Emotional, relational, and spiritual health, and long-term sustainability. This is my hope and prayer for our association as I move toward retirement from my position as LCMC’s service coordinator. That may not seem to be something that needs to be stated, but just look around. Long-term health and sustainability for associations and denominations cannot be assumed, nor taken for granted. How many once healthy and mission-minded ... [...]
I would like to invite our over 1,000 congregations in 16 countries around the globe to join us for LCMC’s annual Three Days of Prayer on January 7-9, 2025. As we gather together as one association on those days let us pray for our families, our churches, our leaders and members, and for those who do not yet know Jesus. No matter how you structure this time of prayer, let’s come together as an ass [...]
This year’s Annual Gathering & Convention in Marion, Iowa will provide us all an opportunity to practice generosity and stewardship. Our Board of Trustees has designated this year’s offering at the annual gathering to go toward the Lutheran Disaster Assistance Fund and the Church Planting Fund. The Lutheran Disaster Assistance Fund has been of much needed help for congregations in LCMC. We have had two churches ... [...]
This year’s Annual Gathering will once again feature a number of “meet and greets.” These meetings on Tuesday afternoon of the gathering will provide an opportunity to meet other LCMC members who share the same areas of interest and involvement in their congregations. Participants will be able to learn from, encourage, and pray for one another. This year’s “meet and greets” will ... [...]
"Do you need financial support from us?” This is a question that comes up in my discussions with the leaders of every congregation who are seeking membership in LCMC. My answer is pretty simple: “Yes, we need your financial support. The creation and sustainability of an association such as LCMC which provides a home for your congregation requires financial support.” My answer for these new congregations is the same ... [...]
One of the joys for me as LCMC Service Coordinator is to see all of you coming together at our Annual Gathering each year. It blesses my heart to see you connecting and enjoying one another’s company, and to hear you encouraging and praying for one another. With that said, I do want to mention that space will be limited this year to fit our facility, so the earlier you get your registrations in, t [...]
During my time as service coordinator, I have had numerous congregations who have been longtime members, as well as others who have recently joined LCMC, tell me that they “feel like they’ve come home.” We all know that moving into a house requires ongoing upkeep and maintenance, and this is also true for LCMC, which almost 1,000 congregations now call home. [...]
Billy Bob Fred Joe Choctaw Pitzer (real name) and Stan Kellner. There is no reason you should know these names. But I do because through them God forever changed the trajectory of my life. Billy Bob Fred Joe Choctaw Pitzer and Stan Kellner. One was a tall and lanky lad from West Virginia. The other was a short and squat Jewish young man from Boston, MA who had been drawn to faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. They were two ordinary ... [...]
As your service coordinator, two thoughts have caught my attention lately. The first is a thought from Martin Luther. I’ve been reading his book, A Simple Way to Pray, and in it he writes: “We must see to it that we do not lose the habit of prayer and deceive ourselves into thinking that other kinds of things are more important, when they are not.” The second thought is from Dr. Ed Stetzer as he spoke at our Annual ... [...]
Attending this year's Annual Gathering & Convention? Be sure to register by August 15 to get the discounted rate! This year’s theme is All Hands on Deck, and make no mistake, we need you all there. Please consider joining us October 1-4 in St. Charles, MO. [...]
David served the purpose of God in his generation, or so we’re told in Acts 13:36. What a wonderful testimony to a person’s life. I wonder, will the same be said of us? Are we as Christian leaders and congregations, associations and denominations, serving the purpose of God in our generation? As I write this article, LCMC is on the cusp of having over 1,000 congregations in the United States and in fifteen countries overseas. ... [...]
Recently, we took a survey of ordained and lay leaders in our small churches in LCMC. Thank you for your responses. Your feedback has not only been received, but is being followed up on by the LCMC Board of Trustees, Ministry Board, and staff. One example comes from our board of trustees and ministry board meetings held April 12-14 in Minneapolis. The boards affirmed a proposal to create a comprehensive plan for leadership and pastoral ... [...]
