LCMS Calendar

2026 Ohio March for Life
2026-10-02 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Los_Angeles) | Ohio State House, 1 Capitol Square, Columbus, Ohio, 43215, United States
The Rally will begin at 11 a.m., with the March to follow at 12 p.m. Register now to witness to the sanctity of life.

Register Now

FORO — Puerto Rico
2026-10-02 - 2026-10-04
LCMS International Mission will host a FORO about mission work in Puerto Rico on Oct. 2-4, 2026.
What is a FORO?
A FORO — Spanish for “forum” — fosters relationships between missionaries serving on behalf of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and mission partners. The meetings facilitate networking, start conversations, and focus resources to make disciples of all nations for generations to come.
When do FOROs occur?
Once or twice a year, LCMS missionaries meet with partners — people from churches, organizations, schools, and partner churches — in their mission field. They discuss strategies to make disciples, address community needs, emphasize mutual listening, and encourage shared decision-making.
Why are FOROs needed?
Missionaries don’t only need funding and volunteers. Missionaries need relationships. They need support networks. They need people to walk with them, pray with them, listen to them, learn from them, and stand with them. FOROs help provide those relationships.
To learn more about FOROs, visit international.lcms.org/foro.

Contacts
Rev. James Sharp
james.sharp@lcms.org
card@lcmsintl.org

2026 New Jersey March for Life
2026-10-08 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Chicago) | Trenton, New Jersey, NJ, United States

2026 North Dakota March for Life
2026-10-09 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Chicago) | Bismarck, North Dakota, OH, United States
More information to come. Register now to witness to the sanctity of life.

Register Now

FORO — Chile
2026-10-13 00:00 - 2026-10-14 23:59 (America/Chicago)
LCMS International Mission will host a FORO about mission work in Chile on Oct. 13-14, 2026. The meetings will be held in Valparaiso, Chile.

What is a FORO?

A FORO — Spanish for “forum” — fosters relationships between missionaries serving on behalf of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and mission partners. The meetings facilitate networking, start conversations, and focus resources to make disciples of all nations for generations to come.

When do FOROs occur?

Once or twice a year, LCMS missionaries meet with partners — people from churches, organizations, schools, and partner churches — in their mission field. They discuss strategies to make disciples, address community needs, emphasize mutual listening, and encourage shared decision-making.

Why are FOROs needed?

Missionaries don’t only need funding and volunteers. Missionaries need relationships. They need support networks. They need people to walk with them, pray with them, listen to them, learn from them, and stand with them. FOROs help provide those relationships.

To learn more about FOROs, visit international.lcms.org/foro.

Contact

Rev. James Sharp, LCMS Missionary

james.sharp@lcms.org

FORO — Peru
2026-10-16 - 2026-10-18
LCMS International Mission will host a FORO about mission work in Peru on Oct. 16-18, 2026.
What is a FORO?
A FORO — Spanish for “forum” — fosters relationships between missionaries serving on behalf of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and mission partners. The meetings facilitate networking, start conversations, and focus resources to make disciples of all nations for generations to come.
When do FOROs occur?
Once or twice a year, LCMS missionaries meet with partners — people from churches, organizations, schools, and partner churches — in their mission field. They discuss strategies to make disciples, address community needs, emphasize mutual listening, and encourage shared decision-making.
Why are FOROs needed?
Missionaries don’t only need funding and volunteers. Missionaries need relationships. They need support networks. They need people to walk with them, pray with them, listen to them, learn from them, and stand with them. FOROs help provide those relationships.
To learn more about FOROs, visit international.lcms.org/foro.

Contact
Erin Mackenzie, LCMS Missionary
erin.mackenzie@lcms.org

FORO — Bolivia
2026-10-20 00:00 - 2026-10-22 23:59 (America/Chicago)
LCMS International Mission will host a FORO about mission work in Bolivia on Oct. 20-22, 2026.

What is a FORO?

A FORO — Spanish for “forum” — fosters relationships between missionaries serving on behalf of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and mission partners. The meetings facilitate networking, start conversations, and focus resources to make disciples of all nations for generations to come.

When do FOROs occur?

Once or twice a year, LCMS missionaries meet with partners — people from churches, organizations, schools, and partner churches — in their mission field. They discuss strategies to make disciples, address community needs, emphasize mutual listening, and encourage shared decision-making.

Why are FOROs needed?

Missionaries don’t only need funding and volunteers. Missionaries need relationships. They need support networks. They need people to walk with them, pray with them, listen to them, learn from them, and stand with them. FOROs help provide those relationships.

To learn more about FOROs, visit international.lcms.org/foro.

Contact

Rev. James Sharp, LCMS Missionary

james.sharp@lcms.org

FORO — Mexico (With Ylseta Lutheran Mission Human Care in El Paso, Texas)
2026-10-28 - 2026-10-29
LCMS International Mission will host a FORO with Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care about mission work in Mexico on Oct. 28-29, 2026, in El Paso, Texas.
What is a FORO?
A FORO — Spanish for “forum” — fosters relationships between missionaries serving on behalf of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and mission partners. The meetings facilitate networking, start conversations, and focus resources to make disciples of all nations for generations to come.
When do FOROs occur?
Once or twice a year, LCMS missionaries meet with partners — people from churches, organizations, schools, and partner churches — in their mission field. They discuss strategies to make disciples, address community needs, emphasize mutual listening, and encourage shared decision-making.
Why are FOROs needed?
Missionaries don’t only need funding and volunteers. Missionaries need relationships. They need support networks. They need people to walk with them, pray with them, listen to them, learn from them, and stand with them. FOROs help provide those relationships.
To learn more about FOROs, visit international.lcms.org/foro.

