Title: ELCA Mission Builders Needed for 2002 Projects
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

January 14, 2002

ELCA MISSION BUILDERS NEEDED FOR 2002 PROJECTS
02-08-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Mission Builders of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) hope to work with a dozen congregations in
2002, building or rehabilitating church-related facilities.  Dean Hiner,
North Platte, Neb., Mission Builders program director, said more
congregations have asked for help, but 20 volunteers are still needed to
meet current needs.
     Mission Builders is a program of the ELCA Division for Outreach.
Builders work alongside members of the building congregation and various
local professionals.  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, camps and
social ministry organizations 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.
     Hiner said Mission Builders worked with nine congregations in
2001:
 + Covenant Lutheran Community Church, Quartzsite, Ariz.;
 + Christ the King Lutheran Church, Cumming, Ga.;
 + Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Indianapolis;
 + First English Lutheran Church, Menahga, Minn.;
 + Hosanna! Lutheran Church, Liberty, Mo.;
 + Redeemer Lutheran Church, New Paltz, N.Y.;
 + Nativity Lutheran Church, Bend, Ore.;
 + St. John Lutheran Church, Chehalis, Wash.; and
 + Christ Lutheran Church, Somerset, Wis.
     Sixty Mission Builders were involved in those projects, which
makes a total of 660 Mission Builders that have been involved in helping
congregations since Mission Builders started in 1986, said Hiner.
Eleven workers were still working with the two congregations in Arizona
and Georgia as the new year began.
     The Mission Builders schedule for 2002 includes projects with 12
congregations:
 + Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Chesterton, Ind.;
 + Risen Lord Lutheran Church, Greenwood, Ind.;
 + Bread of Life Lutheran Church, Jenison, Mich.;
 + Bethany Lutheran Church, Deer River, Minn.;
 + Bethel Lutheran Church, Little Falls, Minn.;
 + Nativity Lutheran Church, Bend, Ore.;
 + Trinity Lutheran Church, Hermiston, Ore.;
 + Immanuel Lutheran Church, Elk Point, S.D.;
 + St. John Lutheran Church, Chehalis, Wash.;
 + Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Eagle River, Wis.;
 + Hainesville Lutheran Church, Sturgeon Bay, Wis.; and
 + Trinity Lutheran Church, Washington Island, Wis.
     Hiner said 50 Mission Builders have signed up to work in 2002, but
20 more are needed.  "There are other congregations that have asked
Mission Builders to work with them this next summer, but I have had to
tell them that it does not look possible," he said.
-- -- --
     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 [log in to unmask]
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html