DVD, which will be sold to other churches by Kids Kount Publishing.  People may opt to sit in a section that will never be filmed.

A pizza dinner will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m., with the seminar to follow from 6:45 - 8:30 p.m. The cost is $15 per family.

Space is limited. Register early! Request a registration form from Angela at King of Kings at 402-333-6464. A completed registration form and the $15 payment is due no later than Wednesday, April 14, to King of Kings' receptionist desk or mail checks payable to "King of Kings" to:
King of Kings
Attn: Angela Bell
11615 I Street
Omaha, NE 68137


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SPRING PASTORS' CONFERENCE REGISTRATION DEADLINE NEXT WEEK
The registration deadline for Spring Pastors' Conference in Lincoln on April 19-21 is next Monday, April 5. Pastors who have not yet registered can find more information, registration forms, and online registration on the District website at http://www.ndlcms.org/news/conferences/pastors/index.html.


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MAN FEAST 2010
The Iron Men of Peace Lutheran Church in Grand Island are inviting men to Man Feast 2010 on Sunday, April 18, at Heartland High School in Grand Island. The event promises to be a night of great food and fellowship while honoring our Lord Jesus Christ.

The speaker for this year's event is former Nebraska safety and NFL great Mike Minter. Although the odds were stacked against him, Minter excelled in athletics and academics, earning a degree in engineering from UNL and playing for 10 years for the Carolina Panthers. Known for his speed and skills on the football field, Minter has found new success as a motivational speaker, community pastor and entrepreneur. He credits discipline, determination, and dedication, along with a strong faith in God, for his success on and off the field. Minter's testimony is filled with challenges and stories that inspire young and old to follow their dreams.

Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m., followed by an autograph session at 5:30 p.m. and meal served at 6:00 p.m. Mike Minter will take the stage around 7:00 p.m. Heartland LHS is located at 3900 W. Husker Highway.

Tickets for the event are $15 and can be purchased by contacting Rick Huls at 308-380-3697. For event updates, check www.peacelutherangi.org<http://www.peacelutherangi.org/>.


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LCEF OUTREACH GRANTS DUE TOMORROW
As a result of the partnership between the Lutheran Church Extension Fund's faithful investors and borrowers, LCEF has been blessed by our Lord to be able to offer Outreach Ministry Grants to congregations and other LCMS organizations within the Nebraska District. Twenty-five $1,000 Outreach Ministry Grants are available to Nebraska District LCMS congregations, schools, and related organizations.

To be considered for a grant, the applicant must:
*        Conduct a specific outreach/evangelism program, activity, or event designed to reach lost people for Christ within one calendar year of receipt of this grant.
*        Reflect the goals of the LCEF Mission Statement, which reads as follows: To support the Church in fulfilling its mission of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ by being a Christ-centered servant partner of the LCMS, ensuring that funds and services are available now and in the future.
*        Provide photos and a written summary of the LCEF grant-funded outreach ministry to this office within one calendar year of receipt of this grant. This will be used for LCEF promotional purposes.

Guidelines and an application were sent to all pastors, principals, DCEs, congregational chairmen, and LCEF congregational representatives. Contact one of these individuals for more information, or visit the Nebraska District website at http://www.ndlcms.org/financial/lcef/grant.html for more information or to print an application form.

The deadline for receiving completed applications is tomorrow, April 1. Grant recipients will be selected by May 15.


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DELEGATES PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON TASK FORCE PROPOSALS (From LCMSNews, March 25)
Convention delegates who attended the regional gatherings hosted last winter by the Office of the President generally gave a "thumbs up" to all but one of the 70 recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance.

The results of the survey taken by the 875 voting delegates who participated in the gatherings were released by the President's Office on March 12, and are available on the home page of the task force website at http://www.lcms.org/lcmsfuture.

The gatherings -- held in Denver; Detroit; Madison, Wis.; Minneapolis; Boston; Newport Beach, Calif.; Atlanta; Dallas; and St. Louis -- were designed to allow delegates to the Synod's 2010 convention in Houston to learn how the Synod is currently structured and to better understand the task force's recommendations.

"The process followed by the task force was focused on the goal of building consensus in regard to potential structure and governance amplifications and revisions," said Rev. Larry Krueger, assistant to the president.  "The survey results indicate that this consensus building process is on target."

Some 1,250 delegates are expected to take part in the convention, July 10-17 in Houston, spending the first two business days (July 11-12) determining which of the task force's proposals -- fine-tuned and presented as resolutions -- will best prepare The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod to carry out its mission in the years ahead.

Those attending the regional meetings were asked to respond to the recommendations by checking "Strongly Agree," "Agree," "Not Sure," "Disagree," or "Strongly Disagree."  In the survey's summary, "Strongly Agree" and "Agree" were grouped together as were "Strongly Disagree" and "Disagree."

The only recommendation that received a larger percentage of "Disagree" votes than "Agree" votes (52 percent to 38 percent) states, "Congregations with more than 1,000 confirmed members are entitled to two additional voting delegates, at least one of those additional delegates being a layperson."

In his January response to the task force report, Synod President Dr. Gerald B. Kieschnick indicated he also did not favor this recommendation, stating, "It is not clear to me whether this proposal is a high priority for the congregations that would be afforded this privilege, and it does not appear to be contributing to a greater spirit of harmony in our Synod."

