IT S CHRISTMAS WEATHER OR NOT!

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1 DISTRICT NEWS INDIANA / DECEMBER 2015 thinkstock The Lord said,...though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18) IT S CHRISTMAS WEATHER OR NOT! Having grown up in northern Indiana, Christmas for me was normally cold and often snowy. That was fine I like snow and don t mind the cold. It seemed quite natural to sing, The snow lay on the ground. The stars shone bright when christ our Lord was born on Christmas night. That s the way I always remember Christmas with deep snow, high drifts, and bitter cold. Although that might be a bit exaggerated, we really didn t need to dream about a white Christmas on that farm near Elkhart. As you drive farther south in our beautiful Indiana District, however, you will find many places where a white Christmas is rare. In Lexington and Henderson, Kentucky, for instance, you don t really think much about snow or even imagine snow at Christmastime. And, in my first congregation in Natchez, Mississippi, snow was out of the question (although some people would put that spray-on snow around their windows to make it look like a White Christmas)! Whether or not it makes sense to sing, See amid the winter s snow, we can still join with people around the world in preparing to celebrate the birth Rev. Daniel May District President INDIANA DECEMBER 2015 / 1

2 OUTREACH of God s incarnate Son in the little town of Bethlehem. Advent is not about guessing the weather or counting the shopping days, but about rejoicing in the prophecies of Scripture and the fulfillment of those prophecies in Jesus Christ. He is the One to save the world and redeem your soul. His forgiveness and love are yours in season and out of season. In fact, what happened that first Christmas night was much, much deeper than snow! My favorite Bible verse with the word snow in it is not really about snow at all: The Lord STEWARDSHIP said, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Sure, snow is white, and it does cover the drabness of the winter landscape; it s pretty. But Jesus suffering, death and resurrection cover my sins completely. Now that s beautiful! with family and friends this year, I pray that you will rejoice to high heaven as you join the angelic chorus in thanking God for giving to you the gift of His Son. No matter what the weather, the powerful fulfillment of God s loving and saving grace is just as joyous with or without sleds, snow shovels or roads coated in ice! The warmth of Christmas is ours, weather or not! As you gather Merry Christmas in Christ, May you have a blessed Advent and joyous Christmas as you celebrate the birth of our Savior to forgive and redeem us! A GIFT GIVEN OUT OF LOVE! T he story of Jesus birth is told by prophets from days past. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. This same story is retold by children in Lutheran schools through song and recitation. Youth and Sunday school lessons through the month of December focus on the greatest gift ever received salvation by grace through faith in Jesus. The story of Jesus birth is read in liturgical readings and sung in worship during Advent, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services by all. Jesus birth and life is taught and celebrated by Christians today. This celebration of God s incarnation even extends beyond the month of December. For that Gospel message is taught and lived by Christians young and old every day. Jesus birth and life is reaffirmed in On October 4, 2015, St. Peter Lutheran Church in Warsaw, Indiana, dedicated property they have recently purchased for the future site of a new church building, which they hope to built in the not-too-distant future. BRING GROWTH & OPPORTUNITY I 2 / INDIANA But the growth opportunities don t stop there. Did you know that there has never been an LCMS congregation in Richmond, Kentucky? Through Outreach Kentucky, an effort authorized by the Indiana District Board of Directors, we are working to change that. Thanks to a grant from the Rev. Steve Schave, LCMS director of New Start Ministries and Urban & Inner City Missions, we are in the process of producing a video to help promote our efforts to put a missionary at large in this