Native-Led Ministry Since 1985

Where Faith Meets Culture and Tradition.
Where Christ-Centered Healing Begins.

A Native-led ministry sharing the Gospel, training leaders, and healing generations of trauma across 575 tribal communities.

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Upcoming

Find a Healing Group

Free, scripture-based healing groups held in communities across the country and online. Here are the next ones — join us.

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New · Online Study Group

Read the Bible in a Year — Together

No pressure. No “falling behind.” Just the Word.

Grace, not grades. Join a warm online circle that meets every other week and walks beside you all year. Get behind or miss a week? The door's always open — just jump back in whenever you can.

  • Kickoff: Friday, March 6, 2026
  • Meets: Online, every other week · 10 AM AKST
  • Cost: Free — Bible & reading roadmap provided
Learn More & Register →
Our Story

God Is Building Something Lasting

"There is a place where faith meets tradition, where God's healing touches the deepest wounds, and where hope rises from generations of silence. That place… is Lutheran Indian Ministries."

— Robert Heffle, Executive Director (Iñupiaq Eskimo)

Our mission is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with Native people — training Native leaders and supporting healing. We are led by Native people who know the stories, the traditions, the culture, and the humor.

We don't show up with answers. We arrive with open hearts, traveling by road, plane, boat, and snowmachine — by invitation, following tribal customs and showing deep respect.

Our Three Pillars
0Federally Recognized Tribes
0Scriptures Per Healing Group
0Hours of Healing Training
0Years of Native Ministry
How We Serve

Three Pillars of Ministry

LIM's work rests on three core commitments. Each one supports the others.

People praying in a circle
Pillar 01

Proclaim

Sharing the Gospel in ways rooted in Native culture — honoring Native traditions as vessels of God's grace. God speaks to Native hearts in Native ways.

Lodge training workshop
Pillar 02

Disciple

Developing Native leaders through campus ministry at Haskell Indian Nations University — a home away from home for students representing 575 tribes.

Women praying before the cross at a healing group
Pillar 03

Heal

Healing the Wounds of Trauma — a Bible-based program for deep wounds like grief, loss, and pain passed down through generations. Healing takes place rooted in God's Word and love for us.

Our Most Impactful Program

Healing the Wounds
of Trauma

A small group program based on God's Word, led by Native facilitators and supported by Prayer Warriors. Open to everyone 18 and older. No faith background needed.

16Hours
6Core Sessions
390Scriptures
18+All Welcome

No pressure, no force. You come as you are and leave when the time is right. The Holy Spirit does the heavy lifting.

Can you imagine what it would be like if all our communities could be that helper to one another — scripture-rooted, safe, not judging, not forcing? Just coming from that place of love and grace. That is what this is.

I got to let go of hurts and disappointments that I've experienced in my entire life. And talk about freedom. Oh, the freedom. I have a hard time putting into words how you feel so much lighter — how you feel so not shackled anymore.

— Roberta (Kitigruq), Ministry Coordinator & Healing Group Participant
Anchorage, Alaska

Women's healing retreat inside a tipi at Lame Deer Two people embracing at a healing session Cross on altar inside a tipi
Inside the Program

What Happens in a Healing Group?

Six core sessions over 16 hours walk participants through scripture and personal reflection. Each session builds on the last.

Heart wounds can begin in childhood, young adulthood, or today. This session helps participants name and understand their wounds — from abuse and loss to historical trauma. Naming the wound is the first step toward healing it.

Practical, Bible-based tools for the healing journey. Participants discover that healing is supported by community, prayer, and God's Word. Exercises move learning from the head to the heart — where lasting change happens.

A compassionate look at what grief looks like — and where people get stuck. When Roberta learned that Jesus wept, it gave her permission to feel. Understanding grief — and knowing you don't have to stay stuck — is deeply freeing.

Perhaps the most honest question we carry. This session doesn't avoid it — scripture shows that God is present in suffering, not absent from it. Your pain is not a sign God has left you. He weeps with you.

One of the most powerful — and most difficult — sessions. Participants are gently led through releasing pain and beginning the journey of forgiveness. There is no force, no timeline. You go only where you are ready to go, supported by the community around you.

The closing session brings everything together — looking back at the journey and forward with hope. Participants also begin seeing how they can share this with their own communities. The healing group is not a one-and-done; it's the beginning of a lifelong journey.

