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Christmas is Coming!
While our season of Advent remembers the birth of our Savior, the incarnation of God humbling himself in human form, the Advent season also reflects our waiting for his return. We prepare, remember, tell others, sing, and worship until his final and glorious return when we can say, “God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God” (Rev 21:3).
Advent in the Old Testament
The church season of Advent is now upon us. It’s the start of a new Church year. As tempting as it is to make the four weeks of Advent into an extended on-ramp to Christmas (as all the retailers and radio stations invite us to do!), I would encourage us to consider an alternative. I would encourage us to rest in the Old Testament prophets this Advent, and to learn to long for God’s coming with them.
Advent for the Early Church Fathers
The advent of Jesus Christ was absolutely central to the faith of the early Church Fathers. This is not to say that they celebrated a season of Advent like us (we don’t have information surviving on that). Regardless, Jesus Christ’s arrival (advent) was valued immensely for a variety of reasons.
The Significance of Advent Today
The moment the melody begins, the song is recognizable. The tune is known as Veni Emmanuel. The words were originally written in Latin in the 8th century and were chanted by Benedictine monks. The English translation was penned in 1851 by an Anglican priest and scholar named John Mason Neale. We know it simply as O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.
Fall 2026 Incoming Students
Get to know the incoming Fall 2026 students at Lutheran Brethren Seminary.
More of this, please!
Joel Christenson / Lutheran Brethren Seminary
Can we make the REACH conference an annual gathering for our LB family of churches? REACH fills a training, equipping and convening gap in our wider church body that no other regularly scheduled event is currently able to fill. Here’s why.
Our First REACH Conference
Brandon Pangman / North American Mission
REACH wrapped up on Sunday, September 20. It was a powerful weekend of believers coming together to become better and more comfortable in an uncomfortable calling.
Longing for Christ
We are all living in a time of waiting. We are waiting for Christ to come back. We long to see our savior with our own eyes. Then all of this waiting, all of this expectation, all the suffering and loss and wretchedness of this life will finally be done. Then our waiting will be complete and we will have our prize. A prize so much better than any simple Christmas present.
REACH Conference Reflection
Jordan Spina | North American Mission
A conference cannot do anything… but Jesus can. This weekend God stirred the affections of many for their neighbors. He reminded us that what we need is not a love for something of this world but a love for those God loves.
Greeting from Our CLB President
A lot is unknown―to us―but not to the Head of the Church. Not to The Vine. So my job is to abide. To call it a “job” may be distasteful to some, but if we understand that we get to rest in the One who gave his life for us, to remain in the One who is preparing a place for us, to abide in the One who knows the number of hairs on our heads (mine have been getting easier to count), then the only effort of the job is in remembering. Remembering who produces the fruit. Remembering that apart from him we can do nothing.
Elevate 2026 - Reflections on Youth Convention
The Elevate Youth Convention is not the answer to all of our students’ problems, but it is a remarkable opportunity for kids to see how deeply God knows them and loves them. They are showered in grace and truth in incredible ways over several days. I believe this convention is definitely worth the work that it takes. And, it isn’t just work, it is work with eternal purpose.
God is Already at Work in Willoughby
If you had asked me twenty years ago where God would lead my life, I doubt I would have said church planting. For more than two decades, I served as a firefighter and paramedic in Northeast Ohio. Those years gave me a front-row seat to people’s lives. I walked with families through crises, loss, uncertainty, and some of the most difficult moments they would ever face. Along the way, God began stirring something deeper in my heart.
A Beautiful Mess
Be careful what you pray for!” I’ve heard that cliche in Christian circles throughout the years, and most often, it’s shared in the context of God doing something surprising or outside of our comfort zones. The more I pray, the more I seem to experience a mix of two elements: 1. Events transpire that God is clearly ordaining. 2. It is typically different than I originally envisioned.
Artificial Intelligence and the Need for Real Wisdom
Artificial intelligence may become one of the most powerful tools humanity has ever developed. Like every powerful tool, it carries tremendous opportunities alongside profound dangers. Christians need neither panic nor naïveté. We need something far older than artificial intelligence.
Fear Not
Fear is everywhere. Whether it’s fear of heights, fear of judgment, fear of failure, or fear of death, fear runs rampant in our world today. It’s become the very air that we breathe; toxic fumes polluting the clean air of faith to such a degree that we don’t even realize it’s there. Like a fish that has been swimming for so long it can’t comprehend the concept of water (“What’s water?”) we ask, “Fear, what fear? What are you even talking about? I’m not scared!” But denial doesn’t make fear any less real.
Opportunities & Adjustments in LBIM
Adjustment can be disruptive and hard. New opportunities can be exciting and challenging to assess. In the midst of it all, it is good to rest in the promise of Proverbs 19:21: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” LBIM finds itself in a challenging season of adjustment in the face of unforeseen circumstances, and at the same time, an exciting season of exploring opportunities.
Shedding Light on the Lies
I love EYC; it pulls our youth out of routine. It gives our youth leaders a chance to invest in their kids in a special way, they get more intentional time to worship God, to hear His Word, and to do it with the bigger CLB church body.