Welcome to MatthewStarner.com! Hopefully, you’ll find it encouraging, thought-provoking, and maybe a little challenging. Worship Ministry has been my life for as long as I can remember, and while many of those years were filled with great ministry experiences as both a staff member and a church-goer, I also experienced a lot of times when things could have definitely been better! As a result, I have a desire to help churches and ministry leaders be faithful and creative when it comes to reaching a lost and hurting world with the love and grace of Jesus Christ, regardless of the style that accompanies that message.
This blog isn’t just for church leaders and ministry directors though – I hope everyone can engage in dialog and explore what it means to be the church and worship in a way that honors Jesus in the 21st century.
I serve as Director of Worship and Communications at St. Matthew Lutheran in Grand Rapids, Michigan where I’ve served since April of 2019. I’m an ordained pastor in the LCMS and before coming to St. Matthew, I served at Journey Community Church in Grand Rapids for 12 years and Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Joseph, Michigan for 7 years.
Want to talk further about something from my blog? Whether you’re on staff at a church, on a leadership board, or just in the pew, I’m always excited to talk to others out in the field to learn from each other. Contact me at mstarner@stmatthewgr.com or find me on Facebook or Twitter.