Christ-Centered Hope for Cancer Patients

2025–2027 Mission Grant 6 — $100,000

“Facing Cancer Bravely & Beautifully.”
Linda St. Myers is a faithful supporter of Phil’s Friends. She was one of the first to volunteer at the Crown Point, IN Hope Center when it opened in 2017. Sadly, Linda, 66, is currently dealing with terminal brain cancer. She has a bright and beautiful spirit and loves volunteering when her health allows. “Volunteering at Phil’s Friends has become a passion of mine,” Linda said. “It’s just wonderful being here.” Here she is with Phil Zielke, founder of Phil’s Friends, standing before a wall of boxes she helped to decorate.

The core of Phil’s Friends mission is based on Matthew 25:36, I was sick and you visited me. In the past 18 years, Phil’s Friends has sent nearly 60,000 care packages and more than one million Cards of Hope. This ministry supports anyone with cancer regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or income level. 

It costs $100 for one year to support a cancer patient. This total includes the care package, 12 Cards of Hope, and postage. The care packages are hand-decorated, and the contents are customized according to the age and gender of the recipient. They are filled with simple, practical comfort items that cancer patients can use during their treatments. Phil’s Friends is 100% donor supported. 

This grant will purchase supplies for care packages and Cards of Hope and will pay for shipping and postage to support 1,000 cancer patients for one year.

Resources for Grant #6

• Mission Grant Story PDF
   
• Prayer Guide PDF
   

Large Print Resources for Grant #6

• Story — large print PDF
   
• Prayer Guide — large print PDF

Learn more about this mission grant and view more photos here.

Donate to the LWML Mission Goal

Growing Together to Share Braille and Large Print

2025–2027 Mission Grant 5 — $100,000

Youth and adult volunteers produce Braille together at a servant event in Ohio.

Millions of people around the world are blind or visually impaired and are seeking to strengthen their Christian faith but find it difficult to access scripture-based reading materials. Lutheran Braille Workers (LBW) is committed to providing Christian materials in braille and specialized large print worldwide at no cost. 

With a part of the grant funds, LBW will establish five new Ministry Production Centers in the United States. LBW will hold five related servant events at LWML conventions, Lutheran universities and schools, and district youth gatherings. Service opportunities provide young people with the chance to grow in their God-given gifts and share the Gospel. 

This grant will allow LBW to produce and freely distribute approximately 10,000 additional volumes of Bibles and other Christian materials. This grant will be used to purchase specialized paper, card stock, braille plates and equipment, and for training and shipping costs.

Resources for Grant #5

• Mission Grant Story PDF
• Prayer Guide PDF

Large Print Resources for Grant #5

• Story — large print PDF
• Prayer Guide — large print PDF

Learn more about this mission grant and view more photos here.

Donate to the LWML Mission Goal

The Perpetual Call for Pastors and Teachers

2025–2027 Mission Grant 4 — $100,000

The heart of Set Apart To Serve (SAS) is the formation of church workers to ensure that LCMS continues to proclaim and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our congregations and communities until Christ returns. Pastors and professional church workers are indispensable to accomplishing each of the Synod's seven mission priorities.

Set Apart to Serve is a Synod-wide program focused on forming and recruiting full-time pastors and church workers. Supplying the church with church workers is one of the highest priorities of the LCMS, since pastors and commissioned church workers preach and teach the Word of Christ through which the Holy Spirit creates and sustains faith. The demand for more pastors, Lutheran school teachers, and commissioned church workers is urgent. 

Set Apart to Serve is providing resources to encourage intentional conversations with youth to pursue a church work vocation. This is leading to increased enrollment in the church worker formation programs at the LCMS Concordia universities and the seminaries. Districts and churches are being encouraged to reach out to their youth through workshops and conferences. 

This grant will help to cover a part of the expenses of creating resources, travel and presentations at workshops and conferences, and staffing.

Resources for Grant #4

• Mission Grant Story PDF
• Prayer Guide PDF

Large Print Resources for Grant #4

• Story — large print PDF
• Prayer Guide — large print PDF

Learn more about this mission grant and view more photos here.

Donate to the LWML Mission Goal

Due to the number of grants this biennium, this month there are two grants featured!

Regional Disaster Response LERT Shower Trailers

2025–2027 Mission Grant 1 — $81,500

Disaster preparedness is a priority of LCMS Disaster Response. Mercy in Action, which includes Lutheran Early Response Team (LERT) training, is a program designed to help train congregations to respond when tragedy strikes and includes bible studies on mercy, charity and human care. To date, LERT has trained more than 18,000 Lutheran volunteers in disaster relief and response with more than 50 LERT Disaster Response equipment trailers utilized by all 35 LCMS districts.

Lutheran Early Response Teams (LERT) serve thousands of individuals and families who are suffering from loss in the wake of disasters like hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, fires, and tornadoes. When deployed, LERT teams traditionally use congregations in the disaster areas as their base camps. The host congregations provide a place for the LERT teams to sleep, eat, rest, recover, and receive spiritual care during their time of service. Host congregations are incredible to work with as the teams help them rebuild their communities and share the life-changing message of the Gospel. 

One challenge for team members has been the lack of showers and laundry facilities at a host church. LERT members have showered at national gym chains, in members’ homes, in personal campers, or even under cold garden hoses. This grant will fund half the cost of two combination bathroom/shower/laundry trailers to be used during disaster response work.

Resources for Grant #1

• Mission Grant Story PDF
• Prayer Guide PDF

Large Print Resources for Grant #1

• Story — large print PDF
• Prayer Guide — large print PDF

Learn more about this mission grant and view more photos here.

Donate to the LWML Mission Goal

Portable Laundry Trailer 

2025–2027 Mission Grant 3 — $100,700

Interior photo of the laundry trailer

When disasters strike, Forged by Fire Services, a disaster response organization of the LCMS Southern District, is deployed to the Gulf Coast Region and beyond. Sharing the hope in Christ, they provide human care to the victims, volunteers, and first responders affected by natural and man-made disasters. After a disaster, one of the needs of the people and volunteers are clean clothes, but there may be no facility for laundry service available. 

Forged by Fire Services would like to provide laundry service by obtaining a professionally built eight-station laundry trailer with all the supporting equipment. The laundry trailer would be set up in the parking lot of an LCMS church. When offering the service, the LERT trained volunteers have an opportunity to talk to the people about the grace, mercy, and love of Jesus Christ. This grant will provide funds for the purchase of the portable laundry trailer.

Resources for Grant #3

• Mission Grant Story PDF
• Prayer Guide PDF

Large Print Resources for Grant #3

• Story — large print PDF
• Prayer Guide — large print PDF

Learn more about this mission grant and view more photos here.

Donate to the LWML Mission Goal

To God be the glory! 

Since our first mission grant in 1943, funded through your mite offerings, Lutheran Women in Mission has shared the Gospel in 84 countries … and counting. 

Download the printable PDFs of this map

Mission Grants Historical Map — 8.5"x11"
Mission Grants Historical Map — 8.5"x14"
Mission Grants Historical Map — sized for PowerPoint
 

More About LWML Mission Grants

• See how your mite offerings have made an impact!
   
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• View mission grant history.