Ministries Working Together3 min read

“You see the little hand and you see the little face,” Tianna shared with a smile from ear to ear. The young lady was overflowing with excitement, as she saw her baby and described the pictures from her ultrasound earlier in the day.

Tianna lives on the Southwest side of Detroit only a few blocks from Family of God. Before Covid, Tianna would regularly make the trip to the ministry to get food—both physical and spiritual. Family of God serves meals Sunday through Friday nights and also holds Bible studies. Both can be much needed for anyone growing up on Detroit’s Southwest side. Along with the dinners, Tianna talks with and seeks out guidance from Family of God pastors Jim Hill and Tyler Cronkright.

“Walking with Tianna is simply a joy” said Rev. Cronkright. “She is one of the kindest women that I have met in my time at Family of God.”

“They’re definitely very supportive as family, friends, a mother figure in every way,” Tianna said. “It makes me feel blessed.”

When Tianna first became pregnant she tried going to a local doctor in Detroit for pre-natal care. She quickly grew frustrated with the system when insurance issues made it impossible to get the care she needed. Tianna knew about The Luke Clinic, which works out of Family of God a couple days a month. Tianna even organized clothing donations and helped with the baby showers for the mothers-to-be. She also knew they provided medical care for mothers, but she didn’t know all they do until she had to rely on them.

The Luke Clinic provides accessible, high quality medical care for expectant mothers and infants under 12 months of age. Tianna gave up on the doctors she tried to visit before and is now relying on The Luke Clinic. She said the care she now receives is amazing. She sees the doctors, gets pre-natal vitamins, and vitals checked for both herself and her baby. There is more than just a sense of relief knowing The Luke Clinic is looking out for her.

“There are no words to express the joy I feel, the love I feel from here,” Tianna said.

Having two of Michigan District’s innovative missional ministries working together and filling the gaps is exactly what Tianna needed. It is also what Michigan District’s Assistant to the President Rev. Dr. Rob Kasper said was intended when The Luke Clinic joined up with Family of God. “As Christians, we are called by God to be His instruments of grace in the lives of all people in our communities,” Kasper said. “Every context of ministry provides distinct opportunities to serve people in the name of Jesus. No one group of God’s people has all the skills and capacity to meet the variety of needs in a given context of ministry. That’s why it is so important that faithful, mission-driven believers work together as they join forces to meet the needs of the community as ambassadors of God’s love in Jesus. When our works match our witness to the Gospel, the Holy Spirit transforms lives!”

Rev. Cronkright gets to see that transformation and said, “To partner with [The Luke Clinic] is a glimpse of how the Kingdom of God operates, that is all of us working together, and it is quite special to be a part of it.”

_{Photos and video by Jeff Heisner/Michigan District, LCMS}