Concordia Nebraska Center for Liturgical Art provides chancel ware for 2025 LCMS Youth Gathering

Concordia University, Nebraska’s Center for Liturgical Art has had the opportunity to provide chancel furnishings and communion ware for past LCMS Youth Gatherings and was asked to do so again for this year’s event, which will take place July 19-23 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Communion ware pieces for the youth-focused event were designed by Concordia Nebraska Associate Professor of Art Justin Groth ‘11. 

“This particular project allowed us to work with our artist guild, of which Justin is a member,” explained Center for Liturgical Art Director Michael Scheer ‘14. “We hope to do many more projects within this framework in the future, both for large events like the Youth Gatherings and for churches of all sizes. The guild allows us to provide a greater variety of work and serve as a resource for many more congregations and organizations. Each artist in the guild is chosen for their expertise in specific fields of art, including ceramics, stained glass, metalwork, fabric and more.” 

Throughout the design process, Groth sought feedback and support from Scheer as well as Concordia Nebraska students Hannah Helmer '25, Keegan Biesel and Timothy Baker. 

“The pieces are made of clay and fired in kilns,” explained Groth. “They were slip cast from molds I created based on original forms I sculpted. It’s a fairly involved process, but the short version is: I made an object, then created molds of that object so I could produce multiples. I began by throwing general shapes on the wheel, then made rubber molds of those forms. Into those rubber molds, I cast plaster, which allowed me to sculpt and refine the forms further. From these plaster models, I made production molds—with several intermediate steps—followed by additional molds that enabled me to cast multiple pieces simultaneously. At Concordia, we’re fortunate to have a slip casting table that made this process feasible. We’re able to mix and pour more than 50 gallons of slip at a time, which allowed me to cast up to 16 pieces at once.” 

"I believe it’s vital for Concordia to be engaged in the making of art for the Church. Artists should be part of a culture of creation—not creating as God creates, but creating in the likeness of the Creator."

After pieces are cast, they still require some hand work. Students helped Groth by cleaning the extra clay, softening the edges and glazing the pieces. 

“I would say at this point, we have put over 300 hours into the project,” said Groth. “It is hard to say exactly how much, but it does require and has required a lot of time. Each piece may be a copy of the original, but each piece is handled individually and cared for individually, and so while they are casts, these are not casts like on the scale of Walmart mugs. These objects are still individual objects. I think this would be seen when you put one next to another.” 

Scheer said that following the youth gathering, the pieces will be sold by The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod to interested congregations. 

Although the project has been incredibly time consuming, Groth said it has also been a joy. 

"I believe it’s vital for Concordia to be engaged in the making of art for the Church. Artists should be part of a culture of creation—not creating as God creates, but creating in the likeness of the Creator,” said Groth. “We recognize at Concordia that people are special creations in creation, and although we are fallen, we are still gifted exceptional abilities in this world that find their ultimate purpose when they serve the Lord and bring glory to him. As an artist, I am gifted abilities by God for creation, and He provides opportunities for me to develop those abilities and skills like school, graduate school and personal projects, but that is not the end of my gifts. So, whereas I love exploring ideas that I am drawn to for personal reasons, I am just as excited and grateful when I can use his gifts towards a large project like this. This project is very much in line with Concordia's mission. We are preparing people to serve in Church and world.” 

Held every three years since 1980, the LCMS Youth Gathering provides thousands of youth and adults the opportunity to come together as a community of God’s people to be encouraged in their walk with Jesus Christ and learn about the Christian faith and their Lutheran identity. This year’s event, themed “Endure,” will take place July 19-23, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Gathering provides young people a vision for the vastness of Christ’s Church and equips them for vocational service as they continue their walk with Jesus. This event is organized by LCMS Youth Ministry .  

The Center for Liturgical Art is an institute of Concordia University, Nebraska and is committed to championing the visual arts in Christian Life and worship, seeking to connect artists with the needs of the Church for the ongoing teaching and building up of the Body of Christ.