Contact
Rev. Dr. Arthur Rickman, LCMS Missionary
arthur.rickman@lcms.org

Reformation Day
2026-10-31
Reformation Day is commemorated on Oct. 31 each year. LCMS congregations may hold special services on Oct. 31 and/or on the preceding or following Sunday.
To attend a service, visit locator.lcms.org/church to find a local Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod congregation. Enter your zip code and click “Search” to see a list of area churches, service times, and contact information.
If you are homebound, traveling, or otherwise unable to attend a service in person, KFUO Radio airs worship services throughout the church year. Visit KFUO.org to view the schedule and listen to services.
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About the Protestant Reformation
More than 500 years ago, the Protestant Reformation brought the church’s focus back to God’s free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.
On Oct. 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses — the “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences” — to the church door in a small city called Wittenberg, Germany. This event ignited the Protestant Reformation, and thus the Lutheran church officially commemorates this important anniversary on Oct. 31.
As you and your congregation prepare to celebrate this year, you are invited to use a variety of resources that highlight the history, theology, and continued effects of the Reformation today.
The Reformation was, first and foremost, all about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was then, and it still is now. The task of reformation never ends. Every person, in every generation, needs to hear the Good News of their Savior from sin and eternal death.
View Reformation resources

Liturgical color for Reformation Day
The altar will be adorned with the festive color of red.

Three-Year Series and One-Year Series
Scripture readings

Psalm 46

Revelation 14:6–7

Romans 3:19–28

John 8:31–36 or Matthew 11:12–19

Lectionary summary
The Son of God Has Set Us Free from Sin and Death by His Grace
“Wisdom is justified by her deeds” (Matt. 11:19), and the true Wisdom of God, Christ Jesus, the incarnate Son, has justified us by His deeds. He prepares His way by the preaching of repentance, but He has suffered the violence of the Law and voluntarily handed Himself over to violent men, that we might eat and drink with Him in His Kingdom and “remain in the house forever” (John 8:35). He is “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matt. 11:18–19), and He has rescued us by His grace from the slavery of sin and death. By the proclamation of His eternal Gospel “to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people” (Rev. 14:6), “the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law” (Rom. 3:21), “that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26). And by the hearing of that Gospel of Christ Jesus, “whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (Rom. 3:25), “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32).

LCMS Worship

lcms.org/worship

Worship planning resources

Subscribe to monthly resources email

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All Saints' Day
2026-11-01 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Chicago)
All Saints’ Day, which is on Nov. 1 of each year, will be commemorated in 2026 during Divine Services on Sunday, Nov. 1.

To attend an All Saints’ Day service, visit locator.lcms.org/church to find a local Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod congregation. Enter your zip code and click “Search” to see a list of area churches, service times, and contact information.

If you are homebound, traveling, or otherwise unable to attend a service in person, KFUO Radio airs worship services throughout the church year. Visit KFUO.org to view the schedule and listen to services.

Find a church near me

Liturgical color for All Saints’ Day

White, which is the color of purity and completeness, will adorn the altar on All Saints’ Day. This color, used primarily during these Sundays, assists in bearing the message that “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.” Christ’s triumph from the grave on Resurrection day is the cause for our rejoicing. His purity before his Father becomes our purity. White reinforces that message of joy.

Three-Year Series A and One-Year Series

Scripture readings

Psalm 149

Revelation 7:(2–8) 9–17

1 John 3:1–3

Matthew 5:1–12

Lectionary summary

Saints Are Blessed in the Eternal Presence of Christ

“A great multitude … from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages,” cry out, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne” (Rev. 7:9–17). Faith-filled saints from every place and time, with unified voices, eternally magnify the Lamb of God. As His beloved children, we, too, “shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:1–3). Joined with the throng of angels and myriad saints, we shall “serve him day and night in his temple” (Rev. 7:9–17). In our earthly tension vacillating between saint and sinner, faith and doubt, sacred and profane, we earnestly seek Jesus to calm our fears, comfort our spirits and forgive our sins. The Holy Spirit through faith in Christ propels us forward, fortifying us in Word and Sacrament, to our eternal home. In the midst of our constant struggle as believers, we need to be blessed. And so we are. The poor in spirit, the meek, the hungry, the thirsty, the merciful, the pure and the persecuted are all blessed, and we will most certainly inherit the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:1–12).

LCMS Worship

lcms.org/worship

Worship planning resources

Subscribe to monthly resources email

Find a church near me

FORO — Belize
2026-11-05 00:00 - 2026-11-09 23:59 (America/Chicago)
LCMS International Mission will host a FORO about mission work in Belize on Nov. 5-9, 2026.
What is a FORO?
A FORO — Spanish for “forum” — fosters relationships between missionaries serving on behalf of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and mission partners. The meetings facilitate networking, start conversations, and focus resources to make disciples of all nations for generations to come.
When do FOROs occur?
Once or twice a year, LCMS missionaries meet with partners — people from churches, organizations, schools, and partner churches — in their mission field. They discuss strategies to make disciples, address community needs, emphasize mutual listening, and encourage shared decision-making.
Why are FOROs needed?
Missionaries don’t only need funding and volunteers. Missionaries need relationships. They need support networks. They need people to walk with them, pray with them, listen to them, learn from them, and stand with them. FOROs help provide those relationships.
To learn more about FOROs, visit international.lcms.org/foro.

