LCMS Calendar

2024 Colorado March for Life in Denver
2024-04-12 | Denver State Capitol, 200 E. Colfax Ave, Denver, CO, 80203, United States
Join us in Denver for the Colorado March for Life 2024 on April 12 at the State Capitol. The rally begins at 11:00am and the march at 12:00pm. More details are to come.

Easter
2024-03-31
Easter — the Resurrection of Our Lord — will be celebrated on Sunday, March 31, 2024.
By the shed blood of Christ, eternal death has passed over us, and now we pass with Christ through death into life everlasting. For Christ the crucified One is risen!
To attend an Easter 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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Liturgical colors for Easter
The altar will be adorned with white, which is the color of purity and completeness and the color for all major feasts of Christ. The theme for the “great fifty days” of Easter is supported by the use of white. 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.
Gold may also be used for Easter Sunday and major feasts of Christ. Gold represents value and worth. The golden festival of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the event that gives our lives meaning and worth. He is worthy of our praise as we adorn his altar with the color of splendor.

Three-Year Series B
Scripture readings

Isaiah 25:6–9

1 Corinthians 15:1–11

Mark 16:1–8

Lectionary summary
The Risen Christ Has Swallowed Up Death Forever!
The entire fallen world is veiled in a funeral shroud “that is spread over all nations” and “cast over all peoples” (Is. 25:7). But the Lord of hosts, in the Person of the incarnate Son, Jesus Christ, has removed that terrible pall and swallowed up death forever. By submitting Himself to death, He burst it apart from the inside out. Now He wipes away all tears from our faces, and He invites us to “be glad and rejoice in his salvation” (Is. 25:9). His body and His blood, crucified and risen, are given and poured out for us as a feast “of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined” (Is. 25:6). We enter that feast through Holy Baptism, whereby our old man is buried with Jesus Christ, and we are raised up in Him, “dressed in a white robe” of His perfect righteousness (Mark 16:5). What St. Paul and the other apostles received “by the grace of God” is also “delivered to you” by the preaching of Christ, “in which you stand, and by which you are being saved” (1 Cor. 15:1–11).

One-Year Series
Scripture readings

Job 19:23–27

1 Corinthians 5:6–8 or 1 Corinthians 15:51–57

Mark 16:1–8

Lectionary summary
Christ’s Resurrection Means That We Will One Day Be Raised
“Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Cor. 5:7). By the shed blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, eternal death has passed over us. Now we pass with Christ through death into life everlasting. For Christ the crucified One is risen! The stone has been rolled away from the tomb, revealing that the tomb could not hold Him (Mark 16:1–8). Now our Redeemer lives eternally to save us from sin and Satan and the grave, and we can live in the sure hope of our own bodily resurrection with Christ. “After my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God” (Job 19:26). Feasting on the living Christ, who is our meat and drink indeed, we boldly say: “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? . . . But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:54–55, 57).

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Good Friday
2024-03-29
Good Friday will be commemorated on Friday, March 29, 2024.
To attend a Good Friday 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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Liturgical color for Good Friday
The altar will be adorned with black. The calendar calls for its use only twice — Good Friday and Ash Wednesday. There’s no mistaking the message that this sober color gives. Black is the absence of light. Good Friday, or Black Friday in combination with Ash Wednesday, calls for sober reflection on the cost of our redemption.
Without Christ’s sacrifice on the day the sky turned dark and hid the light of the sun, there would be no bright Light of Christ to live in, nor new life in Christ to enjoy.

Three-Year Series B
Scripture readings

Isaiah 52:13—53:12

Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7–9

John 18:1-19:42 or John 19:17-30

Lectionary summary
Behold the Lamb of God, Who Takes Away the Sin of the World
Jesus, the Lamb of God, is led to the slaughter of His cross as the Sacrifice of Atonement for the sin of the world. “Despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Is. 53:3), He is the righteous Servant who justifies many by His innocent suffering and death. He bears our griefs and sorrows; He is wounded for our transgressions; He is crushed for our iniquities; He suffers our chastisement; “and with his wounds we are healed” (Is. 53:4–5). As the Son of God, He fulfills the Law for us in human flesh, and so fulfills the Scriptures (John 19:7, 24). In perfect faith and faithfulness, He shares all our weaknesses and temptations, “yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). As our merciful High Priest, He brings us to the Father in peace, “makes intercession for the transgressors” (Is. 53:12) and joins our prayers to His own, so that we are heard “because of his reverence” (Heb. 5:7). From His cross, He gives us His Spirit (John 19:30), washes us with water from His side and covers us with His blood (John 19:34).

