Greetings from Firmly Rooted Oxford, MI and Greendale, IN. What a blessing it is to be able to communicate with our brothers and sisters about the Kingdom work that is going on in our little parts of the world! Last time we gave you an update, it was specifically about the history of our church plant, the ways that we were reaching out to the community, and how God had been starting that work for years before. Dan Clites was so ... [...]
Since the COVID-19 pandemic descended upon our nation, everyone and everything has been affected, including our congregations. People have become quite creative in their response. Even though we were required to avoid meeting in public, the church did not stop being the church. Here is how some of our congregations responded to the lockdown and “sheltering in place”! [...]
Our 20th Annual Gathering & Convention is going to happen, just not in the same way we have gathered in the past. We will still be meeting at North Heights Lutheran Church in Arden Hills, Minnesota, but for one day only, on Monday, October 5th! Because of the restrictions placed on large group gatherings by the State of Minnesota, we must limit our gathering to 250 people. Registration is first come first serve, ... [...]
We would like to take a moment to thank all of the LCMC pastors who have responded to our request to update their clergy profile on our website. For those who have not yet had a chance to do so, please consider taking a few moments to review your profile, then submit any changes to your contact information or credentials using our online form. To date, approximately 683 pastors out of 1,288 have responded. We are still ... [...]
As many of you may know, in December 2019, LCMC staff, boards, and district leaders undertook a significant and intentional time of assessment, reflection, and prayerful discernment about the future of LCMC. The Board of Trustees has worked diligently and faithfully to discern God’s calling for the next chapter in the life of LCMC. We have been calling this new season LCMC 3.0 and it will be led by a new Service Coordinator following ... [...]
The LCMC Intentional Interim Ministry Workshop originally scheduled for July 6-9, 2020 at Grand View University has been canceled. "There was a sense that people will be reticent to register and no one is sure at this point whether safe distancing will be at an end by July. We also canceled the LCMC youth event which had been planned for later July," said Perry Fruhling, LCMC's coordinator for pastoral ... [...]
Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ's Called 2: Love youth event, scheduled for July 21-24, 2020 at Grand View University, has been canceled. "The deadline for registration was today and as of 11 am CST we had only 77 people signed up and needed 200 to break even," said Mark Vander Tuig, service coordinator of LCMC. "This is understandable for youth groups and youth leaders with the days ahead to be ... [...]
In light of the recent coronavirus pandemic that has swept our nation and the world, we have put together a thread on our Facebook Page where LCMC pastors, leaders, and congregation members may share what they are doing in response to COVID-19 and offer any resources that they might have available to other congregations. As we adapt to this time of social distancing in order to help prevent the spread of the virus, please consider ... [...]
LCMC Service Coordinator Mark Vander Tuig shares a response to the coronavirus pandemic and invites every pastor, leader, and church member in LCMC to take part in an intentional day of prayer and fasting March 22, 2020. [...]
Friends, Thank you for your interest in our planned youth event this coming summer. Obviously, events of the last few weeks, and the weeks going forward are having an impact on everything! The last day to register for the youth event is April 1. If you are planning to register, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible to give us the best indication of our numbers at the deadline. We need 175 participants to ... [...]
A change of pastors is a significant and sometimes traumatic event in the life of the church and congregation. The need has never been greater for trained intentional interim ministers who are called and equipped to assist congregations during times of change and transition. Intentional interim ministry is not just filling a void during a pastoral vacancy, but focusing on developmental tasks of the congregation and process ... [...]
In October 2019, Rev. Mark Vander Tuig announced his decision to retire from his position as the Service Coordinator for LCMC effective August 31, 2020. The leadership and staff in LCMC have gone through a consultation process that aided the Board of Trustees in developing an opportunity profile for the incoming Service Coordinator. This document is included at the LCMC website within the open position ... [...]
LCMC pastors, members, and congregations from across the nation and around the globe joined together earlier this month to celebrate the association's 8th Annual Three Days of Prayer. 45% of followers who responded to our Facebook poll reported that this was their first time taking part in Three Days of Prayer with LCMC. While everyone was invited to start off the new year by setting aside some intentional time to pray each day from ... [...]
