Following an invite from Pastor Nate Speerbrecker from Community of Hope Lutheran Church in Chesapeake, Virginia, LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs responded with a loving and comforting presence, bringing hope to yet another devastated community affected by a mass shooting.

On Tuesday night, November 22, a Walmart night team lead began a deadly rampage less than an hour before the store was scheduled to close, killing six employees, injuring four (two critically), and traumatizing many Thanksgiving shoppers before taking his own life.

LCC also worked with Rev. Dr. Bill Harmon, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) Southeast District President and pastor at King of Glory in Williamsburg, Virginia, who welcomed both the LCC K-9 Ministry and Hearts of Mercy & Compassion (HMC) to continue serving the grieving communities in the Southeast District.

LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Amos (Our Savior's Way - Ashburn, Virginia), Claudia (Trinity - Toledo, Ohio), Kezia (Emmanuel - Baltimore, Maryland), and Solomon (King of Glory - Williamsburg, Virginia), and their handlers spent time with Chesapeake Fire Station 4 that arrived first on the scene. The teams also visited Chesapeake Fire Station 3, which responded to the shooting. The LCC K-9 Comfort Dog teams were honored to be able to meet the men on shift that night. The love, dedication, and care they display for the victims and employees are inspiring.

We thank all the first responders who responded quickly to the call for help: the quick-thinking 911 operators, the Chesapeake police officers, firefighters, and EMS. These brave women and men face and respond to tragedies that none of us can imagine.

The LCC K-9 Comfort Dog teams and Chesapeake Community of Hope Lutheran Church worked together to put together LCC Hearts of Mercy & Compassion, Crosses for Losses for the six victims, and placed them at the memorial site near Walmart.

The LCC Hearts of Mercy and Compassion ministry and the LCC K-9 Ministry teams serving the community in Chesapeake were blessed by the hospitality and loving assistance of our brothers and sisters at Chesapeake Community of Hope Lutheran Church together, sharing the mercy, compassion, presence, and proclamation of Jesus Christ with those who are suffering and in need.

"From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." Ephesians 4:16

We continue to pray for the Walmart employees, their families and friends, and the community to be comforted, loved, remembered, and helped during this time of grief, pain, fear, and uncertainty.

In November, Lutheran Church Charities responded to other mass shootings and crisis anniversaries across the country. CLICK HERE to read more about how we were present and serving devastated and grieving communities.

LCC's K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry and Hearts of Mercy & Compassion Ministry never charge those we serve as we bring the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ to those suffering and in need. We know that comfort is needed to help these shocked and devastated communities and the first responders who serve them.

Through your generous donations, Lutheran Church Charities continues to provide scholarships for children in the tent city in Haiti. Each year for Christmas, we ask that you consider a gift of food for the children.

Because of the current political crisis in Haiti, the cost of food has risen dramatically. We are asking for donations to provide each child with a food package of basic supplies that will feed their family during the Christmas break. Without this assistance, many of the children will go hungry.

At Christ the King Lutheran School in Chicago, Illinois, the students are taught how to serve rather than be served, to love in both actions and words, and to care for people they don’t even know.

Last week, Christ the King's students Zayd and Morgan, with help from Morgan’s grandmother, and daughter Regina, prepared and delivered 102 Thanksgiving dinners for the homeless in their community.

Christ the King offers hot meals for the students three times a week. The meals are prepared by Morgan's grandmother in the school's kitchen.

Many of the students come from broken, struggling, low-income families. Some students came from the public school system with failing grades or functioning far below their appropriate grade level.

The Christian environment at Christ the King, smaller classes, love, and attention from the teachers helped these children to reach their God-given potential and purpose.

CLICK HERE to read how you are making a difference in the lives of more Christ the King students.

Christ the King is an anchor of hope and light in their Chicago neighborhood. Your generous donation will enable Christ the King to continue the ministry of Christ-changing lives through their dedicated staff.

Supporting Christ the King is an investment in an incredible ministry where life-changing relationships are established and an incredible education is earned.

Kathy O’Day, Lutheran Church Charities Director of Disaster Response, received an urgent financial assistance request from Tim Richter, Director of Christian Education (DCE) at Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, Florida, to purchase basic living items needed for very low-income community members in Harlem Heights recovering from the destruction of their homes from Hurricane Ian. Debra Mathinos, Chief Programs Officer of Harlem Heights Community Center, made the initial request for assistance to Zion Lutheran Church, one of their very involved community partners for the past nine years.

Most of these families are now living in fully gutted homes, old campers, and even some tents on their property – and they will be living like this for at least the next six months to a year or more until their homes can be repaired or rebuilt.

Zion is continuing to meet with Debra to see what basic living needs – such as microwaves, crockpots, hot plates, mini refrigerators, card tables, and chairs – are still needed by 40-50 families that can be met with LCC assistance. This will allow families to cook simple meals, have a place to sit and eat, and for children to do homework as they try to live as best they can in their gutted homes with minimal functional electrical outlets.

If any L.E.R.T certified individual is interested in volunteering on their own to do muck-outs or chainsaw work, LCMS Disaster Response is still operating a base camp at Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, Florida. It is planning to remain open until the second week of December.

CLICK HERE for more information.

Please prayerfully consider donating to help Lutheran Church Charities and Zion Lutheran Church help Harlem Heights families who are struggling and in need.

Please continue to pray for the residents affected by Hurricane Ian as they face a long recovery process.

Your partnership is truly a blessing to us! It enables LCC Ministries to reach thousands of individuals each year to share the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ to those who are suffering and in need.

Together, we are present and serving every day.