One-Year Series
Scripture readings

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

2 Corinthians 5:14–21

John 18:1-19:42

Lectionary summary
Behold the Lamb of God, Who Takes Away the Sin of the World
Jesus, the Lamb of God, is led to the slaughter of His cross as the sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the world. “Despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Is. 53:3), He is the righteous Servant who justifies many by His innocent suffering and death. He bears our griefs and carries our sorrows; He is wounded for our transgressions; He is crushed for our iniquities; He suffers our chastisement, so that “with His stripes we are healed” (Is. 53:4–5). As the Son of God, He fulfills the Law for us in human flesh, and so fulfills the Scriptures (John 19:7, 24). For in Christ, “God was reconciling the whole world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them” (2 Cor. 5:19).

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Holy (Maundy) Thursday
2024-03-28
Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, will be commemorated on Thursday, March 28, 2024.
To attend a Maundy Thursday 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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Liturgical colors for Holy (Maundy) Thursday
Scarlet will adorn the altar on Palm Sunday through Maundy Thursday. It is a color worth investing in because it stands in contrast to the traditional red that is used on Festival Sundays. Scarlet’s use during the somber days of Holy Week help to offer a different message. As the Manual on the Liturgy points out, “scarlet is a color anciently associated with the passion … the color of blood” (p. 25).
Violet may also be used where Scarlet vestments are not present. In some places, White may also be used indicating that this is a high feast of Christ who instituted the Blessed Sacrament on this night.

Three-Year Series B
Scripture readings

Exodus 24:3–11 or Exodus 12:1–14

1 Corinthians 10:16–17 or 1 Corinthians 11:23–32

Mark 14:12–26 or John 13:1–17, 31b–35

Lectionary summary
Let Us Love One Another, as Christ Has Loved Us and Loves Us to the End
“The LORD’s Passover” (Ex. 12:11) and “the blood of the covenant” at Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:8) are preeminent types of the Lord’s Supper. The blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, now covers us, and we keep His Supper “as a feast to the LORD” (Ex. 12:13–14). In Him, we see “the God of Israel” (Ex. 24:10), and yet He does not lay His hand on us to punish us. As disciples of Jesus, we recline at the table with Him to eat and drink in peace (Mark 14:18). The apostles, who received the New Testament in His blood “on the night when he was betrayed,” delivered the same to His Church, which we also now receive in remembrance of Him (1 Cor. 11:23–26; Mark 14:22–25). So He has “loved his own who were in the world,” and He loves us “to the end” (John 13:1). As He thus feeds us in love, let us love one another, just as He has loved us (John 13:34). For “we who are many are one body” because “we all partake of the one bread,” which is the body of Christ (1 Cor. 10:17).

One-Year Series
Scripture readings

Exodus 12:1–14 or Exodus 24:3–11

1 Corinthians 11:23–32

John 13:1–15 (34–35)

Lectionary summary
Let Us Love One Another, as Christ Jesus Has Loved Us
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). By eating His body and drinking His blood, we proclaim to all the world that Jesus is, indeed, our Passover Lamb (Ex. 12:1–14), who was sacrificed for us on Calvary. In Christ, the Lord remembers us in mercy and remembers our sin no more; He forgives us all our iniquity. With such love, he “loved His own who were in the world,” and even loves us “to the end” (John 13:1). As He washes us and feeds us in love, let us love one another, just as He has loved us (John 13:34).

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Palm Sunday
2024-03-24
Palm Sunday, also known as the Sunday of the Passion, will be commemorated on Sunday, March 24, 2024.
To attend a Palm Sunday 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 Palm Sunday
Scarlet will adorn the altar on Palm Sunday through Maundy Thursday. It is a color worth investing in because it stands in contrast to the traditional red that is used on Festival Sundays. Scarlet’s use during the somber days of Holy Week help to offer a different message. As the Manual on the Liturgy points out, “scarlet is a color anciently associated with the passion … the color of blood” (p. 25). Violet may also be used where Scarlet vestments are not present.

