Tag Archive for: outreach

Miracle of Milagro

/in , , /by

by Suzanne Demosthenes

Most of us I dare say have not experienced a miracle within our lifetime, nor probably have we entertained any expectation that we will. Yet when Pastor Karen Castillo envisioned a school for the girls of rural Guatemala, “Milagro”( miracle) was its given name. Girls in Guatemala have at most, access to a 6th grade education at the neighboring school. The expectation for their day is to help in the kitchen, assist in caring for younger siblings and their father, or assume the role of a wife. They are largely forgotten and are told “they can’t.” Their voices carry no authority, they have no rights, and they have no other options. Milagro was begun in 2018 with 3 young girls from the rural congregations that are members of ILAG ( Iglesia Luterana Agustina De Guatemala) our partners in ministry. We at LCR walked alongside as Milagro was conceived, the foundation laid, the beds built. As you pass the peace on Sundays at least one person you greet has probably participated in this ministry. The sweet songs of the student’s Friday evening practice voice their growing self worth and linger in our memories long after we have returned home.

“Blessed are those who love God.
God dwells in their heart night and day.
They serve the Lord with love,
like a tree along the edge of a river, which bears much fruit and never dries up.”

We have witnessed the school flourish from 3 to 15 young women, their initial downcast eyes now rise to meet your gaze as they confidently speak their dreams. We see the hope of spiritual leaders that will return to their communities to teach, exemplify, and inspire others. Is that not akin to Christ’s intent for His miracles, to strive to be our best person, Spirit led, impacting others to know their worth as God’s children?

Hunger Walk 2024: 40 Years of Making A Difference

/in , , /by

LCR had 18 people come together for lunch and a walk on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in support of eliminating hunger in Georgia. Thanks to my co-chair Stephen Goodnough, to Jennifer Haehn for providing lunch, and to Mark Moeller and his friend Chip for providing music to get us ready to walk.

LCR had set a stretch fundraising goal of $7,500. Through the generous support of many LCR Members and others, our team collected over $11,000, or almost 50% greater than our goal. I believe that is the all-time record donation from LCR. Our top fundraiser was Rachel Thornton who collected $4,550. Through this tremendous outpouring of financial support, we retained our position as the top fundraising Lutheran Church in Georgia by the day of the walk.

The donations from the walk benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank (40%), Inspiritus (36%), and LCR Food and Shelter programs (24%). Thanks again to all who helped plan and implement the walk, all who participated in the walk to physically show their support, and all who donated or sponsored others for the walk. The caring and support for this need from the LCR family is truly amazing!

Hunger Walk Coming March 10

/in , /by

Longtime LCR member Mike Frey describes the annual Hunger Walk like this: “You go down there, and the energy and the people of all different faiths and you walk with someone of a different faith than Lutheran. It is unique and all the faiths come together.” The shared faith and the growing need to feed the hungry keep Mike returning to a passion project he has devoted more than 30 years to serving.

It started when he and Gloria moved to Atlanta in 1989. New to the city, with a new job and a new baby, he said they “didn’t have a lot of money, but they could pay the bills.” He wanted to get involved in something that he could do with his kids, and he read about the food bank “If you don’t have food, your life becomes consumed with that next meal. Nothing else in life matters. No time for others. No time for your faith. We take basic necessities of life for granted.”

This is an organization that would like to go out of business but won’t. Last summer, the Atlanta Community Food Bank opened a new center in Cobb County, expecting to serve 700 families a week. In Georgia, 1 in 9 people are food insecure, but it hits children the hardest. 1 in 8 children go hungry. The need grows, but Mike says the commitment of those serving at the food bank is unwavering. As for the Hunger Walk, he says, “it’s a fun family outing with a purpose. You want to connect them to something bigger than them. Get your kids involved.”

“If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” (Isaiah 58:10)

Feel the faith on Sunday, March 10th in downtown Atlanta or in the parking lot at LCR for this year’s Hunger Walk.