One of the greatest gifts God has given me in all my years of ministry in the Church has been to be on mission with those I love. I have been so blessed by multiple relationships with men and women who I can truly call safe-place people in my life. And having those relationships has given me a place to share the issues of life and ministry I’m facing and receive help to navigate those issues in healthier and more effective ways rather ... [...]
I am delighted to announce a new addition to our LCMC association staff. I have invited Pastor Christian Huntley to join my team in the role of Coordinator for Leadership and Pastoral Development. In this position Christian will help us focus on some points of emphasis for our LCMC 3.0 strategic plan such as the implementation of The LeaderCare Initiative, a series of retreats designed to help love, connect, and care for leaders in our ... [...]
Join us January 3-5, 2023 for our 11th Annual Three Days of Prayer. No matter where you are or how you choose to structure this time, let's all join together as an association of congregations to kick off the new year with an intentional time of prayer. [...]
This year’s Annual Gathering & Convention for Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ is being hosted at Hosanna Church in Lakeville, MN on October 2-5. Our gathering is so much more than a traditional, old-school business meeting, or a pastors’ only meeting. It is a gathering of God’s people, lay and ordained, coming together to worship the Lord, to begin building new friendships or nurture existing ones, to ... [...]
I love slowing down and resting in God’s presence, at times alone and at other times in the presence of others. One of the ways I experience this is in moments of worship and prayer with the community of sisters and brothers in Christ. Therefore, I am excited to announce that we will have an opportunity to do just that at our upcoming Annual Gathering & Convention. On Tuesday, October 4, we will gather at 7:00 P.M. at Hosanna ... [...]
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Small churches have tremendous impacts for the kingdom of God in their local communities and in other countries around the world. Over five hundred of our member churches in LCMC have one hundred members or less. These two facts are why serving, encouraging, and equipping the leaders and members of our small churches is one of the priorities in LCMC 3.0. I served two congregations of one hundred members or less in my years of ... [...]
Hello everyone! I’m writing to you to ask for your help with our upcoming Annual Gathering & Convention. We’ve all been through a lot since early 2020, and we’ve had to go through much of that time without being able to gather together in person, but now it’s time. It’s time to gather again in the same place at the same time with the Lord and one another. It’s time to come together to worship the ... [...]
We have been given all we need for faithful and effective ministry and mission in today’s world. We have been given the gospel which is God’s power for salvation (Rom 1:16). We have been given the gift of a new life in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit’s empowering presence (Acts 1:8; 2:38; 4:31). We have been given spiritual gifts through which God impacts people ... [...]
Connecting, equipping, and caring for leaders. This has been a passion of mine throughout my forty-two years of vocational ministry as a youth minister, associate pastor, lead pastor, seminary president, and now as Service Coordinator for LCMC. With that in mind, I am looking forward with much anticipation to attending and helping lead the annual meeting for LCMC District and Fellowship Group leaders, along with our newest staff ... [...]
As LCMC’s Service Coordinator, I am delighted to announce a new addition to our national staff. I have asked Pastor Julie Smith to join our team as the Coordinator for Districts and Fellowship Groups. Adding this position to our team will enable us to be more effective in connecting, equipping, and caring for all congregations and leaders throughout the association. We believe that developing a healthy and robust district and ... [...]
In the gospel text for January 24th from Mark 1:14-20, Jesus comes proclaiming good news. Great news. The long-awaited kingdom of God is near. Jesus comes declaring and demonstrating that a new life, a better way of living life is breaking in on the world here and now. It is a way of living life that is made possible by what God is doing in and through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus; a way of living life that we can never create ... [...]
LCMC’s Three Days of Prayer on January 5-7, 2021 is an opportunity for us to follow the Lord’s example and to come together as one across the association with a shared purpose: to pray. Follow along with us on Facebook or in the app during each of the three days, and please consider sharing your testimony with us by taking our survey. [...]
Our Lord Jesus is our model for all things in life and faith. With that in mind it is important to note how intentional He was in making time to be with God the Father and to pray (see Mark 1:35). These were such important priorities for Jesus that He even refused to allow the ever-present needs of people to deter Him from making time to pray. Jesus was intentional when it came to prayer. Following our Lord’s example, we are ... [...]