Contact
Rev. Herb Burch, LCMS Missionary
herb.burch@lcms.org

LCMS Board of Directors - November 2026 meeting
2026-11-20 - 2026-11-21
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Board of Directors is scheduled to meet on Nov. 20-21, 2026, in St. Louis.
The Board of Directors is the legal representative of the LCMS, and it is the custodian of all the property of the Synod — directly or by its delegation of such authority to an agency of the Synod.
The BOD exercises supervision over all the property and business affairs of the Synod, except in those areas where it has delegated such authority to an agency of the Synod or where the voting members of the Synod, through the adoption of bylaws or by other convention action, have assigned specific areas of responsibility to separate corporate or trust entities.
In such circumstances, the BOD retains general oversight responsibility as defined in Synod Bylaws.

First Sunday in Advent
2026-11-29 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Chicago)
The First Sunday in Advent, which marks the beginning of the new church year, will be commemorated on Sunday, Nov. 29, 2026.

To attend a worship service, visit locator.lcms.org/church to find a local Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod congregation. Enter your zip code and click “Search” to see a list of area churches, service times, and contact information.

If you are homebound, traveling, or otherwise unable to attend a service in person, KFUO Radio airs worship services throughout the church year. Visit KFUO.org to view the schedule and listen to services.

Find a church near me

Liturgical colors for the First Sunday in Advent

Blue or violet adorns the altar during Advent. Advent, a season of repentance, waiting and watching, looks forward in hope. Our Christian faith rests on the hope that Christ, who came in the flesh in history to accomplish our salvation, will also return in the same way to be our judge on the last day and bring us into eternal life.

Three-Year Series B Lectionary

Scripture readings

Isaiah 64:1–9

Psalm 80:1–7

1 Cor. 1:3–9

Mark 11:1–10 or Mark 13:24–37

Lectionary summary

The Lord Jesus Comes in Meekness and Humility to Save Us

Although we pray that God “would rend the heavens and come down” (Isaiah 64:1), that He would take vengeance against our enemies, we ourselves “have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:6). We have continued in our sins for “a long time, and shall we be saved?” (Is. 64:5). Yet, the Lord does not punish us in anger. He comes in voluntary meekness and humility to save us by His grace. Just as He once came into Jerusalem to sacrifice Himself for us upon the cross (Mark 11:4–8), He still comes to His Church with the fruits of His Passion. By His ministry of the Gospel, we are “enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge,” and so He will “sustain you to the end” (1 Cor. 1:5, 8). Although “heaven and earth will pass away,” His words “will not pass away” (Mark 13:31). As He sends disciples to call us to Himself in the fellowship of His Church, so will He “send out the angels” to gather us and all of His elect “from the ends of the earth” to Himself in heaven forever (Mark 13:27).

One-Year Series Lectionary

Scripture readings

Jer. 23:5–8

Psalm 24

Rom. 13:(8–10) 11–14

Matt. 21:1–9

Lectionary summary

The Lord Jesus Comes in Humility to Redeem Us

The new Church Year begins by focusing on the humble coming of our Lord. “Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey” (Matt. 21:5). Even as He was born in a lowly manger, so Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a beast of burden. For He bears the sin of the world. He is the Son of David riding to His enthronement on the cross, where He shows Himself to be “The LORD is our Righteousness” (Jer. 23:5–6). Our Lord still comes in great humility to deliver His righteousness to us in the Word and Sacraments. Before receiving Christ’s body and blood, we also sing, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matt. 21:9) And as we receive the Sacrament, we set our hearts on His return in glory, for “our salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed” (Rom. 13:11).

Media kits

The LCMS has produced media kits for congregations to use in reaching out to their communities. The free, downloadable resources are designed to allow congregations to add invitations and local details about worship services. Congregations are invited to use these resources to advertise service information or simply to generate opportunities for pastoral conversations in the community.

View media kits

LCMS Worship

lcms.org/worship

Worship planning resources

Subscribe to monthly resources email

Find a church near me

FORO — Malawi
2026-11-30 00:00 - 2026-12-04 23:59 (America/Chicago)
LCMS International Mission will host a FORO about mission work in Malawi from Nov. 30 to Dec. 4, 2026.
What is a FORO?
A FORO — Spanish for “forum” — fosters relationships between missionaries serving on behalf of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and mission partners. The meetings facilitate networking, start conversations and focus resources to make disciples of all nations for generations to come.
When do FOROs occur?
Once or twice a year, LCMS missionaries meet with partners — people from churches, organizations, schools and partner churches — in their mission field. They discuss strategies to make disciples and address community needs, emphasizing mutual listening and shared decision-making.
Why are FOROs needed?
Missionaries don’t only need funding and volunteers. Missionaries need relationships. They need support networks. They need people to walk with them, pray with them, listen to them, learn from them and stand with them. FOROs help provide those relationships.
To learn more about FOROs, visit international.lcms.org/foro.

Contact
Rev. Fernando Huf, Alliance MissionaryLCMS International Mission
fernando.huf@lcmsintl.org

Second Sunday in Advent
2026-12-06 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Chicago)
The Second Sunday in Advent will be commemorated on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2026.

To attend a worship service, visit locator.lcms.org/church to find a local Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod congregation. Enter your zip code and click “Search” to see a list of area churches, service times, and contact information.

If you are homebound, traveling, or otherwise unable to attend a service in person, KFUO Radio airs worship services throughout the church year. Visit KFUO.org to view the schedule and listen to services.

