New school opening in Oregon

This coming fall our synod's congregation in The Dalles, Oregon, is scheduled to open a Lutheran elementary school as rooms at the church are being remodeled into sizeable classrooms. The school has begun advertising in the area, has issued a teacher call, and is known as Columbia Lutheran School.

Picture: Rev. Jesse Jacobsen, pastor of Bethany, The Dalles, Oregon - courtesy of The Dalles Chronicle.

Port St. Lucie, Florida

Another elementary school we would like to highlight is Christ Lutheran Church and School in Port St. Lucie, Florida. It is a school based on the classical education model and offers preschool through 2nd grade for the fall 2014 school year. For more information: http://christportstlucie.org 

ELS Board for World Outreach (BWO)

On April 7-8, 2014, our synod's board that oversees and assists in the work of spreading the Gospel in seven countries met in Mankato, Minnesota, for its semi-annual plenary meeting. This board is responsible for our ELS mission work in India, Korea, Peru, Chile, Ukraine, Latvia and Czech Republic.

Left to right: World Outreach Administrator Steve Petersen, Financial Assistant (Thoughts of Faith) Denise Luehmann, Communication Director Paul Fries, Professor Silas Born, President John Moldstad, Pastor John Petersen, Mr. Tom Conzelmann, Rev. Tom Heyn, Mr. Dan Browning, Rev. Wayne Halvorson, Mr. Erik Burgdorf (Schwan Foundation), Rev. Tim Buelow, Rev. Brad Kerkow.

ELS Convention - June 15-19, 2014

Synod Sunday worship at Trinity Chapel, Bethany College, Mankato, MN, 3:00 PM - Preacher: Rev. Timothy Zenda, Princeton, Minnesota - Liturgist: Rev. Luke Ulrich, Mankato, Minnesota

Chaplain for the convention: Rev. Nicholas Proksch

Devotion speakers: Rev. David Locklair (Thornton, Iowa), Rev. Jeffery Luplow (Frankenmuth, Michigan)

Convention theme: Engaging Others With Jesus in Times of Trial

Essayist: Rev. Thomas Rank

ELS Historical Society 2014 Program

On Synod Sunday, June 15, the ELS Historical Society is scheduling a special Readers' Theater presentation, beginning at 6:00 PM in the Ylvisaker Center (YFAC) on the Bethany Lutheran College campus. If you would like to attend the play, you may purchase tickets ($10.00) by contacting Becky DeGarmeaux (museum@blc.edu  507-344-7421).

Talent Show in Kissimmee

Peace Lutheran School of Kissimmee, Florida, held a talent show on Friday, April 25, 2014. Here a group of younger grade students is doing one of the songs from "Frozen." The school is anticipating an enrollment of about 100 next fall in grades K-8. This summer construction is set to begin on the addition of four new classrooms.

Plzen, Czech Republic

Rev. Petr Krakora, one of two ordained pastors serving the mission church in the Czech Republic, is shown here tutoring Czech students in English. The picture is courtesy of the April issue of our Thoughts of Faith (TOF) newsletter. If you would like to receive the regular mailing of our TOF magazine, we invite you to contact Thoughts of Faith, Inc., 6 Browns Court, Mankato, MN 56001 (www.tof.org Phone: 507-344-7848).

Synod Finances

Good News! Through the month of March congregations have given a total of $200,000 to the synod general fund budget. Giving is $35,500 ahead of last year during the same time frame. Through March we are $10,000 ahead of meeting the synod approved $760,000 budget.

Prayers Requested

Please pray for the family of the former Rev. Gottfred Guldberg, at the death of his wife Helen, age 90, Fosston, Minnesota. Funeral services for Helen were on April 16 at Our Savior's Lutheran Church of rural Bagley, Minnesota, with the Rev. Mark Faugstad officiating.

We pray also for family members of David Hoyord (Lakeville, Minnesota) a former ELS pastor, who died suddenly on March 19, 2014. David had served parishes for our synod in Waterloo, Iowa and in Apple Valley, Minnesota.

Upcoming Schedule

May 1 - West Coast Pastoral Conference, Tacoma, WA

May 5 - Iowa Pastoral Conference, Waukon, IA

May 6 - Board of Trustees

May 6-7 - Board for Lutheran Schools of America

May 8-9 - Board for Home Outreach

May 12-13 - Board of Regents

May 14 - Vicar Workshop and Commencement Service at Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary

May 16 - Graduation at Bethany Lutheran College

May 19 - Synod Review Committee

May 21 - Southern Minnesota Pastoral Conference, Mankato, MN

May 30-June 2 - CELC triennial convention in Lima, Peru