Church Worker Wellness
Posted on April 6, 2022
by Toni Larson, LISW
Emotions are neither good nor bad. They just are. Emotions are a creation and gift of God. Pastors and other church workers face emotions every day. How you respond externally and internally can be critical to the success of your ministry.
Unplanned Pregnancy Counseling
Posted on March 30, 2022
Forty-three percent of pregnancies in Iowa and Nebraska, and 52 percent of pregnancies in Illinois, are unplanned according to data collected by the National Survey of Family Growth (NEJM, 2016). That means over 90,000 women may need help connecting with community and state resources, deciding between options, and more. This great need is one of the reasons Lutheran Family Service is launching a new division of its ministry, called Many Hearts Unplanned Pregnancy Support, to provide greater focus, service and resources specifically to women facing unplanned pregnancies in Iowa, Eastern Nebraska and North & Central Illinois.
Adoption
Posted on March 18, 2022
by Kim Laube
The Down Syndrome adoption program is simple. Lutheran Family Service will do as much as possible (charging no fees for our work) for two families a year to adopt a child with Down Syndrome; rescuing them from a likely death by abortion. Over 70 percent of babies diagnosed with Down Syndrome in the womb will be aborted. We want all women to know that your baby is wanted – even if they have been diagnosed with Down Syndrome!
Mental Health
Posted on March 15, 2022
by Jamie McWade, LMHC
Under the best of circumstances, losing a loved leads to a rollercoaster of emotion creating natural and normal responses such as feeling down and depressed, anger, denial, bargaining, and acceptance. While these are normal in any circumstance of grief, the pandemic has influenced our grieving process significantly.
Church Worker Wellness
Posted on February 28, 2022
by Toni Larson, LISW
Maintaining healthy boundaries is a challenging but vital task for pastors and other church workers. Without healthy boundaries, workers run the risk of compassion fatigue, interpersonal conflict and role confusion.
Life Advocacy
Posted on February 17, 2022
by Kim Laube
Life advocacy is an important part of the Lutheran Family Service ministry as God calls us to defend the value of life in all stages, ages, and conditions from fertilization to natural death. And, it is our goal to help you do the same in your congregation, community, and voting booth.
Mental Health
Posted on January 17, 2022
by Toni Larson, LISW
There are many possible advantages to telemental health as well as some drawbacks. And, not everyone is appropriate for virtual counseling.
Mental Health
Posted on November 30, 2021
by Toni Larson, LISW
I experienced dark times in my life as a child and at every stage of my growth into and through adulthood. I became a prisoner of my anxiety; especially in my earlier years.
Managing the physical aspects of anxiety along with the cognitive processes that feed anxiety can be extremely helpful to improve daily functioning and quality of life.
Adoption
Posted on September 27, 2021
by Tiffany Bergman
The wonderful thing about working with an adoption agency like Lutheran Family Service to choose an adoptive family is that we’ve done all the behind-the-scenes work in selecting families to be in our adoption program that can provide a safe and loving home for your baby.
Adoption
Posted on September 21, 2021
by Kim Laube
The vast majority of women who make an adoption plan for their child will tell you they weren’t sure in the beginning, likely changed their mind throughout the pregnancy, and eventually found peace with their decision at some point along the way.
