District Ministries
The Lord is giving Christians in Nebraska a tremendous opportunity right now to share the Good News of Jesus with those who don’t know Him. God has brought the mission field to Nebraska and instructed us to let our light shine among them.
Campus and young adult ministry can help keep young adults connected to the Body of Christ through regular worship opportunities, Bible studies, relationships with mature Christians, and fellowship in a Christian atmosphere. Campus ministries give students a place to connect with ministry leaders and other Lutherans while growing in their personal relationship with Christ during their time away at college. It also provides a way for young adults, regardless of their educational or vocational status, to connect with each other and grow in their faith.
Multiethnic ministry partnerships across Nebraska provide for human care needs and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with immigrants and refugees from many different ethnic backgrounds, including African (especially Ethiopian and Sudanese), Middle Eastern, Asian, and Hispanic.
The Nebraska District currently supports two specialized ministries: Jesus our Savior Lutheran Outreach in Winnebago, and Sandhills Lutheran Ministry.
The District also encourages and partners with congregations who reach out with special ministries of their own.
Thanks to the generosity of District members and congregations through regular offering gifts and special designated gifts, the Nebraska District is able to proclaim the Good News of Jesus to those around Nebraska who have never heard of Him.
Your prayer support is always needed. Please pray for our workers and volunteers and for the lives they touch each day, that the seed of the Gospel may be planted and nourished.
Outreach Resources
We have a variety of resources available to help congregations, schools, and individuals reach out to their community. Visit our Outreach Resource Library for helpful downloads and links.
Click on one of the orange dots below to learn more about one of these Nebraska District ministries:
Campus Ministry: Curtis
Harvest Fields Campus Ministry, a ministry of St. John’s in Curtis, seeks to serve the students of Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture. For more information, contact Rev.James Peterson.
Get Connected to Campus Ministry
Campus Ministry: Kearney
Holy Cross Campus Ministry, a ministry of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, serves the students of the University of Nebraska at Kearney through fellowship, Bible study, and an off-campus place to hang out in a Christian atmosphere. Students are encouraged to worship and connect with the families of faith at Holy Cross or Zion Lutheran Churches in Kearney. Megan Barone serves the ministry as ministry coordinator. Learn more here.
Get Connected to Campus Ministry
Campus Ministry: Lincoln
The University Lutheran Chapel is located close to the city campus of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. The Chapel ministers to traditional and international students of the University and surrounding colleges. Fellowship at The Chapel helps college students experience the love of Jesus and live out that hope on campus.
Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m., free lunch following
Community Service Sunday is the first Sunday of each month. They gather at 10:30 for a brief worship and then divide into service teams and work in the community. Lunch is provided and they are done by 2:30 p.m.
Bible Huddles Wednesday at 8:00 -9:30 p.m. Grow in your faith as they apply Scripture to life, pray for each other, and grow as friends. It’s super easy to join a group at any time. To learn more, contact mark@lutheranchapel.org.
International Students They have a variety of small groups and one-on-one opportunities, where students can make friends, practice their English, and get adjusted to life in Lincoln. They provide free moving help and host a variety of trips and events for students. To learn more, contact mark@lutheranchapel.org or get connected at www.chapelunl.org/ism
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Campus Ministry: Omaha
The Omaha area campus ministry initiative – Echo (EXW) – is in the midst of an exciting revitalization effort! Formerly Living H2O Lutheran Campus Ministry, Echo has new leadership and a renewed effort in reestablishing a presence at UNO and the other campuses in Omaha. Echo is wholly dedicated to echoing the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the fellowship and discipleship of Christian students.
The word echo in English means to “reflect or reverberate sound.” In Biblical Greek, the word “exw” is pronounced the same as our English “echo”, and it means “to have or possess.”
Jesus said in John 5:24, “Whoever HEARS my word and believes him who sent me HAS eternal life.” That is the mission of EXW: echoing the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the fellowship and discipleship of Christian students.
