The Lutheran Beacon. Welcome to Our Newest SELC District Church. Maine has a new LCMS Church, Christ Lutheran (Portland ME) by Rev.

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1 The Lutheran Beacon Let your light shine... Published by the SELC District of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod APRIL 2014 He is risen... He is risen indeed! A Blessed Easter to you all! Welcome to Our Newest SELC District Church Maine has a new LCMS Church, Christ Lutheran (Portland ME) by Rev. Hugh Pillsbury On March 4 th night (Shrove Tuesday) to the sound of keyboard, violin & cello Christ Lutheran Church of Portland in a wellattended worship service celebrated its being received into membership in the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod within the SELC District. Also celebrated was the installation of her first Pastor Rev. Hugh Pillsbury. President Rev. Dr. Carl Krueger presided as celebrant and was assisted by First Vice President Rev. Andy Dzurovcik. Also participating from the SELC District was Rev. John Perling, Pastor of St. John Lutheran (Greenwich, Ct.) her nearest SELC Church neighbor. Also attending from the New England District were the LtoR: Pastors: John Perling, Tim Sandeno. Paul Nielsen, Hugh Pillsbury, Pres. Carl Krueger, 1 st VP Andrew Dzurovcik, Ted Evertsen three other LCMS pastors in Maine: the Rev. Timothy Sandeno of Redeemer in Gorham, Rev. Paul Nielsen of Resurrection in Waterville, and Rev. Ted Evertsen of Hope in Bangor. Christ Lutheran is now the 4 th LCMS Church in Maine. Despite the outside cold, inside there was excitement and praise to God for a heaven blessed event. A reception followed that included Maine lobster sliders & fish chowder. Christ Lutheran began and was incorporated as an independent Lutheran Church in 2010 led by Rev. Pillsbury and his wife Jan along with three other families. The Greater Portland area with a population of 265,000 has had only one LCMS Church. Going home to the Lord in September 2011 wife Jan hoped to see the work flourish and connect with the SELC. Christ Lutheran has been blessed with a great relationship with her landlord, The Church of the Holy Spirit (CEC), from whom they rent space Sundays. At the March 4 Service, Holy Spirit s Priest Fr. Jim King, presented Christ Lutheran a handsome sign now hanging beside theirs near the street. The sign was hand painted by his daughter artist Katie Freed with the Luther rose and the LCMS cross. All praise and thanks be to King Jesus! IN THIS ISSUE: LWML SELC DISTRICT CONVENTION SUPPLEMENT

2 FINANCES & STATISTICS by Rev. Thomas Soltis, SELC Stewardship Director Y E A R Congregational Budget Goal Performance Receipts & Expenses Budget Goals $525,222 Congregational Goals $512,492 Remittances 512,942 Other Receipts 107,110 Negative (-97.6%) $ 12,280 Total Receipts $619,602 Expenses 541,823 SELC Assets (Dec. 31, 2013) - $757, Positive (+14.4%) $ 77,779 Y E A R District Budget 2014 Projected Receipts District Missions $128,300 Congregational Goals $513,094 Synodical Missions 133,900 Lutheran Church Extension Fund 37,000 Two Seminaries 13,390 Interest Earnings 8,000 Lutheran Haven 49,400 Lutheran Witness 8,000 SELC Programs 88,200 Projected Receipts $566,094 SELC Service Ministries 152,900 District Budget 566,090 $566,090 $ 4 Goal Performance(2/28/14) 5 Above suggested + 3% % 3 same as previous year 5 decreased 25 congregations reported 26 unreported 51 congregations Decreases $18,915 Increases 9,047 Net Decrease 9,868 Closed Congregation St. Paul, Braddock, PA New Congregation Christ, Portland, Maine MESSAGE TO LATE SUBMITTERS OF GOALS & REMITTANCES Goals should be submitted by January 31. The deadline for remittances is January 15. Monthly remittances enable a stable district cash flow. SYNODICAL STATISTICS FOR THE YEAR 2012 Increases: >Number of Congregations - 6,151 (2011-6,145) > Average Weekly Worship Attendance ( ) > Congregational Offerings - $1,423,342,829 (Up 3.4%) > Average per Communicant Contribution $834 per Year > Synodical Budget - $64.626,022 ( : $81,762,189) Decreases:> Baptized Membership - 2,196,788 (Decline - 35,070) > Communicant Membership - 1,707,509 (Decline - 24,013) Membership losses have been reported for the past forty years! CONGREGATIONAL RESOURCE - Stewardship - Congregational Helps Retaining Church Members 2

