Mission Field: USA --- Church Planting

How can a harvest be secured from the ripening field of a church-sponsored child-care ministry? In this episode, Rev. Dan Prugh — Pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Tampa, FL, joins host Rev. Dr. Mark Larson, Manager of Church Planting in the Mission Field: USA initiative, to explore the steps your church can take. About Rev. Dan Prugh: Rev. Daniel Prugh currently serves Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and School in Tampa, FL. Over the last fourteen years, he has been part of early childhood ministries in three different churches. He served as an Associate Pastor of First Lutheran Church in Gainesville, FL, where a new early childhood center was dedicated the day he was installed in the congregation. He served as Senior Pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and Child Development Center in Midlothian, VA, where he joined an existing church and school start with a childcare center. His current call as Pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Tampa, FL, has a preschool and elementary school. Rev. Prugh has encountered the great joy of reaching many families with the Good News of Jesus. However, he has also encountered difficulties in serving in these complicated ministry settings. He is married to Jennifer Prugh, and his elementary aged children have personally benefited from church-sponsored childcare ministries. Sign up to receive email notifications of new podcast releases and other church-planting ministry news. Registration only requires your email address, name and zip code. Check the “Church Planting” option on the form. Sign up > mailchi.mp/lcms/resources

How does the new pastor follow a church-planting pastor once the new congregation has been successfully planted? Rev. Dr. John Fiene, Emeritus Senior Pastor of Advent Evangelical Lutheran Church, Zionsville, Indiana joins host Rev. Dr. Mark Larson, Manager of Church Planting in the Mission Field: USA initiative, to consider how a pastor succeeds a church planter in a new congregation. Rev. Dr. John Fiene About Rev. Dr. John Fiene: Rev. Dr. John Fiene has been a Church Planter of Grace Lutheran Church in Sandy City, Utah, and later, Advent Lutheran Church, Zionsville, Indiana. Both congregations, subsequent to their own founding, initiated successful new mission congregations. He currently serves as pastor at University Lutheran Chapel on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder, Pastor Fiene has served as Vice-President of the Indiana District of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Rocky Mountain District. He has taught on the subject of mission planting as an adjunct professor at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, Indiana as well as various pastors’ conferences. Pastor Fiene is happily married to Solvieg Fiene. They are blessed with four children and eight grand children

People don’t talk about church planting if they know nothing about it. In this episode, Rev. Dr. Ken Schurb — Executive for Evangelism and Missions, Stewardship and Human Care at the Central Illinois District-LCMS, joins host Rev. Dr. Mark Larson, Manager of Church Planting in the Mission Field: USA initiative, to explore tools that are available to provide basic information to get the discussion started in your congregation. About Dr. Ken Schurb: The Rev. Dr. Ken Schurb has been an Administrative Assistant to the President of the Central Illinois District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod since the summer of 2017. Previously he served as a parish pastor for a total of 19 years in two congregations: Peace Lutheran Church in Berne, Indiana and Zion Lutheran Church in Moberly, Missouri. The Rev. Schurb was trained to be both a pastor and a Lutheran high school teacher. He graduated from Concordia Teachers College, Seward, Nebraska with B.A. and B.S.Ed. degrees. Then he attended Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana, from which he holds not only an M.Div. degree but also an S.T.M. He studied the Reformation with Dr. James Kittelson at The Ohio State University, where he received his M.A. and Ph.D. Dr. Schurb taught at Concordia College, Ann Arbor, Michigan from 1992 to 1994. For the next seven years he worked as an assistant to LCMS President A. L. Barry at the Synod’s International Center in St. Louis. Within the Synod, over the years he has also been a member of the (now defunct) Board for Youth Ministry, the Commission on Theology and Church Relations, the Committee on Convention Nominations, and the Concordia Historical Institute Board of Governors. While a parish pastor in Missouri, he served as a Vice-President of that District. He is currently the Book Review Editor of the Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly, and occasionally teaches on an adjunct basis for Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne. Pastor Schurb and his wife Lana met in church in Columbus, Ohio. They have two children, a son-in-law, and three grandchildren. Sign up to receive email notifications of new podcast releases and other church-planting ministry news. Registration only requires your email address, name and zip code. Check the “Church Planting” option on the form. Sign up > mailchi.mp/lcms/resources

How does the current status of a congregations, both internally and externally, affect the strategic planning process? Rev. Todd Kollbaum, Director of Rural and Small Town Mission and Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Madison, NE, joins host Rev. Dr. Mark Larson, Manager of Church Planting in the Mission Field: USA initiative, to explore ministry planning. Rev. Todd Kollbaum About Rev. Todd Kollbaum: Pastor Kollbaum currently serves as Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church Madison, NE as well as Director of LCMS Rural & Small Town Mission.  He was installed at Trinity on July 28th of 2019 and has served as Director of  LCMS Rural & Small Town Mission since April 1, 2013.  Prior to that call, he served as Senior Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Cole Camp, MO.  Pastor has been happily married to Angela Kollbaum for over 30 years.  They are blessed with five children, three of whom are now married. Zachary (Clarissa), Jordan (Stephanie) and Emily (Dylan), Ryan (a Senior at Concordia University Nebraska) and Abigail (a Sophomore at  Lutheran High Northeast in Norfolk, NE).  They are also blessed to be grandparents to 2 year old Theodore Andrew born to Jordan and Steph and one year old Calvin Edward and 4 month old Elliot Neil born to Zach and Clarissa. Sign up to receive email notifications of new podcast releases and other church-planting ministry news. Registration only requires your email address, name and zip code. Check the “Church Planting” option on the form. Sign up > mailchi.mp/lcms/resources