One year after two LCMC congregations in Iowa were impacted by extreme flooding, we checked in with both Faith Lutheran Church and Trinity Lutheran Church to hear how they’re doing and how the recovery process has unfolded. Their journey has been one of resilience, faith, hope, and community. [...]
If you’ve read anything produced by LCMC in the last five years or so, you are aware of our renewed emphasis on supporting the work of districts and fellowships. These “networks within the network” are essential to serving congregations well, especially as LCMC continues to grow. For many years, leaders of districts and fellowships have held a summer meeting to support and get to know each other and share ... [...]
Fifty-four days ago (but who is counting?) I began my new role as service coordinator of LCMC. It is an honor to be selected for this position by the Board of Trustees and I look forward to the work we will do together in the future. But before we look ahead, we thought we’d take a quick look back on 2025 so far. In January, the Board of Trustees opened up the application process for a new service coordinator. Mike Bradley ... [...]
Have you ever wondered how you could make a greater impact for the Kingdom while finding great joy and challenge in a ministry setting? For many of us who have answered the call to pastoral ministry, this is our great hope for our ministry career. Nearly 30 years ago, when I began my ministry journey, I never could have imagined the work I’d be doing today. Yet now, I find myself in a season of ministry that is not only deeply ... [...]
On May 10, barring a blizzard, the newest district in LCMC will hold its constituting convention. The Northern Plains District will have their inaugural meeting at Charity Lutheran Church in Bismarck, ND. Churches from North and South Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana will likely be in attendance. The prospective footprint of the Northern Plains District overlaps some with existing districts, both geographic and non-geographic, which is not ... [...]
This past summer, we ended up cancelling our National Youth Gathering due to low registration. While this was greatly disappointing to the planning team, it reflects part of a shifting emphasis in LCMC. That emphasis is not away from youth ministry, it is toward more local and regional partnerships in youth ministry. What we saw after cancelling the national event was that a number of districts, regional groups, and nationwide ... [...]
In February, I was invited to join the Texas District for their annual Winter Retreat. What I witnessed, and was welcomed into, was an atmosphere of relationship. As the participants gathered, old friends and longtime colleagues reunited, picking up where they left off the last time they gathered. I witnessed new people being welcomed in. New relationships were formed. This relational atmosphere created space for people to pray for one ... [...]
At times, the talk about the role of districts and fellowships in the ongoing work of LCMC can seem a bit overwhelming. Congregations finding creative and appropriate ways, and enough time, to work together to address shared needs and concerns is a new way of thinking for many of us. Districts and fellowships are two of the vehicles congregations can use to start to find ways for cooperation and mutual support. But sometimes, when ... [...]
One of the first questions people ask me when we begin a conversation about forming or renewing a district or fellowship is, “Why would we do that?” It’s a good question. After all, we have functioned perfectly well for twenty years with only a small portion of our congregations being actively involved in a district or fellowship. Why would we want to change that? The time when everyone in our association knew everyone ... [...]
In June, leaders from ten existing and potential districts and fellowships, along with LCMC staff, had their annual meeting at Hosanna! Lutheran Church in St. Charles, IL. The gathering was an excellent opportunity for the staff to learn more about the priorities and concerns of leaders, for the various districts and fellowships to share their stories, and for those considering forming (or re-forming) a district or fellowship to get some ... [...]
It’s great to be aboard the LCMC national staff as Coordinator for Districts and Fellowships. While this is a brand new position, LCMC’s commitment to districts and fellowships goes back to our earliest days. Our founding documents highlight local, grassroots partnerships as crucial for congregational support in carrying out their missions. Districts can be places for shared mission endeavors, collegiality and ... [...]
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 ... [...]