Serve with Us Globally

God, whose love knows no boundaries, calls us to serve all. GSLC members and friends have participated in U.S.-based relief efforts, particularly related to Hurricane Katrina.


As a practical matter, much of our global assistance is financial donations to organizations that work within communities to meet needs with an accompaniment model. We support the work of the church around the world through the groups below and invite you to join us.


Interested in learning more about any of these organizations or spear-heading an effort? Learn more at the links below or contact Pastor Kate.

Companion Synods & Sister Congregation

Good Shepherd, with the other churches of the Metro DC Synod, is a companion synod with ELCA synods in El Salvador, Namibia and Slovakia.


We are a sister congregation with Onangalo Lutheran church in Namibia.

ELCA World Hunger

ELCA World Hunger is uniquely positioned to reach communities in need. From health clinics to microloans, water wells to animal husbandry, community meals to advocacy—gifts to ELCA World Hunger make it possible to respond, supporting sustainable solutions that get at the root causes of hunger and poverty.

Holy Land Christians

For centuries, Bethlehem Christians have relied on tourism for their livelihood. But for too long, conflict, war and the COVID-19 pandemic have led to substantial decreases in tourism—unemployment is high and Christians struggle for daily bread.


Several times each year, the Holy Land Christian Solidarity Cooperative (HLCSC) visits Good Shepherd to share a greeting of gospel and peace, and display beautiful olivewood nativities, crosses, ornaments, candleholders and more. Olivewood is native to the Holy Land and has been cultivated there since ancient times. It’s a hardwood that retains its beauty for generations.


HLCSC art is also available online—buying one piece of supports a Christian family for a few days. Let us carefully tend and preserve our Christian roots in the Holy Land.

Olivewood art: Top left, cutting board and carved cross. Top right, mosaic-looking ceramic plate, wooden goblet and woman at the well carving. Bottom left, 2 full nativity sets; a Mary, baby Jesus and Joseph carving. Bottom right, top of a cross with a carving of the Last Supper

Lutheran Disaster Response

Lutheran Disaster Response brings God’s hope, healing and renewal to people whose lives have been disrupted by disasters in the United States and around the world. When the dust settles and the headlines change, Lutheran Disaster Response stays, providing ongoing assistance to those in need.

Lutheran World Relief

Affirming God’s love for all people, Lutheran World Relief works around the world to end poverty, injustice and human suffering.

Missionary Support

Through regular financial support and prayer, Good Shepherd supports Stephen Deal, an ELCA pastor serving as a missionary in Central America, stationed in Costa Rica. Pastor Deal connects with our congregation when he is in the U.S. and sends periodic letters. A few are below:


From: Stephen Deal

To: Friends in Christ

Sent: Tue, Nov 17, 2020 3:42 pm

Subject: Back-to-Back Hurricanes in Central America


Dear Friends in Christ,

Here in Central America, our ELCA companions are going through one of the most difficult 2-week periods that I can remember during my missionary service here in the region.


First, it was Hurricane Eta that quickly developed into a Category 4 hurricane and left a trail of death and destruction in Nicaragua, Honduras & Guatemala during the first week of November.


In case the media coverage of Hurricane Eta has been limited in your area, I’m including this link to a CNN news story with dramatic images from a few of the affected areas.


Barely two weeks later, the same three countries are bracing for the impact of Hurricane Iota which, like Eta, strengthened quickly into a Category 5 hurricane last weekend as it moved west into the Caribbean Sea.


Just before Iota made landfall last night along the coast of Nicaragua, it weakened slightly back to a Category 4 hurricane. As it moved inland this morning, it weakened further to a Category 1 hurricane and will probably be downgraded to a tropical storm later today.


Even without hurricane-force winds, Iota will continue to dump record rainfall levels in some of the same areas that were barely beginning to recover from the catastrophic flooding caused by Eta.


Please pray for our brothers and sisters here in Central America.


Catastrophic material losses are unavoidable at this point. We just pray that everyone will be safe and that no additional lives will be lost.


Once the worst of Iota passes and the full scope of the damages from both hurricanes are clear, please consider sending congregational/individual offerings to Lutheran Disaster Response to help support the hurricane relief response plan that we are developing with our companion churches and ecumenical partners in Central America.


Thank you in advance for your concern, your prayers and financial support.

With peace,

Stephen


(Received Sept. 15, 2017)

Dear Friends in Christ,

Greetings to all of you on Central American Independence Day here in Costa Rica. The long holiday weekend gives me a chance to send a missionary update that I’ve been trying to complete for some time.


For our sponsoring congregations in the mid-Atlantic region, this is not the first time that you have heard me refer to ELCA’s comprehensive AMMPARO strategy – adopted overwhelmingly at our Churchwide Assembly in August 2016.


It was the central topic of my home assignment visits in August 2016 (mostly in the state of PA) and again at the beginning of 2017 (in the Washington, DC, area).


For those of you in other parts of the U.S., I hope you have heard about AMMPARO through other channels. If not, I have the privilege of being the bearer of this Good News. If you are interested in more information read the AMMPARO News from Central America newsletter (pdf) or feel free to ask.


Finally, Marta and I continue to be grateful for your prayers, offerings & other expressions of support that make it possible for us to serve as ELCA missionaries here in Central America.

With peace,

Stephen


AMMPARO News from Central America newsletter, Sept. 2017 (pdf)


Visit the ELCA Global Mission website to learn more.