Tag Archive for: missionsupdate042018; home missions

New Home Mission Projects Approved

/in ,

On April 13, the Board for Home Missions approved support for seven new mission congregations as well as support to enhance mission-minded ministry at seven other congregations.

The ministries receiving financial support for a new mission include:

  • Reno, Nev. – Two area congregations are partnering to start this congregation in the Northern Valleys area of greater Reno. On March 25, the first worship service was held; 63 people attended
  • Phoenix, Ariz. – Crosswalk, Phoenix, is opening a second site to reach out into downtown Phoenix.
  • Joplin, Mo. – A strong core of WELS and Evangelical Lutheran Synod members from the two nearest churches are helping support this mission.

    Core Group from Joplin, MO

  • Brandon, S.D. – Near Sioux Falls, this new congregation includes core members from two WELS churches and an Evangelical Lutheran Synod congregation.
  • Milwaukee, Wis. – Grace in downtown Milwaukee, one of WELS’ original congregations, is establishing a new location in the area known as the Third Ward.

Two new multi-site starts were approved to receive unsubsidized mission status. Home Missions will provide assistance through its district mission boards, mission counselors, and synodical support staff, but the original congregations will provide 100 percent of the funding needed. These include:

  • Hobart, Wis. – Mount Olive, Suamico, Wis., is starting a second site in Hobart. The congregation is calling a second pastor to begin this new ministry.
  • Horicon, Wis. – Members of St. John’s, Juneau, Wis., see an opportunity to reach out in nearby Horicon, where 90 members of St. John’s live. Saturday worship services are scheduled to begin in Horicon in June.

Wisconsin Lutheran School – operated by First Lutheran and Epiphany in Racine – prepares for worship services.

Home Missions is also financially supporting mission-minded enhancements to these existing congregations:

  • Crown of Life, Corona, Calif. – This multi-site mission currently has four different locations for worship. Home Mission funding will support a third pastor.
  • Faith, Anchorage, Alaska – A second bilingual pastor will allow Faith to enhance their Hispanic ministry.
  • Grace, Seattle, Wash. – Two congregations will be combining to restart their ministry in the heart of Seattle. Funding will allow a full-time pastor to again serve at Grace.
  • Ascension, Harrisburg, Penn. – Remaining members of Ascension are ready to restart their congregation. They have demonstrated they are willing to take on ministry responsibilities and support outreach efforts that will be guided by their next pastor.
  • Shepherd of the Hills, Knoxville, Tenn. – A group of members are ready to restart their congregation after a longer-term pastoral vacancy. With the congregation back on its feet, they hope to begin a preschool ministry in order to jump start their outreach efforts.

    Trinity in Waukesha, WI holds Bible Information Class with Hispanic community members

  • Trinity, Waukesha, Wis. – Trinity hopes to reach out to a large population of Hispanics in their community by bringing in a bilingual pastor to lead the ministry.
  • Epiphany and First, Racine, Wis. – These two Racine congregations currently operate a joint Lutheran Elementary school. Home Mission funding will allow the school to call a staff minister or teacher to coordinate outreach efforts to prospective church families.

Please pray for these new mission starts and enhancements as they reach out to their communities with the live-saving message of the Gospel!

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Church Extension Fund – A Tremendous Blessing to Home Missions

/in ,

“I don’t think we realize what a tremendous blessing WELS has in the Church Extension Fund (CEF). In talking with a church planting pastor from another denomination about how CEF would help us financially get on our feet, he looked at me for a bit and said, ‘I don’t believe you. I’ve never heard of something that good.’ That told me all I needed to know about what a blessing CEF has been for our mission churches.”

Rev. John Borgwardt, pastor at Living Word Lutheran Church in Waukesha, Wis.

CEF is a valuable partner of Home Missions. CEF provides loans to home mission congregations who are looking to purchase land, build worship facilities, or remodel their current locations. Besides offering loans at affordable rates, they also have a matching grant program that provides additional financial assistance to home mission starts. Since 1993, CEF has provided over $35.3 million in matching dollars to help offset initial costs of home mission mortgages.

On top of the matching grant program, CEF also provides special grants to Home Missions to support additional ministry. This past fiscal year, CEF approved $837,000 in special grants to home missions. Here are a few examples of congregations who are partnering/have partnered with CEF to expand their ministry:

Future site of Living Word Lutheran Church in Waukesha, Wis.

Living Word Lutheran Church – Waukesha, Wis.

