Lutheran Mission Society San Diego

06/03/2026

Yesterday, the Lutheran Mission Society San Diego had the joy of accompanying a group of pastors from across San Diego County—friends and partners in mission—on a visit to Tijuana, where we were welcomed by our brothers and sisters at Iglesia Luterana Cristo Redentor.

In many ways, San Diego and Tijuana are just minutes apart. And yet, in lived experience, they can feel like very different worlds. This visit was a reminder that, in Christ, those distances are not barriers but bridges—and that the Church is called to walk across them together.

As a connector, the Lutheran Mission Society San Diego helped create space for encounter, relationship, and shared mission. For several of the pastors, this was their first time in Mexico and their first time meeting the leadership of Iglesia Luterana Cristo Redentor.

We were welcomed with breakfast and true Christian hospitality. Together, we gathered for Matins and worshiped the Lord in a shared liturgy. We heard the Word preached faithfully by Pastor Job Jiménez, and we were blessed by the presence of Rev. Omar Garza, president of the Lutheran Church in Mexico, who traveled from Matamoros to be with us. He welcomed our delegation and shared a broader vision of the work, realities, and mission opportunities of the Church in Mexico today.

Pastor Job Jiménez also shared about the life and mission of Iglesia Luterana Cristo Redentor in Tijuana—its challenges, its hopes, and its open doors for ministry.

One of the most moving moments of the day was meeting seven young men from the congregation who are preparing for seminary formation, along with deacons, deaconesses, and lay leaders who are faithfully serving in their context. It was a living picture of a Church being formed, sent, and strengthened.

What we witnessed was simple, but profound: when the Church chooses collaboration over distance, and communion over separation, the mission of Christ becomes visible in powerful ways.

May the Lord continue to open doors across borders, and strengthen His Church in unity for the sake of the Gospel.

06/01/2026

Yesterday, our Missionary Director had the opportunity to lead both worship services at Concordia Lutheran Church in Chula Vista while Pastor Richard Schmidt and Vicar Alex Parker were away. It was a joy to preach on the Trinity as the missionary God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who sends His people into the world in mission, just as He sent Isaiah.

What made the day even more meaningful was having the support of Kleberson Alves and his family, missionaries connected to the congregation. Serving together like this was a simple reminder that God builds His Church through many hands and hearts working side by side.

Grateful for Concordia and for the gift of serving together in Christ.

Thank you, Melissa Salomón, for the pictures.

05/30/2026

Friends, a ministry we partner with in La Mesa is looking for a female swim instructor.

They have a group of 6–12 young Afghan women (ages 17–35) who have never had the chance to learn how to swim. Because some come from very conservative backgrounds and prefer a modest setting, a private pool has been offered as a safe and comfortable place for lessons.

They’re hoping to find an experienced female instructor who could teach on Fridays or possibly Saturday mornings for a limited time this summer. The women are willing to contribute toward the cost of lessons, though keeping it affordable is important.

More than swimming, this is an opportunity to build friendships, show Christian love in practical ways, and create space for conversations about faith. Sometimes the Gospel travels through simple acts of kindness and the relationships that grow from them.

If this sounds like something you could help with, or if you know someone who might be interested, please let me know and we’ll connect you with the ministry leaders.

05/29/2026

Join the Lutheran Mission Society San Diego for our weekly Prayer Gathering every Friday from 12:00–12:30 PM (Pacific)

🕛 Time: 12:00 to 12:30 (Pacific)
💻 Join us on Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83719397721?pwd=JPyU08kiWPXWJcbkcamATTfCPVNKzK.1

Meeting ID: 837 1939 7721 | Passcode: 934532

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05/27/2026

Last Sunday, the family of the Missionary Director from the Lutheran Mission Society San Diego had the joy of visiting Iglesia Luterana Cristo Redentor for a very special worship service celebrating confirmations and baptism.

It was a beautiful reminder that the Church of Christ is alive and growing across borders, languages, and cultures. Together, we rejoiced as young people publicly confessed their faith in Jesus and as God welcomed another child into His family through the waters of Holy Baptism.

For our family, it was deeply encouraging to witness the faithfulness of this congregation, the dedication of its leaders, and the joy of the Gospel being proclaimed in Tijuana. These moments strengthen the bonds of mission and remind us that we are partners in Christ’s work together.

We give thanks to God for the pastoral leadership, the families, and every servant at Iglesia Luterana Cristo Redentor who continues sharing the hope of Jesus with their community.

