CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Mission Builders of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is planning eight construction
projects for 2005. Thomas Chase, Montrose, Colo., the new
Mission Builders director, said builders will be working on two
ELCA camps and six church sites in six U.S. states.
A ninth project involving a church sanctuary is planned for
January 2006.
Mission Builders is a program of the ELCA Division for
Outreach. Working with volunteers from the congregation, the
builders construct, expand and repair church buildings, said
Marlys M. Waldo, executive for mission partners and outreach
support, ELCA Division for Outreach.
There are currently 96 Mission Builders, including 11 new
builders this year and three builders who have each completed 15
projects, Chase said. Fifty-two builders will be taking part in
the 2005 construction tasks.
For 34 years Chase worked in customer service and management
with the NCR Corporation and retired in 1994. His wife, Arline,
said they are "so blessed to have the opportunity to serve God
when we are called to help a congregation build."
Chase looks forward to recruiting new Mission Builders,
seeking out projects and exploring collaborative projects with
other people of faith. The greatest reward for him is
"interaction with the people, with the churches," he said.
The eight construction projects planned for 2005 are at:
+ Faith Lutheran Church, Staples, Minn.
+ Plentywood Lutheran Church, Plentywood, Mont.
+ King of Kings Lutheran Church, New Windsor, N.Y.
+ Camp Lutherhill, LaGrange, Texas
+ Celebration Lutheran Church, East Wenatchee, Wash.
+ Sugar Creek Bible Camp, Ferryville, Wis.
+ Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Kenosha, Wis.
+ Calvary Lutheran Church, Neillsville, Wis.
Construction will begin on Holy Trinity Lutheran Church,
Daphne, Ala., in January 2006.
King of Kings Lutheran Church, a project begun in 2004, will
be finished in 2005, said Chase. Construction on a chapel at
Camp Lutherhill began in January 2005 and will be finished this
fall after summer campers leave.
Five projects are currently underway.
In 2004 ELCA Mission Builders completed projects at:
+ Our Savior Lutheran Church, Twin Falls, Idaho
+ Hawarden American Lutheran Church, Hawarden, Iowa
+ Saint Paul Lutheran Church, Ontario, Ore.
+ Trinity Lutheran Church, Cumberland, Wis.
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Information about Mission Builders is at
http://www.ELCA.org/outreach/missionbuilders on the ELCA Website.
* Kirsten H. Boettner is a senior communication major at Luther
College, Decorah, Iowa. This summer she is an intern with the
ELCA News Service.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
