Paul the Apostle Lutheran, which has been in the community for around 75 years, saw a need arise in the neighborhood for more Spanish language outreach and ministry. Upon requesting funds from the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), the synod started our mission, Palabra de Vida, out of Paul the Apostle’s location. The purpose of our mission was and continues to be this: to reach out to o
ur community to meet the spiritual and physical needs of the community. We currently have two pastors (Ismael Sialer and Ryan Kolander). We have two Sunday worship services, one in English and the second in Spanish. For nearly a decade, the mission has changed, but has always kept at its forefront community engagement and outreach. For the first six years of the mission’s existence, we hosted English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Starting a few years ago, we partnered with Gleaners Community Food Bank to supply food for the community one to three times per month. We have hosted two to three clothing drives per year, working with groups like Latino and Huron Valley Lutheran High
School. Our pastors work with different agencies in our neighborhood—Urban Neighborhood Initiative, Congress of Communities, Patton Park Recreation Center, Compás Center of Music and Performing Art Southwest, Ford Resource and Engagement Center, Chadse-Condon, et al.—to find ways we can be a positive, contributing factor in Southwest Detroit. We host after-school children’s class once a week, workshops, social events for the community (such as a Valentine’s Dinner we hosted last month with over 75 adults in attendance). We also get into homes to counsel and to help couples who are having relationship or familial struggles, Yet in all we do, we strive to connect people to their only source of life - Jesus. We strive to continue to grow as a beacon in our community.