What did our Michigan District congregations and ministries do during the summer? Below is a compilation of stories we gathered from social media and from submissions sent to us. We hope to keep this going, but we need your help! Share your stories with the District via Story Bucket so we can share them here!
Week of June 25
Concordia Theological Seminary’s Christ Academy: Timothy and Phoebe School program took place this summer from June 15–28, 2025. Christ Academy consists of confessional catechesis, liturgical worship, and a fun life together. This tradition of learning, worship, and fun provides an incredible experience for young men and women in high school, especially for those considering a future in church work.
Three Timothy School students and four Phoebe School students from the Michigan District attended Christ Academy this summer: Leah and Rebekah (who served as a proctor) Hopfensperger, Abigail Herman, Paul and Lily Menze, Whittaker Maas, and Mark Bulgrien.
Week of July 14-17, 16-19, 21-24
Many congregations posted about their groups participating at the LCMS Youth Gathering in New Orleans. For a related story, click here.
St. Matthew, Grand Rapids put its mission in motion of “Connecting a Restless World to the Restoring Way of Jesus” by leading Backyard VBS at almost 20 different locations all over the Grand Rapids area. The theme was “Start the Party” and it was a party indeed! St. Matthew went back to the basics of Jesus’ ministry by stepping into the space where people were comfortable and familiar; neighborhoods, parks, the Grand Rapids airport viewing area, campgrounds, a sport center, and a local family homeless shelter. God blessed the congregation with over 280 children and 70 adults who were able to hear the beautiful Gospel message of Jesus’ love and grace for everyone through Bible stories, games, songs, object lessons, crafts, and more in an hour–long VBS, 4 days of the week. On top of reaching many people in the community who would normally never step foot in a church building, St. Matthew members were able to build relationships with its neighbors that are continuing today. We know the great news of the Resurrected Jesus changes everything and the congregation is grateful to have had the opportunity to celebrate that with so many!*
Week of July 28
With the help of a loan from CEF, Messiah, Midland purchased a building to house Pivot Point appliance repair and resale shop and the Community Auto Parts store. “We are thankful and excited to continue to reflect Christ in our community not only through meeting needs and how we love people, but also by how we take care of the resources God has provided. Let the renovations begin!”
Messiah, Midland sent a team on a mission trip to Mexico. The team got to be a part of BajaEd’s “Backpack Attack” event, where students were able to get stocked up for the school year! One of the team members said, “Messiah’s Faith Family blessed our trip so much this year! We were able to buy over 100 backpacks and so many other school supplies for BajaEd!”
Holy Cross, Warren started partnering with POBLO for ESL classes this July. “We have two of our members (a retired teacher and a current Detroit teacher) who are teaching the classes. We currently have four Buddhist monks attending!” *
Our Savior, Lansing installed its new vicar, Paul Engelhardt, on August 3. *
Week of August 4
Lutheran Heritage Foundation: Always keep your eyes and mind open for ways to spread God’s Word! Mary Lu Woelmer, president of the LWML Monroe Zone in Michigan, contacted LHF for Spanish Bible storybooks for kids and other resources she could share at their booth at the Monroe County Fair. This Spanish-speaking mother-daughter pair were thrilled to receive free books about Jesus in their heart language.
Gifts For All God’s Children summer camps – 5 weeks, 74 kids, 69 volunteers, countless blessings! Camp highlights included visits to Belle Isle (planetarium and aquarium), St. Clair Metro Park, and the Detroit Zoo. Additional activities included music time, daily computer time, A2E Sports Camp, and “Slimetopia” S.T.E.A.M. camp fun. *
Peace, Saginaw participated in National Night Out – “Our hearts are full of joy after National Night Out at the Saginaw Township Soccer Complex. We had a constant flow of visitors of all ages to the Peace tent to play our frisbee game and leave with a new tote bag, frisbee, and even a little Jesus! We thank all our volunteers who came out to help – especially our teachers who halted their summer break to ensure all who visited us felt the love. This is one of our favorite nights of the entire year, and we were blessed with lots of laughs and beautiful weather. We thank Saginaw Township police, firefighters, and other first responders for yet another great event.” *
Shepherd’s Gate, Shelby Twp. sent a mission team to Durban, South Africa (pics). “Our mission team is in full swing! They rolled up their sleeves, painted walls, and got a closer look at Key of Hope—visiting tutoring sessions, meeting the junior choir, and connecting with the amazing staff. ”
Open Arms, Belleville – Collected over 500 cans of fruit and vegetables for the Team Tiger Program. The result? A pie on Pastor Larry’s face! (click here to see video)
Shepherd’s Gate, Shelby Twp. held its annual outdoor worship service and celebrated 6 Baptisms. *
Our Savior, Lansing held Panther Camp during the summer and had this to say in a post about their camp counselors: “These young people (some younger than others) choose to spend their summer with kids, teaching them, befriending them, keeping them safe, and encouraging them to try new things. They act goofy and make fools of themselves, so campers will laugh and feel comfortable once their parents leave. They give hugs, wipe noses, and apply band-aids. They play endless games, push them on the swings, and do art and science projects. Some of them let the campers win every game! And some of them teach campers how to lose.” *
Our Savior, Lansing backpack giveaway: “We were able to provide 75 backpacks full of supplies to be distributed through the OSL Food Bank. A big thank you to all who donated and the Panther Camp kiddos who helped put them together. What an amazing experience, and we are so glad OSL is able to give back to our community in this way.” *
Zion, Hemlock participated in the parade for the Merrill Farm Fest last weekend. Awesome float!
Good Shepherd, Cass City shared Christ’s love with our community on Friday night (August 8), providing pizza, drinks, and snacks for the evening’s “Music in the Park.” *
Week of August 9
Wellspring Lutheran Services – the Monroe Campus had a blast at the Monroe County Fair. *
Lutherans for Life of Michigan Diaper Drive – An amazing total of 66,560 diapers from 22 churches were donated to 19 pregnancy centers. Praise God for your generosity in caring for these precious little ones and their families! See the details in the latest issue of our Lifelines newsletter, already sent via email and coming to mailboxes soon. *
Rev. Joshua Grotelueschen was installed at Immanuel, Kalamazoo on August 10. *
Week of August 18
Shepherd’s Gate, Shelby Twp. Youth Group’s 30-Hour Famine – “They fasted. They served. They grew. Our SG Students strengthening their faith, working at Camp Restore, and blessing neighbors with alley clean-ups, yard work, and painting projects. The fast ended the next morning with pancakes at IHOP and hearts full of gratitude for all God has done.” *
The above compilation is by no means exhaustive; these are just some of the stories that appeared on our social media feed. If your congregation wants to be included in future compilations, send us your story!
Photo of Christ Academy students courtesy of Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne. All other photos taken from the respective Facebook page of each congregation/ministry.
*Check out this photo gallery from the compilation.