Much more information will be coming out soon regarding this revitalized ministry effort. For questions or more information, please contact Rev. Eric Jay at ejay@stmarkomaha.org, visit Echo at their website, or on Facebook.
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Campus Ministry: Wayne
Cup of Grace is located just south of the Willow Bowl at Wayne State College. Cup of Grace is a Christian Coffee House that provides a place to meet, study and share in the Word of God. Connect with Cup of Grace by contacting Rev. Michael Buchhorn at pastorbuchhorn@gmail.com or calling Grace Lutheran Church, Wayne at 402-375-1905.
In 1991, the Nebraska District, along with the Laborers for Christ, bought and constructed the present Lutheran Student Center. The Laborers for Christ enlisted many volunteer hours of the members of Grace Lutheran Church to help create a building that would provide a Campus Center where students could come relax, study, eat, and visit.
The Nebraska District provides for the building—the congregation supports the activities and ministry at Wayne State College. They are committed to the avenue this provides to the Word of God. The hope is to continue to have a strong relationship between students and the congregation, where members of the congregation can participate in the lives of the students—and the students in the life of the congregation.
The Lutheran Student Center hosts the following activities for students:
Canoe trip on the Niobrara River in Valentine, NE
Bible studies
Community support
Monthly topic night, event, or dinner
Annual Thanksgiving meal sponsored with the Newman Club
Midnight volleyball event for all Christian students on campus
Finals breakfast hosted by the church
They have also sponsored servant events:
Serving the Winnebago Reservation
Benefiting Orphan Grain Train
Helping to build a home in Tennessee during spring break
Over the last 15 years, nine Wayne State Students who were involved in the Lutheran Student Center have gone into church work.
They hope to continue to touch the students at Wayne State College in a positive way that honors Jesus Christ through His Word and prayer.
Get Connected to Campus Ministry
Connect a Student to Campus Ministry
Help us minister to your students by sharing the names of students in your congregation. Get them connected to Nebraska campus ministries at this link. An LCMS pastor or campus ministry worker will contact the student personally to share information about their local Lutheran campus ministry and ways to get involved.
Click here to find and get connected to an LCMS campus ministry in another state.
You can also click here to locate an LCMS congregation near a college or university and contact them directly.
Multiethnic Ministry: Ethiopian Ministry, Omaha
A group of Ethiopian immigrants meets at St. Mark Lutheran Church, Omaha weekly for Bible study and worship with Rev. Eddie Mekasha. These immigrants also help connect new immigrants to the church.
Multiethnic Ministry: Lincoln Hispanic Ministry
Lincoln congregations have partnered to reach out to the Hispanic community in Lincoln, offering English classes and Bible studies as a service to the community and as a way to build relationships that can lead to sharing the love of Christ.
Multiethnic Ministry: Omaha Hispanic Ministry
The number of Hispanic immigrants in Omaha is growing, and more and more of these neighbors are getting connected to local Lutheran churches. The Lord has provided Carlos Mestayer to serve and minister to the Hispanic community in Omaha in partnership with Beautiful Savior. It is a blessing to have a worker who can speak Spanish and build relationships with the community as he shares the saving message of Jesus Christ and plants the seeds of faith.
Multiethnic Ministry: Siouxland Hispanic Ministry, Sioux City/South Sioux City
Hope Lutheran Church is South Sioux City, Nebraska, is engaging the Hispanic and immigrant populations around them through English classes, acts of mercy, and Sunday afternoon worship services. As a partner with other LCMS congregations in the area, they are showing the love of Jesus to their neighbors across state and cultural boundaries.
Multiethnic Ministry: Sudanese Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mission, Omaha
This LCMS congregation gathers for weekly worship at Hope Lutheran Church in Omaha, as well as providing a Bible study and fellowship group for young adults.
Specialized Ministry: Jesus our Savior Lutheran Outreach, Winnebago
The Winnebago Reservation in Northeast Nebraska is home to 2,500 Nebraskans, mostly Winnebago (Ho-Chunk) Indians. God is reaching out to these people through His missionary Pastor Ricky Jacob.