Over 390 scriptures woven throughout all six sessions using the Restoring Hope Bible.

A Prayer Warrior has been through the healing group. They want to support others — not as a facilitator, but through prayer. They pray before, during, and after every session — for every participant, those who could not attend, and the facilitators.

No one is missed. Prayer Warriors are also available one-on-one: if someone needs to talk outside the group, a Prayer Warrior is there. Every healing group is covered in prayer before it begins and once it closes.

Ready to Begin?

Sessions held on reservations, in villages, in cities. In-person and online. Lunch provided at in-person sessions. All are welcome — no faith background required.

Find a Healing Group Become a Facilitator
Haskell LIGHT Campus Ministry
Haskell Indian Nations University
Students at Haskell
Graduation hug
Haskell graduation ceremony
Graduation celebration
Night dance at Haskell
Graduates on walkway
Man with drum at Haskell
Women walking at Haskell
Haskell LIGHT building
Graduates at Haskell banner
Discipleship · Campus Ministry

Haskell LIGHT

At Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas — home to students representing 575 tribes — our campus ministry center is more than a gathering place. It's a home away from home.

Leo is Keetowah Cherokee and Western Shoshone. One day he asked Pola for a Bible — and shared it on social media. Leo began reading and didn't stop. Today, Leo is walking a new path, guided by faith.

Students come for meals and quilts, but stay for something deeper. A Bible study. A conversation. A meal. A reminder: "You don't have to change to be loved by God."

A safe circle for Native women students to share, pray, and grow together. Sister 2 Sister builds deep trust through shared faith and culture — reminding each woman she is seen, known, and loved.

Real Warriors redefines strength for Native men — rooting true warrior identity in faith, responsibility, and community. A space to be honest, vulnerable, and held accountable in love.

Leadership development rooted in biblical principles for all Haskell students. What starts as comfort becomes a calling — and we walk with students every step of the way.

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Testimonials

Stories of Transformation

"I got to let go of hurts and disappointments from my entire life. And talk about freedom. I feel so much lighter — not shackled anymore. I'm so thankful I said yes. I wish I could have done this decades ago."

Healing moment
Roberta (Kitigruq)
Ministry Coordinator · Anchorage, AK

"This was the first time I felt God's Word speak to my pain." We don't promise quick fixes — but we create safe spaces where people can gather, share, and heal while holding onto hope that only God's Word can give.

Robert Heffle
Robert Heffle
Executive Director · Iñupiaq Eskimo
Watch & Listen

Videos

From the Field

Stories & Updates

Native American man in quiet prayer inside a sunlit chapel
Most Read
Haskell LIGHT · Kansas

I Can Do All Things
Philippians 4:13

If you are like me, you can recite this verse — but in real life, find yourself far from being able "to do all things." A devotional on what changes when we stop performing strength and start receiving it.

Read the Devotional →
Native man with drum walking into a sunlit church
Pillar 01 — Proclaim
June 13

The Choice: Native OR Christian?

For more than 500 years, Native Americans were told they had to choose. A letter from a Seminole man in prison — and one man's drum — show why that choice was always a lie.

Read the Story →
A lit tipi under a starry night sky
Devotion · Winnebago, Nebraska

What Do Lutherans Believe?

Seven short teachings by Pastor Ricky Jacob on the chief articles of the faith — the Church, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, Confession, Repentance, the Sacraments, and Ecclesiastical Order.

Read the Series →
Native Alaskan woman at golden hour by a calm bay
Stories of Transformation
December 26

Discovering My True Identity in Christ

Beverly Heyano — Tanqik, "brightness" — drank from age 10 to 38. Twenty-seven years later, she shares what she found in God's Word that alcohol could never give her.

Read Her Story →
Soldiers gathered in prayer at Fort Wainwright
Healing the Wounds of Trauma
March 20, 2026 · Fort Wainwright, AK

When Healing Becomes Real

Four soldiers shared what happened inside — in their own words. Hear how God's Word moved through a military healing group.

Read Their Stories →
Two Ways to Get Involved

How Can We Walk Together?

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Are You Seeking Healing?

You don't have to carry this alone. Healing Groups are open, safe, and led by people who understand the journey from the inside.

  • Free to attend — ages 18+
  • No faith background required
  • In-person and online options
  • Held on reservations, in villages, cities, and online
  • Lunch provided at in-person sessions
  • Confidential and community-supported
Find a Healing Group →