Mercy Medical Teams

LCMS Mercy Medical Teams

Health care professionals needed for short-term service

Since 2006, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Mercy Medical Teams have provided desperately needed health care to thousands of patients in underserved regions around the globe.

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  • This short-term volunteer program offers medical professionals opportunities to volunteer abroad in a variety of clinical and health-related settings.

    Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, other types of medical professionals, pastors and hard-working laity are coordinated and trained into specific Mercy Medical Teams, which work in conjunction with LCMS partner churches and international clinics to address needs of both body and soul.


Coronavirus pandemic

Because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has suspended Mercy Medical Teams trips until further notice. Please check this webpage for updates.


 Upcoming trips

Please remember LCMS Mercy Medical Teams in your prayers and consider joining us on a mission trip.

Check this webpage for updated schedules. Trip dates are estimates of the entire trip — from the date you depart the U.S. to the date you land upon return.

  • May 1–11, 2020: Sierra Leone (filled)

  • July 10–20, 2020: Rep. of Congo

  • Aug. 13–24, 2020: Tanzania

  • Sept. 4–14, 2020: Ghana

  • Oct. 8–19, 2020: Kenya

Short-term service

LCMS Mercy Medical Teams Video

Join a short-term mission trip lasting about two weeks. Volunteers demonstrate in word and deed the great love that God has for all people through His Son, Jesus Christ. There are trips scheduled all over the world.

 View opportunities

Photo galleries

LCMS Mercy Medical Teams

Mercy Medical Teams from LCMS congregations throughout the United States travel around the world to provide health care to thousands of patients.

  Photo gallery: Madagascar

  Photo gallery: Kenya

Resources & Services

Volunteer

  • Contact form — Please contact the LCMS if you would like more information about Mercy Medical Teams or if you are interested in volunteering.

  • Application form — Download short-term missionary service application.

Resources

Scholarships

  • LCMS Mercy Medical Teams may have grant funding available to provide scholarships for LCMS college students studying health-related professions at any university and for LCMS pastors willing to serve as a chaplain for one of our teams.

    For more information, email mercyteams@lcms.org.

Recommended Reading

Essays

Books

Partner Organization

  • Lutherans In Medical Missions — LIMM works with local and global partners to share Christ’s healing in medically underserved communities.

    LIMM partners with LCMS Mercy Medical Teams, providing travel grants and working together in the development and implementation of Community Health Education team trips.

 



* The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod will not knowingly lead a team into political unrest or any other situation where safety may be compromised. Decisions to cancel a trip may be made shortly before the scheduled date, based on firsthand information from our local contacts.


Erin Alter, Director,
Short-Term Mission Teams

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Program Overview

The LCMS sends Mercy Medical Teams to underserved regions around the globe, and they deliver healing through medicine and the Gospel.

Download information sheet

 

Bulletin Insert

A worship service bulletin insert is available to invite volunteers for LCMS Mercy Medical Teams and other short-term service opportunities.

LCMS Mercy Medical Teams need volunteers to bring Christ’s mercy and love to the most vulnerable people around the globe.

LCMS short-term volunteers have the opportunity to tell people around the world about God’s love for all people through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Download two-sided bulletin insert


How to help

Do you want to help, but can’t volunteer? Your financial gifts can support medical projects around the world.

Give Now

Give by mail:

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Attn: Mercy Medical Teams
P.O. Box 66861
St. Louis, MO 63166-6861

Give by phone:

888-930-4438

When gifts exceed the total needed for this opportunity the gifts received will be used as determined by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Your gift is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Recent Articles & Stories

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Monday, March 09, 2020 5:18:09 PM
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Tuesday, November 26, 2019 1:20:04 PM
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Wednesday, February 27, 2019 4:38:07 PM
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The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod Inc., including Mission Central (in Mapleton, Iowa), is an IRS registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity.

A contribution designated (restricted) for a specific purpose when accepted, will be used only to fund expenses related to that purpose. Occasionally, we may receive more in contributions for a particular purpose than can be wisely applied to it in the foreseeable future or the purpose may cease to be feasible. In these situations, the LCMS will make reasonable attempts to contact contributors to apply their contribution differently. If a contributor cannot be contacted, the LCMS will use the gift to meet a similar pressing need that most closely matches the contributor's original intent.  Consistent with Synod Board policy, no more than 12 percent of a charitable contribution may be applied to administering gifts and communicating with contributors.  Contributions received and accepted by the LCMS are deemed to be in agreement with this statement.

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