If you give to just one fund, this is the one that helps LCC the most. | | First Deployments Bring Lasting Impact | | Answering the call to serve for the first time brings unexpected challenges, meaningful connections, and a deeper understanding of God’s presence | | |
When tragedy strikes, Lutheran Church Charities ministry teams are often called into communities experiencing unimaginable grief. They are there to provide comfort and compassionate care and to bring tangible reminders that people are not alone in their pain.
For the experienced ministry partners, answering these deployment calls has become a familiar part of serving. But for those receiving their first call, the experience brings a different set of emotions. There are questions about what to expect, uncertainty about how people will respond, and the realization that they are stepping into the lives of people who have experienced something devastating.
Even with training and preparation, nothing quite prepares someone for that first time, and with the recent tragedies in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Oregon, several team members have been called to step into that moment for the first time.
For Dave and Darcy Myers of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Coeur d’Alene, ID, their first deployment came just months after joining the K-9 Comfort Dog ministry in April 2026. When they learned about the opportunity to serve in Bend, OR, following the recent school shooting, they didn’t spend much time considering what the experience might involve.
“We honestly didn’t have much time to think about it,” Dave Myers shared. “We just knew we should say ‘send us.’”
With Fisher Comfort Dog by their side, the couple traveled to Bend, ready to serve a community in deep pain. Myers described feeling both compassion and uncertainty as he entered the community, knowing he would encounter grief, fear, confusion, and questions without easy answers.
READ MORE about how these teams carried Christ's compassion into their first deployments
| | In Spartanburg, LCC Helping 4 Families
Get Into New Homes by Christmas | | LCC to return to South Carolina community for
new project assisting Hurricane Helene survivors | | |
More than two years after Hurricane Helene blasted through the Southeast, the effects of its destruction and wreckage are still felt.
In Spartanburg, SC, about a dozen families remain displaced from their homes. Scattered with relatives and friends. Living in tents and mobile homes. Their former houses still beyond repair. Condemned. Boarded up.
LCC Cares is stepping in to help.
In November and December, Lutheran Church Charities is joining Trinity Lutheran in Lisle, IL, in assisting four families who will be getting new homes – built by Mennonite craftsmen – just in time for Christmas.
LCC and Trinity are raising funds to furnish the new homes and then sending volunteers in early December to set them up for the families so they can be moved into their new homes by the holidays.
Trinity’s Ed and Jan Boerman also reached out to Bethany Lutheran of Naperville, IL, to assist as well.
“We are excited to be a part of this campaign to bring four families home for Christmas,” said Rev. Chris Singer, LCC President/CEO. “The generosity of LCC donors who have supported our Hurricane Helene relief work is making this happen. This is their financial support at work, supplying the needs of families who have been through so much and blessing them with a furnished home just as we celebrate the season of our Savior’s birth. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Jesus than to see and serve these families at Christmastime.”
You can continue the good and further support this campaign of kindness in two ways, notes Denise Snider, Director of LCC Cares. Give to the LCC Emergency Family Fund, which provides wraparound support for families facing hardship, or volunteer to help set up these new homes in Spartanburg on a short-term mission trip in early December. If you’re interested in participating in either of these ways, contact Denise Snider at dsnider@LutheranChurchCharities.org to learn more.
LCC and Trinity are working with the Spartanburg County Emergency Management Department to create an Amazon Wish List of items for the families to further help furnish their new homes.
| | Recognizing the Need for a Healing Heart | | |
Seeing and Serving through the eyes of Jesus Christ often means stepping into an unexpected moment and finding ways to offer comfort when people are hurting or suffering.
That is what Daniel Schmitt, a Hearts of Mercy & Compassion team member at Abiding Savior in Gainesville, FL, felt compelled to do when he learned of a horrific school bus accident in Winter Haven, about two hours from his home.
Early in the morning, while the school bus was filled with students, a car had drifted across the center line and struck the bus, which in turn collided with another vehicle. One child aboard the bus and the driver of the other vehicle lost their lives. Many others were injured and transported to local hospitals. The school bus rolled over onto its roof, leaving the end badly mangled. The bus driver was fortunate to walk away.
The accident left families grieving, a school community shaken, and an entire town struggling to process the tragedy. In the midst of such heartbreak, people needed to know that others cared and were thinking of them.