Scripture readings for Palm Sunday
Three-Year Series B Lectionary

John 12:12–19 (Procession)

Zechariah 9:9–12

Philippians 2:5–11

Mark 14:1—15:47 or Mark 15:1–47 or John 12:20–43

Lectionary summary
The Son of David Ascends His Throne and Reigns in Love from His Cross
The Son of David comes in gentle humility, “sitting on a donkey’s colt,” yet as the King of Israel “in the name of the Lord” (John 12:13–15). He comes to be lifted up in glory on the cross in order to cast out “the ruler of this world” and draw all people to Himself (John 12:23–32). The Church is thus called to “rejoice greatly,” because her King comes with salvation, and “he shall speak peace to the nations” (Zech. 9:9–10). As He is anointed “beforehand for burial” (Mark 14:8), He also ascends His royal throne as “the King of the Jews” by way of His Passion (Mark 15:2, 17–19, 26). He goes “as it is written of him,” wherefore “you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power” (Mark 14:21, 62). For the glory of God is love, which crescendos in the humble obedience and voluntary self-sacrifice of the Son of God for the salvation of sinners. So, God the Father has “highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name” (Phil. 2:9), that He might reign over us in love with the forgiveness of His cross.

One-Year Series Lectionary

Matthew 21:1–9 (Procession) or John 12:12–19 (Procession)

Zechariah 9:9–12

Philippians 2:5–11

Matthew 26:1—27:66 or Matthew 27:11–54

Lectionary summary
The Cross and Passion of Our Lord Are the Hour of His Glory
“Behold, your King is coming to you . . . humble and mounted on a donkey” (Zech. 9:9–12; Mt. 21:1–9). Our Lord rides in this humble fashion because He is entering Jerusalem to humble Himself even to the point of death on a cross (Phil. 2:5–11). His kingly crown will not be made of gold but of thorns, the sign of sin’s curse. For His royal reign is displayed in bearing this curse for His people, saving us from our enemies by sacrificing His own life. The sinless One takes the place of the sinner so that the sinner can be freed and bear the name “Barabbas,” “son of the Father” (Matthew 26 and 27). It is at the name of this exalted Savior, Jesus, that we bow in humble faith. With the centurion who declared, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Mt. 27:54), we are also given to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:11).

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Spring 2024 Missionary Kid Program Team — Africa
2024-03-20 - 2024-03-24
Missionaries of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod who are serving our Lord in Africa will gather with their families for a time of continuing education from March 20-24, 2024.
While the adults have a program of scheduled studies, volunteers are needed to join a short-term mission team to prepare and lead the children’s program for the missionary kids, ranging in age from toddlers to teens.
The program can be modeled after a kids camp, Vacation Bible School or other types of active learning. We will provide the curriculum for team members to use as a framework.
The missionary gathering incorporates worship, rest and fellowship. It is also important to care for our missionary children, and LCMS International Mission wants them to have fun while nurturing their faith.
More information, including the event location, will be provided upon completion of your application.

Cost: Approximately $50/person (airfare not included)

Included: Food, lodging, project costs, coordination and international medical insurance

Learn more and sign up

2024 Connecticut March for Life in Hartford
2024-03-20 | Connecticut State Capitol, 210 Capitol Ave, Hartford, CT, 06106, United States
The 2024 Connecticut March for Life is March 20, 2024. The rally begins at the Capitol at 12:00pm and the march begins at 1:00pm. Join us in Hartford as we witness to the sanctity of life.

2024 Arizona March for Life in Phoenix
2024-03-01 | Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, 1700 W Washington St, Phoenix, AZ, 85007, United States
The 2024 Arizona March for Life is Friday, March 1, 2024. The rally begin at 11:00am at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, and the march begins at 12:00pm. Join us as we witness to the sanctity of life.

