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 these 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:
- Visit a Shut-In
- Bake Bars
- Mission Warehouse Thrift Store
- Adopt a Military Service Person and their family
- Christian Life Ministries
- Adopt-a-Garden
- Sharing & Caring Hands
- World Relief
- Host a Celebration
- Adopt a Sidewalk
- Be a Special Friend to a Senior Citizen
- Organize your group when there is a special work day at school or church
- Community Action Council
- Cheerful Givers
- First Lady's Military Family Care Initiative
- Feed My Starving Children
- I Can Help Twin Cities
Visit a Shut-In
If you have a warm heart and like to listen to people share their stories, please consider volunteering to visit one of our shut-in church members on a monthly basis. If you are interested or have some questions, please contact the Bloomington Church office at 952-888-2475, and we'll put you in contact with the coordinator of the program.
Bake Bars
Do you like to bake? Please call the Bloomington Church office at 952-888-2475 if you would like to be added to the list of people to call when a pan of bars is needed for a funeral. This is a fun way to use your time and talents to serve others.
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
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
Christian Life Ministries
2756 Lakeshore Ave.
Little Canada, MN 55117
651-649-3538
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")
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
Community Action Council
www.communityactioncouncil.org
952-985-5300
South of the River opportunities:
- Food Shelf
- Christmas Gifts
- Homeless
- Many more
Cheerful Givers
1287 Berry Ridge Rd.
Eagan, MN 55123
651-226-8738
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
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 deliver 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.
Feed My Starving Children
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 In Action teams to participate in this exciting opportunity. Watch the church calendar for upcoming dates or click on link below for 2008-2009 schedule. For other opportunities please get additional information through the Feed My Starving Children wed site shown above.
Directions to Chanhassen Location
I Can Help Twin Cities
http://www.icanhelptwincities.com
If you are looking for a way to volunteer in your community. Visit the I Can Help Twin Cities website.
Many ministries and organizations right here in our community are in need of moms, dads, kids, and even grandmas and grandpas to help lend a hand. Likewise, many of us wake up every day wondering how we can pitch in. I Can Help Twin Cities strives to connect those who need help with those who want to volunteer.
