Northwest District LCMS

2026 Administrators Conference
2026-04-22 - 2026-04-24 | Hampton Inn & Suites Portland/Vancouver, 315 Southeast Olympia Drive, Vancouver, WA, 98684
Registration is now open for the 2026 Administrators Conference on April 22-24 at the Hampton Inn & Suites – Portland/Vancouver. REGISTER HERE! *Be sure to register as a guest as noted in the instructions!*
Conference Flyer
Conference Schedule
About the Presenters
Hospitality – Scriven Residence Directions & Map
Mileage Equalization Form
Speakers:
Matthew Baxter, PhD. – Anchored Excellence: Doing School Differently Through Inquiry, Deep Learning, and Timeless Skills
Travis Grulke – The Call & 1000 Tiny Gestures
Dr. Ben Stellwagen (1) Mind and Spirit: Crisis and Care; (2) Churchworkers: Shortage, Wellness, Winsome Witness
Mary Schuldheisz – Knowing When to Leave
Jim Scriven – (1) Distributed Leadership – Real Examples of How to Stretch a Leader’s Influence Farther; (2) Crafting Plans, Procedures, and Policy for AI Implementation in Our Schools

2026 Early Childhood Directors Conference
2026-04-24 - 2026-04-25 | Hampton Inn & Suites Portland/Vancouver, 315 Southeast Olympia Drive, Vancouver, WA, 98684
Registration is now open for the 2026 Early Childhood Directors Conference April 24-25 at the Hampton Inn & Suites – Portland/Vancouver. REGISTER HERE! *Be sure to register as a guest as noted in the instructions!*
Conference Flyer
Conference Schedule
About the Presenters
Hospitality – Scriven Residence Directions & Map
Mileage Equalization Form
Speakers:
Travis Grulke – Life of Harmony & 1000 Tiny Gestures
Mary Schuldheisz – Knowing When to Leave
Jim Scriven – What We Charge vs. What We Pay – Make These Play Nice!

2026 YFM Conference
2026-04-27 - 2026-04-30 | Camp Lutherhaven, 3258 West Lutherhaven Road, Coeur d'Alene, ID, 83814, United States
The 2026 Youth and Family Ministry Conference
Sponsored by the NOW District
April 27-30, 2026Camp Lutherhaven | Coeur d’Alene, ID

Click Here to Register for the 2026 YFM Conference!

The YFM Conference provides relevant leadership training, renewal in a retreat environment, and opportunities to strengthen old and create new friendships. The conference brings together both commissioned and non-commissioned ministers in youth and family ministry in order to share best practices and strengthen the network between leaders across the NOW District and the entire West Coast.
Conference Information
Back this year – a 4 Day/3 night event!
We are keeping our expanded conference schedule so that participants will travel to the event on Monday, April 27, with programming beginning that evening. This will allow for full days of conference activities on Tuesday and Wednesday, along with a half-day of programming on Thursday.
Click here to download a draft schedule for this year’s conference.
Online Registration Notes:
EVERYONE should register as a guest, even if prompted that “they’re recognized” and given the option to “log-in”.
We are not able to accept in-person payments at the conference. If you prefer to pay by check rather than online, please select “Pay In-Person” on the final page of the registration portal and mail your payment.
Event Pricing
Registration Fee Covers: Housing in a shared room, meals (breakfast Tuesday through breakfast Thursday), and program materials.
Regular Registration Rate: $350Early Bird Discount Available through January 31: $25Cost for Additional Workers from Same Ministry/Students/Spouses: $325Additional cost for single room request: $125*
*As our conference grows, our venue is less able to guarantee single-room occupancy possibilities for all who request them. The additional fee this year covers the additional $50/night cost of additional rooms at camp to accommodate those requests, with a $25 discount already applied.
Explore the “Formed” Theme

It is an honor as the keynote speaker for the 2026 NOW District YFM Conference to provide an overview of the conference, which will explore the challenges of faith formation in our cultural context. The opening keynote address, “Cultivating a Winsome Witness to the World,” will lay out the changing religious demographics in the United States and ways in which the Good News of Jesus can address the maladies of our age. During the conference we’ll also engage in some interactive Scripture study methods with a twofold purpose: to strengthen participants’ identity as those called by God to serve Christ and the people of God in a particular place and time; and to provide resources that can be adapted for a variety of settings involving youth, children, and families. A second keynote address, “How Ritual Forms Communities and Individuals,” will unpack the power of ritual to shape our desires and habits in conformity with Christ.
Deaconess Rhoda Schuler, ThD
Professor Emerita, Concordia University, St. Paul
Co-author, Journey to Jesus: Faith Formation into Christ and Community

For more information on Dr. Schuler and Dr. Burreson’s work, please visit forminglutherans.org.
Their book, Journey to Jesus, is also now available for purchase.

