Newtown Vigil: Is the Missouri Synod Wrong on Its Stance?

The president of the Kirkwood-based Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod asked for an apology from a pastor who participated in an interfaith vigil after the shootings.

A few days after the shooting in Newtown, CT, that killed 20 children and six adults, the community gathered with a variety of clergy leaders representing a number of faiths for a prayer service and vigil. That didn't sit well with the president of the conservative, Kirkwood-based Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. A pastor from Christ the King Lutheran Church, a Missouri Synod church in Newtown, was among those who participated. And the president of the synod, The Rev. Matthew Harrison, asked that pastor to apologize, as reported in an article by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Saturday. The Post's coverage summarizes the issue thusly: The synod forbids "worship services that blend the beliefs and practices of Lutherans with those of other …

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Amy E.

3:37 pm on Sunday, February 17, 2013

I also watched it on television, and I agree that I saw nothing in that memorial gathering that indicated that any of the clergy present were endorsing the faiths of any of the others. They were all simply trying to offer comfort to the grieving. I felt the same way some 11 years earlier when the LCMS pastor David Benke participated in an interfaith memorial gathering at Yankee Stadium following …   more ›

Lindbergh School District Details Safety Procedures

In light of the tragedy in Newtown, CT, Superintendent Dr. Jim Simpson highlights some of the district's practices, including intruder drills. There is an increased presence from school resource officers and St. Louis County Police this week.

Lindbergh parents and students may have noticed an increased presence from St. Louis County Police and school resource officers following last week's school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. "During times like this it is only natural to think of our own children. As educators, we think of our students as well, and what we are doing every day to make sure they are safe," Superintendent Dr. Jim Simpson said in a letter to district families on Friday.  The letter reviewed some of the district's current safety procedures, as well as what services are available to students following the Sandy Hook shooting. Officials have "plans in place for each of our buildings to deal with emergency situations, including those similar …

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St. Louis County Police Chief Wants to Arm School Officials With Guns

In the wake of the Newtown, CT school massacre, St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch will visit schools this week to discuss increasing security, including putting guns in elementary schools.

St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch and police officers will begin visiting St. Louis County schools Monday morning, according to KMOV. (For instant updates follow Patch on Facebook and Twitter.) Fitch said he's received numerous calls from area schools concerned about security since Friday's mass shooting in a Newtown, CT elementary school.  Fitch acknowledges that most high schools and some middle schools, including those in West County, have armed school resource officers.  However, elementary schools are not normally protected by officers. Fitch wants to see armed resource officers or armed school officials in those schools, according to KSDK. He points out that Sandy Hook Elementary School conducted threat drills and locked its …

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Karl Frank Jr.

11:33 am on Friday, March 8, 2013

LOL. I don't know who you think you saw...but it wasn't me.   more ›

Follow Newtown, CT Patch for Updates on Shooting

Follow news, updates and blog posts from residents of the town that suffered a horrific tragedy this week.

Updated: Lindbergh School District Responds to Sandy Hook School Shooting

Schools are implementing additional safety measures at Lindbergh schools.

Updated: Dec. 17, 9 a.m.  The Lindbergh School District issued the following statement following Friday's mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.:  "We are saddened today by the tragic loss of life at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. The administration and staff at Lindbergh Schools have made security a primary focus for many years. Our buildings are secure, and our complete focus is on protection of students. Additional safety measures are being implemented at this time to reassure our community, our parents, our students and our staff that they are safe. We will continue to monitor information as it becomes available. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families in Newtown, Conn." The school district…

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