3 NEWS AROUND OUR SELC DISTRICT Congratulations to the Krueger family as Pastor & Dianne celebrate the birth of a grandson. Daughter, JoAnna and her husband, Jeff, were blessed with their second child, James Carl Barton, at 1:31 am on March 5, 2014 (Ash Wednesday). Independent Lutheran Congregation Joins SELC Jacob s Well Lutheran Church, an independent Lutheran Congregation, will hold its official Worship Service of Reception into the SELC District and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod on Saturday, April 26, 2014 at 5:30pm. At this same Worship Service, Rev. David Corson, an LCMS Clergy who has been serving Jacob s Well during its formative period, will be installed as the Congregation s Pastor. Jacob s Well Lutheran Church is located at 1126 South Kings highway, St. Louis MO. The public around the St. Louis area are cordially invited to attend the Worship Service. All LCMS Clergy are invited to participate in the Installation portion of the Service. Please note that due to the regular worship style of Jacob s Well, liturgical robes and stoles will not be worn. This is your newsletter... Articles & Photos are welcome! The Lutheran Beacon - Gail Peterson gailpete37@yahoo.com Please submit articles as separate attachments in the program you write in. [e.g. Word Perfect, Word, etc.], NOT as part of your . Photos must be submitted as separate attachments [NOT as part of your article.jpeg format preferred.] You may send multiple photos in one . DEADLINE FOR THE MAY ISSUE IS APRIL 12 TH Check out The Lutheran Beacon in color at Dr. Doug s Disaster Corner Image a fireman, policeman, or other public official comes to your door and demands that you vacate your home and relocate to a public shelter in 15 minutes. This is due to a train derailment resulting in a hazardous waste chemical spill. You can be expected to be gone 72 hours at minimum. The questions are: What will you take? Can you collect all the items in 15 minutes? To answer the second question, you should already have an evacuation kit, known as a go bag. This bag should contain items that you will need to survive away from your home for 72 hours. It should be stored in a location that is easy to get to under stress. All you will have to do is grab your billfold or purse and the go bag, and you are on your way. Now let me answer the first question. This is where preplanning is of great help and involves the go bag concept. The following items are just suggestions and each individual has his or her personal needs that have to be considered. 1. A 72 hour supply of all needed medications 2. Photo copies of all prescriptions 3. Personal hygiene items 4. Wash cloth and towel 5. A couple of changes of underwear and socks 6. Photo copies of driver license, credit cards, insurance policies, passports, and any other important papers 7. A backup set of car and house keys 8. Any other items you feel are needed to make your life survivable 9. All of these items can be kept in an old, used backpack (maybe left over from your kids or grandkids school days) Normally, evacuation shelters are set up by the Red Cross or the Salvation Army and will have restroom facilities, food, water, and sleeping items like cots, blankets, and pillows. Doug and Nona Schipull SELC District Disaster Response Coordinators 3

