Adoption
Posted on September 17, 2025
by Tim & Julie, Parents
Since childhood, Julie dreamed of adopting. With her husband, Tim, she began the process through Lutheran Family Service. They soon learned adoption is a roller coaster and waiting the hardest part, yet God’s love carried them through. Their journey led them to Nora — a beautiful baby girl and a dream come true.
Church Worker Wellness
Posted on September 13, 2025
by Rev. David Gunderson, tLMFT
Retirement is a new chapter in life. It can be challenging especially for professional church worker. When considering retiring, a church worker needs to plan ahead and recognize life will be different, but by God’s grace it can be amazing!
Lutheran Family Service News
Posted on September 9, 2025
by Dreena Wertz, LPC
Meet Dreena Wertz, LPC, a mental health therapist serving clients in and around the Aberdeen community in South Dakota, and throughout the state via telehealth.
Godly Living
Posted on September 3, 2025
by Rev. Jonathan Conner
AI is listening and responding everywhere. Is that exciting or terrifying? Will AI help humans flourish or take over the world? Is it good or evil? How should Christians think about AI? In order to chart a thoughtful and wise path forward we will need to establish a robust conceptual framework in order to respond to the multifaceted realities of AI.
Church Worker Wellness
Posted on August 27, 2025
by Rev. Nathan Grewe, tLMHC
In schools today, children carry with them more than just backpacks and pencils. Many walk into classrooms with invisible burdens. These burdens could be anxiety about home life, pressure from peers, confusion about their emotions, or spiritual questions that bring doubt or confusion. As adults who care deeply about their well-being, parents, teachers, pastors, and church workers, we long to give them tools to thrive in the face of life’s challenges.
Grief & Loss
Posted on August 22, 2025
by Rev. Jason Rensner
If you’re not tuning into Dr. Mark’s monthly sessions on grief and loss, you’re missing out. It’s “The Best Show You’re Not Watching.” These presentations are both informative and interactive as the participants are encouraged to ask questions and share their own experiences with the grief topic at hand.
Lutheran Family Service News
Posted on August 18, 2025
by Dcs. Faith Muehler
Meet Deaconess Faith Muehler who serves in two Lutheran schools through a partnership between Iowa District East and Lutheran Family Service. A recent graduate of Concordia University Chicago, Faith provides Christ-centered spiritual, emotional, and social support to students, families, and staff.
Godly Living
Posted on August 14, 2025
by Rev. Jonathan Conner
“Humans exist in a gendered spectrum.” This is a lie. It’s a common and repeated lie. It’s a lie told to children in colorful and engaging books, a lie told to students in high-minded academese, a lie told to parents by certified professionals. But it is a lie.
Adoption
Posted on August 9, 2025
For Scott and Melanie Faimon, the journey to parenthood unfolded in the most unexpected way—through a divine encounter with a stranger at church. What began as a casual conversation soon became the catalyst for a life-changing path: embryo adoption.
Giving
Posted on August 2, 2025
by Wanda Pritzel, LISW
We’ve just wrapped up the first initiative which set out to find new partners in ministry and strengthen support for pastors across our region. We’re thrilled that 27 congregations met the challenge of raising up at least 10 new LFS partners from within their church families, and each earned a gift card for a night out for their pastor.