region. Be sure to look for the video on our website! We would also ask that you please consider supporting this outreach, as well as all the missions and missionaries in our Indiana District, with your prayers and Rev. Geoff Robinson offerings. And Outreach Executive don t forget those working throughout our Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Your financial gifts supporting these missions and missionaries are always a welcome blessing. DECEMBER 3 Indiana District Board of Directors St. John s, LaPorte 24 Christmas Eve District Office Closed 25 Dr. Jon Mielke Executive Counselor for Christian Education Christas Day District Office Closed 31 New Year s Eve District Office Closed What a marvelous time to give thanks and praise to God for His great love and mercy Jesus Christ; His One and only Son, sent to reclaim His people. JANUARY Because of God s tremendous gift of love for you and me, we shall experience God s love in our eternal glory with Him Merry Christmas and God s richest blessings to all of you as you and your families continue to serve our Lord and Savior. FEBRUARY 1 New Year s Day Happy 2016!!! District Office Closed Symposia at CTS 5-7 Katie Retreat for Pastors Wives Inn of DePauw, Greencastle WHAT S YOUR GIFT OF THANKS THIS SEASON? MISSION PROSPECTS n case you haven t heard, the Indiana District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is growing! Christ the King Lutheran Mission in Mooresville, Indiana, is the latest in a series of missions that have chartered as congregations of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in the past three years. Other missions include St. Peter Lutheran Church in Warsaw, Indiana; Resurrection Lutheran Church in in Louisville, Kentucky; Journey Lutheran Ministries in Fishers, Indiana; and St. Matthew s Lutheran Church, in Delphi, Indiana, which comes to us from the ELCA. Holy Communion, in God s Word, and rooted in our baptisms. For the Holy Spirit works through these two Sacraments and God s Word, not only to strengthen our faith, but also to keep us in this true faith as we live out our vocations. EVENTS W hen I was a little kid at Christmastime, I got bored pretty quickly with the presents I received (or so I m told), especially if those presents were clothes! Instead, I found more joy in playing with the boxes that my gifts came in. As I look at my grandchildren today, some are the same way, ignoring the gifts and playing with the wrapping paper, boxes, bows, and ribbon. I guess we humans are hard to please sometimes. Take professional athletes and movie actors, for instance. How can they possibly declare bankruptcy, when most of them are making millions of dollars? But can t the same be said of us? The more we have, the more we seem to want, just like the athletes, actors, even our own children. Avoiding that pitfall isn t easy. Keeping up with the Joneses seems to be the American way. Thankfully, there is another way, a Christ-like way! Acts 20:35 tells us, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Doesn t your heart warm when you see your family and friends open up a gift you gave them and say, Thank you? In comparison, just think about the Gift our Father in Heaven has given us! Jesus really is the reason for the season. He s the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, and when He s unwrapped, we find that He came for us so that we might be saved. What a great Gift! What kind of gift(s) can we offer in return? While we could Ken Schilf Council of Resources never repay our Father for this indescribable gift, we can certainly accept the opportunity to experience the joy in giving in return. In fact, giving is an important part of being a Christian. We give because we are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. So what is your gift of THANKS this Christmas season? However you decide to give thanks, remember to make December 25 a Merry CHRISTmas! DECEMBER 2015 / 3

