District News & Events
Here are a few stories about the many wonderful things happening around our district.
A Lenten Thought
Peter 3:8,9: Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.. NIV
In his writings for the People’s Bible Commentary, Mark A. Jeske states the “sin-sickness in our hearts leads to all kinds of pathologies in Christian congregations: quarrelling, coldness, resentment, pride, control obsession, turf protection, and the desire for revenge.” (p.105)Quite a list, don’t you think? Rather than letting your mind quickly identify others you would label guilty, reflect on your own attitude and behaviors. Are there relationships you need to repair? Is someone due an apology from you? In this season of repentance time yet remains to make amends. Go to your brother or sister and confess. If you’ve been wronged, be quick to forgive as you, too, have been forgiven.
The Apostle Peter encourages us to work the following qualities in our Christian relationship: harmony, sympathy, love, compassion, humility, and gentleness. Oh, to be a people defined by these Spirit-given and nurtured traits. By the grace of God, let it be so.
April Mission of the Month: University Lutheran Chapel
The spotlight this month is on the University Lutheran Chapel in Boulder, our District’s student ministry on the campus of the University of Colorado.The April Peaks and Valleys (insert in the Lutheran Witness) will tell of Pastor Dan Burhop’s ministry at ULC, along with the story of Sarah Wilson, a student who has benefited from that ministry. A presentation on ULC will appear on our District website, www.ignitingchurchandcultureforchrist.org.
For use in your congregation, a bulletin/newsletter insert, a prayer for corporate worship, and a PowerPoint presentation, all sent to your congregation via email. (Please notify our District office if you are not receiving this monthly e-mailing.)
To accommodate students’ schedules, Sunday worship at ULC is held in the evening, along with a meal. This encourages Christian fellowship among the students. Bible study schedules are flexible in order to maximize student participation.
ULC is a growing ministry, one of the most effective student ministries on the CU campus. It is also one of the few remaining District-sponsored campus ministries in the LCMS focused primarily on the student population. As such, ULC does need strong outside financial support to continue to bring the spiritual nurture of the Gospel to these young people at a critical time in their lives.
One opportunity to support ULC’s ministry is through the ULC Mission Society. The Mission Society is a group of congregations and individuals who not only support this ministry through their gifts, but also in helping with building maintenance and repair, preparing Sunday evening meals, and helping with other special projects. To learn more about the ULC Mission Society, contact Pastor Burhop at pastor@ulcboulder.org, or Laura Raben at laura@raben.com.
Igniting Church and Culture for Christ Amounts Set for Special Appeal
As preparations continue for the special appeal to be conducted throughout the Rocky Mountain District in 2010, the following amounts have been set as a goal for this endeavor:
International Mission Work - $765,000
New Ministries: $465,000
Healthier ministries: $100,000
Lutheran Hispanic Missionary Institute: $200,000
National Mission Work - $765,000
Mission: Southern Africa: $170,000
Biblical Orthodox Lutheran Mission: $170,000
LCMS World Mission Unrestricted: $425,000
Exciting things are happening right here in the Rocky Mountain District! Information will soon be coming to each congregation regarding marvelous opportunities to share the precious Gospel of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Another exciting component of the Igniting Church and Culture for Christ campaign is that 15% of the funds raised by congregations will be returned to them for mission outreach in their local communities. Our prayer is that congregations will be inspired and encouraged to reach out in new ways to the unsaved in their midst.
Additional information regarding these ministries and how you can be involved will be coming soon to your congregation.
LLL Region 11 Conference
Supporters of the Int’l Lutheran Laymen’s League and its Lutheran Hour Ministries will meet April 16-18 in Estes Park for the 5th Annual Int’l LLL Region 11 Conference. The Holiday Inn – Rocky Mountain Inn & Conference Center is the event venue. Region 11 is comprised of the Int’l LLL’s Wyoming and Rocky Mountain Districts, which includes Colorado, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas.
The lodging and conference registration deadline is April 9. Registration information was included in the Spring-Summer 2010 issue of the RMD LLL’s newsletter, Mile Hi Notes, mailed to all LCMS congregations in the LLL’s Rocky Mountain District.
Rich Cohrs, LHM’s Manager of District and Congregational Relations, is the Int’l LLL’s representative to this year’s conference. He was one of the presenters at last year’s Conversations of Grace Conference in Albuquerque.
The conference will focus on the exciting things Lutheran Hour Ministries is doing for “Bringing Christ to the Nations--and the Nations to the Church.” In addition to keynote presentations from Mr. Cohrs, information will be provided on the proposed restructuring of the Int’l LLL and its initiatives to engage more laity in LHM’s vital ministries. Saturday night’s banquet will include a freewill offering to benefit each District’s scholarship program. Banquet-only participation is offered.
RMD Scholarship Committee Welcomes Applicants for the 2010- 2011
Academic Year
The RMD has funds available to support the educational needs of students entering into full-time church work study (Lutheran teacher, DCE, DCO, youth ministry, lay ministry, pre-seminary, pastor, parish music, etc.). If you will be enrolled in one of these programs at an LCMS college, university, or seminary this fall, you are encouraged to apply. All grants are awarded on the basis of proportion of total need and total funds available. For an application, please visit http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=5101. Fill out the application and turn it in to your school's Financial Aid Department. If you have further questions, please contact Pastor Chris Matthis, chairman of the committee, at 303-781-5887 or csmatthis81@hotmail.com. The deadline to apply is May 31st, 2010.Lutheran Hour Ministries
Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM), www.lhm.org, is an outreach ministry supporting The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, Lutheran Church--Canada, and churches worldwide through media, congregational equipping, and a variety of other means. LHM’s flagship ministry, The Lutheran Hour, is the world’s longest-running Christ-centered radio program. Internationally, LHM produces and distributes radio, Internet and television programming through ministry centers in more than 30 nations. Lutheran Hour Ministries is also known as the International Lutheran Laymen’s League.
Christian Satellite Network
CSN International's estimated 2 to 3 million listeners nationwide will hear The Lutheran Hour over the network's 24 full-time FM stations and more than 350 FM relay stations known as translators. CSN has broadcast Christian programming via satellite since April 1995 and is owned by Christian Broadcasters of Idaho. Station KAWZ-FM, Twin Falls, Idaho serves as the network's satellite uplink.
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