July/June 2023: International Association for Refugees – Jonathan House
IAFR is an international Christian mission agency designed for ministry in humanitarian contexts among forcibly displaced people. They help displaced refugees to not only survive the challenges they face but to recover. They also partner with churches to provide training on how to help refugees. Learn more at www.iafr.org. Jonathan House extends shelter, hope, and healing to asylum-seekers in Minneapolis-St. Paul. They offer supportive housing, strategic connections, practical assistance, and a welcoming community with a desire to help these new friends recover from forced displacement and begin to rebuild their lives. JonathanHouse.org
July/Aug 2023: Trinity First Lutheran School
Trinity First Lutheran School is located in the Phillips Neighborhood of downtown Minneapolis. Trinity First has a unique ministry, serving a demographic where 75% are below the poverty line, 46% are immigrants, and 60% are non-churched. At Trinity First, families from all backgrounds experience high-quality education (K3-8th Grade) with access to helpful tools like parenting classes, and they frequently hear the message of hope and salvation in Jesus. In this unique and special ministry, 95% of the income from Trinity First comes from generous donations. Thus, there are always opportunities to serve and empower the ministry God leads at Trinity First. As disciples, we are better when we walk together as we follow Jesus, supporting and caring for one another. To learn more, visit trinityfirstschool.org.
Sept/Oct 2023: Operation Christmas Child / Samaritan’s Purse
A project of Samaritan’s Purse, Operation Christmas Child is the world’s largest Christmas outreach of its kind. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has delivered gift-filled shoeboxes to over 124 million children affected by war, poverty, natural disasters, and other crises in more than 150 countries and territories. They partner with local churches to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with those who receive shoebox gifts and offer a 12-lesson discipleship program called The Greatest Journey. St. Michael’s supports this ministry by serving as a drop-off location for the Twin Cities area, where we pray over and carton shoeboxes received from our neighbors.
For more information, please contact Sue Bosshardt at suebosshardt@gmail.com. www.samaritanspurse.org
Nov/Dec 2023: Healing Haiti
As a multifaceted Christian organization, Healing Haiti leverages resources to elevate and unify Haitian families, so that the cycle of poverty is broken and the fabric of the community is strengthened. Find out more at www.healinghaiti.org or contact Margie Schroeder at St. Michael’s at margie@schroeder1.net.
Jan/Feb 2024: POBLO
POBLO Twin Cities is the Minneapolis/St. Paul chapter of POBLO International. POBLO International is a Christian mission organization working to transform the way missions are approached in the United States. POBLO’s mission is to meet the physical, social, and spiritual needs of Muslims and other immigrants and refugees in the United States by sharing the Love of Jesus in practical and culturally relevant ways. Learn more at poblotwincities.org.
Mar/Apr 2024: Good in the Hood
Good in the Hood is dedicated to changing lives together with simple acts of kindness. Although their service opportunities are not solely limited to the urban community, they do have a purposeful inner city affinity and a commitment to serve those with the most need. Their desire is to inspire individuals, families, and entire neighborhoods to take responsibility and ownership for growth, improvement, and well-being of their personal lives and community. Through partnership and kindness-based initiatives they believe the physical, emotional, and spiritual climate of an entire community can be changed for good. With this in mind, they collaborate with a number of difference-making organizations.
Each month, with the help of dedicated partners, they provide groceries, meals, food for hungry college students, and practical resources for over 3000 individuals. In addition, they make available regular volunteer opportunities for a variety of large groups and more than 200 individuals.
Contact congregation member Sue Timmerman at susan.k.timmerman@gmail.com for opportunities or visit www.goodinthehood.org.
May/June 2024: New Life Family Services
Description coming soon