FAITH IN ACTION GRANTS

In the middle of the pandemic, congregations around the South Carolina Synod found exciting ways to reach new people. St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Prosperity started an outdoor garden for the community with some dirt, seeds, five-gallon buckets, and a Thrivent action card. Parroquia El Mesias, with a grant from the Lutheran Men in Mission, are beginning a “Gospel on Wheels” ministry with a van and some folding chairs that can take church to the people and meet them where they are. An idea out of Bethlehem, Pomaria and other nearby congregations, with partnership from Lutheran Services Carolinas, has grown into Restoration Chapel, a ministry alongside women in recovery. The math seems simple: A congregation with a faithful idea and the resources to make it happen result in the people of God, doing the work of God, bringing the Word of God to the world.

As we come out of the pandemic looking for ways to reach out and reconnect with our communities, the Congregational Vitality Team would like to walk with churches throughout the SC Synod to multiply ministries like these in our state. The faith that has carried us through the pandemic carries us beyond our walls, and we want to empower each congregation to take those first steps toward reengaging their community. To do that, we need your help.

We are asking you as a congregation to consider making a year-end contribution to our Faith in Action Fund. This fund will provide churches, church leaders, and congregations with the resources they need to make faithful ideas reality. This fund will have rolling applications and is designed to quickly respond to and empower energetic ideas in congregations. Together, we can empower God’s people throughout the synod to reach outside of the walls of the church and grow God’s kingdom through our work.

Regardless of if or how much you contribute, I hope you will consider how your congregation might apply for a grant as you come back together. We want to partner with you to help you do the ministry God is calling your congregation to do, and we want to match your energy and passion for ministry with the resources you need to make it happen. The criteria for the fund is simple, with one requirement:

1. The grant will help you faithfully reach out in ministry among your wider community and make God’s love known.

The application, with more details, will be available through the synod website after the first of the year.

We know there are people hungry for the Word and waiting to hear the wonderful message of God’s amazing grace that we Lutherans share. On behalf of the Congregational Vitality Team, I hope you will consider partnering with us to empower our congregations to reach new people right here in our state and live out our Great Commission as God’s people.

In Christ,
Rev. James Henricks
Director of Evangelical Mission
South Carolina Synod