Update for May 30 A publication of the Nebraska District, a District ABLAZE! Greetings in the name of our all-powerful Heavenly Father, who sent the power of the Holy Spirit on that first Pentecost and who still fills us with His power through our baptism. May we go out and be powerful, Spirit-filled witnesses, "declaring the wonders of God" each day. (Acts 2:11) o Prayer Request o No Email Update Next Week o District Office Closed June 7 o Plans Moving Forward for Nebraska District Youth Gathering o Faith Community Responses to Domestic Violence o Lutheran Youth Encounter Looking for Members o Family Film Festival in Lincoln o Teacher of 37 Years Retires o Peace, Grand Island, to Ordain Son of the Congregation o Concordia University Student Receives Student Teaching Award o The Rev. John Arthur Nunes Named President of Lutheran World Relief o Reaching Rural America for Christ Heartland Conference to be Held in Nebraska PRAYER REQUEST Jim and Nancy Stepp - Please remember in prayer Jim and Nancy Stepp and their three-year old daughter, Sarah, who are members at Good Shepherd, Lincoln. Last weekend, while they were at a family wedding in California, their home near Denton was completely destroyed by fire. Please keep this family in your prayers as they rebuild. Back to top NO EMAIL UPDATE NEXT WEEK There will be no District Email Update next week, but the regular weekly schedule will resume with the next newsletter on Wednesday, June 13. Information to be shared may be sent any time to communications@ndlcms.org. Back to top DISTRICT OFFICE CLOSED JUNE 7 The District Office in Seward will be closed Thursday, June 7, for a staff retreat. The office will reopen at 8:00 a.m. Friday morning, June 8. Information and answers to many questions are always available on the District website at www.ndlcms.org. Back to top PLANS MOVING FORWARD FOR NEBRASKA DISTRICT YOUTH GATHERING As many congregations make last minute arrangements for the National Youth Gathering in Florida this summer, the planning committee for the Nebraska District Youth Gathering is hard at work. The District Youth Gathering, scheduled for November 21-23, 2008, will be held at the Holiday Inn Convention Centre in Omaha. More information will be sent to District congregations later this summer. Please help create excitement for this inspiring and exciting event by passing this date and location to the youth leader in your congregation. Back to top FAITH COMMUNITY RESPONSES TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Domestic violence could be affecting someone you know. Would you know how to respond if someone confided in you? God calls us to reach out to one another with love and compassion. How can we best do this, while providing for the safety and well-being of the victim? How do we offer help and hope to the batterer? Pastors, teachers, DCE's, church/school secretaries, lay leaders, and laity will all benefit from this one-day workshop, Faith Community Responses to Domestic Violence, being offered Saturday, June 16, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Concordia, Seward. The low $8.00 registration fee will cover the cost of lunch and breaks. All conference materials and speakers are provided through grant funding. A CD of resources will be sent home with each participant to assist with educating others in their church and school. More information and registration materials were sent to each church office. The information is also available on the District website at www.ndlcms.org. Back to top LUTHERAN YOUTH ENCOUNTER LOOKING FOR MEMBERS Lutheran Youth Encounter sponsors international teams to churches in several countries. Their relational ministry utilizes music and other arts in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These teams serve for 12 months beginning each August, visiting congregations in the States before and after their overseas ministry. Each team is comprised of five to eight members; most members are 21 years old and many are college graduates. Persons who have grown up in an overseas culture are highly effective in this ministry. Seventy percent of team alumni go on to serve as full-time church professionals. This coming August, team members are needed for the following teams: Kindred (Ecuador, Venezuela, Columbia), New Dawn (Taiwan, Philippines), CrossFire (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia), and Watermark (two teams, Denmark and Germany). For more information, see www.youthencounter.org, send an e-mail to garyk@youthencounter.org or maryb@youthencounter.org, or call 1-800-659-6884, Ext. 8474. If you know of someone who might be interested in serving on an International Team, please consider sharing their name with Lutheran Youth Encounter. Back to top FAMILY FILM FESTIVAL IN LINCOLN Looking for a fun, wholesome activity for the entire family - from toddlers to Grandpa and Grandma? Come to the 5th annual Family Film Festival on Saturday, June 2, at Christ Lutheran Church, 43rd & Sumner, Lincoln. Starting at 6:00 p.m., a barbeque pulled pork dinner with side dishes and homemade desserts will be served. While you eat, enjoy music performed by Room 211 band members, Steve Wells and Katie Tiedeman. Kids