Welcome to Rev. Aaron and Diana Yaeger

 Ordination and Installation 

of Rev. Aaron Jaeger at

Our Savior Lutheran Church,

Lynchburg, Virginia.
Sunday, July 23, 2017

Joined here with Circuit Pastors.

Aaron and Diana 

at daughter Lydia's baptism

 on Easter Sunday- 2017.

Welcome to the Southeastern District to 
Rev. Aaron and Diana and family.
Blessings!

Welcome to Rev. Jim and Shauna Kent

Rev. Jim Kent's
service of

Ordination and Installation
was held on July 9, 2017

at First Lutheran Church, 

Huntingtown, Maryland.

He is pictured here with the Circuit Pastors and 

Installing Pastor- Rev. Dr. Jon Diefenthaler.

 Always wonderful when there 

are special guests for such celebrations.

Pastor Jim and Shauna Kent
 and their children-

Leta- a chemical engineer in Herndon, Va.

and Chase- a paramedic in Richmond, Va.

A blessed event indeed
and we pray that your ministry
 in the Southeastern District 
is a blessing to your family
 and all whom you serve.
Welcome!

Encouragement for Young Moms- OROMO Community

Prayers for our Children-
in the OROMO (Ethiopian)
language.

This was the afternoon project

 for the group of OROMO

 young moms gathered in Kensington, Maryland.

Translated from English to Oromo.

Pastor Teka Fogi-

taking a photo or two 

of our time together.

Thank you to his wife,

Tenagne, 

for organizing the gathering.

Working on the projects

Also learning about Visual Prayer 

and how to bless others with Visual Prayer.
And Counting our gifts 
so we can remember 
God's Goodness to us.

Listening to our stories.

Praying Scripture.

Coloring and paying attention.
A wonderful day together-learning.

Alaska VBS Trip

Aerial view coming into Deering, Alaska.

June 11-18, 2017
Always so much fun to return here.

This has been the heart passion 

of a group of people from 

St. John's Lutheran Church, 

Conover, North Carolina.
They sent teams to 3 villages to do VBS.
There were 32 young people from 6 villages.
There were 6 baptisms and 1 First Communion.

The Crucifixion story is one of the favorites 

of the teen camp attenders.
Pastor Scott leads the story telling.

Resurrection eggs tell the
 REST OF THE STORY.

Dolly is on the left 

and Mikayla is on the right.

Both young ladies 

were baptized two years ago.

Generous donations allowed Mikayla 

to attend this year's Vacation Bible School.

This opportunity allowed the team 

to bring wonderful opportunities 

to share the Gospel with Mikayla

 and many other young people.

Seeds of faith sewn in the heart and mind 

of Mikayla -the work of the Holy Spirit.

Since VBS-Tina- Mikayla's mom has also

returned to church.

If your church is interested 

in an Alaskan VBS project- 

or YOU would like to join them, 

we can connect you to this Mission Trip.

There is never enough volunteers.

Denise Johnson would be delighted

to share what they have learned over the years,

or to help you come along NEXT YEAR!

Welcome to Rev. Patrick and Sara O'Neal

Installation for Rev. Patrick O'Neal at 

Resurrection  Lutheran Church - 

Franklin, North Carolina.

Gathered here with Circuit pastors 

joining the celebration.

Pastor Patrick and 

Southeastern District President- 

Rev. John Denninger

The O'Neal family-
Pastor Patrick and wife Sara 

and children-

Miles-10 and Sophia-8.

They have arrived from 
Mesquite, Nevada.

Pastor Patrick and family
 and his parents-
Mother- Cindy O'Neal
Dad- Charley O'Neal

Southern Facilitator - Rev. Dr. Bill Seaman 

 blesses the newly installed pastor.

 Resurrection Lutheran Church

Nestled in the Mountains

On our drive to Franklin 

we came across this sign.

We thought this would be a great sign

 outside of every one of our churches.

