What have our Michigan District congregations and ministries been up to this fall? Below is a compilation of stories we gathered from social media and from submissions sent to us. Share your stories with the District via Story Bucket so we can celebrate God’s work among us! For more photos, check out the slideshow at the end.
Installations/Milestones
Rev. Ben Spaulding was installed at Journey, Oxford on August 24.
Rev. Martin Banks was installed at St. Michael, Wayne on September 7.
On September 14, rev. Mark Bowditch was installed at Christ, White Cloud/Redeemer, Fremont.
On September 22, Rev. Eric Shanburn was installed as Discipleship Pastor at Shepherd’s Gate, Shelby Twp.
On November 3, Rev. Kyle Jones was installed at St. John’s, Waltz.
Rev. Elmer Schiefer moved to Michigan after retiring for the second time in December of 2024. He served the Lord’s flocks for 75 years! His 100th birthday will be January 21, 2026.
New Members / Baptisms
St. John, Rochester had 99 adults of all ages join their new member class (and this number doesn’t include the over 60 children that are part of these families). A large number of adults and children from this group have or will soon be baptized.
St. Paul, Sanford has received 20 new members since Easter, with 7 Baptisms included. Most of the new members came to the church because of relationships with current members (family or friends).
Peace, Saginaw: In the last week of October, during early childhood chapel, a student in the preschool class was baptized by Pastor Hauser. What a joyful moment to celebrate with his family and friends! And on November 5, during K-8 school chapel, an eighth-grader was baptized.
To God be the glory!
First Bible
On September 21, over 20 children (1st and 2nd grade) received Bibles at Shepherd’s Gate, Shelby Twp. The church hosted this event between services and offered a light breakfast. The children had access to games like stacking cups, sorting popsicle sticks and Jenga. All these regular household items were labeled with books of the Bible for kids to familiarize themselves with these books. The parents were able to say a special prayer over their kids and present the Bibles to them. The families spent time hugging each other and sharing their favorite Bible stories.
On October 26, Christ our King, Saline celebrated five 3rd grade students who completed the ‘Bible & Me’ class. The students, who have increased their Bible literacy, received their very own Bible from their parents. They learned more about who God is and how much He loves each of them.
Fellowship
St. Paul, Buchanan held an Outdoor Service, Car Show and picnic on September 14.
In early November, St. Luke, Ann Arbor held a Chili Cookoff and Game Night. They had a lot of fun sharing dinner and getting to know each other better.
School & Community
On the first Wednesday of the month, from 7:20-7:55 a.m., Peace Lutheran School in Saginaw holds “Dads at the Door”—a school-based initiative where fathers, grandfathers, father figures, or other male role models greet students at the school entrance to open doors and offer encouragement, high-fives, and a positive start to the day. These programs aim to increase father involvement in schools, provide positive male role models, create a supportive community, and improve student motivation and well-being. Plus, it’s a great time of fellowship for the dads, with snacks and coffee afterward!
Joyful Hearts Early Learning Center (Immanuel, Cadillac) was voted “2025 Best of the Best Daycare Center” by the Cadillac community. Congratulations!
October 2 was Custodian Appreciation Day, and the PTL at Peace Lutheran School in Saginaw gifted each of the church and school custodians a goody bag of treats. The school’s Facebook page read: “Today, we celebrate and thank our incredible custodial staff, who work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep our church, school and Early Childhood Center clean, safe and welcoming every single day at both Peace campuses.”
On Sunday, October 26 at St. Mark, Kentwood, West Michigan Lutheran School social studies/science/religion teacher and dean of men, Mr. Thompson, was officially presented with the American Legion Teacher of the Year Award. A representative from the American Legion presented the award, followed by a cake reception to celebrate this well-deserved honor.
Church & Community
Faith, Grand Blanc has established a partnership with local homeschoolers that meet on site every other Tuesday from 9:30–1:30. The goal was to create something more than just a group that rents space—they wanted a true partnership. Heather Guinn, group coordinator and Faith member, says: “When we started in fall of 2024, we anticipated 5–7 families, but our first year brought 28 families, and we’ve now grown to 48 families just one year later. Parents remain on site
and teach two out of the three class hours and enjoy one fellowship hour. The Faith staff began rotating weekly to lead a Bible study for parents during their fellowship hour—a wonderful addition that’s been a blessing to many.”
On September 20, Peace, Saginaw members and students spent their Saturday morning helping build beds for children at Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Pastor Matt’s dad (Pastor Paul Hauser) and son James, as well as other Peace families, joined other regular volunteers at Sleep in Heavenly
Peace, which was the school’s missions recipient during the first academic quarter.
Peace, Rogers City held a prayer walk on September 22 to pray for the students, families, teachers, and staff of their schools. They invite others to join them as they continue to pray for the school year! “I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer” (Psalm 17:6).
