Tomorrow’s Teachers & Preachers Celebrations Begin

Rev. Steve Resner of Immanuel Lutheran in Honey Creek says it was “a given” that he’d be a Lutheran church worker—either as a teacher or a pastor. As of June of 2023, he can now say he’s done both! After 36 years of teaching at a Lutheran school—24 of those years at Trinity Lutheran in Jefferson City—he was ordained and installed this summer as Immanuel’s pastor.

Professional church work vocations are actually commonplace in the Resner Family. In fact, there’s more than one Pastor Resner in the Missouri District! On the day of Steve’s ordination, the preacher was one he knew well—his son, Rev. Matthew Resner of Zion in Moberly.

As is our custom each fall, the Missouri District celebrates Tomorrow’s Teachers & Preachers—the annual campaign to raise awareness of church work vocations and bolster financial support for those preparing to enter these roles. For more than 40 years, the Missouri District Student Aid Endowment has provided scholarships for students attending both seminaries and the Concordia University System.

Matthew Resner was a District scholarship recipient years ago and describes what it meant to him: “Without the support of those around me, I would’ve never made it to where I am. This includes things like my parents, my wife, extended family, friends, church members, and the District at large,” he shares. “There are so many people that have helped bring me to this point, and their support has included things like prayer, an encouraging word, and even financial assistance. Whether it was a gift card or a scholarship, it provided the encouragement and the help I needed to make it through my studies.”

Today we invite you to join many others across the District in being the encouragement for men and women as they prepare to be the next generation of church workers. Would you please prayerfully consider making a gift to the scholarship endowment that will provide support to those furthering their education in preparation for these roles in God’s kingdom? Gifts can be made via mail (address below), through your congregation’s offering plate, or online at  https://mo.lcms.org/donate/

Contact Leah Sieveking at 314-590-6211 or leah.sieveking@mo.lcms.org with any questions. Correspondence may also be sent to:

Missouri District—LCMS
660 Mason Ridge Center Drive, Suite 100
Saint Louis, MO 63141

Tomorrow’s Teachers & Preachers is a bold and joyful step taken by the Missouri District to address head-on the shortage of professional church workers within the LCMS. By God’s grace, and with His guidance, it is our prayer that workers within the harvest field will be plentiful well into the future. Thank you for your support!