St. John's Lutheran ChurchWarrenton, MO: Fwd: The Voice of Missouri E-Newsletter

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PUBLISHED BY THE MISSOURI DISTRICT OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH—MISSOURI SYNOD April 7, 2017

Faszholz Played for the Best Team
Written by Gerald Perschbacher, LL.D.

John E. "Jack" Faszholz was an amateur free agent pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, played on the St. Louis Cardinals' farm club team, and was known by the Rochester Red Wings. He went on to wear jersey Number 41 as a St. Louis Cardinal in 1953. Despite all this, his greatest "pitching" was for the Gospel of Christ Jesus.

His 12-season career, mostly in the Minor Leagues, included starting pitcher in National League play against the New York Giants in the 1950s. He also won more games than any other pitcher in the franchise history of the Rochester Red Wings, gaining him a place in its Hall of Fame. But as good as baseball is, and as good as Jack was, there was something greater for him. Jack completed his seminary education at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. It was a dream fulfilled, stretching from his initial entry to the sem in 1947 to his completion in the spring of 1958. It was the string of opportunities in baseball that put seasonal pauses on his educational endeavors. But it did not put an end to them. Read more . . .

River Roads Student is LESA's 2017 "Lutheran Christian Student Leader"

Sanai Davis, 13, will be honored April 22, along with the Lutheran Legacy Foundation, at LESA's 13th annual "A Night for Kids" Dinner-Auction

The St. Louis-based Lutheran Elementary School Association has selected Sanai Kay Davis, an eighth-grader at River Roads Lutheran School in north St. Louis, to receive its 2017 Lutheran Student Christian Leadership Award.

The award, which includes a $500 scholarship underwritten by the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF), recognizes Lutheran elementary school students who demonstrate courage, compassion, leadership, academic achievement and a commitment to their community. Read more . . .

Rev. Gregory Truwe Installed at Trinity Lutheran Church, Cole Camp

The Rev. Gregory Truwe was installed as senior pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cole Camp, MO on April 2.

The Missouri District invites you to pray for Pastor Truwe and the congregation as he begins his ministry at Trinity.

Announcements/Other News

Missouri District Begins Search for Mission Executive

Rev. Dr. Stuart Brassie will retire from his service with the Missouri District on June 30, 2017. Dr. Brassie has served the district since 1997. A search process has begun to replace Dr. Brassie in the position of Assistant to the President for Congregational and Mission Services. The position will focus on supporting congregations in mission and revitalization efforts. Candidates for the position should have a minimum of five years parish or field missionary experience and demonstrated leadership in congregational revitalization efforts and strategic planning. Nominations (including self-nominations) can be made online by CLICKING HERE or more information or to request the position description, please contact Michelle Christ ( michelle.christ@mo.lcms.org or 314-590-6210).

The Missouri District will host its first Mission Summit on June 3 at Concordia Seminary. The summit is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The keynote speaker for the summit will be Lutheran Hour Speaker, Rev. Greg Seltz. The summit is being held in conjunction with the Plus One Initiative to help prepare and inspire congregations to engage their communities with the Gospel.

The Mission Summit is a collaboration with a number of LCMS entities to help support the district's witness and outreach emphasis. The speakers include outreach leaders from LCMS Office of National Mission, Lutheran Hour Ministries, Concordia Seminary and Lutheran Church Extension Fund. Additional financial support is being provided by Lutheran Church Extension Fund and Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis. We are bringing together all of the resources that we have in Missouri District to help support each congregation as they participate in God's mission.

Online registration for the Mission Summit is now open. CLICK HERE to register and for additional information.

Plus One

Plus One is the Missouri District initiative for all the congregations of the district to begin a new effort to reach out into the community in one new way. Congregations are encouraged to complete the participation form by May 1 and to send representatives to the Mission Summit on June 3 at Concordia Seminary. Additionally, each participating congregation will be assigned a trained coach to help the congregation plan, implement and evaluate their community outreach effort. There are 32 trained coaches from across the district to assist congregations. The coaches will not plan or force anything on the congregations, but will simply assist the congregation in the efforts which they choose.

