Hands that Build, Hearts that Care
Since its first trip in 1998, Norway Grove Memorial Lutheran Church has sent an intergenerational Habitat for Humanity team to Marquette, Michigan every summer—including a trip this past July 2025.
Over 27 years, more than 300 youth and adults have served on the NGMLC Habitat Team, supported by over 500 congregation and community members. Together, they’ve raised more than $30,000 and helped build over 70 homes for families in the Marquette area.
Next Habitat for Humanity Week 2026
We’d love to have you join us in Marquette Mi for our 2026 Habitat for Humanity volunteer week: July 20-25, 2026
From more information contact Veronica Eicher at 123veronicaeicher@gmail.com
How Habitat Got Started at Norway Grove
In 1997, Carol and Rod Nilsestuen led Norway Grove Memorial Lutheran Church’s (NGMLC) first Habitat for Humanity trip to Billings, Montana, with youth Jeff Spridco, Ryan Nilsestuen, Kristin Pusel, and Hannah Knutson. That experience sparked the formation of the NGMLC Habitat Team—an intergenerational ministry dedicated to serving with dignity, sharing faith, and building hope at home and beyond.
Over the next year, the team deepened its ministry through local service projects and fundraisers, preparing for its first dedicated Habitat trip in the summer of 1998.
The NGMLC Habitat Team formed as an intergenerational group with three goals:
- To serve all God’s people with respect and dignity
- To share faith and experience the presence of the Holy Spirit
- To learn building skills and have fun
The Roots of Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity began at Koinonia Farm in Americus, Georgia, where Clarence Jordan and Millard and Linda Fuller created the idea of “partnership housing”—families and volunteers working together to build affordable homes. Payments and donations fueled a revolving “Fund for Humanity” to build even more.
The first family, Beau and Emma and their five children, moved from a shack into a safe home with heat, plumbing, and a kitchen—a model that has since transformed millions of lives.
Launched globally in Zaire in 1973 and officially founded in 1976, Habitat has helped more than 62 million people worldwide gain strength and stability through housing. With the support of volunteers and leaders like President Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, Habitat now works in all 50 U.S. states and 70+ countries. In 2026, we’ll celebrate 50 years of building homes, communities, and hope.