LCMS U Campus Ministry Leaders Gather at Redeemer Church in Lawrence, KS
Redeemer Lutheran Church in Lawrence, Kansas was blessed to host this year’s LCMS U Campus Ministry Staff Conference, and we are grateful to report that the event went wonderfully. For the last four years, LCMS U chapter leaders from across the country have gathered on a different campus to encourage one another, learn together, and be strengthened for the work of bringing the Gospel to students. This June, that gathering took place here at Redeemer, a Lutheran Church in Lawrence that serves students from the University of Kansas through our own campus ministry, the Crimson and Blue Lutheran Crew.
The purpose of the conference was both practical and deeply theological. Campus ministry leaders need opportunities to share what is working, ask honest questions, and learn from the experiences of others who are serving in similar settings. But above all, they need time to be fed in God’s Word. A conference for campus workers is not merely a strategy session. It is a time for pastors, church workers, and lay leaders to be reminded that Christ Himself sustains His Church, calls His people, and sends them into the world with His Gospel.
This year’s gathering brought together 50 participants, representing LCMS U ministries from across the country. That number is encouraging, not because numbers are the measure of faithfulness, but because each participant represents real students, real campuses, and real mission fields. Every college or university community presents its own challenges. Students are navigating pressure, loneliness, questions of identity, vocational uncertainty, and often a distance from the church life that formed them. Historic and confessional Lutheran campus ministry meets those students with something stable, Christ crucified and risen, given through His Word, His Sacraments, and the fellowship of His Church.
At Redeemer, we have seen this firsthand through our campus outreach to University of Kansas students. The Crimson and Blue Lutheran Crew is more than a student club. It is an invitation into the life of the Church, where students can worship, study Scripture, eat together, serve neighbors, and find a genuine Christian community during an important season of life. Hosting LCMS U leaders here was a joy because it allowed us to encourage others while also giving thanks for the work the Lord is doing among students in Lawrence.
The conference provided theological education, networking, best practice sharing, and time for prayer and worship. Those elements belong together. Faithful campus ministry needs clear doctrine, thoughtful pastoral care, practical wisdom, and Christian friendship among those doing the work. When leaders gather and then return home, they do not go back alone. They return strengthened by the Word of God and encouraged by the wider Church.
We continue to pray for all who attended this conference, and for all LCMS U campus ministry leaders serving throughout the country. May the Lord bless their teaching, conversations, hospitality, Bible studies, and worship life. And may He continue to use Lutheran campus ministry to bring students into the confidence, comfort, and joy of the Gospel.
If you are searching for a Lutheran Church in Lawrence, a Christian group for University of Kansas students, or churches in Lawrence KS with historic worship and active campus outreach, Redeemer Lutheran Church warmly invites you to visit and get connected.
