This August, the Lutheran Diaconal Association launches a completely reimagined education and formation program — one that’s been years in the making, built on deep listening, and designed for the people God is calling, today.
The LDA’s Annual Phonathon, April 23–25, is how we fund it.
The LDA’s Annual Phonathon has a goal of $350,000. This goal isn’t just a number — it’s what makes vocational belonging possible:
- Scholarships and financial assistance for students who feel called but need support
- Faculty and mentor accompaniment throughout the three-year formation journey
- Integrative Experiences across five diverse ministry contexts
- Annual formation retreats, seminars, and community gatherings
- Curriculum development for the new program launching in August 2026
- Administrative support that keeps the LDA running faithfully and efficiently
When you give to the LDA Phonathon, you’re not just funding a program. You’re saying yes to the person who feels called but doesn’t know if there’s a place for them. You’re building the community that says: you belong here.
Diakonia belongs to the whole people of God.
That’s the conviction at the heart of the LDA’s work. Whether someone is called to consecrated, rostered diaconal ministry or to a lifetime of service as a lay leader, caregiver, or community advocate — they need formation, community, and accompaniment to live into that calling faithfully.
The LDA is that community. A living expression of Jesus’ love, forming people not just for a season — but for a lifetime.
For decades, the LDA has walked alongside people called to diaconal ministry — forming leaders who serve in congregations, hospitals, schools, and communities across the church and the world. That work continues. This August, it takes a bold new step forward.
“It integrates all the areas of formation in a more intentional way. Everything is integrated — so that spirituality is infused with and informs theology, for example. Areas of formation are not in isolation from each other. We’re also incorporating more leadership skills building and practical experiences that translate into real-life application.”
— Deaconess Deb Lennox, Director of Student Experience
The redesign came directly out of the LDA’s Strategic Pause — a year of intentional listening. LDA staff reached out to current students, recently consecrated members, church leaders, and ministry partners, asking a simple question: what skills and experiences do leaders need to serve God’s people today?
The answer shaped everything about the new program.
Four Core Areas. One Integrated Journey.
The new program is built around four core areas of formation, each interconnected and mutually reinforcing:
- Formative Spirituality: Grounded in prayer and spirituality, students develop the inner life that sustains a lifetime of diaconal service.
- Life in Community: Formation doesn’t happen in isolation. Students grow through relationship — with mentors, peers, and the wider LDA communities.
- Ministry Leadership & Service: Practical experiences across five diverse contexts prepare students for the real, complex work of serving God’s people today — including adaptive leadership, conflict and reconciliation, and cross-cultural engagement.
- Public Theology: Students learn to bring faith alive in the world — engaging complex contemporary contexts with wisdom, integrity, and courage.
“A Capstone Project will be the indicator for readiness, completion or consecration,” notes Deb. “It’s integrated with and builds on students’ learnings, strengths, and gifts — and speaks to and benefits their current ministry context.”
Formation is an investment.
Formation is an investment in people, in the church, and in the communities they will serve for a lifetime.
The LDA is committed to making formation accessible. Scholarships and grants — funded by generous donors like you — bridge the gap between what a student can pay and what formation actually costs. Every dollar raised at Phonathon goes directly toward sustaining these scholarships, grants and the program itself.
