2013–2015 Mission Grant: Disaster Reponse Center in Dominican Republic — LCMS Disaster Response, $100,000 paid in full

Seminarians walk to class greeted by Junior (see page 28 of Winter 2017 LWQ) at Concordia Reformer Mercy Center and Lutheran Seminary. Photo courtesy of LCMS Communications/Erik M. Lunsford

Mercy in the Midst of the Storm

Hurricane Irma put the recently completed Disaster Response Center in the Dominican Republic, to its first test. Funded by a $100,000 grant from the ladies of the LWML, the solid, reinforced concrete edifice is centrally located in a fertile valley, protected on all sides by mountains. Deadly hurricanes and earthquakes target the Caribbean on a regular basis, making this an ideal location for the multipurpose facility. The Regional Office for LCMS Latin American Missions, located just six miles away, serves not only as the nerve center of mission work in Latin America, but also as the command center for disaster relief.

Thanks be to God that Hurricane Irma was much less destructive than anyone imagined. However, preparation for this storm provided the perfect opportunity for a trial run, an opportunity to formulate a plan and execute it, while under the real life duress of an impending category five hurricane — the most powerful ever to come out of the Atlantic. 

Hand-in-hand the Body of Christ in the Dominican Republic worked. People from different countries, languages, abilities, ages, and skin colors came together with joy to accomplish the task at hand. Indeed, the intensity and camaraderie was something most people never see in a lifetime.

Supplies were hauled in by the van load. Water, rice, canned meat, sugar, oatmeal, dry beans, hygiene supplies, and other items were packaged and prepared for mass distribution following the hurricane. Hours passed in the ninety-plus degree heat. Electric fans would have been a welcomed luxury, but cooling came only from sweat soaked shirts and gulped bottles of water.

Near the end of the day, as energy was waning and hands were faltering, the singing began. Throughout the building, the sounds of happy voices singing praises to our God rang out loudly and clearly. The joyful sounds could be heard until the last of the supplies were packed safely away or loaded and hauled to other mission sites nearby. As the hurricane approached the island, the Disaster Response Center was made available for anyone in the community who needed assistance or shelter from the storm.

This, the first of many coming disaster preparations, would not have been possible were it not for this structure, large enough for massive preparation, while also solid and secure enough to be a shelter in the storm. We thank God for the dear ladies of the LWML for providing such a facility, so that God’s goodness and mercy could be shared with those in Latin America. Indeed, so we might also teach others what we do as the Body of Christ: we show love to our neighbor.

Concordia the Reformer Mercy Center and Seminary also serves as a center for training deaconesses for human care and mercy ministry. More than 100 women across Latin America are enrolled in deaconess classes, many of whom receive training here. In addition, on September 11th, the first class of seminarians attended the opening chapel service in this facility. We pray these students will become faithful shepherds.

Dedication of Concordia the Reformer Mercy Center and Seminary was held on October 1, 2017. No doubt, future generations of faithful pastors and deaconesses, and the people they serve, will look back and say, “Thank God for the forward-looking, generous, and godly women of the LWML.” Indeed, each little mite, lovingly collected, and each prayer spoken in faith, was blessed by Our Father, who does all things well. 

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This story was originally featured in the Winter 2017 Lutheran Woman's Quarterly. Order your subscription here.

For more information about this mission grant, view the individual mission grant page here.

2017–2019 Mission Grant: Current Missionary Need — LCMS International Mission; $100,000 fully paid

People are lining up in droves to learn about Jesus, they are devoted and faithful. Their numbers are climbing daily. Who will we send to teach them?

NATIONAL LWML TREASURER, THE HONORABLE MARILYN SCHROEDER COMES TO MISSION CENTRAL TO PRESENT AN AMAZING MIRACLE:

Yes, Miracles keep on happening at the Lord's Mission Central! That's what happened on the afternoon of December 5th, 2017!!

We were blessed to have the Honorable Missionary Marilyn Schroeder come to Mission Central with the VERY FIRST National LWML Grant that was given in conjunction with the National LWML Convention in 2017!  In her hand was the very first check given this year for the grants awarded, and she presented this amazing MIRACLE to Old Missionary Gary Thies and Rev. Brent Smith, Co-workers at Mission Central in the amount of $100,000.00!!!  Every penny of this gift will be given to help support ten (10) of our LCMS missionaries! 

