News & Events

Small Church Summit (SCS)

As in 2024, plans call for the Small Church Summit (SCS) to offer the same basic program in two locations during the first couple of months in 2025.

January 11, 2025
(bad weather date: January 18)
Faith Lutheran Church
1104 N. 42nd Street
Mt. Vernon, IL 62864-7017

February 22, 2025
(bad weather date: March 1)
Trinity Lutheran Church
700 S. 4th Street
Pekin, IL 61554-4504

Congregations of both the Central Illinois District and Southern Illinois Districts are cordially invited. Attendees can choose either of the above locations and dates, including the one that is not in your District.

Each of these meetings is set to begin, D.v., with sign-in starting at 9:30 a.m. Opening devotion will commence at 10:00, and adjournment will be at 2:30 that afternoon.

CID Evangelism Executive Ken Schurb will be the plenary speaker before lunch. He will make available, introduce, and briefly describe simple helps being released by CID Evangelism Commission to aid congregations as they teach four key witnessing skills: beginning an evangelistic conversation, listening discerningly to a nonchurched person, making a simple statement of the Gospel, and defending the resurrection.

Interest sessions after lunch (which will be provided) will include:
• Further conversation with Dr. Schurb
• A session with Mr. Trip Rodgers of CID staff on various available resources
• A session with CID President Michael Mohr on record-keeping in smaller churches, especially during pastoral vacancies

You may attend the Small Church Summit at no cost. It works best if you bring along three or four others from your church. Get everyone into the same car, and talk about the summit en route both ways.

Father in heaven, in Your grace give even the smallest of our churches the mind of Christ. Give us ears to hear the Good News of salvation, eyes for the lost and the straying, mouths to speak of our Lord and feet to follow Him, hands to join those who know Him and to help those who do not, as well as hearts that by the Holy Spirit’s power ever embrace the Christ Who is our Wisdom, Righteousness, Holiness, and Ransom from sin. We ask Your rich blessings on the upcoming Small Church Summit. Bless those who attend, we pray, and make them a blessing. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

DEADLINES for SCS Registration

Mt. Vernon - Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Pekin - Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Follow this link: https://forms.gle/iwHhyL2kXhnAAsHV8

 

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2025 LCMS National Youth Gathering

 

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A Million Dollar Match

Starting in 2022, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) will offer $1 million in matching grants. These funds will help the Synod’s member congregations to support various local pro-life efforts, both big and small. 

The people of the LCMS love children and families. Through many acts of mercy in their communities, we demonstrate this love. The $1 million match will mobilize still more love in action.

For more information, go to https://www.lcms.org/serve/grants/life-grant

 

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LERT Basic Training Event

(None scheduled at this time)

Please join us for the Lutheran Early Response Team volunteer training program.  Together we will walk through a simple training program designed to help you serve as a trained Christian volunteer when a disaster strikes and to help your family and congregation to be prepared for disasters.  This training is part of a Synod-wide disaster response program, facilitated by a network of District Disaster Response Coordinators and Teams, under the direction of LCMS Disaster Response.  After the program, you will receive a completion card credential and a T-shirt.  

PLEASE NOTE:  Registrations must be received by two weeks prior to the training day to ensure a shirt at the time of the class photo.  Registrations received after that date will have shirts sent with the credential card.

In the chaos of disaster, it's important to stay focused on the task at hand.  This training will help you focus on the most important thing to remember as you prepare for or to respond to a disaster in your community or beyond.  At the center of our LERT Volunteer training is one thing:  MERCY!  Christ's mercy is the basis for everything we say and do.  This 6-hour training event will equip you to be an effective volunteer should a disaster strike your community.  After a brief introduction regarding the goals and theological rationale of LCM Disaster Response, the LERT volunteer training will address the following:  

• Christian care in times of disaster
• A Ministry of presence
• The LERT Program and how it works with other responders
• Introduction to Disaster Response
• At the work site:  Debris clean up, tarp and patch, flood and mud clean up, chainsaw safety, and necessary paperwork.

Cost for the day is $35, which includes light breakfast, lunch, book/materials, t-shirt, and credential card.  If you are repeating the session we ask that you contribute $15 if you need a new book and t-shirt to help defray the costs.

 

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LERT Chainsaw Training Event

(None scheduled at this time)

The training will consist of 4 hours of instructional-based (Classroom Portion) and 4 hours of operational-based (Hands-On Portion). Volunteers should be between the ages of 18 and 85. The cost of the training is $35.00. Lunch will be provided. If you are already LERT Chainsaw certified, the event is considered continuing education, so there is no charge for re-training. A $5 to $8 offering is welcome to help pay for your lunch.

You must have previously completed the LERT basic training class to participate in this class.

All participants will need to bring the following items: Helmet, ear protection, eye protection, chaps, gloves, steel toed boots, chainsaw, chain-bar oil, and fuel. If members do not have these items, they will be provided to you at the time of training. During the training, you will learn the following:

• safe operation of a chainsaw
• personal protective equipment (PPE)
• injury prevention
• physics of cutting trees
• how to buck and limb fallen trees
• how to clear debris in a safe and beneficial manner

Bring your LERT disaster response vest and your LERT I.D. certification badge.

The afternoon hands-on session will be held outside. Please wear weather-appropriate clothing. We will pause for heavy rain or lightning. WEAR CLOTHING APPROPRIATE FOR THE WEATHER.

If you have any questions regarding this event, please contact Stephen Born at (217) 220-0162 or email bornstephen@yahoo.com. 

 

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Video Resources

Video/Commercial - Spread the Good News of Jesus’ birth on your congregation’s website, Facebook page, Local TV/Radio station, etc. This high resolution file can be sent to you from the CID office. You can see this video on the CID website (cidlcms.org) under theVideo Resources Tab.