Dear Servant Leaders,

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6).

As Lutheran Women in Mission, we know that prayer is a large part of the foundation of all that we do with and through the LWML. We ask God to bless our meetings and programs. We pray for our mission grants and those blessed by them. We pray for each other in good times and in bad.

The Bible assures us that God hears our prayers. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him (1 John 5:14–15). Because of God’s love for us, we have confidence that we can bring any request before Him — and He will hear it. This doesn’t just mean the small requests, this means the big requests, too. We don’t need to be afraid that we are asking too much of God. Nothing is too much for Him.

Remember the song from vacation Bible school?

“My God is so big, so strong and so mighty
There’s nothing my God cannot do [for you].
The mountains are His
The rivers are His
The stars are His handiwork, too.
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty
There’s nothing my God cannot do [for you].”

We serve a big God, so we can pray the big prayers. Pray for a mission grant goal that feels a little bit out of reach, but with God’s blessing, it can be met. Pray for the lost one to be found. Pray for life to feel less overwhelming, and then trust that it will not be overwhelming. Pray big, dear sisters. Pray BIG.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:20–21).

God's Blessings!

Your sister in Christ,
Lucy Servant Leader

Dear Lucy Leader,

We have a very supportive pastor who attends our LWML monthly meetings and events.

Are we permitted to make him an honorary LWML member? If not, what title would be appropriate? Does he get a vote at meetings?

Thanks,
Blessed Barb

Dear Blessed Barb,

It is such a blessing to have a pastor who is so supportive of your LWML. Regrettably, you are not able to make him an honorary LWML member or permit him to vote. The bylaws of the LWML state that this organization is composed of individual women and women’s groups within congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. While membership is required for voting purposes, we encourage participation and involvement. If you are still looking for a title for your pastor, feel free to get creative. The national pastoral counselors are called advisory members of the board of directors, and we value their input every day. There is always a need for pastoral counselors at all levels. Your pastor may be interested in being the pastoral counselor at the zone level and continue his support of LWML at a larger scale sometime in the future.

Be sure to tell your pastor how appreciative you are for his support of LWML, his wisdom, and his counsel. You can also show your pastor your appreciation in tangible ways. The Pastor Support and Involvement Ideas page on the LWML website has some great ideas. Continue to invite him to meetings and events. Maybe your group could consider paying for his registration at your next district convention, so he can experience a wider view of LWML.

God’s blessings to you as you continue to engage your pastor,

Lucy Leader

Do you have a question for Lucy Leader?

Write in to depor@lwml.org!

God's Blessings,

2021–2023 Group and Leader Development Committee Members
Christina Bean
Elaine Engelman
Jennifer Gierke
Brianne Stahlecker, Chairman
Marie Chow, Vice President of Organizational Resources, advisor

Dear Lucy Leader,

I am new to LWML. I am very confused by many things and there seem to be so many things to learn and understand! I don’t really understand the meaning and purpose of the Mite Box and was wondering if there was a resource that might help me understand.

Thank you,

Confused Corinne

Dear Confused Corinne,

Welcome to the LWML! LWML stands for Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, and we collect mite offerings to help spread the Word of God across the world as Lutheran Women in Mission! The concept of the Mite Box comes from the Gospel of Mark and the tale of the widow putting in two small mites despite this being all she had.

And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on (Mark 12:41–44).

The concept is explained further at lwml.org/mites. There are also many resources to encourage you to pray over mission grant recipients as you place mite offerings in your Mite Box. These resources are available at lwml.org/mission-grants. If you click on a specific grant, the resources for that grant are listed below and you can learn about how mite offerings are being used.

May God guide you as you continue on your journey with the LWML!

Lucy Leader

Do you have a question for Lucy Leader?

Write in to depor@lwml.org!

God's Blessings,

2021–2023 Group and Leader Development Committee Members
Christina Bean
Elaine Engelman
Jennifer Gierke
Brianne Stahlecker, Chairman
Marie Chow, Vice President of Organizational Resources, advisor

Dear Lucy Leader,

It is so hard to find women that are willing to be in a leadership role at any level. We have quite a few women that come to group and zone events, but most of them shy away when the topic of leadership comes up. How can we encourage more women to consider a leadership role?

Sincerely,

Encouraging Ellen

Dear Encouraging Ellen,

It’s great to hear that you have lots of women coming to your events. The idea of leadership can be scary, but with the right support it isn’t scary. The LWML has a page on its website full of resources (Leader Development and Training Tools). A few highlights on that page are Leadership 101, Look of a Leader, and Leadership in Pairs.