Find a church near me

Liturgical colors for the Second Sunday in Advent

Blue or violet adorns the altar during Advent. Advent, a season of repentance, waiting and watching, looks forward in hope. Our Christian faith rests on the hope that Christ, who came in the flesh in history to accomplish our salvation, will also return in the same way to be our judge on the last day and bring us into eternal life.

Three-Year Series B Lectionary

Scripture readings

Isaiah 40:1–11

Psalm 85

2 Peter 3:8–14

Mark 1:1–8

Lectionary summary

You Are Prepared through Repentance for the Coming of the Lord

“The gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1) begins when John the Baptist appears and comes “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4). As the prophet Isaiah had written, John is the messenger of the Lord, sent before His face to prepare His way. To this day, the ministry of the forerunner continues in the preaching of the Law and the Gospel and in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. By these ways and means, “the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” (Is. 40:5), and the Good Shepherd “will gather the lambs in his arms” (Is. 40:11). He speaks “tenderly to Jerusalem,” and He comforts His people by pardoning their iniquity (Is. 40:1–2). What is more, He promises “new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). Repent, therefore, and humble yourself as you wait for His coming in peace (2 Peter 3:14), because He “is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

One-Year Series Lectionary

Scripture readings

Mal. 4:1–6

Psalm 50:1–15

Rom. 15:4–13

Luke 21:25–36

Lectionary summary

The Lord Comes on the Last Day

The day on which our Lord returns will be a “great and awesome day” (Mal. 4:5). For He will come in a cloud with great power and glory. To the wicked and the proud, it will be a Day of judgment that will “set them ablaze” (Mal. 4:1). The signs preceding this Day will bring them fear and fainting. But to those who believe, who fear the name of the Lord, this Day is one to look forward to and rejoice in: “. . . straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28). Christ our Redeemer is coming; the Sun of Righteousness will bring healing in His wings. Let us, then, give attention to the words of the Lord, which do not pass away. Let us “through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures” (Rom. 15:4) be strengthened in our hope by the Holy Spirit and watch diligently for Jesus’ coming. Then, by God’s grace, we shall escape all these things that will come to pass and stand before the Son of Man.

Media kits

The LCMS has produced media kits for congregations to use in reaching out to their communities. The free, downloadable resources are designed to allow congregations to add invitations and local details about worship services. Congregations are invited to use these resources to advertise service information or simply to generate opportunities for pastoral conversations in the community.

View media kits

LCMS Worship

lcms.org/worship

Worship planning resources

Subscribe to monthly resources email

Find a church near me

Third Sunday in Advent
2026-12-13 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Chicago)
The Third Sunday in Advent will be commemorated on Sunday, Dec. 13, 2026.

To attend a worship service, visit locator.lcms.org/church to find a local Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod congregation. Enter your zip code and click “Search” to see a list of area churches, service times, and contact information.

If you are homebound, traveling, or otherwise unable to attend a service in person, KFUO Radio airs worship services throughout the church year. Visit KFUO.org to view the schedule and listen to services.

Find a church near me

Liturgical colors for the Third Sunday in Advent

Blue or violet adorns the altar during Advent. Advent, a season of repentance, waiting and watching, looks forward in hope. Our Christian faith rests on the hope that Christ, who came in the flesh in history to accomplish our salvation, will also return in the same way to be our judge on the last day and bring us into eternal life.

Three-Year Series B Lectionary

Scripture readings

Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11

Psalm 126

1 Thess. 5:16–24

John 1:6–8, 19–28

Lectionary summary

The Coming of the Christ Brings True Rejoicing in His Forgiveness

When he preaches repentance, John the Baptist points us to Christ Jesus. John was sent by God “as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him” (John 1:7). He baptizes with water in order to “make straight the way of the Lord,” who shall redeem His people from their sins (John 1:23). That Lord Jesus “who comes after” John now stands among us and makes Himself known to us (John 1:26–27). He has been anointed by the Holy Spirit “to bring good news to the poor” and “to bind up the brokenhearted” (Isaiah 61:1). By the washing of the water with His Word and Spirit, He clothes His Church with “the garments of salvation” and adorns her with His own righteousness “as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Is. 61:10). Therefore, we “rejoice always” in the Lord, “pray without ceasing” and “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess. 5:16–18). For “the God of peace,” who has called you by the Gospel, will surely “sanctify you completely,” so that “your whole spirit and soul and body” will “be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:23–24).

One-Year Series Lectionary

Scripture readings

Isaiah 40:1–8 (9–11)

Psalm 85

1 Cor. 4:1–5

Matt. 11:2–10 (11)

Lectionary summary

John the Baptizer Prepares the Way for the Lord

The voice of the Baptizer cried out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord …” (Isaiah 40:1). John called the people to be made ready for the Messiah’s coming through repentance, for “all flesh is grass” (Isaiah 40:6). Now He asks from prison, “Are you the one who is to come …?” (Matt. 11:2). Jesus’ works bear witness that He is. The sick are made well; the dead are raised, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them. Their iniquity is pardoned; they have received from the Lord’s hand double forgiveness for all their sins. The “stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor. 4:1) still deliver Christ’s overflowing forgiveness to the poor in spirit, comforting God’s people with the word of the Gospel which stands forever. This Gospel produces rejoicing among all those who believe.