3 COMMUNITY COMMUNITY THANK YOU PASTOR EASTERDAY! Skilled Leader with Heart for Outreach Retires from Trinity Lutheran, Crown Point A fter eight years as the senior pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church and School in Crown Point, Indiana, the Rev. David Easterday has retired. During his tenure, he led the church on a mission of growing, caring, and sharing. As a result, Trinity Lutheran now offers over 40 opportunities each week for spiritual growth. We have grown our outreach in a variety of ways through our key ministries and our day school ministry, says Pastor Easterday. Other significant areas of ministry include Bible studies, small groups and worship. Shortly after coming to Trinity in 2008, Pastor Easterday initiated a contemporary worship service that now meets in the gymnasium at 8:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. each Sunday. Those services contain many of the same elements as the traditional worship services, with the exception of the music, which offers a more contemporary feel. These services have been very well received, he says. Our first contemporary Easter service attracted 175 congregants. The success of these services created a need for a full-time director of contemporary worship and youth ministry. Brandon Grelle, who has since left Trinity for another church assignment, was the first to be called. As a result of Pastor Easterday s leadership, Trinity Church is now more mission-focused as well, supporting many Lutheran ministries, both locally and around the world. Trinity is a church that has a heart and passion for people, says Pastor Easterday. I was glad to be here. For me, it was like stepping into a car already moving in the right direction. Together with cooperation from the Elders and Deacons and many of our members, we wanted to make an impact in Crown Point and the region. I believe we succeeded in doing that. The church s reach has expanded to Crown Point and beyond, with members coming from Crown Point as well as Cedar Lake, Merrillville, St. John, and Crete, Illinois. Joining Pastor Easterday in his leadership at Trinity, is his wife, Joyce. She was with me every step of the way and offered support when I needed it the most. Joyce also served as a volunteer librarian for Trinity s Lutheran School and encouraged a ministry among women. The couple has three daughters. Before his ordination into the ministry in 1994, Pastor Easterday worked as an engineer. With the name of Easter-day, he says, I couldn t help but answer a calling from our Lord Jesus Christ to become a pastor. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from the Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, as well as a bachelor s degree in elementary education from Indiana University. Lead by Derrill Kregel, executive director of the church, and David Maxwell, chair of the elders, the Trinity Lutheran congregation recognizes that their pastor invested as many as 80 hours per week in ministry. In an open letter to Pastor Easterday, they thanked Easterday for being a fabulous blessing to Trinity, and for being the leader the church needed at a critical time. LCMS WELCOMES TWO NEW PASTORS REVEREND TICH LUU Front Row (L to R): Rev. David Wiist, Rev. Tich Luu, Rev. Robert Reinhardt Week of Dec. 7 Missouri District Circuit 15 St. Paul, Indianapolis St. Peter, Indianapolis First Timothy, Indianapolis Mt. Olive, Greenwood Christ the King, Mooresville U. of Louisville RSO: Lutheran Foundation, Fort Wayne Middle Row (L to R): Rev. Rodney Schmeltz, Rev. Sean Esterline, Rev. Robert Schneider, Rev. Tom Wenig, Rev. Chad Eckels Back Row (L to R): Rev. Mark Moog, Rev. Roger Sassaman, Rev. Kirk Horstmeyer, Rev. Martin Noland, Rev. Matthew Schilling. In 2011, St. Paul s Lutheran Church began mission work among the Chinese people of Evansville with a specific purpose of providing them with an opportunity to hear the Gospel and worship using the Divine Service in their own native language of Mandarin. Rev. David Wiist, who preached at the installation service for Rev. Luu, reminded all those gathered, God s Word cannot be bound. Not even a language barrier will keep God s Word from being proclaimed. Today the Chinese Mission has grown to over 50 people who gather in worship every Sunday and more than 100 who meet each month in fellowship. St. Paul s give thanks for Pastor Luu and his wife Michelle as they begin their life together in this partnership of the Gospel. REVEREND JORDAN M KINLEY LWML INDIANA DISTRICT MISSION GRANT PROPOSALS DUE! Do you know of a ministry