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.

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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.

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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.

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The Holy Spirit works the same today as in any time in history—through the power of the Gospel!

In this episode, Rev. Dr. Mark Wood — Director of LCMS Witness & Outreach Ministry and LCMS Revitalization Initiative, joins host Rev. Dr. Mark Larson, Manager of Church Planting in the Mission Field: USA initiative, to explore emerging insights on how to connect the eternal Gospel to our generation.

Rev. Dr. Mark Wood

About Rev. Dr. Mark Wood: The Rev. Dr. Mark A. Wood serves as the director of LCMS Witness & Outreach Ministry and the LCMS Revitalization Initiative. He is the creator of the Every One His Witness evangelism program and the re:Vitality revitalization program. Prior to joining the LCMS Office of National Mission in June 2014, he served as the founding pastor of Lamb of God Lutheran Church in Lithia, Fla., a daughter congregation of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Brandon, Fla., where he served as the evangelism pastor from 2000 to 2008. A second-career pastor, he served for six years on active duty service in the U.S. Air Force and then worked 14 years in the aerospace-defense industry, primarily in project management systems. A 2000 graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN, he also holds an associate’s degree in computer programming, a bachelor’s degree in business administration, and Doctor of Ministry degree with an emphasis in Church Planting and Renewal from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, FL. He is married to Mary Ellen, who works as a recruiter for a hospice and home health care personnel services agency. They have five adult children, six grandchildren, and three great-granddaughters.

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In this episode, Rev. Dr. Yared Halche — Facilitator for Inter-Ethnic Mission Engagement for the Southeastern District LCMS, joins host Rev. Dr. Mark Larson — Manager of Church Planting in the Mission Field: USA initiative, to clarify the mission and vision of new work from a biblical perspective and how to incorporate these concepts into a working plan.

About Rev. Dr. Yared Halche: Yared Halche was born and grew up in Ethiopia. He studied theology in Ethiopia, Norway and the United States. He earned his PhD in missiology from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN, in 2009. Yared is married to Bethel and the Lord has blessed them with two children. Yared started serving in the Lutheran Church of Ethiopia as a youth leader during the difficult communist era. His professional career started as a seminary teacher in south Ethiopia and continued as a missionary and mission developer in the United States. He served as a mission developer in Las Vegas, NV and regional director for African Immigrants Ministry in the West coast. He pastored a congregation in Indiana that has members from 17 different countries. He currently serves as a Facilitator for Interethnic Mission in the Southeastern District of the LCMS.

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Church plants often begin worship in shared spaces, such as schools and theaters.

In this episode, Rev. Gaven Mize — Pastor at Augustana Lutheran Church in Hickory, NC — joins host Rev. Dr. Mark Larson, Manager of Church Planting in the Mission Field: USA initiative, to explore the importance of aesthetics in worship and how church plants can adapt to shared spaces.

About Rev. Gaven Mize: Rev. Gaven Mize is the pastor of Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hickory, North Carolina. He holds a bachelor’s’ degree in Pastoral Ministry from Concordia University of Wisconsin and a master’s degree from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne Indiana. Rev. Mize has recently defended his doctoral dissertation entitled, "Beauty Appreciation: Sensory Perception as Catechetical Aesthetics." Rev. Mize has presented papers at multiple symposia and has aid reinvasions and architectural catechesis for multiple churches in the LCMS.

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In the Great Commission, Christ calls us to make disciples of all peoples.  In our globalized world, the peoples of the world are coming to us.

In this episode, the Rev. Dr. Matthew Buse, Executive Director at the Immigrant Mission Field Network, joins host Rev. Dr. Mark Larson, Manager of Church Planting in the Mission Field: USA initiative, to explore how we engage in diaspora mission to reach the newly arrived.

Rev. Dr. Matthew Buse

About the Rev. Dr. Matthew Buse: Rev. Dr. Buse currently serves as the Founder and Executive Director of the Immigrant Mission Field Network, which supports LCMS congregations in mission field engagement with as many diaspora communities as possible. He is a 2020 graduate of the PhD in Missiology program at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne. Prior to that, he served as Pastor in the Lutheran Church of Australia in parishes in Melbourne and rural South Australia. That arrangement came about after receiving a Master of Theology degree at Australian Lutheran College, Adelaide in 2008. He is a 2007 graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary.

Rev. Buse and wife, Rachel, have been married for 18 years. They have two daughters, Mira and Alathea. The family lives in Fort Wayne, IN and are members of Ascension Lutheran Church.

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North America used to be more Christian; that's changing. We want to win it back. Is there a more effective narrative to explain the need for church planting?

In this episode, Rev. Daniel Yang — Director of the Send Institute, joins hosts Rev. Dr. Steven Schave, former Director of LCMS Church Planting, and Rev. Dr. Mark Larson, Manager of Church Planting in the Mission Field: USA initiative, to explore a more effective narrative to explain the need for church planting.

Rev. Daniel Yang

About Rev. Daniel Yang: Daniel is the Director of the Send Institute, leading and overseeing all of its initiatives. Prior to directing the institute, he planted a church in Toronto where he also helped recruit, assess, and train church planters through the Send Network and the Release Initiative. Daniel has served on various church staffs including Northwood Church, led by Bob Roberts Jr., where he was trained as a church planter and involved in global and multi-faith engagement. Prior to church planting, Daniel was an engineer for eight years. He earned an M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Michigan, and is currently a Ph.D. Intercultural Studies student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

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The less time a church planter spends looking at a computer screen, the better.  What tools can efficiently handle administrative tasks to maximize ministry time?

In this episode, Mr. Peter Frank — Digital Product Owner at Concordia Publishing House, joins hosts Rev. Dr. Steven Schave, Director of LCMS Church Planting, and Rev. Dr. Mark Larson, Manager of Church Planting in the Mission Field: USA initiative, to explore how to use digital tools to maximize ministry time.

About Peter Frank: Peter Frank is full-time student at Concordia Seminary who also serves part-time at Concordia Publishing House as the Digital Product Owner. His responsibilities include leading Concordia Technology Solutions (CTS), the church management software division. A graduate of Concordia University Wisconsin, his background in theology, business, and technology gives him a unique perspective on software in the church. He is married and the father of two young children.