This Life Project was shared by the Life Team at Messiah Lutheran Church in Lakeville, Minnesota. Thank you to Carrie Strauch, Life Team Leader, and Kristin Scott, Life Team Member, for helpful information. This Life Project will be shared at the April 13, 2026, Frontline Call.
“Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent” (Psalm 71:9).
For their first event as a newly certified life ministry group, the Life Team at Messiah Lutheran Church in Lakeville, Minnesota, sponsored a Dementia Friends Minnesota presentation on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. The free event was attended by more than 110 church and community members ranging from confirmation-aged youth through adults.
Messiah’s Family Life Center doors opened at 6:15 p.m. for fellowship and refreshments served by members of Messiah’s young adult group. The refreshments included bottled water, coffee, hot apple cider, puppy chow, trail mix, and popcorn for the gluten-free and nut allergy option. A free-will offering was collected to help cover the cost of the refreshments.
At 6:30 p.m., Kristin Scott served as the emcee by welcoming the attendees and giving an update on the Life Team. (This was a great way to recruit potential new members.) Pastor Kurt Klaus provided the opening prayer, which was followed by a one-hour informational session and a question/answer time presented by Colleen Fritsch of Dementia Friends Minnesota. The event was wrapped up around 8:00 p.m.
Colleen Fritsch has dedicated the past two decades of her career to aging services, focusing on helping communities better understand, engage with, and support older adults. Fritsch is a Dementia Friends Master Trainer, and she serves as one of Minnesota’s Lead Trainers.
Throughout the information session, Fritsch shared information on 10 early signs and symptoms of dementia, the difference between a healthy brain and an advanced Alzheimer’s brain, communication practices, conversation tips, and community resources. A written handout of the information was provided to all attendees. In the presentation, Colleen noted conversation tips to use when approaching the person with dementia and starting a conversation:
- Come from the front, identify yourself, and keep good eye contact. If the person isn’t standing, go down to eye level.
- Call the person by their preferred name to get his or her attention.
- Use short, simple phrases, and repeat information as needed. Ask one question at a time.
- Speak slowly and clearly. Use a gentle and relaxed tone.
- Patiently wait for a response.
Attendees found the event very helpful.
“Thank you for doing this program. It is so necessary and will be of help to so many. Your Life Team taking this initiative is to be praised. May the Lord bless all your efforts.”
“I work in a senior living community, and this information will help me to better communicate with the residents.”
“What a great program! People are facing this daily. Thank you for making this presentation available.”
What’s Next for Messiah’s Life Team?
Due to the overwhelming response to this presentation, the Life Team is looking into hosting another presentation in the fall of 2026 focusing on Caring for the Caregiver. For more information on this event, contact Carrie Strauch, Messiah’s Life Team Leader, at cstrauch17@gmail.com.
Key Steps to Host a Presentation
- Select Speaker – Gather a list of potential speakers on the topic choice. Life Team members attended the presentation on April 10, 2025, at a senior living community. After listening to the presentation, the Life Team was eager to host the presentation at Messiah, as many people know of someone with dementia, such as a family member, friend, church member, or neighbor. Make sure the speaker choice is approved by the pastor.
Recruit – Establish a Life Team member to lead. The coordinator organizes the details and the logistics at church, works with the speaker, oversees the publicity, and emcees the event. Determine volunteer roles for the event (decorations, day of the event, publicity, and refreshments).- Designate a Theme – Determine an event theme. Since the event was held in the fall, leaves and fall colors were chosen. Event tables were decorated with fall decorations, Life Team signs, and LFL brochures.
- Order Materials – Review LFL print resources to determine what would be beneficial as resources for the presentation. A Thrivent Action Team Grant provided funding for the Life Team to order LFL print resources from Concordia Publishing House to include Going Gracefully; Hospice … What Should I Ask; Ministering to the Victims of Alzheimer’s Disease and Their Families; Ventilators, Feeding Tubes, and other End-of-Life Questions; and The Basics of Advanced Directives.
- Promote – Announce the presentation in the church bulletin, newsletter, social media, and from the pulpit leading up to the event. For those churches that use PowerPoint slides announcements, develop one for that purpose. Distribute flyers and posters and set up an information table to register for the event. The Life Team set up a QR code to register through the church’s Sign-up Genius. Send an announcement to the local LCMS District Office and other local churches to invite the community to the presentation.
Day of Presentation – Plan a schedule for event set up to include decorations, refreshment preparation, LFL information display, tables and chairs set up, technology needs (screen, sound system), and clean up. The Life Team members wore gray Life Team scarves and Life Team name tag lanyards to identify themselves. (The Life Team designed and ordered the scarves and lanyards through an online provider.) All other attendees were given name tags as they registered for the event at the Welcome Table.- Celebrate – Rejoice at the impact For Life! Celebrate that lives were touched by the presentation. The Life Team’s original goal was 50, with a stretch goal of 100.
- Appreciate – Thank those involved with the event. The Life Team provided an honorarium to Dementia Friends Minnesota, along with a gift bag for the speaker. Handmade thank you cards were sent to those involved in supporting the event.
Note: See below for the article that appeared in the January District News from the, LCMS Minnesota South District. The article is printed with granted permission.
