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Your Donations Still Needed for Flood Recovery in Nebraska

Trinity Lutheran Church in Fremont, Nebrask a, sends heartfelt thanks to Lutheran Church Charities and its generous donors for their immediate financial support in response to massive flooding.

Pastor Anthony Gerber is amazed at the generosity and prayerful support of his congregation and community as they respond to those affected by the flood. He sees how being a LCC K-9 Ministry affiliate congregation has been providing for immediate needs and opened many different ways they can reach out to a hurting community. He stated, “Thank you! What an amazing time it has been to be able to connect with, pray with, and then use these donations to bless these families and individuals in need!”

Amy Glause, Financial Administrator at Trinity, also stated, “We can't thank you enough for the generosity that has been poured on Nebraska. It has been amazing to witness Pastor Gerber giving families these donations to help in this difficult time. They are beyond grateful! God Bless!”

After a 3rd day of wiring funds last week to Trinity, Amy called Kathy O’Day, LCC Director of Disaster Response , and tearfully expressed thanks for all of the funds they have received from LCC. She said, “As the water is receding, they are hearing of so many more families in their church and community that have lost everything and this will be a help and blessing.”  She truly wanted us to know how thankful they are and what a Godsend our donors are being to them!

As the water has receded, they are seeing more families who have lost homes and belongings, ranchers who have lost livestock, and those who can no longer work because the roads and infrastructure have been so badly damaged that they cannot travel as needed to work. Pastor stated that the only road from Fremont to Omaha where many are employed is now buckled and has bridges washed away. There will be lasting effects that will be far-reaching from this flood for most of their community and surrounding areas.

The Colfax County Emergency Management Agency invited LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Katie (Trinity – Fremont, Nebraska), Eddie (Peace Lutheran – Grand Island, Nebraska), Joanna (Christ Lincoln – Lincoln, Nebraska) , Moses (Christ Lutheran – Cairo, Nebraska), Nicodemus (The Rock – Seward, Nebraska), and Priscilla (Trinity – Lincoln, Nebraska) , and their handlers, to the County Volunteer Recognition Dinner for First Responders last week held in Schuyler, Nebraska . They extended their thanks to the K-9 teams for helping the community and first responders with the healing process. All were honored to be there to provide care to those helping the community during the flooding.

Your donations are still needed to help LCC and Trinity Lutheran Church serve their members and their community. If you are so moved, please donate now, and please keep Trinity and their surrounding communities in your prayers during their long recovery.

Five LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Teams were invited back to Great Mills High School in Great Mills, Maryland , for the one year anniversary of the tragic shooting that occurred on March 20, 2018.

For the week of March 19, LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Amos (Our Savior’s Way – Ashburn, Virginia), Kezia (Emmanuel – Baltimore, Maryland), Lily (Good Shepherd – Old Bridge, New Jersey), and Leah and Addie (Immanuel – Danbury, Connecticut) spent the week comforting and reuniting with the staff and students as they remember the tragic loss the community suffered last year. We witnessed the love and support the staff and students showed to each other as we gave comfort, love, mercy and support.

On Friday, March 22, LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Kezia visited Trinity Lutheran Church Pre-School to comfort the children. On Friday night, 3 LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs attended a candlelight vigil celebrating the life of the victim and offering hope for the community. The community of Great Mills High School will be forever in our hearts and prayers.

The community stands strong as We are...Great Mills!

Register Now for LERT Basic Trainings in 2019!

Lutheran Church Charities has set the following LERT Basic Training dates. If you know someone who would be a good addition to your LERT team encourage them to register and attend.

Time: Registration: 8:00 - 8:30 am | Training: 8:30 am - 1:00 pm 

Cost: $35.00 per person for new LERT volunteers; $10 for LERT team members attending to update your ID

Payments can be made online or during registration. Walk in registrations will also be accepted the day of the training. Please wear your ID and bring your manual with you if you have previously attended. Continental breakfast and snacks will be provided.

Saturday, May 11, 2019

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

177 Luther Lane

Frankfort, Illinois 60423

Start your day with a free devotion from Tim Hetzner, President/CEO of Lutheran Church Charities. A new four-part devotional series "Ants” begins Friday, March 29 .

LCC Welcomes 22 New LERT Certified Members

Lutheran Church Charities welcomes 22 new LERT certified members! On Saturday, March 23, LCC held a Basic LCMS LERT training for new and recertifying team members in McHenry County , led by Kathy O’Day, LCC Director of Disaster Response . There were a total of 27 in attendance from the following churches and LERT teams in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin :

Illinois

Immanuel – Dundee

Lord of Life – Lafox

Messiah – McHenry

Prince of Peace – Palatine

Shepherd of the Hills – McHenry

St. Matthew – Hawthorn Woods

St. John – Wheaton

St. Peter – Schaumburg

Indiana

Trinity – Hobart

Wisconsin

Our Redeemer – Wauwatosa 

It is good to see how the disaster response ministry is continuing to grow with volunteers willing to share the mercy, compassion, presence, and proclamation of Jesus Christ to those suffering and in need.