'YouthLead' Training for Teens
2024-02-29 - 2024-03-03
YouthLead equips teens to develop and use their leadership skills as they serve Christ within their congregations and communities. LCMS Youth Ministry will host our 2024 YouthLead Training from Feb. 29 to March 3 in St. Louis.
Our focus will be Christian identity, who God has made us to be, and who we are to each other. Along with the new curriculum, we will be working through leadership development programming as well.
There are a limited number of spaces in the training. Once those spots are filled, we will gladly take participants on a waiting list.
Who can attend Youthlead?
Any high school youth who is an active member of an LCMS congregation and desires to be a leader can join us along with adults who desire to mentor young leaders.
We prefer teens attend with an adult leader from their congregation. Arrangements can be made for them to come unaccompanied.
How much does it cost?
Registration for youth and adults is $375. This covers your food and housing during the training, transportation to and from the airport if needed, supplies, and a shirt. You will also need to cover your transportation to and from St. Louis.
We encourage you to contact your district before you register as some districts have support for those attending this training.
What happens at a Youthlead training?
Youth are equipped for leadership in two key ways. First, we engage them in studying God’s Word through a Bible study they experience and are trained to lead back home.
Second, we focus on their unique identity and vocations as well as practical leadership skills that will benefit them in all aspects of servant leadership.

Register for the training

LCMS Youth Ministry

lcms.org/youth

youth.ministry@lcms.org

888-843-5267

facebook.com/LCMSyouth

facebook.com/lcmsgathering

twitter.com/LCMSyouth

LCMS Pastoral Colloquy - February 2024 meeting
2024-02-19 - 2024-02-20 | LCMS International Center: St. Louis, 1333 S. Kirkwood Road, St Louis, MO, 63122, United States
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Colloquy Committee for the Pastoral Ministry (CCPM) is scheduled to meet on February 19–20, 2024 in St. Louis.
The four-member committee is chaired by the LCMS first vice-president and includes representative from both LCMS seminaries and a member from the Council of Presidents, according to Synod bylaws.
The CCPM meets approximately five times throughout the year to examine applications, interview eligible candidates and manage the policies and practices of the colloquy process.

Ash Wednesday
2024-02-14
Ash Wednesday, which will be commemorated on Feb. 14, is the beginning of Lent and, if Sundays are omitted, is 40 days before Easter.
Ash Wednesday begins the church’s annual season of penitence, traditionally marked by fasting, almsgiving and prayer. In the LCMS, congregations often offer additional services in the week where the Word is preached and the Sacrament offered.
As the name suggests, many congregations practice the ceremony of the imposition of ashes on this day. Ashes are a symbol of mortality and repentance, since “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). When the pastor places them on the penitents, often in the shape of a cross, he speaks a sobering reminder: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19).
We ourselves will not overcome the temptations of Satan, our sinful flesh and death, but Christ our champion will. Throughout the coming season, we will watch as He endures and overcomes the devil with his works and ways, suffers willingly for our sakes, and redeems us by His blood and Passion. Faith trusts in Him and believes, even from the ash heap, that “a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).
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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Liturgical color for Ash Wednesday and Lent
On Ash Wednesday, the altar is adorned with violet or with black. The calendar calls for black only twice — Good Friday and Ash Wednesday. There is no mistaking the message of this somber color: Black is the absence of light. Ash Wednesday calls for sober reflection on the outcome of sin, and Good Friday on the price of our redemption.
Without Christ’s sacrifice on the day the sky turned dark and hid the light of the sun, there would be no bright Light of Christ to live in, nor new life in Christ to enjoy. Yet we do not grieve as others do, without hope (1 Thess. 4:13).

Three-Year Series B
Scripture readings

Joel 2:12–19

2 Corinthians 5:20b–6:10

Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21

Lectionary summary
Return to the Lord Your God with All Your Heart, for He Has Reconciled You to Himself
On Ash Wednesday, we come down from the mountain with Jesus and set our face toward His cross and Passion in Jerusalem. We make our pilgrimage with Him by way of repentance, and thus we return to our dying and rising in Holy Baptism. Christ Jesus, “who knew no sin,” became our sin, so that by His death we are released from sin and in His resurrection we “become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). As God has thereby reconciled the world to Himself in Christ, “now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). He has provided the sacrificial Lamb, and He has left “a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering” (Joel 2:14) in the Eucharist. He summons us to return to Him with all our heart because He is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (Joel 2:13). We do so with faith and confidence in Him, and so we pray to Him as our Father, give to the needy from a heart of love, and fast for the sake of repentance (Matt. 6:3–4, 6, 17–18).

