|
Outreach Ministries at Our Father
The Outreach Ministry committee coordinates Our Father's ministry of love, especially to people in physical needs. Activities of ministry include such things as distributing Thanksgiving food and gifts to the needy, providing food, transportation or baby sitting for members in need, home visitation of seniors and sponsoring refugee families or other low-income families. Members who have special talents such as roofing, car repair, home maintenance, etc., and services to volunteer to people in need can contact the church office.
Here is an alphabetical listing with descriptions of our Outreach Ministries:
ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS - Alternative Christmas is a market put on each year the weekend before Thanksgiving by the 7th and 8th Grade Youth, and several adult members of the congregation, to provide us with an opportunity to give alternative gifts to our family and friends benefiting mission efforts worldwide to provide food, water, shelter, safety, and resources to those less fortunate. 100% of each donation goes to provide those services.
ALTERNATIVE THANKSGIVING - Each year, a trip is organized to go to El Paso, Texas to the the Ysleta Lutheran Mission. The group leaves the day before Thanksgiving with supplies to feed approximately 500 people in El Paso and Juarez, Mexico over the holiday weekend. The group usually has a mission project either on the Mexican or American side of the border to work on as well as cooking for and feeding the people.
ANGEL TREE - This is the outreach to children of families to whom we deliver Thanksgiving Boxes. There are approximately 100 children to whom we deliver Christmas gifts.
BE A GOOD EGG AND FILL A FALL BASKET - This is a program to reach out to unwed teenage moms and dads through Arapahoe Social Services. Names are provided and baskets are filled with supplies needed for babies and their new parents at Easter and in the fall.
BETHPHAGE - This is an outreach to provide a Christmas gift and meal to mentally challenged adults in our community. People volunteer to buy the gifts that are requested by the adults, and also volunteer to decorate and serve the meal here at Our Father in December.
BLOOD DRIVES - Twice a year, the Bloodmobile comes to Our Father and we have the opportunity to save lives through blood donations.
CAMPBELL'S FOOD LABEL DRIVE FOR BETHLEHEM SCHOOL IN PALESTINE - Labels from Campbell's products plus various others are brought to church and deposited in the box located in the Library. The labels are sent to Montana, where they are combined with label donations from across the USA and then turned in to provide educational equipment.
COLLECT CELL PHONES - Used cell phones are collected at church and then programmed for 911. They are then given to battered women's shelters.
FAMILY HOMESTEAD HOUSE - Our Father participates in this local outreach to provide adequate housing needs for homeless people in the metro area. Involves cleaning, painting, home repair, etc.
HOME REPAIR - This group helps repair/build homes for the needy and for Habitat for Humanity.
INTERFAITH JELLY - Our church has become known as the "Jelly Church" for Interfaith. We collect jars of jelly and donate them to Interfaith. This is ongoing throughout the year so bring some jelly by and help the Interfaith Food Bank!
INTERFAITH AND PACK-TO-SCHOOL PROGRAM - Various food drives are done throughout the year for the Interfaith Food Bank. Pack-to-School is a program to provide new backpacks, clothes, and school supplies to children provided by Interfaith in August.
JOBSEEKERS - Our Father has hired a professional in the field of Career Development to assist as a "Resident Coach"to Job Seekers group. Valerie Ness has been in the field for over 15 years and has a Career Coaching business called Summit Careers. She has a degree in Psychology and a Masters in OD and Leadership and works as a Recruiter in Littleton. Valerie facilitates our Wednesday Morning Meetings from 8:00 - 9:30. She will review your resume, give directions, roll-play difficult interviews... whatever you need to become SUCCESSFUL and EMPLOYED! All un/employed/underemployed people are welcome to join OFLC JobSeekers but MUST apply IN PERSON at a meeting! All services provided by OFLC JobSeekers are free of charge. More on JobSeekers.
LUTHERAN SERVANT EVENT - Once a year, metro area Lutheran churches have a joint servant event where several projects at different sights around the metro area are completed in one day.
MEALS ON WHEELS - This is a metro area program that distributes meals to the elderly and the homebound.
MOSAIC - Mission: In partnership with people who have disabilities, Mosaic provides supports and advocates that all may realize God’s gift of wholeness of life.
Mosaic was formed by the consolidation of Bethphage and Martin Luther Homes in 2003. Both organizations were formed by faith-filled Lutherans nearly a century ago to care for children, men and women with developmental disabilities and other disabling conditions. Today Mosaic is the largest faith-based provider in the United States of services to people with disabilities, serving more than 3,800 people in 15 states. Locally Mosaic has agencies in Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and Grand Junction. To learn more, visit www.mosaicinfo.org. Mosaic is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is recognized by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
NURSING HOME VISITS AND WORSHIP - Provides worship to nursing homes on several Sundays and visits in between.
REFUGE RESETTLEMENT - Refugees come to us through Lutheran Family Services and we provide them with housing and help them with whatever their needs are to resettle.
SHARE COLORADO - Our Father is a distribution point for SHARE Colorado, a food co-op that is a way to obtain fresh food at a substantial discount from retail prices once a month. Here's an overview:
Come to Our Father Lutheran on the monthly registration day (Saturday) between 1 and 3 pm to sign up. Their motto is, "If you eat, you qualify." No embarrassing questions. Cost for the standard share package is $20 + 2 hours of volunteer service. Return on the monthly pick-up date (again, Saturday) between 10 and 11:30 am to receive your food and certify that you did your 2 hours of volunteer work. No one will check on this--it's on the honor system. You recieve $35 to $40 worth of groceries for $20. Additional Shares and other types of packages are also available.
STEVEN J. OLSEN MEMORIAL FUND
The Purpose of the Steven J. Olsen memorial Fund is to assist individuals and/or families who are experiencing both serious medical and financial concerns. Click on the link to find out more about this fund and how to apply for it.STREETS OF BETHLEHEM - A yearly live production of the Christmas story performed by members of Our Father free of charge as an outreach to our community.
THANKSGIVING BOXES - The Sunday before Thanksgiving we deliver boxes with food and supplies to families in Denver who are needy. Members sign up to fill the boxes for a specific family a couple of weeks in advance and bring them to church, then volunteer drivers take the boxes to Mount Calvary Church.
YSLETA LUTHERAN MISSION
Each year, during Thanksgiving week, families from Our Father travel to El Paso to serve Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, and do a work project on Friday and Saturday. Youth and adults from Our Father have also done work projects many summers to support Ysleta. Click on the link to find out more about this ministry.
