About Us
The Beginning
In the summer of 2014, The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod pastors of Flint's Tri-Circuit took a prayerful look at transforming one of its member churches on Flint’s east side into an urban mission center to meet the needs of a neighborhood in disrepair. The Michigan District LCMS agreed to support an attainable plan to preserve a meaningful presence in the community. A Flint Eastside Mission task force of LCMS pastors set goals and strategies to recruit congregational support. The plan required a 5-year financial and servanthood commitment from interested individuals and congregations. A video and brochure were developed and presented to member congregations to recruit support. By April of 2015, members from nine congregations committed to perform Operation Clean Up in cooperation with the Genesee County Land Bank. This “clean and green” effort resulted in mowing and clearing debris from more than 175 vacant lots on numerous weekends throughout the summer by more than 500 faithful servants.
Imagine, Ignite, Invite
IMAGINE a city where 62% of the children live below poverty, where 40% of the housing are abandons—where life for many is one big dumpster burn. Then imagine that some of these people in this urban setting (80%) hope for things we take for granted. They hope for a warm home, a roof over their head, health care, transportation, food and safe drinking water. Such a place exists.
It is Flint’s east side where the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS) has planted Franklin Avenue Mission (FAM) to serve the poor, hungry and homeless. God’s Holy Spirit has IGNITED the missional servants of FAM to be the hands, the feet, the face and the voice of Jesus Christ to the poor ones—to be a boots-on-ground church.
Accept this invitation to experience being a missionary in one of the more challenging areas of urban America today. You are INVITED to be the church and to walk with us in this effort.
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8