Here you see Treasurer Schroeder with our Boss here at Mission Central and also as she is presenting the check and also the agreements that will be used in the support of these missionaries for the Lord Jesus! 

Those 10 missionaries will each receive $10,000.00 and those missionaries are:

• Alexandria Rappe — going to Thailand
• Shara Osiro — serving in Kenya
• Alyssa Anders — serving in St. Petersburg, Russia
• Krista Young — serving in Kenya
• Rev. Gary and Stephanie Schulte — Serving in Togo
• Rev. Shauen Trump & Family — Serving in Kenya
• Rev. Charles Ferry & Family — Serving as Asia Area Director
• Rev. Carl Hanson & Family — Serving in Hong Kong, who spoke at the National LWML convention with his dear wife, and they brought the house down!
• Rev. Mark Rabe & Family — Serving in Ethiopia
• Rev. Eddie Hosch & Family — Serving in Peru

What a blessing this will be for these dear missionaries, as this is truly the greatest Christmas Gift that could have been delivered.

— Mission Central

For more information about this mission grant, view the individual mission grant page here.

2015–2017 Mission Grant: Providing Hope for Detroit — Acts 2 Enterprise, $100,000 fully paid

Acts 2 Enterprise of the Michigan District has continued its strategy of holistic outreach through 6 components: Kingdom activity, leadership development, facilitating resources, engaging communities, implementing transformative systems and collaborating and partnering with community stakeholders.

A2E expanded its outreach activity to include back to school supplies through Lutheran churches in Detroit and Pontiac by providing 250 back packs to community residents in Fall 2016. The work of leadership development for local and regional leaders was facilitated through the Fall 2016 Urban Institute. The theme was Transformed to Transform which provided training on principles and strategies for personal and corporate transformation to effectively engage the community.

A2E celebrated its 4^th soft skill training graduation in Spring 2016 and will begin its next class September 2017. The purpose of this eight week session is to provide a Christ Centered curriculum which provides a vocational inventory, conflict resolution skills, resume writing, job search skills and interview skills to adults 18 years and over in the community.

A2E has extended its summer sports camp outreach to engage youth in the community to a 4^th site located in Benton Harbor, in conjunction with Trinity Saint Joseph, where there is no Lutheran presence. The objective of the sports camp is to position churches to engage the unchurched youth through a weeklong free sports camp. The camp incorporates sports such as flag football, lacrosse, golf, cheerleading, soccer, and marital arts. The camp has a theme and a bible verse which the participants are shared to memorize. There is a time for “coaches” to sit down with participants and have a devotional time. The goal is to extend the presence of the body of Christ and to build relationships with both the participants and their parents. It is from these endeavors that our desire is to discover more insight into the lives of the residents.

One of the most exciting new endeavors which has begun with three churches in Detroit is the development of a student ministry for the congregations. Congregational leaders who are passionate about establishing a faith formation tract for children and youth have been meeting together since March 2017. These congregations will not be able to afford a full time paid youth worker so a process is in place to raise up the leaders in the congregations to facilitate this generational ministry.  The leaders are trained to provide a pedagogical path for students who will live out their faith intentionally and purposely in their home, school and community. September will be the kickoff for this student ministry to begin in the city of Detroit.

For more information about this mission grant, view the individual mission grant page here.

2015–2017 Mission Grant: Deaconess Training — LCMS support for International Partner Churches, $90,000 fully paid

The purpose of this grant was to provide training support for Deaconess students in both Office of National Mission field ($40,000) as well as Office of International Mission field ($50,000).

The Deaconess “as a servant of God” shares the good news with those whom God brings. She teaches children in Sunday School, adult bible study, witness within the community, the poor, the needy and underprivileged.

For domestic purposes, grant funding provided educational and financial support for students at our Lutheran Seminaries and institutions.

