by Dr. Lane R. Seitz This past Sunday I worshiped in one of the smaller congregations in our district. There were approximately 50 people in wor-ship. We have approximately 40 congregations in our district that average less than 50 people in worship each week. In most of those situations, the congregation is served by a

by Paula Schlueter Ross It’s been five years since the Aug. 29, 2005, landfall of Hurricane Katrina.  And today–even with five years of restoration efforts involving millions of dollars and untold hours of volunteer labor–the parts of New Orleans that were damaged are still only “26 to 60 percent recovered,” according to Rev. Kurtis Schultz,

by Rev. Ken Lampe It’s popular today to talk about being spiritual but not religious. Some people want to be considered spiritual, but they are not sure they want to take a stand for Jesus. Other people tend to think about religion in terms of family or tradition. Children or spouses act as though someone

by Sandy Wood From Chicago to Ghana and in between, a ministry carrying Christ’s love and a cushioned place to sleep is spreading to homeless people through Lutheran congregations and beyond. Each sleeping mat is approximately 3 feet by 6 feet, contains between 500 and 700 plastic bags, and takes approximately 35 hours to make.

by Cindy Steinbeck Newkirk Barbara Amelia Matthes wrote an incredible memoir of her life journey before she died. My mind’s eye travels with her as her family journeyed from Germany to Illinois to California in the 1800s. The joys and hardships she recounts in this short memoir condense 95 years of vibrant life to a

by Dr. Albert B. Collver In John 17:11, Jesus prayed to His Father that the Church “may be one, even as we are one” (ESV). Yet, already in the early Church, St. Paul writes, “For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you” (1 Cor. 1:11). From the earliest

by Sandy Wood Dr. Lang Yang’s story highlights how a flexible, non-traditional route to ordination is expanding the ethnic diversity within the LCMS and supporting the leaders of immigrant churches in using their knowledge of language and culture to spread the Gospel. Yang, 42, is of Hmong origin. He was born in Laos and immigrated

by Sandy Wood Becoming a pastor of a church in Hawaii was not what Rev. Joshua Schneider had in mind when he decided to pursue a degree in biology and chemistry in college. But God had a plan. “By the last half of my senior year in college, through a variety of influences including my

by Kim Plummer Krull Many Lutheran partners are working cooperatively with LCMS World Relief and Human Care (LCMS WR-HC), LCMS World Mission, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti on the earthquake response in Haiti. They include but are not limited to the following: MISSION: Haiti, operating through the LCMS Florida-Georgia District (www.flga-lcms.org). Orphan Grain

by Kim Plummer Krull The Haiti earthquake makes us think about how we can help suffering survivors and also about how we can prepare if a disaster hits close to home. Disaster preparation: LCMS World Relief and Human Care offers two disaster preparedness resources for families and congregations: Preparing to Meet the Challenge, a free,

Haiti, Volunteerism, and a Desire to Help Commentary by Albert B. Collver III and Daniel Mattson The earthquake in Haiti has shaken the entire world and refocused attention on the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, if not the world. People from around the globe have poured out help to this island nation. In particular,

Three rural LCMS congregations in Kansas and Nebraska share their stories.