Thank you, LWML (and all SAS partners)

From left, Grace Ball and Jordan Timian, Young Woman Representatives of the LWML Utah-Idaho District, participate in an activity during the national LWML convention in June 2023. Ball and Timian both teach at Grace Lutheran Church and School in Pocatello, Idaho. The leadership of Set Apart to Serve, the LCMS church work recruitment initiative, is grateful for all the ways the LWML supports raising up the next generation of church workers. (LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford)

By James Baneck

Practically every major entity throughout The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) is partnering with Set Apart to Serve (SAS) to form and recruit full-time church workers for generations to come.

The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) is one of these major entities. Even before SAS began, I witnessed LWML members supporting, encouraging and loving their pastors, deaconesses, DCEs, Lutheran teachers and other full-time LCMS church workers.

Since SAS began, the LWML has been an enthusiastic SAS partner at the national, district and local levels. These “Lutheran Women in Mission” are prayer warriors, praying that God would multiply workers in His harvest, that our children, grandchildren, family, friends and all God’s people would know Jesus Christ for their life and salvation. These women have also become influential in their districts and congregations, encouraging our youth and adults to consider full-time church work. They are also encouraging our congregations throughout the Synod to develop a culture of church work formation and recruitment.

The LWML has also been very supportive of SAS through their district and national mission grants. The 2023 national LWML convention prayerfully selected SAS as a recipient of a $100,000 mission grant. This grant was presented to SAS in February 2024.

How has SAS made use of this generous gift?

2024 was a very active and productive year for SAS. Impactful work using the LWML mission grant included:

Building SAS awareness through surveys, pilot groups, an email awareness campaign, social media, over 37 speaking engagements and the monthly SAS stakeholder report. (To sign up for this report, visit mailchi.mp/lcms/email-signup).

Building and strengthening strategies and goals through the securing of a strong SAS leadership team, strategic long-term planning, journey mapping and the SAS Advisory Council.

Developing a culture of church work formation and recruitment in every LCMS congregation, school, district and entity for pastors, commissioned church workers, parents, lay leaders and LCMS district leadership.

Developing excellent resources for primary influential adults to form and recruit youth and adults toward full-time church work. To review the work of SAS in 2024, see the SAS Annual Report.

Even with all the SAS planning, encouragement and resource development, the forming and recruiting of full-time church workers will reach its fullest potential only if every LCMS pastor, parent, teacher, DCE, deaconess, director of parish music, director of church ministries, director of family life ministry, director of Christian outreach, lay leader, district, congregation, school and entity is actively involved. You can begin by intentionally encouraging a child or adult to consider full-time church work.

The LWML is one of several partners and supporters of SAS. To all our partners and supporters, thank you. May God bless our efforts and hear our prayer for workers in the harvest that all may know Jesus Christ.

SAS is funded entirely by donor-designated gifts. To learn more or find out how you can help strengthen a culture of church work recruitment, contact LCMS Mission Advancement at 888-930-4438 or mission.advancement@lcms.org.

Posted Feb. 26, 2025