I have been captivated and awestruck by the opportunities God has placed in my path during my short tenure here at LFL as a fellow servant in His Kingdom, for His Glory. First and foremost, I’ve spent time studying and praying about LFL’s mission statement. It is critical that our wonderful frontline volunteers be equipped to be Gospel motivated—reflecting the joy of salvation we have from an awesome and extravagantly generous God to rescue others in peril as we have been rescued in Christ. I am striving to move forward in the way I believe you’d intend in the definition of equipping—educating through our wonderful LFL materials, motivating, encouraging, supporting, and connecting others with opportunities to grow in faith and serve in response to God’s extravagant love and grace.
My leadership training with Pastor Doug Merkey from Churches for Life centered in freely receiving and living out the Gospel message! I was blessed to meet with, share ideas, and learn from many local Life Team and LFL chapter leaders and Life Team members in the St. Louis area this past June.
For those who have gone through Life Team Leader and Life Team 101 training, there are many additional resource articles on the CFL website at www.getintolife.org. Work continues on a Life Team Toolkit that should be available in the later fall. Training is appropriate for all frontline volunteers—participants have commented that this training is not only valuable for life ministry, but in building relational teams that work in unity together.
One of the most valuable things I learned is that “ministry flows from relationships” and relationships can grow and be strengthened in a variety of ways. I saw examples of LFL chapters long in existence working together in cooperation and collaboratively with newly forming Life Teams in individual congregations. There are no barriers based on circumstances where we listen to and follow God at work. We have an awesome and extravagant God! With each of my updates, I’d be blessed to include a Tale from the Frontlines. If you have a story or prayer request specific to your life ministry group you would like to share, please send it to me at ltrinche@lutheransforlife.org or 888.364.LIFE. Thank you!
If you are interested in learning more about Life Teams or chapters, please see our frequently asked question section.
In closing, I wanted to extend a special thank you to Genny Hertel of the McHenry County (IL) LFL Chapter #155. Genny will be retiring on September 1 after 26 years as a Life Coordinator. Thank you from the heart for your service, Genny—and God be with you, protect, and keep you.
Tale from the Frontlines
Peace Lutheran Church – St. Louis
Sandi Akers, Life Team Leader
“Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled” (Titus 2:3-5).
This past June, God led the Life Ministry Team of Peace Lutheran Church in St. Louis, Missouri, to host a Titus 2-4 Life Retreat for Women led by founder, Linda Bartlett. Mrs. Bartlett helped attendees recognize the ways that we, like Eve, have been deceived and how to contrast the ideas of a sinful world with the unchanging Word of God—carefully considering our identity as daughters of God in Christ.
This identity is unchanging with physical appearance, age, health, or life circumstances and is not defined by sensuality. One young woman observed that “the women of my generation are not happy … they are discontent … at odds with themselves.” Another admitted that, “she’d felt more encouraged to be like the boys, rather than finding joy in womanhood.” When the vocation of womanhood is not mentored, there is a void. The culture suffers.
But trusting the order of God’s creation, women do not have to compete with men; instead, they can embrace their differences. It has been said that male and female are the two eyes of the human race. Both are needed for the benefit of all. The women who attended the retreat left encouraged in the truth that our Heavenly Father made us and does not forget His own.
Even in a sinful world, God’s different yet complementary design for men and women is a blessing. While we anticipate Jesus’ return, we can choose to build up rather than tear down; to encourage rather than to discourage, to celebrate manhood and womanhood rather than to mourn. What a difference this makes for ourselves and for others on life’s journey.
For more information about hosting a Titus 2-4 Life retreat for your team, church, or as an outreach event, please visit www.titus2-4life.org.