Schmitt learned that Moriah Comfort Dog (St. Luke’s – Oviedo, FL) and her team would be attending the Grace Lutheran School Fall Festival in Winter Haven a few days later. Seeing an opportunity to give the community a meaningful way to support those affected, he reached out to HMC Director Sarah Sekki to ask if he could bring two HMC hearts to the festival for community members to sign. The answer was a definite yes.
READ MORE about how the FL community was Seen and Served
| What is YOUR See & Serve Moment? | | See & Serve moments can happen almost anywhere and in any circumstance. LCC would love to hear your story of how you were seen and served — or how you stepped into the moment to see and serve someone else. Email us the details of who was seen and how they were served. Don't forget to include a photo or video if you have one. | | Trunk or Treating with LCC’s K-9s! | | These are just some of the many places LCC ministries served in their communities. | | |
• Omaha, NE – Three K-9 Comfort Dogs and their teams helped support survivors of suicide loss, law enforcement specialists, and other personnel who work with the community at the National LOSS Conference
• Pingree Grove, IL – Several K-9 teams were on hand to honor a firefighter and former Marine who died after experiencing a medical emergency during training exercises
• Superior, NE – Comfort Dog ministry members provided their calming presence for students, staff, and community members in the aftermath of the death of a beloved social studies teacher and coach
• Buffalo Grove, IL – Several K-9 teams were on hand for a wellness event for workers at the Plexus Corp.
• Glen Ellyn, IL – Jeremiah Comfort Dog visited a 98-year-old man in hospice who used to have a Golden Retriever that he misses quite a lot
• Hinsdale, IL – Comfort Dogs visited the UChicago Medicine Advent Hospital for Lung Cancer Awareness Month
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One Tree Down,
Eight to Go
Removing a tree with six separate trunks needs precision and skill. LERT volunteers from Immanuel in East Dundee, IL, provided that valuable knowledge and expertise when they recently removed nine trees, including the six-trunked one, from a congregation member’s home. Branches were run through a chipper for mulch for the homeowner’s flower beds, and the trunks were cut and stacked into firewood. “Mr. C. was very thankful for the assistance in making his yard safe,” said LCC Disaster Response Director Kathy O’Day. “It was a good day of serving and learning together.”
| | New Cares Team Makes St. Paul First Church to Engage in All Four LCC Ministries | |
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Concordia, MO, is an active congregation with a vision of making a Christ-centered difference in their community. St. Paul’s provides the Mercy and Compassion of Jesus Christ in many ways, including a LERT Disaster Response ministry, a K-9 Comfort Dog team, a Hearts of Mercy & Compassion ministry, and now an LCC Cares ministry.
In October, St. Paul’s became an official LCC Cares affiliate and the first church to be engaged with all four of LCC’s ministries.
“This milestone reflects the congregation’s dedication to being the hands and feet of Jesus, reaching out to individuals and families with Christ-centered care, comfort, and hope during life’s most challenging moments,” said LCC Cares Director Denise Snider.
Through its new ministry, St. Paul’s will provide compassionate care to people who are experiencing difficult circumstances and life transitions. The new team will walk alongside individuals grieving the loss of a spouse, reach out to people who are homebound or experiencing loneliness, help persons with transportation needs, assist caregivers of individuals with memory loss, create social opportunities for people to connect with others, plus more nurturing support as the ministry grows.
And LCC Cares will be there to walk alongside them, providing resources and advice for building and equipping the new team to better serve their community. LCC Cares also offers Spiritual First Aid™ training so team members can compassionately care for those suffering or in need.
READ MORE about how St. Paul’s will serve its community
| | Get a 2027 K-9 Comfort Dog calendar! Available now! | | |
Keep the Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry in your thoughts and prayers every day of the year with the 2027 K-9 Comfort Dog Calendar! This colorful, 12-month flip calendar can easily be hung on a wall or bulletin board or written on for planning and scheduling at your desk. With sharp photography, you can see the Comfort Dogs in action, follow along with their Bible verses, and track the communities where they live and serve. It makes a great gift — for you and others!
| | Comfort Dog Teams Honor Fallen Firefighter | |
More than 50 fire department vehicles, including two ladder trucks with their ladders extended and an American flag hanging in between, were on hand Friday to honor an Illinois firefighter who passed away after a medical emergency during a training exercise the week before.
Seven LCC Comfort Dog teams joined hundreds of fellow firefighters, friends, and family to remember 35-year-old Greg Witt, a member of the Rutland-Dundee Fire Protection District in Illinois, a U.S. Marine veteran, and a lifelong resident of the area. The governor of Illinois ordered flags to be at half-staff Friday, declaring that Witt had died in the line of duty. Attending firefighters offered a final solemn tribute to their fallen comrade during a Fire Safety Honor Walk Through. A Heart of Mercy & Compassion was given to Witt’s family.
