Update for August 17 A publication of the Nebraska District, a District ABLAZE! Greetings in the name of Jesus, the "true light that gives light to every man." (John 1:9) What a blessing it is that we are called to live as "children of light" (Eph. 5:8) in this world. May we encourage one another and join together in prayers for the Spirit's power and guidance as we strive to live out this calling in our daily lives. " Prayer Requests " Greater Omaha Mission Planning Conference Registrations Due " Upcoming District Events Calendar " Lutheran College Fair Coming to Omaha " Special Mission Presentations at Mission Central " Director of Music Ministries Position Open " Nebraska Lutherans for Confessional Studies to Meet " Open Arms Conference: Outreach to the Outer City " LFS Healthy Families Walk " "Point of Truth" Now on Web Via FaithStreams " Free Lutheran Worship Hymnals to Congregation, School, or Ministry PRAYER REQUESTS Ian Loewe - Please continue to remember in your prayers Ian Loewe, eight-year-old grandson of African missionaries Jerry and Carol Loewe of Pilger, who is battling cancer. They share the following update on Ian's condition. To view previous updates and read Ian's story, visit www.andyring.com/ian. "Ian is doing well. Additional physical side effects from the chemotherapy are beginning to emerge, but he continues to receive divine strength to remain emotionally solid. It continues to be difficult to avoid the typical kid summer activities, but fortunately he enjoys computer software and his Nintendo Gamecube. On Monday, we went back to Children's Hospital for his triple chemo treatment. We hope to be back home by Saturday. Please pray for elevated courage and strength through these difficult hospital stays. We greatly appreciate the continuing prayer and financial support from all of you. It is difficult for us to express the gratitude that we feel." Family of Rich Anderson - We join together in prayers for the family of Rich Anderson, long-time Nebraska District LCEF Committee member and member of Zion, Pierce, who was called to the Lord's side in early August after a brief battle with cancer. We ask the Lord to grant his family peace, comfort, and hope in the promise of eternal life through Jesus, and we thank God for the strong witness to his faith Rich was during his time on this earth. Back to top GREATER OMAHA MISSION PLANNING CONFERENCE REGISTRATIONS DUE Congregations in the greater Omaha area should have received registration information on the Greater Omaha Mission Conference that will be held next Friday and Saturday, August 26 and 27, at Concordia High School, Omaha. Pastors, chairmen/presidents, elders, mission/outreach board members, school principals, or others who could represent these church leaders are invited to attend this conference for Omaha area congregations. Rev. Dr. Mike Ruhl, Director for the Center for U.S. Mission, will be the facilitator for the conference. He will help participants develop a plan to redevelop, revitalize, and start new missions in greater Omaha. The registration deadline for this conference is TODAY, August 17. To register, call the District Office or email missions@ndlcms.org with the names of the people planning to attend from your congregation, along with your congregation name and city. Contact Rev. Rich Boring or Sue Kohlwey at the District Office, richb@ndlcms.org, suek@ndlcms.org, or 888-643-2961, for more information. Back to top UPCOMING DISTRICT EVENTS CALENDAR Many of the past Email Updates have included information on upcoming events across the District. Following is a list of these events and contact information for questions or more information. LCEF Church Secretary/Office Administrators' Workshop at Concordia University, Seward, on September 13. More information will be sent to church offices soon. LCEF Vice President Paul Pettit may be reached at the District Office, paulp@ndlcms.org or 888-643-2961, for more information. New Worker Orientation/Rural Ministry Workshop for all new pastors, vicars, and DCEs who have entered the District since last fall will be held at Concordia University, Seward, on September 26-27. Registration information will be sent directly to those new workers. Contact Connie Borchers, events coordinator, with questions, at connieb@ndlcms.org or 888-643-2961. Circuit Counselors' Retreat at St. Benedict Center, Schuyler, on October 3-4. More information on this retreat will be shared directly with the Circuit Counselors shortly. Contact Connie Borchers, events coordinator, with questions, at connieb@ndlcms.org or 888-643-2961. Daughter/Church Planting Conference at St. Mark, Omaha, on October 7-8. This conference is for pastors and congregational leaders of any size congregation who may be considering planting a church. Registration materials will be sent to District congregations soon. Contact Rev. Rich Boring at the District Office, richb@ndlcms.org or 888-643-2961, with questions about the conference. Junior High Retreat at Camp Luther, Schuyler, on October 14-15. Registration forms are available from the Camp Luther website, www.campluther.org, as well as the District website, http://www.ndlcms.org/education/youth/jrhigh.html. Contact Camp Luther at 402-352-5655 with questions or for more information. Congregational Treasurer/Business Managers' Workshop at Concordia University, Seward, on October 15. This one-day workshop will help equip congregational