215-493-2018

Ministries that help the homeless and those in need

 

We are presently developing and growing our ministry to our neighbors in need.  There are many opportunities for you to serve:

 

Shared Meals

Lutheran Church of the Resurrection has partnered with Advocates for the Homeless and Those in Need (AHTN) to provide a meal, once each month, to those experiencing homelessness and/or food insecurity in our community. AHTN provides transportation to the dinner, which is provided entirely by Lutheran Church of the Resurrection members. An entree is selected for each meal with members bringing additional side dishes, salad, and dessert.

Lutheran Church of the Resurrection members are encouraged to participate with set up, clean up, serving and providing hospitality. Relationships are developed over the meal as we share in fellowship time with our guests.

The dinners are hosted at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on the 3rd Sunday  of each month.  Set up begins at 1:00 PM, with the meal being served at 2:30 PM.

The shared meal coordinator is Diane Casey.

Partnership with AHTN (Advocates for the Homeless and those in need)

Individual members of Lutheran Church of the Resurrection have been trained and are currently working with AHTN in a variety of ways including Code Blue and Transportation for the Homeless. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for AHTN, please see their website at AHTN.ORG.

During the months of December through March, AHTN operates the Code Blue Shelter for Lower Bucks County. Any night where the wind chill is 26 degrees or less , and they have 10 shelter and 8 bus team volunteers, the shelter will open to the homeless. A hot dinner, a cot with blankets and pillows, and a continental breakfast are provided.

Throughout the year, a network of over 35 houses of worship (including Lutheran Church of the Resurrection) provides meals almost every day of the year. Rejuvenation Station is a once-a-month noon meal that also includes shower facilities and a barber. AHTN provides the buses, and volunteer drivers and attendants, throughout the year, to transport guests to the daily meals, the monthly Rejuvenation, and the shelter on nights that it is open.

The TIN (Those In Need) mission provides a variety of other support services, including help navigating the various county and non-profit agencies, temporary housing assistance, gas cards, small car repairs, providing bicycles, and even aiding replacing lost personal identification. They also have an 8 passenger van that can be booked in advance for transport to doctor’s appointments, welfare office visits, or court appearances – as long as volunteer drivers are available at the time needed.

Lutheran Church of the Resurrection has several individuals who have been trained and volunteer with AHTN as members of the bus team or as Code Blue shelter staff. If you are interested in joining the bus team, Lutheran Church of the Resurrection’s Hank and Barbara Merritt are the AHTN Transportation Coordinators. For information about Code Blue, TIN, or any other aspect of the organization, please visit their website at AHTN.ORG.

Box City Annual Awareness Project for Those Who are Homeless and Those in Need

Lutheran Church of the Resurrection Youth continue to sponsor the annual Box City project which benefits the Bucks County Shelter as well as other organizations. Lutheran Church of the Resurrection also works throughout the year with the shelter through our missions committee.

Interfaith Food Alliance – Click Here To Watch Video

 

Interfaith Food Alliance  members are working to alleviate food insecurity in our community. We recognize that together we can do much more than any one congregation can do alone.  Therefore, we have partnered with other faith communities, businesses, nonprofit organizations and governments to accomplish our goals through Education, Service, and Advocacy. As our EDUCATIONAL component, the coalition of ten communities of faith who have joined forces host periodic community events surrounding the issue of food insecurity, nutrition education, and poverty.  The SERVICE component is met through The Family Backpack Center, a food pantry hosted and run entirely by volunteers, which serves children in the Morrisville School District and their families, who have been identified as at risk by school nurses and guidance counselors.  The pantry is a special place where relationships are built as the guests “shop” for the grocery items which are appealing to their families.  Fresh meat, produce, dairy, bread, as well as canned goods, paper products and pantry staples are always available to the families who visit two of the four days the center is open each month.  Lutheran Church of the Resurrection’s Resurrection Garden donates produce to The Family Backpack Center during the growing seasons.  The ADVOCACY component is accomplished through letter writing campaigns and meetings/partnerships with our elected officials regarding the issue of food insecurity.   We are the voice of those who are silenced by the shame of poverty.

The Alliance has also partnered with The Welcome Church in Philadelphia (an ELCA congregation without walls, worshiping with those experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia), routinely hosting their coffee hour, providing coffee and snacks following services on Logan Square.  Alliance members have traveled to Philadelphia to distribute blankets, coats, socks, and food to persons experiencing homelessness in the city.

The Welcome Church is the worshiping community that grew out The Welcome Center, a place of healing and hospitality founded by The Reverend Violet Cucciniello Little in January of 2007 and hosted by the Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion. In January, 2012, The Welcome Church was officially recognized by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America as a congregation under development serving people in poverty.  In addition to Pastors Little (ELCA) and Steinnegal (PCUSA), our volunteer clergy team includes a number of faith leaders from the Episcopal, UCC, and other traditions. All are welcome to be part of this dynamic ministry.

Disciples with Special Needs

The Disciples with Special Needs (DWSN) group was formed to reach out to special needs adults in our community. The group’s goals include: providing opportunity for fellowship and service, providing respite time for caregivers, and promoting awareness and involvement within the community. DWSN meets monthly, alternating between a social event and a service project. The group was formed in September 2006 and continues as a thriving ministry.  We are always happy to welcome others to our group.

Please invite special needs adults in the community and consider joining us as a chaperone. Caregivers and parents are welcome at all events, or they can drop off and pick up their disciple, enjoying a few hours of respite.

Meal Assistance

Lutheran Church of the Resurrection members prepare meals (temporary basis) for those who are recovering from surgery, sick, have just welcomed a new baby, and other special situations. This ministry helps our members and neighbors and also provides a way to serve from your own kitchen.

Serving Hearts Ministry

We believe that we are blessed by God with spiritual gifts in our Baptism. Everyone has a unique combination of gifts, which we are called to use while being the hands and feet of Christ for those we meet along life’s journey. All gifts are of equal importance and all can be used to God’s glory.

The Serving Hearts Ministry was created to assist all members, from the youngest to the oldest, in identifying and recognizing the spiritual gifts they possess. This is done through relationship and discernment. The ministry then assists individuals by linking them with ministry opportunities within our community.  This is called asset based ministry. We recognize that everyone is better served if people are serving in ministries to which they are called, and for which they have a true passion.

The Serving Hearts Ministry is here to assist you in realizing your gifts as you open your heart to serve. There are many ways to serve and many opportunities within our congregation. We are always open to new ministry opportunities and are willing to assist you get a new idea off the ground.

Please contact Diane Casey, Serving Hearts Coordinator, to begin the conversation about how you can best use your God-given gifts to be the hands, feet, voice, ears, eyes or heart of Christ in our world.

Child of God, there is a place for you here!

Give-A-Lift Team

This team provides rides for people who are unable to drive. Rides are provided to the hospital, doctors office, grocery store or wherever needed.