Unit 9 | Lesson 8 | Lydia Is Baptized

Yes, what we look forward to this coming Sunday morning really does come down to us through millennia. This blog post, adapted from Carl C. Fickenscher II’s book Looking Forward to Sunday...

At the end of October every year, Lutherans all over the world celebrate Reformation Day. In protestant reverie, they think gratefully of the first time they heard of salvation by grace...

“Dad, do we have to go to church?” “We don’t have to—we get to!” Anyone who has ever had to convince their kids or grandkids to go to church has probably said something like this, and...

Concordia Publishing House is excited to be releasing a new series of compact books! The first title in our new series of polemic and apologetic books has been released, but perhaps you...

We hear a lot about data in the news—whether that’s major data breaches or ways to protect your personal information stored on your phone or computer. But when it comes to your church...

It seems generally assumed that preachers want hearers to remember at least the main idea and purpose of the biblical truth considered in the sermon, as well as to reflect it in their...

In commemoration of the five hundredth anniversary of Johann Walter’s collection Geystliche gesangk Buchleyn (1524), these three motets were edited and selected for their usefulness for...

As a continuation of Rev. Bill Johnson’s previous blog post, “Answering Common Questions About Using AI in Ministry,” this article takes a deeper look at certain cautions to be taken when...

This blog post is adapted from Portraits in American Lutheran Sacred Music, 1847–1947, by Benjamin Kolodziej.

I was reminded recently that I’ll soon be entering a stage of life where my children will deal with bullies. Time has removed me from the days when I was on the receiving end of bad...

Church administration is a job that requires a variety of skills, from attention to detail to interpersonal relationships, from organization to flexibility. Church administrators and...

Take a journey through the seasons of life with this set of four chorale preludes by German composer Bernard Wayne Sanders. The preludes can be played individually or as a set of hymns...

Have you ever wished there was a simple resource to help you better understand the prickly issues of our day or to give you the tools you need to talk with others about them? Have you...

These days, we hear a lot about artificial intelligence (AI). While it has its pitfalls, it can be helpful in the ministry setting. In this article, Rev. Bill Johnson answers some common...

About the worst thing for a Lutheran is to find yourself thinking that your access to God isn’t through His Word but through yourself, as if in a direct line from your heart to the Holy...

Baptism is much more than just a moment. It is a second birth and a transformation of identity. In the waters of Baptism, God claims us as His own, washing away our sin and marking us...

Let the kingdom of heaven be proclaimed! Jesus has chosen the Twelve, and their instructions are clear: Preach and heal so that the world knows the Kingdom has come. The proclamation of...

In almost any season of the Church Year, there are special events or holiday services—from summer block parties to midweek Lenten services to children’s Christmas programs. Managing these...