Please keep this congregation and its leadership in your prayers as they continue serving faithfully and boldly proclaiming Christ.

05/20/2026

Yesterday was another meaningful step forward in the missionary journey of Abner Perez in Tijuana.

What a joy to spend time together encouraging him in the exploration of his vocations to preach the Gospel, serve Christ’s Church, and continue discerning the path God may be opening before him through seminary formation and pastoral ministry.

These conversations are always holy ground — moments of listening, mentoring, prayer, and dreaming together about what God might do through willing hearts.

We were also thankful for the opportunity to connect Abner with Pastor Les Schefer from St. James Lutheran Church, continuing to build relationships and partnerships that strengthen mission work on both sides of the border.

Please keep Abner in your prayers as he continues to seek wisdom, clarity, and boldness in following the Lord’s calling.

The harvest is plentiful. The Lord is still calling workers into His mission field.

05/19/2026

Last night we celebrated our 20th Missionary Dinner with the Lutheran Mission Society San Diego—a milestone that feels less like a number and more like a story still unfolding.

We were graciously hosted by University Lutheran Church La Jolla. We give thanks to the leadership and congregation for opening their doors with such warmth, hospitality, and genuine love. Sharing a meal together in their space allowed us not only to be served, but to experience the heart of their community in a deeper way.

A special word of gratitude to Pastor Peter Alexander for sharing pastoral and missional insights that encouraged, challenged, and strengthened all of us gathered. His words helped frame our conversations around calling, perseverance, and the joy of being sent together.

Around 25 missionaries connected to the Lutheran Mission Society, along with a few friends, gathered as a growing family. What made the evening especially meaningful was the rhythm of shared life: we celebrated together—graduations, new ministries taking shape, stories of people being blessed and communities being reached. And we also shared openly about needs and prayer requests, holding one another’s burdens with care and seriousness.

True to the spirit of collaboration that has marked these gatherings since August 2023, the group didn’t stop at prayer—we leaned into it together, thinking about practical ways to support one another and respond as a mission community. This has become one of the quiet strengths of these dinners: no one is sent alone.

With Pentecost approaching, we also tasted something of that first outpouring of the Spirit. We read John 3:16 together in many languages represented in the room—English, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, German, Taiwanese, Oromo, French, and Arabic. In that simple act, we were reminded that the gospel is always larger than any one tongue, yet personal enough to be spoken in every tongue.

Twenty dinners in, the same conviction remains, but it has grown stronger: we believe in missionaries being sent, and we believe even more deeply that they are sent together. These gatherings continue to form friendship, fight isolation, and nurture a shared life of mission rooted in Christ.

Grateful for what God is doing—and for what is still ahead.

05/11/2026

Two mission societies. One Kingdom mission.

Last Wednesday, the Lutheran Mission Society San Diego partnered with its friends at the Coastal Mission Society, led by Pastor John Allwood, for the first gathering of a new training cohort in North County San Diego.

Hosted at Community Lutheran Church (San Marcos Campus), this cohort is designed for people who want to better understand their calling within God’s movement of Kingdom expansion — their place in the mission field through everyday vocations and relationships.

The content, developed by Pastor John Allwood as part of the Coastal Mission Society’s vision, focuses on equipping the priesthood of all believers to live missionally wherever God has placed them.

The Lutheran Mission Society San Diego came alongside this initiative by sharing the invitation with pastors, leaders, and friends throughout the region, helping gather a group eager to grow in missional imagination, discipleship, and practical engagement.

The pictures captures the first encounter of this cohort — the beginning of new conversations, new relationships, and, we pray, new Gospel movements throughout North County and beyond.

Partnerships like these remind us that mission is never about one organization alone. It is about the Church, together, participating in what God is already doing in the world.

05/11/2026

Today was a beautiful day of fellowship, joy, and gratitude at our Mother’s Day Lunch with Poder da Fé, the Brazilian ministry at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, in Pacific Beach.

We thank God for the mothers, grandmothers, families, and friends who gathered with us for worship, food, laughter, and community. It was a special time celebrating the gift of love, care, faith, and sacrifice that mothers bring into our lives.

A special thank you to everyone who helped prepare, serve, decorate, cook, and make this gathering possible. Your love and hospitality reflected the love of Christ.

May God continue to bless all mothers with strength, wisdom, peace, and joy.

Happy Mother’s Day from Poder da Fé! 🇧🇷❤️