Buffalo, Wyoming – 2023

New Start: A group of 27 WELS members living in the Buffalo area have been worshiping weekly in the local civic center since March 2020, led by the pastor from Lord of Lords in Casper, Wyo. Core group members have started three different Bible study/book study opportunities outside of Sunday worship and Bible study and are actively inviting friends to join.

Fast Facts:

  • Rev. Fred Schurman recently accepted the call to serve this new mission start in Buffalo.
  • Eight prospects are awaiting membership classes, and several other prospects have expressed interest in joining.
  • Core group members lead a women’s book study, men’s coffee group, and Saturday night Bible study each week.
  • The pastor in Casper drives almost two hours one way to lead worship and Bible study each Sunday.
  • Average attendance at Sunday services and Saturday evening Bible studies is in the high 20s.

Contact:

Rev. Fred Schurman
[email protected]
605-830-0735

Mount Calvary, Redding/Anderson, CA – 2023

Enhancement: Mount Calvary in Redding, Calif., and Faith in Anderson, Calif., merged into one unified congregation worshiping at two locations and received unsubsidized mission status in the spring of 2022. As their ministry continued to grow, the Board for Home Missions was asked to provide additional enhancement funding to call a full-time staff minister who could help make the most of the many gospel outreach opportunities being presented.

Fast Facts:

  • Tom Benzing from St. Paul’s in New Ulm, Minn., recently accepted the call to serve as staff minister and is expected to start October 1, 2023.
  • This new staff minister will be the site director of the Anderson campus, focusing on evangelism and youth/family ministry.
  • The 3.5-mile radius around the Mount Calvary site in Anderson is projected to grow by 5.3 percent.

Contact:
Rev. Benjamin Schaefer, Mount Calvary Lutheran Church
[email protected]
530-515-1535

Christ the King, Palm Coast, FL – 2023

Enhancement: Christ the King in Palm Coast, Fla., will receive short-term Home Missions support to call a campus pastor to reach out to school families in its growing Christ the King Academy. The academy currently has 279 students enrolled, of which 125 students have no church home. This new missionary will also assist Christ the King in meeting the anticipated growth of the Palm Coast community, which is expected to double in size in the next ten years.

Fast Facts:

  • Palm Coast is the 5th-fastest-growing city in Florida and the 18th-fastest-growing city in the United States.
  • Called workers and leadership at Christ the King Church & Academy have worked diligently to develop a clear plan and harvest strategy for the outreach efforts to academy families.
  • Christ the King has 38 active connect groups that serve by offering small-group activities in the areas of Bible study, service projects, and social gatherings.

Contact:
Rev. Dan Schroeder, Christ the King Lutheran Church
[email protected]
619-852-2440
Website: ctkpalmcoast.com

Hope in Deerfield, WI – 2023

Enhancement (Unsubsidized): St. John in the Town of Lake Mills started a second site called Hope in Deerfield in fall 2021 with support from other local congregations. Members worship weekly at a funeral home in town and are committed to reaching out with the gospel to their community members. Unsubsidized mission status gives Hope in Deerfield access to grants from WELS Home Missions and Church Extension Fund (CEF) as well as support from the district mission board and mission counselor.

Fast Facts:

  • Deerfield serves as a bedroom community for people who work in Madison, Wis. With its small-town feel and more affordable housing options, Deerfield is growing.
  • The community members in Deerfield are 58 percent unchurched.
  • Hope in Deerfield has hosted a multitude of outreach activities throughout the years, including Praise and Proclaim training and grocery canvassing, trunk or treat, community picnics, etc.

Contact:
Rev. Kevin Hundley, St. John, Town of Lake Mills, and Hope in Deerfield, Wis.
[email protected]
262-237-2660

Cross of Christ, Las Cruces, NM – 2023

Enhancement (Unsubsidized): Cross of Christ started in a member’s home 11 years ago. As an unsubsidized mission, they will have Home Missions support through their district mission board and mission counselor and access to special grants from Home Missions and WELS Church Extension Fund. The congregation has 73 members and owns land along a major access road where most of the city’s new development is taking place and where hundreds of young families are moving.

Fast Facts:

  • The Las Cruces area is currently home to more than 66,000 people, with an estimated population of more than 76,000 by 2032.
  • Since August 2021, average weekly worship attendance has gone up 30 percent.
  • The Las Cruces area is 57 percent Hispanic. Missionary Nathanial Jensen and members are working with Hispanic Outreach Consultant Tim Flunker to reach out to this demographic with the gospel.

Contact:
Rev. Nathanael Jensen, Cross of Christ Lutheran Church
[email protected]
575-680-6980