The District Connection

Rev. Mark Renner was installed as Pastor of St. James Lutheran Church in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday, June 16, 2024. Pictured L to R, top row: Circuit Visitor Rev. Peeter Pirn, Rev. Dr. Paul Hoffman, EM, Vice President Rev. Mike Wallace, Rev. Troy Neujhar. Pictured L to R, bottom row: Rev. Dean Kavouras, Ohio District President Kevin Wilson, Rev. Mark Renner, Rev. Lynn Podoll. Congratulations! May God richly bless your ministry at St. James!

Pastor-elect Richard Sovitzky IV was ordained and installed as Pastor of Trinity-Sugar Grove, OH and Trinity-Logan OH on Sunday, June 23, 2024. The Rite of Ordination was officiated by Ohio District President Kevin Wilson. The sermon was proclaimed by Rev. Dr. Gifford Grobien. Pictured in the front row, L to R: Rev. Dr. Gifford Grobien, President Kevin Wilson, Rev. Richard Sovitzky IV, Circuit Visitor Rev. Andrew Wilson, Rev. Mark Raddatz, Rev. Terry Worst. Pictured in the back from L to R: Rev. Terry Yahr, Rev. Mark Kloha, Rev. Robert Duncan, Rev. Larry Kudart, Rev. Roger Sayre. Congratulations! God's richest blessings to you!

Sign up your youth for the SOUL SURFING EXTRAVAGANZA taking place at a congregation near you on Sunday, August 11, 2024. MORE INFO

St. Mark Lutheran Church, 11900 Chillicothe Road in Chesterland, Ohio will be holding an outdoor contemporary worship service in their pavilion on Sunday, June 30, 2024 at 11:00 AM. After the service, there will be a picnic with the church providing grilled hamburgers and hotdogs and members bringing side dishes. All ages are welcome! Please bring outdoor chairs. Service is rain or shine.

St. Mark Lutheran Church, 11900 Chillicothe Road, Chesterland, Ohio is hosting their annual Gift of the Magi Christmas Boutique on the evening of Friday, November 8th and on Saturday, November 9th. They still need vendors for this special event! This is a juried craft fair, which means that all items must be homemade and of high quality and vendors must be reviewed and approved. If you would like to recommend a vendor, please send their contact information to: mail@StMarkChester.org - c/o Jenny Klopf by July 8, 2024. St. Mark will reach out to these vendors with information on cost and table specs and an invitation to apply for consideration. 

Rev. David Buegler, EM will lead a discussion on the Synod’s latest theology and practice regarding such topics as: ventilators, when enough is enough, withdrawing treatment, palliative care vs. palliative sedation, burdens of treatment vs. burdens of care, irretrievably dying vs. terminally ill, issues with hospice, when do you “pull the plug”? What does God’s Word offer us to deal with all these modern issues that confront Christians today? Come for this summertime study from 6:30-8:00 PM on July 10, July 17 and July 24 in the cafeteria at St. Paul Lutheran Church and School, 27993 Detroit Road, Westlake, Ohio. Contact the church office at: 440-835-3050 with questions. SEE FLYER 

The June 2024 Newsletter from MissionInsite (the FREE demographic program offered to all Ohio District congregations and schools) brings you current news! One of the articles features a report that you can download about the "nones" and their beliefs, entitled, “Uncertainty and Disinterest about God and Jesus", which you can check out HERE. For more information about MissionInsite and how to register to become a user, CLICK HERE

Check out the summer Bible studies from CPH and get a free download of coloring pages! GO HERE 

Discover more misconceptions about Christianity and find the hidden truths in this new Bible study from CPH. Leader and study guides are available to lead a small group understanding where these myths originated and what the truth is in Scripture. MORE INFO

Check out what’s happening at our LCMS Schools, Universities and Seminaries in this edition of Campus Clips.

The Pierstorf College Fund was established in 1994 and is a one-of-a-kind Lutheran financial aid program for all Lutheran students pursuing a higher education who live in Ohio. Over $13 million in loans were awarded to more than 4,000 students since 1994. First time borrowers may be new or returning college students. Go to: www.Pierstorf.org for online applications which are open until June 30, 2024. Contact Pierstorf@messiahfp.org or call 440-665-3653 with questions.

The Ohio District Board of Directors has responded to a Concordia University Wisconsin/Ann Arbor task force report concerning the Ann Arbor campus. The response corrects a statement that the Ohio District was not willing to financially support CUAA becoming a freestanding LCMS university. You can access the BOD response HERE

Ready to take your next step to support Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) ministries while earning interest to reach your financial goals? Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) offers a variety of fixed- and floating-rate term notes that allow your funds to grow while also strengthening the church. Term notes are all about your choices – choose the duration of your investment and select a rate from a variety of options to best fit your preferences. Interest is compounded and paid quarterly, and funds remain yours to re-invest or redeem at the end of the term. Visit lcef.org/term-note to learn more about this investment opportunity and contact Lisa Hall, Vice President of LCEF for the Ohio District LCMS at lisa.hall@lcef.org or 216-570-7077 to get started TODAY!