Media kits

The LCMS has produced media kits for congregations to use in reaching out to their communities. The free, downloadable resources are designed to allow congregations to add invitations and local details about worship services. Congregations are invited to use these resources to advertise service information or simply to generate opportunities for pastoral conversations in the community.

View media kits

LCMS Worship

lcms.org/worship

Worship planning resources

Subscribe to monthly resources email

Find a church near me

Fourth Sunday in Advent
2026-12-20 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Chicago)
The Fourth Sunday in Advent will be commemorated on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2026.

To attend a worship service, visit locator.lcms.org/church to find a local Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod congregation. Enter your zip code and click “Search” to see a list of area churches, service times, and contact information.

If you are homebound, traveling, or otherwise unable to attend a service in person, KFUO Radio airs worship services throughout the church year. Visit KFUO.org to view the schedule and listen to services.

Find a church near me

Liturgical colors for the Fourth Sunday in Advent

Blue or violet adorns the altar during Advent. Advent, a season of repentance, waiting and watching, looks forward in hope. Our Christian faith rests on the hope that Christ, who came in the flesh in history to accomplish our salvation, will also return in the same way to be our judge on the last day and bring us into eternal life.

Three-Year Series B Lectionary

Scripture readings

2 Sam. 7:1–11, 16

Psalm 89:1–5 (19–29)

Rom. 16:25–27

Luke 1:26–38

Lectionary summary

The Lord Builds a House for David: Jesus Christ Who Comes in the Flesh

When King David “lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,” he piously supposed that he would build a house for God (2 Sam. 7:1–2). But the Lord would turn it around: He would establish a house for David and an everlasting throne. This He has done not only for David, but also for all His people, in the Son of David, Jesus Christ, “conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary” (Apostles’ Creed). That holy child, the incarnate “Son of the Most High,” receives “the throne of his father David” and begins to reign “over the house of Jacob forever” (Luke 1:32–33). Having given Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, His body is the true and eternal temple of God in which His people have their own place of peace and rest. That is “the mystery that was kept secret for long ages” but is now “made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God” in order that we may have faith and life in Christ (Rom. 16:25–26).

One-Year Series Lectionary

Scripture readings

Deut. 18:15–19

Psalm 111

Phil. 4:4–7

John 1:19–28 or Luke 1:39–56

Lectionary summary

John the Baptizer Points Everyone to the Messiah

The coming of God in all His unveiled power at Mount Sinai was terrifying to the people of Israel. The thundering voice of the Lord puts sinners in fear of death (Deut. 18:15–19). God, therefore, raised up a prophet like Moses — the Messiah, the Christ. God came to His people veiled in human flesh. The skies poured down the Righteous One from heaven; the earth opened her womb and brought forth Salvation (Introit) through the blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of the Lord (Luke 1:39–56). The fruit of her womb is the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the One whose sandal strap John was not worthy to loose (John 1:19–28). In Jesus we are delivered from fear and anxiety. In Him alone we have the peace of God which surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:4–7).

Media kits

The LCMS has produced media kits for congregations to use in reaching out to their communities. The free, downloadable resources are designed to allow congregations to add invitations and local details about worship services. Congregations are invited to use these resources to advertise service information or simply to generate opportunities for pastoral conversations in the community.

View media kits

LCMS Worship

lcms.org/worship

Worship planning resources

Subscribe to monthly resources email

Find a church near me

Christmas Eve
2026-12-24 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Chicago)
Christmas Eve, which commemorates the Nativity of our Lord, is on Thursday, Dec. 24, 2026.

To attend a worship service, visit locator.lcms.org/church to find a local Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod congregation. Enter your zip code and click “Search” to see a list of area churches, service times, and contact information.

If you are homebound, traveling, or otherwise unable to attend a service in person, KFUO Radio airs worship services throughout the church year. Visit KFUO.org to view the schedule and listen to services.

Find a church near me

Liturgical color for Christmas Eve

White, which adorns the altar on this evening, is the color of purity and completeness. In His light we see light, and by Him “though our sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.” Christ’s incarnation and His resurrection, His Gospel and its message to all nations are cause for our rejoicing. His purity before His Father becomes our purity. White reinforces this message of joy.

White is the appointed color for the 12 days of Christmas, Epiphany (Jan. 6), and the first Sunday following it, which is often observed as the Baptism of Our Lord. On high festive days when white is appointed, some churches also use gold.

Three-Year Series B and One-Year Series Lectionaries

Scripture readings for Christmas Eve

Isaiah 7:10-14

Psalm 110:1-4

1 John 4:7-16

Matt. 1:18-25

Lectionary summary

The Word of the Lord Is Fulfilled in the Flesh of Jesus

Though Ahaz would not ask, the Lord gives a sign to the House of David — “the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Is. 7:14). With this promise, He signifies that salvation is by His grace alone. It is no work or achievement of man, but the Lord’s own work and His free gift. The promise is fulfilled as the Son of God is conceived and born of the Virgin Mary, and the sign is received in faith by the House of David in the person of Joseph (Matt. 1:20–24). “Incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary” (Nicene Creed), God is with us (Immanuel) in the flesh of Jesus, Mary’s Son. Joseph believes that Word of God and so demonstrates a marvelous example in his immediate and quiet obedience, taking Mary to be his wife and caring for her in faith and love. He loves her because the love of God is manifest in this, that “the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world,” to be “the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10–14).

Media kits

The LCMS has produced media kits for congregations to use in reaching out to their communities. The free, downloadable resources are designed to allow congregations to add invitations and local details about worship services. Congregations are invited to use these resources to advertise service information or simply to generate opportunities for pastoral conversations in the community.

