Outreach Ministries at St. Stephen
"Seek Justice, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly with God." Micah 6:8
At St. Stephen there are lots of fun and meaningful ways you can make a difference in the world. There are huge congregational events like our Feed My Starving Children mobile packing event where 500 volunteers came together over one weekend. There are also many smaller and medium scale activities. Contact Julie Magnus for more information on yow to get involved with St. Stephen projects or you can contact the organizations directly to volunteer with their programs. Our goal is to provide a variety of opportunities to be God's instruments of love and peace in the world.
Bread for the World - This nationwide Christian citizens movement seeks justice for the world's hungry people by lobbying our nation's decision makers. Visit the website at www.bread.org or call 763-424-0733 for more information.
Circles of Hope - Small groups composed of members and friends of St. Stephen meet to discuss achieveable goals to end child, family and youth homelessness through advocacy, community education and networking. Contact Julie Magnus for more information.
ELCA World Hunger - ELCA World Hunger works with governmental and corporate advocacy leaders to build grassroots networks and advocate with and for the poor and hungry people of the United States and around the world. For more information on this organization, visit www.elsa.org/advocacy/hunger.
English Learning Center - This program, located at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, provides weekly classes including six levels of instruction in English as a second language, math and computer skills. Volunteers are needed. For more information, visit www.englishlc.org or call 612-874-9963.
Feed My Starving Children - This non-profit Christian organization is committed to feeding God's starving children who are hungry in body and spirit. Volunteers of all ages hand-pack meals designed especially for starving children. FMSC then ships the meals to more than 55 countries around the world. In 2007, FMSC sent 43 million meals around the world tanks to the work of 185,000 volunteers. Visit www.fmsc.org for more information. In the fall of 2008, St. Stephen hosted a mobile meal packing event at our church. 534 volunteers packed 101,925 meals. This translates into 279 children fed for a year; 279 lives saved. For more information on the St. Stephen Event, visit the October - Feed My Starving Children page on this website.
Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery - This organization works in partnership with parents in crisis and the community to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect. Visit www.crisisnursery.org or call 763-591-0400 for more information.
Habitat for Humanity - Twin Cities Habitat's goal is to eliminate poverty housing from the Twin Cities and to make decent, affordable shleter for all. St. Stephen works on a Habitat home with the Bloomington coalition of churches one week each summer. Visit www.tchabitat.org or call 612-331-4090 for more information.
Kaleidoscope - This after school program services children living in the Phillips Neighborhood of Minneapolis and is located at our partner church, Messiah Lutheran. For more information visit www.kaleidoscope-kids.org. S. Stephen will be holding a Kaleidoscope Fundraising event on March 29, 2009. For more information on this event, visit the Kaleidoscope Event page on this webiste.
Loaves and Fishes - This non-for-profit, volunteer driven agency fulfills a basic need by feeding the hungry. For more information visit www.loavesandfishesmn.org. Every 5th Thursday of a month. St. Stephen volunteers cook and serve a meal for up to 400 people. Visit the Loaves and Fishes page on this website for more information on St. Stephen's involvement with this organization.
Lutheran World Relief - LWR works with partners in 50 countries to help people grow food, improve health, strengthen communities, end conflict, build livelihoods and recover from disasters. St. Stephen serves LWR Fair Trade Coffee, our Sunday School students assemble LWR school kits and an LWR Fair Trade Fair is held at the beginning of Advent to support artisans in the third world countries.
Lutheran Coalition for Public Policy - In Minnesota this organization, in response to God's love, seeks to engage all people of faith in the promotion of public policy that supports peace, justice and care for all of God's creation. For more information, visit www.lcppm.org.
Lutheran Partners in Global Ministry - This organization connects people around the world in a partnership of caring for one another. For more information, visit www.lutheranpartners.org or call 612-823-5058. LPGM has connected St. Stephen to a partnership in Resistencia, Argentina. We have taken missionary trips to this region with more trips planned. To find out more about St. Stephens involvement in Resistencia, visit the Argentina page on this website.
Meals on Wheels - The goal of this organization is to provide hot, nutritious meals 5 days a week to seniors age 60 and older who cannot prepare their own meals. This program allows them to remain living in their own homes. To volunteer for this program, email bloomingtonmealsonwheels@juno.com or call 952-835-1296. Volunteers pick up their meals right at St. Stephen at 11:15 am and usually return to church by 12:15 pm.
Messiah Lutheran Church Partnership - As St. Stephen's parent church, Messiah Lutheran has blessed us in a variety of ways over the past 50 years. We currently enjoy a very special partnership and collaborate on many events over the course of the year. To find out more about Messiah Lutheran, visit their website at www.messiahmpls.org. To find out more about the many partnerships and events our congregations share, visit the Messiah Lutheran Church page on this webiste.
ONE Campaign - This campaign is working to end extreme poverty and hunger. Go to www.one.org for more information.
Our Saviors Housing and Dinners - This program works in partnerships across the Twin Cities to provide emergency shelter, transitional housing and aid to people experiencing homelessness in Minneapolis. Dinner is served at the shelter the 5th Tuesday of a month. St. Stephen also collects Christmas gift and cookies each year for the residents of the St. Stephen transitional house. For more information, contact Julie Magnus.
VEAP- Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People, the neighbors helping neighbors organization, serves low-income, elderly and disabled residents in the Bloomington, Edina and Richfield areas. Their four main programs are social services, food services, transportation services and seasonal services. These programs respond to the needs of hunger, poverty, disability, isolation and the ongoing effects of these conditions. Food donations are taken year round and can be dropped off at VEAP or in the Narthex at St. Stephen. Call 952-888-9616 to find out how you can volunteer.