The Fort Wayne Lutheran

07/25/2025

In life’s most challenging moments, including mental health challenges, it can feel impossible to find the right words to pray. Yet the Bible gives the gift of the Psalms of Lament - prayers that honestly express our pain, ask difficult questions, and turn to God for comfort. Spiritual First Aid has created a free downloadable resource titled “20 Daily Psalms of Lament” to help you reflect, pray, and connect with God through the Psalms. The guide contains a research-informed approach as it is rooted in evidence and theological insights, designed to meet you where you or those you are helping are in their journey. You can download this free resource at www.spiritualfirstaid.org/20-daily-psalms-of-lament.

07/25/2025

Camp Lutherhaven is excited to announce its Junior High Youth Rally happening September 13–14. The event starts Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and concludes Sunday at 11:30 a.m. Key details:

-Early Bird Registration: $65 (ends July 30 at 11:59 a.m.)
-Regular Registration: $70 (closes August 27 at 11:59 a.m.)
-T-shirt Deadline: Register by August 20 at 12 p.m. to guarantee a shirt.

This year’s keynote speaker is Michelle Bauman, who served 21 years as a Lutheran educator in Indiana before joining Lutherans for Life in 2019. Now a national director, she speaks across the country on life issues, helping youth approach these topics from a Gospel-centered perspective. For more information and to register, visit tinyurl.com/LHJrhighrally.

Get tickets online for 2025 Junior High Youth Rally Registration here.

07/24/2025

Lutheran South Unity School Fort Wayne Indiana is kicking off the upcoming school year with its inaugural golf outing on August 8 at McMillen Park Golf Course. The registration fee of $65 includes golf with a cart and lunch at 11:30 a.m. The profits of this outing will go to the LSUS Phoenix athletic sports teams. To enter your team or for sponsorship info, visit tinyurl.com/LSUSouting. You may also call the school office for additional details at 260-744-0459. The planning committee consists of John and Hannah Fink, Chase Mertz, Gene Koch, and Dan Johnson.

Join us for the very first LSUS Golf Outing - a fun day of golf, networking, and good times with fellow LSUS supporters!

07/24/2025

Check out the News & Such from the July issue of the Fort Wayne Lutheran:

Equip your church for Mental Health Sunday - Hope Made Strong has created a free toolkit to provide congregations with everything they need to hold a Mental Health Sunday service. This free resource contains customizable promotional materials, invitation postcards, slides, sermon notes, a five-day devotional booklet, a small group curriculum, 12 monthly ideas to support mental health, and more. Even if you don’t host a Mental Health Sunday, this can help your mental health ministry! For info, visit hopemadestrong.org/2024MentalHealthSunday.

Free help with estate planning - Your LCMS Foundation Gift Planning Counselor can help you to initiate an estate plan, including sharing some examples. For assistance, contact Mark Muehl at 260-241-4845 or [email protected].

Scholarships for musicians - The Indiana District offers scholarships to church musicians or any aspiring church musician in the Indiana district. The money can be used for conference fees, music-intensive camps, workshops, lessons, and continuing education. If you or someone you know might benefit, contact the Indiana District office at 260-423-1511 or [email protected].

Cross Connections openings - Cross Connections, a faith-based Christian counseling ministry, is seeking Master’s-level counselors who are licensed (or working toward licensure) to join their team. Please send a resume and cover letter to Kirk Reber at [email protected] or call 260-373-0213.

Work at Lutheran Life Villages - Lutheran Life Villages has a variety of open positions. Visit tinyurl.com/LLVjobs to view all listings.

Bible class open to Lutherans - A Bible class, which began many years ago at the old Hobby House restaurant, is continuing and is open to all Lutherans at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2313 Hanna Street, on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. Rev. Dr. James Teasdale will teach the class after nearly a decade of faithful service by Rev. Dr. Geoff Robinson. If anyone has questions contact Jim Crouse at [email protected].

Join The FW Lutheran board - The Fort Wayne Lutheran is seeking a board member - someone who is interested in the Lutheran community and who wants to help spread the word about events in member churches and schools. An English or journalism background is preferred. Contact Kevin Leininger at [email protected].

Explore PTSD resources at LookUp Indiana website - LookUp Indiana has curated faith-based trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) resources. There are short videos on trauma, articles, guidebooks, a PTSD online screening test, self-care cards for caregivers and many other helpful materials available at lookupindiana.org/faith-mental-health/faith-trauma.

