LCMS World Mission Blog

LCMS chaplain receives silver St. Martin of Tours award

At the 64th regular convention of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Chaplain Rodger R. Venzke, United States Army (Ret.), was presented the silver St. Martin of Tours medal. The award is given for exceptionally meritorious service to military personnel by LCMS World Mission’s Ministry to the Armed Forces.

LCMS congregations celebrate Armed Forces Sunday

On May 16, 2010, many LCMS congregations celebrated Armed Forces Sunday to recognize and lift up in prayer the men and women who have served and continue to serve in our nation’s military. This day of remembrance and thanks is a great opportunity to encourage a chaplain or other member of the armed forces in their service to God and our country.

Video—Operation Barnabas FAQs

Operation Barnabas, an initiative of LCMS World Mission’s Ministry to the Armed Forces, is a network of care for our nation’s military members and their families. The goal of Operation Barnabas is to equip congregations for the critical role they can play in helping military chaplains and other veterans returning from battlefields.

Board for Mission Services extends missionary calls for Africa, Armed Forces

LCMS World Mission joins in celebration with the Board for Mission Services, which extended two calls to pastoral candidates from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., on April 27. A call was issued to Brandt Klawitter to serve as an Army chaplain through LCMS World Mission’s Ministry to the Armed Forces, and to Shauen Trump to serve as a missionary in East Africa.

Free LCMS Armed Forces Sunday resources

Free resources for your congregation to celebrate Armed Forces Ministry Sunday are available online by clicking here. Resources for 2010 include: Suggested sermon Responsive prayer Theme bulletin insert New This Year: All congregations must place a new order due to our new ordering system to receive 2010 bulletin inserts. To receive the bulletin inserts, please fill out [...]

LCMS chaplains respond to Fort Hood tragedy

Eric Erkkinen, assistant director of Ministry to the Armed Forces, LCMS World Mission, was on the Fort Hood campus visiting with LCMS chaplains when tragedy struck on Nov. 5. He recently shared some reflections he received from three of the four LCMS chaplains who are stationed there to serve the men and women of the [...]

Reach out to veterans on Nov. 11

Veteran’s Day is Nov. 11 and provides a perfect opportunity to reach out to those who have served in our nation’s military. This day of remembrance and thanks is a great opportunity to encourage a veteran who is brother or sister in Christ. It could also provide a bridge for sharing faith in Jesus with [...]

Audio interview with chaplain Mike Moreno

Chaplain Mike Moreno is the project manager for Operation Barnabas. Operation Barnabas equips congregations for the critical role they can play in helping military chaplains and other veterans returning from battlefields. Audio Interview courtesy of KFUO Radio AM 2009.

Connecting with missionaries to the Armed Forces

Fourth-grader Jadin is a student in Plainview, Neb. She writes, “I am a fourth grader at Zion Lutheran School in Plainview. We are doing a Mission Fair. We have been praying for missionaries around the world and I decided to do my project on missionaries of Iraq. I was wondering if you could help me [...]

Photo of the week

  On Oct. 3, 2008, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the Kebebtsehay Orphanage, chaplains invited by the U.S. embassy to deliver goods they had collected. Chaplain Lance Jennings writes, “We visited and delivered goods to three other locales (Kechene Orphanage, Beza Community Development Association (working with HIV/AIDS victims) and Godanaw Rehabilitation Center. This is an orphanage/rehabilitation center for young mothers [...]