treasurers with the knowledge they need to serve the Lord and their congregations. District treasurer Paul Pettit may be reached at the District Office, paulp@ndlcms.org or 888-643-2961, for more information. Teachers' Conference, at Trinity, Grand Island, on October 20-21. Planning for this conference is well underway and teachers should receive registration materials in mid-September. Contact Kathy Melton, assistant to Don Weber in Education and Youth, with questions or for more information at kathym@ndlcms.org or 888-643-2961. New Teacher Retreat for teachers entering the Nebraska District will be at the District Office in Seward on October 28. More information will be sent directly to these teachers. Contact Kathy Melton, assistant to Don Weber in Education and Youth, with questions or for more information at kathym@ndlcms.org or 888-643-2961. The Nebraska Theological Conference, which will give ordained, commissioned, and lay members of the District a time for dialog and discussion, will be at the Howard Johnson, Grand Island, on November 4-5. Congregations and schools will receive registration information in mid-September. Contact Nichole Hetz, events director, with questions and for more information at nicholeh@ndlcms.org or 888-643-2961. District Youth Gathering, at Midtown Holiday Inn, Omaha, on November 18-20, is open to all District youth in grades 9 - 12. Registration materials have been sent to every congregation and are available on the District website at http://www.ndlcms.org/education/youth/2005YG/index.html. The registration deadline to receive the "early-bird" discount is October 1. Congregations are required to make their own housing arrangements with one of the Gathering hotels this year. Please see the registration materials for more information, or contact Kathy Melton, assistant to Don Weber in Education and Youth, at kathym@ndlcms.org or 888-643-2961, with questions. Back to top LUTHERAN COLLEGE FAIR COMING TO OMAHA The Lutheran College Fair is coming to Omaha again this fall for high school students who are interested in attending a Lutheran college. The college fair will be from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, October 9, at the Omaha Marriott Hotel, 10220 Regency Circle, Omaha, NE 68114 (Interstate 680 and Dodge Street). Admissions representatives from Lutheran colleges and universities will be available to answer questions regarding admission, academic programs, student life, housing, and financial aid. Students (grades 9-12), parents, pastors, and youth leaders are invited to attend the college fair and seminars. All families attending a Lutheran College Fair event will receive four APPLICATION FEE WAIVERS (up to a $40 value each!) applicable for any Lutheran college/university listed on the fee waiver. For details on the college fair, visit http://www.lutherancolleges.org/collegefairs/. Lutheran college fair events are sponsored in part by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation. Please contact Laurie Brill with any questions regarding the Lutheran College Fairs at www.lutherancolleges.org or 850-212-7766. Back to top SPECIAL MISSION PRESENTATIONS AT MISSION CENTRAL Nebraska District Mission Developer Gary Thies shares the following mission update and invitation to a special mission presentation at Mission Central in Mapleton, Iowa. "In the country of Kyrgyzstan, located in southeastern Russia next to the Chinese boarder, LCMS missionaries have been called to establish new congregations! This is a totally new country to work in after the fall of the Soviet Union! Our LCMS mission department had projected that by this time we should have established eight new congregations. Well, our God can do some amazing things. I received an e-mail from our missionaries in this country this past week, and they do not have eight congregations as planned....God has opened 31 - yes, 31 - new congregations in this remote area of the world...praise God! We have two wonderful missionary families in this country. Rev. Bob and Sue Pfeil are in charge of the little seminary in this country, and they will be coming to Mission Central, located 2 miles east of Mapleton, Iowa, and will speak and show pictures of their work at 7:00 p.m. on August 22. Then, on September 6 at 7:00 p.m., Rev. Tim and Rita Nickel, evangelistic missionaries from Kyrgyzstan, will show their pictures and tell the story of establishing new congregations in this amazing land! Rev. Tim Nickel grew up at Bancroft, Nebraska, and graduated from West Point high school. This is a wonderful opportunity to see what God is doing to touch the lives of people around the world with His message of love, grace and salvation for the people of the former Soviet Union. Mark your calendars - the staff at Mission Central would love to see you." Back to top DIRECTOR OF MUSIC MINISTRIES POSITION OPEN Lord of Life, Elkhorn, is currently searching for a Director of Music Ministries. The position responsibilities would include directing the adult and children's choirs, as well as assisting Pastor Linkugel with music selections for worship services. It is a paid position. Contact the Lord of Life office at 402-289-3437 or Wayne Smith at 402-669-5806 for more information or if you are interested. Back to top NEBRASKA LUTHERANS FOR CONFESSIONAL STUDIES TO MEET The August meeting of the Nebraska Lutherans for Confessional Studies (NLCS) will be Thursday, August 25, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 3825 Wildbriar Lane (just north of 40th and Old Cheney) in Lincoln. Refreshments will begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by Matins at 10. The morning topic will be on The Sacrament of the Altar led by Rev. Brent Kuhlman of Murdock. Following lunch, Rev. Lance Berndt of Lincoln will lead the study of the Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article 1. Everyone is invited, both clergy and laity. Call 402-423-7639 for more information. The reading in preparation for the morning study is Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, 2:293-325. Back to top OPEN ARMS CONFERENCE: OUTREACH TO THE OUTER CITY The Open Arms Institute is presenting a conference on "Outreach to the Outer City: Establishing Beachheads in Suburbia," October 7-8, 2005, at The Embassy Suites Hotel in Dulles, Virginia. Inner city churches are struggling or dying. Our denominational membership is declining. Yet hundreds of new suburbs are growing up around our metropolitan areas without a confessional Lutheran presence. Non-churched families are increasing in numbers. What can we do about it? Church planting with childcare is a proven, successful response to these opportunities. An Open Arms Conference is the place to learn about it. The host for the conference is Our Savior's Way Lutheran Church and Open Arms Child Development Center in Ashburn, VA. Our Savior's Way and its Open Arms Center have successfully established "a beachhead in suburbia." They are replicating the process in nearby Leesburg. It began with their attendance at an Open Arms conference. Learn the strategies that brought them success under God's blessing. Dialogue with those who have undertaken this exciting and innovative approach. Topics covered include: - "Gospel Outreach With Childcare," What does this mean? - How Can We Assure Quality and Success? - Where Can We Go For Help? - Does It Really Work? - What Should We Do When We Return Home? - What is the Process? It is important to bring a team if possible. One person cannot absorb it all, nor persuade an entire congregation upon returning home. The registration deadline is September 15. For more information or for a registration form, contact the Open Arms Institute at 970-667-3249, openarmsinstitute@msn.com, or visit www.openarmsinstitute.org. Back to top LFS HEALTHY FAMILIES WALK Church secretaries and church office staff - Lutheran Family Services is holding a combination fun afternoon for families and walk on October 2. They are asking that you include the following information and invitation in your newsletters and bulletins in September to encourage congregation members to take part in the event. Lutheran Family Services will host the Healthy Families Walk at the Lakeside area near 168th and Center in Omaha on Sunday, October 2. With registration at 1:00 p.m. and the walk beginning at 1:30 to 1:45, attendees will enjoy many fun-filled activities including: face painting, clowns, healthy snacks, business and agency displays, interactive family activities, health and wellness information and more. There is no registration fee, but attendees are encouraged to help raise support for the clients of LFS through the walk. For more information or to register, visit the LFS website at www.lfsneb.org or call 402-591-5603. Back to top "POINT OF TRUTH" NOW ON WEB VIA FAITHSTREAMS The Synod's "Point of Truth" half-hour video worship program can now been seen on the web via "FaithStreams," a new service from Faith and Values Media offering a library of faith-based video on the Internet. The free video-streamed "Point of Truth" programs are available at the FaithStreams web site (www.faithstreams.com) on Tuesdays (12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time) and Wednesdays (12:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m.). They also are available at any time through "FaithStreams'" video library. Although video-on-demand is normally a pay service ($29.95 per year, or $5.95 per month), web users may register for a free 30-day trial at the web site. "Point of Truth" shows have been airing for some time on Sundays on DIRECTV's The Church Channel. The shows also are streamed at that channel's web site, concurrent with its DIRECTV schedule. For more information about "Point of Truth," visit http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=2779. Back to top FREE LUTHERAN WORSHIP HYMNALS TO CONGREGATION, SCHOOL, OR MINISTRY The District Office has received a donation of 24 Lutheran Worship hymnals to be given to any congregation, school, or ministry who can make use of them. The outside of the hymnals are rather worn and most of the spines have been taped, but they are certainly still useable. If your congregation, school, or ministry can make use of these hymnals, please contact the District Office at 888-643-2961 or nicholeh@ndlcms.org to make arrangements to pick them up. Back to top Thanks to all who shared information to be passed along in this week's Update. Information from the congregations and ministries helps make this electronic newsletter a useful ministry tool for all. If you have something you would like shared in a future Update, email the information to communications@ndlcms.org or call the District Office at 888-643-2961. Blessings, Nichole Hetz Nebraska District LCMS Director of Communications and Events 1-888-643-2961 nicholeh@ndlcms.org www.ndlcms.org