with an Indiana connection in need of funding to help reach out with the love of Christ? If so, now is great time to forward the LWML Indiana District Mission Grant Application to this outreach. When you do, it s important to note a few changes in our proposal. For our next biennium, we are offering two categories of grants: small ($5,000 and less) and large ($5,001 to $10,000), which will be on separate ballots. The deadline for proposals is January 15, 2016, so be sure to act now! You can access the grant application at lwmlindiana.org under the Forms and Applications tab on the left. Questions? Becky Thibodeau at bthibs@att.net. 4 / INDIANA Your stories and photos are most appreciated. Please send them to Jan Koenig at: jan.koenig@in.lcms.org or by postal mail to: Lutheran Witness Editor Indiana District LCMS 1145 South Barr St. Fort Wayne, IN Please remember that photos sent electronically should be in jpeg format with a minimum 300 dpi. Week of Dec. 14 Montana District Circuit 20 Our Savior, Danville Our Redeemer, Lexington St. John, Lexington Good Shepherd, Lexington Bread of Life Mission, Lexington Indiana State, Terre Haute RSO: Lutheran Life Villages, Fort Wayne & Kendallville Week of Dec. 21 C SHARE YOUR STORIES WITH US The deadline for the February issue of The Lutheran Witness is Dec. 10. December Prayer List Back row (L to R): Rev. Greg Devore, Rev. Ralph Blomenberg Rev. Phil Bloch and Rev. Joe Barlau Middle row (L to R): Rev. Matt Jung, Rev. Martin Keller, Rev. Craig Muhlbach, and Rev. Ken Keily Front row (L to R): Rev. Thomas Ludwig, Rev. Jordan McKinley, Rev. Brad Bowlds and Rev. David Whan Nebraska District Circuit 5 St. Paul s, Bremen Trinity, Elkhart St. Peter, Mishawaka Calvary Plymouth Emmaus, South Bend Fort Wayne RSO: Lutheran Military Veterans and Families Week of Dec. 28 CHRISTMAS May God bless your celebration of His birth!!! The Rev. Jordan McKinley was installed as pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Vallonia, Indiana, on August 23, DECEMBER 2015 / 5

4 CELEBRATIONS CELEBRATIONS DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS DEC. 1 Venita Reininga, 92, Trinity, Darmstadt Opal Smolek, 92, St. Peter, North Judson DEC. 2 Edith Wesley, 98, Trinity, Hobart Henry Kranich, 95, Zion, Decatur DEC. 4 Marie Heller, 98, Immanuel, Avilla Judd Bleeke, 93, St. Paul (Preble), Decatur DEC. 5 Jane Cameron, 95, Helen Jaebker, 90, DEC. 6 Mildred Kiel, 100, Bob Trussel, 95, Mt. Calvary, Fort Wayne Bud Wiser, 93, Calvary, Indianapolis DEC. 7 Marvin Conrad, 95, Zion, Friedheim Francis Hudlow, 93, St. James, Lafayette Caroline Nielsen, 92, Carmel Bertha Jackson, 91, DEC. 8 Alberta Krampe, 93, Calvary, Indianapolis Helen Vandre Schakel, 93, Grace, Muncie DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES DEC. 4 Mr. and Mrs. Kermit Wittman, 55 DEC. 5 Mr. and Mrs. Delbert James, 67 DEC. 6 Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Beilke, 63, St. Paul s, Evansville Mr. and Mrs. Delbert Hacker, 62 Mr. and Mrs. Willis Conrad, 52, Zion, Friedheim DEC. 7 Mr. and Mrs. Jack Wheeler, 55 St. Peter s, Brownstown Mr. and Mrs. Albert Koch, 52 Immanuel, Michigan City DEC. 8 Mr. and Mrs. Rich Reidenbach, 53 Heritage Valparaiso DEC. 9 Mr. and Mrs. Bob Schultz, 59, Faith, DeMotte DEC. 10 Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Borchelt, 60, Trinity, Hobart Mr. and Mrs. Jerrold Horn, 55, St. Paul s, Evansville DEC. 11 Mr. and Mrs. Deane Fisher, 60, Calvary, Plymouth Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie Polk, 55, Mr. and Mrs. David Cooper, 50, Trinity, Hobart Mr. and Mrs. John O. Wittman, 50 DEC. 14 Mr. and Mrs. Lester Roach, 53, Carmel DEC. 9 Ralph Herb, 93, St. Paul s, Fort Wayne DEC. 10 Russell Byrkett, 90, Wilma Toppe, 90, DEC. 11 Irene Schamber, 103, DEC. 12 Iris Guethe, 93, St. Paul s, Fort Wayne DEC. 13 Ruth Linnemeier, 91, St. John (Bingen), Decatur DEC. 15 Ruby Fosbrink, 90, St. Peter s, Brownstown Beverly Grant, 90, St. Paul s, Evansville DEC. 17 Lucille Fox, 90, DEC. 18 Pauline Zollman, 91, St. John, Lanesville DEC. 19 Virgina Knoke, 97, Alma Keidel, 93, Zion, Friedheim Helen Roberts, 90, St. John s, White Creek DEC. 20 Paul Thune, 90, Carmel DEC. 16 Mr. and Mrs. Bill Carter, 59, Zion, New Palestine Mr. and Mrs. Wendell Perkins, 