Free resources available for those with visual impairments - Do you have individuals in your congregation who need large-print materials? Does your congregation do outreach for the blind or visually impaired? Lutheran Braille Workers produces high-quality, large-print materials and provides them free of charge to LCMS congregations.Visit lbwloveworks.org for more information.

07/23/2025

Emmaus Lutheran School & Preschool is celebrating a major milestone in 2025. To honor 125 years of ministry, the congregation has planned a series of events and guest preachers under the theme “Past, Present, Future.”

The first observance was held on May 18, with a focus on the past.
Longtime member and church historian Bill Bradley led a post-service presentation on the rich and storied history of Emmaus. Rev. Dr. Jon Bruss served as the guest preacher.

Rev. Benjamin T. Ball, second vice-president of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, will preach on the theme of the present on Sept. 21.

The future will be highlighted on Nov. 23, with guest preacher Rev. Gunnar Campbell, a former Emmaus fieldworker and current pastor at Christ Lutheran Church in Jacob, Illinois.

The congregation will also gather for a church and school picnic on Sept. 14 as part of the anniversary festivities.

07/22/2025

The Women of Zion recently wrapped up their annual sock drive, collecting 256 pairs of socks from May 1 through June 1 for the Fort Wayne Rescue Mission. Upon delivering the socks, along with face masks and medical supplies, to the Mission, the group received a tour of the organization.

They discovered a medical clinic, behavioral specialists, a respite room for the sick, a chapel, and a modern kitchen where about 1,000 people are fed daily for $3,000 per day, 365 days a year. Community volunteers play a vital role in serving meals, leading games, and conducting church services.

The tour also highlighted unique features like a men’s balcony for relaxation and gardening, with the produce used in meal preparation. The fourth floor houses classrooms, offices, and a music room, supporting programs that help individuals reintegrate into society. These programs include assistance with job searches, resume writing, and email correspondence. The Fort Wayne Housing Authority also visits twice a week to aid with housing applications.

Beyond the main campus, the Rescue Mission operates a women’s shelter on the southeast side of Fort Wayne and a thrift store on the northeast side of town.

07/21/2025

New from the area. Check it out and read more in this month's Fort Wayne Lutheran:

Sign language workshop: worship and ministry - The Church Interpreter Training Academy is hosting a four-day Religious Signing Workshop for all ASL skill levels. The workshop runs from July 31 at 8 a.m. to August 3 at 4 p.m. at Concordia Lutheran Seminary. Participants will learn how to interpret Scripture, liturgy, worship, church music, hymns, and more for deaf and hard-of-hearing communities in a church setting. For more information, call 616- 634-1100 or email [email protected].

Reconnect at CLHS 1975 reunion - Classmates of the 1975 Concordia Lutheran High School class are invited to celebrate and join in the 50th class reunion/alumni weekend festivities from Sept. 26 to the 28 with the 50th class reunion being held Sept. 27. For more info and to RSVP, reach out to Marti (Wright) Rehberg or Chris (Franke) Hudson at [email protected] or call 260-438-3491. You can also find additional details on Facebook at CLHS Cadets 1975. Don’t miss this opportunity to reconnect with old friends and reminisce about memories!

Dartball team results - The 2024-25 Dartball team results are:
Div 1 League Champs - Trinity B
Div 2 League Champs – St Paul B
Div 3 League Champs – Trinity A
Div 1 League Tournament – St John Lake B – Rob Niman MVP
Div 2 League Tournament – Southwest – Mike Bender MVP
League Championship – Trinity B – Rich Greener MVP
To learn more, contact Rich Greener at 260-437-4933 or [email protected].

07/21/2025

Worship Anew - Lutheran Ministries Media operates, gratefully, through the work of volunteers.

Two of those volunteers are the Rev. Thomas Eggold and Merv Koehlinger who are being honored this year with the Rev. Oswald Bertram Award for their outstanding service to the ministry.

The award is named in honor of the Rev. Bertram who conceived of the idea of Worship Anew in 1965, then known as Worship for Shut-Ins.
Pastor Eggold has served as a pastor for Worship Anew since 2018.

Over the years, he has given freely of his time and his exceptional talent to share the Word of God through the Worship Anew program.

“Worship Anew has been a real blessing for me, and it’s helped me to understand the church in a different way,” Pastor Eggold said. “It’s completely humbling to receive this award.”