4 LITTLE BIT OF HAVEN by Bill Hale, Executive Director The vision that was to become Little Bit of Haven was born in the cry of a newborn, and the pained tears of a three (3) year old in April Henry was born on April 3, seemingly healthy, but with a congenital heart defect requiring surgery on his sixth day of life. Gracie, was in the midst of yet another lengthy hospital stay, arising from the multiple health issues a s s o c i a t e d with K a b u k i Syndrome, that had been her life since birth. For Henry s parents, life consisted of living by his cribside, taking turns sleeping in a plastic easy chair with a thin cushion for a mattress. Something to be endured. For Gracie s parents, that same single easy chair served as home for the three years they had been in and out of the hospital. Sometimes they slept in their van in the hospital parking lot because they lived several hours away. We are not able to fully describe the difficulty facing parents with c h i l d r e n f a c i n g l e n g thy hospitalizations. The hospitals provide a number of facilities and amenities, but with the sheer size of the units, approximately 100 intensive care beds at Children s Hospital of Barnes Jewish Hospital, and approximately 80 beds in the Cardinal Glennon Children s Hospital of St. Louis University Medical Center, comforts and a safe haven is nearly impossible. The last thing for these parents to worry about is where they can stay for a decent night of sleep, some place that is affordable, a place to do laundry or take a shower. For many of the parents there, the stays are lengthy Henry s three (3) week stay recovering from his heart surgery was brief compared to many of the children in those hospitals. A remarkable aspect of these events was that Henry s parents and Gracie s parents had ties to the Acts 1:8 Mission Society. Henry is the grandson of Rev. Randall Wilken, the founder and pastoral representative of the Mission Society. Gracie s parents were given our contact information by a friend of the Mission Society. Making these ties more remarkable, God timed their circumstances within weeks of each other in April S h o r t l y a f t e r t h o s e circumstances, three (3) of the bedrooms in the two-story, fivebedroom parsonage opened. The vision became real when Candice, Henry s Mom, came to meet with the leadership team of the Mission Society about her desire to do something about the needs of parents she had met while at Children s Hospital. This was coupled with the visit by Gracie s parents on April 16 while we had prepared a spare room for them to stay, they had to return to the hospital for Gracie, who succumbed to pneumonia the next day. Combining these seemingly unrelated and random events with the opening of three (3) bedrooms, left us all with what was from the beginning God s vision for this place. We have been in the process of converting the parsonage into a refuge and haven for those families traveling to St. Louis from often far away places seeking medical care for their seriously ill children. St. Louis Children s Hospital has been recognized as having some of the best doctors and medical facilities in the nation, and it is not uncommon for families to travel here from hundreds or thousands of miles away. We are available twenty-four (24) hours a day, and are within walking distance (0.4 miles) of St. Louis Children s and Barnes Jewish Hospital. After approximately five (5) months of work, through the support of several local c h u r c h e s, a n d f a i t h f u l volunteers, the renovations of the parsonage, the main bath/shower area, the furnishing of the three (3) bedrooms, and furnishing of the main living area, is nearly complete. We will celebrate these efforts with our Grand Opening on January 19, 2014, from noon to 5 PM, with a dedication service at 5:30 PM. Much work remains to be done to maintain these efforts, but our Lord has been gracious and merciful in raising up people to stand with us in these efforts. We look forward to the doors being opened, and the rooms filled to capacity before the end of January Gracie s Chapel 4

5 Dedication Ceremony Blessed Savior LC Room Jacob s Well LC Room Little Bit of Haven Dedication by Bill Hale, Executive Director January 19, 2014 was a remarkable day. After more than six (6) months of hard work, perseverance and hundreds of hours of volunteer labor, donations and love, the doors opened for Little Bit of Haven in St. Louis, MO. Now only a few weeks removed from that day, the rooms here are full with people seeking a haven while their loved ones are at Children s Hospital/Barnes Jewish Hospital and Cardinal Glennon/St. Louis University Hospital. What began as a vision based on the lives of two young people, Gracie Niermann and Henry Goeggel has become reality. On that Open House day, over 200 people toured the property and almost 125 people attended our Dedication celebration. Our tile wall will nearly double and our new t-shirts were sold out, the pantry is well stocked, a list of volunteers to help maintain the property has been created, and the work of serving has begun. We here at Little Bit of Haven feel deeply that our mission is to join with our Lord Jesus Christ in His healing of broken people and broken places that resulted from the Fall, and by being open to His call, show the world, our little bit of the world, God s desires. The number of volunteers, the donations of time and furnishings, the support offered by attending our Open House and Dedication, and the prayers offered up has testified to the power of Christ working in this broken world. Front of Parsonage Chapel Cross LBH Banner We continue to seek volunteers to assist in maintaining the property, with plans soon to develop signage for the property, transform the outside courtyard to become an extension of the haven inside, St. Mark s LC Room finalize paved parking along the side of Tiles made at dedication the church itself, and continue to make this place a little bit of haven for those seeking help. We ask that our fellow congregations learn about Little Bit of Haven, and know this resource is here in St. Louis. While we can hope and pray that tragedy and pain do not strike the children in our families, we are aware this reality happens too often, as both Children s Hospital and Cardinal Glennon are filled with children from all over the United States and foreign countries. 5

6 Resurrection (Malvern OH) Practices Church Family Togetherness by Jeff Crowl The women of Resurrection LC in Malvern, OH (for the second year in a row) have made fleece lap blankets for the local Hospice chapter. They worked every Monday for six consecutive weeks cutting and tying fleece blankets that Hospice distributes to their patients. The women enjoy the fellowship and Hospice is very grateful for the donation. Materials were paid by the congregation s general mission fund. Enjoying A Pancake Breakfast Resurrection Malvern, OH held a pancake and sausage breakfast immediately following the service on Transfiguration Sunday. Members shared a time of fellowship and ate a wonderful meal. This is the second year for the event. 6

