Are you planning ahead? Here are links to the May 2024 resources for LWML Mission Grant #11 and LWML Mission Grant #15.

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

Upheld by God's Hand, Mental Health Outreach

2023–2025 Mission Grant 7 — $96,500

The body of Christ cares for all people, supporting mental wellbeing.

Millions of people in the United States are suffering with mental illness and disorders. There is a tremendous need and opportunity for Lutheran outreach to help these people and their family members cope with mental illnesses. 

Research validates that people seeking help for mental disorders might be more likely to consult a pastor than a clinical therapist or psychologist. Pastors, church workers, and lay leaders must be prepared to address the mental health and illness issues that members of the congregation and those outside the church may bring to them. 

The LCMS Task Force for Mental Illness, Health, and Wellness is coordinating with LCMS Life Ministry to develop and publish materials and resources to provide training for church workers and lay leaders related to mental health outreach and spiritual care. This grant will support the development of these materials.

Resources for Grant #7

• Mission Grant Story
• Bulletin Byte (Word doc)
• Bulletin Insert (half page insert, 2 per page)
• Devotion
• Prayer Guide
• Zoom Background (JPG)

Large Print Resources for Grant #7

• Devotion — large print
• Prayer Guide — large print
• Story — large print

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

Donate to the LWML Mission Goal

Equipping Young Leaders

2023–2025 Mission Grant 9 — $50,000

One of the unique features of YouthLead is that the training is led by the Executive Team made up of young people elected by their peers. In this picture you see Executive Team member Ally leading her small group during training.

LCMS Youth Ministry faithfully leads, serves, provides resources, and networks with youth and adults working through LCMS districts and congregations — with Christ and His gifts at the heart and center of everything. The sponsored YouthLead program and Servant Events are designed to train young leaders and give them opportunities for service. 

Offering YouthLead conferences regionally, piloting a new format of Servant Events to include leadership training, and increasing curriculums will offer service and leadership training to more teens and young adults. LCMS Youth Ministries wants to deepen their understanding of the needs of young people and the best practices for youth and young adult ministry. Survey results show the way to keep young people connected to the church is to give them chances to serve and lead. This grant will allow LCMS Youth Ministry to expand their current programs to equip young leaders.

Resources for Grant #9

• Mission Grant Story
• Bulletin Byte (Word doc)
• Bulletin Insert (half page insert, 2 per page)
• Devotion
• Prayer Guide
• Zoom Background (JPG)

Large Print Resources for Grant #9

• Devotion — large print
• Prayer Guide — large print
• Story — large print

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

Donate to the LWML Mission Goal

Set Apart To Serve

2023–2025 Mission Grant 10 — $100,000

L: Acolytes extinguish the Paschal candle on Sunday, May 8, 2022, at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, Palmer, Kan. LCMS Communications/Erik M. Lunsford R: The crucifer holds the processional cross at the opening Divine Service during the LCMS Lutherans in Black Ministry Family Convocation 2022 on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Mobile, Ala. LCMS Communications/Erik M. Lunsford

Set Apart to Serve is a Synod-wide initiative that focuses on forming and recruiting fulltime church workers to teach the saving faith to God’s people. Since Christ provides workers for His church through His people, every congregation needs to talk intentionally to our youth and adults about church work to stimulate enrollment in Christian education, deaconess, director of parish music, director of family life, and seminary programs. 

This grant will partially fund anticipated expenses of a broad, rigorously planned, and well-constructed, multi-year sustained effort across the LCMS to affect a positive, cultural change in the way church worker vocations are perceived. Prospective students will be encouraged and inspired to consider and prepare to serve the Church in lifelong professions that advance the Gospel both in the U.S. and abroad.

Resources for Grant #10

• Mission Grant Story
• Bulletin Byte (Word doc)
• Bulletin Insert (half page insert, 2 per page)
• Devotion
• Prayer Guide
• Zoom Background (JPG)

Large Print Resources for Grant #10

• Devotion — large print
• Prayer Guide — large print
• Story — large print

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

Donate to the LWML Mission Goal

Expanding Gospel Proclamation Worldwide

2023–2025 Mission Grant 8 — $100,000

Rev. Aiji Komiyama is a Ph.D. student from Kobe, Japan. A pastor in the West Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church, he earned a Master of Divinity degree from Kobe Lutheran Theological Seminary in 2011 and a Master of Sacred Theology degree from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., in 2020. From 2011-17, he served as pastor for Kita-Suzurandai Lutheran Church (Kita-Suzurandai, Japan). After he earns his Ph.D., he will become a professor at Kobe Lutheran Theological Seminary.

