What started as a Minimester service project became an opportunity to help share God’s Word around the world.

During their Local Missions orientation, students from Southwest Christian School in Fort Worth, were given a list of nonprofit organizations to serve. For Everett Heinrich and his group, the choice was easy. “St. Paul Braille was one of the options, and we had two alumni of St. Paul Lutheran School in our group,” Everett said. “We knew how much fun it was to work there, so we signed up.”

At the Braille Center on St. Paul’s Downtown campus, the group helped produce Scripture materials that will be distributed globally. “Our group helped with making Psalms and Deuteronomy books, packing them into boxes, and labeling them,” he said. “We ended up completing 18 Deuteronomy, 7 Psalms, and packaging 104 Braille Bibles—contributing to the center’s monthly goals.”

For more than 45 years, St. Paul has partnered with Lutheran Braille Workers to provide Scripture free of charge in Braille, large print, and audio formats. That mission stood out to Everett. “There is absolutely no charge to ship Braille to another country and give it to those who need it,” he said. “They emphasize that everyone deserves a chance to learn about Christ, and I found that very touching.”

After serving, the group presented their project to a panel of judges, highlighting the ministry’s history, global reach, and future impact. “Honestly, it was pretty stressful,” Everett said. “But when we learned we got second place out of 12 teams, we were ecstatic. All our hard work had paid off.” The group earned a $1,000 grant for the project.

Through their work, these students helped make God’s Word accessible to people they may never meet. To anyone considering following in their footsteps, Everett offers simple advice: “Bring some friends,” he said. “Be ready to multitask, and most importantly, be ready to have fun.”

Join the Mission

You can experience that same sense of purpose by serving at the Braille Center. Volunteers typically work in teams of five to seven during two-hour shifts from 9:30–11:30 a.m. or 12:30–2:30 p.m. Because of the hands-on, team-based process, small groups are encouraged.

Ready to serve? Email info@sharingnewlife.com to get started.