Three home missions launch weekly worship
Three home missions launched weekly worship services in September: Divine Savior—North Collin County, Celina, Texas; Anchor Church, Marquette, Mich.; and Victory, Wichita, Kan.
“A grand opening is important in the life of a mission church because it signals that from here on out you are fully operational for worship,” says Rev. Joseph Lindloff, home missionary at Anchor Church. “It’s like the gun going off at the beginning of a marathon. It signals that we can now get to work reaching one soul at a time as a full-fledged church, bringing people regularly into the house of God and before the means of grace. What a joy that we get to do this work, joining Jesus on his mission!”
Divine Savior—North Collin County, Celina, Texas: Seventy-one people attended the launch service on Sept. 8. Divine Savior’s core group has been meeting for planning and Bible studies since 2021; it was approved as a mission site in 2023. Celina, a northern suburb of Dallas, is the fastest growing city in the United States.
Following the launch service, the real work begins, says Rev. Caleb King, home missionary at Divine Savior—North Collin County. “The reality is we’re a church of about 25 adults and a handful of children. We could sit and ‘play church’ and think that we made it, or we can recognize that the launch was a great milestone but not the mountain peak. The next step, then, is to continue to engage people one by one with the gospel so that they can know the Savior who changes their life; to care for individual souls in ways that the rest of the world doesn’t.”
Anchor Church, Marquette, Mich.: On Sept. 15, 75 people (including 20 visitors) attended the grand opening under the theme “Hope in Christ, Firm and Secure.” Approved as a mission site in 2023, Anchor Church has a 24/7 ministry space in downtown Marquette where it hosts community service events, Bible studies, youth ministry, and now weekly worship.
Lindloff says that the community has been welcoming to the concept of a new church: “We are right where we need to be, downtown in the heart of Marquette, serving it spiritually and physically.”
Victory, Wichita, Kan.: Started as a home mission in 2022 as part of a multisite effort for Messiah, Wichita, Kan., Victory launched worship at its second location on Sept. 15, with a full day’s worth of events. More than 100 people attended, including 15 first-time visitors.
While the festivities and food were a hit, the message is what made an impact. Rev. Jacob Jenswold, Victory’s home missionary, shares this reaction from a visitor who hadn’t been in church for months and had never been in a conservative Lutheran church. “He told me, ‘This felt different. The service felt more focused, like everything came back to God’s words for me. I like that. I want to come back for that.’ We will see if he comes back for that, but that’s what we are going for! Jesus for you!”
All three missionaries are thankful for the continued support of Home Missions and WELS members. “Our mission’s work and ministry wouldn’t be possible without you,” says King. “You may never meet a person that is impacted by the work you support. But you will meet them in heaven someday. . . . Keep us in your prayers as we hold on to God’s promises in his Word.”
WELS is committed to starting 100 new missions in the next 10 years. Learn more about this initiative at wels100in10.net.
