Reaching Out Around the World

Jesus' call to this community is to reach out to others with the love of Christ. Thanks to the generosity of many people, we are reaching out to friends across the world. 

  • ELCA World hunger

    More than 800 million people - that's 11 percent of people in our world today - are hungry.  As members of the ELCA, we are called to respond. We are a church that rolls up our sleeves and gets to work.   Working with and through our congregations in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands Lutheran churches overseas and other partners, ELCA World Hunger is uniquely positioned to reach communities in need. From health clinics to micro-loans, water wells to animal husbandry, community meals to advocacy, your gifts to ELCA World Hunger make it possible for the ELCA to respond, supporting sustainable solutions that get at the root causes of hunger and poverty.

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  • Lutheran World Relief

    At Lutheran World Relief, we envision a future where all people in every corner of the world can live full, dignified lives. Founded by Lutherans in the United States at the end of World War II, grounded in Lutheran theology, and building on decades of experience, Lutheran World Relief tackles global poverty by helping people adapt to the challenges that threaten their livelihoods and well-being. We work with people based on need, regardless of race, religion, or nationality, and we do not evangelize. We provide aid in emergencies and help families restore their lives. We partner with communities to build and grow rural economies. We break the cycle of poverty, so families and communities can thrive.


    Our goal is to help people build self‐sufficiency and create new community‐owned approaches to problem‐solving that will last long after the end of our projects.

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  • Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile

    In late April 2012, the Western Iowa Synod signed a covenant with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile (IELCH). Its synod headquarters, four congregations, and two mission outreach sites are located in the capital city of Santiago; six congregations, two mission outreach sites, and one bible camp are located to the south of Santiago. In 2014, 15 individuals from throughout the synod (including three from St. Mark) traveled to Chile to learn about the work of the IELCH and to connect with companion congregations. St Mark is a companion congregation with the La Trinidad (translates as "Trinity") Lutheran Church in Santiago, Chile. 

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  • Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania

    Early in 2006, St. Mark Lutheran and Lupembe Lutheran Parish in Lupembe, Tanzania signed a Congregation Covenant. This relationship is part of the relationship between the Western Iowa Synod of the ELCA and the Southern Diocese of the ELCT. In this covenant, we committed ourselves to strengthening one another for life and mission within the body of Christ through prayer, exchange of people and resources, and a mutual walk in the journey of Christian faith. Between 160 and 220, worship at one of the Lupembe Parish’s seven preaching points (churches): Lupembe Station, Igumbilo, Ihangana, Udinda, Iwanginyi, Mbato, and Kanikelele. The parish supports 13 workers (four officers, seven evangelists, one music teacher, and one parish worker) and 45 church elders. There are also Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist, and Assembly of God churches in the area. St. Mark members and Western Iowa Synod staff have traveled to Lupembe Parish six times and hosted guests from Lupembe and the Southern Diocese once (2011). St. Mark members have raised funds to reroof the Lupembe church and have supported synod projects for the Center for Agricultural Development (CAD), the Well Project, and the Igumbilo Secondary Girls School.

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