Living Word was recently approved for a facility loan and grant from CEF. Church members had also utilized CEF to purchase land across from Waukesha West High School. Through a building loan from CEF, Living Word hopes to create an environment for teenagers and people of all ages to connect with their Savior. Borgwardt says, “CEF has proven a vital partner in our efforts to build our ministry center. Without them we could not be formalizing our work with high school students, Christian Family Solutions, and the greater Waukesha community.” Learn more about this unique ministry by watching this video.

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church – Las Vegas, Nev.

Shepherd of the Hills broke ground on their new worship facility and ministry center in August 2017 after receiving a loan and grant from CEF. A building dedication service has been scheduled for August 19, 2018. To see building progress on their worship facility, check out this aerial video footage of the construction site.

Redemption Lutheran Church – Watertown, N.Y.

Construction on the exterior of Redemption’s new worship facility

Redemption went from worshiping in a Ramada Inn conference room to a completely remodeled ministry center thanks to a loan and matching land and facility grants from CEF. With the Lord’s blessing, Redemption held their Grand Opening Worship Service on September 15, 2017, after construction was complete.

Rev. Keith Free, Home Missions administrator, says, “CEF is a critical partner in our efforts to share the gospel with those who do not know Jesus as their Savior. Their financial backing and expertise allows our home mission congregations to focus on the one thing needful – sharing the message of God’s grace.”

Your investment with WELS Church Extension Fund helps provide financing so home missions and other mission-minded, self-supporting congregations can purchase land and either build or renovate a worship facility. To learn more about investment opportunities, visit wels.net/cef.

CEF Statistics:
  • $25 million in new loans approved and $1.95 million in matching grants provided to home missions in 2017-2018
  • Three land site purchases, one existing facility purchase, and four construction loans were approved by CEF for home mission congregations in 2017-2018
  • Eight home mission congregations dedicated worship facilities in 2017; four home missions have already planned worship facility dedications for 2018
  • 73 percent (152 loans) of CEF’s loan portfolio is for current or previous home mission congregations

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Is Now the Right Time?

/in ,

“Is now the right time? Should we wait? Should we move forward?”

Those were questions circling the minds of God’s people at Risen Savior Lutheran Church in Lakewood Ranch, Fla. – a small mission congregation an hour south of Tampa. In the fall of 2016, as we talked about our building project, we wrestled with the question, “Is now the right time to finish building God’s house?”

For God’s people in the book of Haggai, they said, “The time has not yet come for the LORD’s house to be built” (Haggai 1:2). But God rebuked them for their backwards priorities, and eventually he gave his people the promise, “I am with you, declares the LORD” (Haggai 1:13). For God’s people in Haggai, now was the time to build God’s house. The LORD was with them!

For God’s people at Risen Savior – as we listened to God’s Word, as we prayerfully contemplated our options, as we discussed it with our District Mission Board – we came to the same conclusion that now is the time! The Lord is with us! We didn’t know exactly what the future would hold, but we knew whatever would come, God would be right there with us.

Grand Opening Festival at Risen Savior

And he certainly was. A Building Committee was formed. An architect, contractor, and engineer were hired. Plans were put into motion, and we could see that the LORD was with us. With the project progressing, the members at Risen Savior next talked about how we could best use this project to God’s glory and to serve our community. It was decided that since we were so excited for the completion of our building, we’d throw a Grand Opening Party for our community.

The Grand Opening weekend was set for March 24-25, 2018. There was a write up in the local paper. 10,000 direct mail invites were sent to our community. Another 5,000 were put in children’s backpacks at local schools. Members and friends of Risen Savior helped pass out thousands more. Social media advertising, local mom’s groups advertisements, online calendar additions… Christians at Risen Savior were working hard to spread the good news of the grand opening of our sanctuary!

But we knew this weekend was about so much more than just the grand opening of a sanctuary at Risen Savior. This weekend was about THE Risen Savior. This weekend was about sharing the gospel of Jesus with as many people as God brought to us – and God certainly gave us ample opportunities. At our Grand Opening Festival on March 24, there were over 300 people who attended. From that 300, we were able to identify 30 families who had no church home, but who were open to receiving more information about Risen Savior. Then, at our Grand Opening Worship Service, God blessed us with a record attendance of 125, including many first time guests and repeat prospects. We are now working together to follow up with these families so that we can continue to share the joy of Jesus with them.

As we look back at these past 18 months, there were some bumps in the road and there were some mistakes that we made. But one thing is certain: the Lord was with us, and we are confident that he will continue to be with us as we work faithfully to share Jesus with the Lakewood Ranch community.

From Rev. Caleb Free, Risen Savior Lutheran Church – Lakewood Ranch, FL

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email