LUTHERAN SAINTS IN MINISTRY

In September of 2010, two local pastors met to envision a set of modest goals by which their congregations, working collaboratively, might be better able to meet the demands of a changing world inside their own communities. They petitioned the Southern Ohio Synod to allow creation of a consortium using a “resolution of joint agreement”. Eventually, five Lutheran congregations joined to form a new “parish” called “The Lutheran Saints in Ministry”. An anchor church was to provide basic services for the collaborative, other member congregations were to focus on local strengths that would grow disciples and strengthen mission.

Emanuel Ministries International

Worship and Service Center, FAIRBORN

A Downtown Ministry

Founded in 1848 and located in the heart of historic downtown Fairborn as St. Mark’s Lutheran Church which is now operated as a center for service and education in the Fairborn area by Emanuel Ministries.

Free meals have been served to those in the community for over a decade through a ministry called “The Sonset Café”. There is a Wednesday night site at ACLC at 6:00 pm and a Thursday night at Emanuel at 5:30 pm 

Emanuel Ministries is an African American congregation worshipping every Sunday at 11 am. Emanuel Ministries works in the community to provide spiritual and material aid to her neighbors. They took over ownership of the building July 1, 2022 and work collaborately with LSIM.

The Fairborn Historical Society also has a home there, using the building for educational programs, museum displays and storage. Alcoholics Anonymous, Cub Pack 141, and other groups make regular use of this beautiful and historic site for meeting and educational purposes.

Arise in Christ, DonNelsville

A Rural Ministry

In 2012, Arise in Christ Lutheran Church was born. St. Mark, New Carlisle and First in Donnelsville, with the help of their LSIM partners joined to create Arise in Christ in 2012. Closing St. Mark in New Carlisle, they merged resources, people, and dreams to begin in a new journey together!

Today they see their mission as one of helping people make new beginnings through prayer, learning, hopeful living, and fellowship, so that together they may grow to be faithful disciples.

They host a community garden on site where the community can come and pick fresh produce. They are active in the Bethel Churches United outreach ministries, actively support a local food pantry, host a Cub Scout Pack, and join in the annual Christmas family adoption. As a small congregation, they make a big impact.

Contemporary worship with communion is offered every Sunday at 10:30 am. You can learn more about the ministry at Arise by visiting their website at www.ariseinchrist.org or by visiting their Facebook page.

St. John Lutheran Church, Vandalia

A Suburban Ministry

Located on St. Rt. 40 in the heart of Vandalia, St. John’s Lutheran is a congregation of the ELCA founded February 26, 1865. Her “mother church” was the Stillwater Log Church, founded in 1816.

The current church building was dedicated in 1968. The parish has continued to grow and change as the population has changed from pioneers in the early 1800s to the modern suburban landscape. Throughout that time, the congregation has continued to proclaim the Gospel through Word and Sacrament. Worship is every Sunday at 10:00 am preceded by a Sunday School education hour.

St. John is a church with the strength of tradition and the excitement of change. We are mission focussed, being a church where people can grow in faith in Jesus Christ. We are concerned about people, helping them to cope with stress, change, and life in general. We are practical with Biblical messages that make sense, often encouraging, sometimes challenging. We care about ouir communiky, shaping our ministries to meet real life needs. St. John’s joined LSIM in February of 2022. Their Facebook page can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/StJohnsLutheranChurchVandaliaOhio

ABIDING CHRIST, FAIRBORN

A Suburban Ministry

Our Anchor Church

Founded in 1965, Abiding Christ is a full service church of 650 members, averaging 325 a week at three services. Sunday school is offered year round at 9:45 for all ages.

Abiding Christ offers three times to gather in Worship. Communion is offered at every Worship service, Sunday at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m,and every Wednesday Evening at 6:30 p.m. around tables in the Fellowship Hall; where the focus is on relationships. Abiding Christ practices the Priesthood of all Believers. At every gathering, leadership by laity is encouraged as volunteers assist as musicians, greeters, readers, communion and liturgical assistants and ushers.

The church is known for its active involvement in the community and is seen as a leader both locally and in the Southern Ohio Synod for hospitality, technology and service ministries. Abiding Christ works in the greater community by actively support both Sonset Cafés (Wednesday and Thursday evenings), hosting the annual community Day of Caring Pancake breakfast supporting the Greene County Family Promise and an auxiliary food pantry for emergency needs. ACLC also hosts the GED and ESOL programs, working with the local school system as well. They are the host site for the Fairborn Civic Band and numerous other civic organizations. You can learn more about Abiding Christ at www.abidingchrist.org or by visiting their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/abidingchrist.

GOOD SHEPHERD, WEST MILTON

A Small Town Ministry

Good Shepherd in West Milton, is a mid-sized congregation founded in 1958. It is active in its community through several programs, participating in a community wide home rehabilitation project called “Helping Hammers” that rehabs the homes of local residents in need, providing summer lunch for low-income school-aged children, making “plarn” sleeping mats for the needy locally and around the world and providing an active and vital Senior Citizen’s Ministry in its community. The congregation is active in Holiday Helping Hands, the FISH pantry ministries, and the Ginghamsburg Clothesline; which provides clothing and furniture for those in need. Good Shepherd also hosts a Christian Pre School, now in over 39 years of continual operation.

Traditional Worship with full communion is held every Sunday at 11:00 am. You can learn more about the ministry of Good Shepherd at gslcwmilton@gmail.com or by visiting their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/GoodShepherdLutheranChurchWestMilton/

FIRST, XENIA

A Community Ministry

Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we worship reach out, share the gospel, and serve!

We are a faith community located and serving in Xenia over 175 years. Our first building was destroyed by the April 4, 1974 tornado; we are the only congregation in central Xenia that rebuilt in the same location on the corner of Main and Church Streets. We are striving to be the Main Church in Xenia. The present building includes the 1980’s expansion of our narthex, classrooms, and hallway.

All are welcome to participate in mission and ministry here. It is a joyous congregation that is warm and welcoming with a servant's heart.  We strive to live out the Gospel by worshipping, reaching out, sharing the gospel, and serving in the name of Christ.

Our primary community ministry is The Caring Place, a community-based feeding ministry each Thursday from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. The ministry has served over 750,000 free meals over thirty years. We also relate and support daily with people experiencing homelessness, mental illness, and addictions using faith-based approaches.

On Sunday mornings, we celebrate Holy Communion at 9:30 a.m. Children’s Sunday School begins at 9:30 a.m. also; the children return to the sanctuary for the Liturgy of the Meal. Our services are available on Facebook Live. E-mail: office@firstlutheranofxenia.org Web: www.firstlutheranofxenia.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/firstlutheranxenia

SonSet Cafe is supported by the following organizations
who work together to serve a weekly meal in Fairborn.
Thank you to those who serve every week!

Abiding Christ Lutheran

Emanuel Ministries

Fairborn United Methodist

Maple Heights Baptist

New Testament Ministries

Wright Rehab Center