Social Ministry First
“One Nation Under God”
This is the theme of an exciting new project at First Lutheran Church. Our church would like to create a lasting tribute to
our First Lutheran Veterans by installing a lighted flagpole and memorial garden in their honor. The Veteran’s Flagpole/Memorial Garden will be located on the northwest corner of our church property. The plans for the project are on display in the Fellowship Room.
We are already off to a wonderful start on donations for this project and will continue to willingly accept contributions during July. Envelopes are available at the display table in the Fellowship Room and can be placed in the offering or taken to the church office. (Please write “Memorial Garden” on the memo line.) Thank you for honoring our First Luthean Verterans.
—Veteran’s Flagpole/Memorial Garden Committee
Lutheran World Relief—School Kits
First Women’s Ministry is collecting items for Lutheran World Relief school kits to send overseas. Items needed to pack
in the cloth bags sewn by members are: spiral notebooks (no loose-leaf paper), blunt scissors, rulers (30 cm), pencil sharpeners, unsharpened #2 pencils with erasers, eraser (approx. 2 1/2 ” long), construction paper and Crayola brand crayons (16 or 24 count). Donations may be left in the basket outside the church office. We thank you for supporting
this mission effort!
The Shoeman Project
“I don’t want your money, I want your soul. Your shoe sole that is!”
First Lutheran is helping Thrivent Financial for Lutherans with “The Shoeman Project.” With this project, Thrivent collects
used shoes that are shipped to South America’s used shoe market for people who cannot afford new shoes. The proceeds are then used to buy U.S. drilling rigs and towing vehicles to drill 30-40 wells in Kenya each year. It also provides ongoing training and jobs for Kenyans.
In 2008, Thrivent collected 156,000 pairs of shoes which were used to purchase and ship two drilling rigs. If you would
like to help with this project, please drop your used shoes in the container located at the south entrance coming into the Fellowship Room. Please rubber band or tie the strings together for ease in sorting. Thank you.
SHARE FOOD
“People Helping People”
An opportunity exists in Geneseo for you to purchase affordable quality meats and produce from SHARE, a non-profit coop that buys in bulk and passes the savings on to its customers. You chose what you wish to order and it is delivered to the Geneseo Community Center for pick up the last Friday afternoon of each month. There are a variety of plans to choose from including, fresh product, frozen meat, frozen meat & fresh produce and microwavable frozen entrees. For more information, stop by the Resource Center and pick up their monthly newsletter or call Chris Bergren at 489-4182.
Green Team
Reusable bags are available in the Fellowship Room for only $3 each. Buy several, keep them handy for everyday use. All proceeds will go toward Green Team projects in our church and community. These bags are also a great way to promote our church because each bag is personalized with our First Lutheran logo. If you have any suggestions or helpful hints on being “green” please
let us know as we are always looking for new ideas. Contact Betsy Brudos at 945-5496 (bbrudos@geneseo.net).
Social Ministry reaches out to the spiritual, nutritional and physical needs of persons in our community and the world. Social Ministry here at First Lutheran serves the needs of others through some of the following activities:
- Geneseo Food Pantry - necessary home items and food are contributed monthly to low-income families by
members of First Lutheran. Scroll down to see a list of current needs.
- Audio Ministry - recordings of the Traditional Sunday service are available on CD for homebound parishioners
and others desiring copies of our worship services. Contact the church office to arrange for this service.
- Churches United Meal - meals are provided for low income persons.
- Intouch Center - members donate items to the Center.
- Rebuilding Together Geneseo/Cambridge - volunteers help refurbish and repair homes of those in need.
- World Hunger Appeal - fund raisers, such as fast-pitch softball with a local television station, help raise money
to help the hungry around the world.
- Lutheran World Relief - members contribute to the clothing drive to help those less fortunate around the world.
- Souper Bowl of Caring - through this effort money and food are collected nationally on Super Bowl Sunday and
then distributed to local charities.
Equal Exchange coffee, tea or chocolate?
Lutheran World Relief Coffee Project gives us an opportunity to make a difference in the life of someone we’ve never met. Our fair trade organization is Equal Exchange. Through this project, fair trade shares the bounty of the coffee trade with those who grow the crop, helping them to build a better future for themselves and their communities.
First Lutheran’s Equal Exchange market is located in the Fellowship Room. Come and enjoy the fabulous aroma of these coffees and the opportunity to improve the lives of coffee farmers around the world! There many different varieties of coffee and tea, as well as chocolate and cocoa. Brochures and information on Equal Exchange are available at
the market. If you would like to help with this project, please contact Teri Minnaert at
944-9459.
Intouch Adult Day Services—
Intouch Adult Day Services, a program of Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI), is a wonderful, cost-effective alternative to help families care for their elder members when their well-being and safety are compromised due to poor health, isolation
or mental deterioration. Intouch gives seniors and others a place to go during the day with things to do, people to see and talk to, a good nutritious noon meal and medical/personal care if needed. Their “wish list” for July is: foil, body wipes, keyboard, plastic see-through 8 to 16 gallon tubs with lids, Saran Wrap, tacky glue, blocks of construction paper (red, green, blue & brown), card stock, Bingo prizes, medium hot glue sticks, decaf coffee & tea, Dawn dish washing liquid,
craft foam (all colors), Suave body wash, 100 watt light bulbs, birthday cards, small and medium sizes of ceramic
greenware and bisque, acrylic paints, large erasers, fleece, laptop computer, potpourri, medium-size Teddy bears and
Ipod. Donations may be left in the basket outside the church office.
Food Pantry collection
The Geneseo Food Pantry is collecting sugar, grape jelly, saltine crackers, graham crackers, pancake syrup, sugar free foods, snacks for our diabetic clients, laundry detergent, dish soap, deodorant, disposable razors, cleaning supplies and bathroom tissue to share with those in need in our community. Donations may be left in the basket outside the church office.
- Just a reminder—we will be accepting donations of school supplies during the month of July and
the first two weeks of August. School supply lists can be found at www.dist228.org or Wal-Mart.
