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Attention Congregation Treasurers: For your monthly support of District/Synod Missions and Ministry. Financial contributions from Pacific Southwest District congregations provide over 80% of the District's funding for local, Synod, and world-wide work. Thank you for your ministry partnership, as well as your attention to these necessary matters of church business. Please know that your District staff keeps your congregation's ministry in our thoughts and prayers.

CALL DOCUMENTS - ORDAINED MINISTERS

For information about where and how to obtain Call Documents for an Ordained Minister, please contact Barbara Farley in the President’s Office at 949-854-3232, ext. 201, or via email at barbara.farley@psd-lcms.org.

CHURCH YEAR CALENDAR - Readings and Parament Colors

CONCORDIA PLAN SERVICES (CPS) - information on health, insurance, and retirement programs for LCMS church workers and their families.

CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE, Synod's publisher offers a wide variety of products for Christian education, worship, congregational programs and administration.

CONGREGATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR THE CARE OF PROFESSIONAL CHURCH WORKERS (AKA Salary Guidelines): An aid in establishing salaries for and providing for the care of pastors, principals, teachers, DCEs, and other rostered church workers. Click here to view the guidelines

The  Congregational Treasurer's Manual assists the congregational or school treasurer and any other person responsible for financial or administrative matters.

CONSTITUTION COMMITTEE:

Rev. Douglas Bock
928-854-7170
dpbock@gmail.com

Mr. Troy Norton
troy@nortononlinesports.com

View the PSW District Guidelines Used by the Committee on Constitutions – March 2009.

View the LCMS Guidelines for Constitutions & Bylaws of Lutheran Congregations – May 2006.

The Committee requests that you email an attachment of a new or revised Constitution & Bylaws to the members listed below. They will contact you with any revisions or questions. Once they have completed their evaluation, they will notify the congregation and will forward their report to the District office with their recommendation that it be added to the agenda for the next PSW Board of Director's meeting for ratification.

Upon completion of this process, it is imperative that the congregation send a copy of the Constitution & Bylaws to the District office to be kept on file.

Note: Any changes made to a congregations Constitution or Bylaws are to be submitted to the Constitution Committee for review and recommendation to the District Board of Directors before they are placed in use for a congregation to remain in member of Synod in good standing. In the event of a disagreement, legal or otherwise, the current copy of the documents on file in the District Office is considered the official copy in force. (From the Guidelines used by the Committee on Constitutions, as Revised, June, 2006 [available from the Committee by email request])

DISTRICT AND CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES of the LCMS serves with districts in assisting congregations with personalized support, training events and mission and ministry resources. It does this through its six ministry areas: Children, Family, Outreach, School, Stewardship and Youth.

PSW DISTRICT DIRECTORY
Due to a variety of factors, we have decided to make our District Directory available to our constituents as a free pdf download on our website. This offers a much more cost effective approach for providing this resource in today’s economy. Individual sections are being updated and uploaded here as they are completed. Please note that due to the size of these files, the download time to open/view these files can be slow (a good opportunity to exercise that “patience” muscle). If you find any errors in the way your information is listed in any of these sections, please contact Karene Cargill at karene.cargill@psd-lcms.org with corrections.

Click here for the current listing of the ministries in Arizona.
Click here for the current listing of the ministries in California.
Click here for the current listing of the ministries in Nevada.

Click here for the current listing of the PSW Regions and Circuits.

Click here for the current listing of the PSW Board of Directors.

DISTRICT PERSPECTIVE 403 (b) - changes made to the management of the 403 (b) Tax Sheltered Annuity.

EMPLOYMENT RESOURCE MANUAL to assist congregations and districts of the Synod understand and apply good sound employment principles. Individual forms are available in Microsoft Word format.

EXPLANATION OF CANDIDATE STATUS AND EXPLANATION INSTRUCTIONS
To download the Explanation of Candidate Status form and the Instructions, please click on http://www.mnsdistrict.org/Resources/COP/tabid/119/Default.aspx

FACTS AND STATISTICS (LCMS at a Glance) for The LCMS relating to the national church body for the most recent calendar year.

GROUP PURCHASING AGREEMENT (formerly known as National Contract Program) --GPA are buying agreements between selected vendors for products and services that are widely used throughout the church.

View suggested job descriptions for church staff, officers and councils.

