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in the current issue"Pastors need self-care too." Nate Larsen shares how pastors need special care from the congregation for themselves and their families. Also check out convention coverage and reports from each region about their regional meetings.

Cover Story

Connecting the Dots

Connecting the Dots

Sun, Nov 01, 2009

How did your mom keep you quiet in church when you were young? My personal favorites were those funky and mysterious pencil-shading pictures, the ones where shading over the blank area magically revealed a picture of Jesus. Another favorite was connect-the-dots. Yep, there was nothing more satisfying than seeing those dots connect up to show a jagged picture of David and Goliath. Today I still love to play connect the dots. But now it is much trickier. The dots I try to connect are the ways that the Lord brings people and experiences together to reveal a picture of his bride, the Church.

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An Exercise in Growing Stewards

An Exercise in Growing Stewards

Sun, Nov 01, 2009

At Oak Hill Lutheran Brethren Church in Bloomington, Minnesota, the mission of our stewardship ministry is to “Grow Stewards in our Congregation.” As the makeup of our church body trends younger, we feel it is God’s calling for us to show our people that stewardship is an action of the heart, not one of the wallet. It’s our commitment to grow generous givers as a faith response to God, and therefore we want to recognize generous gifts of time and talents, as well as treasure.

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Two Words that Don't Go Together

Mon, Nov 02, 2009

A year or so ago, I was seeking input from Seminary professor Dr. Eugene Boe on some loose ends on the final editing of the Commentary on the Statement of Faith of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren. When we’d covered most of my questions on that project, I ventured one more question on an entirely different topic. It was a question I thought he might answer “yes” or “no,” or perhaps in a couple of minutes give a slightly more detailed answer. Instead, I received much, much more. My question: “Does the Church of the Lutheran Brethren have a theology of stewardship?”

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Church & Synod News

Eastern District Pastors' School

Eastern District Pastors' School

Fri, Oct 30, 2009

Eastern Region Pastors’ School was held August 17-21 at Tuscarora in Mt. Bethel, PA. The week is available for all Eastern Region pastors and families.

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Akrehavn Library

Akrehavn Library

Thu, Oct 29, 2009

Among the charter members who thirty years ago founded Liberty Lutheran Brethren Church in Fargo, North Dakota, there was an individual with a passion that Christians be well read. Jeanette Akrehavn started a library providing books for children, Christian novels and a resource section that helped teachers and children learn more of God’s Word.

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Snap Shot!

Past-due Rent No Match for Grace

Past-due Rent No Match for Grace

Sun, Nov 01, 2009

With an economic crunch in full swing and our church populated mostly by young adults who have little money to spare, we were no longer able to afford college rental fees. Since November 2008 we’ve been meeting in homes, except for all-church gatherings that are still held at the college. Our big concern was that we still owed the college $15,000 in past-due rent. With no way to generate the funds we needed, all we could do was call on God for help.

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Do You Innovate?

Video-e-newsletter

Video-e-newsletter

Sun, Nov 01, 2009

As pastor of St. Peter’s Lutheran Brethren Church in North Tonawanda, New York, I am interested in new ways to communicate the Good News with people inside and outside of our congregation. Bob Bailey, a member of our church, has been working on a web-based service called a Video-e-Newsletter.

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RE:Think

Stewardship

Stewardship

by Randy Mortenson

Sat, Oct 31, 2009

What do The Lion King, Abraham, Psalm 8, and you (yes, you!) have in common? In the fictional cartoon we have a lion prince looking back and feeling the weight of history on his shoulders. In the Bible we have an old, childless man receiving the covenant promise from Almighty God that he will not only have a son, but will have as many descendants as there are stars in the heavens. One is pointed to his royal ancestry; the other to his future, miraculous progeny. And that’s where you come in.

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Glimpse

Inspiration Point Camp Quotes

Inspiration Point Camp Quotes

Fri, Oct 30, 2009

Quote highlights from Inspiration Point Bible Camp evaluations. "Now I understand that I need to completely surrender all of my life and not only the parts I want to." - 11th Grade Girl Also read an article by a camp counselor, reflecting on his summer at Inspiration Point.

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How Was Your Summer?

How Was Your Summer?

Fri, Oct 30, 2009

This summer, I caught a glimpse of what the love of God looks like. I've heard it hundreds of times from the love chapter. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs..." (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). At camp, we were encouraged to love the campers "where they're at."

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The Wall (Reformation Season)

The Wall (Reformation Season)

Fri, Oct 30, 2009

A poem by Alan Johnson, a junior at Central Washington University, after attending Dr. Eugene Boe's course, "Introduction to Lutheran Thought."

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