2024-2026 New England Mission Goal and Grants

The Mission Goal is $85,000.

($55,250 for LWML-NED grants, $21,250 for LWML grants, and $8,500 for LWML-NED admin.)

1. Pads and Pencils Project – Gbarnga Mission, Liberia – $5,000 PAID

For many girls in developing countries, menstruation often comes as a ticking clock that marks the beginning of the end of their education. The primary goal of this project is to keep girls who are menstruating in school – and learning with their peers – by empowering them with supplies that offer affordable, dignified, and hygienic solutions. The use of reusable, washable cloth sanitary pads has proven to be an effective solution for enabling girls to confidently attend class without interruption.

2a.   Short Term Mission Scholarships – LWML-NED – $2,000

To provide scholarships to members of LCMS-NED congregations embarking on Short Term Mission Trips.

2b.   Living Stones Homeschool Cooperative (LSHC) – Redeemer Lutheran Church, Gorham, ME – $1,115

Redeemer Lutheran Church added LSHC to their ministry efforts. On Wednesdays during the school year, 22 children will be at Redeemer. To make it a safe, productive environment, there are certain things needed to allow this ministry to grow. Funding will help include necessary things such as background checks, proper first aid kit, and children’s hymnals.

3. Sanford, Maine, Preaching Station – Redeemer Lutheran Church, Gorham, ME – $5,000

The Sanford Preaching Station started in 2019 in borrowed space with a handful of members. It grew quicky however the pandemic caused a decline in participation and hampered outreach. With Saturday divine services, Bible studies and fellowship opportunities, the hope is to see growth again. Designated site funding from the congregation has reached 50% of total costs. This grant would bridge 2024 as the needed secretarial position is reestablished.

4. Christ in Their Homes – Open Arms Christian Preschool, Bedford, MA – $1,500

Over 90% of the students in our preschool come from the community and are not members of our congregation; many have no church home. This grant would allow us to purchase Bibles and Bible story books to give to the students to keep and use in their homes and share the lessons we learn about Jesus in school with their families. Funding would allow the school to purchase Bibles and books for two years, gifting approximately 35 families with resources to bring the love of Jesus into their homes.

5. Groceries and Gospel – Hands of Grace, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, New Hartford, CT – $4,500

The purpose of this project is to provide those in need with food and printed materials we pray will foster a devotional life for them. This project will help keep healthy food on our shelves and allow us to continue to provide quality materials of bibles, devotions, and pamphlets.

6a.   Food Co-op to Purchase Food – Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN – $2,000

The purpose of this project is to ease the financial burden to future pastors, deaconesses, and their families while at the seminary preparing for full-time church work – by providing groceries at no cost to them during their time at CTSFW. We are able to provide up to 80-90% of their grocery needs including fruit, milk, produce, eggs, as well as diapers, wipes, paper towels, etc.

6b.  Bethel Oromo Lutheran Church – Boston, MA – $5,000

Bethel Oromo Lutheran Church is a newly emerging congregation that is reaching gospel to the Oromo (region in Ethiopia) people residing in Boston and the surrounding cities. The first-generation immigrants love to worship in their own language which is Afan Oromo. Currently needs include support for the pastor, specific musical instruments, and training on these instruments.

7a.  Ministry of Early Childhood – Immanuel Lutheran School, Bristol, CT – $5,000

The mission of our toddler and infant program is to provide a loving environment of academic excellence for children while developing in them and their families a lasting relationship with Jesus Christ. We want our programs to be furnished with the necessary equipment and educational materials needed to provide a safe and quality learning program for our community, as we share the love of Jesus. Funds will be used to purchase the equipment and educational materials required

7b.  FLC Peer Fellows Pilot Program – First Lutheran Church of Boston – $5,000

The goal of the peer fellows is to meet students where they are, on campuses, and have a dependable presence on campuses to bring the Gospel to those who would not otherwise hear it. They will foster relationships with students through the Word and be in a position to encourage further teachings or attendance at Divine Services. They will be trained and discipled by FLC’s director of young adult ministry and encouraged for ongoing ministry and leadership within the church. Funds will be used for the Peer Fellows stipends of $300/month. Once the program has proved effective, a donor will support the program.

7c.  Elaina’s Lift – Christ Lutheran Church, Amston, CT – $1,500

Elaina’s Lift is a form of vertical transportation between the sanctuary and Fellowship Hall floors. It will allow all people with limited mobility access to all areas of the church building. Having a lift transforms previously difficult to reach and/or inaccessible places into places open to people of every mobility and provides freedom to move around with ease. We want all of God’s people not to feel deterred or discouraged about facing obstacles when entering or moving around the building. The cost to install is $40,000 with ~$25,000 received. This grant will help to close the gap in funding the lift.