54 DEC. 17 Mr. and Mrs. William Swift, 55 Mr. and Mrs. Vill Thompson, 50 DEC. 19 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Schoen, 51, St. John, Lanesville DEC. 20 Mr. and Mrs. John Watkins, 57, Carmel DEC. 21 Mr. and Mrs. Richard Johnson, 57 Calvary, Indianapolis Mr. and Mrs. Roland Meyer, 57 DEC. 22 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Beall, 59, St. James, Lafayette Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Poulston, 59 Trinity Memorial, Merrillville Mr. and Mrs. Carroll Hamner, 58 DEC. 23 Mr. and Mrs. Bob Schiefelbein, 61 Calvary, Plymouth Mr. and Mrs. Richard Carpenter, 55, Zion, Seymour Mr. and Mrs. Byron White, 55 St. Paul s, (Denham), Winamac Mr. and Mrs. Larry Stanford, 54 Calvary, Indianapolis DEC. 24 Mr. and Mrs. Harley Like, 65, Emily Brown, 94, St. Peter, North Judson DEC. 22 Maryon Schueler, 94, DEC. 23 Fern Theriac, 92, DEC. 25 Jack Griebel, 92, Mt. Calvary, Fort Wayne DEC. 26 Anna Cockerham, 90, Joe Halter, 90, DEC. 27 Lynn Hinnefeld, 92, St. Peter s, Brownstown DEC. 28 Ada Reek, 96, Pauline Rekeweg, 95, Zion, Woodburn Mildred Nelson, 92, Trinity, Hobart DEC. 29 Betty McDonald, 95, St. James, Logansport James Prien, 92, St. James, Lafayette DEC. 30 Mary Hackman, 94, DEC. 31 Martha Janz, 91, St. Matthew s, Delphi Rev. and Mrs. James Link, 51, DEC. 25 Mr. and Mrs. Rich Rekeweg, 62 Mt. Calvary, Fort Wayne DEC. 26 Mr. and Mrs. Ray Schur, 62, Concordia, Louisville Mr. and Mrs. Len Buuck, 60 Mr. and Mrs. James Martin, 55 Mr. and Mrs. Art Bartholomew, 54 Heritage, Valparaiso Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Heeger, 54 Trinity, Darmstadt Mr. and Mrs. Russ Prough, 50 Concordia, Louisville Mr. and Mrs. Neil Welty, 50, Carmel DEC. 27 Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Conrad, 74, Zion, Friedheim Mr. and Mrs. Donald Haines, 63 St. Paul (Preble), Decatur Mr. and Mrs. William Berning, 62 Mr. and Mrs. Ron Schmidt, 57 St. John, Monroeville Mr. and Mrs. Tony Fuhrer, 52 St. Paul s, Evansville Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Peters, 52 St. Peter s, Brownstown Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kolanowsi, 51 St. Peter, North Judson DEC. 28 Mr. and Mrs. Donald Cox, 66, Zion, Seymour Mr. and Mrs. Paul McMichael, 65 Holy Cross, Indianapolis Mr. and Mrs. Jackie Phillips, 60 St. James, Lafayette Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Barkes, 52 Concordia, Greenwood Mr. and Mrs. Thom Seeley, 52, Carmel Mr. and Mrs. John Lewis IV, 50 Belated Birthdays AUG. 1 Ruth Sunderman, 90, AUG. 3 Dorothy Lunte, 92, AUG. 14 Rabel Newkirk, 92, AUG. 31 Hulda Goecker, 93, SEPT. 1 Pauline Hackman, 90, SEPT. 3 Melvin Wischmeier, 93, Rosemary Wesselman, 90, SEPT. 10 Mildred Rahn, 90, Belated Anniversaries AUG. 2 Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Baker, 51 AUG. 4 Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Otte, 52, AUG. 5 Mr. and Mrs. Donald Pardieck, 59 AUG. 8 Mr. and Mrs. Wendell Borcherding, 50 AUG. 14 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Carpenter, 60 AUG. 19 Mr. and Mrs. Richard Raabe, 59 AUG. 23 Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Pardieck, 62 AUG. 25 Mr. and Mrs. Delbert Kilgas, 58 AUG. 28 Mr. and Mrs. Donavon Kieser, 55 SEPT. 1 Mr. and Mrs. Gene Linnemeier, 52 Zion, Friedheim SEPT. 2 Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Darlage, 54 SEPT. 9 Mr. and Mrs. Gary Heckman, 70 Zion, Friedheim DEC. 29 Mr. and Mrs. Noel Schlegelmilch, 53 Immanuel, Michigan City DEC. 30 Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Herb, 65, St. Paul s, Fort Wayne Mr. and Mrs. Neil Lantz, 54, Carmel SEPT. 12 Esther Gottfried, 91, SEPT. 16 Edgar Westphal, 91, Mildred Kontak, 90, SEPT. 17 Marvin Stoppenhagen, 100, Zion, Friedheim SEPT. 18 Marlin Keidel, 91, Zion, Friedheim OCT. 4 Mardella Gerbers, 90, OCT. 12 Mae Ellen Schneider, 90, Lucile Stoppenhagen, 90, Zion, Friedheim OCT. 15 Edna Hallow, 94, Edna Kaufman, 92, SEPT. 15 Mr. and Mrs. Dan Kiel, 58, SEPT. 17 Mr. and Mrs. Edward Beltz, 55 Mr. and Mrs. Don Gehres, 50, Zion, Friedheim SEPT. 18 Mr. and Mrs. Jim Crosby, 60, Zion, Friedheim SEPT. 27 Mr. and Mrs. Glen VonDielingen, 51 OCT. 2 Mr. and Mrs. Larry Wente, 50 OCT. 3 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Avney, 60 