LCMS FOUNDATION RESOURCES: contains the “Transfer the Blessings” booklet on setting up a bequest through the LCMS Foundation. Transfer the Blessings booklet

LUTHERAN/LCMS GRAPHICS - Download the LCMS logo cross, Luther's rose and the Synodical seal.

MAP OF PACIFIC SOUTHWEST DISTRICT - Click here to see a map of the 4 regions of the Pacific Southwest District.

REGION THREE MISSION COUNCIL FUNDING AND REPORTING

The quarterly report is for missions receiving a grant from the Region Three Mission Council. This document is an Excel spreadsheet, and is to be submitted to the Regional Mission Council Treasurer, Bob Haulman, at rahaulm@pacbell.net, or via mail at 7795 Canyon Point Lane, San Diego, CA 92126. Download one copy and continue to add your data to it in each successive quarter.

REMITTANCE FORM

Click here to download the Remittance Form, which can be sent with remittances to the District Office for Congregational Pledges, directories, or contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund or various ministries.

RESOURCE CENTER ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE

A “Resource Section” has been added to the District Website. Pastors and congregational leaders have submitted resources they have found helpful in their congregation’s ministry. Click here to take the journey to see resources that may help strengthen your congregation’s ministry.

RETREATS

Grace Place Lutheran Retreats and Grace Place Life-Long Learning offer preventative wellness skills, attitudes and resources to our Lutheran professional church workers and leaders and their families, so they can carry forth the Gospel message of salvation in Christ, and live and serve His people abundantly in body, mind and spirit. Grace Place is a wellness program, keeping healthy church workers healthy. Click here to learn more about this wonderful ministry.

Shepherd’s Canyon Retreat is an experience for Lutheran church workers—clergy, teachers, Directors of Christian Education, missionaries, and others—who need a renewal of the power and strength the Lord designed for their calling; who need a recovery of their spiritual and emotional vitality in an atmosphere that is safe, confidential, and restorative. Click here to learn more about this restorative ministry.

SELF EVALUATION TOOL (SET) AND SET INSTRUCTIONS
To download the Self Evaluation Tool (SET) form and the Instructions, please click on http://www.mnsdistrict.org/Resources/COP/tabid/119/Default.aspx

STUDENT AID

District Financial Aid forms for the 2011-2012 school year are now available. You will need to print all three documents.

2011 Pacific Southwest District Grants Student Aid Guidelines
District Financial Aid Application
2011 Pastors’ Evaluation of Applicant 

Follow the guidelines to submit your application.  It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that their Pastor receives the Evaluation and returns it to the District Office by the Due Date of July 1, 2011.

If you have any questions, please contact Barbara Farley at 949.854.3232 ext 201.

TAXES AND MINISTERS - a resource on tax issues for ordained and commissioned ministers in pdf format.

Veteran Information
Little Known Benefit for Military Vets! Many veterans are not aware that when they are in need of assistance for themselves or their spouse, in either assisted living or in their own homes, substantial financial help is available from the Veterans’ Administration – even when the medically necessary assistance is not war related! If a veteran has served for 90 days with at least one day of service during wartime, he/she may be eligible for assistance. It depends on their financial standing. Up to $1,900.00 per month may be available. In the care of my own parents, I have discovered www.veteransfriend.com which helps with preparation of V.A. paperwork and initial financial evaluation at no cost. If other legal or financial planning is needed, they will provide these services at reasonable rates, and in some cases no fee at all. I have found them to be highly ethical and not at all aggressive in marketing products. Their website is extremely accurate and valuable. Please let your parishioners know about this valuable service. Pastor Brian Hooper

VICARAGE APPLICATIONS:

Congregations may download the Vicarage Application, Vicarage Agreement and the Instructions at the following website: http://www.mnsdistrict.org/Resources/COP/tabid/119/Default.aspx

For printing the Vicarage Agreement you may purchase: Wausau Paper - Astroparche Professional Series Parchment Paper - Item #27126 - 100 sheets @ $6.29

OR contact Barbara Farley (949) 854-3232 ext. 201 and ask that the parchment paper for the Agreement be sent to you. This is a Council of President's procedure as the Agreement is a certificate.

The Vicarage Application can be printed on normal white paper. Please make two original sets of each form, keep a copy for yourself, and send the two signed original sets back to Barbara Farley at the District office.