Lutheran Women of Australia (LWA) is an auxiliary of the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA). They are an association of Lutheran women encouraging a deeper consecration and a greater service to Christ and his church (in particular through the study of the Scriptures), to coordinate and give impetus to the work of the women of the LCA and to foster the bond of Christian fellowship among the women of our church.

LWA’s enduring prayers, giving and practical support have eternal consequences in the lives of many people across the borders of our country. LCA International Mission joins in thanking God for the Lutheran Women of Australia and for their partnership in the gospel. Through their gifts and the working of the Holy Spirit they have enabled many people to hear the message of Jesus Christ in words and actions, and through this, many have come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Their lives have been changed from fear to freedom in Christ, and they now have the hope of Christ living in them.

Current LCA International Mission projects supported by LWA:

• Through the LCA International Mission scholarship program LWA have enabled pastors and leaders from the overseas partner churches to have the opportunity to study at Australian Lutheran College and gain a deeper understanding of the gift of grace in Jesus Christ expressed through Lutheran theology. Many people who have had these scholarships have returned to their churches to take up roles as bishops, leaders and seminary lecturers.
• LWA’s prayers and financial support for Home of Praise, Thailand have made it possible for Jesus’ love to be experienced in very practical ways by the infants and small children who live difficult and dangerous lives in the slums of Bangkok. At the Home of Praise, these vulnerable children are blessed daily with clean clothes, water to wash, wholesome food, fresh milk, and by the Word of God lived and shared with them during their weekday attendance. LWA’s gifts of love make it possible for the children to ‘come to Jesus’.
• LWA’s giving has helped in the publication of new curriculum for the Women’s Ministry (Meri Wok) Training, Papua New Guinea of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (ELC-PNG). The training course is carried out over a two-year period. The four Meri Wok Trening schools have been set up to empower women to become strong Christian leaders in their communities. After completing their studies the young women return to home to help to support the women in their own villages to live out their faith at home and in society.
• The Luther Study Centre (LSC) in Indonesia was opened on 4 December 2020. The LSC is primarily about strengthening understanding and the practice of theology that rightly distinguishes law and gospel and points people to the completed work of Christ on the cross. It will help pastors and church workers better proclaim the saving work of Christ to those they serve, as well as build up the local churches for even more effective mission in this predominantly Muslim country.
• For many years LCA International Mission has provided both the funding and the teacher for a biennial Biblical Lutheran Women’s Conference in Myanmar aimed at equipping women in all their various vocations. These conferences have been led by women from both Australia and New Zealand, and have highlighted the importance of women in passing on the faith and in the life of the Body of Christ.
• Home of Grace is an outreach ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand. It provides a safe home to young mothers-to-be and those that have given birth, in addition to women in difficult situations who need shelter. The young mothers-to-be come from many different contexts – whether that be prostitution, unplanned pregnancy, and a variety of social situations that make pregnancy unbearable. Home of Grace offers a safe place for mother and child where they are surrounded by the love of God, through the words and deeds of caring, Christian staff. Home of Grace provides counselling and skills training, English and bible lessons and it helps the women to find support for keeping their babies, or help to safely adopt their children to others.
• The Women’s Care and Counselling Centre (WCCC) was established by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia to reach out to women with domestic issues, and at the same time, to work with young women to help address the horrific reality of baby dumping. WCCC provides residential counselling services for women and young mothers seeking help, and offers a safe environment where the proclamation of the gospel is as much a priority as the physical and emotional care they receive. In the name of Jesus, they provide medical assistance, temporary shelter for vulnerable women, as well as pregnancy support and adoption services.
• Birthing Kits, lovingly prepared by women from across Australia and packed by volunteers in Adelaide and Brisbane are shipped to Papua New Guinea to provide vital items for mothers and their new born babies living in remote and rural areas. The kits help give the women a clean and safe delivery, especially when the baby is born in the village with the help of a village midwife, or at a rural Aid Post or Health Centre.