When was Christ born?
An answer is offered from Pastor Jonathan Lange of Wyoming District congregations in Evanston and Kemmerer, Wyoming in For this reason I was born: Why Christmas is on December 25: "While different Christian traditions have celebrated in different ways and have emphasized different days of this season, all Christians have marked December 25th as the birthday of Jesus going back at least to its first explicit mention in 354 A.D."    READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

Winter Youth Retreat (registry deadline is December 20, 2021)

WHEN:      December 27-28, 2021 - Check-in Begins at 4:00 pm
WHERE:    St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Thermopolis
WHO:        Confirmation Student and Older
WHAT:       Dean Martin sang, "Baby, it's cold outside!" but he apparently didn't know that Thermopolis had the world famous hot springs. Come join us
                  and celebrate the third and fourth days of Christmas as we enjoy Star Plunge Water Park along with a study led by Pastor Jacob Benson.
                  Pastor Benson's study is titled, "You're gonna die some day: A study on the first Martyrs of the Christian Church."  
COST:       $30 per youth (Covers dinner on Friday, breakfast and lunch on Saturday, along with your ticket for Star Plunge.)
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                                              For more information, contact Pastor Needham (307-864-2205) 

Impact of Hurricane Ida continues days after landfall

Click here to read the full article
The Rev. Rich Rudnik, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Houma, La., inspects the church with the Rev. Dr. Ross Johnson and the Rev. Michael Meyer of LCMS Disaster Response. The church was hit with 110-mph winds from Hurricane Ida on Sunday, Aug. 29. Roofs were blown off homes, including Rudnik’s, and the church building sustained significant damage, including flooding in the preschool. (Eric Johnson)
​LCMS missionaries displaced by Ethiopia flooding
The seminary of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) in Addis Ababa was also severely damaged, and several people died.

Faculty housing on the campus of the seminary of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopa, is shown submerged in floodwaters following heavy rain and the failure of a dike on Aug. 15. ​
(Photo courtesy of LCMS Africa)
On Aug. 15, heavy rains caused devastating floods in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. The seminary of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) in Addis Ababa was severely damaged, and several people died. The Akaki River, which borders the seminary campus, rose rapidly Aug. 17 and overflowed the earthen dike protecting the seminary. As the dike failed, waters rose quickly in the lower parts of campus, flooding that area in a matter of minutes. Chick here to read full article
It’s that time of year again: Holy Week and Resurrection Chronologies
Holy Week Chronology: www.hope-aurora.org/docs/HolyWeekChronology.pdf
Resurrection Chronology: www.hope-aurora.org/docs/Resurrection_Chronology.pdf

Egger called as 11th president of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis

“It is a great honor to be asked to serve and to lead this seminary that I love,” Egger said. “Concordia is an institution with a rich past and a strong present, and a future that will unfold under our Lord’s provision and grace.”                                                                      Read full article here.

Congregations vote to delay Synod convention

The congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) have approved, by over 90%, a proposal to extend the current 2019–2022 triennium, pushing the Synod’s previously scheduled 2022 national convention to 2023 and extending the timeline for districts that wish to delay their conventions from 2021 into 2022.                                                                                                                                                   Read full article here.
The congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) have approved, by over 90%, a proposal to extend the current 2019–2022 triennium, pushing the Synod’s previously scheduled 2022 national convention to 2023 and extending the timeline for districts that wish to delay their conventions from 2021 into 2022.                                                                                                                                                   Read full article here.
The Board of Regents of Concordia Theological Seminary (CTSFW), Fort Wayne, Indiana, is delighted to announce the unanimous reappointment of the Rev. Dr. Lawrence R. Rast Jr. as president. Click here to read the full article
The following two individuals have been named to the final slate of candidates to be considered for election and call as the 11th president of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis:
  • Dr. Thomas J. Egger
  • Dr. Joel D. Lehenbauer
On Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021, the electors will announce the candidate to receive the presidential call at 2 p.m. CT at csl.edu/live.
                                                                                                                                                                                                  Click here to read full article
On Jan. 21, LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison sent an email to all workers on the Synod roster addressing questions and concerns about the COVID-19 vaccines that have, in recent weeks, begun to be distributed and dispensed.                       Click here to read the full article