God's Mission Here — LCMS National Mission

Rev. Jim Henkell describes how a culture of caring within congregations impacts a church worker toward wellness and invigoration for sharing the Gospel.   Bio:  Rev. Jim Henkell serves as the Ministry Executive for the Pacific Southwest District (LC-MS), guiding churches and church workers through various seasons of ministry. Prior to this, he was a pastor of Lutheran churches and schools in South...

What are the marks of a peace-making congregation, and how does this kind of peace-making culture impact the wellness of church workers?  Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.  Theme music: Hark the Voice of Jesus Calling, used by permission, TheHymnalProject.com.

Dr. Bev Yahnke and Rev. Dr. Greg Walton have both devoted their professional lives to caring for LCMS called church workers. Listen in as they discuss the alarming trends in recent surveys of church worker wellbeing and how the LCMS is working to address these needs and provide sustaining care for called church workers.   Resources: Visit Doxology at doxology.us Visit Grace Place Wellness at lcef....

Learn about the kind of impact lay leaders can have in supporting and caring for their congregation’s called workers.   Learn how Concordia Plans cares for church workers at concordiaplans.org Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.  Theme music: Hark the Voice of Jesus Calling, used by permission, TheHymnalProject.com.

Rev. Jonathan Manor, Director of PALS and Continuing Education for the LCMS, shares ideas for congregations to show appreciation and share encouragement for their church workers.   Resources: Learn more about LCMS National Mission lcms.org/nationalmission  Visit LCMS Worker Wellness at lcms.org/how-we-serve/mercy/church-worker-wellness  Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS...

What is a wholistic approach to wellness and how does it shape the way we steward our own lives? Rev. Dr. Nathan Meador joins Tiffany and Steph to share how caring for our workers involves a wholistic approach.  Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.  Theme music: Hark the Voice of Jesus Calling, used by permission, TheHymnalPr...

What is a distinctively Lutheran approach to church worker wellness and what does it have to do with God’s mission on earth?    View the LCMS Wellness Wheel at lcms.org/workerwellness  Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.  Theme music: Hark the Voice of Jesus Calling, used by permission, TheHymnalProject.com.

Rev. Brandon Metcalf talks with Steph and Andy about his strategies for Family Ministry and why men play a vital role in the church and home.   Bio: Brandon Metcalf currently serves as the Associate Pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Bethalto, IL and previously served as a DCE in the Missouri District. He is a contributing author to numerous books and Bible studies for youth ministries and has spok...

Rev. Dr. Todd Biermann joins Andy and Steph to talk about why family is so important in Christian theology and gives us simple habits that can make families stronger in both faith and love.   Bio: Married to Heather Stange of Frankenmuth, MI in 1995, Rev. Dr. Todd A. Biermann has always had a passion for fostering marriages and families in God’s way. This has been true in his role as a parish past...

In this episode, our guest Deb Jurchen talks about the importance of intergenerational connectedness as it relates to Family Ministry in churches and homes.   Bio: Deb Jurchen holds a BFA in K-12 Art Education from Concordia University, Nebraska, and an MSE in Family Life Education from Concordia University Wisconsin & Ann Arbor. Professionally, Deb serves as the Director of University Institutes...

Learn how recognizing milestones and benchmarks in the faith leads to healthy spiritual development for children and adults alike!  Bio: Mark Cook is a graduate of Concordia Nebraska and is in his 15th year serving as DCE at Trinity Lutheran Church in Rochester, MN. He serves in the areas of family ministry, youth ministry, confirmation, and children’s ministry. He enjoys playing with his kids, mu...

Rev. Dan Galchutt talks about the privilege of parents to pass down the faith to their children, and how the setting of the home is a prime training ground for young believers.   Resources: Email us at friendsforlife@lcms.org  LCMS Life Ministry www.lcms.org/life  LCMS Family Ministry www.lcms.org/family  Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions w...

What is Family Ministry and why is it so important for our church? Listen in as this episode will discuss what LCMS Family Ministry is all about.   Resources: Email us at friendsforlife@lcms.org  LCMS Life Ministry www.lcms.org/family  Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.  Theme music: Hark the Voice of Jesus Calling, used by...

