Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ’s Annual Gathering is a four-day event featuring keynote speakers, worship and Bible study, breakout sessions, vendors and plenty of opportunities for fellowship and networking.  Whether you’re new to LCMC, just checking us out for the first time, or a long-time member looking to make new friends and reunite with old ones, the Annual Gathering is the place to be if you're looking to get inspired, get informed, get trained & equipped and get connected with other LCMC-ers! 

Next Annual Gathering:

LCMC 26th Annual Gathering & Convention

October 4-7, 2026  |  Lutheran Church of Hope  (West Des Moines, IA) 

*** Registration is closed. ***

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“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1

Freedom in Christ is LCMC’s first core value and an essential part of our DNA, but what does being free in Christ actually mean? What are we free from, who or what are we free for, and what exactly are we free to do? Join us for our 26th Annual Gathering & Convention to find out!

Our event is not simply a business meeting, but a chance to explore the life and theology of our association, meet other pastors and church leaders, learn about new resources, and take part in breakout sessions to educate and equip you in your ministry.

This year, we have expanded our offerings to include breakout tracks for different types of church leaders (and future church leaders), more meet-ups to connect people with shared interests and situations, a service project, and a special dinner event to help our North American congregations and our international congregations get to know one another.

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Event Highlights:

KEYNOTES

David Zahl, Tara Beth Leach, and Mike Housholder will serve as keynote speakers for our 2026 Annual Gathering & Convention.  MORE INFO >>

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

In an effort to help make our event more accessible to lay leaders and those who may be discerning a call to ministry in your congregation, we’ve created breakout session tracks. Each track offers a series of sessions designed for people who are serving in–or are interested in serving in–different areas of church leadership. More information can be found on the breakout session schedule.  MORE INFO >>

CELEBRATING OUR GLOBAL FOOTPRINT

LCMC is a church with global reach. About 20% of our congregations are outside the United States. Cost and geography can make it difficult for these members to participate fully in the life of our association. 

The Global Mission Fellowship is working hard to make sure all of our churches, wherever they may be, are fully integrated into LCMC. In celebration of that, our Monday evening dinner will be a buffet with international flavor. We will feature menu items from countries around the globe where LCMC has congregations and mission partners. 

Join us for dinner, then stick around for conversation and fellowship with leaders of the Global Mission Fellowship and others who share a passion for bearing witness to Christ throughout the world. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to hear stories from around the world of how LCMC churches and partners are unleashing the promise of the Gospel in exciting and challenging ways. 

This dinner replaces the fellowship dinner from previous years, but is still a ticketed event. Tickets can be purchased when you register by selecting "Global Missions Fellowship Dinner" on your registration form. Districts and fellowships will host their meetings during the lunches on Monday and Tuesday.  

MEET & GREETS

Do you ever feel like you’re working in a vacuum? Is it uncomfortable to attend a big event where you don’t know anyone? We get it! That’s why we’re offering meet-ups to help connect people in the LCMC community who share similar goals, interests, and challenges. Meeting times are listed on the event schedule.

SERVICE PROJECT

Service projects will be making a comeback at our 2026 Annual Gathering & Convention! Details are still being worked out, but more information will be available here and in our newsletters at a later date. Stay tuned, and subscribe to our e-newsletter if you haven’t already!

DISTRICT AND FELLOWSHIP MEETINGS

LCMC offers districts and fellowships to help connect congregations and individuals throughout the association. Many of our districts and fellowships will be holding lunch meetings at the Annual Gathering. This is the perfect opportunity to get to know other people in your district or fellowship, or to learn more about a group you may be interested in. Meeting times are listed on the event schedule.

EXHIBITOR AREA

Representatives from various mission and ministry organizations will have display tables set up at the event for your perusal. 

BRINGING LCMC TOGETHER IN 2029

To help more of our international congregations have the ability to participate in the life and fellowship of LCMC, we are working to build a stronger global network. All of the offerings collected at our Annual Gatherings will be set aside in an effort to help bring as many of our international members as possible to the 2029 Annual Gathering & Convention. We’ve also received a $10,000 matching pledge in support of this goal.

If you are interested in contributing to this cause, but aren’t able to attend the event, you may still make a donation online by selecting “Annual Gathering Offering” from the dropdown list of designation options on the Donate Page of our website, or by mailing a check to the LCMC office and including a notation on the memo line that it is for the “Annual Gathering Offering”. 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES ELECTIONS

Areas 2 and 4 will be holding elections for the Board of Trustees this year. The current trustees from both areas are eligible for re-election. If your area is electing a trustee this year, please be thinking and praying about who would serve well in this role. Trustees must be able to travel to meetings several times a year and must be willing to deliberate with maturity and grace on matters that affect the entire association.  VIEW LIST OF CONGREGATIONS >>

A voting delegate is an authorized representative of any LCMC congregation that is eligible to vote during the business session of the gathering. There is a limit of two delegates per congregation unless average weekly attendance exceeds 500 people. One additional delegate is allowed for every additional 250 in weekly attendance. If you are not sure whether or not you will serve as a voting delegate, please contact your pastor before registering.

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Livestream & Video

Videos of speakers from past annual gatherings are available for streaming on the Videos & Podcasts page of our website (go to Events > Media > Videos & Podcasts) and in the LCMC app. If you'd like to be notified when new videos become available, you can subscribe to our email list here.

News & Announcements

NEWSLETTER: For monthly updates on upcoming events and the latest happenings within LCMC, including announcements related to this event, subscribe to our e-newsletter.

BLOG & SOCIAL MEDIA: You may also read blog articles about the Annual Gathering here, or "Like" and follow us on our official Facebook page for updates. 

MOBILE APP: If you'd like to be notified when new information becomes available for future Annual Gatherings, please download our mobile app and subscribe to Annual Gathering push notifications in the app settings [here's how].