On a Mission to Build — Shoulder to shoulder with recipient families, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans members will build thousands of Habitat for Humanity homes in the next four years. Here's one look at how the Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity initiative is launching dreams.

by Jennifer L. Krempin

Barb Deradoorian knows the Lord works in mysterious ways. But even she was a little surprised that it all began with a simple paper flier, sent at the beginning of 2005 to her church, promoting a Habitat for Humanity project in the Detroit metropolitan area.

The church secretary approached Deradoorian, a Thrivent Financial member, who had volunteered for Habitat as a college student and helped establish an affiliate in her community nine years ago. "You're the Habitat girl," she recalls the secretary saying. "Do you know anything about this?"

With her curiosity piqued, Deradoorian called the Habitat affiliate, introduced herself as a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Clarkston, Michigan, and inquired about the flier she had seen.

She was met by the sound of the telephone dropping on the other end. "I remember Steve Campbell, director of Habitat's affiliate office in Pontiac, saying, "I can't believe it! Nobody even knows this yet, but Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Habitat just announced this new alliance, and already I have my first Lutheran calling! God is awesome!'

"I knew right there that God had put me in this spot," Deradoorian says. "It was so exciting!"

Joining Forces

The "spot" in which Deradoorian found herself--along with thousands of Lutherans across the country--is a new initiative called Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity, a four-year, $100 million commitment bringing Thrivent Financial and Habitat together with families in need to build simple, decent housing in communities across the nation, and, in fact, around the world.

Since that first phone call, three Thrivent chapters and dozens of Lutheran churches in Oakland County, Michigan--including Deradoorian's church--have joined together to help provide funds and volunteer support to build two Habitat for Humanity homes in their community. In the Detroit metropolitan area, 10 homes in all are being built to kick off the Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity alliance.

Ultimately, Thrivent Builds Homes, one of four programs comprising Thrivent Builds, will help build up to 500 homes a year nationwide by 2008. Thrivent Financial is providing 70 percent of the cost of each home with the remaining 30 percent raised by the local Thrivent chapters and Habitat affiliate.

"It was fairly clear to me that the Lord asked me to be involved, and this has been nothing but pure joy," says Deradoorian, who also serves as the Thrivent Builds chapter specialist for her chapter. "Since starting this, I've seen a new life in our congregation. It's just set our congregation on fire. People who never volunteer for things are coming forward and wanting to be involved."

That includes parishioners who are generously giving of their time and financial resources. "I tell people, there are so many ways to help," Deradoorian says. "I tell them: "You can pray about it. You can give money. You can make lunches to bring to the work site. You can volunteer to build.'"

A Team Effort

It was an interest in helping others a little closer to home that first caught the attention of the Rev. Paul Wargo, pastor of Cedar Crest Lutheran Church in White Lake, Michigan, one of the churches participating in the Oakland County builds.

"I was really attracted to this as a mission project because Habitat is a Christian organization that's volunteer-driven," says Wargo, the Thrivent Builds chapter specialist for the West Oakland Chapter of Thrivent Financial. "I really knew nothing about Habitat other than what I read in the news, but as I learned more, I was struck that they actually sell the houses--they don't just give them away."

Consequently, he explains, his church's contribution this year will be used to help build the two Oakland County homes, with the no-profit mortgage payments from those homes being used to help fund future homes. "I consider it an investment," Wargo says.

At the same time, Cedar Crest congregation members are volunteering substantial amounts of time on the home-building sites, working side-by-side with homeowner families and others from their church and community.

"Hopefully, what will come from this is that people will show up to volunteer with people they've never met before, and by the end of the day, they'll be good friends," Wargo says.

The two homes being built in Oakland County will go to two families, both of whom could not have a home of their own without a helping hand from Habitat and Thrivent Financial.

In addition to seeing progress on the homes, Deradoorian says the most fun is watching the homeowner families experience a little hope in their lives. "They were so excited when we did the groundbreaking," she says. "They're both really sweet families; they feel that this is such a blessing."

Both families are working side-by-side with the Lutheran volunteers, fulfilling their commitment of providing hundreds of "sweat equity" hours by working on their homes or other Habitat families' homes.

"Families receiving Habitat homes are motivated people," explains Peggy Kalis, Thrivent Financial manager of Lutheran community services for the Eastern Great Lakes Region. "They have a vision beyond their current circumstances; they just may not have the resources or means to move beyond that without some help."

Deradoorian, who has been a tireless ambassador for Thrivent Builds, admits it's difficult to talk about the homeowner families without getting a little teary-eyed herself. "As a parent, if you can't provide basic things for your children, it's heartbreaking," Deradoorian says. "There are people out there who, every day, put their kids to bed in places we'd never consider living. It's an everyday thing for them; they have no other options. When you see the Habitat homeowners and get to know them, you know God has used you to make a profound difference in their lives from this day forward."

Learn more about these programs and how you can get involved at www.thriventbuilds.com or by calling the Thrivent Financial Fraternal Service Center at 800-236-3736.

The Housing Crisis in Numbers

13 million Americans pay more than 50 percent of their income for housing.

1.2 billion people worldwide live on less than $1 per day.

1 in 4 households live in poverty in cities of the developing world.

3 million American children are living with worst-case housing needs.

Sources: World Bank, United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

This Is How Thrivent Builds

From turning a screwdriver to participating in a local fund-raising event, Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity is a powerful opportunity for Lutherans and their communities to express their faith through volunteer hours, hard work and financial contributions that will support building simple, decent homes in partnership with families in need.

Opportunities to get involved include:

Thrivent Builds Homes provides opportunities for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans members and other Lutherans to join together regionally to provide financial and volunteer support to help recruit volunteers, organize fund-raising efforts and ultimately build a home with a family in need.

Thrivent Builds Neighborhoods concentrates resources on specific neighborhoods, helping to build or revitalize multiple homes in a specific area in one community.

Thrivent Builds Giving provides opportunities for members age 16 and older to contribute financial gifts directly to Habitat for Humanity International, with Thrivent Financial matching $1 for every $2 contributed up to a maximum supplement of $300 per member annually. The dollars are used to help support building and materials for subsequent Habitat homes, helping homeowner families achieve economic independence.

Thrivent Builds Worldwide enables members to participate in short-term volunteer working trips to build homes with Habitat for Humanity across the globe. Thrivent will pay a portion of the trip costs for Thrivent benefit members.