Home mission congregations embark on building projects

Four home mission congregations have embarked on and/or completed building projects in the past year. Here are a few updates:

Eternal Rock Lutheran Church – Castle Rock, Colo.

 

Ascension Lutheran Church in Jacksonville, NC, is planning a dedication service for their new worship and ministry center in July 2019. Ascension serves a large military community, with Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River nearby. In March 2019, Ascension held a “Sharpie Party” (pictured) where members were invited to write prayers and passages on the 2×4’s before sheet rock went in. They are receiving assistance from WELS Church Extension Fund (CEF), who provided their land and building loans as well as matching land and facility grants totaling $308,730. Damage from Hurricane Florence forced Ascension to originally adjust their construction plans, but the home mission congregation is excited to begin worship in their new facility.

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Divine Savior Lutheran Church – Liberty Hill, Tex.

On May 18, 2019, Divine Savior Lutheran Church in Liberty Hill, Tex., broke ground on their new worship facility and school. Divine Savior Ministries currently operates a multi-site ministry with five church locations, three in Florida and two in Texas. Divine Savior in Liberty Hill has partnered with the master developer of Santa Rita Ranch, a new housing development in the community, to secure land. This developer has been a valuable partner in bringing a Christian school to Santa Rita, surprising everyone by donating the land for the school and partnering with Divine Savior through their marketing support. They pray to open their doors for worship and their future school in August 2020.

Home mission congregation Grace Lutheran Church of the greater Tucson, Ariz., area is a multi-site ministry, meaning they have one church in four separate locations. In 2014, Grace merged with Peace Lutheran Church in the city of Sahuarita. They are now planning to build a new sanctuary and child learning center with assistance from WELS Church Extension Fund, who is providing a loan and matching land and facility grants totaling approximately $550,000. On June 9, 2019, Grace broke ground on their fourth and newest facility.

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WELS Church Extension Fund (CEF) helps provide financing so home mission congregations and established congregations with mission-focused initiatives can purchase land and either build or renovate a worship facility. CEF funds its loan program through individual WELS members’ and congregations’ investments in CEF financial products. CEF’s grant program is funded primarily through operating earnings of the CEF portfolio of loans and investments. To learn more about how you can support Home Missions by investing through CEF, visit wels.net/cef.

Please keep these and all of our home mission congregations in your prayers as they continue to share the pure message of the gospel with more people in their communities. To stay connected with these and the other 126 home mission congregations scattered throughout the United States, Canada, and English-speaking West Indies, follow WELS Missions on Facebook at fb.com/WELSMissions.