Resources for Pastors

Join us for our 2024 Stewardship Emphasis: Consecrated Stewards

This grace-based, biblical stewardship program is designed to energize members in their service to Jesus and His church.
Learn more HERE.

All Resources

Visit our resource hub to find all of the resources we offer church workers, schools, and congregations. (Resources are still being added.)

Learn More

Mission Grant Application

Explore mission grants to assist in clarifying your mission plan.

Learn more

Church Worker Debt Retirement

Student Loan repayment grants will be available for rostered church workers each year.

Learn More

i

Call Process and Documents

Information on PIF and SET forms, and what to do when you receive a call. Includes information on requesting and compensating supply / guest pastors.

Learn More

District News

Sign up for the Weekly Update newsletter, the longer Reporter newsletter, and obituaries for church workers rostered in the Nebraska District. Pastors are also invited to join the district pastors’ Facebook group.

Subscribe

Church Worker Wellness

A variety of resources for church workers, including information on benefits, health care, counseling, financial wellness, and retirment planning.

Learn More

The Partnership Project

Thinking about, planning, or implementing a congregational partnership? The Partnership Project offers a variety of resources, including Bible studies, checklists, models, assessment tools, and sample documents, designed to help you work through the process.

Learn More

Below you will find documents and links from a number of our pastors’ conferences.

Fall 2023 Pastors' Conference
Spring 2023 Pastors' Conference Materials

Monday presentation slides (Session 1 and Session 2) and handouts (Discussion 1 and Discussion 2) by Rev. Dr. John Genter

Tuesday presentation slides by Rev. Dr. Chuck Blanco are available by request. Email him at charles.blanco@cune.edu to receive the file.

Fall 2022 Pastors' Conference Videos and Materials

Session 1: Rationale and Intro—Nebraska District President Rev. Richard Snow
DOWNLOAD SLIDES

Session 1: Rationale and Intro  VIDEO HERE

Sessions 2, 3, 4: With All Your Mind, With All Your Heart, With All Your Strength—Rev. Dr. Justin Hannemann, Nebraska District Church Worker Care
DOWNLOAD SLIDES

Session 2: With All Your Mind  VIDEO HERE

Session 3: With All Your Heart  VIDEO HERE

Session 4: With All Your Strength  VIDEO HERE

Book recommendations:  The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, Carl Trueman; Strange New World, Carl Trueman; You Are What You Love, James K.A. Smith; Wonderfully Made: A Protestant Theology of the Body, John W. Kleinig; The Body Keeps the Score, Bessell van der Kolk

Session 5:  With All Your Soul—Nebraska District President Rev. Richard Snow   
DOWNLOAD SLIDES

Session 5 VIDEO HERE

Session 6: And Your Neighbor As Yourself—Rev. Lonnie Jacobsen, Nebraska District Mission and Ministry Executive
 DOWNLOAD SLIDES

Session 6 VIDEO HERE

Book recommendation: When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself, Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert

Handout packet with discussion questions available HERE

Sign up the students in your congregation for campus ministry AT THIS LINK

Spring 2022 Pastors’ Conference Videos and Materials

 

Fall 2020 Pastors' Conference Videos and Materials
Fall 2019 Pastors' Conference Videos and Materials

Dr. Kleinig’s paper “Attention to Pastoral Self Care” (handed out at the conference) can be downloaded by clicking here. Learn more about Doxology at their website: https://www.doxology.us/

Below you will find documents and links to assist you in your work. If you would like to submit a document or link for consideration in this archive, please contact President Snow at richs@ndlcms.org with the material or link.

Chief Doctrines in the Lectionary

Click here to view or download Chief Doctrines in the Lectionary document.  This document is a plan for preaching on the chief doctrines of the Church according to the texts of the One Year lectionary. Using this plan as a guide, a preacher could, in service of his task to preach the “whole counsel of God,” treat on all major doctrinal topics over the course of a year of preaching. It is unknown who originally put it together (we do not know what E.L.A. stands for), but it was translated by Rev. David Juhl for the good of the church.

Preach the Word Initiative

Synod’s Preach the Word initiative: Preach the Word (PTW) will help pastors work together to improve their preaching through video modules with accompanying resources and by interacting with seminary professors and fellow preachers.

Pastors can gather with brother pastors to watch and discuss the modules. The power of the Lutheran Reformation was the Word of God. Pastors may commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation by honing their vocation of proclaiming the Gospel.

Click on the link above for access to resources including discussion guides and videos, and to see how the program is meant to be carried out.

Resources on our Liturgical Heritage
If you are looking for some resources to help both kids and adults have a better connection in and understanding of our rich liturgical heritage, here are some resources that you might find helpful:
  • Kinnaman, S. A., & Kirchhoff, A. (2006). Worshiping with angels and archangels: an introduction to the Divine Service. Saint Louis: Concordia Pub. House.
  •  LCMS Kids in the Divine Service: General information bulletin inserts. (2017, May 16). Retrieved October 09, 2017, from https://blogs.lcms.org/2017/kids-in-the-divine-service-general-information
  • Just, A. Liturgy [Video series]. http://www.lutheranvisuals.com/Store/liturgy.html
  • Mize, G. M., & Porter, R. W. (2017). My little ABC liturgy book. Bangor: Grail Quest Books.
  • Nagel, N. (1993). Whose Liturgy Is It? Logia, II(2), 4-8.
  • Pless, J. T. (2013). Didache. Fort Wayne, IN: Emmanuel Press. pages 50-54
  • Vieker, J. D. (2017, September). Distinctly Lutheran Worship. For the Life of the World, 21(3), 4-6.
Active Shooter Response Plans

We encourage congregations interested in security plans to make use of the following online resources provided by the LCMS Security Officer at Synod headquarters:

The Synod recommends that congregations work with their local law enforcement to put a plan into place that works for the congregation and for the local agency.

Contemporary Arrangement of Liturgy

From President Snow: “If your congregation is perhaps interested in a new setting for the Lord’s Supper using keyboard and guitar, here is one written by James Jurchen, former music teacher at Lutheran High Northeast, that we used regularly at St. John, Battle Creek, NE. The recording and liturgist aren’t top notch, but good enough for you to get the idea.”

Click here to view the video