“Greg was a member of our family. He served his country as a marine and served this community as a firefighter, and he did both with honor,” said Rutland-Dundee Fire Chief Christopher Reedy.
READ MORE about how LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs honored this firefighter
| | It’s a Cross-Painting Party! | | The HMC team at Bethlehem Lutheran in Raymore, MO, were down to only four crosses, so they knew they needed to get busy! Volunteers got together for a painting party, replenishing their inventory. “We are so blessed to have a great team here,” said Roger Fox. | | LCC Welcomes St. Luke’s to HMC Ministry | | |
“Where there is hurting, heartache, brokenness, confusion and sorrow, God needs to be present … in prayer and also in a tangible way with a cross and heart.”
Nancy Baker of St. Luke’s in Federal Way, WA, described perfectly how she felt when she knew she wanted her church to have a Hearts of Mercy & Compassion ministry team. Baker was inspired to start a team after seeing how powerful the HMC crosses can be during tragic and emotional events.
A photo of the memorial site after the 2025 New Years Day attack in New Orleans struck her immensely. “The image of multiple crosses lined up, one after the other, was a tangible and powerful reminder that God IS present amidst the tragedy and heartbreak.”
A series of other tragedies in her area – the catastrophic chemical tank rupture at a paper plant this May, the shootings at the Bite of Seattle food festival in July, and just recently the death of a 16-year-old who was killed when a vehicle struck him while he was standing on the sidewalk – showed Baker in real time why she wanted to start an HMC ministry at St. Luke’s.
READ MORE about how the new HMC ministry team came about
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| | “Team Eden had a special God moment recently at the LOSS Conference in Nebraska. A women approached us and knelt with Eden. She was from York, NE, and told us that her daughter died 5 1/2 years ago by suicide. After more conversation we told her that Eden’s very first visit, after we got her, was to York for her daughter's visitation. It was a very special experience.” | | | | A New Home and Renewed Hope | |
The LCC Cares Ministry had the joy of partnering with St. Paul Lutheran Church in Chicago Heights, IL, to share God’s hope and love with LaTasha and her family during an incredibly difficult season.
LaTasha’s family had just said their final goodbyes to her mother when, only two days later, a devastating storm tore through the home where they were living. The storm caused severe wind and flood damage to the house, significantly damaging the roof and destroying the porch, resulting in an injury to LaTasha’s leg. Suddenly displaced from their home, LaTasha and her family faced the overwhelming challenge of finding a new place to live while navigating unexpected medical expenses.
Through the partnership with LCC, St. Paul Lutheran Church came alongside LaTasha and her family, offering support and helping them find a new place to call home – all of which was made possible through the generosity of LCC donors.
We are deeply grateful for every dollar given to LCC, allowing us to partner with churches to serve individuals and families in need. Together, we can share the love, mercy, and hope found in Christ, reminding people that even in life’s most difficult moments, they are not alone.
us Christ.
| Vehicle Needed For Man Who Helped In Haiti | |
For 11 years, Wisly Pierre (pictured) has served in Haiti helping children who are suffering and feeling hopeless find ways to be heard and have a fair start in life through the Habitat For Children Ministries. Now this steward of compassion needs help of his own.
Meschac St. Amour, president and founder of Habitat For Children Ministries, is requesting assistance in finding a vehicle for Pierre. The 28-year-old man, who was orphaned when he was young, was taken in by St. Amour when he was 15 and has continually worked hard to build a better future for himself. Pierre is currently living with St. Amour in Florida and attending English classes as he continues his education and works toward becoming more independent.
Having reliable transportation would make a tremendous difference in Pierre’s ability to attend school, fulfill his responsibilities, and continue working toward his goals. St. Amour is asking LCC supporters to consider donating funds that could be used to purchase a low-cost vehicle for Pierre or even consider donating a reliable vehicle that can be gifted to this young man.
“Any support, guidance, or assistance you can offer would be greatly appreciated,” said St. Amour. “Helping Wisly obtain reliable transportation would be a meaningful investment in his future and an opportunity to support someone who has dedicated many years of service to helping others.”
