Emergency Site Visit at Stagg Highh School after Fatal Stabbing of 15-year-old Alycia Reynaga4/25/2022
Last week LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Aaron (St. John’s - Napa, California), Micah (Light of the Valley - Elk Grove, California), Rahab (St. Andrews - Stockton, California), and Reuben (First Lutheran - Yuba City, California), were invited to bring a comforting presence to the students and staff at Stagg High School in Stockton, California, after the fatal stabbing of 15-year-old Alycia Reynaga. The Comfort Dog teams made return visits to Stagg High School to spend time with the students and staff as they faced the aftermath of that tragedy. Having the LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs present at the school helped the students with their fears, loss, and shock. At times some of the students would seek a repeated visit with Aaron, Micah, Rahab, or Reuben as they needed their comfort and love. One teacher commented, “You’re making my kids smile! Thank you!” Another teacher said, “The dogs have had the biggest positive impact on all the students and faculty during these last couple of days!” On Friday evening, the K-9s spent time with students, parents, and the community at the prayer vigil for Alycia Reynaga in Stockton. A Heart of Mercy and Compassion and cross was at the memorial site for people to write messages of love and prayers.
Donate to Continue to Help Purchase Food and Medicine "As a Church of Christ, we have a great opportunity to serve the people and to share the Good News about Our Savior in such a darkest and difficult time.” Pastor Sergey Bevz 100% of Your Donations Will Support Ukrainians in Need LCC Volunteers Share Time Abroad Serving Ukrainians LCC volunteers Kathy and Joan served Ukrainians for two weeks with Pastor Scott Yount and his wife Lena (from Ukraine) at the Ukraine Mission Center. They also went to the Ukrainian border twice during their stay to hand out food and travel packs as refugees take a break before going to their next destination. They had many opportunities to be a comforting presence as they listened to the hardships, fears, and uncertainties of those they met. Kathy and Joan share how your donations are helping Ukrainians in need in the video below.
SELCU Pastors Serving Ukrainians Working through LCC staff member Rev. Larry Myers, below is an update from the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Ukraine (SELCU) pastors, thanking LCC donors for your financial support and prayers. This week, we received detailed updates from SELCU pastors sharing how your donations are critical to helping them serve the physical and spiritual needs of those they serve. Click on the video below to watch a powerful message from SELCU Pastor Oleksiy Navrotskyy called “On Humanitarian Mission in Ukraine” Sergey Bevz (SELCU pastor in Dnipro) “We do all possible and use all our resources to respond to the situation and to host and support the people. Our church building, which is not even fully restored after a winter roof collapse (2019), has become a 24-hour hub for refugees. People can stay here for 1-3 days. They are able to eat and sleep, to do their laundry, and get medicine here. We use every meter of our church space, including an unfinished (unrepaired) sanctuary and second floor. Our church hosted more than 200 people. Now, we have up to 25 people daily. I receive 200-300 phone calls daily from those who search for a shelter. Our little church team consists of church members (who sent their families abroad) and volunteers living nearby. We are grateful to you, dear friends, that you are also participating in this ministry. Your support allows us to continue to help the many people who have been affected by the war, left or lost their homes. By receiving this help now, they are also receiving evidence of God's love for them. They see and hear the gospel through the way the Church of Christ serves them and shares the message of Christ.” CLICK HERE to read the full update from Pastor Sergey Bevz. Valera Verba (SELCU pastor in Nova Kakhovka, near Kherson) "Together with the pastors and some brothers of our synod, we took on the service of volunteers and work with refugees. We provide humanitarian aid, and food is transported to different needy regions of the country. Women and children are taken out of dangerous places of warfare. We organize transit points and escort of refugees to the border and to some extent abroad. My pastoral heart worries about the people of the Nova Kakhovka community. The situation in Nova Kakhovka is not simple: lack of food, lack of necessary medicines, constant danger from the occupying troops, disconnection of communications and the Internet, lack of work and money. We pray intensely for the safety of the lives of people in the occupied territories. With the funds that the Lord blesses through you, we support those in need, transferring parts to their bank cards so that they can purchase the goods necessary for survival. The Lord is with us here and with them there, and blesses and preserves all who fully trust Him. I thank God for each of you who in this difficult time for us in every way participates and supports us and, through us, many people whom we can serve today. The Lord in this situation uses each of us in His place for the glory of God. I ask you to continue to pray for peace in Ukraine, for communities and ministers, for safety and protection from all kinds of evil. We bless all readers in the name of Jesus Christ.” CLICK HERE to read the full update from Pastor Valera Verba. Ukrainian Church – Palatine, Illinois On behalf of LCC, Pat Sweeney presented additional donations to Archpriest Mykhailo Kuzma of the Ukrainian Church in Palatine, Illinois, to continue direct and immediate financial assistance to their contacts in Ukraine. Your Donations are Immediately Helping Ukrainians in Need! Please prayerfully consider donating to help Ukrainians by showing the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ to those who are suffering and in need!
