Christ the King, Port Charlotte, Fla. – 2023

Enhancement: Christ the King in Port Charlotte, Fla., is looking for short-term Home Missions support to call a full-time pastor to serve this recharged church of 79 members. Hurricane Ian forced members and their retired pastor to pivot to recovery and clean-up efforts, but it didn’t squash their spirit or determination to do what they could in such trying times. Outreach potential is tremendous as hundreds of thousands of people are expected to move to the area in upcoming years.

Fast Facts:

  • Rev. Paul Rutschow accepted the call to serve as home missionary at Christ the King in December 2023.
  • The county population is expected to more than double in the next 10 years.
  • God has blessed Christ the King with 12 new members in the past year.
  • Christ the King has a comprehensive Ministry Plan that was being implemented before Hurricane Ian hit. The group is still committed to doing what they can for outreach while working through their clean-up efforts.

Contact:
Rev. Paul Rutschow, Home Missionary
herseyh@juno.com
928-254-9534

Divine Savior, Sienna, Texas – 2023

Enhancement: Divine Savior in Sienna, Tex., plans to call a second staff minister or pastor to assist in youth and family ministry. Divine Savior Academy currently has 280 students enrolled with 360 anticipated next school year. A second full-time worker will help them connect school families with the church, as many school families do not currently have a church home.

Fast Facts:

  • Read more about the mission enhancement in Sienna in this Missions Blog from September 2023: How’s it going?
  • Rev. Dan Laitinen accepted the call to serve as Divine Savior’s second pastor and was installed on August 20, 2023.
  • The master-planned community of Sienna is expected to double in size over the next several years. Average annual growth over the past few years is between 32-56%.
  • Divine Savior Academy broke ground on a second building, which will provide the space for the Academy to have an enrollment of 500+ students.
  • Divine Savior had 11 adult confirmands the past two years and 11 baptisms in 2022 from school-connected families.
  • In a recent survey, parents of 33 current students stated they were interested in baptism and parents of 131 students said they were interested in learning more about how to pray and read the Bible with their children.

Contact:
Rev. Kevin Boushek, Divine Savior Lutheran Church
kevin.boushek@divinesaviorchurch.com
219-363-6164

Good Shepherd, Midland, Texas – 2023

Enhancement (Unsubsidized): Good Shepherd in Midland, Tex., has been existence since 1976, but it was only recently that they called their first full-time pastor to help reach out to the 149,000 individuals in this growing West Texas community. The 19 members of the core group are financially self-supporting but working to increase outreach efforts in their area.

Fast Facts:

  • Oil and gas largely drive the Midland economy. Over the last 10-12 years the population has grown from 111,000 to 149,000.
  • There is no other WELS church within a two-hour drive of Midland.
  • Members attend weekly services and Bible studies, volunteer for community food drives, have participated in Praise and Proclaim outreach training, and are actively inviting community members to church.

Contact:
Rev. Pieter Reid, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
rev.p.reid@gmail.com
608-332-8925

Our Redeemer, Ladysmith, Wis. – 2023

Enhancement (Unsubsidized): Our Redeemer in Ladysmith, Wis., while financially self-supporting, is looking for Home Missions guidance as they look to reach out with the gospel to 50% of their community population with no religious involvement. Unsubsidized mission status provides them access to assistance through their district mission board, mission counselors, and synodical support staff plus access to loans and grants.

Fast Facts:

  • Our Redeemer (59 members) is the only WELS church within 22 miles, serving a large rural region in addition to the 3,000 individuals in Ladysmith.
  • Members leading the outreach effort meet regularly to make additional plans, study outreach-themed Bible studies like One by One and Let’s Go, and meet with their district mission board shepherd.

Contact:
Rev. Chris Christenson, Our Redeemer
pastorchrischristenson@gmail.com
608-797-9573