We say that a lot in the Missions Department. We love encouraging others to serve locally or in Honduras, especially when we get to see that life-changing moment that makes people want to serve others again and again.
My favorite stories are when I challenge someone to love their neighbor by some small act of kindness or generosity, and they blow me away with the relational ministry moment that they experienced with someone they’ve maybe lived next to for years, but never really knew. The life that Jesus demonstrated and requires is really pretty simple to explain...Love God. Love others. If everything we say or do extends from that, imagine the positive impact we would have on this world. I truly hope this Missions Gift Catalog is a tool you can use to see how Jesus has motivated His followers to love others. Use it as an opportunity to practice generosity and a way to teach others. You will receive the gift of giving and the joy of knowing that your gift impacts the lives of real people, created in God’s image...just like you.
Paul Cheney, Director of Missions and Outreach
GOD: Trusting the One who is actively working to see His designs fully realized in us.
SELF: Recognizing our inherent dignity and selfworth as image-bearers.
OTHERS: Maintaining positive, mutually beneficial, and generous relationships.
CREATION: Caring for and using the earth to support ourselves as a result of meaningful work.
Poverty is not a lack of material goods. It’s a symptom of a world full of broken relationships. We all have brokenness in at least one of our four fundamental relationships. So, we are all poor. But we are also all rich in other relationships. We can’t save the world, but Jesus can, and we get to be part of his redemptive restoration plan as we work, serve, and love in this world. Everyone is worthy of our time and emotional investment, and we all have something to learn from each other.
· Read about the ways God is using His people to be on mission locally and around the world. · Prayerfully consider financially sponsoring the mission effort that tugs at your heart. · Got kids? Sit down with them and do the same. Let them pick out their favorite mission effort to support. Teach them how generosity comes from the heart... not the bank account...and how God showed His generosity through Jesus. SHARES:
Regardless of your budget, you can donate to help heal brokenness in this world. Through the option to purchase a “share” of a project or item(s), you are able to donate smaller amounts while still contributing toward the mission effort in which you are most interested.
While our teams and clinics are only in the country for a week, the faithful Honduran doctors, dentists, pastors, and other local leaders live, work, and serve in their communities every single day. But, for the week we are there, they take time (and thus income) off from their own work to serve their fellow Hondurans. STORY: Michelle came to a Heart for Honduras
medical brigade when she was just a girl. She was recruited to help translate and developed an interest in medicine. Now, recently graduated from medical school (and seen as family by many on the H4H team), Michelle volunteers her own time to serve as a doctor on the team, giving her time and compassion to serve the people of her home country of Honduras.
We have great partners that provide medicines, glasses, and dental instruments at low cost. Because of groups like the Tomball Lions Club, Blessings International, MAP International, Restoring Vision, and more, we are able to serve up to 5000 people per mission. STORY: Something as simple as a pair of
reading glasses from the Dollar Store can make a huge difference in a person’s life. Many people express great joy at the ability to once again read their Bible.
The best ideas for Honduras come from leaders in Honduras. While local medical professionals provide physical care, local pastors provide equally important spiritual care in a context and method appropriate for their own culture and custom. Whether in small groups or one-on-one, these local pastors treasure the opportunity they get to meet and spend time with their neighbors. STORY: Pastors Lucio and Manuel expressed a desire to spread the physical and spiritual benefits of the brigade to other parts of their large community. They volunteered to train all the new pastors three months before we arrive, not just to help run the brigade, but more importantly, to follow up with new believers and use “cell groups” as a discipleship strategy. These selfless pastors want to see the blessings they have received not be held tightly, but rather shared with those around them.
Water is life, and it draws a community together. We take it for granted with our long showers, irrigated yards, and flushing toilets. Clean water is a precious resource, and a well and filtration system can radically change a neighborhood and improve the health of a community. STORY: Not only did Pastor Manuel shepherd his community through hurricane destruction and the Homes for Hope rebuilding, he aquired property to drill a water well and start a children’s feeding program for kids who come together from rival gang territories. He dreams of the day that these kids won’t end up as gang rivals. They’ll just be friends and neighbors. It’s not suprising that his church is growing and serving others in the community.
Brazos de Jesús. “Arms of Jesus” is a fitting name for a school that gathers children who live in a garbage dump and changes their lives forever. It’s not just book learning. These kids are learning skills that will allow them to break the cycle of poverty, giving them a hopeful future. Education is the key to escaping a life of poverty and living in the trash dump. STORY: When Pastor Carlos went into the dump for the first time, he found Jesus. Jesús was the first little boy he met there. But the child that changed him forever was a little girl he found digging through the trash looking for a toy. Carlos asked her, “Do you want to go to school?” Her eyes lit up as something so far out of reach was now a possibility for her. Pastor Carlos asked her what she found in the trash that day. With those bright, hope-filled eyes, she looked up at him and said, “I found you!”
Imagine living in a trash dump and picking through it every day to find food, clothing, building materials, and items to sell. This is not how God meant for His children to live. The reality of a broken world in need of Jesus is clearly evident in Honduras as well as in our own home towns. It is faithful, dedicated leaders from within the community who have the greatest chance of making change. Our duty is to come alongside those leaders to be an ally, reflecting our Savior, not pretending to be a savior. STORY: Join our Honduras Exposure Trip mission teams and our indigenous partners to work toward the long-term sustainability of the Brazos de Jesús school and the dump community nearby.
