Land Sale Tithe: God’s Benevolence at Work
As reported in the May 2006 Omnibus, the Church Council designated 10 percent of the proceeds from last year's land sale to go for Missions: Benevolence and Outreach. The total amount of the tithe was $351,000! The Church Council commissioned a committee to oversee the distribution of these benevolent gifts from the criteria established by the Benevolence Giving Policy. The committee is comprised of one pastor, one council member and seven members at large who reviewed a variety of applications for support. In keeping with our constitution's call to, "Serve in response to God's love to meet human needs, stand with the poor and the powerless, committing ourselves to their needs," we are happy to report how and where these funds have been dispersed.
St. Andrew's Lutheran Benevolence Program Grants approved as of 9/1/06
AFRICA JAM $15,000 approved 5/30/06
Africa Jam is a Christian youth outreach ministry that currently serves four of Cape Town, South Africa’s poorest townships. Its vision is to provide hope, unity and community to young people. It has been highly effective in reaching hundreds of kids. Africa Jam was approved for a request for an HIV/AIDS Creative Arts Festival to be held in 2007 in Cape Town, South Africa.
ATHLETES IN ACTION $6,000 approved 6/27/06
Athletes in Action’s mission is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the platform of sports. The financial gift will be used to help fund the Media Director, overseas missionaries and to cover administrative expenses of the mission organization.
BRYDGES CENTRE $20,000 approved 6/27/06
The Brydges Centre is a children’s orphanage outside of Nairobi, Kenya. The centre currently cares for 54 children – housing, food, education and medical care. The priority need is to meet current operating expenses, approximately $1,000 per month. The Centre is also beginning a capital funding campaign for a new building designed to house 60 children plus staff. They are currently renting 2 homes with about 25 children in each and their goal and hope is to consolidate on a new site by the end of 2007.
CAMP NOAH $5,000 approved 5/30/06
Camp Noah was created by Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota as an ecumenical partnership that seeks to shore up local ministries in disaster recovery and draw on local knowledge to promote long-term recovery in the spirit of accompaniment on the path towards emotional, physical and spiritual healing. A grant was approved to cover the registration cost of two volunteer teams to help this summer in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.
COMMUNITY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT $6,000 approved 5/30/06
The mission of Community Housing Development is to develop, preserve and operate affordable housing for the poor. A grant was approved to provide supervised summer programs for the children who live at Lincoln Place Apartments, located in Mahtomedi, which has been defined as a high-risk community.
THE DWELLING PLACE $7,000 approved 11/14/06
The goal of The Dwelling Place is to help women, children and men who are suffering with the pain and trauma that domestic violence causes. The shelter program provides a place of safety, peace and healing for women and their children and referral services and counseling for men and couples. The grant will be used to provide security needs that are required to reopen the main shelter which was closed due to a security breach.
FAMILY FEST MINISTRIES $8,000 approved 11/14/06
Family Fest is a Christ-centered, multi-denominational ministry focused on strengthening families and marriage. This is provided through family camps, couples retreats, presentations, family service opportunities, and cooperative church programs to help families bring their Christian faith into everyday life. The requested funds are being used to develop and expand the Marriage Booster Retreat Ministry
FAMILY MEANS $3,000 approved 11/14/06
A caregiver support program, Family Means provides education, counseling and coaching, support groups and respite care for families who care for loved ones with chronic illness, disability or frailty.
FAMILY SERVICE CENTER IN MAPLEWOOD $10,000 approved 6/27/06
The Family Service Center provides temporary shelter for families and single women who are homeless. The goal of the program is to provide a secure, supportive, and stabilizing environment that encourages people to take control of their lives, address the issues that brought them to the shelter, and obtain long-term housing.
FRIENDS IN NEED FOOD SHELF $5,000 approved 6/27/06
Friends in Need Food Shelf serves over 11,000 people a year in South Washington County. They are the only food shelf serving this area for the past 14 years.
IRONWOOD SPRINGS CHRISTIAN RANCH, INC. $5,000 approved 11/14/06
The mission of Ironwood Springs Camp is to provide an atmosphere and opportunity for people to get to know God, others and themselves better in an outdoor camp setting. The programs cover all ages, the physically challenged, special education kids, schools, churches, health care centers and all community agencies. Funding will be used to complete the Riverview Log Lodge.
LOAVES AND FISHES $5,000 approved 6/27/06
The mission of Loaves & Fishes is two-fold: one, provide nutritious meals in an atmosphere of hospitality to those who are hungry in the Twin Cities metro area at locations where need is the greatest; and, two, develop partnerships with like-minded organizations in an effort to assist guests with additional basic needs key to becoming self-sufficient.
LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICE $25,000 approved 9/12/06
The Center for Changing Lives is a partnership between Lutheran Social Service and several other organizations to build a facility at the current LSS location that would provide families with affordable housing, employment services, financial services, counseling, youth services, adoption and refugee services.
MAHTOMEDI AREA FOOD SHELF $5,000 approved 5/30/06
The Mahtomedi Food Shelf services the Mahtomedi School District #832. They have 174 clients, and serve approximately 50 of these each month.
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES, INC. $6,000 approved 6/27/06
Mental Health Resources (MHR) works with clients who deal with illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe depression, and borderline personality disorder. The grant was approved for its Friends’ program. The grant supports additional programming activity designed to increase the social, communication and interaction skills of vulnerable adults.
