Articles & Presentations

Everyone Makes Mistakes Evan Maki, Carter Dean, Sten Keplinger, Blake Dean, Ian Simonson, Jake Wittenberg | The Voice of Zion October 2026 - Round the Table article -- Everyone makes mistakes and fails. Sometimes our failures can leave us feeling ashamed, humiliated and full of doubt. Shame makes us want to hide our faults and failings. It causes us to feel too embarrassed to seek the comfort of the gospel, and to cover up our sins. But God’s forgiveness gives us hope when

Arvin Pirness | The Voice of Zion October 2026 - News and Notes -- The leaves are falling ev’rywhere, and now the larks and swallows that filled with song the summer air have left for warmer meadows. – Song 529, verse 1 October brings the songs and sounds and sights of fall. Leaves have changed color and are dropping to the ground, farmers among us are finishing the harvest, and seasonal work is winding down. This month some congregations host Fall Services or All Saints’ D

Kris Ylioja | The Voice of Zion October 2026 - The Sabbath Word 4 -- Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save t

The Voice of Zion October 2026 - Home and Family articles -- God’s perfect plan for our lives unfurls around us. From the finely tuned stages of growth to the motion of the cosmos, we see His handiwork. His dexterity is also evident in the shape of the human lifecycle. Nearly every creature on earth bears young from the moment they mature to the moment they die. Some produce the next generation one time as their final act, such as the mayfly and the octopus. But God made huma

Adrian Pirness | The Voice of Zion October 2026 - Mission Work Field Notes -- The first mission trips to Togo in Africa and Ecuador took place in 2000. God has blessed and guided the work throughout the years. In 2022 and 2023, discussions were held about how to organize the growing work, and a new organizational model began functioning in 2024. Kimmo Puolitaival, chair of the organization’s Steering Group, reflects on the work today: “We have experienced God’s great blessi

Arvin Pirness | The Voice of Zion September 2026 -News and NoteS -- As another summer draws to a close, the familiar rhythms of autumn begin once again. Children return to school and to Sunday school, congregational activities resume after busy summer months, and fields in many places are beginning to yield their harvest. These changing seasons remind us of God’s continued care, both for our daily needs and for our souls. We give thanks for the many blessings of the summer

Taryn Laulainen | The Voice of Zion September 2026 - Round the Table articles -- Youth from the Utah Valley congregation share reflections about using social media with a believing heart. I’ve been an active social media user for the past ten or so years, and during this time, social media has changed many times over. In the early days of being online, it was much easier to manage our social media feeds. Now, with the never-ending scroll, we are never more than a tap or sc

Todd and Connie Erickson | The Voice of Zion September 2026 - Home and Family articles -- Listen to your father, who gave you life and do not despise your mother when she is old. – Proverbs 23:22, NIV We’ve spent the past 30 years raising our children to adulthood. As we move toward retirement and reflect on life, questions and thoughts swirl: How will our children remember their childhood home? I hope our children haven’t picked up our bad habits. I hope they have more pat

Adeline Moll | The Voice of Zion September 2026 - Camp Matters article -- The LLC Language Camp was held at Kamp Kipa in Arizona July 7–13. The camp welcomed a group of 53 youth and leaders from Finland, along with North American participants, directors, teachers, and counselors, for a total attendance of 73. The Finnish group was accompanied by Mauno and Heli Soronen and Hannu and Kaisa Kinnunen as group leaders. Following participation in LLC Summer Services in Minnesot

Gary Hoikka | The Voice of Zion September 2026 - The Sabbath Word 4 -- Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which

Tanner Collette | The Voice of Zion August 2026 -The Sabbath Word 2 -- Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. Hear, O earth: behold,

Tommi Kinnunen | The Voice of Zion August 2026 - Round the Table article -- From the youngest children in Sunday school to elders in quieter stations of life, all of us are called to serve one another using the gifts God has given us. Service involves showing care and reflecting God’s love, particularly in our interactions with others. Every gathering is an opportunity to make others feel welcome, especially newcomers, and to remind one another that each of us is valued and

The Voice of Zion August 2026 - Editorial -- As children, many of us spend years simply receiving. We come to church and services, sit beside our families, attend camps and gatherings, and receive care and teaching from those around us. Others prepare lessons, organize events, care for practical needs, and carry responsibilities we may hardly notice. There is nothing wrong with this. Children are meant to receive. Jesus Himself said of little children, “Of such is the kingdom

The Voice of Zion August 2026 - Home and Family Articles -- Amidst our busy family life, the believing home can be a place of contentment and peace, a refuge from the world, a setting where God’s perfect plan for our lives unfolds day by day. Family life often involves many moving parts and much noise. The shape of family busyness differs from one household to another, as well as from one season of life to another. Each household and season carries its own joys and sorrows, a

Arvin Pirness | The Voice of Zion August 2026 - News & Notes -- Publications We extend a special thank-you to Ruth Delacey, who served as Publications Coordinator for the past five years. Her work in the Publications Department and the Opisto program allowed her to develop warm connections with many believers across North America. We are grateful for her service of love and wish her God’s blessings in the future. Helen Hillukka is serving temporarily as Publications Coordin

The Voice of Zion June/July 2026 - Home and Family Articles -- When a couple are married, a new family is born. Their individual identities merge into a new shared identity as a married couple. Others start to refer to them as a couple instead of as individuals. The months following a wedding are full of adjustments for a couple, both adjusting to a new shared identity, as well as establishing a home together and finding new everyday routines and habits. When God blesses wi

Allen Pirness | The Voice of Zion June/July 2026 - Bilingual Article -- At the beginning of Luther’s Small Catechism, the Ten Commandments and their explanations are presented. Since believers are no longer under the condemnation of the law, we might wonder why Luther arranged it in this way. The reason is twofold, mirroring the two purposes of the Law given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. The first purpose is to reveal what sin is and to show how a person’s life should be

Home & Family Committee Workgroup | The Voice of Zion June/July 2026 -- We began our work together in prayer, asking our heavenly Father for wisdom, clarity, and guidance in our work together. Six fruitful meetings later, we are still praying those same words, but perhaps we have a deeper understanding of just how much we need them. As a workgroup assigned by the LLC Home and Family Committee, our small group – representing many walks of life – was asked to gather and prep

Arvin Pirness | The Voice of Zion June/July 2026 - News & Notes -- June and July bring a full season of life’s activities, from graduations, travel with family, and the many gatherings and events at our LLC camp centers. We pause with gratitude to acknowledge the graduates among us. Dear 2026 high school and college graduates, you have reached a meaningful milestone. God has carried you to this point, and we trust He will continue to guide your steps in the days ahead. June

Carey Simonson | The Voice of Zion June/July 2026 -- A camp for LLC ministers was held at Stony Lake Camp April 10–12, 2026. God richly blessed the camp from the opening devotion at 3 p.m. on Friday to the closing devotion at noon on Sunday. I have attended ministers camps for more than 20 years, but to better understand the history of ministers camps, I asked Keith Waaranimi and Walt Lampi, both ministers in the Rockford, Minn., congregation, to share their thoughts and re