Family ministry is for everyone

The Rev. Andrew (Andy) Becker, manager of family discipleship for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), leads a discussion during the LCMS Family Ministry Summit on Tuesday, May 6, at the LCMS International Center in St. Louis. (LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford)

By Brianna Dehn

On May 5–7, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) held a summit to discuss the future direction of LCMS Family Ministry. The event was hosted by the Office of National Mission (ONM) at the LCMS International Center in St. Louis.

Family ministry is a renewed effort for the ONM, which recently added a manager of family discipleship, the Rev. Andy Becker. He works with districts and congregations to support and encourage faith habits in the home and in life, as well as to support those who are struggling with cultural attacks on identity, marriage and the family.

Summit participants consisted of leaders in parish family ministry from around the country who came to consider current issues in family ministry and ways to strengthen faith formation in the household. Topics discussed at the summit included:

How does the culture impact families?

What is family discipleship?

What barriers to family discipleship exist within the home?

What can our church body do to help support family ministry in the congregation and home?

“Parents are feeling overwhelmed with society and how quickly society moves. … Churches are struggling with ‘How do I resource these families?’” said Jim Meyer, director of family ministry at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Orange, Calif.

“Families are weary, overwhelmed and have a lot on their shoulders,” said Deb Jurchen, family ministry consultant for the LCMS Nebraska District and a teacher in the family life graduate program at Concordia University, Nebraska, Seward, Neb. “How can we as a Synod … walk alongside them as they grow in the faith themselves and guide their households? … There is such a need to walk with people instead of burdening [them and] putting more on [their] shoulders.”

Becker was pleased with all that was accomplished at the summit.

“It was energizing to be gathered with leaders who care deeply about equipping families to live out their faith within their homes,” he said. “We have great leaders within our church that care deeply about family ministry and about how we — not only as individual congregations but as a church body — can make an eternal impact in our homes through family discipleship.”

Becker continued: “The leaders that came to the [summit] have varied experiences, training and ministry contexts. Our conversations helped identify what changes will have the most impact on the districts, congregations and, most importantly, families of our church body so that faith will continue to be passed to the next generations.”

“I think broadening the understanding of what family ministry is and how it can serve our congregations and schools is really what [this summit] is all about,” said Jurchen. “Family ministry is broader than just ministry to children; [it’s] realizing we are all a part of a household of faith.”

“Individuals can support family ministry by seeing that every person is part of it,” said Becker. “Whether your home has one or 20 people in it, you are a family. How are you growing in your faith? How is your family part of the family of faith in your church? Who are you supporting and encouraging in their faith?”

Learn more about LCMS Family Ministry at lcms.org/family-ministry.

Brianna Dehn ( brianna.dehn@lcms.org ) is a staff writer for LCMS Communications.

Posted May 16, 2025