View media kits

LCMS Worship

lcms.org/worship

Worship planning resources

Subscribe to monthly resources email

Find a church near me

Christmas Day
2026-12-25 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Chicago)
Christmas Day is celebrated on Friday, Dec. 25, 2026. The Festival of the Nativity of our Lord is the traditional way of saying Christmas Day, on which Christians celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus.

To attend a worship service, visit locator.lcms.org/church to find a local Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod congregation. Enter your zip code and click “Search” to see a list of area churches, service times, and contact information.

If you are homebound, traveling, or otherwise unable to attend a service in person, KFUO Radio airs worship services throughout the church year. Visit KFUO.org to view the schedule and listen to services.

Find a church near me

Liturgical color for Christmas Day

White, the color of purity and completeness, adorns the altar to commemorate the Nativity of Our Lord. In His light we see light, and by Him “though our sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.” Christ’s incarnation and His resurrection, His Gospel and its message to all nations are cause for our rejoicing. His purity before His Father becomes our purity. White reinforces this message of joy.

White is the appointed color for the 12 days of Christmas, Epiphany (Jan. 6), and the first Sunday following it, which is observed as the Baptism of Our Lord. In all, white serves as the best festive color for the church year.

Three-Year Series B Lectionary

Scripture readings for Christmas Day

Isaiah 52:7-10

Psalm 2

Hebrews 1:1-6 (7-12)

John 1:1–14 (15-18)

Lectionary summary

The Living and Life-Giving Word of God Dwells Among Us in the Flesh

The Lord sends out His ministers of the Gospel to make disciples “of all the nations,” so that “all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” For the Lord has “bared his holy arm” in the incarnate Christ (Is. 52:7, 10). The child in the manger, born of the Virgin Mary, is the very Word of God, the only begotten Son of the Father, “whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Heb. 1:2). As “all things were made through him” (John 1:3), so are all things redeemed and made new in Him. In His body of flesh and blood, we behold “the radiance of the glory of God” (Heb. 1:3), “glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). He dwells among us in peace, that we might have life and light and salvation in Him. For by His Word of the Gospel, we are born again as the children of God, bearing His name and sharing His eternal life.

One-Year Series Lectionary

Scripture readings for Christmas Day

Exodus 40:17-21; 34-38

Psalm 2

Titus 3:4-7

John 1:1-14 (15-18)

Lectionary summary

The Living and Life-Giving Word of God Dwells among Us in the Flesh

In the beginning God created all things through His Word, His Son. But man fell into sin, and with man all creation was cursed. Therefore, God spoke His Word again, this time into the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary. The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle of our human nature (Ex. 40:17-21, 34-38). “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1-14). The Son of God took on our flesh and blood and died on the cross in order that we might receive the right to become the children of God through faith. Baptized into Christ’s body, we are made partakers of a new Genesis, “the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4–7). In Christ, the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man has truly appeared.

Media kits

The LCMS has produced media kits for congregations to use in reaching out to their communities. The free, downloadable resources are designed to allow congregations to add invitations and local details about worship services. Congregations are invited to use these resources to advertise service information or simply to generate opportunities for pastoral conversations in the community.

View media kits

LCMS Worship

lcms.org/worship

Worship planning resources

Subscribe to monthly resources email

Find a church near me

Epiphany
2027-01-06 00:00 - 23:59 (America/Chicago)
The Epiphany of our Lord will be commemorated on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2027.

After focusing on the Incarnation of our Lord — God becoming flesh — during the 12 days of Christmas, the season of Epiphany emphasizes the manifestation or self-revelation of God in that same flesh of Christ.

To attend a worship service, visit locator.lcms.org/church to find a local Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod congregation. Enter your zip code and click “Search” to see a list of area churches, service times, and contact information.

If you are homebound, traveling, or otherwise unable to attend a service in person, KFUO Radio airs worship services throughout the church year. Visit KFUO.org to view the schedule and listen to services.

Find a church near me

Liturgical color for Epiphany

White is the appointed color for the 12 days of Christmas, Epiphany (Jan. 6), and the first Sunday following it, which is often observed as the Baptism of Our Lord. On high festive days when white is appointed, some churches also use gold.

Three-Year Series B and One-Year Series Lectionaries

Scripture readings for Epiphany

Isaiah 60:1–6

Ephesians 3:1–12

Matthew 2:1–12

Psalms

Series B — Psalm 72:1–11 (12–15)

One-Year Series — Psalm 24

Lectionary summary

The Lord God Is Manifested in the Incarnate Son

The Feast of the Epiphany centers in the visit of the Magi from the East. In that respect, it is a “13th day” of Christmas, and yet it also marks the beginning of a new liturgical season. Where Christmas has focused on the incarnation of our Lord, that is, on God becoming flesh, the season of Epiphany emphasizes the manifestation or self-revelation of God in that same flesh of Christ. For the Lord Himself has entered our darkness and rises upon us with the brightness of His true light (Is. 60:1–2). He does so chiefly by His Word of the Gospel, which He causes to be preached within His Church on earth, not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles (Eph. 3:8–10). As the Magi were guided by the promises of Holy Scripture to find and worship the Christ Child with His mother in the house (Matt. 2:5–11), so does He call disciples from all nations by the preaching of His Word to find and worship Him within His Church (Is. 60:3–6).

