In Matthew Jesus says “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Ileje Congregation

Lutheran missionaries from Germany established their first mission station in Tanzania in 1890. From that small beginning the Luther Church in Tanzania has grown to having over 6 million members today.  St Matthew prays for and financially supports our sister congregation in the Konde Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.

Lutheran World Relief (LWR) Quilts

Imagine the comfort that comes from a hug at the time when you need it most. That’s the feeling you can share with an LWR Quilt. Through a simple combination of fabric and thread, you can reach out to people in their time of greatest need with a strong message of hope — you are not alone. First and foremost, recipients use their LWR Quilts to shield against the cold and rain, and for warm bedding. But their versatility also makes Quilts useful as simple tents, floor coverings, or a wrap to hold a baby on a mother’s back. St Matthew members and friends gather together throughout the year to make quilts (usually more than one hundred each year!).

Luther World Relief Kits

Once a year members and friends of St Matthew gather to pack Personal Care Kits and School Kits for distribution by LWR. Personal Care Kits are shared with people who have lost everything from a natural disaster or life-threatening violence. Give hope through a bar of soap. School Kits are sent to places where even the few required school supplies may be more than a family can afford. Pencils and paper can help write a positive future.

ELCA World Hunger

Working through ELCA congregations, global companion churches, The Lutheran World Federation and other partners like Bread for the World, Church World Service, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service and Lutheran World Relief, the ELCA reaches more places more effectively than we could ever do alone. In addition to funding relief and development projects that assist our sisters and brothers in need, we engage members of the ELCA in education and advocacy to help change the systems that perpetuate poverty. St Matthew members support this progam with prayers and cash donations.