Earlier this year Immanuel, Hillside, Illinois, began a new ministry called Put Your Hands Together Food Pantry. The mission is two-fold: to provide food for local families in need and to provide free food to congregations who have outreach ministries that serve their communities with food for people in need.

Many of our congregations have outreach ministries that provide food for people in need but cannot afford to buy food from the Illinois Food Bank or the Greater Chicago Food Depository. In this new ministry, Immanuel as a distributor for an airlines warehouse supplied free food to the following congregations to give away.

• Chicago Hope Church in Partnership with Chicago Hope Christian Academy serving students, families and their community
• Christ the King, Chicago – for their food pantry
• Good Samaritan Ministries of Immanuel, Palatine - for its food pantry
• Jehovah, El Buen Pastor – for their school families and community food pantry
• St. Peter, Schaumburg – for its food pantry
• St. Timothy, Lombard – for its outreach mission to the Arabic speaking people in the metro Chicago area

In just a few short hours on Monday, Immanuel received and distributed 10 pallets valued at $18,000 to six churches or ministries who are reaching out to serve people in need. As long as the food supply continues to flow, Immanuel will continue to serve these ministries and add on others.

We thank God for this and many other ministries of His Church that bring the Mercy, Compassion, and Proclamation of Jesus Christ amidst the darkness and hopelessness of our culture and the COVID virus.

On Saturday, August 22, the LCC Kare 9 Military Ministry hosted the “22” Dinner and Program. The event has been held monthly for the last five years to remember the 22 veterans who take their own lives each day in America.

Due to COVID-19, the event has not taken place since February, 2020. The August  "22" Dinner and Program was held outside LCC Headquarters and CDC guidelines were observed.
 
A highlight of the afternoon was the dedication of the Flagpole. Pastor and Air National Guard Chaplain Jim Buckman conducted the dedication ceremony.

The guest speaker was Hearts of Mercy & Compassion, Crosses for Losses Director Rich Martin, who talked about how the ministry began at LCC and how many lives have been touched already with prayer and presence when presented with a mercy heart or mercy heart with a cross. Each specially painted purple heart also has a military branch emblem affixed to it. Fifteen hearts have been provided to military families who have lost loved ones in recent months.

The hearts and crosses are available at no charge. CLICK HERE to request a Mercy Heart or Cross.

"My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." (Exodus 33:14)

We pray our Lord will prepare a way for us to have a September “22” dinner and Program.

Teams Deployed Immediately After Storms and Continue to Work All Requests!

Tim Hetzner, LCC President/CEO, meets with homeowners in Marengo, Illinois

On Monday, August 10, Northern Illinois experienced a rare derecho with sustained winds of 60 – 90 mph and 15 confirmed tornados, causing widespread property damage and leaving tens of thousands without power for many days.

Shortly after this major storm subsided, LCC Disaster Response Teams (L.E.R.T.) began to assist neighbors and then responding to call-outs to assist those affected within Northern Illinois.

Kathy O’Day, LCC Director of Disaster Response, and L.E.R.T. team leaders have been assessing disaster-affected sites as soon as we receive calls for assistance from pastors, congregation members, and L.E.R.T. volunteers and the community.

The following churches are where we have received requests for assistance and the cities where we have and are currently working:

Bloomingdale, Illinois – Trinity Lutheran Church (Roselle)
Elburn, Illinois – Lord of Life Lutheran Church (Elburn)
Frankfort, Illinois – Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (Frankfort)
Gilberts, Illinois – Immanuel Lutheran Church (East Dundee)
Kankakee, Illinois – St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (Bourbonnais)
Lansing, Illinois – St. John Lutheran Church (Lansing)
Lombard, Illinois – St. John Lutheran Church (Wheaton) & DuPage County CERT
Marengo, Illinois – Immanuel Lutheran Church (East Dundee) & Zion Lutheran Church (Marengo)
McHenry, Illinois – Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church (McHenry)
New Lenox, Illinois – Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (Frankfort)
Ottawa, Illinois – Zion Lutheran Church (Ottawa)
Rockford, Illinois – St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (Rockford) & Immanuel Lutheran Church (Belvidere)
Villa Park, Illinois – St. John Lutheran Church (Wheaton)
Wayne, Illinois – Trinity Lutheran Church (Roselle)
Wheaton, Illinois – St. John Lutheran Church (Wheaton)
Yorkville, Illinois – Cross Lutheran Church (Helmar & Yorkville)

Approximately 75 LCC L.E.R.T. chainsaw certified volunteers and heavy equipment operators from 23 different LCMS churches have already responded to serve at 30 plus homes. Many of these homes had so many downed and damaged trees on their roofs and property that it has taken 2-3 days to safely cut and remove all of the destruction left behind.

LCC never goes where we are not invited. We NEVER charge those we serve. We pick up all of our travel and meal costs. We put boots on the ground within 24 hours (often fewer) from the time we get the invite.
 
Please consider a donation to the LCC Disaster Response General Fund or LCC Disaster Response Equipment Maintenance & Fuel Expense Fund so that we may continue to show the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ to those suffering and in need.

In June, Redeemer Lutheran Church in Spokane Valley, Washington, attended handler training and met their K-9 Comfort Dog Isaac. Since that time, the team has actively trained and built a relationship with K-9 Isaac. LCC is pleased to announce that Redeemer Spokane Valley has successfully completed the placement process.
 
LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Isaac will serve as Redeemer Lutheran Church’s bridge to show the mercy, compassion, presence, and proclamation of Jesus Christ to those who are suffering and in need. Isaac Comfort Dog's Bible verse is Galatians 4:28,“Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.”

The LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry is one of presence. When the Lord calls, we must go and serve Him. Isaiah 6:8 tells us, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me.’”

The following new LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry handlers have heard that call:
Top Dog Julie Blyckert, John Blyckert, Thomas Neidhold, Gail Neidhold, Jody Panattoni, Don Smart, Carolyn Smart, Doug Weinrich.
 
LCC is honored to include the following veteran handler to the LCC Kare 9 Military Ministry:
 
Babette Hess - U.S. Air Force (1969-1970)

If your church would be interested in using this item, please complete the LCC Hot Dog Cart Outreach Request Form and we will contact you with further details.

If your church would be interested in using this item, please complete the LCC Commercial Grill Outreach Request Form and we will contact you with further details.