7 Rev. Dr. Joshua Hollmann...Movin On Rev. Joshua Hollmann, former SELC pastor at our multi-ethnic church (Ascension) in Montreal (where Rev. David Gotkin is now), has been named Concordia College (NY) Campus Chaplain and Assistant Professor of Religion. To learn more about his background and new position, visit their website: Vocatio Dates Announced Concordia St. Louis announces Vocatio dates: June 21-26, 204. Vocatio is a fun opportunity for high school youth entering grades 9-12 to participate in Bible study, worship, and discussion about vocation. This five day retreat on Concordia campus encourages participants to find God s calling for their lives through studying theology, learning from Seminary professors, and engaging in thoughtful conversation together. Throughout the week, Vocatio participants will engage in a number of events, including a servant event, worship, college fair, and attend an event in the St. Louis area. For more info check out Or admissions@csl.edu. Days of Theological Reflection Concordia StL will host 2 days May 7-8, This event is designed for pastors and students involved in homiletical and exegetical education. For more info, contact the office of continuing education at , cd@csl.edu, or visit their website at You can register at NEWS FROM THE LC-MS LCMS DP s Visit Israel Imagine Tours offered the LCMS Council of Presidents a familiarization tour of Israel. These are discounted tours offered to potential tour group leaders as an incentive to consider organizing and leading a tour to Israel sometime in the future. Twelve current LCMS current District Presidents (including our own Pastor Krueger) took advantage of this special offer, and enjoyed an exhausting archeological visit to Israel, January 20 29, The Group flew from Chicago to Tel Aviv, by way of Frankfurt, Germany. Excellent accommodations were experienced at a Kibbutz hotel on the Sea of Galilee, and at a hotel near the Old City of Jerusalem. The local tour guide had an earned PhD in Archaeology, and he led (and pushed) the group to experience not the nice looking tourist traps, but the excavations, caves and cisterns that were existent at the time of the Prophets and Jesus. That meant a lot of climbing down and climbing up! Among the many sites visited: the Sea of Galilee and the surrounding countryside, Caesarea Maritima, Capernaum, Megiddo, Beth She an, the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, the Fortress Masada, the Mount of Olives, the City of David, and the Old City of Jerusalem. Imagine Tours is offering Familiarization Tours for SELC Pastors (and their wives) who would like to experience the Holy Land, and who may have an interest in trying to get together a tour group from their own Congregations. Imagine Tours has encouraged the District Presidents to consider a District Tour where the tour groups would be exclusively the Pastors and Laypeople of the District. Pastors (and their wives) who may be interested in taking advantage of a Familiarization Tour can contact SELC President Carl Krueger ( ), or Imagine Tours directly ( ). Below are the potential dates being offered through Imagine Tours. The cost from Chicago IL will be approximately $2,000 per person (for a Pastor and his spouse). 10-Day Complete Biblical Familiarization Tour of Israel program: September 9-18, 2014; November 12-21, 2014; December 1-10, 2014; January 5-14, New Free Resources for Outreach to Immigrants Two new books are now available, free of charge, from the Lutheran Heritage Foundation: the Arabic Small Catechism and the Spanish Bible with Small Catechism (3 rd ed.) The Spanish Bible is available in paperwback and in hardcover. For more info or to order,c all the LHF office at or info@lhfmissions.org. District Presidents standing on the first Century AD stone pavement at the main gate into Herod s Temple Ray Mirly (MO), Paul Sieveking (Iowa West), John Denninger (Southeastern), Carl Krueger (SELC), Keith Kohlmeier (Kansas), David Stechholz (English), David Maier (MI), Day May (IN), John Wille (South WI), Bill Klettke (NJ Emeritus), Tony Steinbronn(NJ), Don Fondow (MN North), Tom Krause (Tour Host) 7

