The Journey to Disciple Making
f you were to look at a map of North American Mission you would see three main destination points. You would see that NAM has a history of coming alongside churches and assisting to lead our denomination in three ministry areas: youth and young adults, church planting, and church vitality. For years, the Church of the Lutheran Brethren has placed an emphasis on these ministries, knowing that they are vital to the health and future of the CLB. Today, we continue to work in these three areas but with one significant tweak in focus. Let’s take a look at where we are and where we are going!
Our first stop will be youth and young adults (Y&YA). Proverbs 22:6 (ESV) tells us, “Train up a [young person] in the way they should go; even when they are old they will not depart from it.” In the last year NAM has come alongside those who work in youth ministry to train and equip them to work with this generation. NAM has led youth leaders and pastors to the Orange Conference and the Exponential Conference. Orange Conference focuses on aligning faith leaders/ministries and the family to better rally around our youth for a richer and more durable ministry. EXPO helps us in the area of disciple-making and preparing our young people for a life of ministry. NAM also partnered with Inspiration Point to bring back IPoint Equips, which featured nationally known youth speaker, Dr. Duffy Robbins. Over 100 people from the CLB attended this three-day workshop.
NAM has also been asking youth pastors, “What are your ministry needs and how can we help you to minister to your youth?” One answer we received often: “We need new and relevant Confirmation material that will engage our youth!” In response NAM has partnered with Dr. Eugene Boe and pastors from around our synod to create videos and engaging content that incorporates God’s Word, animation, and the Explanation of Luther’s Small Catechism. We have released ten videos so far (on the Ten Commandments), have completed the first two videos of the next series on the Apostles Creed, and hope to complete 40 more in the next 12-18 months.
Not that long ago President Paul Larson challenged us to engage youth and young adults interdepartmentally. In response, NAM created EXPO Extended and invited any and all young adults to join us at the Exponential Conference. NAM paid for each young adult’s conference ticket and housed and fed them for two days following the conference. There, young adults from around the country joined our Rooted students and had the opportunity to engage CLB leadership (LBIM Director Dan Venberg, LBS President Troy Tysdal, Rooted Director Roger Viksnes, and NAM Associate Director Jordan Spina) for two days in study and discussion. These young adults were able to learn from CLB leadership in a relaxed atmosphere where they explored life in ministry and disciple making. Multiple young adults walked away from this time sensing a new calling into ministry!
The next stop on our North American Mission map is CLB church planting. Years before I assumed the position of Director of NAM, President Paul Larson, Rev. Nick Mundis, and Rev. Ryan Nilsen were working hard to plant more churches and find more people to be church planters. I would say that their efforts are coming to fruition, and I couldn’t be more excited to share in the fruits of their labor.
Allow me to highlight just a few of the many bright spots in our church planting ministry:
Pastor Jason Rogness started planting New Hope Church in Parker, Colorado, just before COVID. His church plant started off slowly as a result, but he never stopped building relationships. What started as a bi-vocational ministry now requires more and more of Pastor Jason’s time. He is looking to shift more time to this plant, and NAM is helping him look for a meeting space.
Pastor Kristian Anderson is planting Grace Hill Community Church in Boston, Massachusetts. This plant is being driven by a youth movement that is engaging the people of Boston. Pastor Kristian is encouraging each person to play a role both inside the church and in the streets. They started Sunday morning worship services in January!
Pastor Nick Olson is planting a campus of Word of Life (Le Sueur, MN) in New Prague, Minnesota. Pastor Nick has started large group gatherings in public settings that discuss everyday problems. People from New Prague show up to hear from the specialists that Nick invites to speak. These events have been so welcomed by the community that the local newspaper reported on it. Then Pastor Nick created yard signs that read “We Love Our City.” People from the church plant started putting them in their yards, and people noticed it and loved it. The newspaper came and interviewed Nick about this as well. This type of community engagement has led to Word of Life’s largest Sunday morning gathering this past Easter when 100 people came and heard the gospel!
You can learn about our four other church plants on the CLB website
(clba.org/churchplanting), but I also want to focus on where we are going. We recently set a path forward for each church planter to complete an assessment and take a nine-month church-planting course. This assessment helps us see their strengths and weaknesses and guides us on how to build a team around them. Recently, the CLB Council of Directors blessed our next five church plants by setting aside starter funds. This will allow us to build a financial plan that makes it easier and more stable for each new church planter.
This leads us to the exciting announcement that we will be launching a new church plant in South Willoughby, Ohio, this year. Pastor David Martin (pictured) will be planting Union Station LB Church. Pastor David passed an assessment with flying colors, has completed his nine-month church plant course, and is excited to start this plant on July 1, 2026. More information to come!
The third stop on our map is that of vitality―creating healthy growing churches. NAM has had the privilege of coming alongside numerous churches to help them plan for the future. NAM has created two exercises to equip the local congregation: Ministry Engagement Calendar (an exercise designed to help build relationships and momentum through cohesive event planning), and How do I Talk About Jesus? (an exercise designed to make everyday Christians more comfortable and confident talking about Jesus). NAM reached out to numerous churches struggling to engage their community and financially assisted people from these churches to attend EXPO. We are now following up to help each church implement what has been learned.
I have held this position as Director of NAM for almost three years now, and the Lord has taught me one big lesson. One thing we can do better that would help in all three of these areas. If we improved just this one thing, we would have more youth and young adults growing in their faith, we could/would be planting more churches, and we would have fewer churches struggling to keep their doors open.
Director of NAM, Brandon Pangman, speaking at the building dedication for Lincoln Church & Community Center, Lincoln, ND.
So, what is that one thing? It’s disciple-making. Maybe that’s the obvious answer… it should always be the answer. Jesus commands us and gives to us the ministry of disciple-making. He states, “Go therefore and make disciples” (Matt 28:19, ESV).
North American Mission is focusing our efforts on coming alongside pastors, elders, church leaders, and individuals to assist them in their disciple-making efforts. Please ask yourself, your family, or your church, “How can NAM help me grow in the disciple-making calling that Jesus has placed before me?” We look forward to teaching and encouraging you in your efforts to engage with the people where God has placed you.
Brandon Pangman is the Director of North American Mission for the Church of the Lutheran Brethren.