Commentaries Archives - Page 11 of 20

Continuing Discussion in Disaster Response

Last week we talked about the issues of communication that happen in a massive disaster response network like LERT. We also announced our upcoming conference where you can learn all…

Solving Communication Problems in Disaster Response

One of the most frequent questions we get asked is “How can I connect with OTHER volunteers across the country?” That’s a great question and one I didn’t have a…

Why Not Just Self-Deploy Into a Disaster?

Have you ever been struck by images of disaster so much that you just wanted to hop in your car and lend a helping hand? You may want to rethink that. Here are three reasons why Self-deploying might be more harmful than helpful

LCMS Young Adults Serve in Christ Alone

Over 900 young adults apply to volunteer at the LCMS Youth Gathering this summer. Time and time again the young adults of the LCMS have shown a willingness and excitement to serve others in Christ alone. New opportunities are coming soon for young adults to not just volunteer but become neighbors and friends in communities of need in Jesus' name.

A Primer for Church Planting

A Primer for Church Planting - based on Luther’s Marks of the Church with a mission framework of Witness, Mercy, and Life Together Introduction Why should the LCMS consider “Witness,…

Seven ‘senses’ of teen leaders

From my 38 years in LCMS Youth Ministry, I've observed youth who make strong leaders to have certain God-given gifts in common.

Disaster Response Conference in South America for Pastors and Seminarians

Last week LCMS Disaster Response and Luther Academy led a three day conference in South America for 76 Pastors and Seminarians on how to respond to disasters and minister to people hurting from a wide variety of tragedies.

Big Things are Happening in Latin America

There are about 14,000 trained volunteers across the United States and about 2,000 more are trained every year. What you might not know is that we train leaders and missionaries around the world to respond mercifully in times of tragedy with the love of Christ.

LCMS Disaster Response takes a FORO into Uruguay

LCMS Disaster Response’s role at the FORO is to be a subject matter expert in the area of Mercy work and giving a merciful response in times of tragedy.

Lost

You have probably read the startling statistics of teens and young adults lost from the church. The church must take seriously the search for young adults. God hasn’t given up on bringing them back, and neither should we.

Helping the Right Way

The most well-intentioned gifts, given in the wrong way, often end up hurting the recipient, the community, and the local church.

When Trolls Attack

By Peter Slayton One of the most discouraging things about social media is the existence of trolls. I’m not talking about your high school friend that disagrees with every single…

Tips for Starting a Campus Ministry

Do you have a college near you? Would you like to learn how to begin a campus ministry there? There are a lot of things to consider when starting a campus ministry…

What Jesus Has Longed to Give You

In his Maundy Thursday sermon given at the Synod’s International Center Chapel Service March 24, LCMS Chaplain William Weedon helps us appreciate Christ’s sacrifice, His body and blood, and the forgiveness that Jesus aches to give us.

LCMS Disaster Response in Hispanic Communities

Over the last couple of years we have discovered two needs. The first need is for our materials to be translated into Spanish. Secondly, we have found a need to train our Spanish speaking churches in the United States and throughout Latin America so that they will have Lutheran Early Response Teams (LERT). We also want to do a better job of responding to disasters that strike Spanish speaking communities across the United States.