Hymn Festival
A hymn festival will be held Sunday September 18, 3:30 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 5211 Carpenter Street, Downers Grove. The concert will be led by John A. Behnke, Emeritus Professor of Music, Concordia University Wisconsin. The concert is free and all are welcome. There will be a reception following the concert. Call 630-968-3112 for information.

Friends of Lutheran World Relief Ingathering
Every year in October, the Ingathering of Quilts and Kits takes place at churches in the Chicago area. Friends of Lutheran World Relief collects these items with the help of volunteers. The dates for the 2016 Ingathering are October 1, 9 a.m. to noon, and October 2, noon to 3 p.m. at the following locations:

• Messiah Lutheran Church, 16705 Vernon Ave, Park Ridge
• Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 4501 Main Street, Downers Grove
• Faith Lutheran Church, 353 N. Midland Ave, Joliet
• Zion Lutheran Church, 925 Fifth Ave, Rockford

This event in the Artist Series will present internationally renowned composer/organist/choral director Michael Burkhardt in a Reformation Festival featuring organ and chorus, Sunday, October 23, at 3 p.m. in the sanctuary at St. John's Lutheran Church, 215 S. Lincoln, Lombard. An informal reception will follow. Freewill offering will be received. For more information visit stjohnslombard.org/wordpress/st-johns-artist-series.

Save The Date - Walther Christian Academy Dinner Auction
Plan to attend Walther Christian Academy's first annual scholarship dinner auction on Sunday, January 29, 2017, at Elmcrest Banquets in Elmwood Park. Funds raised will support student scholarships and financial aid.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Businesses will gain exposure to individuals and families who value Christian education through advance promotion, on-site signage and in an event program book. Families are also welcome to become event sponsors. Contact Catherine Hegarty at 708-344-0404, ext. 225, or via email at catherine_hegarty@walther.com for more information.

Save the dates for the Fall Pastors Conferences. Speakers and updates on registration have been added to ni.lcms.org/notice/pastor-conferences webpage. Registration now available

• South Region: September 26-28, 2016, at Starved Rock Lodge & Conference Center, Utica, Illinois. Speakers are Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier and Rev. Robert Geaschel. Deadline for registration was August 31.
• East Region: October 4-5, 2016, at the DeKoven Conference Center, Racine, Wisconsin. Speaker is Rev. John Fiene. Deadline for registration September 29
• North and West Regions: October 11-12, 2016, at Lake Lawn Resort, Delavan, Wisconsin. Speaker is Rev. Matt Popovits. Deadline for accommodations September 21.

Partner with Concordia Youth Ministry
Concordia Youth Ministry is a student-run ministry at Concordia University Chicago. They gather their best spiritual leaders and train them to lead impactful Bible studies, games and events that connect with youth of all ages. Now, they are excited to bring their passion for Jesus and youth to your congregation. They have teams of students that will come to your church to host a spiritual and fun event for your youth. CYM teams are ready to lead lock-ins, retreats, youth events, or anything that you can think of to benefit your youth. To request a team or for more information visit cuchicago.edu/experience/faith/spiritual-life-campus-ministry/cym, email cym@cuchicago.edu or call 507-259-3476.

Ways To Improve Your Church Bulletin
Like any communications tool, the bulletin is something that needs to have a strategy to be effective. Here are some thoughts for improving that Sunday morning staple.

1. If you really want people to absorb important information, you can't give them content overload.
2. People won't sift through pages of non-stop words.
3. How you layout the bulletin makes a difference.
4. A great ideal of simple design is to leave room for your content to breathe.
5. Images and graphics can enhance your storytelling.
6. Sometimes we hold on to things longer than we should. Is your bulletin one of those items?

Souce: churchjuice.reframemedia.com