“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8 Richard Michael Martin September 18, 1952 - December 3, 2020 It is with deep sadness that Lutheran Church Charities shares that our brother in Christ, colleague, and friend Rich Martin has gone home to be with the Lord – a fact that we also rejoice! Rich was a friend to all, who put others over himself and was dedicated to being present with those who were suffering and in need. His life was a life of presence. “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12 CLICK HERE to read a testimony from Rich on his faith that was read at his Celebration of Life Ceremony. If you are so moved, the family has requested that memorials to honor Rich’s servant life be made to the LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry, CLICK HERE. On November 21, Rich was directly admitted to ICU due to complications from COVID-19 and fought the good fight for 12 days. On the evening of Thursday, December 3, Jesus welcomed Rich to be with Our Heavenly Father. Two days prior to Rich receiving his crown of glory, a small group of family, friends and LCC staff met outside Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital near Rich’s room window to conduct a prayer vigil. Prayer was initiated by Pastor Warren Schilf of Rich’s home church, Immanuel Lutheran in Palatine. It was followed by additional group prayer and singing to lift the spirits of Rich, his family and friends, the staff of Advocate Good Shepherd and others suffering with Covid-19. A nurse in Rich’s room was holding a phone for Rich to hopefully see and hear the live prayer vigil virtually outside his window. Rich was a man of great faith and compassion, a faithful servant to everyone he came in contact with. He held several positions with LCC, most notably as Director, K-9 Deployments as well as Director of Hearts of Mercy & Compassion, Crosses for Losses. Rich fully lived LCC’s Mission of sharing the Mercy, Compassion, Presence and Proclamation of Jesus Christ to those suffering and in need. Our prayers and support continue to be with our colleague and family member Dona, their daughter Sofie and her husband Marty, and their entire family.
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2 The posted obituary can be viewed at: https://www.davenportfamily.com/obituary/Richard-Martin
LCC received the following request from Pastor Hesham Shehab, Salam Christian Fellowship, Lombard, Illinois. Dear Friends, An Egyptian Christian family sought refuge in Chicagoland after the grandmother died in a suicide bombing terrorist attack at the church in Cairo. The family of 4 fled with their two young daughters because radical Muslims are kidnapping Christian girls, raping them, and converting them to Islam by force. The father started to have heart problems and has no health insurance. Blood work, EKG, and medication are needed and the immediate cost rose up to $1,500. Even though we found a Christian doctor who could help, we need to cover the previous cost of the emergency room and the medications that the father had to take. Please show the love of God to our brothers and sisters who are persecuted for their faith in Christ by donating generously to this cause. In Christ, Pastor Hesham Shehab Salam Christian Fellowship
STARTS ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4th AT NOON
WILL YOU JOIN US?
Jeremiah 29:12 "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you."
As we enter the 10th month of the COVID-19 pandemic, we humbly approach our Lord, Jesus Christ, at the foot of His redemptive cross of victory, bowing in prayer and confidently trusting in the promises of the Holy Scriptures. Jeremiah 29:12 assures us that the Lord LISTENS to our prayers.
Claiming His promises, LCC will host a Nationwide Prayer Vigil beginning Friday, December 4th at Noon. We will be offering prayers for all those impacted by COVID-19, their families, and the medical teams who are caring for them.
If you would like to request prayers on behalf of someone OR join the team of Prayer Warriors, please follow the links below. Prayer warriors will be able to choose their date, time, and location to pray for those in need. Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Psalm 50:15 "…and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
If you experience difficulty submitting names or signing up to pray, please call 800-524-5464.
Shepherd’s Heart Ministry, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) and a Recognized Service Organization (RSO) of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. The Executive Director, Rev. Ed Brashier is also the LCMS Southern District Disaster Response Coordinator who has been active in disaster response since Hurricane Katrina and has deployed long-term 25 times all across the Eastern USA. Lutheran Church Charities Disaster Response has served with Rev. Ed Brashier and his Shepherd’s Heart Ministry following many hurricanes and tornadoes in the Southern District. Since 2016, the Ministry’s 2011 Keystone Cougar 30 ft. bunkhouse RV has been used on eight long-term deployments to house Rev. Ed Brashier and other volunteers. It is showing its age and is in need of replacement. The RV needs to be capable of sleeping four adult men. Most bunkhouse RVs have adult and children-sized beds, so a replacement may need to be customized.The Keystone Cougar RV is currently being used in Fairhope, Alabama where Shepherd’s Heart Ministry has been responding to Hurricane Sally for the last two months. Rev. Ed Brashier is asking Lutheran Church Charities for any assistance it could provide towards upgrading their RV and a diesel truck for hauling equipment.
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