On this page, you will find:

  • LCC Strategic Framework & Initiatives that came out of the Purpose & Priorities Planning Process.
  • Video link to the full presentation on this process at the LCC 2022 Synod Convention, and full slide deck (PDF).
  • A summarized overview of the steps in the PPP Process with some updates on how each step has been completed.
  • Contact information to obtain more information; ask questions; or add comments and input.

LCC Strategic Framework & Initiatives

Our Mission

Serve, strengthen, and equip congregations for bold, faithful, Christ-centred witness.

Our Vision

A unified, confessional body of believers fulfilling the Great Commission.

Our Values

  • Truth. We value Scripture as the inerrant, written Word of God and the only rule and norm of faith and practice [Read More].
  • Grace. We value Grace as the free and undeserved gift of God through Christ Jesus which empowers believers to show forgiveness and mercy to others [Read More].
  • Unity. We value unity in doctrine, proclamation, and practice, as expressed in Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions [Read More].
  • Vocation. We value each person’s unique God-given gifts, talents, and abilities, enabling them to witness Christ’s redeeming love in all aspects and stations of life [Read More].
  • Sanctity of Life. We value life as a gift of God to be cherished, nurtured, and protected from conception to natural death [Read More].
  • Trust. We value telling one another the truth in love, doing what we say we will do, and stewarding all ministry resources to the glory of God [Read More].
  • Relationships. We value and respect one another as children of God, demonstrating love in all things because He first loved us [Read More].

NOTE: These value statements are discussed in LCC President Timothy Teuscher’s columns in The Canadian Lutheran magazine. All columns are accessible online via the hyperlinks above.

Our Goal Statements

  • Disciple-Making Culture: Serve, support, and equip congregations and partner ministries for mission and discipleship.
  • Mission Outreach: Pursue bold domestic and international outreach and ministry.
  • Equip Leaders: Recruit, educate, and support ecclesiastical, diaconal, and lay leaders for the church.
  • Organizational Effectiveness: Use and strengthen synodical structure, services, and processes to foster unity, transparency, and relationships.
  • Fiscal Resources and Responsibility: Gather, manage, and allocate financial resources to increase and optimize mission impact. 
  • Strategic Communications: Cultivate open, consistent communications to inform, engage, and encourage awareness and response throughout the synodical family.

2022 LCC Synod Convention

The full presentation before the assembly at the 2022 LCC Synod Convention can be viewed on our YouTube Channel here. David Friesen, LCC’s Director of Advancement, and Alan Zacharias, president of Zacharias Advancement Consulting, shared the results of the exciting planning process that Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) has been engaged in over the past thirteen months. The purpose of this planning process has been to create a shared vision for the future of our church body—to direct, strengthen, and sustain our overall mission and ministry today and tomorrow. The strategic framework that emerged from our work together established our mission, vision, values, and goals, through the input of many voices across our synod. This framework provides the foundation for future initiatives aligning our priorities, plans, and people. The next steps in this process will focus on developing specific initiatives under each goal statement. Please continue to pray for this process and its outcome and, if asked, please consider being a part of our ongoing work.

Slide Deck

Below you can view or download a PDF version of the slide deck from the presentation at the 2022 Synod Convention.

Advancing the Mission & Ministry of LCC

About the Process

You may have read in previous issues of The Canadian Lutheran, and on CanadianLutheran.ca that Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) has been working on creating a shared vision of the future for our synod. This important work, dubbed the Purpose & Priorities Planning Process, has involved many voices across our church body. This process has provided exceptional feedback and direction on our challenges and our opportunities as a synod, leading to the development of a strategic framework to:

  • Clarify our mission and priorities;
  • Define measurable outcomes and accountability standards;
  • Guide resource allocation and funding priorities;
  • Enhance communications and transparency, and;
  • Position LCC for mission expansion and congregational vitality.

LCC’s Board of Directors, together with synodical leadership, enlisted the services of Zacharias Advancement Consulting to help with this planning process. A series of internal assessment interviews with individuals from across synod (pastors, lay leaders, auxiliary leaders, seminary leaders, and synodical leaders) highlighted some key challenges affecting LCC. As a result, the Purpose & Priorities Planning Committee was established to gather feedback from many different voices across our Synod and develop a multi-year plan for mission and ministry, to be presented at the 2022 LCC Synod Convention.

Listening and information gathering are the centrepieces of the Purpose & Priorities Planning Process. The process is broken down into these key areas:

  • Planning to Plan

Develop an online Formative Survey utilizing data already gathered from the internal assessment interviews. The survey was sent to pastors, leaders, key stakeholders, and a broad spectrum of the laity, to determine perceptions, attitudes, hopes and concerns for LCC. Completed with over 300 responses.

  • Environmental Assessment

Conduct a series of facilitated Virtual Focused Leadership Events with key constituencies (pastors, lay leaders, LCC board members, donors, and laity of various age brackets) to determine attitudes and perceptions of LCC and our collective vision of the future. Completed eight events with over 100 participants.

  • Clarify & Affirm Mission, Vision, Values & Priorities

Conduct a two-day Planning Retreat that will include LCC Board Members and the PPP Committee to gain consensus around priorities in order to develop a  framework for LCC’s mission, vision, values and goals. An in-person retreat was held on April 7-8 in Winnipeg. Representation from pastors, deacons, and laity, together with LCC’s Board of Directors and synodical leadership, gathered to discuss the distilled feedback generated from the online survey and virtual focused leadership sessions. Our goal was to establish clarity around LCC’s mission, vision and values and focus on areas of need to position LCC for mission expansion and congregational vitality. Based on the group’s response, the retreat accomplished what it set out to do. Our thanks to all the participants.

  • Refine the Framework & Plan

Engage Ministry Action Teams (a subset of the PPP Committee) and LCC leadership to identify initiatives and measurable outcomes for the the Mission and Ministry Plan. A decision was made to postpone the in-person Planning Retreat from February to April 2022, as a result of the uncertainty of coming together due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and challenges. However, the planning committee (6 pastors, 12-15 laity) and the LCC Board of Directors held a committee orientation session on February 12, 2022 to prepare them for their collective work ahead in the coming months. 

  • Present the plan at the 2022 Synodical Convention.

As the inaugural convention of our new structure, where all of our congregations or parishes will come together, it presents an excellent opportunity to highlight the passion our church body has for its future and bring forward the excitement of expanding our mission. There is much work to do in the coming months as we are just forming the foundation. Our next four years will be significant, and our hope is that together as one synod, we strengthen our unity in proclaiming the Gospel and bringing glory to God through this effort. Since the postponed Planning Retreat shortened the timeframe available to create the Mission and Ministry Plan prior to the 2022 LCC Synod Convention, a higher-level plan was presented at convention. After the convention, we will develop the detailed action steps with Ministry Action Teams.

Get in touch

We ask that you continue to keep this process and our synod in your prayers. We recognize that by ourselves we can accomplish nothing, but in Christ “who makes all things new”, we are able to fulfill our mission. For further information or if you have questions, comments, or input, please contact David Friesen, LCC Director of Advancement.

David Friesen, Director of Advancement
Email 204-791-9949

David has been out and about getting to know the pastors, deacons, church workers, and laity across each of LCC’s three regions. He encourages you to invite him to speak to your congregation, or to plan to meet with him when he’s in your area!