Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.’ Genesis 2:18
2011 Monthly Ministry Partners
January - Lutheran Campus Ministry
The mission of the Lutheran Campus Ministry is to witness to the Christian gospel by providing opportunities for worship, study, Christian fellowship, service and spiritual growth within the values of the Lutheran Church.
February - Churches United
Churches United is a collaboration of Bemidji area churches led by the Spirit of Christ, organized to serve and meet the needs of homeless, persistently poor, and impoverished individuals and families by providing individuals and family’s financial assistance and referrals in an empowering manner, while also seeking the causes of poverty with the goal to reach a solution to the current concerns.
March - Bemidji Food Shelf / MN FoodShare
The Bemidji Food Shelf provides emergency food to families or individuals who have short-term,
emergency food needs. Service is provided to residents of Beltrami
County after all other possible means have been exhausted to obtain
food. Each March, Minnesota FoodShare runs the largest food drive in the state (known as the March Campaign,)
and restocks 300 food shelves across Minnesota. It recruits thousands
of congregations, companies, civic groups, and schools to run local
cash and food drives to aid in the effort.
April - Gideons
Having God's Word can and does lead people to faith in Christ, and
those new Christians then grow by studying their Scriptures and even use
them to share their faith with others. For this reason, the Gideons focus on distributing complete Bibles or New
Testaments. These copies of God's Word are printed in more than 90
languages and are either given directly to certain individuals or placed
in selected public locations where large numbers of people, who may be
searching for answers, will have the ability to encounter the Word of
God.
May - Seminary support for Pr. Jacob Mayen of the Sudanese Refugee Lutheran Congregation in Fargo, ND.
Pr. Keith Zeh, who works with this congregation through his position at the Northwestern MN Synod, has invited Calvary to support Jacob, a church leader in the TEEM (Theolofical Education for Emerging Ministries) program through the Lutheran seminaries. First Lutheran in Fargo, because of its financial situation, has pulled its support for Jacob's education expenses (he still gets office space from First Lutheran of Fargo; he also has a full-tuition scholarship and a stipend through the ELCA for his pastoral work). The need is for approximately $1500/year for 2-3 years to cover books, travel, and lodging expenses associated with his studies.
Pathways is a Bible Camp Corporation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Pathways is committed to providing unique experiences where God encounters people and renews them to live lives of love. They provide faith building opportunities through our youth summer camping programs, and year-round youth, adult, and family retreats.
July - Lutheran Bible Translators (LBT)
At the Synod Assembly in May, a resolution proclaiming July 10 as King James Bible Sunday was passed. This resolution recognizes the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, a translation which has brought the word of God and living faith to many people. The resolution also encouraged congregations to gather an offering for modern-day Bible translators. Lutheran Bible Translators, an independent Lutheran organization (not connected with the ELCA or other Lutheran bodies), is such a ministry. The mission of Lutheran Bible Translators is “to help bring people to faith in Jesus Christ by making the Word of God available to those who do not yet have it in the language of their hearts.” LBT’s work is distinct from, say, Gideons, whose purpose is to distribute, not translate.
August - Lutheran Social Service Meals on Wheels Program and Northwoods Caregivers
In August, we are supporting two ministries with and for our community elders. Lutheran Social Service (LSS) of Minnesota is the largest and oldest non-profit human services organization in the state. LSS’s senior nutrition program provides nutritious, low-cost meals for seniors 60 years old and above, both at meal centers and in homes, where volunteers deliver meals to homebound persons. Many Calvary members help to deliver food and fellowship through this Meals on Wheels program.
Northwoods Caregivers is a Bemidji organization that provides homemaking,
transportation, and respite services for community elders and their caregivers, as well as a safe visitation program for families in conflict.
These are vital ministries for our community! Please give generously, pray for this work, and look for ways to volunteer.
October – ELCA Missionary Sponsorship
Our church-wide body, the ELCA, has a strong tradition of and continued commitment to global mission. We have nearly 250 ELCA missionaries serving in 48 countries around the world, including 70 new servants trained and commissioned this summer. The missionaries range from young adults who commit one year to long-term veterans who commit to at least four years. They serve in health care, agriculture, evangelism, seminaries, and churches throughout the world. This is a natural and exciting ministry partner for Calvary, especially as we’ll have a chance to develop relationships with specific missionaries.
November – Women of the ELCA Thankoffering
This is the typical month for gathering thankofferings. Locally and nationally, this women’s organ of our church engages in much ministry, from hospitality and fellowship to Bible study to service. Thankofferings support the church-wide functioning of this ministry, as well as its many partners (like ELCA World Hunger) and initiatives (like an anti-racism education campaign). Calvary has a small core of active participants, and we have an opportunity to consider how this part of the church-wide organization is relevant to younger generations.
December – Village of Hope (secondarily, Servants of Shelter [SoS])
As winter begins, it’s fitting to be mindful of the ongoing reality of homelessness. With Sandy Hennum as the Village’s new director, we have a strong Calvary connection. Here’s a short statement from her: “We have provided services for 75 children and their families since February 2011! The majority of these children were from 0-5 years old. In addition to providing 24-hour emergency shelter, we
provide 3 nutritious meals a day as well as case management to assist the families in searching for affordable housing, job exploration and other goals that will provide them with self worth and independence. The team of advocates we have assembled are enthusiastic and passionate about assisting families to achieve their goals.” I’m listing Servants of Shelter, our cooperative, seasonal
homeless hosting program, as a secondary partner, as its financial needs are limited. We will, though, need some funds (probably a couple hundred dollars) for food and other expenses incurred during our two weeks of winter hosting.