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DONATE ONLINE!
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For your
convenience, you may now make a gift to the Atlantic District online.
Please visit our website often for news
about the Atlantic District and its ministries. | |
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| |   Welcome to the E-Communique, the official e-news magazine of the Atlantic District.
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Letter from the President
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 Lord, Have Mercy
Paul's exhortation to young Timothy is playing their tune in my ears these days - "be constant in season and out of season." After sending off my "State of the District" letter recently, I began receiving inquiries from hither and yon as to whether I was OK, that it sounded as though I was depressed. And the truth is, the news is in many ways depressing. Our churches and schools are struggling mightily. We have become a trail indicator in the global recession; parish budgets are busted, even our modest school tuitions are beyond the reach of our neighborhood constituency, and resources are thin even as emotions run high.
But personally, Paul's words have always struck a chord with me, and I believe they apply to all of us, pastors and parishioners in these times. In fact, Holy Scripture very definitely assists us in understanding that when we are weak, then we are strong, because the power of God in Christ is more apparent. And the Psalmist over and over lets us know that when it comes to God's tender love, in truth "His mercy endures forever."
This characteristic of God is incredibly important for us to impart in our congregations these days, even as we move toward Thanksgiving. "His mercy endures forever."
Click here to read full article.
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Save the Date! Festival of Workshops 2011
| The next Festival of Workshops will be held at Concordia College on Saturday, March 12, 2011. Plan to join us. More information will be coming soon.
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Pres. Benke's Pastoral Conference Presentation
| Copies of the outline version of President Benke's presentation to the Fall Pastoral Conference of the Atlantic District, entitled "per mutuum conversationem et consolationem fratrum," can be obtained through the district office or through the circuit counselors of the Atlantic District. The paper investigates a latin term used in Martin Luther's Smalkald Articles, under the heading of "The Gospel," in which the "mutual conversation and consolation of the brethren" is listed as one of the means by which God reveals Christ in the world. This is helpful not only for pastors and their collegiality, but for congregations and parish leaders in their understanding of the joy of being in touch with the Word of God and with one another.
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Witness in the Public Square Luncheon
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On Tuesday, October 19, at its annual Witness in the Public Square Luncheon, the Atlantic District honored the exemplary Lutheran leadership of Dr. Kurt Senske, Lieutenant General Merle Freitag, U.S. Army, (retired), Rev. Charles Froehlich and Mrs. Kathy Froehlich of St. Luke, Dix Hills. Opening the recognition portion of the luncheon, The Rev. Dr. David Benke and his wife Judy, welcomed former President of the LCMS, Rev. Dr. Gerald Kieschnick and Mrs. Terry Lee Kieschnick. The Rev. Dr. William Diekelman served as Honorary Chair and Master of Ceremonies. Musical offerings included "This little light of mine," sung by Monique Nunez with Pastor Dien Taylor, Redeemer, Bronx at the piano and a grand rendition of "Amazing Grace" by a vocal trio--Sara Henry, Rita Matheson, and Kandace Taylor--accompanied on the piano by Dr. Jean Boehler, Director of Arts in Music, St. Mark Yonkers.
The luncheon was held at the New York Athletic Club overlooking New York's spectacular Central Park, and was attended by over 225 guests. Proceeds from the Witness in the Public Square luncheon benefit the Atlantic District Mission Society.
Click here to view a slideshow of pictures from the event.
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Stop, Drop & Pray
| | The Atlantic District Mission Society is committed to prayer. We have a weekly prayer email that goes out listing outreach/mission prayer requests. If you would like to email a prayer request or sign up to receive the prayer email, please contact Carol Mittelstaedt at carolmittel@aol.com (you can unsubscribe yourself at any time).
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ATLANTIC DISTRICT LUTHERAN WOMEN'S MISSIONARY LEAGUE
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Thank you for your support of the Atlantic District LWML. With your generous mite donations, and by the grace of God, we have been able to pay mission grant #1 for the 2010-2012 biennium, and we are on the way to grant #2!
Here are the Mission Grants for the 2010-2012 biennium. This month, Mission Grant #6 is highlighted. *Please note that mission grant #4 has been rescinded by the requestor.
1. Blessed Are You Among Women .............................................................$1,500.002. Building Young Women of the Faith ....................................................$4,000.003. Christian Children's Books for Marshallese Children .......................$6,000.00
4. SonRise - Mill Neck Outdoor Mission to Special Needs Children.....$4,800.00* 5. Bilingual VBS at the Life Church............................................................$3,000.00 6. Art and Music Enrichment Classes (LCCNH).......................................$1,000.00
This grant would be used to fund recreational art and music classes for the Aged and Disabled in the Day Program at the Lutheran Care Center, Poughkeepsie, NY, as provided by the E-4 Organization. The E-4 Art and Music programs are designed expressly for this population, to provide an hour of stimulating and creative enjoyment while encouraging a high level of direct participation. Art and music activities are well known to provide many benefits: physical, cognitive, emotional and spiritual.
