08/25/2026
A message from Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry:
Dear Friends of Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry,
When we first shared with you the financial challenges facing Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry and the emergency planning process now underway, your Board of Directors made two commitments: we would be transparent with you, and we would listen.
The VLM Board of Directors is inviting you to help shape the future of VLM. After much thought and prayer, the Board has identified several potential paths forward and is seeking your feedback as we discern how VLM can become sustainable, continue our mission and ministry, and transform lives for Christ's service. Your voice matters in this process.
Whether you have been involved with VLM for decades or only recently connected with the ministry, we hope you will join us in prayerfully seeking God's guidance for the future of Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry. We are inviting congregations, campers, parents, donors, volunteers, alumni, supporters, and others who care about this ministry to share your experiences, hopes, concerns, and ideas.
The Board of Directors is hosting a series of Listening Sessions where we will share potential paths forward, listen to your feedback, and seek God's guidance together. At each gathering, representatives of the Board will share an update on VLM's current financial and operational realities, the emergency measures already underway, and the process we are following to develop a long-term plan. Because we want to ensure that every voice is heard, we will be sending out a follow-up survey after the listening sessions have concluded. If you are unable to attend one of the sessions, you can share your input through that survey once it is distributed.
But we especially hope you will consider joining us for a listening session. A survey can tell us what people think. A conversation can help us understand why. Listening together gives us the opportunity to hear the stories behind the answers, ask questions, clarify what we hear, recognize areas of both agreement and disagreement, and perhaps discover ideas that we would never uncover through a survey alone. Just as importantly, we believe that trust and transparency are built through relationships and conversation. We want this process to be more than collecting data. We want it to be an opportunity for VLM's community to come together, listen to one another, and participate in discerning the future of this ministry.
You Are Invited: VLM Listening Sessions
We will host five listening sessions. You are welcome to attend whichever gathering is most convenient for you. Click here to register. If you register for one of the online options, a Zoom like will be sent to you ahead of the meeting.
· September 8 --6:00-7:30pm Virtual Listening Session (Zoom Meeting)
· September 9 – 7:00-8:30 - St. Andrews Lutheran Church, Grand Rapids, MN
· September 13 - 6:00-7:30pm Virtual Listening Session (Zoom Meeting)
· September 15 - 6:00-7:30pm - Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Virginia, MN
· September 19 - 1:00-3:00pm - St James Lutheran Church, Crystal, MN
These are listening sessions, not voting meetings. No final decisions about VLM's future have been made. The feedback we receive will be compiled and shared with the Board as it moves into the next phase of emergency planning.
Our goal is not simply to find our way back to the way things once were. Together, we must discern what God is calling Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry to become next.
Thank you for walking with us in this important season. Thank you for your prayers, your support, your patience, and especially your willingness to participate.
VLM Board of Directors
Ryan Jagim
Chair, Board of Directors
Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry
