LCMS Central Illinois District

Now Hiring an Executive Assistant to the District President

May 28, 2026 - The Executive Assistant to the District President supports the District President in his work of ecclesiastical supervision and in the day-to-day administration of the Office of the District President. Find the complete job description and an online application on the Careers page.

St. Paul Lutheran Church, Pittsfield – Celebrating 80 Years

St. Paul Lutheran Church, Pittsfield, Illinois, is celebrating 80 years since its start as a tent mission in August 1946. Events and outreach activities are being planned around visits from former pastors. Festivities begin June 7, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. with the son of the congregation, the Rev. Jesse Krusemark, preaching. Lunch will follow the worship service. Kindly let us know if you plan to join us. Worshiping...Eating...Remembering... 2:00 p.m. 80th Anniversary Service of Celebration (2:00 pm) with hymn singing, a brief history presentation, and time for sharing of our memories and ministries then and now. For more information, call 217-242-8948.

The Concordia Chicago Festival of Scripture & The Arts

The Concordia Chicago Festival of Scripture & The Arts will take place on campus next month, June 20–21. The two-day event, inspired by the Song of Solomon, will feature a variety of lectures, presentations, performances, and a special commissioned artwork.

The festival’s highlight is the premiere performance of “Song of All Songs,” a new ork by Professor of Music Dr. Jonathan Stahlke. The piece draws on the entire biblical text of the Song of Solomon and will be performed by an orchestra, two choirs, and vocal soloists.

We would love to welcome members of your congregations and communities to join us for the full festival or simply for the Sunday concert. Tickets for the full two-day festival are available on our website at https://www.cuchicago.edu/events/2026/062/festival-of-scripture--the-arts--song-of-all-songs/. The Sunday concert remains completely free and open to the public. Our hope is to include as many people as possible in this celebration of Scripture, creativity, and fellowship!

Summer Small Church Summit

Saturday, June 13
Trinity Lutheran Church
1201 W Jackson St, Auburn, IL

Sign-in will be at 9:00 a.m., the opening devotion will commence at 9:30, and the closing prayer will be at 2:50 p.m., followed by an ice cream social for those who would like to stay for more conversation.

The Small Church Summit will feature a keynote address by Rev. Andy Becker of St. Louis. He is the Synod’s director for family ministry in the Office of National Mission. Family-related topics have been suggested for the Small Church Summit in the past, so it is high time we had a presentation like Rev. Becker’s. He will share details about new initiatives the Synod has underway for families and how small congregations can use them.

In the afternoon, a smorgasbord of sectionals will be available. Participants will be able to choose which they want to hear in three time slots. Possibilities will range from congregational hospitality to strategic planning to church assessment tools to life issues, with more in between. There will be more offerings than any one person can take in, which makes for a good reason not to come to the Small Church Summit by yourself! Bring others with you who can help cover all these informative presentations and take learnings back to your church.

If you think your church is small, YOU are invited. And everyone is welcome!

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

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.

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.

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 the Video Resources Tab.

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