The recommendation to establish a fixed number of national convention delegates received a favorable response with 59 percent agreeing and 29 percent not agreeing, and 13 percent "Not Sure."  A subsequent related recommendation to set that number at 650 received an equal number of agree/disagree votes, 40 percent for both, with 20 percent voting "Not Sure."

The survey shows that delegates favor a major recommendation coming out of the report that would eliminate the Synod's seven program boards and two of its six commissions and consolidate them into two advisory commissions, one for National Mission and one for International Mission.

"The enhanced understanding about the task force proposals on the part of the convention delegates will bring meaningful discussion to the convention floor," Krueger said. "At the same time, the floor committee will be knowledgeable about the feelings of the delegates in regard to specific proposals and, based on the feedback it has received to date -- in addition to the convention overtures and the feedback it will receive based on the overtures -- will present resolutions for consideration that best reflect the overall consensus already achieved."

Kieschnick said he has been encouraged by the churchmanship shown during the gatherings. "The collegiality so broadly exhibited at the nine regional gatherings was a reflection of how the people of the Synod can work together and walk together for the greater goal of the mission of our Lord."


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SERVICE OPPORTUNITY IN MACAU
Join the mission field! There is an urgent need for short-term missionaries in Macau, starting immediately. Teachers are asked to teach for one month or longer. If you have a passport and are willing to teach conversational English to adult professionals, please consider this mission opportunity to teach at the Concordia English Center.

Concordia English Center is an English language school based in Macau. The school focuses on teaching English with GEO missionaries who serve there for a year or more. Short-term missionaries also serve as teachers to provide more classes or teach when GEO missionaries are on home service. Because of several staffing changes, many classes will be canceled if short-term missionaries cannot be found. This means that less people will be exposed to the Gospel message and Christian witness shared through the English Center. Please consider serving in this very important way!

For more information, contact an LCMS World Mission placement counselor at 1-800-433-3954 or mission.recruitment at lcms.org<mailto:mission.recruitment at lcms.org>.


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TAKE A SHORT "LHM SUNDAY" SURVEY
Thank you to the hundreds of congregations that have held (or will soon hold) a Lutheran Hour Ministries Sunday celebration. By joining LHM in its mission of Bringing Christ to the Nations-and the Nations to the Church, your witness and ours are multiplied!

We are asking all pastors, church workers, and LHM Ambassadors to take just a minute to complete a short survey about your LHM Sunday celebration. Click here<http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QD378LP> or visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QD378LP to tell us if your church participated (and how) or why your church did not. Your feedback is critical as we begin planning for future special Sundays. And remember, although Feb. 7 was the official date, there is still time to hold LHM Sunday at your church if you have not already done so. Visit www.lhm.org/lhmsunday<http://www.lhm.org/lhmsunday> for more information or to download materials.


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SEMINARY CONTINUING EDUCATION OFFERED IN NEBRASKA
Many of the professors from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne will be leading courses in locations from California to New York during the summer of 2010.

These courses are offered to professional church workers in an effort to assist them as they strive to grow in their knowledge and, in turn, share that knowledge with others.  Professional church workers may also earn Continuing Education Units (CEU) when participating in these courses.

One course will be offered in Nebraska this summer:
Kearney, NE
June 21-25, 2010
Lutheran Missiology
Presenter - Dr. Detlev Schulz, Th.D.

This course looks at contemporary mission theories and practices both in the United States and globally. Students may prepare ahead of time by reading Mission from the Cross. (3 CEU)

Host: Zion Lutheran Church, 2421 Avenue C, Kearney, NE 68847
Contact: Rev. James DeLoach, 308-627-5260, jhd.treo at gmail.com<mailto:jhd.treo at gmail.com>
Visit http://www.ctsfw.edu/Page.aspx?pid=709 for registration and more information.


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SPANISH RESOURCES TO HELP PARENTS TALK ABOUT THE BIRDS AND THE BEES
Every parent, at some point or another has to have difficult conversations with their children. Whether it is talking about where babies come from or about puberty, Concordia Publishing House (CPH) has the resources needed to help make these conversations a little easier. CPH's Multilingual Department, Editorial Concordia, adds two Spanish books to help facilitate this daunting task for parents.

The books Como estás cambiando (How You Are Changing)<http://cph.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9f4207272efb098ecffa20328&id=8180c635f0&e=1b67d75550> and ¿De dónde viene los bebés? (Where Do Babies Come From?) <http://cph.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9f4207272efb098ecffa20328&id=e101b52049&e=1b67d75550> use age appropriate language and help children see the wonder behind God's plan for creation. Como estás cambiando explains the physical and emotional changes that occur in preteens and ¿De dónde viene los bebés? helps children understand how a new baby develops.

Both books use simple and accurate language and are adapted specifically for Spanish speaking people from the prevalent English series. Plus, they are 20% off when you use the promotional code HSE.

Call 1-800-325-3040 or visit cph.org<http://cph.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9f4207272efb098ecffa20328&id=9440181ea2&e=1b67d75550> to order yours today.


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The Nebraska District staff wishes you and your family a very blessed Easter!

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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