2022 LCMS Youth Gathering Sessions. Set Apart to Serve – LCMS Church Work Recruitment Initiative

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This session will introduce you to Set Apart to Serve (SAS). This will include SAS goals, Synod collaboration, need for church workers, resources, and steps forward. It will help pastors, parents, youth workers, and congregations form, identify, encourage, and support the youth in our congregations consider and pursue a full-time church work vocation. This session will talk about the upcoming Pilot Projects in every district, resources being developed through Concordia Publishing House, and Church Worker Appreciation Month. Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into harvest” (Matt. 9:37-38). Come and hear how you and your congregation be a part of Set Apart to Serve!

Bio: Rev. Dr. James Baneck is the Executive Director of Pastoral Education for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. His responsibilities include LCMS coordination of Pre-Seminary Education, Seminary Education, Continuing Education for pastors, Post-Seminary Applied Learning and Support (PALS), Preach the Word, Global Seminary Initiative, Seminary Synod Financial Advocate, Theology Professors Conference, Pastoral Formation Committee, and Seminary Prior-approval Process. Baneck also oversees the LCMS Church Work Recruitment Initiative, Set Apart to Serve. This initiative focuses on forming, identifying, and encouraging children from infant baptism through 12th grade to consider a full-time church work vocation. Set Apart to Serve also has a 2nd-career church worker phase. Baneck has written for The Lutheran Witness, Concordia Publishing House, Concordia Pulpit Resources, Portals of Prayer (Apr. 2023), and LCMS website. Baneck has also written and produced “Life Together as Synod,” an LCMS video series on our mutual commitment to confession, mission and good order. (https://www.lcms.org/resources/multimedia/videos) and “The Pastor’s Life of Prayer” (https://vimeo.com/292211303). To see more resources, go to https://www.lcms.org/how-we-serve/education/pastoral. Baneck has taught DMin courses at Concordia Theological Seminary Ft. Wayne and has made several presentations throughout Synod, including Higher Things, District Conventions, and the Theology Professors Conference. Baneck is a native of Green Bay, Wis. He graduated from Concordia, St. Paul, MN in 1983 with a music major in organ performance and choral conducting. Baneck received his M.Div. from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN in 1987. He was called to St. John’s Lutheran Church, Kimball, MN (1987–1993) and Messiah Lutheran Church, Mandan, ND (1993–2009). He earned his D.Min. in 2001 from Concordia Theological Seminary. His dissertation was “Sacramental Preaching.” Prior to his call to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Baneck was serving his third term as district president of the LCMS North Dakota District. He was also serving on the Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne Board of Regents. Baneck is married to Myrna, who is a Lutheran school teacher, having taught preschool-first grade. They are blessed with three sons, one daughter, and five grandchildren.

Youth and adult sessions recorded at the 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering in Houston, Texas. For more information about the Gathering, visit www.lcmsgathering.com.