Encourage Newsletter
Rev. Dr. R. Lee Hagan 

The Ministry of Visitation
“And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” Acts 15:36

One of the joys of pastoral ministry is being with families at their greatest times of celebrations. Pastors visit families when babies are born and when soldiers come home from deployment. Being a pastor means being with the flock as they observe milestones of confirmations, graduations and weddings. But being a pastor also includes walking alongside families through suffering, pain and loss such as hospitalizations, prolonged illness and bereavement.

Pastoral care is at its most basic the ministry of visitation. Following in the pattern of St. Paul as he followed up on the congregations that had been established, we continue in that pattern today. Much of the work of a district president or bishop is also a ministry of visitation. The district president celebrates and even grieves with congregations. In three years, I have preached at thirty anniversary services and nearly a dozen installations. It means being a part of the celebrations as congregations and former members celebrate what God has done in a particular place for many years. But my responsibility has also been to preach at a funeral for a pastor who died in office and an entire congregation grieves. There have been visits to congregations after pastors take calls or when there has been significant conflict. Our hope is that our Synod structure, though a matter of Christian freedom, would place a great emphasis on pastoral care and visitation through circuit visitors, district staff and the president.

My hope and prayer is that visitation would be a primary part of every pastor’s weekly schedule. Our visits are intended to bring the Word of God to bear in the lives of God’s people to pray not simply for them, but also with them. From the nursery to the funeral home, I pray that pastors would be known by their congregations and communities for their visitation. While there is something to be said for pastors who teach and encourage through blogs and social media, nothing replaces that face-to-face visitation that Paul demonstrates as so important. May God grant our pastors zeal for this important part of ministry, and may the members of the flock be encouraged with God’s Word.

Prayer – Almighty God, our heavenly Father, as Your servant Paul visited and encouraged congregations that had been established, so may we be faithful in the important care of visitation of the flock through times of joy and times of sorrow, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Fraternally in Christ,

President Lee Hagan

Events and Information

The Voice & Encourage Take a Break for July Fourth

The weekly Voice and Encourage e-newsletters will be taking a break during the first week of July, so there will not be issues on Thursday and Friday, July 5 & 6. Watch your inbox the following Thursday and Friday, July 12 & 13, for the next issues of both. 

Save the Date - Sr. High District Youth Gathering
November 16-18

Save the date for the Missouri District Sr. High Youth Gathering. It will be at Cross Pointe Retreat Center in Rocky Mount, Mo., November 16-18, 2018.

Watch for more information, including a registration link, coming soon.

Third Annual St. Louis Area Winkel
August 29

All pastors who attend St. Louis and St. Charles Winkels are invited to the St. Louis Area Winkel on Wednesday, August 29th at Concordia Seminary, 801 Seminary Place, Clayton, MO  63105.

Registration is online only:  Click here to register. We will not be able to take registrations over the phone or by email.

There is no cost to attend the Winkel, but you must register online as space is limited. Lunch will be provided.  The deadline to register is August 20 (or when space is filled). Last year’s gathering had a waiting list, so if you register and then need to cancel, please send an email to Sue.Thompson@mo.lcms.org. 

The Winkel provides a great opportunity for pastors from all over the city and across circuit boundaries to come together for the mutual consolation and conversation of the brethren.  

Tentative Schedule:

8:30     Refreshments (Chapel Plaza)

9:15      Welcome (Chapel Plaza)

9:30     Chapel – (Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus)

10:15     Text Study (Koburg Hall)

11:15      Confessions Study (Koburg Hall)

12:00    Lunch (Koburg Hall)

12:45     Announcements

1:00      Plenary Presentation (Koburg Hall)  “Engaging Millennials”  Rev. Mark  
              Kiessling, Director of LCMS Youth Ministry 

1:45       Table Talk – (Koburg Hall)

2:30      Closing

Highlights from the Missouri District Convention

If you weren't at the Missouri District Convention but still want to know what went on, you can follow up easily online. A number of convention events were streamed live on Facebook including:

• Opening Worship
• Essays 1 & 2 by Dr. Adam Francisco
• President Hagan's acceptance speech
• Matins Memorial Service

To watch them, visit our Facebook  page and click on the video. You can also find photos and some election results on Facebook and on Twitter  using #MOLCMSConvention2018.

In addition, all four issues of Today's Business, the daily convention newsletter, are now available on our website. Click  here to access them on the Convention page of our website. 

Volunteers Needed for International Student Ministry

Don’t get rid of that bed in the guest room, and don’t throw away your old dishes … donate them! The International Student Ministry (ISM) is hosting a furniture giveaway for international students in the St. Louis area and will pick up your furniture or household items on August 17, the day before the furniture giveaway event.

If you have items to donate, you can:  

• Call Ann or leave a message at 636-273-6239 (St. Paul’s, Wildwood)
• Email Ann at:  annismstl@gmail.com

Show an international student the kindness and generosity of American Christians by donating furniture or other household items. As a volunteer driven ministry, the ISM has many ways for interested Christians to get involved with international students. To find out more about the ISM, visit their website at https://ismstl.org/.

Volunteers Needed for LEA Convocation 

The Missouri District is looking for volunteers to help out at the Lutheran Educators' Association (LEA) Convocation October 10-12 at the Americas Center in St. Louis.

Volunteers will be needed to welcome and direct participants, run errands and assist with registration and hospitality. This is the perfect opportunity for retirees, especially retired educators, so that current educators can attend events rather than serve in volunteer roles.

There are many opportunities available, so everyone is sure to find a fit for their skills, talents and desire. Whether you can be there for a few hours, half a day, or multiple days, we'd love to have your help.

If interested, please send an email with your name, phone number, email address and availability to Alan Freeman at alan.freeman@mo.lcms.org.