Vehicle Donation Helps Future Deaconess

Pastor Angel Morales from St. Paul Lutheran Church in Aurora, Illinois , contacted LCC for assistance in securing a vehicle for a woman who is helping with him in outreach ministry. She currently is in the Deaconess studies at Concordia University . LCC was able to provide a vehicle that was donated by James and Korey Wysocki, members of Mt. Olive in Rockford, Illinois . LCC thanks the Wysocki’s for their donation to help this faithful servant.

Click the button below to watch Responding to the Needs of God’s People a video testimony from Pastor Angel Morales and Reverend Michael Mast, Mission Facilitator, Northern Illinois District - LCMS

LCC Thanks Volunteer for Delivering Supplies to St. Matthew’s Soup Kitchen

Thank you to LCC volunteer Jackie Catahay who on Saturday, March 23, picked up a donation of supplies and delivered them to the St. Matthew’s Soup Kitchen in Chicago, Illinois . When LCC staff member Dianna Bonfield called to tell Pastor Sifuentes and Deaconess Elly Sifuentes at what time to expect the delivery, she was told how very much this donation was appreciated. Deaconess Elly said they had been praying for more supplies because as of Thursday they were completely out of coffee, coffee supplies and plastic eating utensils. This supply will last them about 3 weeks.

Pastor Cesar Sifuentes of “Comedor San Mateo” Soup Kitchen at St Matthew Lutheran Church in Chicago, Illinois, requests your assistance with the following resources that are consumed in large quantities on a weekly basis:

The St. Matthew Soup Kitchen was started by the congregation 26 years ago serving one hot meal a day to the hungry people in their community around them. Today they serve breakfast and lunch to over 100 hungry people on Tuesdays and Thursday each week.

Please help St. Matthew’s to be the hands of feet of Jesus reaching out and feeding the hungry and homeless of their community.

Register for 2019 NAMI DuPage 

Speaker Series Presentations Today!

NAMI DuPage knows how important it is to provide information on the best educational and supportive services available for people affected by mental illness and for community organizations and service providers. Through the NAMI DuPage Speaker Series , we invite professionals and peers to the table to speak on their experiences and knowledge as it relates to some of the topics that we receive the most questions about. These presentations are open to anyone: family members, individuals, professionals, or general community members.

Jessy the Comfort Dog Leads Saint Paul Lutheran Church into Lives of New People

LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Jessy (St. Paul’s – Concordia, Missouri)

(Friday, March 15, 2019 – Missouri District LCMS / Sharon Gutowski)

Golden Retriever Tobias Lends a Listening Ear to Help Mundelein Students Improve Reading Skills

LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Tobias (Lord of Glory – Grayslake, Illinois)

(March 21, 2019 – Chicago Tribune / Phil Rockrohr, Contact Reporter, Pioneer Press)

Christ Lincoln Welcomes Comfort Dog

LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Joanna (Christ Lincoln – Lincoln, Nebraska)

(Saturday, March 23, 2019 – Lincoln Journal Star / Mark Schwaninger)

Eve, Handlers Aim to Soothe Those with Heavy Heart

LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Eve (St. John’s – Lombard, Illinois)

(Thursday, March 21, 2019 – The Lombardian-Villa Park Review / Jane Charmelo)

Training Comfort Dogs A Rewarding Experience

LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs in Training

(Sunday, March 25, 2019 – The Grand Island Independent / Julie Blum)

Comfort Dog Remembered for His Loving Nature, Community Impact

LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Jackson (Immanuel – Joplin, Missouri)

(Monday, March 25, 2019 – The Joplin Globe / Kimberly Barker)

Raising Wheels Wash & Roll

Cameron Simmons Visitation & Funeral

 Monarch Landing

Illinois Fire Inspectors Conference

Mt. Sinai Hospital

Dundee Crown High School

 St. Paul Lutheran School

Kind Words for K9s

Earlier in March, LCC K-9 Cubby’s team (Redeemer – Fort Collins, Colorado) received the following note from a fan of the LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs:

Back in December of 2014, I had a terrible fall that resulted in a broken back. My life went from busy beyond belief to lying in bed in constant pain. At first I was hanging out in all social media places I could find to stay in touch with the busy lifestyle that I had known. Over time colleagues and “friends” stopped checking in and life as I knew it ended. Depression, anxiety and loneliness set in. Long nights and insomnia took me to dark places.

One night when I was lost, I got on Facebook and I found LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Sheba (Immanuel – Washington, Missouri). There had been a shooting in Orlando and people were killed. This ministry was setting out to bring comfort to those who were affected. Without hesitation, I made a donation to get that beautiful dog and her team to those people who were suffering. I believe that through tragedy there is triumph. I was the triumph. I was moved in a way I will never forget. I started following LCCs every move, every prayer, and every dog. This ministry literally called out to me. I got ahold of team Sheba via social media and asked about a stuffy I had seen. The day I got it, I cried. That started what I call the buy one- give one dog deal. I buy one for me but donate one to be given to someone in need. What I didn’t know then that I do now, is that was God’s way of bringing me back. I was lost and I didn’t like who I was becoming. That all started to change with one night, one tragedy, and through social media.

