How We Advance Our Vision

The Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis and its sister organization, Send Me St. Louis, exist to provide Christian support that heals lives and communities. Central to our approach is a vision of the Church —congregations, Christian nonprofits/ministries, and individual believers—actively engaged in community, developing relationships and caring for the most vulnerable in our region.  

This approach is rooted in both Scripture and our origin story. Scripture calls us to care for the “widows and orphans” and the “foreigner among you” (James 1:27; Deuteronomy 10:18)—those who are marginalized and vulnerable. Likewise, the Foundation was created from the sale of a hospital that extended care and healing to those most in need. We continue to heed the call of scripture by supporting efforts that seek out those on the margins of our community who lack access to the resources necessary for healing and wholeness.  

We believe the flourishing of St. Louis is directly tied to how our region—and the Church—cares for its most vulnerable neighbors, and that ultimate, holistic healing is found in Jesus Christ.  

Guided by this conviction and shaped by a listening-informed planning process, Lutheran Foundation and Send Me St. Louis will pursue its vision by investing in and strengthening a supportive ministry ecosystem—one defined by resources and opportunities that extend:  

  • Opportunity for connection and RELATIONSHIP amongst ministry leaders from around the region and across different backgrounds (geography, denomination, context, ministry type, etc.). This is primarily delivered by Send Me St. Louis but blends with Lutheran Foundation’s network and opportunities to “blur the lines” are encouraged.  
  • Training and LEARNING opportunities for ministry leaders from St. Louis with a primary focus on Healthy Community Engagement and Effective Volunteer Management. Send Me St. Louis is the primary leader of this effort but may select trainings and cross promote with Lutheran Foundation to more directly serve funded partners.  
  • FUNDING that is responsive to the unique needs of our community, meets partners where they are, and is flexible as organizations evolve to meet the complex challenges they face. 
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