An end and a beginning for these home missions
Five home mission congregations are enjoying new or renovated worship spaces.
- Beautiful Savior, Fayetteville, N.C.: On Aug. 29, Beautiful Savior dedicated its new worship space, which was built with the help of Builders For Christ. This congregation serves a large military population.
- Illumine, Rock Hills, S.C.: On Oct. 3, members of Illumine began worshiping in their “old” worship space and then caravanned to their new building to finish a special “Moving Day Worship Service.”
- Risen Savior, Mansfield, Ohio: After 15 months of renovation work, Risen Savior dedicated its new space on Oct. 10. In June, the congregation hosted a Praise and Proclaim outreach seminar, which led to 15 people knocking on 300 doors and making more than 50 gospel presentations. Since then, Risen Savior’s members have continued to reach out to their neighbors by canvassing local neighbors one Saturday each month.
- Amazing Grace, South Beloit, Ill.: Amazing Grace held a dedication service for its new building on Oct. 31. This congregation has a pumpkin patch on its church property and each year it offers community members the opportunity to pick a free pumpkin in exchange for donations for a local food pantry.
- Shepherd of the Lakes, Linden, Mich.: On Oct. 31, Shepherd of the Lakes dedicated its new church. Members began worshiping in the new space in December 2020 but held off on a dedication service due to the pandemic and a pastoral vacancy. New seminary graduate Caleb Schaewe was assigned to serve Shepherd of the Lakes in May and was installed there in July.
“For those involved in building a church, a church dedication marks the end of a long process,” says Keith Free, administrator of WELS Home Missions. “And yet, it really is just another beginning for the mission church to continue its efforts to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. From its inception the members of the mission strive to be gospel proclaimers with a temporary worship location as their base. Now, blessed with a permanent facility, the people of God renew their efforts to go with the gospel into their community.”
WELS Church Extension Fund, Inc., helped these congregations along the way by providing financing through loans and grants for their ministry facilities. In fiscal year 2020–21, WELS Church Extension Fund approved $15.4 million in new loans and $1.98 million in new grants to congregations. In addition, it provided grants of $1.06 million and $.6 million to the Board for Home Missions. Visit wels.net/cef to learn more about WELS Church Extension Fund.