Team Sheba put me in touch with Team Cubby, the Comfort Dog for Colorado where I call home. I reached out asking how I could help…It didn’t take much time before I found the rest of the Comfort teams! Team Zippy reached out to me during a time I was asking for prayers for my mom who was battling cancer. Zippy and her Top Dog Janice sent my mom a stuffy of Zippy and for me, a HUGE pile of Comfort Dog Christmas cards. Mom had to be hospitalized around this time, so I reached out without thinking twice to Team Cubby to see if they would pay my mom a visit…My mom and dad cried tears of joy when that amazing team and that beautiful golden dog walked in her room… Since then, and that was back in 2016, I knew I could count on all the LCC K-9 Comfort Dog teams to pray for us, listen to us, and give us God’s peace.

On 2/14/19 Mom went to her heavenly home. As soon as I could breathe, I messaged Team Cubby and requested that they come to the memorial to comfort us all. The moment Team Cubby, Top Dog Bonnie and handler Marilyn came into the funeral home, the peace of Jesus was felt. Such a comfort they brought to such pain…When you see tragedy upon tragedy that this ministry serves, you think “Oh how amazing these dogs go and give comfort”, but when you are on the receiving end of that comfort, it’s more than petting a dog; it’s Jesus’s love. I follow all the Comfort Dogs on Facebook and Instagram and I pass on a kind word or a heart emoji for support. And through it all, I’ve become a much better person than I was. Just think, it happened one night in the middle of sadness, not looking for an answer I found my world, my reason.

22 Event

Lee County Sheriff’s Office 911 Center

Christkindl Markets   

 

Austria ... Slovenia ... Croatia

11 Days | November 30 - December 10, 2019

 

Hosted by: Tim Hetzner, President / CEO, Lutheran Church Charities

 

Since the Middle Ages, December in Central Europe means Advent Markets, where for centuries local craftsmen have expressed the message of Christmas in traditional handcrafts and decorations. From major cities to small villages, the markets attract locals and visitors alike, coming together to share in the anticipation of Advent. Join me in a trip, which explores the customs and traditions of this most important Christian celebration, where the magic of Christmas comes alive once more against the backdrop of the Alps.

AloaFest at Sea 

 

Living forward the best of our lives!

Western Caribbean Cruise

4 Nights | January 16 – 20, 2020

 

On this cruise, you will enjoy inspiring worship services, fun parties, socials, group get-togethers, devotions, Bible studies, meditations and much more. Keynote presentation and Meet & Greet with Dr. Rich Bimler.

Hope-Full Living Cruise  

 

Port Canaveral, Florida - CocoCay & Nassau, Bahamas

4 Nights | February 24 - 28, 2020

 

Join us for a fun and relaxing time of Christian fellowship on this retreat at sea for adults of any age. You will enjoy Humorist Dr. Rich Bimler who will use wit and wisdom to share helpful insights on hope-full living and spiritual growth as we celebrate our vision for 2020 !

NEW | Oberammergau Passion Play 2020

 

Berlin ... Potsdam ... Wittenberg ... Eisleben ... Erfurt 

Wartburg Castle ... Nuremberg ... Oberammergau

11 Days - Germany and Lutheran Heritage | May 10 - 20, 2020 

SOLD OUT | Oberammergau Passion Play 2020

 

Hungary ... the Czech Republic ... Germany and Slovakia

 

11 Days - Classical Europe | June 30 - July 10, 2020

Sunday, March 31, 2019 - Lenten Tiding of Comfort and Joy

Friday, April 5, 2019 - Celebration of Hope 

Saturday, April 6, 2019 - Island of Enchantment & Latin America Dance

Saturday, April 6 & Sunday, April 7, 2019 - St. John Lutheran

Church to Host Visiting LCMS Missionary

Saturday, April 20, 2019 - Easter Eggstravaganza

Saturday, April 27, 2019 - Faith-Based Parenting Workshop

Saturday, May 4, 2019 - NAMI 1st Annual Stomp Out Stigma

Saturday, May 11, 2019 - NAMI DuPage's Annual Shine A Light Gala

Saturday, June 22, 2019 - Old Schoolhouse Community Garden Planting Day

Sunday, October 13, 2019 - Move your Feet for Hope! 

All gifts designated for ministries outside of LCC are made

dollar for dollar without administrative fees deducted.

Do you shop on Amazon.com ? You can benefit Lutheran Church Charities automatically, without any extra steps to your purchases. Just create an account on AmazonSmile  and select Lutheran Church Charities as the beneficiary. Every time you shop, Amazon will make a donation to LCC! What a difference we can make together!