LCMS Worship

lcms.org/worship

Worship planning resources

Subscribe to monthly resources email

Find a church near me

FORO — Honduras
2027-02-19 - 2027-02-21
LCMS International Mission will host a FORO about mission work in Honduras on Feb. 19-21, 2027.
What is a FORO?
A FORO — Spanish for “forum” — fosters relationships between missionaries serving on behalf of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and mission partners. The meetings facilitate networking, start conversations, and focus resources to make disciples of all nations for generations to come.
When do FOROs occur?
Once or twice a year, LCMS missionaries meet with partners — people from churches, organizations, schools, and partner churches — in their mission field. They discuss strategies to make disciples, address community needs, emphasize mutual listening, and encourage shared decision-making.
Why are FOROs needed?
Missionaries don’t only need funding and volunteers. Missionaries need relationships. They need support networks. They need people to walk with them, pray with them, listen to them, learn from them, and stand with them. FOROs help provide those relationships.
To learn more about FOROs, visit international.lcms.org/foro.

Contact
Rev. Herb Burch, LCMS Missionary
herb.burch@lcms.org

FORO — Panama
2027-02-26 00:00 - 2027-02-28 23:59 (America/Chicago)
LCMS International Mission will host a FORO about mission work in Panama from Feb. 26-28, 2027.

What is a FORO?

A FORO — Spanish for “forum” — fosters relationships between missionaries serving on behalf of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and mission partners. The meetings facilitate networking, start conversations, and focus resources to make disciples of all nations for generations to come.

When do FOROs occur?

Once or twice a year, LCMS missionaries meet with partners — people from churches, organizations, schools, and partner churches — in their mission field. They discuss strategies to make disciples, address community needs, emphasize mutual listening, and encourage shared decision-making.

Why are FOROs needed?

Missionaries don’t only need funding and volunteers. Missionaries need relationships. They need support networks. They need people to walk with them, pray with them, listen to them, learn from them, and stand with them. FOROs help provide those relationships.

To learn more about FOROs, visit international.lcms.org/foro.

Contact

Rev. Dr. Arthur Rickman, LCMS Missionary

arthur.rickman@lcms.org

FORO — Dominican Republic
2027-03-04 00:00 - 2027-03-07 23:59 (America/Chicago)
LCMS International Mission will host a FORO about mission work in the Dominican Republic on March 4-7, 2027.
What is a FORO?
A FORO — Spanish for “forum” — fosters relationships between missionaries serving on behalf of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and mission partners. The meetings facilitate networking, start conversations, and focus resources to make disciples of all nations for generations to come.
When do FOROs occur?
Once or twice a year, LCMS missionaries meet with partners — people from churches, organizations, schools, and partner churches — in their mission field. They discuss strategies to make disciples, address community needs, emphasize mutual listening, and encourage shared decision-making.
Why are FOROs needed?
Missionaries don’t only need funding and volunteers. Missionaries need relationships. They need support networks. They need people to walk with them, pray with them, listen to them, learn from them, and stand with them. FOROs help provide those relationships.
To learn more about FOROs, visit international.lcms.org/foro.

Contact
Dana Stigdon, LCMS Missionary
dana.stigdon@lcms.org

YouthLead Training — March 2027
2027-03-13 00:00 - 2027-03-16 23:59 (America/Chicago)
LCMS Youth Ministry will host 2 YouthLead Training events for teens from Saturday, March 13 to Tuesday, March 16, 2027, or Saturday, April 24 to Tuesday, April 27, 2027, in St. Louis.
YouthLead equips teens to develop and use their leadership skills as they serve Christ within their congregations and communities.
This year’s curriculum focus will be on apologetics, including how to understand and share Scripture and the resurrection of Jesus. Along with learning to teach this curriculum, we will lead youth in leadership skill development and building relationships with other young leaders.
Registration will open October 2026
Registration for both dates are scheduled to open in October 2026. More information will be provided as it is finalized.
Who can attend YouthLead?
Any high school youth who is an active member of an LCMS congregation and desires to be a leader along with adults who desire to mentor young leaders.
It is preferred that teens attend with an adult leader from their congregation, although arrangements can be made for teens to come unaccompanied.

What happens at a YouthLead Training event?
YouthLead equips teens to develop and use their leadership skills as they serve Christ within their congregations and communities.
The annual training event is led by our teen Executive Team and gives teens the tools they need to mature in their faith, become leaders in their congregations, and reach out to their peers with the love of Christ.
Download flyer

LCMS Youth Ministry

lcms.org/youth

youth.ministry@lcms.org

888-843-5267

facebook.com/LCMSyouth

facebook.com/lcmsgathering

twitter.com/LCMSyouth

Annunciation of our Lord
2027-03-25 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago)
The Annunciation of our Lord will be observed on March 25. The Annunciation commemorates the visit of the angel Gabriel to the blessed Virgin Mary, announcing that the eternal Son of God would take up human flesh in her womb and, in accordance with Isaiah’s prophecy, be born of a virgin.

His message declared that God showed undeserved kindness to Mary and, by faith in His Word, Christ was conceived in her. In this way, she is a godly example of faith for us also — how a Christian hears the Words and promises of God and says, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

The Annunciation is appointed for March 25, from which date Christmas came to be observed as the birth of Christ (nine months later). When the Annunciation falls in Passiontide, Holy Week or Easter, it is observed at another time.

If you are homebound, traveling, or otherwise unable to attend a service in person, KFUO Radio airs worship services throughout the church year. Visit KFUO.org to view the schedule and listen to services.

