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Your Generosity is a Beacon
of HOPE for the Hurting! As we approach the end of 2024, I want to thank you for your unwavering support of Lutheran Church Charities. Your faithful generosity this year has been a beacon of HOPE FOR THE HURTING. Through your partnership with LCC, you have reached out to individuals and families who are navigating their darkest moments — the anguish of losing a loved one, the despair after a natural disaster, the heaviness of grief.
Each gift you have made to LCC has not just been a charitable donation; it is a LIFELINE that you have extended to thousands of precious people, dearly loved by Jesus. And now in the final weeks of 2024, the demand for emotional and spiritual care has reached unprecedented levels. In the wake left by devastating hurricanes and tragic school shootings, the communities we serve are in urgent need of assistance and encouragement. A strong response to our 12/31 year-end fundraising campaign is CRUCIAL to ensuring that we can continue to make a difference in the lives of those in crisis. Your support is ESSENTIAL in helping us provide the care and comfort that reflects the presence of Jesus, which they so desperately need. Will you continue your support of Lutheran Church Charities as 2024 draws to a close? I sincerely hope you will. As President and CEO, I deeply value the trust you place in LCC. It is a BLESSING that empowers all LCC ministry teams — Disaster Response, Hearts of Mercy & Compassion, Human Care, and K-9 Comfort Dogs — to share the mercy, compassion, and presence of Jesus Christ with those who are suffering and in need. With your ongoing support, I truly believe we can make a profound difference in the lives of many — offering not just tangible aid, but a message of eternal HOPE. THANK YOU for being our partner in sharing the comfort of Jesus! 
Rev. Chris Singer
President/CEO Lutheran Church Charities 
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HUMAN CARE MINISTRY
Paige Clendenin explains how much the Hospitality House in Carpentersville, IL, has blessed her family during a medical crisis.
"HOSPITALITY HOUSE IS MORE THAN A PLACE TO STAY."
In early 2022, COVID was a menace to the Clendenin family.
Everyone got it: Husband David, wife Paige, their three adopted children, David’s mother. The entire family. Contracting the virus led to David needing a double lung transplant, and the family traveled out-of-state to Chicago for the procedure. David ended up on a ventilator for three weeks and in a medically induced coma after. With a paralyzed diaphragm, he would be in intensive care for months. All the family could do was pray. The Clendenins had been staying in a single motel room so they could be close to David, but as his treatment timeline became longer and more complex, the family needed a more permanent place to stay. Heightened anxiety, restlessness, and limited space to play increased strain among the children, including more frequent epileptic seizures for daughter Missy. Their hospital case manager connected them with Lutheran Church Charities and Faith Lutheran Church in Carpentersville, IL, which had a property where the family could live until David recovered. They call it a Hospitality House. “But we like to think of it as a home,” said Faith Lutheran’s Pastor Mark Frusti. The small congregation in the northern Chicago suburbs transformed an unused parsonage into a welcoming shelter, designed to help a family navigating a crisis with short-term housing. The house needed significant repairs. Volunteers from 20 churches pitched in, and 16 professional contractors contributed time and resources to refurbish the property. God provided at every turn. Skilled workers. Materials. Permits. When a company that had promised free kitchen countertops went out of business, a new vendor stepped in to fill the need. “Using our property for outreach to the community is the center of our ministry,” Pastor Frusti said. “Our mission goal has been to show kindness, to show mercy, to love others, and most of all, to share the good news of Jesus Christ.” Paige Clendenin says the Hospitality House is perfect for their family. Since moving into the house in late July, the Clendenins have learned that some of their neighbors are members of Faith |
Lutheran and have rushed over any time the family has had questions or a need. Pastor Frusti has given them rides to and from the hospital, has visited David, and prayed with him.
“It feels more personal to have someone who is right here,” said Paige, who is legally blind. “In the world we live in, it’s hard to remember that there are individuals out there that care about people they don’t even know yet,” she said. “LCC has been a great partner,” Pastor Frusti said, “assisting with transportation, accommodations, and locating resources.” “Lutheran Church Charities really does care for people, and they show it in tangible ways,” he said. “They get the help where it needs to be immediately.” “The Hospitality House is a ministry of mercy and compassion,” says Denise Snider, Director of LCC’s Human Care ministry. “The house is more than a place to stay. It represents a relationship of care and support between the congregation and the Clendenin family,” Denise added. “The Hospitality House is where families can experience God’s love as they take their next steps forward. The Faith Lutheran ministry team will surround the family with support, comfort, and encouragement. We are grateful for this partnership in ministry to offer the mercy, compassion, presence, and proclamation of Jesus to the family.” A tour of the Hospitality House: https://vimeo.com/1006648951 With David weaned off the ventilator and transferred to a long-term care facility this fall, his recovery prospects have improved. But he still faces a challenging and lengthy road ahead. Yet, the family sees the kindness and care shown to them as a gift they want to give to someone someday. “We want to be able to help another family that is going through what we have been through ... because we have been blessed so much,” Paige said. As a supporter of LCC, your financial gifts have made this Spirit-led story of possible. We thank you. You are making a difference in the lives of untold people and entire communities. For this work to continue and even grow, would you provide an extra gift to LCC’s 12/31 Year-End Campaign? |