There has been a Christian presence here since the 1980’s, but Pastor Jacob began his ministry here in 1993. He has provided a Lutheran message to the people of this area since then. Pastor Jacob offers the people many opportunities for spiritual learning and growth. There is Divine worship and Sunday school every week, as well as home Bible studies and weekly confirmation classes. Pastor Jacob also makes visits to those in jail, treatment centers, and hospitals. Every week he also leads a spiritual talking circle, as well as a Divine service, at the Ho-Chunk Youth Facility. The Outreach recently began offering an after-school program once a week for school-aged children in the community.
This ministry is also involved in the community and is reaching out in many different ways. Each summer there is Vacation Bible School for the children of the community, taught by volunteers from other LCMS congregations.
In 1998, Jesus Our Savior Lutheran Preschool was started with Mrs. Jana Inglehart as its teacher. Sheryl Tietz took over as preschool teacher in 2010. This preschool welcomes three and four year-olds to come and learn about their Lord and Savior in an educational environment. This is now operated by the Jesus Our Savior Lutheran School Association.
The vision for this ministry is to establish a Christ-centered Native-led ministry that offers Word and Sacrament ministry and is supported by the community.
Pastor Jacob continues to work to bring the Good News of our Lord and Savior to the entire community of Winnebago. He notes the Winnebago people have a rich heritage, their own language, their own celebrations and humor, as well as a unique way of perceiving the world around them which impacts how they live and what they value. Pastor Jacob is witnessing to these people and working, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to make Jesus Christ part of their community as well.
The ministry of Jesus Our Savior Lutheran Outreach and the work of Rev. Jacob is supported by the 246 congregations of the Nebraska District through their unrestricted mission and ministry dollars, along with individual donors. As a ministry of the Nebraska District, this outreach is funded through the Nebraska District’s annual mission budget. Direct donations may be made to the Nebraska District LCMS, PO Box 407, Seward, NE 68434 with the memo: Jesus Our Savior Lutheran Outreach. Jesus Our Savior Lutheran Preschool is a Recognized Service Organization of the LCMS and is supported by direct donations and the fees paid by the students who attend. Donations for the preschool ministry may be sent to Jesus Our Savior Lutheran School Association, P.O. Box 105, Winnebago, NE 68071.
Specialized Ministry: Sandhills Lutheran Ministry
The Sandhills Lutheran Ministry is a unique ministry in Nebraska because of the unique culture of Western Nebraska which it serves. This ministry works to minister to the needs of the people in western Nebraska.
This ministry is made up of three congregations, served by Rev. Jonathan Oetting: Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Hyannis, Bingham Lutheran Church 20 miles west of Hyannis, and Faith Lutheran Church 35 miles north of Hyannis. From these outposts, a variety of people and needs are served. The preschool at Shepherd of the Hills ministers to more than 20 young children and their families.
This ministry attends to the spiritual needs of the farmers and ranchers that live in this area through Word and Sacrament worship services, Vacation Bible School, and Bible studies.
Support District Missions with your Gifts
District ministries are funded through your generosity. You can make a restricted gift to a specific ministry project from the ones listed above, or give to district ministries in general. Learn more about making gifts to support mission and ministry here at our giving page.
District Missions and Revitalization Staff
Works with congregations to help them see the mission fields in their communities and how they can share the love of Jesus with those around them, and works with the ministries of the Nebraska District.
Contact the office of District Missions & Revitalization: 1-402-643-2961, 1014
Email Rev. Jacobsen: lonniej@ndlcms.org
Email our Missions assistant, Kim Hofer: kimh@ndlcms.org
Rev. Lonnie Jacobsen, Mission and Ministry — Works with congregations to help them see the mission fields in their communities and how they can share the love of Jesus with those around them. He also works with the ministries of the Nebraska District.
Kim Hofer, Mission and Ministry Assistant — Helps pastors and congregations with call documents and forms, and with candidate pastor placement or vicarage assignments into congregations. Kim also assists with the District archives and Mission and Ministry.