The Lutheran Church in Madagascar improves fishermen community and families’ livelihoods through tailored trainings and targeted support. Photo: MLC
"Sharing hope that empowers churches and people”
(LWI) – From training fishermen and women in Madagascar, to peacebuilding in Cameroon, to supporting people with disabilities in Colombia, Lutheran churches are putting faith into action and transforming their communities. With support from The Lutheran World Federation (LWF), such projects show how local initiatives contribute to global change. Building on this commitment, the LWF is now inviting proposals for long-term projects starting in 2027, in line with its mission of “sharing hope that empowers churches and people to make a positive difference in the world“ as outlined in the LWF Strategy 2025–2031.
“These projects are a way for the global communion to connect with the member churches as they respond to concrete needs in their own contexts,” said Rev. Dr. Sivin Kit, LWF Director for the Department for Theology, Mission and Justice (DTMJ). “I have been deeply inspired and impressed by the projects, their effectiveness and impact, and how they show God’s compassion through concrete action.”
Selection process and application support
Eligible for applications are LWF member churches. It is possible to submit a new project application, as well as to apply for a second term of an existing project. Member churches with projects concluding in 2026 are invited to submit new continuation applications, with second phases extending until 2029.
All long-term project submissions will be reviewed during January and February 2026. Shortlisted projects will be invited to provide additional information to strengthen their applications. The Committee for Member Church Projects—comprising LWF Council representatives from each of the seven regions and representatives from related funding agencies—will meet in May 2026 to make final approval decisions.
We are committed to improving LWF’s accompaniment during the project design phase. To this end, we are now offering several step-by-step workshops to support project holders in preparing strong applications and strengthening their project development skills.
Ms Rebekka Meissner, LWF Program Executive for Member Church Projects
“The projects LWF supported in recent years paint a colorful picture of member churches witnessing in their context. From Sunday school teacher trainings to ecologically responsible livelihoods in coastal areas, and from prevention of domestic violence to empowering women and girls, they show us how churches can become messengers of hope in their community”, says Rebekka Meissner, LWF Program Executive for Member Church Projects
To help applicants write strong applications, LWF offers accompaniment during the project design phase. “We are now offering several step-by-step workshops to support project holders in preparing strong applications and strengthening their project development skills,” Meissner adds.
Between October and December 2025, LWF will offer five one-hour workshops on project design, covering all steps from needs assessment to application submission processes. During these workshops, participants will receive guidance, including identifying key stakeholders, formulating objectives, designing effective activities with desired outcomes, developing indicators for monitoring and evaluation, and aligning project budgets with activities. In addition, two drop-in sessions will provide space for project-specific questions.
58 projects, 39 countries
In 2025, the LWF budget allocated for 58 member church projects in 39 countries was €1,246,624, involving collaboration with 54 project holders. The projects were distributed across various program areas such as Action for Justice, Diakonia, Leadership and Institutional Development, and Theology for Transformation. All these projects demonstrated LWF’s continued dedication to empowering communities and strengthening churches through locally rooted and contextually relevant initiatives.
The Arcot Lutheran Church empowers Dalit women in Tiruvannamalai through rights education, skills training and self-help groups. Photo: ALC
As part of its Diakonia project, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe organized planting trees activity at Manama Bible School. Photo: ELCZ
LWF staff conducted various monitoring and evaluation visits to assess project progress and engage directly with beneficiaries. The projects have led to a meaningful and far-reaching impact, strengthening local capacity, promoting social inclusion, and addressing critical societal challenges with tangible results.
Churches who would like to participate in an application workshop should send an email to [email protected] by 26 September 2025.
Please see links below for further details
- Workshop schedule details
- Eligibility criteria for detailed application procedures
