Church Seeds Liberian Mercy Ministry
Faith Community Lutheran Church and Schools
Las Vegas, NV
In 2008, Pastor Craig Michaelson, Senior Pastor at Las Vegas’ Faith Community Lutheran Church and Schools (FCLCS), heard of the plight of kids orphaned due to the Liberian Civil War. Normally, a Liberian child is not considered an orphan, as extended families are under duty to care for each other’s loved ones. But entire family units were decimated, wiping out the traditional familial system. In response, FCLCS began sponsoring 9 orphans by matching orphans to FCLCS families under a mission program run by Mission Director, Linda Kurtz.
“God grew the ministry and it was impacting Liberians, but FLCLS was equally blessed,” Linda shared. “The church and schools were growing and unified in mission as people were eager to support God’s work through time, talent and resources.”
This growth birthed a Liberian NGO, Hope and Care for Children, as the ministry administration. The NGO is led by Executive Director Rev Patrick F. Nanning, with other Liberians as implementers.
Annual mission teams have been sent, aligning the team’s gifting to needed mission projects, including seminars for pastors, educators, medical, women, youth and eyeglass vision clinics. “As mission teams went to Liberia to serve, they came home to tell the story of God at work and the impact not only in Liberia but on the mission team members,” Linda said. Orphan sponsors watched God bless the kids’ lives, then told others about the transformation into an abundant life in Christ. Since then, the ministry has grown to:
66 orphans
2 Lutheran Schools with 900 students
Medical Center
Microloans for 700 women
African Radio Ministries preaching the Gospel leading to 200 baptisms this past year and 10 church plants
Farm income fuels tuition assistance to Lutheran schools throughout Liberia
A strategic partnership was also established with the national Lutheran Church body, the Evangelical Lutheran Church Liberia Synod (ELCLS) where Word and Sacrament and mercy ministries are carried out.
In Spring 2021, Pastor Michaelson and Linda felt God moving to seed a US-based nonprofit ministry to allow for more growth. Hope and Care Outreach (HCO), was formed with an independent dedicated board of directors and Linda serving as CEO. Working hand-in-hand with the Liberian NGO and the ELCLS, they:
Share Christ through all programs
Equip local believers to share God's hope with the vulnerable
Achieve sustainability
God so powerfully at work in Liberia reflects His powerful work at FCLCS in our District! HCO loves to share stories through mission presentations and chapel messages – learn more here.
Join us in Prayer
Gracious Heavenly Father, We ask your blessing over Faith Lutheran Church and School and the mission work they are doing. Continue to use Hope and Care Outreach to spread the Gospel to the people in Liberia. Amen.
Hope and Care Outreach
Serves the most vulnerable people in Liberia through indigenous organizations so that those they serve come to a saving faith in Jesus and are self-sustained.
Share Your Story
We love sharing the work God is doing in our district and would love to share what He is doing in your ministry!
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