Many of you are familiar with LCS- Lutheran Congregational Services, but of those of you who are not, they provide ongoing services and/or support for congregational ministries throughout eastern Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Liberty Lutheran family of services, which offers programming and training that empower Christian communities to live out God’s call and purpose for our lives which is to love and serve. Your mission support giving helps funds this ministry

Lutheran Disaster Response – Eastern Pennsylvania , a ministry of Lutheran Congregational Services, is the agency designated by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America’s (ELCA) Lutheran Disaster Response program to oversee disaster preparedness and response for Lutherans in 24 counties of eastern Pennsylvania. They have a depth of experience in long-term recovery and wide network of disaster partners that enables them to efficiently connect survivors with the appropriate resources, coordinate a corps of volunteers to assist with recovery, and provide congregations with the training and resources needed to best serve impacted communities. The response can be to natural or human-cause disasters such as large apartment fires, severe storms or terror attacks.

Lutheran Congregational Services (LCS) recently received a $30,000 grant from Lutheran Disaster Response-ELCA that will support 4 feeding ministries in Eastern PA…2 in Southeastern PA and 2 in Northeastern PA. The four ministries are Hope’s Table and Café Esperanza in Reading, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Food Pantry in Dingmans Ferry, and Feast of Justice in Philadelphia and Pottstown Cluster of Ministries in Pottstown.  These feeding ministries are overwhelmed with additional requests during the pandemic. Lutheran Congregational Services’ (LCS) Lutheran Disaster Response program is striving to support helping agencies in our communities as they support those most vulnerable in our communities. Julia Menzo, director of community outreach, said her biggest concerns are still around those who are undocumented, those who fear leaving their homes, elderly who do not have support systems, and people who are homeless.

Here is a link to a story can be share with your congregation through digital communication that tells of a congregation near Philadelphia that found a creative solution to keep their senior connection program alive.  https://blog.libertylutheran.org/2020/03/being-the-church-and-doing-gods-work-through-challenging-times/

You can also visit their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=207128046009340&ref=br_rs  or their Blog for stories on how congregations are engaging in the midst of COVID 19, and about how we are caring for our residents in our senior communities. https://blog.libertylutheran.org/page/2/