“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service”…Ephesians 4:11-12 God gave His church these people and the Holy Spirit gifted them for the work that they
Continue reading
No kids, no problem! Vineyard of Christ Lutheran Church in Rosanky, Texas, is a small church with average attendance of about 20. It’s in the middle of wide open spaces and there are no neighborhoods within miles of the church’s location. Most of the members are plus or minus retirement
Continue reading
My name is Brenda Segovia and I’d like to share a story with you. Before I jump right in, let me give you a bit of context. I am currently serving as a DCE for a non-profit organization, RioMAC. RioMAC is the Rio Grande Mission Action Council based in the
Continue reading
Consider the LCMS’s consistent boldness: In 1856, a plea was brought to the synodical convention: “Now, we believe that we can [carry the joyous message of the Gospel beyond local congregations] by establishing the so-called office of evangelist; those who hold this office should not bind themselves to this or
Continue reading
“What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?” Matt. 18:12 This verse is a very good summary of what our district missionaries
Continue reading
They never imagined it would grow this quickly. So say Joey Bluege and George Holleway, Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) vicars at Salem Lutheran Church in Tomball. The SMP program forms men for pastoral ministry through an LCMS seminary while they are serving a congregation. At the beginning of the formation
Continue reading
We filed out of the suburban loaded with youth as a man came out of the house and introduced himself. “Hello Troy,” I said and started a round of introductions during which we told him the names and hometowns of our team. “It is going to be really hot this
Continue reading
Do you remember the old “Tootsie Pop” commercial, with the cartoon owl who was asked, “How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? One, two, three, crunch!” Okay, I realize that may a bit of a silly comparison, but I have discovered that
Continue reading
A recent study of churches across the nation indicated that if pastors set time aside to get out of the office and into the community, the likelihood of unchurched people coming to Christ rises exponentially. It seems like common sense, but the study shows that churches accomplish results in sharing
Continue reading
About a year ago, I gathered in an office one weeknight to pray with two other women – friends from my community at The Vine. Our purpose was simple but deliberate. We would pray and ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind the characteristics of someone He wanted to
Continue reading