of all ages will enjoy carnival rides and games (each game includes a prize). There will be mini-train rides, a giant slide, and bouncers. And, back by popular demand are the Turbo Tubs and the obstacle course. And if that's not enough!! At sunset (approximately 8:45 p.m.), pull up your lawn chairs and blankets to watch the family move "Over the Hedge" on the giant outdoor screen. Concessions will be available during the movie. Dinner is $8.00 for adults; $4.00 for kids. Unlimited rides/games bracelets are $10.00 for children ages 2 and up. Tickets are available in the Christ Schools office before June 2 or may be purchased the night of the event. For more information about the event, call 483-7774, ext. 128. Back to top TEACHER OF 37 YEARS RETIRES Margaret Smith will be retiring from the ministry after 37 years of service at Zion Lutheran School in Kearney, Nebraska. Mrs. Smith has taught nursery school, first, and second grades over the years. She is a wonderful teacher who has been a true servant of Christ. Zion Lutheran Church and school will be having a special potluck and open house on June 3 following the 10:30 a.m. church service. We join with the congregation in giving thanks to God for Mrs. Smith's hard work and dedication over the years, and we ask Him to continue to bless her as she moves on to new ministry opportunities. Back to top PEACE, GRAND ISLAND, TO ORDAIN SON OF THE CONGREGATION Michael Giddings is being ordained at Peace Lutheran Church, Grand Island, on June 10 at 3:00 p.m. A member of Peace, he has been called by the North Dakota District to serve as a missionary-at-large in Fargo, ND. Everyone is invited to attend this joyous event. Back to top CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT RECEIVES STUDENT TEACHING AWARD Concordia University, Nebraska student Kayla Anderson, a senior from Omaha, was named Student Teacher of the Year by the Nebraska English Language Arts Council on May 15. Anderson has been working in the classrooms of Seward High School teachers Shannon Davis and Lynette Petersen to complete her student teaching requirements. "I'm very excited that my cooperating teachers thought that highly of me, enough to nominate me for this award," said Anderson. "I have absolutely loved Seward High." Anderson also expressed her appreciation for the education program at Concordia and for the experience of student teaching. "There are just some things we have to learn by doing," she said. The NELAC is an official affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English. Back to top THE REV. JOHN ARTHUR NUNES NAMED PRESIDENT OF LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF The Rev. John Arthur Nunes will become the fourth president of Lutheran World Relief on July 1. Lutheran World Relief's (LWR's) board of directors chose Nunes as president of LWR at a board meeting on May 21. A well-known and highly regarded pastor, theologian, speaker, and community organizer, Rev. Nunes has served as a management consultant, pastor, teacher, youth director, and parish musician. He is assistant professor of theology at Concordia University, River Forest (Chicago, Illinois). He serves also as a pastor for Bethany Lutheran Church, Chicago. Additionally, he provides consulting support to Wheat Ridge Ministries as a Staff Associate for Urban Ministry Research; he has served as director for church resource development at Concordia Publishing House (St. Louis, Missouri); and as a Research Fellow for the Acton Institute. He is a Doctor of Philosophy candidate from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, Illinois. Lutheran World Relief is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA); The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS); individuals; and parish groups in international relief, development, advocacy, and social responsibility. Back to top REACHING RURAL AMERICA FOR CHRIST HEARTLAND CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN NEBRASKA America continues to change. Nowhere is this more apparent than in rural/small town communities. Effectively engaging this ever-changing culture for Christ is one of today's great ministry challenges. Reaching Rural America for Christ brings together congregational leaders throughout the Heartland to share a common experience and explore the ministry challenges triggered by constant change. This conference will be led by the Saint Paul Institute for Education (SPIFE) from Concordia, Missouri, and held at the Lied Lodge and Conference Center in Nebraska City, on November 8-10. Congregational lay leaders and clergy are encouraged to attend this conference designed to survey the ever-changing rural culture to examine its impact on rural/small town communities, build a network for leadership training and ministry support, and investigate stewardship attitudes and action. For more information or to register for this conference, visit the SPIFE website at www.spife.org or call 888-463-5127. Participation is limited to the first 110 registrants. Back to top Blessings, Nichole Hetz Nebraska District LCMS Director of Communications and Events 1-888-643-2961 nicholeh@ndlcms.org 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.