Members of One Body, a forthcoming workshop through the Office of National Mission, guides members from gathering, to belonging, to prospering as the body of Christ.  Trained members guide and support people attached to the congregation to deepen their connection to the mission and to joyfully use their gifts as contributing members.  This helps guide members of the church from a mindset of “I go...

Shepherding Our Strays guides congregations through the process of intentionally caring for inactive members.  Using the imagery of a shepherd and sheep, members are categorized as safe, at risk, straying, and strayed.  This directly corresponds to how involved the members are, whether they are decreasing or increasing in involvement, and how frequently they attend church events.  A CARE (concern,...

Connect to Disciple guides congregations through the process of building awareness for the church, creating connections with people in the community, nurturing and deepening those relationships through shared activities, and then “making disciples.”  This last work is the proper work of the Holy Spirit.  We can take part in this process by bringing people to the Means of Grace and bringing the Mea...

Serving in God’s Mission guides congregations through a consensus-based process of strategically planning for the future. This begins with an inventory of all the good things God is already doing in the congregation and community. Working with the entire congregation, a core planning team comprised of several church members identifies their purpose statement, mission statement, vision statements,...

Every One His Witness is a comprehensive guide for Lutheran Evangelism. Instead of putting pressure on ourselves to say just the right thing or to “win someone for Jesus,” Every One His Witness rightly assigns that task to the Holy Spirit while equipping Christians to sharing the Gospel effectively.  Rev. Dr. Heath Trampe and Rev. Dr. Mark Wood, the creator of Every One His Witness, discuss LASSIE...

The Office of National Mission offers a wealth of resources for individuals and congregations.  From congregational self-studies, to Lutheran evangelism, to revitalization, there are many faithful efforts that we as God’s children can undertake to engage our communities with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.    Rev. Michael Meyer and Rev. Dr. Heath Trampe discuss resources that train Christians to share...

Pastor Conner talks about the difference faithful stewardship can make in the life of a congregation.  Bio: Pastor Conner serves the people of God in Manning, Iowa. He is an experienced pastor who can testify to the long term benefits of teaching the Word of God regarding congregational stewardship.  Resources: www.lcms.org/stewardship  Theme music: Hark the Voice of Jesus Calling, used by permiss...

An average (and anonymous) Lutheran pastor talks about the stewardship challenges at his average (and anonymous) LCMS congregation. An interview with an LCMS pastor whose congregation knows that it needs some intentional teaching on stewardship. But where to start?   Bio: Pastor Anonymous serves somewhere in the Midwest. His congregation is full of faithful Christians who have not heard a lot abou...

Dr. Meador starts at the beginning (literally!) to teach us about the Scripture’s vision for generosity within our divinely given vocations.   Bio:  Rev. Dr. Nathan Meador is executive assistant to the president in the South Wisconsin District and a Stewardship Specialist for the Office of National Mission. Resources: www.lcms.org/stewardship  Theme music: Hark the Voice of Jesus Calling, used by...

What happens to a congregation when there simply is no more money? The Office of National Mission’s head of Stewardship, Rev. Heath Curtis, talks about how his parish experience led him to this role.  Bio: Rev. Heath Curtis is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Worden IL and Zion Lutheran Church in Carpenter IL. Since 2013 he has also served the Office of National Mission as the manager for Stew...

What is a cantor? Or a kantor? And, just what, exactly, is a Director of Parish Music? Rev. Sean Daenzer, Director of LCMS Worship, talks with Cantor Paul Soulek about these various titles for church musicians, and how those serving the Church in the role of chief musician support God’s Mission Here among us through their stewardship of liturgy, music, hymnody, and song.   Bio: Paul Soulek, a hotd...

How does one plan an Institute? Kantor Christina Roberts joins Rev. Sean Daenzer to discuss the details and logistics that go into planning an event like the 2024 LCMS Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music, held this past July in Seward, NE and the important role that church musicians play in bringing the Word of God to the Church in music and song.   Bio: Christina Roberts has served a...