Currently this committee has a membership of one. We give thanks for so many missions beyond ourselves – like The Urban, Winnipeg Harvest, Christmas Hampers, and Luther Village – have lives of their own. Yet we also are seeking to develop new outreaches into human trafficking; affordable housing and homelessness; improving relationships with First Nations; and ethical environmental sustainability. If you can help with one or more of these cases, please speak with one of our ministers or the church office.

Refugee sponsorship enables people without a home to find one. It is our way of reaching out to people in another part of our world and providing them with a means of finding a supportive and caring community. We have focused on helping families bring relatives to Canada. This program is a priority of the Missions Committee. Currently there are a number of files in the process. We also advocate for changes in the government policies to insure just and efficient access, and relate to local immigrant settlement services.

Kirchhoff Gardens is a life-lease residence for seniors, first established by Faith Lutheran Church. Members of Faith still sit on the board of directors, and the church subsidizes several apartments at Kirchhoff Gardens as a way of ministering to church and community members by providing affordable housing. Our church also provides leadership for small groups which meet at Kirchhoff Gardens during the week.

Every fall, the planning begins for our Christmas hamper outreach! A team of dedicated volunteers works to involve the entire congregation and in December the gifts of food items are stored, wrapped, packed, and delivered. In the past few years we have provided 20 hampers each year to the community.

River Park Gardens is a seniors’ long-term care facility initiated by Faith Lutheran Church and now operated by the Winnipeg Health Authority. We continue to have an advisory council that oversees the care and well-being of residents. Volunteers are always needed to assist with meals, reading, internal transportation, and other services. We appreciate the voices of our members in assisting with monthly worship services. Our confirmands and Book Clubs assist in a variety of ways to make life at the residence more appealing and dignified. Volunteers may call the centre directly for scheduling and training as necessary.

Cookin’ for the King is a group of members who meet at the church one Saturday a month to cook and prepare meals together. Watch the monthly newsletter and weekly church bulletins for upcoming meeting dates. Everyone with a passion for cooking and serving is welcome to join. Alternatively, if you know someone who is in need and could benefit from a meal, contact the church office or talk to the minister to make arrangements for meal distributions.

The Lutheran Urban Ministry, known simply as The Urban, is a ministry of presence that expresses God’s grace to inner city residents in Winnipeg. Programs offered include: meals, Bible Studies, worship, emergency food supply, children’s time, drop-in and fellowship. Individuals also have access to spiritual care and support through their Ministry Manager and qualified volunteers. Our congregation supports The Urban through regular meal teams who prepare and serve meals on-site. For more information, or if you’d like to get involved, visit their website (www.theurban.ca) or call them at (204) 774-3143.

Winnipeg Harvest is a non-profit, community based organization that is a food distribution and training centre. The goals are to collect and share surplus food with people who are hungry and to offer training opportunities to help people step up and out of poverty. Their ultimate goal is to eliminate the need for food banks in our community. We conduct and annual appeal for donations to support this organization, and collect food year round. Donations for Winnipeg Harvest can be left in the drop box in the Narthex. We have a team that volunteers on the last Saturday of the month at Winnipeg Harvest, helping to sort and distribute food donations.