We never charge those we serve.

God is our hope and our strength!

CLICK HERE to view photos of thank you cards sent to LCC from the children at Redeemer Lutheran School in Englewood, Florida.

"I want everyone to come here and see what you are doing. I feel like we've been losing hope, but you're restoring hope."

Don't know what to give someone for Christmas?

Consider giving a JESUS GIFT this CHRISTmas by gifting someone a donation in their name that helps someone in need!

You can even print your own card!

Since March 2022, Lutheran Church Charities has been working cooperatively with pastors of the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Ukraine (SELCU) and the Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church in Palatine, Illinois, to provide humanitarian relief and the clear proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

SELCU Pastor Valerii Verba has provided more information and photos concerning his recent trip to the recently liberated areas around Kherson, Ukraine.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Lutheran Church Charities sends your donations to Haiti through our Mission Partners, Ministry in Mission, and Mission:Haiti.

Both have people on the ground who purchase and distribute desperately needed supplies to help save and improve the lives of the most vulnerable Haitians.

Here are the most critical needs:

LCC received a request from Pastor Chad Bolosan of Messiah Lutheran Church in Sterling, Illinois, to help provide a reliable vehicle for a Lutheran School teacher.

LCC received a request from Rev. Alex L. Merlo of Iglesia Evangélica in Aurora, Illinois, to provide a reliable vehicle for Max who faithfully serves the church.

LCC received a request from Pastor Tim Eckert of Word of God Lutheran Church for the Deaf in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to help fund a wheelchair accessible vehicle for a woman in need the church is assisting.

LCC received a request from Pastor Erik Gauss of Cross Lutheran Church in Yorkville, Illinois to help provide a reliable vehicle for a woman in need the church is assisting.

This position is for an experienced administrator who has a heart and passion for ministry and is committed to the mission and ministry of Lutheran Church Charities. This role is vital to the efficient operation of the K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry and will act as a support and resource to all aspects of this ministry. The individual will have excellent organizational, written, and verbal skills and a working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.

This is a full-time staff position at our headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois.

CLICK HERE for the full position description.

Interested parties should send resumes to LCC@LutheranChurchCharities.org.

Lutheran Church Charities is looking for passionate, dependable, hardworking professional trainers to train future LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs and lead our dog training classes at our locations in Northbrook and East Dundee, Illinois.

We seek individuals who are passionate about the LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry and animal welfare, have strong people skills, and want to grow in their career with us.

As an LCC K-9 dog trainer, you will be taught our training curriculum and methodologies. This is a full-time staff position at our headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois.

CLICK HERE for the full position description.

Interested parties should send resumes to LCC@LutheranChurchCharities.org.

The LCC K-9 Ministry is one of presence. When the Lord calls, we must go and serve Him. LCC never goes where we are not invited and the LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry NEVER charges those we serve.

Exciting news!

The 2023 LCC K-9 Ministries calendars are now available on our website. The calendar features LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs from across the country and makes a great gift!

Hearts of Mercy & Compassion, Crosses for Losses provides a physical and spiritual symbol through the giving of hearts and crosses to families and friends who have suffered loss or serious illness of a loved one.

Click HERE to read all the ways the Hearts of Mercy & Compassion, Crosses for Losses Ministry has served this year.

Click HERE to learn more about the Hearts of Mercy & Compassion, Crosses for Losses Ministry or how your church can be involved.

To better manage volunteers and resources, FEMA has developed a guideline on credentialing volunteers for large-scale disasters. The federal guidelines indicate that volunteers responding to a disaster should be trained and certified.

Should a disaster strike, these teams would be put on call and may be asked to deploy in 72 hours or less to the disaster site. This training will prepare a team member for credentialing and will focus on the safety, work, and ministry of Lutherans as Early Responders.

The registration cost for new L.E.R.T. volunteers is $35.00. As a refresher to update your ID, the cost is only $15.00.

The online LCMS Basic L.E.R.T. training is geared towards responding to a disaster with Lutheran Church Charities in the Northern Illinois District or wherever we are invited to serve nationwide.

For the online training, you will receive a letter with instructions to access the portal to view the Basic L.E.R.T. training sessions.

Upon verification of watching and completing all Basic L.E.R.T. training sessions and quizzes, LCC will then send your DR manual, badge, your personal certificate, and vest.

If your church is interested in hosting a Basic L.E.R.T. Training or if you have any questions, contact the LCC Disaster Response team at DRAdmin@LutheranChurchCharities.org or 866-455-6466.

Prairie Singers Christmas Concert The Glow of Christmas

The auditorium of Willow Creek Community Church

38W133 Huntley Rd, Huntley, Illinois

Saturday, December 3rd at 2:00 PM

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!

Do you shop the Amazon app via your mobile device? You can now support Lutheran Church Charities by using AmazonSmile through the app!

We’re proud to be a Thrivent Choice®-enrolled organization.

Through the Thrivent programs, Lutheran Church Charities is eligible to receive grant dollars, fee-free donations, and support from Thrivent Action Team service projects.

Directing Choice Dollars is easy!

Visit thrivent.com/thriventchoice to learn more OR call 800-847-4836 and say "Thrivent Choice" after the prompt.

Through the Thrivent programs, you are eligible to receive grant dollars, fee-free donations, and support from Thrivent Action Team service projects.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Thrivent Action Teams.

As always, thank you for all of your generous support - it makes a difference! If you would like to hear more about LCC ministry opportunities, which would benefit from an Action Team Card, please contact Tim Laabs at tlaabs@LutheranChurchCharities.org or (224) 443-4223.