Leadership 101 is full of basic information about leadership — what it is, different types of leadership, and influences on leadership — as well as connecting leadership traits to the Bible.

Look of a Leader focuses on the traits of a leader. It explores fifteen traits. Helping women who are coming to your events see that they have some of these traits would be a good way to introduce leadership to them.

Leadership in Pairs is a resource that encourages leaders to find people to work with and find support in, and not to do everything alone. This is a great resource to help women feel they are not alone in leadership.

God’s blessings as you endeavor to get more women involved in leadership!

Lucy Leader

Do you have a question for Lucy Leader?

Write in to depor@lwml.org!

God's Blessings,

2021–2023 Group and Leader Development Committee Members
Christina Bean
Elaine Engelman
Jennifer Gierke
Brianne Stahlecker, Chairman
Marie Chow, Vice President of Organizational Resources, advisory

Dear Lucy Leader,

I am hoping, with the help of God, to read through the Bible in one year. Can you point me to any resources that can guide me in this goal?

Thank you,

Dedicated Daisy

Dear Dedicated Daisy,

First of all, congratulations on setting a goal for the next year that helps you become more familiar with the Word! One of the things a good leader has is a solid spiritual life, and being in the Word is a great way to accomplish this. The very first thing I would recommend is to go to the Lord in prayer to aid you in this endeavor. There is a resource on the LWML website to guide you in this goal ─ lwml.org/posts/free-resources/read-through-the-bible-in-one-year. This resource helps you by breaking your reading into three sections each day, allowing you to go through the Bible in one year. Hopefully, breaking the reading into three small sections per day will help to keep you motivated to continue as the year progresses.

May God guide you in your future endeavors!

Lucy Leader

Do you have a question for Lucy Leader?

Write in to depor@lwml.org!

God's Blessings,

2021–2023 Group and Leader Development Committee Members
Christina Bean
Elaine Engelman
Jennifer Gierke
Brianne Stahlecker, Chairman
Marie Chow, Vice President of Organizational Resources, advisory

Dear Lucy Leader,

I am trying to work on establishing healthy routines in multiple areas of my life. I really would love to find something to motivate me to nurture my daily time with the Lord at home but also motivate me to help others as well. Do you have any ideas for me?

Sincerely,

Healthy Heather

Dear Healthy Heather,

Congratulations on the goals and tasks you are setting for yourself! As always, when setting out on a new endeavor, I recommend going to the Lord in prayer to guide you on your journey. A resource that would fit your description is the mission service calendar on LWML.org. This resource takes you month by month and gives you action steps for nurturing your faith at home, serving your community, and encouraging others. Another resource if you are trying to improve giving to mission projects that share the Gospel and serve others is the mite challenge calendar. This gives you a set goal of mite offerings to give daily throughout the month.

May God bless you in your endeavors!

Lucy Leader 

Do you have a question for Lucy Leader?

Write in to depor@lwml.org!

God's Blessings,

2021–2023 Group and Leader Development Committee Members
Christina Bean
Elaine Engelman
Jennifer Gierke
Brianne Stahlecker, Chairman
Marie Chow, Vice President of Organizational Resources, advisory

Dear Lucy Leader …

Getting Involved

Dear Lucy Leader,

Ever since I attended the LWML convention in Lexington two years ago and then my district convention last year, I’ve felt a strong pull and desire to serve in the LWML. I’m not sure I’m ready for an elected position, but how can I get involved at the district or national level?

Sincerely,

Enthusiastic Emily

Dear Enthusiastic Emily,

First and foremost, go to God in prayer about this desire to serve. Ask God to guide you in your actions as you consider serv

ing in new areas. Each district structure is a little different, so it is important to know how your district functions and which positions are appointed (as opposed to elected). This could mean working on a committee or being the meeting manager to help assist the president with meeting planning details. Contact your district president to inquire about getting involved at the district level.

At the beginning of each new biennium, committees are formed at the national level. If you have an interest in serving at the national level, you should fill out the Personnel Resource Profile Form. There are a variety of questions for you as you consider where your gifts and talents may lie. If you need to know more about what each committee or department does, look at the LWML Committee Purpose Statements. When the Board of Directors meets in August following a national convention, committees are formed.

I pray that God would lead you to where he desires you to serve within the LWML!

Lucy Leader

Do you have a question for Lucy Leader?

Write in to depor@lwml.org!

God's Blessings,

2021–2023 Group and Leader Development Committee Members
Christina Bean
Elaine Engelman
Jennifer Gierke
Brianne Stahlecker, Chairman
Marie Chow, Vice President of Organizational Resources, advisory