LSM BRICKHOUSE PROGRAM
helping vulnerable youth in Adams, Wells
and Grant Counties reach their God-given potential
We are looking at three main areas to grow the LSM BrickHouse program: Prevention, Supporting Foster and Adoptive Families and finally, helping hard-to-place teens in the Foster Care System.
LSM BrickHouse Program provides:
• Free Christian Counseling to Local Foster & Adoptive Families
• Foster Homes & Support for Hard-to-Place Teens in the Foster System
• Mentoring, Vocational & Career Training for Vulnerable Youth, and Much More!
We've had the privilege of working with many vulnerable young men over the years. I'm excited to know that the BrickHouse program will continue and even expand into new areas in the coming years. I'm thankful to be a part of this new vision.
We have been praying for an opportunity to expand the number of vulnerable children and families we serve... The opportunity to join the LSM team and combine our efforts is truly an answer to prayers. We are very excited for the new opportunities this will provide, and we are very grateful for all the past and continued support from our community.
It’s been an amazing thing watching God bring these two organizations together. Both Bluffton ministries work with vulnerable young people in an effort to help them reach their God-given potential.
We have been praying for the opportunity to serve vulnerable children more in our local area and feel like God has richly answered those prayers! We’re honored to welcome BrickHouse to the LSM family.
THE HISTORY OF BRICKHOUSE FAMILY MINISTRIES
Starting as a local Bluffton, IN ministry, BrickHouse began serving vulnerable young men through a residential program in 2006. They expanded to two local properties – an intown location used for offices and a school along with a residential home on a fully functioning 40-acre farm and store that contributes to the long-term sustainability of the program. It also provides valuable life skills for the boys living there. Every young man that has come to BrickHouse so far been a private placement.
In August 2019, BrickHouse merged with Loving Shepherd Ministries to reimagine programs and expand their outreach to more hurting young men and women in the foster care system and beyond. In 2020, we launched our first structured foster care initiative at our our town house property in Bluffton, Indiana, which provides a loving home to up to five hard-to-place girls. We also provided more than 500 hours of free counseling to 30 foster and adoptive families in northeast Indiana.
As we look to 2021, we are preparing to launch a second foster family initiative for hard-to-place boys at our farmhouse location. It’s been very exciting to bring the same trauma recovery, discipleship and development resources that have been successful in Haiti and Ethiopia back to the U.S. to meet the needs of vulnerable young people living here at home.
THE IRRESISTIBLE TASTE OF NEW BEGINNINGS
LSM BrickHouse’s boys’ home in Bluffton operates a farm store, which offers great deals on delicious premium beef, pork, chicken, eggs and more, fresh off the farm. We’re widely known for having some of the highest quality meats in our region. Best of all, purchases provide beneficial work and financial support for area foster children!
THE LOCAL NEED
When asked about the greatest need in the foster care system in our area, the resounding answer is a need for people to take in hard-to-place teens. It is our goal to support experienced foster parents with support so they can take on 4-6 young people at a time from foster care. With plenty of healthy accountability and structure, these young people will have an incredible opportunity to find healing and tools for their future.
GET INVOLVED
We hope you’re as excited as we are about this new expansion at LSM. As we merge these two ministries, we first ask that you cover this ministry expansion in prayer. Through significant restructuring of BrickHouse and their work, we pray that we could develop the LSM BrickHouse Program into a God-honoring, fruitful ministry that helps vulnerable young people become thriving adults.
