2021–2023 LWML Mission Grant #23
Showing God’s Love in the International District, Albuquerque, New Mexico
God Cares About You Mission — $98,000
Watch the video about this mission grant!
About This Mission Grant
Albuquerque’s International District is home to an ethnically diverse and disadvantaged population with a high crime rate. God Cares About You Mission, which is supported by nine area Lutheran churches, is transforming lives both now and for eternity. Their outreach includes a clothing bank, children’s ministry, food bank, back-to work program, Christian fellowship, meals, Bible studies, worship services, street evangelism, and counseling. Currently, the programs are only offered three days a week and they want to expand to six days. With this expansion, they need to add a services director and kitchen manager to better manage the programs offered. Help is sought for their salaries. With the funds from this grant, God Cares About You can expand their ministry and reach more with Christ’s love.
Mission Grant Resources
featured January 2023
Bulletin Flyer (b/w half page insert, 2 per page)
Prayer Guide & Story (combined)
Large Print Resources for Grant #23
This is the God Cares About You food distribution in which people get large boxes of food and everyone picks what they want. People in the neighborhood come, many homeless, families and refugees from other countries. Staff members let everyone know what is available and encourage them to take what they want, even for friends and neighbors in need. It is in a court yard with tables on two side and the another side is fresh product and fresh bread. During the food distribution relationships are built between those who come for food, clothing, staff, volunteers and all involved. Most share their faith with these people who often feel alone and are searching to fill their hearts. Many will tell the volunteers and staff that they turned their lives over to God due to the testimony of others.
God Cares About You feeds approximately 40 people a day two days a week but with the proposed Service Director, God Cares About you could be open six days of the week with increased services.
Approved Resolution at the LWML Convention
WHEREAS, “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me’” (Matthew 25:40); and
WHEREAS, Albuquerque's International District is one of the poorest and most crime-ridden neighborhoods of the city; and
WHEREAS, Lutheran congregations in Albuquerque have come together to sponsor "God Cares About You," changing lives now and for eternity; and
WHEREAS, "God Cares About You" has an active adult and children's ministry, serving the most vulnerable of God's people in the International District; people who often go hungry, do not have clothing or the barest of essentials to stay alive, many due to addictions; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the delegates of the 2021 Lutheran Women’s Missionary League Convention scheduled for Lexington, Kentucky, vote the sum of $98,000 to help fund Showing God's Love in the International District, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
More Mission Grant Photos
This is God Cares About You mission and countless people have found Christ Jesus in their lives for the first time. Others have found their faith that was lost in the past due to hard life circumstances. All of these people come not only in need of food and clothing, but in need of faith in God. Countless people in the International District and the homeless who are transient have attributed the saving of their souls and their life to God Cares About You. There is a home-like atmosphere with the devoted staff, volunteers and those seeking services in this house working together to show God's love.
These devoted staff and volunteers live in the International District and know countless people in this area with the work that they've done. they were enthusiastic about the possibility of extended hours and services, particularly the A.A. and N.A. group, substance use/abuse education groups. They all agreed that drugs are the main problem in their neighborhood.
This is an example of the clothing distribution after the fact. The mission gets hundreds of pieces of clothing in all children's sizes from new-born and up and adult sized. Countless clothing items are distributed to anyone in need and each get multiple things.
