Reaching Out to Share the Gospel

Over the next year, WELS Christian Aid and Relief will be supporting a range of humanitarian aid projects and outreach programs, including medical clinics, literacy programs, and food distribution, in mission fields across Africa, Europe, Latin America, and South Asia. The committee was able to distribute $260,000, an increase over last year.

Mr. Tom Hering, Christian Aid and Relief committee member, says, “The ultimate goal of Christian Aid and Relief's humanitarian aid, or acts of Christian love, is to in a thoughtful and proactive way and with God's blessing, build bridges to people that will make it possible to bring the gospel to them.”

While several ongoing efforts are receiving continued funding, new projects are also underway and receiving resources they need to reach out to community members.

In one Cameroon village, the chief and elders are members of the local church and provided land to build a four-bed medical clinic. Funding for medicine and equipment will help open the doors to the community.

“By establishing a presence of Christian caring and compassion, we have seen how the Lord allows God's people to also provide care for a people's greatest need - the need to learn about their Savior, Jesus,” says Hering.

New projects in Nepal include a Women’s outreach program, tailoring activities and sessions in rural and remote to provide opportunities to share the gospel with local women. Also in Nepal, a literacy program has been approved to teach both Christians and non-Christians to read and to encourage them to read the Bible and participate in Bible study programs.

WELS will also be supplying hospital beds, operating lights and other medical equipment to a local hospital in Pakistan, equipping it with the tools needed for good medical care. By maintaining a good reputation for medical care, the staff can maintain a positive reputation in the community, allowing the workers to more freely distribute Christian materials through the Bible Correspondence and Teaching School, which serves more than 26,000 children and adults.

“The greatest blessing of showing Christian love and compassion through humanitarian aid projects is that the Lord often opens doors to show the love of Jesus in a natural way to people who don't know the Savior,” says Hering. “Missionaries, national pastors and other Christians can then share the good news of what Jesus has done for them and for their eternal life.”

Visit WELS Christian Aid and Relief for more information.