One-Year Series
Scripture readings

Joel 2:12–19

2 Peter 1:2–11

Matthew 6:1–21

Lectionary summary
Return to the Lord Your God with All Your Heart, for He Has Reconciled You to Himself
“Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people” (Joel 2:15–16). Lent, with its corporate fast, begins today. “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Imposition of Ashes, from Gen. 3:19). “Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger” (Jonah 3:9). We know. Faith believes that, for Christ’s sake, “a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). He is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (Joel 2:13); therefore, we do not hesitate to return to Him “with all [our] heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning” (v. 12). He raises the dead, as we shall see in 40 days’ time. Satan opposes such reconciliation and life. He would twist our discipline into self-serving pride (Matt. 6:1–12), leading us into unbelief and unfruitfulness until we fall from the Lord’s “precious and very great promises” (2 Peter 1:4, 8). For this reason, our Lenten discipline not only gives something up but also takes up the sustenance and exercise of faith: hearing His Word and turning from ourselves—to God in prayer and to our neighbor with charity. “Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love” (v. 5–7).

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Feast of the Transfiguration (Three-Year Series B)
2024-02-11
In The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Transfiguration is observed on the last Sunday of Epiphany. In the Three-Year Lectionary, Transfiguration is on Feb. 11, 2024, which is only three days before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.
On this day, the church recalls the event of Christ’s Transfiguration on the mountain, revealing His divine nature to Peter, James and John before He set His face toward Jerusalem, where He would accomplish the world’s salvation by His death and resurrection for us.
Where Transfiguration is the last service before Ash Wednesday, many congregations say farewell to the word “Alleluia.” As Judah would not sing their songs in the land of exile (Psalm 137), so the church sets aside our simplest word of joy and praise — until we take it up again in triumph on Easter: “Alleluia! Christ is risen; He is risen indeed, Alleluia!”
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.
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Liturgical color for Transfiguration
White, the color of light, purity and completeness, adorns the altar to commemorate the Transfiguration of Our Lord. On the mountain, Christ’s face and clothes shone white as light (Matt. 17:2). 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 Epiphany (Jan. 6) and the first Sunday following it, which is often observed as the Baptism of Our Lord. It is also the color of Easter. On high festive days when white is appointed, some congregations also use gold.

Three-Year Series B Lectionary
Scripture readings for Transfiguration

2 Kings 2:1–12 or Exodus 34:29–35
2 Corinthians 3:12–13 (14–18); 4:1–6
Mark 9:2–9

Lectionary summary
The Face of Jesus Christ Manifests the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God
It was “a hard thing” that Elisha asked, but by his persistence he was able to see the prophet Elijah being taken “by a whirlwind into heaven.” Although “chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them,” Elisha received Elijah’s cloak and a “double portion” of his spirit for preaching the Lord’s Word (2 Kings 2:9–11). It was a hard thing, too, for Israel to see Moses and come near to him, when “the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God” (Ex. 34:29–30). Therefore, after “he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken with him in Mount Sinai,” Moses “put a veil over his face” (Ex. 34:32–33). Only the Word of the Gospel lifts the veil, and “only through Christ is it taken away” (2 Cor. 3:14). Thus are we able to behold “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” who is “the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4–6). For the Law and the prophets are all fulfilled in Him. Therefore, “listen to him,” and fix your sights on “Jesus only” (Mark 9:7–8).

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LCMS Board of Directors - February 2024 meeting
2024-02-08 - 2024-02-09
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Board of Directors is scheduled to meet on Feb. 08-09, 2024, 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.

Board for National Mission – February 2024 meeting
2024-02-01 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago)
The LCMS Board for National Mission is scheduled to meet on Thursday, February 1, 2024.
The Board for National Mission is charged with developing and determining policies for the coordination of and in support of district ministries which support congregations and schools.
Read more about the LCMS Board for National Mission.

LCMS Board for International Mission meeting – Jan. 31, 2024
2024-01-31
The LCMS Board for International Mission is scheduled to meet on Jan. 31, 2024, via Zoom video conference call.
The Board for International Mission is charged with developing and determining policies in support of mission and ministry in foreign countries for the Office of International Mission.

