Mission and Outreach
God has blessed us to share our abundance near and far. God's Spirit inspires us to give. When we each see ourselves as stewards we are more intimately connected with God's mission. It is God's work. Our hands. Making positive changes in the world - here in the St Croix Valley, in east St. Paul, across the pond in England and even farther still to Tanzania Africa.
Scroll down or quickly jump to our mission partners:
Valley Outreach Food Shelf, Stillwater
First Lutheran Church, Saint Paul
LePage Mission, Birmingham England
Lulanzi, Iringa Diocese, Tanzania, Africa
Valley Outreach Food Shelf, Stillwater, MN
"By supporting Valley Outreach, you are helping us work towards building a stronger community where citizens reach out to others in time of crisis or transition and when sometimes even just a small amount of assistance is all that's needed to 'take the next step'." This quote is from the Valley Outreach website and it best describes how they help people of the St Croix Valley who are in need.
God has called CLC to support the food shelf and we do so, not only by our generous donations (in food and in contributions) but in supplying volunteers as well to work at the Food Shelf in Stillwater. God's work. Our hand. Helping to ease the burdens of our neighbors. Our brothers and sisters in Christ.
If you are interested in learning more about our mission with Valley Outreach please contact one of our volunteer coordinators Vicki Meister or Bill Wacker.
Community Breakfast - In Partnership with First Lutheran Church, East Side St. Paul
As we prepare and serve food at the Community Breakfast hosted by First Lutheran Church we too are richly fed. Reaching out beyond our comfort zone, within arms length of Lake Elmo, we have become part of a community that gathers every Sunday for a hot, nutritional breakfast. One meal? How does that make a difference?
We began our journey thinking that it was all about cooking and serving food to the local community - many who are homeless. We dug diligently and energetically into learning how to prepare enough food to feed 150 -200 people in about an hours time. But as we reached deeper in working with those from First Lutheran we began to learn that our mission goes well beyond a meal. Serving a community of people coming together to share the warmth of a building, a safe environment, the camaraderie of each other and us, and to feel loved and cared for feeds not only the body but the soul. Jesus taught us how to do this and in his footsteps we strive to model after Him.
Through our partnership with First Lutheran we serve and have been fed. We grow deeper in our faith. We understand what Jesus has called us to do. God's work. Our Hands. Helping to ease the burdens of our close by neighbors. Our brothers and sisters in Christ.
If you are interested in learning more about our mission with the Community Breakfast please contact one of our volunteer coordinators Allan Kristenson or Michele Ubl.
LePage Mission in England
The church does not have a mission—the mission of God has a church! God is in charge of God’s mission to the world. God drives the mission, and invites us into relationship to love and serve one another. Through our hands, heart, and feet, God creates and nurtures the relationships that are instruments for reconciliation in God’s creation.
Charlie and Sigrid LePage along with their family serve as missionaries in Birmingham, England. CLC is proud to support Charlie, Sigrid (Charlie is a confirmed member of CLC) and their family as they minister and provide christian education and support in a largely muslim community. A few weeks ago the LePage family visited us and brought with them names, pictures and stories of their community. As one story unfolded we learned how surprised a young converted muslim woman was to learn that their work is supported by churches in America and Canada. The woman and her young child attend a preschool program at the church and are learning of the love and generosity of Jesus.
Our relationship in this community through the LePages spans thousands of miles but that distance is shortened through the teachings of Jesus. God's work. Our hands. Spreading the word to our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Lulanzi, Iringa Diocese, Tanzania Africa
In Jesus Christ we have been bound together with the chords of love. As brothers and sisters we walk together, not ahead or behind, but side by side, shoulder to shoulder, hence entrusting ourselves to the Bega Kwa Bega (Shoulder to Shoulder) philosophy. Through the Iringa Diocese, our mission is to provide spiritual and financial assistance to our sister congregation in Lulanzi, to build and maintain our relationship through visits and to improve their lives through prayer, eduction and improving their environment.
A team of 9 from CLC visited Lulanzi in March of this past year, getting to know the people of the congregation, celebrating in the Joy of Jesus Christ and hearing first hand the status of projects we are supporting, including financial support of 15 high school students, participation in a 3 year agricultural projects sponsored by Tumaini University and support for a much needed medical dispensary.
Our companionship with Lulanzi brings a global perspective to our ministry. God's work. Our hands. Bringing prayer, gifts and our friendship to our global neighbors. Our brothers and sisters in Christ.
If you are interested in learning more about our mission in Lulanzi, and our current projects, go to our special Lulanzi webpage or please contact one of our volunteer coordinators Pat Urtel or Reid Gilbertson.
