Helping People

Along with its mission to make known the love of Christ, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is committed to helping people in a multitude of ways.

Disaster Response

LCMS Disaster Response responds to immediate and long-term needs following natural and man-made disasters, working through LCMS districts and congregations, international Lutheran churches and other partners.

Life and Health Issues

LCMS Life Ministry is devoted to upholding the sanctity of human life, both in our church body and our society at large. We are actively involved in a variety of domestic and international programs to support and encourage life “in the image of God.”

LCMS Health Ministry works to support and promote Christ-centered health and wellness of body, mind and spirit through congregational health ministries and to promote and encourage Christ-centered health and wellness among our church workers.

Youth and Young Adults

LCMS Youth Ministry leads, serves, resources and networks youth and adults as a community of God’s people where Jesus Christ is the central focus.

Serving Church Workers

Among church work families, stories of making pennies stretch are both legendary and endless. A number of Veterans of the Cross — retired pastors, teachers and their spouses — live in poverty. This ministry provides stipends for impoverished retired church workers.

Since 2004, Soldiers of the Cross has provided emergency support and pastoral care for non-retired LCMS church workers based on financial need. Helping church workers retain health insurance is a top concern.

Operation Barnabas is a network of care to our nation’s military members, including mobilized pastors and their families. We serve all branches of the military, with a special emphasis on our Reserve members and their families.

Social Ministries

The LCMS works with about 300 Recognized Service Organizations (RSOs) to extend its social ministry. These independent organizations help people while fostering the mission and ministry of the LCMS through their programs and services.

Housing Support

The LCMS has been involved in community revitalization and home ownership for persons of modest means for more than 30 years. Lutheran Housing Support was founded by the LCMS as the housing and community revitalization arm of our church.

Disability Ministries

Jesus wants His church to have open doors, welcoming all people to worship. But for America’s 54 million men, women and children with disabilities, those doors can lead to barriers — barriers of architecture, communication and attitude. People with disabilities long to be connected to the Body of Christ. They have gifts and talents to share.

Join us on the journey

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Mission and Vision

The Lutheran Witness Magazine

MDFL Resource Center

Million Dollar Life Match

Church Work Recruitment Initiative

Caring for Ukraine

Contact Us

Email us

Church Info Center: 888-843-5267
Staff Switchboard: 800-248-1930
Donor Care Line: 888-930-4438

1333 S. Kirkwood Road, St. Louis, MO 63122-7226

Auxiliaries and Seminaries

Partners

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Inc., including Mission Central (in Mapleton, Iowa), is an IRS registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity.

A contribution designated (restricted) for a specific purpose, when accepted, will be used only to fund expenses related to that purpose. Occasionally, we may receive more in contributions for a particular purpose than can be wisely applied to it in the foreseeable future or the purpose may cease to be feasible. In these situations, the LCMS will make reasonable attempts to contact contributors to apply their contribution toward another aspect of ministry that aligns closely the contributor’s goals and values. If a contributor cannot be contacted, the LCMS will use the gift to meet a similar pressing need that most closely matches the contributor's original intent.

Consistent with Synod Board policy and in recognition of a more challenging economic and philanthropic/fundraising environment due to inflationary pressure, not more than 13.5 percent of any charitable contribution will be allocated to administering gifts and communicating with contributors. Contributions received and accepted by the LCMS are deemed to be in agreement with this statement.

Donor Transparency Resources