• For the Fiscal year 2016-2017, a Deaconess Internship was awarded to Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Cincinnati for a St. Louis student. In this position, a Deaconess will serve the homeless and working poor, build relationships through trust, and provide spiritual care and provide works of mercy.
• Wollaston Lutheran Church in Quincy, MA also will be blessed with a Deaconess Intern (from Ft. Wayne) serving with priorities on Ethnic Chinese Evangelism, Nursery/Preschool Family Outreach and Children & Youth Ministry.
• Each of the 3 new freshmen deaconess students at CUC received a copy of Grace upon Grace authored by John Kleinig.

LCMS international partner churches also benefit from support for Deaconess students. Some of these countries have seminaries and others do not. However, Deaconess education is vital and there is a thirst for learning Lutheran theology.

• The Lutheran Seminary for the Lutheran Church of Philippines will have 3 freshman students who will receive a monthly stipend to cover expenses such as board, tuition, school supplies, and transportation during the academic year 2016-17. The ten advanced course deaconess students will each receive a transportation stipend.
• The Lutheran Seminary of LCP: The next advanced deaconess class is scheduled April 24-May 5, 2017. Rev. Dr. Detlev Schultz teaches on “Mission from the Cross,” to the deaconess and seminarian students. Deaconess Rao teaches on “World Religions,” for deaconess students only. The deaconess students continue to receive stipend for transportation, food, and office supplies.
• In April, the very first Deaconess program was introduced at the Lutheran church of Lithuania {ELCL}. Twenty participants received stipends for this introductory, intensive 4 day class.
• Plans are being developed to continue the class in October 2017 on Lutheran Lutheranism 101 for ELCL deaconess class.
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Liberia – President Amos, Rev. Arthur Zogar, and Rev. Simon Dapaye will teach three courses for the ten Liberian deaconess students. The class is scheduled April 1-13, 2017.
• Sixteen Nigerian Deaconess students received support for board, lodging, school supplies and textbooks last August.
• Plans are being developed to continue the studies. The next course is schedule in August 2017. Students will continue to receive the support.
• Encouraging and supporting Deaconess Eva Rickman, missionary in Hong Kong for women and children ministry. Plans are to initiate deaconess program.

In addition to the student scholarship support, theological textbooks were provided for a particular subject as per the curriculum. CTCR handouts were also provided as supplements for the particular topic/subject. (See the PDF below for specifics.)

Implementing the deaconess training programs enables the women to study, learn, understand in preparation for them to share and teach. It builds the Church’s capacity as women leaders to serve women of the church. They understand God’s Word and the roles that God designed.

— Mary Hamilton, LCMS Grants Manager

Read or print the FULL report with pictures.

For more information about this mission grant, view the individual mission grant page here.

2017–2019 Mission Grant: Mercy House for Women and Children — Franklin Avenue Mission, Flint, Michigan, $100,000 unpaid

Mercy House: Serving the Underserved in Urban Flint

It was one of those weeks when the basic needs of life were intensified. Not that every week isn’t a challenge, but this week the necessity for adequate housing for the homeless — especially women and children — was magnified.

The night before, a fire bomb hit the home of a mother and her three children. They lost everything — their home, clothes, food, furniture — everything! They asked Franklin Avenue Mission if we could help them with these basics we take for granted. Housing for people in crisis situations in Flint, Michigan, is limited. We helped them with food and clothes and placed them in a temporary shelter.

That same evening, a young mother who is trying to get her life straight also sought our assistance for housing. She had been couch cruising and had run out of options of where she and her child within could stay. It was obvious her life required more than a roof over her head. She was about to deliver, and she wasn’t under any medical care. Again we were able to meet her immediate needs. The clinic that operates at our mission was able to attend to the overdue medical care, and she was placed in temporary housing.

That evening, I thought to myself, we were becoming the hands, feet, face, and voice of Jesus to these two families, but we could have done much more had our future Mercy House for Women and Children been operative. The underserved, urban poor of America (and in particular in Flint) are crying out to the church — like the challenge the Lord placed before Isaiah: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Hear am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)

This abandoned house is the site for the future home for women and children.

