“Scripture in the Church: Formative or Formality?” is the title of the 21st Annual Theological Symposium, to be held Sept. 21-22 on the campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Dr. Stephen Fowl, professor of theology at Loyola University Maryland, Baltimore,…

Concordia Publishing House has released its first “application” designed for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Called “PrayNow,” the new resource offers content from the Treasury of Daily Prayer — Scripture and prayer for each day, hymn stanza, and complete orders…

By Paula Schlueter Ross A member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Parkers Prairie, Minn., was killed in a storm that spawned some three dozen tornadoes across Minnesota June 17, killing three people, injuring dozens, and destroying hundreds of homes and…

This summer’s National LCMS Youth Gathering, July 17-21 in New Orleans, will have more than 90 off-site servant events organized in three categories: environmental, construction and human care/outreach.  The environmental sites offer cleanup activities in conjunction with Common Ground Relief,…

News from the 64th Regular LCMS Convention, July 10-17 in Houston, is available via Reporter Online (www.lcms.org/reporter), the Synod’s website (www.lcms.org) and the LCMS convention website (www.lcms.org/convention).  News also will be distributed via e-mail to subscribers of LCMSNews (www.lcms.org/enews/), a…

Dr. Eldor W. Meyer, president of the LCMS Nebraska District from 1978 until 1991, died June 16 at his home in Girard, Kan., of complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 81. The funeral service was June 19 at Trinity Lutheran Church…

(RNS) — Southern Baptists issued a veiled but sharp critique of the nation’s oil companies on June 16 saying “all industries are … accountable to higher standards than to profit alone.” Members of the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Orlando,…

Dr. Stephen (Steve) A. Lutz, missionary doctor to Papua New Guinea for nearly a quarter of a century, died June 15 at his brother’s home in Wolcottville, Ind. Dr. Lutz, 60, had been diagnosed with brain cancer. A funeral service was…

LCMS World Mission saved more than $53,000 in labor costs during 2009 because of the service of volunteers at the International Center in St. Louis, according to Jane Cauchon, volunteer coordinator for the department. Last year, 83 volunteers — including…

By Linda C. Hoops “We’re still in the middle of the storm,” said Southern District President Kurtis Schultz in referring to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that is affecting all four states the district serves — Louisiana,…

The International Lutheran Laymen’s League will hold its 93rd annual convention July 22-25 in Omaha, Neb., under the theme “Spirit Driven,” from 2 Tim. 1:7. This year’s convention will feature an evening of international culture and cuisine with directors of…

The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League is offering its new “Mustard Seeds” devotions free via e-mail — one devotion per day. “Mustard Seeds” are short devotions on various topics that may be used for personal Bible study or handed out as…

“Making Disciples,” LCMS District and Congregational Services (DCS) — School Ministry’s “Chapel Talks” for the 2010-11 school year, is expected to be available in July for downloading and in limited quantities in a soft-cover print edition. Following the “Three-Year Lectionary Series”…

(RNS) — Virginia’s Supreme Court sided with the Episcopal Church on June 10 in its dispute with breakaway conservatives over historic and valuable parish property, a partial but important victory for the embattled denomination. The ruling overturned a lower court’s…

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (RNS) — A federal judge on June 9 approved a lawyers’ agreement allowing a Schenectady, N.Y., student to continue wearing a rosary outside his clothing pending a court hearing in September. Syracuse lawyer Raymond Dague said the new…

(RNS) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) will pay a $5,000 fine for not reporting non-monetary contributions in support of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California. The California Fair Political Practices Commission concluded the…