The LCMS receives frequent requests from other Lutheran church bodies around the world to share theological knowledge and doctrinally sound practices. Supporting and expanding theological education is one of LCMS’s key mission priorities to ensure there will be well-educated pastors to lead these congregations. 

Very few of these church bodies have the resources to send students to the United States for advanced studies and there is a need for seminary professors who have advanced theological degrees to instruct and mentor pastoral students in their home countries. 

God has equipped our seminary professors to fill this gap. International students will come to Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, to complete advanced degrees, and they will return to their country to train pastors who will then shepherd their local churches. This grant will provide aid to international students completing their advanced degrees.

Resources for Grant #8

• Mission Grant Story
• Bulletin Byte (Word doc)
• Bulletin Insert (half page insert, 2 per page)
• Devotion
• Prayer Guide
• Zoom Background (JPG)

Large Print Resources for Grant #8

• Devotion — large print
• Prayer Guide — large print
• Story — large print

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!

Disaster Response Team

2023–2025 Mission Grant 5 — $50,000

Assessing safest way to remove tree from house

Trinity Lutheran Church Disaster Response Team (TLC DRT) in Tyler, Texas, answers the call to serve our neighbors in need by ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of people affected by severe storms such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. The team is comprised totally of volunteer workers who set up base camps in areas that have been affected by natural disasters. They listen compassionately to the stories of people who have been affected by storms and share Christ’s love with them in Word and action. 

TLC DRT's equipment and trailers are also used by volunteers from other teams, causing additional wear and tear on equipment. This grant will allow repair and replacement of necessary equipment so the team can continue to be Christ’s hands and feet and share God’s love to people affected by disasters.

Resources for Grant #5

• Mission Grant Story
• Bulletin Byte (Word doc)
• Bulletin Insert (half page insert, 2 per page)
• Devotion
• Prayer Guide
• Zoom Background (JPG)

Large Print Resources for Grant #5

• Devotion — large print
• Prayer Guide — large print
• Story — large print

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

Donate to the LWML Mission Goal

Mobile Kitchen

2023–2025 Mission Grant 6 — $85,000

Danny Hall serving in DeRidder Louisiana after Hurricane Laura

Forged by Fire Services strives to actively make known the love of Jesus Christ through its actions and words by providing warm meals, bottled water, and spiritual care to people in times of need following a disaster or economic downturn. They pray with those in need and offer resources such as devotionals and Bibles. 

This grant will allow the purchase of a mobile, self-contained kitchen trailer unit to provide meals in communities affected by disaster. Over 130,000 meals have been served in the Gulf Coast region. The mobile kitchen will benefit smaller communities in need that are often overlooked by larger organizations. When serving, Forged by Fire Services strives to connect local LCMS congregations within the communities and shares the mercy and grace of Christ, one plate of food at a time.

Resources for Grant #6

• Mission Grant Story
• Bulletin Byte (Word doc)
• Bulletin Insert (half page insert, 2 per page)
• Devotion
• Prayer Guide
• Zoom Background (JPG)

Large Print Resources for Grant #6

• Devotion — large print
• Prayer Guide — large print
• Story — large print

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

Donate to the LWML Mission Goal

Fortifying Faith in Those with Vision Impairment

2023–2025 Mission Grant 4 — $100,000

Church Worker and professional musician Brooke Pernice reading a devotional in Braille alongside her guitar. Having been Blind since birth, growing up in the church, and having earned her Master's Degree in church music, Brooke knows firsthand the challenges in finding rich, theologically sound, and Scripturally-based Christian resources in Braille and Large Print. Brooke's face reflects her experience of feeling God's love directly in her heart by reading the Scriptures with her fingertips!

Lutheran Braille Workers (LBW) has the opportunity to reach individuals with visual impairment who live in spiritual darkness with the hope and salvation of Jesus Christ. There are millions of people around the world who are blind or visually impaired. They seek to strengthen their Christian faith while coping with isolation and dealing with physical, mental, and spiritual struggles. They often find it difficult to access Scripture-based reading materials. 

This grant will provide LBW the opportunity to produce and add to their library 50 to 100 Scripture-based topical materials in Braille and specialized large print to help meet the spiritual and emotional needs of people who are visually impaired. Because LBW works with every Christian denomination, these materials would be available for outreach and evangelism at no cost to those who are blind or visually impaired regardless of faith or belief.

Resources for Grant #4

• Mission Grant Story
• Bulletin Byte (Word doc)
• Bulletin Insert (half page insert, 2 per page)
• Devotion
• Prayer Guide
• Zoom Background (JPG)

Large Print Resources for Grant #4

• Devotion — large print
• Prayer Guide — large print
• Story — large print

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

Donate to the LWML Mission Goal