MAP Training – Mission Applied Practice  celebrated its 11th year as a cooperative project of the West Coast Districts to educate and orient our newest pastors to both the ministry and the unique missionary context of our three Districts. This training is designed to closely connect our pastors with all three West Coast staffs and to provide them with a stronger support network. MAP is an intentional extension of the LCMS PALS program (Post-Seminary Applied Learning). Over th

Silas Perez, who serves as the Administrative Assistant for Education, was installed on Sunday as a Vicar at Good Shepherd in Hayward. We pray for Silas and Good Shepherd in their ministry journey.

St. Paul in Merced is building stronger bridges between church and school by empowering students to lead worship. On Oct. 19, students from preschool through sixth grade took over the planning and execution of Sunday morning service. This was the second such event in the past year. Since Principal Ruth Sebastian took leadership in Fall 2024, she has worked intentionally to integrate all three ministries: church, school, and preschool. Beyond the Kids Takeover services, studen

Giving Bibles to Lutheran school students is nothing new, and some of you may do this as well, but here is one "best practice' for this process. St. John's Lutheran School and Preschool in Napa, California have a tradition of presenting Bibles to their new preschoolers and their second grade students at the start of the year. The congregation is asked to sponsor a preschool student by donating the money to purchase a Children's Bible, in which the sponsor can write a short me

Grace Lutheran School in Visalia, California has been providing quality Lutheran education along with proclaiming the Gospel of Christ with students and their families since 1977. The school is small with a current enrollment of 60 in elementary school and 57 in preschool. The elementary school has a single Kindergarten and combined grades through 8th grade (1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8) and are taught by an experienced faculty of five teachers. Two of the teachers, Joanne Cook and

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Tracy, California, continues to find joyful and creative ways to connect with, serve, and bless the community. One of those events is the “Everything Free Sale,” an outreach event where every item is truly free. This fall marked the church’s fifth Free Sale, and the excitement and generosity surrounding it were as strong as ever. Donations and setup took place on Thursday and Friday, with the big event happening on Saturday, October 11. Members o