St. Matthew s, Delphi OCT. 7 Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Caruso, 55 OCT. 11 Mr. and Mrs. Walter Weihe, 51 OCT. 12 Mr. and Mrs. Charles Myers, 58 OCT. 14 Mr. and Mrs. Ross Maschino, 55 OCT. 17 Mr. and Mrs. Donald Niederbaumer, 51 OCT. 21 Mr. and Mrs. Farrell Sullivan, 54 OCT. 22 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Walton, 65 St. Matthew s, Delphi DEC. 31 Mr. and Mrs. Harold Fowler, 65 St. James, Logansport Mr. and Mrs. Hank Hansen, 60, Zion, Seymour Mr. and Mrs. Ed Fields, 55, Concordia, Louisville Mr. and Mrs. Michael Wimsatt, 52 Shepherd of the Hills, Georgetown OCT. 22 Bessie Ormsby, 94, OCT. 28 Helen Schleibaum, 92, OCT. 29 Lillie Girton, 92, NOV. 4 Lois Schmidt, 94 NOV. 13 Lucille Psilas 97, NOV. 15 Treva Stahl, 93, Helma Conrad, 91, Zion, Friedheim NOV. 22 W. Dale Weasner, 93, NOV. 29 Audramae Clamme, 102, Grace, Muncie OCT. 24 Mr. and Mrs. Ron Bultemeier, 50 Zion Friedheim NOV. 1 Mr. and Mrs. Don Koestring, 62 NOV. 5 Mr. and Mrs. George Wilson 60 NOV. 11 Mr. and Mrs. Glen Heideman, 53 NOV. 18 Mr. and Mrs. Rudolf Czerny, 65 NOV. 21 Mr. and Mrs. Bill Ayres, 57, Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Payne, 56 Mr. and Mrs. Keith Clark, 51 Mr and Mrs. Ted Cameron, 50 NOV. 24 Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Rump, 70 NOV. 25 Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Brown, 50, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Kanning, 50 NOV. 26 Mr. and Mrs. Donald Schneider, 65 NOV. 29 Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Fox 57, NOV. 30 Mr. and Mrs. Roger Roth, 58 6 / INDIANA DECEMBER 2015 / 7

5 GIVING SHARING THE LOVE OF CHRIST AT CHRISTMASTIME How LSSI is making a difference for clients in northeast Indiana For more than 20 years, Lutheran Social Services of Indiana (LSSI) has been making Christmas wishes come true through its annual Adopt-a-Family Christmas Program. Designed to brighten the Christmas of those currently enrolled in one of LSSI s programs and actively working toward family stability goals, the Adopt-a- Family Christmas Program touches hundreds of people in Northeast Indiana while demonstrating the love of Jesus. HOW IT WORKS Every fall, LSSI case managers help clients complete a Christmas program application and record wish lists for each person in the family. That list usually includes household items, such as sheets, silverware, or pots and pans, as well as board games, small toys, or books for children. Next, LSSI staff matches families with sponsors who want to contribute those gifts, along with a laundry basket filled with nonperishable food items and a grocery gift card for fresh foods. Finally, volunteers gather at Concordia Lutheran High School for two days in December collecting all the gifts and food and distributing them to families. Dennis Herman, Director of Church Relations at LSSI has participated in this gift-distribution for years and says these gifts allow families, many of them living below the poverty line, to actually have a Christmas for their children. Christmas Program Families express their gratitude in many ways. Those are some of the best hugs you will receive all year, he says. Kristi Stanley, Director of Intake/ Grants Manager, and coordinator for the Adopt-a-Family Christmas Program, explains. Our ultimate goal is to share salvation with each client, and our Christmas program is just part of that effort, she says. That is why, in addition to the presents, LSSI includes materials in the gift baskets that explain the Gospel message and tell of Christ s love for us. Adult and Children s Bibles are also a part of the gift basket. If you would like more information about the Christmas program or other sponsorship opportunities, please give Kristi Stanley a call at (260) By The Numbers 500 individuals receiving gifts 120 families served 0 people turned away ABOUT LSSI Lutheran Social Services of Indiana (LSSI) has been a leader in social services in northeast Indiana for more than 114 years and focuses on serving those most in need. LSSI s mission is to express the love of Jesus Christ for all people through services that empower individuals and families to move toward social, emotional and spiritual wholeness. To learn more, visit lssin.org. 8 / INDIANA