Currently, there are twelve pilot congregations that are working with coaches to plan their outreach project this Spring. We look forward to learning from these pilot congregations so that we can better assist congregations as Plus One is launched this summer at the Mission Summit. The summit will be held June 3 at Concordia Seminary with Lutheran Hour Speaker, Rev. Greg Seltz as the keynote speaker and with sectional presenters from LCMS Office of National Mission, Lutheran Hour Ministries, Concordia Seminary, Lutheran Church Extension Fund and other organizations.

If you would like more information about Plus One, the role of the coaches, or the Mission Summit, please contact Dr. Stu Brassie at the district office, or CLICK HERE to learn more about this initiative.

As part of the Reformation 500, St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Cape Girardeau, MO is organizing an ONE-NIGHT MOVIE EVENT Don't miss this special showing of the new Martin Luther film at Wehrenberg Cape West 14 Cine Monday, May 1, 6:30pm This special screening is the perfect outreach opportunity... a chance to invite friends and neighbors to an event in a community setting. IMPORTANT: Unlike traditional movie showings, this screening will only happen if 100 tickets are purchased before the deadline. Help us get the word out. All tickets must be purchased by April 24. Cost: $10 (includes $1 site booking fee.) Tickets can be purchased at:
https://www.tugg.com/events/martin-luther-the-idea-that-changed-the-world-j3g1 or through the church office. A portion of ticket sales will be given to mission efforts.

LASE Designer Bag Auction to Help Children with Special Education Needs

The St. Louis-based Lutheran Association for Special Education (LASE) will host one of its most popular annual fundraisers, "Let's Get Purse-onal, An Evening of Purses and Paris", Friday, April 7, from 7 to 9 p.m., at The Edge of Webster, 359 Marshall Avenue, in Webster Groves .

This year's event will feature more than 150 new and gently used designer bags from some of the biggest names in fashion, including Coach, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Kate Landry, Vera Bradley, Brahmin, Nine West, Tignanello and others. Guests can also bid on additional purses, jewelry, scarves and other accessories.

All proceeds will benefit children with special education needs served by LASE in Lutheran schools located in St. Louis and St. Charles.

General tickets are $30/person, or $240 for a reserved table of eight. Admission includes a catered selection of appetizers and desserts, as well as signature cocktails and other beverages. Reservations are required and seating is limited. Tickets can be purchased online at
http://lutheranspecialed.auctionreg.org/registration

For more information, contact LASE at 314-268-1234, or visit www.lutheranspecialed.org under Events.

Christian Friends of New Americans (CFNA)'s Third Annual 5K Run/Fun Walk Benefit is Saturday, May 6. Register 9:00 am, Start 10:00 am, Concordia Seminary campus, 801 DeMun Ave., Clayton, MO, 63105. Join the fun! Run, walk and/or Sponsor the event. Participate in befriending, mentoring and sharing Christ's love with New Americans. Register and/or order a tee shirt to remember the event @ cfna-stl.org/walk, call (314) 517-8513 for details.

St. Paul Lutheran Celebrates 100 Years
St. Paul Lutheran Church, 101 East Dent St., Ironton, MO will celebrate their 100th anniversary on May 21, 2017.
Missouri District President Rev. Dr. R. Lee Hagan will be the guest speaker at a 10:00 a.m. service followed by lunch. Email Pastor Jim
Rogers at rogersjim1947@gmail.com

2017 Educator's Retreat

Grace Place Wellness is pleased to announce a get-away weekend designed just for Lutheran teachers and their spouses, August 11 - 13, 2017 at scenic Innsbrook Resort, an hour west of St. Louis, MO. Refresh, renew and prepare for another school year by learning the secrets to a healthy, vibrant, and joy-filled ministry. It's your turn to experience the Grace Place Wellness Retreat enjoyed by over 8,000 LCMS rostered workers and spouses.

A registration fee of $100 covers the cost of all lodging, meals and the wellness retreat program. Saturday afternoon is entirely free time to enjoy the amenities at Innsbrook.

We have 16 spots available for this retreat. First come, first serve. Registration is now open at www.graceplacewellness.org For more information, please call Beth McAnallen at 314-842-3077 or email bmcanallen@graceplacewellness.org