UPDATE: With sadness but hope in Christ, LCC learned that Rev. Torkelson’s friend, Rev. Gregory Edward Hoffman (pictured), pastor of St. John Lutheran Church, Woodstock, IL, passed away . 
 
The family, which was already shocked by the diagnosis, continues to go through “an incredibly difficult and tender season.” Rev. Torkelson shared that his pastor friend often stood beside others in their moments of crisis, and he asked that LCC supporters stand beside this family now. 

Their needs are spiritual and practical. 

Please prayerfully consider donating to the Medical Support Fund for a Pastor - Mt. Olive Lutheran Church. Your generosity will ease the burden on this family, helping them with funeral and medical expenses.

LCC has received a request for spiritual and financial support from Rev. Daniel Torkelson (pictured) of Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Madison, WI, on behalf of a fellow pastor and “dear brother in Christ” who is facing the final stage of leukemia. 

I am writing to you today with a heavy yet hopeful heart to share about a fellow pastor and dear brother in Christ who is facing the final stage of leukemia. This diagnosis has come as a profound shock to him and his family, and they are now walking through an incredibly difficult and tender season.

As pastors, we are often privileged to stand beside others in their moments of crisis. Today, I am asking us to stand beside one who has faithfully stood beside so many. For many years, he has served the Church with dedication, compassion, and unwavering commitment. Even now, he continues to walk this road with deep trust in the Lord and remarkable humility.

During this time, the needs are both spiritual and practical. First and foremost, I ask you to lift this family up in earnest prayer, for peace, strength, comfort, and the tangible presence of God in every moment. There is also a financial need. Contributions will help cover hotel expenses so his family can remain close to him while he is hospitalized. Any remaining funds will go toward medical bills and end-of-life care.

Your generosity will ease the burden on this family, allowing them to focus on being together and cherishing the time they have. I invite you to prayerfully consider how you might support them, whether through prayer, encouragement, or a financial gift. Let us be the hands and feet of Christ in a very real and meaningful way.
 
With gratitude for your compassion and faithfulness,
 
Rev. Daniel Torkelson
Mt. Olive Lutheran Church
Madison, WI

In early January, an arson fire tore through an apartment complex in Milwaukee, WI, destroying the homes of 150 residents, including scores of children, who lost belongings, memories, and a sense of safety.

Stepping in to bring comfort and help amid the quiet ache of recovery, an LCC Care Team from St. Paul’s Lutheran Grafton, WI, served at a Red Cross-hosted Multi-Agency Resource Center, where they met survivors and distributed prayer shawls, hygiene kits, quilts, devotional materials, and gift cards.

Equally important, they offered presence — praying with residents and listening to their stories of loss, fear, and exhaustion.

On Monday, an LCC Care Team returned for another Multi-Agency Resource Center event to help survivors further navigate the heavy, lingering aftermath: sleepless nights, overwhelming uncertainty, profound grief.

As they had done a month before, the LCC Care team listened with wide open hearts, offering a steady, calm presence in the midst of fear and loss.

Each interaction served to remind the residents that they were not forgotten or invisible, but God loves them, sees their hurts, and walks with them amid trauma and heartache.

Along with spiritual care and the warmth of hope and human kindness, the team shared tangible goods to help survivors get meals, attend to hygiene needs, and stay warm.

Even as the shadow from the fire’s destruction looms, the mercy and grace of Jesus shines as they take fragile steps toward healing, restoration, and the promise of a new beginning.

One mother the team met has a 5-year-old and 2-year-old, who are struggling to grasp what’s happened and how to cope. Both children are wrestling with sleeplessness and are anxious the fire could return.

The team listened with compassion. They gave her gift cards, quilts, prayer shawls, and hygiene kits for to address some immediate needs and guided her to specific resources in Milwaukee that could support her family.

Spiritual First Aid™ diagnoses felt needs — spiritual, emotional, physical — and connects a hurting person or family with assistance that can reduce the long-term impact of the trauma.

Moments like these matter. Not because they erase the loss, but because they bring the start of stability, dignity, and care when families need help the most.

Gifts to LCC’s Emergency Family Fund go dollar for dollar to help LCC respond quickly to families’ urgent needs.

In a crisis, LCC can move without delay to provide immediate assistance — gift cards, basic needs, transportation, follow-up care — before red tape slows the response.

When emergencies happen near holidays, the need feels even heavier. Children are watching. Parents are desperate to hold things together. The window to help is small.

Because donors had already given, we were ready.
That readiness turned chaos into compassion.
Loss into presence.
Fear into moments of peace.

In 2026

Emergencies don’t wait for the “right” moment. Fires, floods, violence, and sudden loss will come again. The question is whether we will be ready.

Your gift to the LCC Emergency Family Fund ensures that when the next family faces crisis—tomorrow, next week, or next Christmas—we can respond immediately with care, dignity, and the love of Christ.

Together, we can continue bringing good deeds when they matter most.

Thank you for your prayers, your generosity, and your partnership in caring for families in their most vulnerable moments.

LCC is deeply grateful for this Care Team’s willingness to serve and offer comfort to those in need, Bringing compassionate care this week were:

Bev & Mark Brueggemann - St. Paul Grafton
Nancy Kellett - St. Paul Grafton
Deb Hammen - Beautiful Savior Mequon
Polly Morrison - St. Paul Grafton
Mark Roeder - St. Paul Grafton