Good Shepherd, Cass City hosted a Free Community Meal on September 24. It was a great success! The kitchen crew estimates they served about fifty meals. A wonderful turnout for their first time. One guest said, “I’m an Italian woman, and this was great!” High praise, indeed. Good Shepherd’s Facebook post says, “Thanks to all our guests, and to everyone who contributed desserts and/or worked in the kitchen. Jesus loves our community, and so do we.”
Also in the month of September, Tim, one of the members of Shepherd’s Gate, Shelby Twp., learned a long-time neighbor was struggling after the loss of her husband—caring for her disabled son and managing a home full of tasks he once handled. Tim eagerly jumped in to trim overgrown trees and shrubs, remove dead plants, and reset garden blocks—bringing relief and hope to this family. His act of service sparked curiosity and connection in the community—from neighbors asking about the church to people learning about grief support and even visiting Shepherd’s Gate.
Food Distribution
St. John, Jenison’s GVSU Campus Lutherans are showing their support for their fellow students in need. On September 6, 21, and October 17, they picked apples for Replenish, the GVSU food bank. The Campus Lutherans are partnering with local farms and GVSU students to provide fresh produce to students in need. The third event brought to 19 the total of bushels of apples picked and donated. The congregation is also collecting food and hygiene items to donate to Replenish.
On Sept 24, University Lutheran Chapel, Ann Arbor (ULC) members went to Hope Clinic and helped prep casseroles to be served when needed.
Trinity, Muskegon hosted a Food for Families event on September 26. The event was hosted out of the garage located off the parking lot.
On October 13 in the evening, volunteers from ULC served at Love Ypsi’s first-ever community meal. Love Ypsi is a joint ministry of Cross & Resurrection and Faith Lutheran Churches, and ULC’s newest Kingdom partner. ULC will continue to host a community meal once a month
On November 9, Immanuel, Macomb collected food purchased church members. Their Facebook post read: “Need food assistance? If you, or someone you know, needs food assistance of any kind please reach out! We care for you and our community. Immanuel crew, THANK YOU for the outpouring of love on Sunday! Wow. Seeing the lines of cars and carts delivering food was incredible. The government may be closed, but the church most definitely is not!”
Other Service
Some 32 people, members and friends of LWML Gateway Zone, joined together at St. Paul’s, Centreville on Saturday, September 20, to assemble school supplies into backpacks for worldwide shipment by Orphan Grain Train – Michigan. Individuals and LWML groups brought items prescribed for the backpacks; some of the learning tools were provided through specific offerings by members of St. Paul’s, and through grants provided by Thrivent Financial. The initiative was among five such “Servant Events” carried out among LWML groups in LCMS churches throughout Michigan. At least 94 backpacks were filled, with ample supply of school tools remaining to fill 24 additional backpacks. That task was to be accomplished this week to be ready to deliver at least 120 filled bags to OGT – Michigan’s facility in Sebewaing.
Hands of Mercy, a ministry that operates in South Sudan under the loving guidance of deaconess Pat Nuffer, is transitioning to a self-supporting ministry with the help of rental properties that provide income. Deac. Nuffer will no longer collect kits to bring to S. Sudan but will instead focus on raising funds for efforts such as hunger relief and other ideas the local ministry has.
During the month of October, ten different sites around the state collected donations for LWR. On October 13, a truck was stationed at Valley Lutheran High School in Saginaw. Donations from nearby sites converged there to be shipped to one of the LWR warehouses (Maryland, Minnesota), and from there, to people in need around the world. Trucks also came to Westland Lutheran HS (Tues. 10/14) and St. Matthew’s, Grand Rapids (Sat. 10/18). One of the volunteers present at Valley HS said, “We had the hottest temperature on record for an Ingathering! They only sent us one truck this year. The boxes were stacked to the ceiling and, although incredibly full, one truck is all that we needed. Like last year, people got out of their cars to take pictures of the growing pile of boxes waiting for the truck. We even had a lady drive in and ask what we were doing. I think she thought it was a giveaway. I told her about LWR and we talked about God.”
On October 30, the Urban Ministry Tour organized by Gifts For All God’s Children visited 9 ministries in the Metro Detroit area. 27 people participated in the tour and also heard about two additional ministries that weren’t available for visits.
Life Ministry
On September 21, members of ULC teamed up with Family Life Services for their Walk for Life. Their Facebook post read: “At ULC we want to be a people who celebrate, uphold, and advocate for this gift of life from ‘womb to tomb.’ Through Walk for Life, ULC helped raise donations for Family Life Services who offer a wide range of resources for women in Washtenaw County who think they might be pregnant. A group of ULC musicians helped lead worship for the event as well.”
On Thursday, November 6, many Lutherans joined in the Michigan March for Life in Lansing and post-march rally in DeWitt. MLive.com highlighted the event, saying “Pro-life march stretches nearly mile long as Michigan rally focuses on abortion alternatives.”
The majority of the photos was downloaded from Facebook posts.