8 StL group 2014 Luther League Youth Ski Trip Theme: Castaway Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall. by Tim Hasko Seventy people attended the Luther League Western Circuit Youth Ski Trip, hosted by Pentecost Lutheran Church in Racine, WI on February 15 & 16, Despite the foot of snow that lay on the ground and frigid temperatures, groups from St. Louis, MO; Whiting, IN; Concordia University W I; and Racine WI met on the slopes of Wilmot Mountain for a weekend of skiing, snowboarding, tubing, fellowship, and devotions. One youth, Jefferson Rubira, came all the way from Brazil! After a day on the slopes, the group traveled back to Pentecost Lutheran Church for a deliciously prepared spaghetti dinner and lock-in. Opening worship was led Jefferson Rubira by Pastor Paul Biber from St. Louis, MO. The rest of the evening was spent in ice-breakers, kangaroo court, devotions, and hanging out. Breakfast was served at 8:00 a.m. Sunday morning, followed by the 9:00 a.m. worship service led by Pastor Luke Jacob or Racine, WI. The worship service closed with the hymn God be with You till We Meet Again, a Luther League tradition. We were excited to see former CUW YMIN leader Matt Lytikainen, now a seminarian in St. Louis, be able to return for the ski CUW Youth Ministry Team trip this year! Ice-Breakers Racine WI group bundles up for snow tubing Many of the youth who attended the ski trip are finalizing plans to attend the District Luther League Youth Gathering in Tampa, FL this summer. Hosted by Family of Christ Whiting IN Group - ready to tube! Lutheran Church in Tampa, FL under the theme PrayStation, the event will take place from July 10 th 13 th. Registration materials are available on the Luther League website ( Can t wait to see you all there! PrayStation: Greatness Awaits! 8

9 H O L Y G R O U N D I am who I am exodus 3:14 a p r I l , Lutheran confirmation Retreat 121 WINSOR STRET - BOUND BROOK, NJ IT S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!! by Rev. Joseph Weatherell The Tenth Annual SELC East Confirmation Retreat at Camp Lebanon in Lebanon, NJ will be held on the weekend of April 25-27, The cost for the retreat is $90 per person. The retreat is for youth in grades 6 through 9 who are either currently in confirmation instruction, will be entering confirmation class in the fall, or have recently been confirmed. At least one adult chaperone is required from each church group. The retreat is held at Camp Lebanon (Baptist Camp & Conference Center) in Lebanon, NJ. The theme this year is "Holy Ground: I Am Who I Am" which is a study of the Apostle s Creed. Pastors from different churches will be leading instructional sessions. There will be Catechism and Bible study, small group activities, skits, crafts, games, etc. This year we will be returning to the Hoener Inn retreat house (farm house). The camp also has some outdoor recreation facilities such as basketball courts and a fishing pond. Weather permitting, our Sunday morning worship will be held in the "Green Cathedral" which is an outdoor chapel. For information about the camp itself, you can go to Further information, including a video showing some of the things we do at the retreat, can be accessed at the website If you have any questions, please give me a call at (church) or (cell). 9

10 MARCH SELC CALENDAR UPDATE Regional Council of Presidents Meeting, East Coast Common Endeavor (ECCE), Orlando FL APRIL 2, 3 Vicarage & Candidate Placement Committee Meeting, Fort Wayne IN 24 Vicarage & Candidate Placement Committee Meeting, St. Louis MO Council of Presidents Meetings, St. Louis 26 Official Reception Service of Jacob s Well Lutheran Church (St. Louis MO) into the SELC District and the LCMS 26 Installation of Rev. David Corson as Pastor of Jacob s Well Lutheran Church, St. Louis MO 27 Council of Presidents meet with Concordia Seminary Faculty, St. Louis MO 29 Vicarage Assignment Service and Candidate Placement Service, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis MO 29 Vicarage Assignment Service, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne IN 30 Candidate Placement Service, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne IN May 1 Council of Presidents meet with Concordia Theological Seminary Faculty, Fort Wayne IN 5 Deadline for all reports to be received at District Office for SELC Board of Directors meeting (May 15, 16) 6, 7 Central Circuit Pastoral Conference, Holy Cross, Johnstown PA 6, 7 Western Circuit Pastoral Conference, St. Lucas, St. Louis MO th Anniversary Celebration Worship Service, Holy Cross LC, Johnstown PA 15, 16 SELC Board of Directors, St. John, Massillon OH SELC LWML District Convention, St. John, Massillon OH Lutheran Haven Board of Trustees, Oviedo FL 27, 28 LCMS Board for National Mission sponsored Stewardship Conference WHEN PLANNING YOUR SUMMER ARTICLES & PHOTOS FOR THE LUTHERAN BEACON, PLEASE NOTE THAT JUNE/JULY AND AUGUST/SEPTEMBER ARE COMBINED ISSUES. The May 12 th Deadline Will Cover June & July The July 12 th Deadline Will Cover August & September 10

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