In today’s News:
LCMS aids hurricane victims
Tim Hetzner, Lutheran Church Charities President/CEO, was invited to Louisiana to meet with the Rev. Ross Johnson, Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) Director Of Disaster Response, The Rev. Michael Meyer, LCMS Director of Disaster Response Training and The Rev. Eric Johnson, President Southern District LCMS, to survey extensive damage from Hurricane Laura and discuss recovery plans. Hetzner was able to bring the Rev. Eric Johnson donated funds to be used to help meet immediate needs within the Southern District. During this visit, they met with Pastor Charles Miller from St. John Lutheran Church in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Pastor Shane McCoy from Trinity Lutheran Church in Sulpher, Louisiana, and also\visited Grace Lutheran Church in Orange, Texas, to see the damage at each of these churches. St. John Lutheran sustained the most damage. Pastor Miller stated that his home is badly damaged, as well as the homes of most of his congregation members. Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Disaster Response plans to open a camp at St. John Lutheran church in Lake Charles as a base for volunteers.
Retreat planned for pastors
As pandemic restrictions hit the six-month mark in many places across the United States, church workers — especially pastors — report feeling weary, discouraged and anxious amid this time of great uncertainty. In many cases, their workload has significantly increased, while they may wonder if they are doing enough or doing the right thing. “Generally, we can handle this kind of stress for short periods of time, but it doesn’t take long for the adrenaline to wear off and for fatigue to set in,” said the Rev. Michael Meyer, Director of Disaster Training for the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod’s Disaster Response. As part of the Soldiers of the Cross — amplified program, the LCMS Office of National Mission has partnered with DOXOLOGY: the Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care and Counsel to provide resilience training and respite for pastors through two upcoming retreats. The “Take Heart! Strength and c\Confidence for Demanding Days” retreats are scheduled to take place Sept. 28–30 in Bel Aire, Kan., and Oct. 5–7 in Donaldson, Ind.
Pro-life activists are arrested
Ten pro-life activists were arrested last Thursday for blocking access to an abortion business in Sterling Heights, Mich., just outside of Detroit, in an attempt to stop unborn babies from being killed in the facility. The Christian pro-lifers showed up at Northland Family Planning Centers on Thursday morning, beginning their “rescue” minutes before 9 a.m. The term “rescue” refers to people blocking access to an abortion center to prevent unborn babies from being killed, or entering the waiting room and directly interacting with mothers who are scheduled for an abortion.
California seeks to ease adult-child sex restrictions
The California legislature passed a bill on Monday relaxing sex offender registry requirements for sodomy and other sexual acts with minors in efforts to end “Discrimination against LGBTQ young people on the sex offender registry,” according to the bill’s sponsor. The bill has not yet been signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