2024 Kansas March for Life in Topeka
2024-01-24 | Topeka Performing Arts Center, 214 SE Eighth Ave., Topeka, KS, 66603, United States
The Kansas March for Life is Wednesday, January 24, 2024 in Topeka. The march begins at 12:00pm at the Topeka Performing Arts Center (214 SE Eighth Ave.) with the Rally for Life to follow. Join us in Topeka as we witness to the sanctity of life.

2024 Life March in Tucson, Arizona
2024-01-20 11:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Tucson, Arizona
The 2024 Life March in Tucson, Ariz. will take place on Saturday, January 20, 2024. Join us as we witness to the sanctity of life. More information is to come!

Walk for Life West Coast 2024, 20th Anniversary Walk
2024-01-20 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago)
Make plans to join us on January 20, 2024 for the 20th anniversary of the Walk for Life West Coast. More details to come.

2024 National March for Life in Washington, D.C.
2024-01-19 12:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Washington, D.C., 12th and 14th Streets, Washington D.C., 20002, United States
Join us in Washington, D.C. for the 2024 March for Life on Friday, January 19, 2024. The rally begins at 12:00pm and the march begins at 1:00pm. The starting point will be between 12th and 14th Streets and continue on Constitution Avenue to the U.S. Capitol Building. More information to come.

Million Dollar Life Match grant training webinars
2024-01-10
The LCMS Office of National Mission will host two online training sessions on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 — the first at 2 p.m. CST and the second at 7 p.m. CST — for LCMS congregations and districts interested in applying for a Million Dollar Life Match grant.
Register

2 p.m. Zoom webinar

7 p.m. Zoom webinar

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Million Dollar Life Match grants

LCMS Pastoral Colloquy - December 2023 meeting
2023-12-14 - 2023-12-15 | LCMS International Center: St. Louis, 1333 S. Kirkwood Road, St Louis, MO, 63122, United States
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Colloquy Committee for the Pastoral Ministry (CCPM) is scheduled to meet on December 14–15, 2023 in St. Louis.
The four-member committee is chaired by the LCMS first vice-president and includes representative from both LCMS seminaries and a member from the Council of Presidents, according to Synod bylaws.
The CCPM meets approximately five times throughout the year to examine applications, interview eligible candidates and manage the policies and practices of the colloquy process.

LCMS Board for International Mission meeting – Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2023
2023-11-30 - 2023-12-01
The LCMS Board for International Mission is scheduled to meet Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2023, in St. Louis.
The Board for International Mission is charged with developing and determining policies in support of mission and ministry in foreign countries for the Office of International Mission.

LCMS Board of Directors - November 2023 meeting
2023-11-17 - 2023-11-18
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Board of Directors is scheduled to meet on Nov. 17-18, 2023, 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.

2023 Michigan March for Life
2023-11-08 11:00 - 14:00 (America/Detroit) | Michigan State Capitol, 100 N. Capitol Ave, Lansing, MI, 48933, United States
The 2023 Michigan March for Life is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 8, in the capital city of Lansing, Mich. The rally begins at the capitol building at 11 a.m. Eastern time, and the march begins at noon. Join members of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod at the event to witness to the sanctity of life.
After the march, Hope Lutheran Church in nearby DeWitt, Mich., will host a pro-life presentation. The public is invited.
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Register

Board for National Mission - November 2023 meeting
2023-11-07 - 2023-11-08
The LCMS Board for National Mission is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, November 7, and on Wednesday, November 8, 2023.
The Board for National Mission is charged with developing and determining policies for the coordination of and in support of district ministries which support congregations and schools.
Read more about the LCMS Board for National Mission.

