News

A special April 20 packing prepared 32 bags for WCPS students in transitional housing (homeless), distributed by a WCPS staff member as part of a church rotation serving school personnel. WCPS reported 710 students qualify as homeless and 92 are in foster care; Concordia provides 32 food bags monthly. Eight volunteers packed PPW bags valued at $20-30 each, with HARC grants funding about half and donations the rest.

Concordia hosted the Potomac Zone Christian Life and Spring Rally on April 13, 2024, with 30 in attendance, a Bible study, guest speaker Beverly Walling (a Concordia member) on her journey to becoming a Deaconess, a lunch by Concordia women, and the installation of 2024-2026 officers including Sara Hilmer as Zone Chairman.

Open Arms and director Natalie Evans were voted best preschool in the tri-state area in 2024 and again in 2025 (two years running), and placed 3rd in the October 2024 Community Choice Awards.

The youth-supported Easter breakfast earned $424.00 toward the 2025 youth gathering, with the youth group decorating tables and helping clean up.

The new Read It and Reap reading group held its first meeting, sharing recent reads and recommendations, and continued meeting (e.g., April 15 and May 5 at the Foster home).

The April mission grant 'Upheld by God's Hand' supports the LCMS Task Force for Mental Illness in developing mental-health outreach training materials for church workers.

Concordia's annual youth Chili Cook-off was held February 25, 2024 after the 11:00 service, with $1-ticket voting. It drew 12 entries and earned $583 toward the 2025 National Youth Gathering; the Radeks' venison chili took first, Sylvia Shives second, and Larry and Katy Hector third.

The youth held a Spaghetti Supper and Karaoke Night fundraiser on March 22, 2024, with a 50/50 raffle and a $250 Thrivent grant covering food costs. The event was a success, raising close to $900 for the Youth Gathering fund.

The LWML signed up as a sponsor through the St. Louis Seminary Adopt-a-Student program and was paired with seminarian Erick Quezada; Quezada later reported receiving his Vicarage assignment to St. Paul Lutheran Church in Boca Raton, FL at the April call service.

An LWML grant of $85,000 funded a mobile kitchen trailer for a Gulf Coast disaster response team to serve meals to communities in need.

Concordia supports Orphan Grain Train: an international container shipment to South Sudan was scheduled March 15, 2024 (potentially including the congregation's prior-fall donations), and OGT's monthly newsletter later featured Diane Braun, Nancy Flicek, Sara Hilmer, and Marge Ziegler at the warehouse with delivered items.

After info meetings following worship, 27 members signed up to form a congregational Disaster Response Team, with grants available to equip it.

The youth group held its first Bowl-a-Thon fundraiser on January 21, 2024 at Seven-Ten Bowling Alley, with sponsors pledging per pin or a flat rate. The event collected pledges totaling $1,529.80 toward the 2025 National Youth Gathering.

Lutheran Women in Mission raised $508 toward outreach programs through their 2024 Souper Bowl soup mix sale, which offered four varieties of dry soup mixes plus padded microwave bowl holders; special thanks went to Nancy Flicek for colorful bowl covers.

The 2024 Vacation Bible School, themed 'Celebrate the Savior,' ran June 17-21 with about 60 children registered and over 50 attending each day, organized into 8 groups rotating through 5 centers in a mixed-age format. Planned by Becky Brown, Cari Lowery, and Mr. Tim. A volunteer picnic (Chick-fil-A) and a family picnic at Marty Snook Park capped the week.