Welome to the Southeastern District-
 O'Neal family!
 May the Lord bless your family and ministry.

and a photo submitted by
 Pastor Patrick- just for fun.

Welcome to Rev. David and Desiree Casey-Motley

Clergy gathered here to celebrate the 

Ordination and Installation of 

Rev. David Casey-Motley.

President John Denninger

with Rev. David Casey-Motley

at Immanuel Lutheran Church,

Preston, Maryland

on Sunday, July 2, 2017.

Welcome to the Casey-Motley Family.

David and Katie and Desiree

 holding Charlotte.

We pray that the Lord

 blesses your ministry

among the people of

 Preston, Maryland.

Welcome to the 

Southeastern District!

Visual Faith- Worship Settings

Easter Blessings- 

By Brother Melvin Meyer

Once In awhile I walk into a sanctuary

 or worship setting, 

or in this case - a Fellowship Hall, 

and sometime is strikingly different.

 I recognized the work of Brother Meyer

immediately

 having found his work a few years back.

In this case the bold colors and graphic images

 stand out on the neutral walls of a Fellowship Hall.

Some of the story of the art 
that fills Grace Lutheran Church
 in Chester, Virginia.

I am including the written description

 of the art 

even though it is hard to see in places

 with the light reflections.

The artist's statements help us

 to see all that a piece of Visual Faith 

art encompasses.

The Christian Life

 by Brother Melvin Meyer

The Sacrament of the Altar-

By Brother Melvin Meyer

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism-

By Brother Melvin Meyer

 The Four Gospels-

By Brother Melvin Meyer

A bit about Brother Melvin Meyer:

A bit more :

Brother Mel's work is well known

 in St. Louis area hospitals, 

office buildings, and chapels,

 as well as St. Louis University.

You can also find the work of this prolific artist - 

who numbers his works near 10,000,

 in hundreds of homes and backyards.

Brother Mel died Oct. 12, 2013

 at the age of 85.

He said that everything 

he created was religious.

"My faith and art are inseparable," he said.

(St Louis Post-Dispatch- Oct 15, 2013)

Growing Gracefully-

by Carolyn Henne

This is the other significant artwork

 that blesses the walls of Grace Lutheran Church.

Some of us connect in significant ways

 with the music of a worship service.

The visual learners find these kinds of artwork 

as integral in connecting the divine and the ordinary.

That is what worship is really about-

that moment when we realize

 that He is God, and I am not,

and just for THAT 

we give Him honor and glory.

Thank you to the members of 

Grace Lutheran Church

 for bringing these beautiful art pieces

 into your ministry setting.

This blesses all of us.

Well Retired- The Fincks

Rev. Richard and Bonnie Finck

Newly retired from Grace Lutheran Church- 

Chester, Virginia.

 O Magnify the Lord with Me 

and let us exalt His name together.

Once in awhile I get to be a part

 of a retirement service 

for a pastor and his family.

What a blessing when there are people 

there from all the congregations

 a Pastor has served.

 When a much-loved mom and dad

 are "roasted" by their children.

Telling family secrets- 

and maybe well-known "foibles" 

of a family so well loved.

 Bits and pieces of the

 Finck story in HIS story.

Gathered to share and REMEMBER- 

HIS Grace and Mercy.

Any maybe someone will tell us

 the story some day

about the Chuck Norris connection.

A banner shared a

 ministry theme of Pastor Finck-

Is it I, Lord?

I will go....

A beautiful quilt- 

celebrating the day.

Now a new era-

of family time, fishing, and singing.

And maybe some traveling too.

But, a Pastor with a heart for mission- 

continues to serve where called.

 What a gift to stop and share 

and mark this change of shepherd.

When a church loves well and knows it,
 it is wonderful to show it.

 They have been well-served.

An under-shepherd has loved them-
and with a faithful wife, 

a reflection of our Father's heart.

Well done, 

good and faithful servants.