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Before 2020, many people had never heard the term derecho. Pronounced “der-AY-cho,” one of these mega storms ripped through dozens of Iowa communities in August 2020. It left the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) churches and schools in ruins. “It's one of those events in life that just kind of sears in your mind,” said Rev. [...]
When you visit St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Rocklin, Calif., don’t look for a steeple, a manicured lawn or stained glass. Rather, drive to the edge of town, to a warehouse nestled against undeveloped land. There you will encounter a welcoming faith community where people are the mission of this innovative and traditional church. But [...]
A kindergartner at Immanuel Lutheran School (ILS) swayed back and forth on the swings during recess. She then leaned over to Headmaster Julia Habrecht, who sat on the swings next to her, and asked if she could be a part of God’s family. “I got a huge smile on my face,” Habrecht said. “Thanks be [...]
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." — Psalm 119:105 Joseph Hope-Hull fondly recalls a Sunday morning in 2011 at Christ Lutheran Church Ministries in La Mesa, Calif. He was a teen with his family, who recently started attending the church in suburban San Diego. They were listening to [...]
How Concordia High School found promising land for its future The people of Concordia High School in Pflugerville, Texas, find subtle similarities between their journey and that of the Israelites. For 40 years, the Israelites wandered the wilderness seeking the Promised Land. Led by Moses, they ate manna in the desert. Led by Joshua and [...]
Starting a private Lutheran high school in a modest-sized community is tough enough. That the population is 60% Mormon is another story. Yet, building such a school is what Grace Lutheran Church, Pocatello, did. Grace Lutheran High School is Idaho's first Lutheran high school—and is the culmination of four decades of dreams. Over those decades, [...]
Giving back, just as God has given to him Ben Skelton grew up in Jackson, Mo. surrounded by a family of educators. While a student at Saxony Lutheran High School and Concordia University-Nebraska, Ben realized the blessings God had bestowed upon him. During that faith development, Ben decided to follow in his family footsteps and [...]
Frigid air blew through his worn overcoat. The St. Louis street-dweller curled inward, crossed his arms to hug his shoulders and tucked in his legs to keep warm as he huddled on the sidewalk. He hoped for a little shut eye before the soup kitchen opened the next day at Historic Trinity Lutheran Church. He [...]
Complex problems call for creative solutions. Thankfully, when Lutherans get together to solve a problem, their solutions aren’t just creative, but also reflective of their trust in God’s provision. They know that God’s plan—His scripture—is always far better than anything we can dream up. So when Martin Luther High School (MLHS) in Milwaukee, Wisc., part [...]
The mountains of Breckenridge, Colo., beckon travelers near and far. In the winter, thousands of tourists carve down slopes layered with powder. In the warmer months, the local trails and streams host outdoor sports enthusiasts. But sustaining a church in this wonderful mountain community poses a couple of challenges: an expensive housing market and the [...]
Kurt Rutzen is the public policy advocate at Bethesda Lutheran Communities, Watertown, Wis. He writes articles and travels the country, visiting lawmakers at state capitols and attending disability related conferences. At each opportunity he gets, Rutzen makes the case that all of us should do a little more to help people with disabilities. "People with [...]
When a woman from a much different church background told Johanna Ellison she had been searching for a new spiritual home, Ellison understood why her search ended at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Lexington, Ky. Although they live in an area where larger, more modern and informal churches are popular, this woman who is now [...]
Lakeview Ministries, located in Seymour, Ind., serves approximately 10,000 summer camp and non-summer camp clients—from all walks of life—throughout the year. But they are running out of room and having to turn people away. “As a ministry,” said David Vandercar, executive director of Lakeview Ministries, “we hate to turn children away and want to provide [...]
Alturo is in his mid-30s. He’s wearing an unbuttoned ultra-light yellow PVC rain suit over a thick canvas work jacket and pants. Outside, it’s dark and snowing heavily. Alturo shifts relentlessly in the church pew and likes to ask what it is like where you live, reaching out with his arm and hooking the air [...]
Starting a private Lutheran high school in a modest-sized community is tough enough. That the population is 60% Mormon is another story. Yet, building such a school is what Grace Lutheran Church, Pocatello, did. Grace Lutheran High School is Idaho’s first Lutheran high school—and is the culmination of four decades of dreams. Over those decades, [...]
“We are here to bring hope in Jesus Christ to our brothers and sisters in Christ,” said Rev. Afam Ikanih, LCMS chaplain. The here he is referring to is the Milwaukee County House of Corrections, located in Franklin, Wis. It’s the second largest facility of its kind in the state, housing about 1,300 men and [...]
Located on the southern shore of Lake Erie, Cleveland, Ohio, possesses one of the top five best symphony orchestras in the world; is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; houses one of the greatest collections of Asian art outside of Asia at the Cleveland Museum of Art; and claims the single largest theater [...]
The first six years of her life were tragic. Abandoned by her mother, kicked out of her uncle’s home and deserted by her father, Megan Popp and her grandmother wandered the streets of South Korea, dependent upon the kindness of strangers to feed them and outdoor shelters to protect them. Until that is, her grandmother [...]
At 26.1 miles, Colfax Avenue is the longest road in the United States. It runs east-west through the Aurora-Denver metropolis area in Colorado. There is also a dark side to this fame. Along the economically depressed sections of Colfax, you’ll find seedy car lots, liquor shops and adult stores. On the west end, it’s also home to [...]
In 1952, businessman and philanthropist Howard Hughes Jr. bought 25,000 acres of unused land around Las Vegas to possibly relocate his California businesses. The land, however, sat unused for three decades. In 1988, the Howard Hughes Corporation, known as Summa, announced plans to build a master-planned community on the property. They would call this suburb [...]
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