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ELCA Mission Builders Plan Nine Projects in 2003


From News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>
Date Mon, 27 Jan 2003 16:36:55 -0600

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

January 27, 2003

ELCA MISSION BUILDERS PLAN NINE PROJECTS IN 2003
03-013-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Sixty-three Mission Builders of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in American (ELCA) have signed up to work on
construction projects with nine congregations in 2003.	"There are
several projects that could be ready to build by fall, so hopefully more
Mission Builders can be involved," said Dean Hiner, North Platte, Neb.,
program director.
     Mission Builders is a program of the ELCA Division for Outreach.
Builders work alongside members of the building congregation and
subcontractors.  Builders have also worked on several Lutheran Disaster
Response projects following hurricanes, floods and other natural
disasters.
     Mission Builders are Christians with considerable construction
skills and other "handy" folks helping congregations, schools and camps
of the ELCA build their facilities.  Most are retired, but others take
an extended vacation with their families, willing to share their skills
and faith and to work for minimum wage.
     Mission Builders plan to help build three mission churches and
additions to six churches in 2003:
 + Cross of Grace Lutheran Church, New Palestine, Ind.
 + Trinity Lutheran Church, Hillsdale, Mich.
 + Kent Memorial Lutheran Church, Sunrise Beach, Mo.
 + Bethany Lutheran Church, Warren, Ore.
 + Springs of Grace Lutheran Church, Boiling Springs (Spartanburg), S.C.
 + Mision Luterana San Pablo, Weslaco, Texas
 + Galilean Lutheran Church, Ocean Shores, Wash.
 + Bethesda Lutheran Church, Bayfield, Wis.
 + Christ Community Lutheran Church, Green Bay, Wis.
     Hiner said there are currently 117 Mission Builders.  Together,
they have been involved in 415 construction projects.  Ninety-six of the
117 have worked on more than one project, with one person having worked
on 14 projects.  The average Mission Builder has worked on more than
four projects.
     Hiner said Mission Builders worked with nine congregations in
2002:
 + Christ the King Lutheran Church, Cumming, Ga.
 + Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Chesterton, Ind.
 + Bethany Lutheran Church, Deer River, Minn.
 + Bethel Lutheran Church, Little Falls, Minn.
 + Trinity Lutheran Church, Hermiston, Ore.
 + Immanuel Lutheran Church, Elk Point, S.D.
 + St. John's Lutheran Church, Chehalis, Wash.
 + Hainesville Lutheran Church, Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
 + Trinity Lutheran Church, Washington Island, Wis.
     Seventy-eight Mission Builders were involved in those projects,
which makes a total of 705 Mission Builders who have been involved in
helping 112 congregations since Mission Builders started in 1986, said
Hiner.
     "We always need more Mission Builders," said Hiner, "but you can
see from these figures that Mission Builders love what they are doing,
or they wouldn't keep doing it."
-- -- --
     Information about Mission Builders is linked to
http://www.elca.org/do/builders.html on the ELCA Web site.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html


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