Ministries
“Use whatever gift you have received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
— 1 Peter 4:10
Living Lord Lutheran Church has many ministries, with new ones developing frequently. Most fall under one or more of the following ministry areas, and there is much crossover with our missions activities as well. All members and friends of Living Lord Church are encouraged to become actively involved in at last one area of service as we seek to fulfill our mission. At Living Lord, we are:
Growing to Serve… Serving to Grow.
This area involves several different ministries that work together to help families and individuals of all ages grow together in their faith. Christian education includes spiritual-growth programs for all ages. For children, opportunities include Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, introductory Bible classes, and first Communion. Adults are encouraged to participate in a variety of Bible studies and small groups offered throughout the week. Youth ministry leaders work together to help guide our older children and teens through activities designed to excite them about Jesus and challenge them to make Him the center of their daily lives. Programming includes Midweek MANIA for 5th-6th graders, Confirmation, small groups, Bible studies for youth in 7th grade through high school, and the high school youth group.
Small Group Ministries
Small group ministry is an effective way to receive support, offer support, learn, serve, and grow in our efforts to become more like Christ. Some of our existing small groups include: Adult Bible study groups, youth Bible studies, knitting group, quilters group, and book club.
Worship & Music
This team seeks to glorify God by maintaining and growing the programs that sustain the worship life of Living Lord Lutheran Church. The goal is to continue, improve, and develop new styles of meaningful, varied, and uplifting worship services through both behind-the-scenes work and more visible contributions. Subgroups of this team include the altar guild; ushers; worship facilitators; liturgical assistants; readers; sound system team; multimedia team, drama performers; and choirs, instrumentalists, and special music.
Congregational Care Ministry
The purpose of this ministry is to equip our members to help one another in times of need. Care ministers reach out to members and friends of Living Lord through care cards, the food ministry team, hospital calls, home communion visits, prayer ministries, and more.
Social Ministries
The goal of our social ministries is to involve members of the congregation in ministering to the needs of others. Some of this team’s activities include blood drives, food, clothing, and blanket drives, holiday food and gift collections, quilting and knitting/crocheting ministries, and other community-outreach initiatives such as leading the Northwest DuPage United CROP Walk for Hunger and supporting several area food pantries.
Hospitality
As Christians, our job is to reach out to our members, friends, and neighbors and invite them into a relationship with Christ. Living Lord has a variety of ministries designed to increase member involvement and connect with others who may not know Jesus. These ministries include Living Lord orientation classes (for newly joining members), other Bible studies and small-group opportunities, community-oriented programs such as Vacation Bible School, and participation in Bartlett-area community events.
Fellowship time is important at Living Lord. Activities and events that bring our church family together include Sunday morning coffee service, Donut Sundays, Lenten Soup Suppers, ice cream socials, sports games and other outings, and church picnics.
Congregation Council
The Congregation Council consists of four executive officers, the lead pastor, and several members-at-large. The Council functions as a board of directors, with its primary responsibilities being spiritual direction, long-range planning, and fiscal responsibility.
The President is the legal officer of the church; he or she presides over the Church Council. The Vice President assumes the responsibility of the president in his or her absence and recruits the annual Nominating Team, which seeks candidates to replace exiting Council members. The Treasurer prepares monthly and year-to-date financial statements and all related tax reports. This position requires knowledge of accounting. The Secretary attends all Council meetings, records minutes, and keeps all ministry reports. Members-at-Large attend all Council meetings and help the executive officers and pastors lead the direction of the congregation.
Personnel & Administration
This group is responsible for interviewing and hiring lay staff, evaluating staff performance, updating the employee handbook, maintaining personnel files, and coordinating time cards, records, and policies. The team’s subgroup, called the Mutual Ministry Team, helps communicate congregational needs to staff and supports staff in their ministry.
Property
The Property Team is responsible for the ongoing maintenance and operations of the church building and its property. This team plans cleanup and other work days throughout the year and encourages participation by all members who can lend a hand.
Stewardship
This team works to encourage members to become good stewards of their time, talents, and treasure to support the ministries of Living Lord Church. This group coordinates the annual stewardship drive, an important step in the budgetary process, and facilitates volunteer help through the Service Opportunities booklet. Through this tool, members and friends indicate how they would like to share their God-given spiritual gifts with the congregation and our surrounding community.