Videos from our 19th Annual Gathering and Convention, which took place September 29 - October 2, 2019 in Omaha, NE, are now available for streaming! To watch from our mobile app using your smartphone or tablet, simply tap on the "Media" tab, then select "2019 Annual Gathering" from the list of options. The LCMC App is compatible with Apple TV and Chromecast, so you can use it to stream content directly to ... [...]
Our 8th Annual Three Days of Prayer is officially begins tomorrow! In keeping with tradition, the focuses for each of the three days are as follows: January 7 - Confession January 8 - Petition January 9 - Vision We will be sharing daily reflections on the themes for each of the three days, so be sure you're following our Facebook page and/or have "opted in" for Three Days of Prayer notifications in our ... [...]
Registration is now open for our next high school youth event, Called 2: Love, which will be held July 21-24, 2020 at Grand View University in Des Moines, IA. The event features worship, music, service projects, breakout sessions, and teachings on love, leadership, and what it takes to pursue a role in ministry. Participants will also have a chance to connect with other high school students and youth leaders in LCMC ... [...]
Conflict is a normal part of our everyday lives. We experience conflict in our relationships at home, places of work, community, and yes, even in our churches. As many as 40% of our congregations will experience conflict to the point of disrupting mission! During the past year, Rev. Perry Fruhling, Coordinator for Pastoral Ministry for LCMC, has been conducting Conflict Resolution Workshops around the ... [...]
At our 19th Annual Gathering and Convention, held in Omaha, NE September 29 – October 2, 2019, our Service Coordinator, Rev. Mark Vander Tuig announced his retirement effective August 31, 2020. Mark has done this so we, as a Board and as an association, can take this time to evaluate and assess both the state of LCMC and the position of Service Coordinator. [...]
If you haven't already begun to do so, it's time to start planning for #LCMC3DOP2020. Every congregation, member, and pastor is invited to join together from January 7-9, 2020 to start off the new year with this intentional time of prayer. [...]
A total of 763 people joined together in Omaha from September 29 - October 2, 2019 for Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ’s 19th Annual Gathering and Convention. The total number of participants included 440 delegates, 190 church members, 24 seminarians, 49 vendors, 2 speakers, 8 members of the Board of Trustees, 6 LCMC staff members, and 44 guests who were non-members of LCMC. The event kicked off with ... [...]
Our 19th Annual Gathering & Convention begins today! To find out how to watch live, access media, find news updates, and more, keep reading. WATCH LIVE: If you were not able to attend this year, you can still catch a live webcast on our website (www.lcmc.net/live) beginning Sunday, September 29 at 7:00 P.M. CDT and ending Wednesday, October 2 at 11:00 A.M. CDT. For a copy of this year's schedule, click ... [...]
Our 19th Annual Gathering & Convention is right around the corner! If you plan on booking a room under the LCMC hotel block at the Hilton Omaha and haven't done so already, the deadline to book is September 6! [...]
There are only TWO weeks left to register for the LCMC 19th Annual Gathering & Convention and still get the "Early Bird" rate! The last day to beat the price increase is Thursday, August 15. Tickets are still available for this year's fellowship dinner, so if you're interested in connecting with other LCMC-ers over dinner or joining a specific fellowship group, be sure to "opt in" for this ... [...]
Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ will offer its first ever Church Planting Boot Camp. Led by LCMC Coordinator for Church Planting Development Dan Clites, this workshop is designed to engage, empower and successfully deploy those who are wired and called to consider starting up a church plant. Church planters, planters to be, planters in discernment, and spouses, and church leaders are invited. There is ... [...]
Mark your calendars for our next high school youth event, which takes place July 21-24, 2020 at Grand View University in Des Moines, IA. The event includes teachings on love, leadership, and ministry, worship, service projects, breakout sessions, music, and a chance to connect with other high school students and youth leaders in LCMC. [...]