Four congregations that received grants and loans from WELS Church Extension Fund (WELS CEF) are dedicating buildings in August and September.

On Aug. 26, Christ the Lord in the greater Houston area of Texas dedicated its new school in Sienna Plantation. Christ the Lord’s school had been located next to the church in Alief, 15 miles away, but with the changing community in Alief the school was struggling to survive. Christ the Lord decided to follow a multisite approach—one congregation, two locations—to allow itself to reach out to the growing Hispanic community in Alief as well as to offer worship services and a private Christian education for a planned community in Sienna Plantation. About $925,000 in grants and loans from WELS CEF allowed the congregation to buy 16 acres of land and build its facility. The congregation eventually wants to build a worship sanctuary in Sienna Plantation as well.

On Sept. 16, Beautiful Savior, Bella Vista, Ark., will dedicate the congregation’s first worship facility since its start in 1997. Members had been worshipping in a rented storefront. Now, thanks to $336,000 in grants and loans from WELS CEF and labor from more than 25 volunteers from Builders For Christ over a three-month period, the 50-member congregation will be able to worship in its own permanent facility.

Peace in Jesus Vietnamese, Boise, Idaho, will be dedicating its new facility with a Vietnamese language worship service, a potluck, and an open house on Sept. 30. This 69-member congregation purchased and renovated an existing building. The congregation had been worshiping in a storefront but was displaced in August 2010 because of a fire. Since then the group has worshiped in a small leased space with limited parking. In 2011, Peace in Jesus received $250,000 from Home Missions to help with purchasing land or constructing a worship facility. This grant, part of a one-time $1 million grant from WELS CEF to Home Missions, was designated to help "kick-start" mission congregations to get into their own worship facility sooner. Peace in Jesus also received another $386,000 in loans and grants from WELS CEF. According to Rev. Daniel Kramer, pastor at Peace in Jesus, having a permanent facility will add credibility to this ministry, which is trying to reach out to more than two thousand Vietnamese souls in the area.

Halfway across the country, also on Sept. 30, Palabra de Vida (Word of Life), will be dedicating its new facility in Detroit, Mich. Palabra de Vida, which ministers to the Hispanic community, had been renting the church from Paul the Apostle Lutheran Church, a WELS congregation that serves English-speakers. Desiring to maintain a WELS presence in that Detroit community, Paul the Apostle sold the church building to Palabra de Vida so the facility could be maintained. A WELS CEF loan and grant, other donations, and many volunteers helped make the purchase and renovation possible. About 45 to 50 Hispanics worship weekly at Palabra de Vida.

Rev. Keith Free, administrator for Home Missions, calls WELS CEF an active supporter of WELS mission projects. "WELS CEF continues to be valuable to our mission effort as well as a valued partner in ministry," he says.

Although it did not receive WELS CEF monies for the project, Bethany, Appleton, Wis., is also dedicating a new childcare center on Sept. 23. Bethany was one of nine new missions or mission-minded congregations that received support from Home Missions in 2012. Bethany is expanding its childcare ministry and facility at a second site with the goal of starting a new congregation. Home Missions support allowed the congregation to have a third pastor so it can dedicate one of its pastors to reaching out to unchurched families using the childcare center.

Learn more about WELS Church Extension Fund at cef.wels.net. Learn more about Home Missions opportunities at www.wels.net/missions.