Reformation Day
2023-10-31
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 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

Revelation 14:6–7

Romans 3:19–2

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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Church Worker Appreciation Month
2023-10-01 - 2023-10-31
Congregations and school communities are encouraged to use the month of October to demonstrate appreciation not only for their pastors but for all workers in the parish and schools.
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod thanks God for the 14,647 faithful church workers who serve in congregations and schools across our Synod.
Here are some resources to show your gratitude and support for your pastors, teachers, church musicians, deaconesses, and other church workers.
View resources

Set Apart to Serve — LCMS church work recruitment initiative

lcms.org/set-apart-to-serve

setapart2serve@lcms.org

St. Michael’s Day
2023-09-29
The Church commemorates St. Michael and All Angels each year on Sept. 29.
“Fear not.” So every angel begins his speech in the Scriptures. They are the fearsome warriors of the Most High God, commanded by Michael the Archangel, forming the “Sabbaoth,” the armies of the Lord. And yet, they are given this office as His heavenly legate: to announce the good news of great joy in Christ Jesus, incarnate, risen and ascended, all for us mortals. Christ’s warriors and messengers are set to guard duty for His Christians. Their unseen eyes draw us to follow their gaze, “for they always behold the face of the Father, who is in heaven” (Matt. 18:10).
How is Michael a “Saint”?
The word “saint” simply means “holy one.” We often use this word to describe those Christians who have departed this life in the faith. The New Testament most often uses it to address Christians in the Church on earth (Rom. 1:7, 1 Cor. 1:2, Eph. 1:1, etc.). Michael and the angels of God are not humans “sanctified in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor. 1:2), but they are “holy angels” — holy just as God created them and as the Scriptures describe them (Mark 8:38, Acts 10:22, Rev. 14:10).

Liturgical color for St. Michael’s Day
White is the color of purity and completeness and the color for all major feasts of Christ. 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.

One-Year Series and Three-Year Series
Scripture readings

Daniel 10:10–14; 12:1–3

Rev.12:7–12

Matt. 18:1–11 or Luke 10:17–20

Lectionary summary
Our Father in Heaven Protects His Children by Giving His Holy Angels Charge Over Them
We live in “a time of trouble” (Dan. 12:1), in the midst of great tribulation. Satan and his wicked angels have been thrown out of heaven and have come down to earth “in great wrath,” with woeful “temptations to sin” and with constant accusations (Rev. 12:8–12; Matt. 18:7). Even so, we are encouraged by the presence and protection of St. Michael and the holy angels, whom God sends to help us in the strife (Dan. 10:11–13). By “the authority of his Christ,” His holy angels guard and keep us in body and soul. These heavenly servants of God preserve His human messengers on earth, the ministers of “the blood of the Lamb,” against all the power of the enemy, for by “the word of their testimony,” the Church is saved and the devil is defeated (Rev. 12:10–11; Luke 10:18–19). By their preaching and Baptism of repentance, the old Adam and the old evil foe are “drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matt. 18:6). As God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, so are His people delivered and raised from the dust of the earth through the forgiveness of their sins (Dan. 12:1–3).
Prayers

St. Michael and All Angels

Attend a service
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

LCMS Worship

lcms.org/worship

Worship planning resources

Subscribe to monthly resources email

Find church near me

'Set Apart to Serve' Resource Launch Town Hall
2023-09-27 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago)
To kick off the next stage of its church work recruitment initiative, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod will host an online Set Apart to Serve Resource Launch Town Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 27, from 1 to 2 p.m. Central time. The live town hall will also be recorded to watch at any time afterward.
SAS is a collaborative effort across the Synod to support and encourage future church workers. The goal is to create an intentional culture of church worker formation in every LCMS congregation, Lutheran school and camp. The Synod is developing resources and tools to help congregations foster this culture.
During the past five and a half months, SAS has been working with 36 congregations, schools and camps that represent all 35 LCMS districts to pilot-test SAS resources and tools.
Feedback from the pilot sites has helped the LCMS refine these resources, and SAS is excited to share these effective tool kits with you.
During the town hall, the hosts will:

Provide a brief overview of the SAS program;

Share what was learned working with the pilot participants;

Introduce resources and tools to help congregations, schools and camps with raising up the next generation of church workers; and

Provide the next steps on how to make SAS work in your congregation.

Registration for the town hall is now open. Each congregation with a representative attending the town hall will receive a free welcome kit.
This town hall will be recorded and offered alongside the full collection of SAS resources. If you’re unable to attend the live event but intend to watch the recording, please register as an attendee so your church or organization will be eligible to receive the free welcome kit.
Register now

Join Zoom meeting

Meeting ID: 896 7406 1102

Passcode: [REDACTED]

LCMS Set Apart to Serve

lcms.org/set-apart-to-serve

888-843-5267 (THE LCMS)

setapart2serve@lcms.org