Thank you for taking the time to prayerfully consider this request. LCC, St. Amour, Pierre, and Habitat For Children Ministries sincerely appreciate your kindness, generosity, and consideration.
| | Thank You For Helping LCC Prepare For the Future! | | |
Thank you to everyone who participated in our recent surveys! Your valuable input will help guide LCC’s growth and strengthen our ability to See & Serve more people in need, sharing Christ’s compassion with those who are suffering.
As we look to the future, we remain committed to the calling God has given us: to be His hands and feet, bringing hope, comfort, and compassionate care to those who need it most. As 1 Corinthians 12:12 reminds us, “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.”
Each of you, our donors, volunteers, affiliates, and ministry partners, is an important part of LCC’s ministry. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, for your continued support, and for helping us discern how we can better serve others in Christ’s name. Together, we look forward to what God will accomplish through LCC in the years ahead!
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Train A Future
LCC K-9 Comfort Dog
Become a Volunteer Apprentice Trainer with the Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry and help prepare a dog with a greater purpose—bringing comfort and hope to those in need.
As a volunteer, you’ll foster a puppy in training, support socialization and basic training, and attend weekly classes with LCC staff trainers. Many volunteers return year after year for the strong community, spiritual growth, and the joy of serving alongside these amazing dogs.
New training classes under way in three locations!
Lutheran Church Charities – Northbrook, IL, East Dundee, IL, Montgomery, IL
LCC provides all food, supplies, and veterinary care.
Must be 18 or older.
| Can You Care For A Puppy? We Need Your Help! | |
LCC is looking for volunteers to provide care for our new puppies in training. Will you help?
Volunteer puppy raisers provide a loving home where the puppy lives with them while attending weekly training classes. This is a rewarding opportunity to help raise and socialize a future LCC K-9 Comfort Dog as they prepare for their ministry work.
Join us on Monday evenings from 6:00–8:00 p.m. for all the direction and instruction you'll need.
Email k9trainers@lutheranchurchcharities.org for more information.
Class Details:
- Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Location: St. Luke's Lutheran Church, 63 Fernwood Road, Montgomery, IL 60538
Thank you for considering this opportunity to make a difference!
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Help Your Community in Times of Disaster by
Getting Trained to Serve as a LERT Volunteer
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When disasters strike, lives, homes, businesses, churches...everything and everyone can be affected. LCC LERT (Lutheran Early Response Team) volunteers respond quickly to serve people affected by a disaster.
Lutheran Church Charities will provide the next In-Person LCMS LERT Basic Training:
Saturday, November 7
Christ Lutheran Church
14700 South 94th Avenue
Orland Park, IL 60462
Registration: 8:30 am – 9:00 am
Training: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
| New Video Shows How to Start HMC at Your Church | |
Through simple wooden hearts, accented with the Christian fish symbol and meaningful Bible verses, HMC hearts and crosses spread comfort and care to people in times of grief and happiness.
The ministry brings together volunteers with different skill sets, who have a shared passion to support their neighbor. With 23 affiliate churches in 16 states, the Hearts of Mercy & Compassion ministry is growing.
You can be a part of it!
A new animation explainer video shows congregations how their church can serve their communities by building and sharing hearts and crosses.
The Hearts of Mercy & Compassion ministry is growing and would be a great addition to your congregation. See the impact firsthand!
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Bring Spiritual First Aid™ to Your Church
Watch for Lutheran Church Charities coming to a church or community near you. To schedule a Spiritual First Aid™ (SFA) training or invite LCC to your church, contact: DMartin@LutheranChurchCharities.org.
Upcoming Trainings, Guest Preaching, and Partner Events
November 20-21
Spiritual First Aid training workshop
Ascension Lutheran, Wichita, KS
Rev. Chris Singer will preach on Saturday, November 21, and Sunday, November 22
If you would like to join one of these trainings, register at lcc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/1474/responses/new.
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Pray With Us or Communities Facing Tragedy | |
Across the country, LCC Disaster Response and Care teams are present with communities as they walk through moments of deep loss and uncertainty. While many supporters choose to give financially, others ask how they can support the work through prayer. Below are a few ways you can pray alongside us this week.
Bend, OR – K-9 Comfort Dog and Hearts of Mercy & Compassion teams are caring for families, first responders, and community members after a school shooting devastated this community.
- Pray for comfort and compassion for the people of Bend. Schools are about to reopen but fears and anxiety are very high. Pray that God would be near to the families during their time of grief and mourning.
Hilton Head, SC – Pastor Kevin Duff and his family have gone through numerous ups and downs in his journey with cancer and the difficult news that comes with it. Recently he entered hospice care. The disease has taken a toll on his body and on the whole family’s mental and emotional health.