7. Open The Doors and See All the People .................................................$1,250.00 8. Let the Children Come - Let the Children Sing................................... $4,000.00 9. Seminary Student Tuition Assistance Matching Grant ....................$5,000.00 10. MOST Ministries Water Outreach Project...........................................$2,870.00 11. Lord, Make Me A Missionary: Answering the Call For Workers in the Harvest Field .................................................................................................$5,000.00 12. Scholarship for Atlantic District Missionary Frank Hwang............ $2,000.00 13. Outreach to Concordia College from Village Lutheran....................$4,580.00In order for us to meet our mission goal for the 2010-2012 biennium, it is important to send in your mite donations on a regular basis. No amount is too small! Please send them to:
Mrs. Virginia Wirsing
4 Garden Lane
Yaphank, NY 11980
HELP WANTED*****HELP WANTED*****HELP WANTED******HELP WANTED The Atlantic District LWML is in need of a creative person to help us with a banner design The theme for the 2011 LWML Convention in Peoria, Illinois is: "Being with Jesus-Living on the Edge"Acts 4:13b & 20 If you would like to share your God-given talent to help us come up with a banner design, we would love to hear from you! For more information, or to submit a design for consideration, please contact: Deborah Graybosch, AD LWLM President at: deblwml@gmail.com
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District Congregations News & Events
| Click to view congregational news and congregational events from Atlantic District congregations, including:
- Christ, Woodside -- Baptism
- St. Johns, Staten Island -- Featured in New York Times Article
- Trinity, Locust Manor -- Book of poems published by Samuel Singh
- St. John, Sayville -- New Novel by Sayville Member Ray Keating
- Risen Christ, Brooklyn -- 45th Anniversary Celebration Events
- Resurrection, Garden City -- Cafe Ablaze to Celebrate Second Anniversary with Gala
- Good Shepherd, Brooklyn -- November 13th Holiday Dinner
- Trinity, Islip -- Upcoming Events
- Village, Bronxville -- Upcoming Events
Click here to view stories and updates from the 2010 Ablaze Grant recipients, including the LuDay Opening Party at Long Island Middle School.
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Martin Luther High School News & Events
| Click here to view numerous announcements and events from Martin Luther High School.
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NJ Jam :: A Contemporary Worship Workshop
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Registration Deadline November 6th!
NJ JAM registration deadline is coming up soon -- November 6th. Talk to your church leaders, pastor, worship and music volunteers and invite them to this day-long workshop on contemporary worship. They'll hear speakers on a variety of topics from that will span your situation whether you currently offer such a worship option or not. Plus, your musicians will get to hear/observe/practice how to put together the sound! Then, we'll conclude with a service of Holy Communion.
Go to www.njjam.com for more information and to sign up. At this bargain price-- $50/congregation (for as many as you can bring) or $25/person + $10/lunch/person)--you won't find a better deal!
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International Speaker, Bob Lenz, Comes to East Coast
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Bring the whole family to hear this awesome speaker, featured at the 2010 National LCMS Youth Gathering!
Author and international speaker, Bob Lenz, has an intense passion to share the love of Christ. Whether for an audience of 10 or 10,000, Bob connects with the hearts and minds of youth like no other speaker can. He shares experiences that help youth deal with real life while igniting their faith, instilling hope and challenging them to make a difference in their world.
Cost: $5 per personClick here to download a group registration form, as well as bulletin inserts and a poster suitable for promoting this special event in your congregation!Share this event with your friends on Facebook! Contact Carol Johnson at 732-738-7470 for more information.
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Concordia College Offers Italy Trip
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12
DAYS:
MAY 9
to 20, 2011Look for more details and informational flier in upcoming E-CommuniquesFor more information, contact: Rev. Gregory
Dwyer, Concordia Collegegregory.dwyer@concordia-ny.edu
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Lutheran Social Services Sponsors Christmas Market
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 Mark Your Calendar!November 6, 2010
Lutheran Social Services of New York is pleased to announce that it will sponsor its first special version of the centuries-old tradition "Christmas Market".
On November 6, 2010 Trinity Lutheran Church, Hicksville, NY will be the site of Lutheran Social Services' Congregation LIFE Christmas Market. Agency proceeds from this special event will be used to support the newly created Congregation LIFE Fund. Congregations will be able to apply for these grant funds to support their social ministry efforts.
Congregations will also have the opportunity to be one of the many anticipated Congregation LIFE Christmas Market vendors. Individual proceeds will be retained by the participating congregations. For more information and how your congregation can become part of this event contact: Bonnie Olesen, Event Coordinator at: ChristmasMarket@LSSNY.org.
The History of Christmas Markets
Each year Christmas Markets spring up around Germany in the weeks before the Christmas holidays, signaling the beginning of Advent. The centuries-old tradition reaches back to a time when regular seasonal markets took place throughout the year. Usually, the Christmas Markets were held around the city's main church to attract church-goers. Throughout the years, each Christmas Market has stayed true to its own particularities, with each specializing on local delicacies and traditional products. Christmas Markets serve much the same function that they have for centuries - as a festive meeting place for locals and a market for homemade Christmas items, decorations, holiday foods and other traditional Christmas festivities.