Franklin Avenue Mission (FAM) is located in Flint, one of the poorest cities of America, where 46 percent of the general population and 66 percent of the children live below the poverty level. On the east side, these percentages increase to 80 percent. Mercy House for Women and Children is being planned in an attempt to break the cycle of poverty and decrease the potential for abuse. This will be accomplished by housing women and children in a safe, caring, loving environment where the best practices of parenting and relationship building can be modeled and taught. We believe this component to our ministry will benefit the participants by providing a different view of family and living. This will ultimately complement our theology of “Right to Life” and protect the unborn, precious in the eyes of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

On June 23, 2017, at the LWML Convention in Albuquerque, a vote was cast, influencing the future of a once-forgotten neighborhood on Flint’s Eastside. The $100,000 grant approved that day will begin the remodel of an existing house in this neighborhood, transforming it into Mercy House for Women and Children, adjacent to Franklin Avenue Mission. The word spread quickly — all the way to Flint — as excited convention goers from Michigan communicated with friends back home, “The Mission Grant has been approved!” The sixteen LCMS churches and 500 volunteers that operate biweekly the Franklin Diner, ROCK Children’s Program, and Clothing Closet were thrilled to hear the news and know the impact this grant will have on the Flint community. God is truly working through these “boots-on-ground” missionaries!

Download or print the story.

This story was originally featured in the Fall 2017 Lutheran Woman's Quarterly. Order your subscription here.

For more information about this mission grant, view the individual mission grant page here.

2015–2017 Mission Grant: Helping Hands Initiative — LCMS National Housing Support Corporation, $100,000 fully paid

In September, 2016, we reported that we were able to successfully complete the Helping Hand Initiative in two communities in the Spring and Summer of 2016 according to our original plan, serving a total of 13 homeowners in the Lansdowne community of East St. Louis, Illinois, and Fremont, Nebraska.

The Mission Grant from the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) helped the LCMS National Housing Support Corporation (Lutheran Housing Support) extend this Helping Hand Initiative from a local pilot program to a National Key Initiative of our organization. Since last fall Lutheran Housing Support (LHS) has not only completed the 2016 iteration of this initiative, we have worked to extend the Helping Hand Initiative into 2017.

We can say confidently that the 2015–2017 LWML Mission Grant not only impacted the ministries of Unity and Trinity Lutheran congregations in East St. Louis (Illinois) and Fremont (Nebraska) and the lives of those homeowners receiving services. The grant also helped LHS establish the Helping Hand Initiative as LHS’ National Key Initiative. Even now we are working on plans for the 2018 Helping Hand Initiative and ways that we can be even more successful at sustaining this initiative into the future.

— Mary Hamilton, LCMS Grants Manager

Read or print the FULL report.

For more information about this mission grant, view the individual mission grant page here.

2015–2017 Mission Grant: Rosa Young Academies — Rosa Young Projects Initiative, $25,000 fully paid

The LWML provided a grant to LCMS Black Ministry in the Office of National Mission for $25,000. The grant was to help lay the groundwork for the Rosa J. Young Academies project.

Rosa J. Young was born in 1890 to ordinary black/African American parents. However, she did not let her race define her. She let her Christian faith define who she was, and so her Lutheran faith is the center of her legacy. Rosa decided to open her own school for black children in the rural south in 1912. Over the next several years she was instrumental in the development of 30 Lutheran elementary schools and 35 Lutheran congregations in Alabama. To Rosa, education was important, but a Christian education was better.

The grant was used to prepare the Rosa J. Young Academies process for the completion of the following stages of opening the first school in August 2018. As of March 2017, the Rosa J. Young Academies Foundation, Inc., has created the Articles of Incorporation and By/Laws for the creation of regional operations of local Rosa J. Young schools. The RJYAF, Inc., is still in the process of working on regional vetting and due diligence processes for future school applications.

“The Rosa J. Young Academies will be a renewed mission effort to reach urban, inner-city and rural families through quality, values and religious education where possible, and using mercy ministry as the people of God, as a catalyst to serve, and ultimately, to be Christ to those in those communities as Rosa did over 100 years ago, and prayerfully, empower a new generation of professional church workers and lay mission leaders for the growth of Christ’s kingdom.”

Read or print the full report.

For more information about this mission grant, view the individual mission grant page here.