If you’ve ever had a bold idea, it may have been followed immediately by doubts, or at least wondering if this could really work. Rev. Jesse Kueker experienced this firsthand when he realized he could envision a barbecue-based ministry in his congregation, Trinity Lutheran Church in Clinton, MO. Back at...
A young pastor was new at his congregation and preparing for the service when an elder approached him. “I’ve been taking a poll,” the elder informed him. “It’s about the new guy. Word is he’s not as good as the old guy, but he’s not bad.” The elder then left...
“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints. I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of...
“And [Jesus] said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” —Luke 10:2 There are many contributing factors that lead someone to consider church vocations. One sainted Lutheran school teacher once told me...
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” —Galatians 5:1, 13 The movie, “Saving Private Ryan” is an intense and...
“And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”—Mark 4:38-29In 1959, Frank Sinatra released what was generally regarded as his most...
Over the course of five weeks, more than 30,000 LCMS Lutherans will gather in three different places across the country. First, the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League Biennial Convention kicks off on Thursday in Mobile, Alabama. Then the LCMS National Youth Gathering will take place in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Finally the LCMS...
The sight of RVs camped together might bring to mind fishing, camping or road trips. However, for Laborers For Christ, it’s not the call of the wild that brings the campers, but the desire to give back to LCMS entities through their work on construction projects. While there, the workers...
This year, Rev. Michael Tanney of St. Johns Lutheran Church in St. Louis led Pentecost worship services in the midst of two baptisms and twenty-seven confirmations. Every individual confirmed and baptized came from a close-knit Nepalese Christian community that was worshipping nearby. Many people in this group were already Christian,...
Rev. Steve Andrews of Saint Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee’s Summit thinks we’re living in challenging times, as Christians often have. He says, “[You see] the work of the devil in our culture to keep us busy and put so many things before us to keep Christ from being the...