MISSION JAMAICA - By action of the Church Council, $20,000 approved 1/10/06
Mission Jamaica is an Outreach Program of St. Andrew’s in partnership with the people of Jamaica. MJ coordinates short-term mission projects that are experiential opportunities to put faith into action. It is an opportunity to join other Christians who have the same passion to live out their spiritual gifts and share their blessing at places like Westhaven Children’s Orphanage, Habitat for Humanity Jamaica Ltd and St. John’s Medical & Dental Clinic Montego Bay.
MORNING STAR FISHERMEN, INC. $25,000 approved 8/1/06
Morning Star Fishermen is an all-volunteer organization whose focus is on education and training. The mission is to address hunger, particularly protein and vitamin deficiencies by teaching alternative sustainable methods of agriculture. The grant request was made for establish a scholarship fund for members of impoverished communities to learn sustainable aquaculture and for the alternative energy research program of Morning Star Fishermen.
NEW COVENANT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH $5,000 approved $5/30/06
The grant will be used to assist the New Covenant Presbyterian Church, Mandeville, LA replenish and extend the financial capacity of the First Covenant’s Antioch Fund-Katrina. This fund has been and continues to be used to rehabilitate the homes of aged, informed and widowed persons in the Mandeville/Lacombe, LA area damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
OTHERS FIRST By action of the Church Council, $20,000 approved 1/10/06
Others First is an outreach program of St. Andrew’s in partnership with nearly 35 agencies and projects throughout the East Metro area of the Twin Cities. This ministry recognizes the congregational commitment of St. Andrew’s to serve others and showing God’s love to the world around us. Others First activities provide a way to share your gifts, passions and talents with others in our congregation and community.
PILGRIMS OF IBILLIN $15,000 approved 6/27/06
Pilgrims of Ibillin is a support group for Mars Elias Educational Institutions (MEEI) in Ibillin, Israel. MEEI is the first Christian/Arab/Israeli campus of higher education in Israel. The mission of Pilgrims of Ibillin is to support Christian communities in Israel and their efforts to promote peaceful coexistence with Muslins and Jews. Pilgrims of Ibillin was approved for a grant to help underwrite approximately 10% of the total costs for 50 MEEI students to attend the University of Indianapolis summer session.
ST. PAUL AREA SYNOD By action of the Church Council, $20,000 Approved in 2005
The Church Council approved these monies to help in the participation of the broader church by approving $20,000 to the work of the church synod.
THE SALVATION ARMY $7,000 approved 11/14/06
The Salvation Army is establishing a Christian Family Literacy Program with the creation of a Lending Library for families and children attending Child Development Center, as well as, those living in the community. The Child Development Center provides special-needs inclusive child care, early childhood education, parent education and support to high-risk families living in St. Paul.
SECOND HARVEST $10,000 approved 6/27/06
Second Harvest is Minnesota’s largest hunger relief organization and a member of America’s Second Harvest. They solicit, receive and distribute donated grocery products to 800 agencies in 59 counties o Minnesota and western Wisconsin, including Ramsey and Washington Counties. The grant will be used to help Second Harvest improve and expand its service to member agencies.
TRINITY MISSION $5,000 approved 5/30/06
Trinity Mission food shelf provides groceries for the destitute, the working poor, the infirm and impoverished elderly. Their effort is to serve the poor brothers and sisters in a fair and equal manner, keeping focus on living the Christian way, with prayer, compassion, quality and dignity.
TUBMAN FAMILY ALLIANCE $5,000 approved 8/1/06
Tubman Family Alliance has served as an innovator in the field of family violence prevention in the Twin Cities. The agency leads the nation in its range of programs and services to effectively combat family violence. Funding will be used to support the Youth and Children’s Services.
URBAN OUTREACH CENTER $5,000 approved 9/12/06
An outreach of North Heights Lutheran Church to those in the inner city. The ministry provides meals and a gospel presentation, child care and ministry to the youth. Funds were requested to cover the cost of weekly meals, evangelism materials and budgeted benevolence funds.
VISION SLOVAKIA By action of the Church Council, $20,000 approved 1/10/06
Vision Slovakia is a St. Andrew’s Outreach Program in partnership with the people of Martin, Slovakia. St. Andrew's is helping them spread the word of Christ, and they are coming here to share with us. It is about working together to spread Christ's word through programs like Vacation Bible School, English as a Foreign Language, Lutheran Elementary School, etc.
WOMEN’S LIFE CARE CENTER $3,000 approved 8/1/06
The Women’s Life Care Center is one of 22 crisis pregnancy centers in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Women’s outreach programs include a parenting education group, a self-esteem group and the Learn and Earn Education Program, which is the staple of Women’s outreach. A grant was made to go towards the purchase of car seats and cribs for the Learn and Earn Program.
WORLD MISSION PRAYER LEAGUE $25,000 approved 9/12/06
Capital contributions were requested for the construction of the Nawin Doman Theological and Multipurpose Research and Training Centre in Ranchi, India. The centre will train leadership for the Northwest Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church.
YOUNG LIFE $10,000 approved 5/30/06
The mission of Young Life is to provide high school and middle school young people with the chance to examine the Christian faith and make a choice about spiritual issues and their lives. Evangelism and Outreach are of particular emphasis in our ministry to proclaim the Good News to young people who are not particularly interested in attending traditional church programs.
YOUTH FORUM $25,000 approved 5/30/06
Youth Forum is a National Organization by definition originally initiated by then Governor Al Quie. Their focus is Evangelism and Children in Crisis. Their mission is to provide teens with an opportunity to consider a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They work to provide encouragement, training and prayer support to churches and their youth leaders.