Our Mercy Ministries Committee consists of men and women dedicated to serving Our Lord by serving His church and His people. The committee's mission is to provide service opportunities that can be selected by individuals, families or small groups (e.g., Love in Action Teams). The current opportunities are listed below. Click on an individual item or scan all the items below the list to obtain detailed information and contact information regarding our opportunities.

If you are looking for more information about the work of this committee, to become a member, or to provide information regarding new service opportunities, please contact us.

Our current service opportunities include the following:

New Orleans Katrina Relief

Crown of Life Lutheran Church is our sister congregation in New Orleans. That church, its Fellowship Hall, and the neighboring homes, were destroyed by the Hurricane and the flood that followed. Our relief efforts kicked into gear immediately following that storm. (Click here to meet our adopted family, the Jeffersons, and Chris Driesbach.)

 

Builders for Christ have rebuilt the church and fellowship hall. Many of our members have traveled to New Orleans over the last two winters as part of WELS Kingdom Workers to work with others from around the country to rebuild homes for Crown of Life members and neighbors. Rebuilding efforts will restart in the fall of 2007 and continue through the spring of 2008. Please contact us or call Norm in the Bloomington office for information or how you can use your construction or cooking skills to help our New Orleans friends.

 

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Mission Warehouse Thrift Store

2756 Lake Shore Avenue
Little Canada, MN 55117

Resale store that sells clothing, household items, etc.

Proceeds go to the WELS Christian Life Ministries

Call 651-917-4149 to see what you can do to help

Donations accepted except first 10 days of month

Volunteers are needed to clean & dress dolls, clean furniture, pick up furniture from donors (need truck), clean parking lot, paint (summer), clean carpet in store

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Adopt a Military Service Person and their family

Anyone serving in the military needs our prayers. Consider “adopting” one of them and support them by:

  • praying for them,
  • writing to them,
  • sending gifts, and/or
  • supporting their family while they are away.

Contact our church office 952-888-2475 to see if we have member(s) serving

Or, adopt a person of your choosing

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Christian Life Ministries

2756 Lakeshore Ave.
Little Canada, MN 55117

651-649-3538

www.clmonline.com

This is a WELS organization whose mission is:

"To save the least of Christ's people for time and eternity"

Check out their web site and see the many volunteer opportunities to support this organization

Financial help; volunteer at center; Mission Warehouse. The University of Minnesota location called Choices ("An ear, a heart...your options")

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Adopt-a-Garden

Living Hope Lutheran Church and School or Bloomington Lutheran School or Bloomington Lutheran Church

Call 651-888-2475
(Church office to sign up for a particular area)

Choose a portion of the outside of one of our three
locations and be responsible for it through the growing season (April to October)

Examples:
Trim bushes
Purchase and plant flowers
(Perennials in ground or annuals in ground or planters)
Water regularly, weed as needed
Purchase and plant new bushes or trees
Water established lawn and plants
For one-time project:
Plan a workday for your group
(Clean up area, etc.)

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Sharing & Caring Hands

525 North 7th St.
Minneapolis, MN 55405

612-338-4640
Office hours: M-Th 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

www.sharingandcaringhands.org

Sharing & Caring Hands was established as a bridge from the caring community to people in need. They receive no government or United Way funding and rely solely on donations. It is a certified charitable organization.

They accept donations of cash, food, clothing, house wares, sheets, towels and time.

Call them and ask about their current needs.

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World Relief

Local contact:
World Relief Minnesota
1515 E. 66th St.
Richfield, MN 55423
612-243-2960

www.wr.org/ourwork/whatwedo/immigrantassistance

Check out this website for many opportunities to help people around the world.

One opportunity is to help immigrants assimilate into our community. These immigrants are Christian and need help with many basic things to settle here, often fleeing from persecution or to seek improved economic and educational opportunities.

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Host a Celebration

Have you ever felt that you have enough “stuff” and that maybe someone else could benefit from our special celebrations? This could be a birthday, anniversary, Mother’s or Father’s Day party where you bring gifts for those who have so much less than we do. Choose one of the special needs organizations listed here or find one that is close to your heart.

