Be Prayerful and Filled with Joy

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Colossians 4:2

The days are growing longer with more daylight. What I have learned over the years is that the more daylight we have, the busier we seem to grow as we add more to our schedules. It is rather humorous, because we still have the same number of hours in a day.

The reason I mention this, is to recognize that the school year is quickly coming closer to an end. Yet, there are many things to attend to in the course of a school week – field trips, track meets, musicals, fine arts fairs, spring testing, and the list goes on. I am sure you will have some of those events at your school. We have a history of reaching a certain point in the school year and realizing there are so many things yet to be accomplished. "Peace," says Jesus.

Let me encourage you to pause, take a breath, and realize that it is all in God’s time and control. We are His workmanship with a ministry of teaching and encouraging the students who sit in classrooms each day and the fellow staff members we are blessed to work with. “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Be glad in the busy-ness and the schedules. Rejoice in the projects and the activities which wrap up the year. It is the Lord’s day, and He will see you through. You are the Lord’s blood-bought people.

Be devoted to prayer as you need the energy to plan that final field trip or work at that last track meet of the year. Be thankful for the blessing of work with God’s precious children. But...be watchful that the devil doesn’t sway your thankfulness into bitterness because there is so much to do and you are tired. Repent of any and every bitter thought! Jesus brings joy as a gift! He paid for our bitter thoughts and attitudes.

As Psalm 118:4 says, “Let us rejoice and be glad." As you work together to accomplish all of the end of the year tasks, devote yourself to the positive side of getting to work with fellow staff and for each other in Christ.

Stay in the WORD. Take care of yourself to be WELL. Use your words and life as a WITNESS.

What is stressing you these days? Jesus is speaking to you...and me.

Serving the Master Teacher,

Lois Stewart

Mission Facilitator for Schools

IL Lutheran School Administrator Conference

NID Elementary and High School Administrators, you have received information and registration material for this conference to be held at Trinity Lutheran School in Bloomington. Registration deadline is MAY 22, 2024. The program promises to be great, and you will have time to network.

Spring Leadership Conference

On Tuesday, May 7, 2024, many of our NID school leaders met at Concordia Chicago for a morning of learning and networking. Many thanks go out to Dr. Alan Freeman (LCMS Director of Schools) and Will Vann (School Ministry On-line Support and Services), who joined us for the day. Our topics covered AI use in schools, as well as all things social media. Dr. Freeman presented a "State of the Schools Report" and shared on new NLSA protocols coming out. 

Curriculum Mapping

If your school has not gone through the curriculum mapping training that is offered by Concordia University Chicago Education Professors, you have another opportunity on Thursday, June 6, 2024. Please email Lois at lois.stewart@nidlcms.org, if you would like to have your teaching staff or representatives attend.

Summer at Walcamp

It is time to think about summer! Please see the attached flyer for possible Walcamp experiences for students. Share it with families at your school. 

National Lutheran School Accreditation

A huge thank you goes out to six of our NID schools that went through the NLSA process this spring. Keep following Jesus: St. Paul, Mt. Prospect; Open Arms, Glenview; Zion, Marengo; Walther, Melrose Park; St. Peter, Arlington Heights; St. Paul, Aurora. Many thanks to all who gave of their time and talents to serve on the teams. The District Accreditation Commission recently met to review the team reports for these visits. I thank the Commission for their expertise and dedication to the process. 

Lutheran Education Association

There is a lot going on with planning for LEA. Be encouraged to expect information regarding several things in the near future for your planning at school.

Time to Update

It is that time of year! If you are a Rostered Worker in the NID, please access your Commissioned Minister Information Form (CMIF) and review it for updates. You may access the form at https://cwu.lcms.org. If you need your Worker ID#, please reach out to lois.stewart@nidlcms.org or sue.green@nidlcms.org. Thank you in advance for helping us with this important duty!

Save the Date - Parish Professionals

All Parish Professionals are encouraged to put September 26-28, 2024 on their calendars for the Illinois Parish Professional Retreat at Camp CILCA in the Central Illinois District.

The retreat will be led by David Reuter, and focus will be on the topic "Growing Young." He will be discussing the six core commitments that research through the Fuller Youth Institute has found in common across congregations who are demographically growing younger. The overarching goal for our time together is to begin the development of a plan to aid the LCMS congregations in the Illinois districts to grow young together through the leadership of, and assistance to, the districts' DCEs.

This retreat would be great for pastors, DCEs, deaconesses, lay youth leaders, or anyone serving their congregation in the area of youth ministry. Look for the "save-the-date" email that came out a couple of weeks ago!

Save the Date - Back-to-School Worship



It might be early, but planning begins. Save the date for the August Back-to-School Worship and Keynote. On Wednesday, August 7, 2024, we will meet at St. Peter in Schaumburg for our gathering. This is a great opportunity to worship, reconnect, and be inspired as the new school year begins. Our speaker will be Dr. Bernard Bull. He serves as the president of Concordia University Nebraska and will energize us with his keynote titled, “Hustle with Heart."

Save the Date - 2024 NID Educators' Conference

The 2024 NID Educators’ Conference will be held at Concordia University Chicago on Friday, October 18, 2024. Watch for details in the future.

CPDUs

Concordia University Chicago has developed a new process for receiving continuing education credits if your school does staff development/professional development. Please access Professional Development - College of Education: Office of Field Experience - LibGuides at Concordia University Chicago (cuchicago.edu) to request forms. You may also email Katie Pece at katie.pece@cuchicago.edu.

Spanish Language Workshop for Congregation and School Staffs:



Join us for an 8-week online Spanish workshop series, Tuesdays, June 4 - July 23, 2024, for NID and CUC staff and faculty. Facilitated by a local Spanish teacher, this series gives you the opportunity to practice common words and phrases so you can feel comfortable in casual conversations. Class size is limited so register now.

Save the Date! Lay Leadership Summit

We are stronger together when we are working together.

From rural to urban ministries, small to large congregations, and whether you are new to church leadership or a seasoned veteran, we are grateful for each of our lay leaders.

We know you need support and encouragement as you serve where the Lord has placed you. This is why the LCMS Northern Illinois District is hosting an inaugural Lay Leadership Summit on August 24, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Walther Christian Academy, 900 Chicago Ave., Melrose Park, IL 60160. Watch our webpage at nidlcms.org/lay-leadership-summit for updates.