Merv Koehlinger has been a volunteer on the production team for more than 10 years. He has served as a camera operator as well as assisting with closed captioning. He also currently serves on the Worship Anew Board of Directors. Koehlinger first became connected with Worship Anew through his parents, who were regular viewers. Many years later, he got to know Paul Melin, Worship Anew’s director of video production and accessibility, who asked him to help with the production of the program.

“I continue now to help out whenever I can and however I can,” Koehlinger said. “I can volunteer because I can give back to many people. (Worship Anew specifically) gives me a chance to allow thousands of people to experience spiritual growth.”

07/20/2025

To make a deeper impact on the lives of aspiring health professionals, The Lutheran Foundation (TLF) substantially increased scholarship amounts to help alleviate the financial challenges faced by students, empowering them to focus on their education and future service to others. TLF would like to congratulate the following: Maysen Dahlenburg $15,000 physical therapy (shown top left), Andrew Szelis $12,500 physician assistant (far right), Jerryn Pettigrew $12,500 nursing (second from right), Adrianna Winget $10,000 nursing (second from left), Kaitylyn Verba $6,000 nursing, Ty Koenig $6,000 physical therapy, Addy Rosen $5,000 nursing, and Madison Milton $5,000 physical therapy. Applications for the 2026-2027 Health Profession Scholarship will open in late November with a February 1 deadline. For more details, visit www.thelutheranfoundation.org/scholarships.

07/19/2025

In July 1925, Martini Lutheran Church, 333 Moeller Rd., purchased, installed, and dedicated a brand new Tracker Organ for $2,787. One hundred years later, that same organ, though moved into a new building two miles down the road, rebuilt, and expanded, still leads the saints gathered at Martini every Sunday morning.
In thanksgiving to God for His gift of musical singing led by their 100-year-old organ, Martini hosted a Festival Music Service on July 12 with Kantor Matthew Machemer of Concordia Theological Seminary as organist.

07/19/2025

What news is happening in your community. Check it out...

Tour and register at LSUS - Registration continues for the upcoming school year at Lutheran South Unity School. Call Barb Johnson at 260-744-0459 for a tour. LSUS accepts School Choice Vouchers and also offers scholarships and financial aid. The office is open Monday though Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Reconnect at Concordia ’65 reunion weekend - Join your classmates for a memorable 60th reunion from September 26–28! Kick off the celebration on Sept. 26 at Zollner Stadium, where you can catch the Homecoming game and then head to the alumni after-party at Turners. On Sept. 27, enjoy dinner together at Pine Valley Country Club. Finally, wrap up the weekend with worship alongside fellow alumni at the school on Sept. 28. Don’t miss this special opportunity to reconnect, reminisce, and celebrate six decades of memories! For info or to RSVP, contact Ed McCutcheon at [email protected] or 260-760-4655, or Donna Nahrwold Volmerding at [email protected] or 260-437-8531.

Plan your will in August with Worship Anew - Worship Anew encourages everyone to have an Estate Plan, Advanced Healthcare Directive, and Will. To make this easier, they’re offering help to connect you with a trusted Christian attorney during the national Write-A-Will promotion in August. If you’re interested in including a charity - like your church, university, or Worship Anew - in your will, they have resources to guide you. For assistance, call 888-286-8002 or email [email protected].

07/18/2025

Children’s Village, the early-learning center operated by Lutheran Social Services of Indiana (LSSI) located at 6613 South Anthony Boulevard, hosted a graduation ceremony for 11 preschool students on June 6. It took place in the chapel at Lutheran Life Villages, located on the same campus as Children’s Village.

Children’s Village is a state-of-the-art facility serving children from six weeks to six years of age, dedicated to nurturing developmental growth, fostering school readiness, and building strong family and community connections.

Through its partnership with Lutheran Life Villages, Children’s Village offers enriching intergenerational programming that brings young children and older adults together in meaningful and lasting ways.

The preschoolers received their diplomas surrounded by proud family members and senior residents from Lutheran Life Villages. These seniors have formed meaningful relationships with the children through the center’s innovative intergenerational programming.

“The graduation ceremony is a special milestone, not just for the students, but for everyone who has supported them on their journey,” said Libby Martin, LSSI’s Vice President of Family Services. “This event marks the beginning of many educational accomplishments. By recognizing this first step, we hope to instill confidence and a lifelong love of learning in each of our graduates.”