Social Ministry

Social Ministry 

Many different groups and individuals are involved with social ministry endeavors at Christ Lutheran!  Contact Doug Debrick for more information.

Supporting the Homeless and Those with Inadequate Housing

• Participate in the Good Works Friday Night Meals which draw 100-150 hungry people.
• Collect and deliver hygiene, toiletry, and other items  three times a year, for Timothy House residents

Clothing Those in Need

• Summer Sweats and Undie Sundays in August: We collect packages of underwear so that emergency clothing supplies can be distributed to eleven Athens County schools. 
  
• Mitten Basket and Winter Socks drive in December: Mittens, scarves, and hats are collected and distributed to Athens County Children’s Services and the Timothy House homeless shelter. 

Feeding the Hungry

• Athens County Food Pantry – Monetary and non-perishable food donations are given monthly. Also volunteer at food distribution site, Athens Job and Family location.
• Good Works Friday Night Supper in January.  We provide the meal and hospitality.
• Crop Walk – Christ Lutheran joins several other Athens congregations to raise awareness and funding for hunger. Twenty five percent of the funds stay locally.
• Lutheran Social Services Mobile Food Pantry – The second Thursday of every month, LSS brings enough groceries to supply more than 100 families with at least three days of food. Volunteers primarily from this congregation set up the pantry and serve clients.
• Snow Day Snack Bags – Shelf stable snacks are purchased and packed by the congregation. These snack bags are distributed to all seven Athens County branch libraries. The snacks are given out by the librarians on snow days to children.

Raising Awareness/Encouraging Advocacy about National and International Concerns

• Bread for the World Sunday in October – Congregation members are invited to buy the bread donated by local bakeries.  Monies raised are donated to Bread for the World.
• Bread for the World Offering of Letters – Congregation members are encouraged to send letters to their members of Congress as part of the in the spring, on a current legislative issue impacting hunger.
• ELCA Advocacy (Sue Righi):  An article informing congregation members about issues supported by the ELCA is included in the church’s monthly newsletter.

Supporting Montana de Luz in Honduras

• Members are encouraged to participate in the bi-annual service trip to Montana de Luz, a residential and educational agency in Honduras for children affected by HIV/AIDS.  A fund raiser for Montana de Luz is held annually. ( Sue Ellen Mller; Doug Debrick)

Promoting Economic Justice

We seek to raise awareness of ways that congregation members can support fair trade when shopping.

Supporting Others in Need

• A Red Cross Blood Drive is held at least once a year
• As a part of the church budget, we financially support the following local agencies:  Good Works, the Athens County Food Pantry, My Sisters Place, Habitat for Humanity, Rural Action, the Gathering Place, the CLEM House, Interfaith Power and Light and United Campus Ministry. There is also an emergency assistance line in the budget which can be accessed as needed (such as for the tornado several years ago.)
• We also support these national or global missions: Bread for the World, Lutheran Social Services, Lutheran World Relief, ELCA World Hunger, Global Mission and Montana de Luz.
• We support and learn from our members who work as Human Services Workers in local agencies.
• Christmas Eve and Lenten offerings go toward the support of a social concern – locally and globally.