- Dear Lord, we lift up the Duff family to You as they carry this heavy burden and uncertainty. Surround them with Your peace, courage, and strength when fear and exhaustion enter. We especially pray for Kevin as he fights this cancer. We ask for courage when weariness sets in, and hope when news seems unclear. Please guide the hands and minds of the doctors, nurses, and specialists who care for Kevin to treat him with all they are able to do for him.
Chicago, IL - St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Chicago serves the low-income neighborhood of Pilsen. Yet God is moving there in substantial ways.
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Please pray for funds to be raised to continue care and share ministries. Pray for the St. Matthew congregation and leaders as they serve families in need.
Thank you for standing with these communities. Whether through prayer, encouragement, or financial support, your partnership helps make it possible for our teams to be present with people in some of life’s most difficult moments.
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From This Week’s Daily Devotions | | |
“Jesus wept.” (John 11:35)
All Saints Day reminds us of the incredible promise we have in Christ. Those who die in Him are with Him.
On this day, we give thanks for the faithful departed while keeping our eyes on the promise, resurrection, and eternal life in Christ. But that promise does not mean there are no tears.
Before entering the sanctuary for a funeral, I often remind a grieving family of something very simple: God’s house has room for tears. We do not have to hide them, nor do we need to apologize for them. We do not have to pretend that faith removes the pain of saying goodbye.
Jesus Himself showed us that. Before He speaks life into Lazarus’s tomb, He stands with the people whose hearts are hurting, and He makes room for grief. More than that, He enters into it.
Making room for grief is one way we can see and serve. We see someone’s pain. We serve them with presence. We listen. We can pray. We can remind them gently and faithfully that they do not grieve alone.
At Lutheran Church Charities, we believe that compassion is seeing others through the eyes of Christ and serving them with His love. That’s why your partnership with Lutheran Church Charities matters so much. When you give, pray, volunteer, or support this ministry, you become part of bringing Christ’s compassion into real places of suffering.
And through your generosity, people who are hurting are not simply told that Jesus loves them, they experience His mercy through caring, presence, practical help, and the hope of His gospel.
This is the heart behind Lutheran Church Charities’ annual campaign, See & Serve. Compassion is seeing others through the eyes of Christ and serving them with His love.
READ or LISTEN to the entire devotion
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WORD Bible Study
“FOLLOW THE ComPASSION”
Still accepting registrations
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Join us this fall for a powerful new session of WORD Bible Study as we journey through one of the most transformative periods in Christian history. “FOLLOW THE ComPASSION” explores the incredible story of the early Christian Church — from the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus to His Ascension, and through the explosive growth of the Church in the face of intense persecution. We will be starting with in-depth study of 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1 & 2 Corinthians.
Discover how the compassion of Christ ignited a movement that would change the world, culminating in the conversion of Constantine the Great.
Flexible Class Options
- In-Person or Live on Zoom – Mondays at 9:30 a.m. St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 24500 N Old McHenry Rd, Hawthorn Woods, IL
- Zoom – Mondays at 6:30 p.m.
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On-Demand Access – 24/7 via our class portal, including weekly handouts
This course is non-denominational and has people from all walks of faith and those who are not Christian but want to learn more, including students from various states and countries!
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Meet Your Instructor - Tim Hetzner
With over 45 years in ministry, Tim Hetzner brings deep biblical insight and a passion for discipleship. As author and teacher of the in-depth WORD Bible Study curriculum, Tim has served as Director of Discipleship, President/CEO of Lutheran Church Charities, and now serves as Ambassador for Spiritual Growth. He also writes a nationally distributed daily devotion and has led biblical study tours in the Middle East for over 30 years.
Grow in your understanding of the Mind, Method, and Manner of Serving of Jesus! Follow the compassion. BE PART OF THE STORY.
LEARN MORE & REGISTER: FOLLOW THE COMPASSION
https://www.lutheranchurchcharities.org/word-live.html
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MAIL YOUR GIFTS
Lutheran Church Charities
3020 Milwaukee Ave.
Northbrook, IL 60062
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Support Lutheran Church Charities through Thrivent Choice®
We're proud to be a Thrivent Choice®-enrolled organization. You can direct Choice Dollars, make fee-free donations, and support us through Thrivent Action Team projects. It’s easy to help! Visit thrivent.com/thriventchoice or call 800-847-4836 and say “Thrivent Choice.”
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