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"O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together."
Psalm 34:3 NRSVue
| | Congregational News from LPGM | | Pictured above: LPGM development director Bethany Krepela exhibited at the Eastern North Dakota Synod ELCA assembly in June 2026. She made connections and shared opportunities for their congregations to build global connections that transform lives, including in their companion synod in the Central African Republic. Here, she poses with longtime LPGM supporter and advocate Dianne Billey. | | Stories from Partner Congregations | | |
Annual Fish Fry Reels in Dollars for Mission
The town of Garfield, located in central Minnesota’s Douglas County, has a population of 332. The night of St. Luke’s Church (LCMC) annual Fish Fry for Missions, however, the town grows by about 500.
This year’s annual event, held April 24, netted $4,200 to support a long list of nonprofits, from local to national and worldwide, including LPGM.
In fact, this single event raises the funds to sponsor seven girls at our partner’s Lutheran boarding homes in India.
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LPGM Champion Ann Campbell Retires
After many years of dedication to children’s ministry, Ann Campbell has retired from her role at Zion Lutheran Church in Anoka, Minnesota. In this interview with LPGM board member Kellie Johnson, Ann reflects on her time with Zion and LPGM and the memories that made her ministry so meaningful.
How many years have you worked at Zion, and in what roles?
I started on the children's ministry team in 2016.
What has been the most rewarding part of your time at Zion?
Having ten years to spend with kids and families is such an honor. This year's high school seniors were in my second grade Sunday School class! It's a blessing to be with them for that long of a faith journey.
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India Travelers Share Transformative Experiences with Zion Adult Forum
On an April morning between services at Zion Lutheran Church in Anoka, Minnesota, nearly 45 members of the congregation gathered for something far more meaningful than a presentation.
The Adult Forum became a celebration of connection, faith, and the quiet ways in which lives become intertwined across oceans and generations.
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Lunch & Learn: Community Cloud Forest Conservation (CCFC)
Curious about educational and environmental challenges facing Qʼeqchiʼ Maya girls in the cloud forests of Guatemala? Interested in learning how you can support education and reforestation efforts?
Join our 30-minute webinar on Monday, July 6, 12-12:30 p.m. to learn more, ask questions, and explore travel opportunities. We hope you can join us!
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Visit LPGM's Booth at the WELCA Triennial in Des Moines
We're looking forward to meeting women from your congregation at the upcoming Women of the ELCA (WELCA) Triennial Gathering in Des Moines, Iowa, July 16-19, 2026.
Stop by the LPGM booth in the Exhibition Hall to introduce yourself, get your free gift, and learn more about our partners' life-changing work around the world.
Your WELCA group is invited to join us as we provide accesss to quality education for people at the margins, especially women and girls.
| | | Introduce your Congregation to LPGM with this Short Blurb | | If LPGM is new to your congregation, feel free to use this short blurb to introduce folks to our 30+ year ministry: | |
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Founded in Minneapolis in 1995 out of a tragedy, Lutheran Partners in Global Ministry has built relationships that transform boundaries and change lives.
LPGM's mission is to provide access to quality education for people at the margins–especially women and girls. We work together with global partners to listen, respond, and bear witness to local needs and priorities.
LPGM supports the work of small, underfunded Lutheran or Christian nonprofits that are doing the Lord’s work – mainly opening doors for people at the margins. Together, we are sharing God’s love as our partners break down barriers to education, and are therefore ending generational cycles of poverty, malnutrition, abuse, forced child marriage and child labor, and other atrocities.
By providing opportunities for individuals and groups to accompany us on transformational travel experiences, we build relationships that defy boundaries. People of all ages and backgrounds grow in their faith and discover new ways to impact their faith communities, neighborhoods, and world.
Learn more by visiting our website.
| | | | Travel to India with LPGM in 2027 | | | | |
If you are longing for more than a vacation, if you are ready to cross cultures with humility and openness, and if you believe that relationships are the most powerful force for change—then next February's Transformational Travel trip to India may be for you.
This is more than a trip—it's a pilgrimage of understanding, service, and shared humanity. Come with us. Meet the world face to face. Share life. Listen deeply. Carry these stories back home and let them shape the way you live.
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Help shape the future of our ministry!
Join LPGM's Finance, Program, Transformational Travel, Congregational Engagement, or Development committee.
In your role, you'll contribute to meaningful work, share your unique point of view and skill set, provide hands-on support for our programs and travel, and collaborate and connect with like-minded people.
You do not need to be an LPGM board member to serve on a committee. Most committees meet bi-monthly or quarterly for 1-2 hours over Zoom.
Email office@lutheranpartners.org to learn more.
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Bring Our Vision for the 2027 Youth Gathering to Life
We are dreaming up an interactive experience for 2027's ELCA Youth Gathering in Minneapolis, and we're looking for creative folks to help us engage young people in new ways.
If you have a background in youth ministry, visual art, or theater, we'd especially love to hear from you. Interested in learning more? Email office@lutheranpartners.org.
| | | | Video above: LPGM board member Katelyn Rakotoarivelo shared the children's message and sermon during worship at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Faribault, Minn., on June 14, 2026. | Pictured above: Olivet Lutheran Church in Fargo, Minnesota is hosting a "Cookies for a Cause" campaign this summer. Throughout the season, the congregation will raise funds for a variety of causes, including LPGM. | |
Upcoming Events
July 16-19 - WELCA Triennial Event, Des Moines, Iowa
July 11-21 - Youth Trip to Guatemala
September 9-20 - Trip to Tanzania
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Our Mission: LPGM provides access to quality education for people at the margins – especially women and girls. We work together with global partners to listen, respond and bear witness to local needs and priorities.
Lutheran Partners in Global Ministry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 41-1818525. Your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
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