WELS Christian Aid and Relief announces humanitarian aid grants

WELS Christian Aid and Relief approved a record $634,757 in humanitarian aid grants for fiscal year 2026-27. WELS Home Missions will receive $103,490 in assistance, and $531,267 will go to support world mission efforts.

These grants support projects developed by our home and world missionaries to reflect Christ’s compassion to the people of their communities and to build relationships that lead to opportunities to share the gospel.

Projects include health care for the sick and dying (including support for the Central Africa Medical Mission), borehole drilling to provide clean drinking water, food for the hungry, warm clothes for widows and orphans, school supplies for underprivileged kids, scholarships for students, mosquito nets, vocational training, and other forms of assistance.

Crossroads, Chicago, Ill., a home mission congregation, received a grant for the first time as it looks to help the large homeless population located in its area. “Our neighborhood is very social justice-conscious, but many people do not know the best way to help the people who are homeless on their own,” says Jacob Borgwardt, pastor at Crossroads. “By providing blessing bags for our neighbors with means, we can help them help families or individuals who are homeless as they meet them.” These blessing bags, he says, will contain things needed, including flyers for Crossroads and Bible passage slips. A blessing bag packing event for the community will allow congregation members to interact with others in the neighborhood, creating gospel-sharing opportunities.

Another first-time grant recipient is WELS’ sister synod in Africa, Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ–Kenya (LCMC). The LCMC will be helping vulnerable families meet immediate food needs while strengthening their capacity to produce sustainable crops. Grant money will allow LCMC churches to supply certified seeds to Christian farmers as well as training on sustainable farming practices.

“These grants help our missions reflect the love and compassion of Christ and show that we are a people-loving church who cares about the whole person, soul and body,” says Daniel Sims, director of WELS Christian Aid and Relief. “This, in turn, leads to more opportunities to share the good news of our Savior.”

See a full list of all the grant recipients at wels.net/humanitarian-aid.

WELS Christian Aid and Relief works closely with WELS congregations and missions to carry out its ministry of compassion in three main areas: disaster relief, humanitarian aid, and personal relief grants. Learn more about its work at wels.net/relief or by watching the video below.