LWML > Resources > Heart to Heart Sisters

Heart to Heart Sisters

The purpose of the Heart to Heart Sisters Task Force is to motivate, equip, and ensure opportunities for women of diverse ethnic groups to serve the church and witness to the world.

The LWML has chosen “Embracing Our Diversity” as one of its critical targets, recognizing that the Body of Christ grows and is strengthened when sisters of every age, class, culture, and ethnic group are sought out to participate actively in the mission of LWML.

The LWML recognizes that there are gifted ethnic women serving with joy and passion in many ethnic-specific ministries throughout the LCMS. However, because of the nature of ethnic-specific ministry, and the fact that many of these women leaders are converts to Christianity themselves, they are unfamiliar with the culture of the LCMS and LWML. They often feel isolated from the church-at-large.

One of the programs that has been organized by the Heart to Heart Sisters Task Force is the Heart to Heart Sisters Program, an intentional effort to include ethnic women into the life and work of the LWML. The first Heart to Heart Sisters participated in the LWML convention in 2003 in Oklahoma City. Since that time, over 100 women from a variety of ethnic groups have participated in the Heart to Heart Sisters Program at a national LWML convention.

Through the work of the Heart to Heart Sisters Task Force, LWML commits to valuing the ministries of ethnic women throughout the LCMS. One of the first steps is to identify women leaders in these ethnic-specific ministries. Through the Heart to Heart Program, we let them know that as women of the LCMS, they are already members of the LWML, the official women’s auxiliary of the LCMS. This is largely unknown to ethnic women of our Synod.

We discover ways for ethnic women to connect with other LCMS women and participate in the leadership of the LWML. Their participation will enhance and enrich the ministry of the entire LWML, as well as model the character of the Body of Christ and the heavenly assembly where we will be a people “from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:9b).

We are committed to assist LWML Districts in establishing a Heart to Heart Sisters program so that women from all ministries of the district may mutually encourage, support each other, and work together, living out the beautiful diversity that is the Body of Christ. At the Peoria convention in 2011, we will host our first training of district leaders who will spearhead Heart to Heart Sisters programs in the districts. We are particularly excited about the opportunity to support, network, and encourage these women leaders.

We are also committed to producing materials and resources that will support the deep learning that will ensure that we build positive relationships in a multicultural world and effectively carry out the mission the Lord has given us on earth. We pray this will benefit and bless our entire church body as we live out the mission of the Church.

We stand ready to partner with you and assist in generating ideas for your unique region. Together we can explore the world of possibilities that exist to build your LWML ministry so that it not only reaches the mission of the world, but also reflects the rich diversity that is who we are as The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. To God be all glory.

Melissa Salomón, Heart to Heart Sisters Task Force, Chairman Mgsalomon@gmail.com

Abeba Tzeggai
Angelina Gomez
Mary Smith
Sharon Rapp

Click here for a listing of Multicultural Resources Available from LWML.

Articles from the Lutheran Woman's Quarterly Featuring Heart to Heart Sisters

A Place at the Table, featuring Melissa Salomón, Winter 2007 (PDF, 301KB)

Painting the Portrait of the LWML: Anybody Missing?, by Marilyn McClure, Spring 2008, (PDF, 468KB)

From Daughter of the East to Missionary in the West: The Roads Cynthia Traveled, featuring Cynthia Khan, Spring 2009 (PDF, 283KB)

A Door No One Could Shut: Abeba’s Story, featuring Abeba Tzeggai, Winter 2009 (PDF, 223KB)