The walk at LCR will start with a light lunch at 12:30 pm, and the walk event will start from the church parking lot at 1:00 pm. The route is about 1 mile, and people will walk it once or twice. Music, food and drinks will be available.

The walk at Mercedes Benz stadium starts at 2:00 pm. Join team LCR or donate.

Taking Flight with the Force in 2024

/in /by

Happy New Year, LCR Community, as we welcome 2024!! I have just had the wonderful experience of spending a week with my 4 grandchildren (who had not been together in the same space since 2019 – pre-Covid and minus one grandchild).

 

During that week, as I watched the building of Star Wars Lego sets, I was reminded of the storyline of the Star Wars movie and the wonder, belief, and hope in the “force” who directed the vision of justice, kindness to all persons, and truth. I’ve always thought there were similarities between the “force” and the Holy Spirit … God’s power at work within us. I believe there is a force (God’s Spirit) that is leading LCR into 2024 and I believe this is a year that will see LCR take flight.

At the beginning of 2023, we were embracing the Appreciative Inquiry exercise to reimagine LCR’s mission and vision as we began the call process for a new pastor. As we enter 2024, LCR continues to embrace its mission to serve others and each other under Bridge Pastor Bonnie Lanyi as we await, with anticipation, the arrival Pastor Rich Leseganich on January 25th.

In the meantime, the Church Council is engaged in an assessment of LCR’s current needs and goals for the future of the Church. The areas of consideration are wide-spread and include, under no particular order, faith formation opportunities for children, youth, and adults on multiple levels, the physical appearance and external messaging to enhance LCR’s visibility in the community, the continued improvement of the quality of musical offerings, including instrumentalization, needed for spiritually fulfilling experiences at both the 8:30 and 11:00 services, the physical infrastructure of LCR’s facilities, the continued heightened communication efforts internally and externally, etc.

I sincerely believe that the year-long anticipation of 2023 has prepared LCR for 2024, ready to take flight and spread the vision, mission, and hope of LCR’s commitment to serve East Cobb, Marietta, Sandy Springs, and extended community areas beyond the Atlanta area that LCR serves, and to welcome all join us in joyful worship.

I am so looking forward to sharing this incredible opportunity with all of you. It will be an incredible experience of wonder, belief, and hope.

New home owners and builders in front of a Habitat house

Dedicated to Building: Habitat for Humanity

/in /by

Written by: John Osberg

The Lutheran Coalition for Habitat was founded in 1993 and currently is comprised of 11 north Atlanta Lutheran churches. We just completed the Lutheran Coalition’s 37th Habitat for Humanity house. LCR has been a contributor to all of them. Through the Coalition’s fund-raising efforts (which is primarily our “Taste of Habitat” gala which will be held again this fall on Friday, September 22), we were able to donate more than $35,000, which is ¼ of the total cost of building this house.

But we do so much more than just fund. Our volunteers build. We do much of the house’s framing, we put on the siding, we paint, we landscape and much, much more. We are already preparing for this year’s 2nd house. Again, we will offer volunteers the opportunity to build a Habitat house, this time we will be closer, in Marietta.

Over the years, hundreds of Lutheran Coalition volunteers, including more than 40 LCR members, have donated thousands of hours building houses for truly deserving families. Each family was carefully chosen to be a Habitat for Humanity homeowner.

I personally choose to serve this ministry because I have seen so many truly good people get a safe, secure, and high-quality home that I helped build for them. Many times, I have worked alongside the homeowner. Being a part of the team that fulfills such a fundamental homeownership dream, one that so many of them were afraid to dream, is a truly incredible, personally empowering, ministry opportunity.

Want to volunteer with Habitat? Contact John Osberg.

Tag Archive for: outreach

Nothing Found

Sorry, no posts matched your criteria

© 2026 Lutheran Church of the Resurrection
Lovingly made with WordPress by Worship Times, Websites for Ministries
Edit Your Website