Grace Lutheran Church supports five different global mission partners. Gifts designated to the "Missionary for a Day" fund provide much needed support to these vital ministries.
The Children's Vision International Orphanage is located in Bogota, Colombia. Their mission is to rescue orphans and street children, provide them with a loving home, and to provide education. Currently this ministry in includes:
For more information visit Children's Vision International
The Lutheran church in Colombia is a companion synod with our Southeastern Minnesota Synod. The Lutheran church in Colombia dates from 1938 and the mission work of Myrtle Nordin of Lake Lillian, Minnesota.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Colombia includes 25 congregations served by 27 pastors, evangelists, and lay people. Three congregations support elementary schools. The Lutheran secondary school in Sogamoso provides not only a government-approved curriculum, but also an outreach opportunity to non-church members.
Funds from Grace Lutheran for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Colombia (administered through the ELCA Global Mission unit) support key priorities including theological education, lay leader training, the Justice and Life office, and ministry with persons affected by HIV/AIDS.
To learn more, visit the ELCA's Global Mission page for Colombia
Grace Lutheran began the relationship its sister congregation in the late 1980's, while Latvia was still part of the communist Soviet Union. The late John Polis, a member of Grace Lutheran, grew up in Valka, Latvia, and Saint Catherine.
The Saint Catherine congregation began in 1477 and the present church building dates from the early 1700's. Valka is a city of about 2,000 in northern Latvia right on the border with Estonia. The congregation is about 100 members.
Funds from Grace Lutheran help support their Kindergarten program and necessary renovations to the church and its facilities.
The Novosaratovka Seminary is the seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Russia and other States (ELCROS). It opened in 1997 and enrollment is about 15 students. The seminary is located about 10 miles outside central Saint Petersburg on the Neva River.
The seminary is funded by gifts from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (EKD), the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and the Lutheran Endowment for Novosaratovka Seminary (LENS). Grace Lutheran supports the seminary through gifts to LENS.
To learn more visit these websites:
Novosaratovka Seminary (English website)
Lutheran Endowment for Novosaratovka Seminary (LENS)
The Central Diocese and the Morogoro Mission District are a companion synod of our Southeastern Minnesota Synod. Mission work within the Central Diocese focuses on the Iambi Hospital and the Kiomboi Institute, a school that trains pastors, evangelists and administrators for the Lutheran church in Tanzania.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania
ELCA Global Unit information on Tanzania
Grace also support to the Morogoro Mission District, and the the work of Pastor Herb Haferman and his team of evangelists working in primarily Muslim and indigenous religion areas around Morogoro working out of the Morogoro Lutheran Junior Seminary. Pastor Haferman published this overview of the ministry in 2007.
International Health Partners supports the medical mission work of Dr. Denny and Paula Loftstrom. IHP raises funds for the construction and operation of a Lutheran hospital in Mwanza, Tanzania, on the south shore of Lake Victoria. Periodically, the Lofstroms visit the congregation to share news about recent projects and how their dreams for this medical ministry are taking shape. To learn more, visit their site.