8a.    How Can I Understand? Lutheran Books for Southeast Asia – Lutheran Heritage Foundation – $2,500

In the Buddhist stronghold of Southeast Asia, introducing the Christian faith is a difficult task, due to pressure from family and even persecution. However, LHF translators have found that younger people are more open to learning about Christianity. As seeds of the Gospel take root throughout SE Asia and among US immigrants, new needs have arisen for the books of the Lutheran Faith in the people’s own heart languages. With LWML help, LHF stands ready to answer this call. For only $5/book, 500 books can be provided through our grant of $2,500.

8b.  Capstone Ministries – Escalon, CA – $2,500

Capstone Ministries has been working to reconcile street children in Western Kenya since 2005. As an RSO of the LCMS, Capstone has reconciled 710 street children to date, educated more than 100 in secondary school, had 7 graduate from university and established Capstone Camp (annual week-long camp as spiritual renewal for newly reconciled boys) and has 20 ongoing small group Bible studies for parents of reconciled children. Capstone is led by Dan & Patty Schmelzer. In Kenya, Capstone is led by Pastor Isaiah Apiyo, an ordained Lutheran Pastor.

9a.  Our Savior Return to Shephard of the Valley of Navajo (SOTV), NM – Our Savior Lutheran Church, Topsfield, MA for the Navajo Nation, NM – $2,000

SOTV is an LCMS mission church. Our Savior Lutheran Church and other short-term missionaries send individuals and teams to help spread the gospel to the people of the Navajo nation. While there, they feed 60-80 people, 1-2 times/day as well as Sunday community meals and feedings during VBS. In addition, building improvements are needed. Funding would be used to make a safe building for the missionary teams and continue to provide food to the community.

9b.  Give a Chance to Learn Christ’s Love – Immanuel Lutheran School, Danbury, CT – $5,000

The Immanuel Lutheran School, Danbury has had many families that want to attend Immanuel but are unable to do so because of tuition cost of $7,000/year. Funds would be used to offer “reduced tuitions” to several students allowing them to attend school in a loving/safe Christian environment.

10a.  Supporting LCMS Missionaries in the Field – Mission Central, LCMS Office of International and National Mission, Iowa –     PARTIAL $704.45

Today, official LCMS missionaries and mercy workers are funded entirely through the designated donations of God’s people who choose to give specifically for that purpose. Gifts support or enhance the projects and programs of our international mission teams as they work with specific people groups and strengthen LCMS partner churches around the world. Each gift is directed to where it will have the greatest impact at the time it is received to plant, strengthen, and sustain Christ’s church as it gives witness to Him among people in other countries.

 10b.  Educating Lutherans and Proclaiming God’s Word Around the World – Issues, Etc. –    PARTIAL $704.45

Issues, Etc. is a ten-hour weekly syndicated radio talk show/podcast. The program features expert guests in theology, Biblical interpretation, Christian apologetics, ethics, philosophy, law, and culture. Sponsorship allows us to proclaim God’s Word around the world. Programming includes podcasts on the 1-year and 3-year lectionary, Sunday School lessons, Bible studies (the Word of the Lord Endures Forever), morning chapel from Kramer Chapel at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, 24/7 sacred music, podcasts on contemporary issues and much more. The program is hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken; produced by Lutheran Public Radio, Inc. Collinsville, IL.

10c. Lutheran Seminarians for Haiti’s Future – Ministry in Mission, Haiti –        PARTIAL $1760.83

The purpose of this grant is to subsidize the seminary education offered by Concordia the Reformer Seminary in Palmar Arriba, Santiago, Dominican Republic, in partnership with Rev. Ted Krey, the regional director for the Latin America and the Caribbean region of LCMS, for Haitian men desiring to serve existing churches and to plant new churches in Haiti. The need is crucial at this time as current pastoral leadership in Haiti is aging and available seminary courses are sporadic. The goal is to secure the future of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti so that the Good News can be proclaimed in this hurting country.

10d.  Unequally Yoked Workshop – Poblo International, New England District –         PARTIAL $1760.83

The number of young American women who convert to Islam in colleges and universities has increased from 19,000 to 21,500 per year. The mission of this project is to educate and equip the leadership, congregations and especially college-aged young women of New England District with a better understanding of the falsehoods and half-truths pervasive throughout the Islamic doctrine regarding its views on women and marital relationships in order to prevent young American women from being wooed away from the Christian faith by Muslim men on college campuses for the purposes of conversion to proliferate Islam in America. The workshops and training kits provide information on various topics, including how Islam views women, marriage, adultery, divorce, rape, domestic violence, and modesty.

10e. Freezer Friends – Our Savior Lutheran Church, Topsfield, MA –         PARTIAL 704.44

OSLC is starting a Freezer Friend program. There will be monthly gatherings to prepare vegan and meat meals to be frozen along with cookies and Sunday School made cards. Anyone can pick up the frozen meals and take them to someone who is sick, just moved, had a new baby or could just use a good meal. Funds will be used to buy special containers to meet state health requirements; do minor updates to the kitchen and purchase ingredients. Goal: spread the gospel and feed the people in times of sorrow, struggle, change or joy.

2024-2026 LWML-NED Mission Grants