Thank You for your support in being the hands and feet of Jesus to those suffering! On January 18, LCC received a request from Pastor Michael Liese, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Brimfield, Illinois, for financial assistance for a family in need that St. Paul is assisting: Mark is a former Lutheran School teacher and principal, and his wife, Susan, daughter of a Lutheran pastor, is a nurse. They have two children. On Sunday, January 9, Susan suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and required emergency surgery. After surgery, Susan seemed to have lost her ability to speak and suffered a loss of movement in her right arm. Mark will be Susan’s full-time caregiver during her long road to recovery and will not be able to work until she is better. They will need financial assistance to cover extensive medical bills and mortgage, utilities, and household expenses of approximately $3,500 a month. Lord have Mercy! Pastor Michael Liese St. Paul Lutheran Church Brimfield, Illinois Update: Since Susan’s stroke, Mark and his family have been struggling financially. Last week Mark learned that the insurance company is cutting off payment of medical and therapeutic treatments for Susan. Mark is appealing it, but that means the coverage will only be extended to April 26.
From then on, they will be relying on Mark’s part-time income, savings, and the gifts of others. Mark has applied for Social Security permanent disability, but that will not kick in for several months. Please continue to pray for Susan’s restoration and healing and for the family as they struggle to care for and support her. Thank you for your donations received so far. If you feel so moved, please prayerfully consider supporting Mark, a former church worker, and his family as they care for Susan. On Tuesday, April 19, LCC was able to pass through several donations to assist Christ the King Lutheran Church and School in Chicago, Illinois, in their ministry to the community around them. LCC was able to present a check of your donations for tuition for students in need at their school. There were also many boxes of coloring books for the school and a big refrigerator/freezer for the Senior House at Christ the King. For over 20 years now, in a house next to the parsonage, Christ the King has been providing housing, care, and spiritual comfort to four seniors who have no family and cannot afford housing in their community. The Senior House provides a family environment where each senior has their own bedroom and, as a family share the living room, dining room, shared bathroom, and kitchen. Recently the refrigerator that had been in the house when they started this ministry stopped working. A special thank you to the donor of the refrigerator that came at just the right time to meet the need for the Senior House Ministry. Pastor John Brazeal contacted three members of the congregation who came to help unload the truck and move the refrigerator into the house. A special thank you to Pastor Brazeal, Ronny, and Marco.
LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Rahab (St. Andrews - Stockton, California), Micah (Light of the Valley - Elk Grove, California), and Reuben (First Lutheran - Yuba City, California) were immediately invited to bring comfort to the students and staff at Stagg High School in Stockton, Califronia after the fatal stabbing of 15-year-old Alicia Reynaga. The three teams spent the day with the students and staff as they faced the aftermath of Monday’s tragedy. This incident has been a devastating loss for this school community. The K-9s and their handlers will continue to visit Stagg High School in the days and weeks to come as they process this tragedy. Please join us in praying for those affected. Dear Lord, We pray for the family, friends and Stagg High School who are suffering and heartbroken as they grieve the loss of Alicia. May they find comfort and healing in your presence. We ask for your peace and reassurance to replace the fearful and anxious thoughts that sweep over them. We pray they have your courage to face the days ahead. Help us to respond with generosity in prayer, in assistance, and in comfort to the best of our abilities. Please help us to keep our hearts focused on the needs of Stagg High School and the Stockton community. In Jesus’ name, Amen
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 Update: LCC sent a check with your donations to Pastor Ed Maanum of First Lutheran in Knoxville, Tennessee, in support of LCMS Pastor Emeritus Larry Rockemann and his wife Jean who lost their home in Sevierville, Tennessee, on Wednesday, March 30 due to wildfires. They are overwhelmed by your kindness and generosity, and for including them in your prayers: "Into our lives over these weeks, the Lord has poured gold: pure gold. You, our dear brothers and sisters, are that gold that He has poured into our broken hearts. Your words and hugs, your notes and emails, your boundless kindness and generosity--your help--it was all pure gold poured out on us by God through you." CLICK HERE to read the full letter from Pastor Larry and Jean Rockemann. LCMS Pastor Emeritus Larry Rockemann and his wife Jean lost their home in Sevierville, Tennessee, on Wednesday, March 30. Wildfires and unrelenting winds completely destroyed their home. Fortunately, they were not at home; however, nothing remains. Tim Hetzner, LCC President/CEO, spoke with Rev. Rockemann about what happened and LCC will be working through his church, First Lutheran in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Pastor Ed Maanum, to provide Dollar Per Dollar support to help Rev. Rockemann and his wife. In reflecting on his family's tragic loss, Rev. Rockemann shared the following while serving as a guest pastor: “'Loss.' 'Lost.' I had just preached on the Luke 15 gospel appointed for the Sunday before the fire. What the father 'lost' in the parable, Jesus told. What God lost in the beauty and preciousness of His creation, He lost us. He lost me. How did His heart feel when He experienced that loss? The answer is in a manger and upon a cross. 'In the fullness of time…' God's 'loss' is present upon the cross. The whole lot of it—the sum total of it—all of it—upon the cross. 'It is finished.'” During his many years of ministry, Rev. Rockemann served at Concordia University Chicago, Illinois; Immanuel Lutheran Church, Bristol, Connecticut; Vice-President of Student Services and Director of Placement, Concordia Seminary St. Louis, Missouri; Lutheran Life Communities, Arlington Heights, Illinois; and most recently, Director of Development and Church Relations for the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. He is well-known and well-loved for his pastoral heart and his public proclamation of God's Word.
