Our DNA: Tuesday and Wednesday Recap
Registration numbers reached 744 on Tuesday morning as the LCMC 15th Annual Gathering continued on for its third day.
The day opened with worship led by Living Word Lutheran Church in of Grapevine, TX and Bible study led by Rev. Steven E. King, Managing Editor of Sola Publishing.
Rev. Dr. Paul Cross, Senior Pastor at Atonement Lutheran Church in Fargo, ND and Rev. Dr. Steve Paulson, Professor at Luther Seminary, were Tuesday’s keynote speakers. The assembly was also joined by Rev. Dr. Ove Sander, who currently serves as President of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church.
During the afternoon session, Rev. Dan Clites, LCMC Coordinator for New Ministry Development, introduced the new ministry leaders from LCMC who were present and encouraged the audience to start planting more new churches.
The blood drive wrapped up on Tuesday evening. 64 pints of blood were donated over the course of Monday and Tuesday afternoons, resulting in 192 lives saved from LCMC donors.
During the Tuesday business session, voting delegates at the gathering voted on the winners for the Thrivent Financial Foundation Reformation Anniversary Grant Program.
Wednesday morning began with a morning worship service led by Trinity Lutheran Church of Stonewall, TX and Bible study led by Managing Editor of Sola Publishing Rev. Steven E. King.
Following the worship and Bible study segment, Rev. Mark Vander Tuig announced that the association’s 2016 Annual Gathering would be held in Denver, CO.
Also on Wednesday morning, LCMC Board of Trustees Chair Rev. Kip Tyler updated the assembly on the new officer positions for the Board of Trustees. Rev. Sean Kelly (Area 1) was named Chair and Rev. Julie Smith (Area 3) Vice Chair. Laurel Swanson was re-elected as Treasurer and Rev. Martha Uecker Nelson was re-elected as Secretary.
Sharon MacFadyen, LCMC’s Director of Operations, then announced the winners of the Thrivent Financial Foundation Reformation Anniversary Grant Program. They are:
- Falls Community Church, Sioux Falls, SD
- Holly Cross Lutheran Church, Nairobi, Kenya
- St. Paul Lutheran Church, Kodiak, AK
- Living Waters Lutheran Church, Peoria, IL
- The Anchor Church, Phoenix, AZ
- Christ The Servant, Norfolk, NE
- Bethel Lutheran Church (Grant Proposal #1), Colorado Springs, CO
- Zion Lutheran Church, Des Moines, IA
- Zion Lutheran Church, Clear Lake, IA
- First St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Hastings, NE
- Peace Lutheran Church, Holbrook, AZ
- St. Michael Lutheran Church (Grant Proposal #2), Canton, MI
- Christ Lutheran Church, Maple Plain, MN
- Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Lead, SD
- Trinity Lutheran Church, Titusville, FL
To read full grant proposals from these and other LCMC congregations, click here.
The Annual Gathering then concluded with a keynote presentation by Rev. Bill Bohline of Hosanna! Lutheran Church in Lakeville, MN and a closing worship service led by Zion Lutheran Church in Priddy, TX and preached by Rev. John Waak from Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church of VIctoria, TX.
For information on Annual Gathering videos, books and other media, click here.
2016 Annual Gathering Promo
Author
Kristy Thomas is a nerd with an affinity for 90s music, collecting antiques, and creating her own Halloween decorations. When she needs to unwind (which is pretty much all of the time), she likes arts & crafts, hiking and camping with her dogs, and playing the ukulele. As Communications & Public Relations Specialist, she is responsible for keeping the people of LCMC informed of what’s going on within the association and for tackling all of the creative-type projects. For the future, she would like to see the congregations of LCMC be proactive in raising up future leaders and for the “20-30 somethings” to be able to make some cool things happen, both within The Church and throughout the world.
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