Puget Sound Pastors' Conference
2026-05-05 - 2026-05-07 | Concordia Lutheran Church – Oak Harbor, WA, 590 N Oak Harbor St, Oak Harbor, WA, 98277, United States
The Puget Sound Pastors Conference will take place May 5-7 at Concordia Lutheran Church in Oak Harbor, Washington. Stay tuned for more details and registration.

"Hear and Share the Next Yes!" -- YLI Monthly 2nd Thursday All-District Check-In
2026-05-14 16:30 - 17:30, 2026-09-10 16:30 - 17:30, 2026-10-08 16:30 - 17:30, 2026-11-12 16:30 - 17:30, 2026-12-10 16:30 - 17:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online Event
“Hear and Share the Next Yes!” (YLI Monthly 2nd Thursday All-District Check-In)
The “Hear and Share the Next Yes!” online check-in launches this summer and will take place on the second Thursday of each month at 4:30 p.m. (Pacific). Join the Zoom meeting at this link!
Ever need a little encouragement? Want to hear cool stories from leaders “on the ground” across the NOW District about how we’re raising up the next generation of servant leaders? Bring a glass and beverage to this meeting to toast the stories shared and encourage our goal to equip Every Youth in Every Ministry with Gospel Responsibility!
Questions? Contact Dust Kunkel.

Spring Oregon Pastors Conference
2026-05-20 - 2026-05-22
What: Spring Oregon Pastors Conference
Where: Location TBD
When: May 20-22
Details and registration info will be emailed by the end of April.
If you did not receive emails for the last conference, please contact Joe Hughes to make sure you’re on the list.

35th Biennial Convention Oregon District Lutheran Women's Missionary League
2026-06-26 08:30 - 2026-06-28 20:00 | St. Paul Lutheran Church and School – Roseburg, OR, 750 W Keady Ct., Roseburg, Oregon, 97471
The 35th Biennial Convention of the Oregon District Lutheran Women’s Missionary League will be held June 26-28, at St. Paul Lutheran Church and School in Roseburg, Oregon.
Theme: Ignite
Convention Verse: 2 Timothy 1:6-7
“For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
Convention Goal: As God’s baptized children, we will fan the flame of the gift of God.
Convention Objectives:

Recognize the Spirit of power and love and self-control given us in the Holy Spirit.
To speak without shame the truth and hope of our risen Savior, available to all humankind.
To work by God’s calling, not by our own efforts, but by His power through the Holy Spirit to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

2026 LCMS National Convention
2026-07-18 - 2026-07-23 | Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N 3rd St., Phoenix, AZ, 85004, United States
The 69th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is being held July 18–23, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona.

The convention theme will be “Christ Is Risen Indeed,” based on 1 Corinthians 15:20–22: “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”

The convention will take place at the Phoenix Convention Center in downtown Phoenix.

Convention-related dates to make note of are:
•Floor committee weekend: May 29–June 1, St. Louis.
•Pre-convention floor committee meetings: July 17, afternoon.
•Floor committee open hearings: July 18, 8 a.m.–12 p.m.
•Delegate orientation: July 18, 1:30 p.m.
•Opening worship: July 18, 7 p.m.
•Convention proceedings: July 19–23.
•Convention close: July 23, 12 p.m.
•Installation of new officers: Sept. 18, St. Louis.

More information about the 2026 convention will be shared here as it becomes available.

2026 Circuit Visitor Retreat
2026-08-25 13:00 - 2026-08-26 15:00 | Embassy Suites by Hilton Portland Airport, 7900 NE 82nd Ave., Portland, 97220, United States
The Circuit Visitor retreat is an annual gathering hosted by the NOW District President. The purpose is to learn, collaborate, and train. Watch for an invitation and more information in your email.

2026 MAP-West Coast Orientation
2026-10-26 13:00 - 2026-10-28 13:00 | CNH District Office, 2772 Constitution Dr Ste A, Livermore, CA, 94551, United States
The 2026 MAP-West Coast orientation will be held Oct. 26-28 at the CNH District Office in Livermore, California.
MAP-West Coast is an invitation-only opportunity for new pastors and others on the pastoral ministry journey. It is a training process provided in partnership with three districts: California-Nevada-Hawaii (CNH), Pacific Southwest (PSD), and the Northwest District (NOW).
MAP provides mentoring, discussion of best practices, coaching, and key learning on missional ministry in the congregation and community. The annual orientation is an opportunity for all participants to meet face-to-face with the West Coast district presidents. Info is sent from the President’s Office to the pastors who have been invited. More info can be found here.

Northwest District Board Meeting
2026-11-13 - 2026-11-14
The Northwest District is led by the District President and his staff. The Northwest District Board of Directors works in partnership with the District President in setting the vision and evaluating how the ministry is proceeding. The Board of Directors consists of the District Secretary, the six District Vice-Presidents, a commissioned minister, and eight lay representatives.
In Portland, Oregon.
