Congratulations to Servant of Christ Award winners

Pictured: Connie Phillips (center) with Kathleen and Evan Rogers, presenting the Servant of Christ award to First Evangelical Lutheran.

Each year, Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest recognizes congregations in the Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA as recipients of the Servant of Christ Award.

We are celebrating Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Tucson and First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mesa for winning the LSS-SW Servant of Christ award for 2021.

These congregations are leaders in social ministry and social justice in their community, have a connection to Lutheran Social Services programs in their area, and faithfully provide financial support for the service ministry of Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest.

We are excited to share with you this year's winners. Both congregations are dedicated to the work of Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest and have been long-standing partners in our work. To see past winners, visit our website at www.lss-sw.org/servant-of-christ.

Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Tucson was one of our original locations in Southern Arizona and has remained committed to the mission of LSS-SW for over 40 years. They have generously supported the work of LSS-SW for decades, especially refugee resettlement and older adult services. Our Saviour's has also hosted our offices in Tucson for the past two years, serving as a hub for local services.

First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mesa hosted our original clothing pantry in 1975, and started a food pantry in 1990 that distributes over 10,000 food boxes per year. Beyond the work of the food pantry, they supported family reunification work in 2018 and host one of our Family Resource Center locations.

Thank you to these congregations for being a blessing in our community. All of our partner congregations play a big role in our mission to stabilize lives in times of crisis and transition, build a foundation for people to thrive, and preserve dignity and respect for the most vulnerable.