Find a church near me

Liturgical color for the Annunciation

White, the color of purity and completeness, adorns the altar to commemorate the Annunciation of Our Lord. In His light we see light, and by Him “though our sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.” Christ’s incarnation and His resurrection, His Gospel and its message to all nations are cause for our rejoicing. His purity before His Father becomes our purity. White reinforces this message of joy.

White is also the appointed color for the 12 days of Christmas, Epiphany (Jan. 6) and the first Sunday following it, which is observed as the Baptism of Our Lord. It is also the color for Easter.

Three-Year Series and One-Year Series

Scripture readings

Isaiah 7:10–14

Hebrews 10:4–10

Luke 1:26–38

Lectionary summary

Incarnate by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary and Made Man

“It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb. 10:4). But “nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). He opens ears to hear and wombs to conceive. “Let it be to me according to your word,” says St. Mary (Luke 1:38). The Most High who once dwelt in the tabernacle comes to overshadow Mary, who believes the angel’s “annunciation” (Luke 1:35). “The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). In Jesus Christ, God is with us — even from the moment of His conception. This miracle, that Mary should become the mother of God, will be a sign against the proud in Israel; it is the fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah and David. “I delight to do your will, O my God,” says Christ (Psalm 40:8). From Mary’s flesh, the Most High has prepared a body for His Son (Heb. 10:5), a body to be offered “once for all” as the sacrifice that alone takes away sins and gives a righteousness apart from the Law (Heb. 10:10). Through His conception, life and death, we have been sanctified. God favors us in this child. And like the blessed Virgin Mary, blessed “are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28).

LCMS Worship

lcms.org/worship

Worship planning resources

Subscribe to monthly resources email

Find a church near me

FORO — Belize
2027-04-01 00:00 - 2027-04-05 23:59 (America/Chicago)
LCMS International Mission will host a FORO about mission work in Belize on April 1-5, 2027.
What is a FORO?
A FORO — Spanish for “forum” — fosters relationships between missionaries serving on behalf of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and mission partners. The meetings facilitate networking, start conversations, and focus resources to make disciples of all nations for generations to come.
When do FOROs occur?
Once or twice a year, LCMS missionaries meet with partners — people from churches, organizations, schools, and partner churches — in their mission field. They discuss strategies to make disciples, address community needs, emphasize mutual listening, and encourage shared decision-making.
Why are FOROs needed?
Missionaries don’t only need funding and volunteers. Missionaries need relationships. They need support networks. They need people to walk with them, pray with them, listen to them, learn from them, and stand with them. FOROs help provide those relationships.
To learn more about FOROs, visit international.lcms.org/foro.

Contact
Rev. Herb Burch, LCMS Missionary
herb.burch@lcms.org

FORO — Mexico
2027-04-20 00:00 - 2027-04-21 23:59 (America/Chicago)
LCMS International Mission will host a FORO about mission work in Mexico on April 20-21, 2027, in Mexico City.

What is a FORO?

A FORO — Spanish for “forum” — fosters relationships between missionaries serving on behalf of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and mission partners. The meetings facilitate networking, start conversations, and focus resources to make disciples of all nations for generations to come.

When do FOROs occur?

Once or twice a year, LCMS missionaries meet with partners — people from churches, organizations, schools, and partner churches — in their mission field. They discuss strategies to make disciples, address community needs, emphasize mutual listening, and encourage shared decision-making.

Why are FOROs needed?

Missionaries don’t only need funding and volunteers. Missionaries need relationships. They need support networks. They need people to walk with them, pray with them, listen to them, learn from them, and stand with them. FOROs help provide those relationships.

To learn more about FOROs, visit international.lcms.org/foro.

Contact

Rev. Dr. Arthur Rickman, LCMS Missionary

arthur.rickman@lcms.org

YouthLead Training — April 2027
2027-04-24 00:00 - 2027-04-27 23:59 (America/Chicago)

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod's Birthday
2027-04-26
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod celebrates its birthday on April 26. Initial members, which included 12 pastors representing 14 congregations from Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Michigan, New York and Ohio, signed the church body’s constitution on April 26, 1847, at First Saint Paul Lutheran Church in Chicago, Ill.
Originally named The German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and Other States, the name was shortened to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in 1947 on the occasion of our 100th anniversary.
The roots of the LCMS run deep, tracing back to Saxon and other German immigrants establishing a new church body in America, seeking the freedom to practice and follow confessional Lutheranism.

Only Jesus: No Other Name

Resources to help celebrate the 175th anniversary of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
View resources

FORO — Peru
2027-04-29 00:00 - 2027-05-02 23:59 (America/Chicago)
LCMS International Mission will host a FORO about mission work in Peru from April 29 to May 2, 2027.

What is a FORO?

A FORO — Spanish for “forum” — fosters relationships between missionaries serving on behalf of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and mission partners. The meetings facilitate networking, start conversations, and focus resources to make disciples of all nations for generations to come.

When do FOROs occur?

Once or twice a year, LCMS missionaries meet with partners — people from churches, organizations, schools, and partner churches — in their mission field. They discuss strategies to make disciples, address community needs, emphasize mutual listening, and encourage shared decision-making.

Why are FOROs needed?

Missionaries don’t only need funding and volunteers. Missionaries need relationships. They need support networks. They need people to walk with them, pray with them, listen to them, learn from them, and stand with them. FOROs help provide those relationships.

To learn more about FOROs, visit international.lcms.org/foro.

Contact

Rev. James Sharp, LCMS Missionary

james.sharp@lcms.org.