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Judy Benke Named Vice-President of Wartburg Lutheran Services
| Wartburg Lutheran Services (WLS), a faith-based organization that runs senior-care facilities in New York State, with offices here, has named Judith Benke vice president for Church and Community Relations.
The Queens, N.Y., resident will provide outreach to churches, senior centers and civic organizations throughout Long Island, New York City, Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties, and the greater-Albany, N.Y., area, about senior care. She will also oversee the Linking Care in Congregations for Older Adults, a program she launched that trains church volunteers to visit homebound members to socialize and address health concerns.
Click here for full article.
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| From LCMS World Mission | |
Celebrate Veteran's Day this November Veteran's Day is Nov. 11 and LCMS World Mission has free resources for your congregation. To request free bulletin inserts, click here to fill out the order form. Download our November prayer calendar, featuring specific prayer requests for Ministry to the Armed Forces. Veteran's Day is a day of remembrance and thanks and provides a great opportunity to encourage a veteran in your community or congregation. Operation Barnabas, a program of LCMS World Mission's Ministry to the Armed Forces, specializes in equipping congregations to reach out to veterans in their communities and to support LCMS reserve chaplains who are returning to parish pastor roles. To learn more, visit http://www.operationbarnabas.org/. To watch a video containing frequently asked questions about Operation Barnabas, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHjQjEjaqYY.
Support LCMS World Mission through Thrivent Choice Now you can support LCMS World Mission through Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. We are excited to announce that eligible members of Thrivent now have one more way to support LCMS World Mission, Fan into Flame, and Ministry to the Armed Forces. These ministries are all registered organizations with Thrivent Choice. To donate your choice dollars, visit www.thrivent.com/choice and click "Get Started," or call 800-847-4863. Thank you for partnering with us in sharing the love of Christ worldwide!
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New Dr. Paul L. Maier Seminar on DVD
| Dr. Paul L. Maier, LCMS Vice-President, professor of ancient history at Western Michigan
University, and widely-read author, has just released "Christianity and the Competition," one of his most popular seminars, in DVD format.
Click here for full press release.
View video promotion here.
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Beautiful Feet Mission Conference
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 This year's annual Beautiful Feet Mission Conference will be held Nov. 11-13, on the campus of Concordia University Texas, Austin, Texas. The event, under the theme 'Love in Action,' includes keynote speakers, worship, exhibitors, breakout sessions, and fellowship with other mission-minded students. During this student-led conference, mission-minded students representing a variety of campuses will have the opportunity to hear from current LCMS missionaries, learn about mission work in action across the country, and consider how they can be involved in God's mission right now or in the future.
Online registration is now open at http://bf.lcmsworldmission.org. The registration fee is $100 per student and covers lodging and meals from Thursday through Saturday, programming expenses, and a conference t-shirt. LCMS World Mission is offering travel scholarships of $100 for 150 students who register before Oct. 10. If you have questions or would like to learn more about the Beautiful Feet Mission Conference, send an e-mail to beautiful.feet@lcms.org.
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| New Ablaze! Resources | |
LCMS World Mission has new Ablaze! resources on our YouTube channel. Click here to watch eight new faith-sharing vignettes from LCMS pastors, missionaries, and members telling their own personal faith-sharing experiences. To share your own faith-sharing story, visit www.lcms.org/ablaze.
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| The Spanish Bibles Have Arrived! | |
The Lutheran Heritage Foundation (LHF) has printed the second edition of the Holy Bible, bound together with Luther's Small Catechism. The combined volume is available in hardcover and paperback at no cost to the churches, ministries and individuals who need them. For those who would like to support LHF's on-going mission of translating and publishing Lutheran books, a donation of $10 per Bible would be gratefully accepted. To order, call the LHF office at (800)554-0723, or send an e-mail to info@LHFmissions.org.
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| "10 Per Cent is Enough" Campaign | |
Congregations and pastors involved in national community organizing have rallied around the theme that exorbitant credit card interest rates and extortionistic "payday" loans need to be capped, and that banks, especially the "big five" banks, can lead the way. The campaign is called "10 per cent is enough." At a recent gathering of global banking interests in Manhattan , President Benke and Pastor Haberer rallied with others to send a clear message to the banking industry.
The linked article explains in detail: "Citigroup Won't Confess Stance on Interest," Denver Post, October 27, 2010. Click here for full article.
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| Save the Date |
~ Check the calendar on the Atlantic District website for the latest events ~
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Sponsored in part by:
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This is an e-mail from the Atlantic District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
If you would like to submit an article for publication in the E-Communique, please send it via email to Kristen Schulz @
Thank you and God's Blessings!
Atlantic District LCMS
171 White Plains Road
Bronxville, NY 10708
www.ad-lcms.org
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