Director of Music Ministry
Darla (nee:Schmidt) Lucero grew up in a great Christian home in Bethalto, IL, near St. Louis, MO.She attended one year at Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL, then transferred to Concordia College, River Forest (Chicago) to study theology and church music. While finishing her degree, she worked as the assistant to the Director of the Deaconess Program, traveling and speaking to prospective students, and educating churches as to the role and benefit of having a deaconess. St. John Lutheran Church, Lombard, IL, was her first call, serving from 1985-1990. She then served at the offices of Dave and Barb Anderson's Fellowship Ministry in AZ, did secular work in NJ where connections were made with The Apple of His Eye Synodical outreach; in this her love of Messianic Judaism was brought together with her Lutheran heritage. She was called back to Chicago in 1992 to develop the Apple of His Eye outreach efforts there and then called to St. Louis in 1996 to work in developing their international office with founder, Steve Cohen. Darla was "instrumental" in the start up of Congregation Chai v'Shalom, the LCMS' St. Louis Messianic Congregation.
In 1998 she returned to Chicago to begin her most important role, that of wife to Joseph Lucero. They have been at Living Christ Lutheran since then serving in varied capacities. Currently, Darla leads the music ministries at Living Christ, and Joe leads the guitar group which meets once a month. They are developing new musicians to take their place in the future: Abigail, Rachel, and Sophia.