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Do you have strong feelings about immigration? Be part of the solution and help address the root causes. Extreme poverty, gang violence, lack of education, and poor healthcare are the classic conditions that can lead a family to choose the dangerous journey across multiple countries in the hope of finding a better life in the United States. STORY: Join with our Heart for Honduras mission teams and our Honduran partners to work toward longterm community development. Make hope for a future a reality in Honduras.
When called to love God and love our neighbors, the closest people we have to love are right here in our community. Salem’s mission and ministry to the Tomball area has been central to the life of the church for 150+ years! Our Heart for Texas local missions focus on the mission field made up of our literal next door neighbors. Engaging missionally with our neighbors can often feel overwhelming and time consuming. Being on mission is not always about grand gestures and lengthy time commitments, but about intentionality and genuine care.
STORY: One Salem couple has figured out how to be missional in simple but powerful ways in the midst of their daily routine. The husband, who works at a business with a number of young employees, has taken it on himself to intentionally invest in and mentor these young men and women. He begins each day with a short but impactful inspirational meeting to encourage and minister to each of them. Meanwhile, his wife, an elder care nurse, realized that often, just as important as the medical care her patients are receiving, is the relational care. She takes the time to listen to them, hear their stories, and invest in a relationship with them demonstrating the love of Christ uniquely to each and every one.
Did you know that every person who has insurance, investments, or other financial products from Thrivent has access to hundreds of dollars in Action Team funds that we can use for local mission projects like Serve Day, Families Feeding Families, Trunk-or-Treat, Helping Hands, and more? Contact Paul Cheney at pcheney@salem4u.com to find out more.
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Just can’t decide? Too many great mission gifts to choose just one? We can help! Think of yourself as a first responder. When a critical need arises in our community, gifts like yours will go directly to meet that need. When you give where needed most, it allows us to be flexible and adaptive and be able to respond quickly to a need.
Whether it’s a widow whose spouse is no longer here to do handyman jobs around the house, a financial situation that makes repairs unaffordable, or just someone who doesn’t know who to trust outside their church family, the Helping Hands team gives an honest assessment of the job and fixes the problem, usually at no cost to the homeowner. Relational care for the homeowner is just as important to this team as taking care of the physical need.
STORY: Repairing damage to a pergola caused by a recent storm seemed like a normal Helping Hands request from a fellow Salem member. As we began the work, it became clear that this project was especially meaningful because of the declining health of this woman’s husband. As she was focused on juggling her normal routine and the demands of the medical appointments and special needs, the additional stress of fixing the pergola just overwhelmed her. The physical work to repair the pergola was important, but the emotional support in a time of need was the true helping hand for this Salem member.
Since the great Galveston hurricane of 1900, Salem has responded when natural disasters strike the Gulf Coast. We mobilize right after an event, but also stay for the long haul, working to rebuild homes and lives years after the event has passed and the media attention has moved on. The Disaster Response team uses their hearts and hands to provide hope for restoration and a better future.
1 in 4 kids in the Houston area will go hungry today. Just by providing a healthy meal on a regular basis, we will see kids hospitalized less frequently, have a lower risk of developing chronic conditions, and have fewer academic, behavioral, and social problems. Salem Church and School, in partnership with Houston’s Kids Against Hunger, packs more than 50,000 meals a year. Most of these meals end up right here in our local food banks and feeding programs for students during the summer.
Tomball Pregnancy Center - Pro-life means all-life. Tomball Pregnancy Center cares for born and unborn babies and the mothers (and fathers) who raise them. Your support helps provide honest, compassionate healthcare options, pregnancy and STD testing, ultrasound appointments, counseling, and more. TEAM: Tomball Emergency Assistance Ministries Where do people turn when life has gone terribly wrong? Whether it’s a lack of food or a financial need, TEAM is the partner we refer to first. Become a partner with TEAM, committed to working beyond the immediate crisis to help clients find financial, physical, and spiritual stability.
Love146 – End Child Trafficking and Exploitation. For most people this is not a “boots-on-the-ground” calling, but there are those who have made this their life’s work. Promote justice, mercy, and hope by supporting the efforts of Love146 locally and internationally through prevention education, rescue efforts, and aftercare. Families Feeding Families – Every year, on the day before Thanksgiving, FFF throws a huge community event right here at Salem for neighbors in need. Guests receive a traditional turkey dinner, groceries donated by our Salem School students, clothing donated by Resale With A Purpose, haircuts, hygiene kits, spiritual care, and access to other community resources and providers. Help others in our community enjoy this annual event.
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COMMUNI AL TY NU EV N A
TOMAGWA – Access to affordable healthcare is easy to take for granted. For thousands of families here in TOmball, MAGnolia, and WAller, quality healthcare isn’t a financial option. Join the TOMAGWA Healthcare Clinic as it serves the underserved, treating patients with love and respect and providing for their healthcare needs. The Renewal Center – Community. It’s something vital to human life. The Renewal Center and their Re:Bar café provide a place of belonging, spiritual healing, and recovery support. By supporting TRC, you become part of a “third place,” a place to find a loving, accepting community that isn’t work or home…plus amazing food and drinks!
Does your place of work offer matching funds? If your business can’t give to a church, contact Paul Cheney at pcheney@salem4u.com or 281-351-8223 to give directly to Heart for Honduras or Heart for Texas, both of which are 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations. Thank you for supporting the mission. Now go be part of it!
salem4u.com/giftcatalog
22601 Lutheran Church Road Tomball,Texas 77377
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