The congregation at The Lutheran Church of Vestavia Hills (LCVH) recognized Rev. Clifford Hellmers for 50 years of service at the church, locally and abroad.
Pastor Hellmers served as full-time pastor of LCVH for 32 years and then over the course of the last 18 years, in active retirement, he has served as the coordinator of Project HOPE – the foreign mission ministry of LCVH. In addition, he has been actively involved in senior ministry and other areas of service which has richly blessed the church family.
Pastor Hellmers founded Project HOPE, the international ministry of LCVH in 2005. He shares, “It has worked to offer HOPE for a better tomorrow and for eternity through Christ in three third world countries, Kenya, Nicaragua and Uganda. The word HOPE is an acronym for the work it does: addresses the health needs of people; provides Opportunity for income-producing projects; requires the Participation of those being served; and promotes the Education of children.”
In Kenya HOPE works with members of the LCVH congregation, Arianna and David Shirk, who are medical missionaries at Kijabe Hospital in Kenya. Project HOPE provides funds for medical equipment and structures like new operating rooms, a chapel, and medical resident housing. Each year HOPE also sends teams of about 12 members to Nicaragua. Part of the team leads a Vacation Bible School ministry for children in five rural villages. The other part of the team works on the construction of a one room house for families who formerly lived in houses made of tree branches and plastic sheeting. HOPE also provides funds for after school activities and a meal for students. In Uganda, so far HOPE has worked with seven different rural villages purchasing land, funding the drilling of a bore hole well for clean water, constructing a Lutheran elementary school and dormitories, and providing funds for an income producing project to support the school.