Homeless people served at Central Lutheran Church, Ministry with People of the City/Clothes Closet
333 S. 12th St.
Minneapolis, MN 55404
612-870-4416
www.centralmpls.org

Gifts for Seniors (Christmas season)
c/o Minnesota Premier Publications
1115 Hennepin Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55403-1705
www.giftsforseniors.org

Our fellow WELS Christians from
Crown of Life
Contact church office at 952-888-2475

Coats for Kids (autumn activity)
(usually collected at Pilgrim Cleaners)

Ronald McDonald House
621 Oak St. SE, Mpls. 55414
612-332-5752 or www.rmhmpls.com

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Adopt a Sidewalk

Another great way to serve is a very important part of the smooth running of our facilities:

When our Minnesota winters provide us with some of that wonderful white stuff - Be responsible for the shoveling/blowing of a certain portion of our sidewalks at

Living Hope Church and School or

Bloomington Lutheran School or

Bloomington Lutheran Church

Contact church office or school to check out this opportunity

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Be a Special Friend to a Senior Citizen

There are people in our congregation who have much to share with us, their faith, life experiences and we could, in turn, visit them and share with them.

This is especially rewarding for children, but all of us can benefit from this opportunity.

Perhaps you could provide a meal,

a special treat, and/or transportation to appointments or church

Call our church office
952-888-2475 to get a name

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Organize your group when there is a special work day at school or church

A good one-time opportunity to serve:

Watch our church bulletins for notices of special work days at one of our locations and gather everyone together to make a difference!

The work will get done quicker than ever, and it’s a great opportunity to get to know each other!

In the past we've had evening or weekend special projects for:

  • Painting, inside or out
  • Cleaning
  • Outdoor work like trimming or planting

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Community Action Council

www.communityactioncouncil.org
952-985-5300

South of the River opportunities:

  • Food Shelf
  • Christmas Gifts
  • Homeless
  • Many more

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Cheerful Givers

www.cheerfulgivers.org

1287 Berry Ridge Rd.
Eagan, MN 55123
651-226-8738

info@cheerfulgivers.org

Nonprofit

Civic Groups, churches, scouts, corporations participate to put together birthday bags for the homeless or those in poverty (150,000 since 1994)

Donate products, donate money, put together birthday bags as a group, drive birthday bags to destination or pick up donations

Each bag should contain $10 worth of products

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First Lady's Military Family Care Initiative

When there is a call to active duty, families of military personnel have many adjustments to make. It is much easier for the families to cope with these difficult changes if they know they are being cared for by their communities. A simple task like mowing the grass or preparing a meal can go a long way toward helping a family in this time of need.

Your support is very important to our military families. The National Guard and Reserves are no longer serving one weekend a month and two weeks a year. Our Minnesota soldiers today must be prepared for lengthy overseas deployment. In fact, some soldiers are currently serving their 2nd or 3rd tour of duty.

If you want to provide volunteer services to the families of military personnel during this time of separation from their loved-one, sign up to help the First Lady's Military Family Care Initiative. Sign up sheets are available on the bulletin board at Bloomington or in the entry way at Living Hope. Contact us to sign up electronically. Please provide your name, phone number and the type of service you would like to provide to the families of military personnel in our area. The contact person from our church will call you if someone is in need of your help.

The service types include but are not limited to:

  • Rake leaves
  • Send cards or letters
  • Mow Lawns
  • Prepare and deliver meals
  • Pet sit
  • Prepare and deliver a gift basket
  • Help with household chores
  • Plant flowers or weed gardens
  • Wash cars
  • Purchase and dleiver groceries

The web site below will provide more information about Mary Palenty's Initiative.

www.firstlady.state.mn.us/initiatives_militaryfamily.html

Other service ideas:
Chop wood, clean gutters, give wedding/baby shower, handyman, farm chores, household chores, organize birthday party, etc. etc.

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Feed My Starving Children

www.fmsc.org

Feed My Starving Children is committed to feeding God's starving children hungry in body and spirit. Our approach is simple: Volunteers pack nutritious meals made up of rice, soy, vitamins and dehydrated vegetables, and we partner with relief organizations worldwide to distribute these meals to starving children.

As a Christian non-profit, we hope to reduce the number of starving children throughout the world by working to instill compassion in a generation that hears and responds to the cries of those in need. We invite you to join us in this important work.

The Mercy Ministry Committee has reserved opportunities for our members, their families and friends, and/or their Love I Action teams to participate in this exciting opportunity. At this time there are two remaining dates as listed below. For other opportunities please get additional information through the Feed My Starving Children wed site shown above.

  • Thursday, April 26, 2007, 6:00 to 7:30 P.M. at Chanhassen
  • Wednesday, May 16, 2007 at Eagan

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