Please prayerfully consider donating to help these faithful servants through a difficult time of loss and rebuilding.
SELCU Pastors Help Impacted Ukrainians 100% of Your Donations Will Support Ukrainians in Need Working through LCC staff member Rev. Larry Myers, below is an update from the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Ukraine (SELCU) pastors, thanking LCC donors for your financial support and prayers. Due to massive shortages of available food and other essentials, LCC has made a connection with Sergiu, son of Rev. Sorin-Horia Trifa of Confessional Lutheran Church in Romania, to purchase life-saving nonperishable food and medicine that will be transported to the Romania-Ukraine border for the SELCU pastors. Bishop Alexander Yurchenko (SELCU) Bishop Yurchenko, with SELCU pastors Valera Verba and Sergey Bevz, took a large cargo of supplies from Odessa to the Dnieper region and provided both spiritual and physical support. Sergey Bevz (SELCU pastor in Dnipro) “We have many stories about cellars, bombings, attempts to leave, worries about relatives with whom there is no connection, loss of loved ones, and things that are even scary to voice out loud. During the day I hear a lot of difficult stories. In the evening, when the curfew had already come, we dimmed the lights, sat down at the table, and talked. The guys from Mariupol got a cake somewhere and treated everyone. Think about it; the guys from Mariupol treated everyone to a cake. I don't know if I should be surprised, but I am. After everything they've been through, they haven't lost the ability to "treat others with cake." Someone hardens and someone, on the contrary, shows even more humanity. We are all changing. Help us, Lord, now to be soft clay in Your hands. Please pray for these people. Someone is looking for housing, someone is looking for a job, someone [is looking for] both, someone is doing documents, someone does not know what to do next. The church building is completely full. It is used as a transit point for 1-3 days. Here we feed, help with food and clothing, and provide spiritual support. We are doing repairs in one of the rooms in order to receive more. In recent days, [there was] a large flow of people, and in the near future, it will continue. Please remember us in your prayers.” Why? For some reason, the Word of God—where the Lord gave the commandments "do not kill," "do not steal," "do not commit adultery," and "do not bear false witness"—causes a special "reaction" in them. They want to destroy this Word. Indeed, in [His Word] the Lord also says that He will not leave unpunished those who violate the commandments of life given by Him. And we trust in this Word and love it. Thanks to him, we know how our story will end and how will their story end. Because this battle is not only against blood and flesh, but against principalities, against authorities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spirits of wickedness in high places. Ukrainian Church – Palatine, Illinois On behalf of LCC, Jim Dunne presented donations to Archpriest Mykhailo Kuzma of the Ukrainian Church in Palatine, Illinois, to provide direct and immediate financial assistance to their contacts in Ukraine. LCC Volunteers Return from Serving Ukrainians For the past two weeks, LCC volunteers Kathy and Joan were with Pastor Scott Yount and his wife Lena (from Ukraine) to serve Ukrainian refugees at the Ukraine Mission Center. They also went to the Ukrainian border twice during their stay to hand out food and travel packs as refugees take a break before going to their next destination. They had many opportunities to be a comforting presence as they listened to the hardships, fears, and uncertainties of those they met. LCC thanks Kathy and Joan for their compassion and dedication to helping Ukrainian refugees in need!
Ukrainian Lutheran Church (ULC) LCC is also working directly with the Ukraine Lutheran Church (ULC) by working through the Lutheran Church here in the United States in fellowship with them! Your Donations are Immediately Helping Ukrainians in Need! Please prayerfully consider donating to help Ukrainians by showing the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ to those who are suffering and in need!
Thank You for your support in being the hands and feet of Jesus to those suffering! |
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