Welcome to Social Ministry
"In as much as you have done it for one of the least of these,
you have done it for me." Matthew 25:40
All Saints Lutheran Church is committed to providing its members and friends with numerous opportunities to "to Share God's love with people in the community and around the world". The Social Ministry Team offers God's people at All Saints many avenues of service through ongoing efforts, short-term and one-time projects. We encourage you to live out your faith through these ministries:
All Saints also supports the following missionaries:
| Roger and Cherie Hanggi - Wycliffe Bible Translators | Luke and Andrea Roske-Metcalfe - ELCA, Mexico |
Whose birthday is it anyway? In an attempt to suggest giving for a "Christ centered Christmas" and reduce the commercialism of Christmas, the Social Ministry Team was pleased with the response to Alternative Giving for the 2011 holiday season.
Monetary gifts were sent to the ELCA Global Barnyard,(including school books for students overseas) the Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission School Garden Project in Rock Point, AZ and Desert Mission Food Bank for family meals.
Opportunity exists for the people of All Saints to build shelters for famillies in Agua Prieta, Mexico. Weekend trips are planned through the cooler months of the year. We leave on Friday and return on Sunday.
Visit www.apshelters.org for the schedule of 2012 trips.
Contact Scott Nickum.
Starting at the last weekend of November, a Christmas tree decorated with angels takes center stage in the narthex. Worshippers are encouraged to make the Christmas wishes of these angels (representing real children and adults) come true by choosing an angel (or angels) from the tree during that weekend, or the following, and purchasing or making gifts in accordance with the wishes written on each angel. Gifts benefit families through local organizations such as Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, the Desert Mission JCL facility and local elementary schools and MUST be returned, in their GIFT BAGS with ANGELS ATTACHED by the announced weekend! (usually this event runs 3 weeks) You can support this ministry by:
- Donating Gift Cards....remember the Scrip Table.
- Donate Home Depot construction grade garbage bags.
- Donate very BIG gift bags.
(NO WRAPPING PAPER PLEASE) - Helping with wrapping and sorting day, immediately after 10:45 service.
- Being a delivery person on Monday morning 7:30am.
- Donating new or "gently" used 20" boys and girls bikes.
Contact: Pat Dilk
United Blood Services comes on campus three times a year to collect donations of blood to help meet the ever-increasing demand for blood and blood products in the Valley. Appointments may be arranged in advance, but walk-ins are always available. Please take a few minutes to give the gift of life.
2012 dates are January 29, June 10 and October 21
www.bloodhero.com Sponsor code: allsaints
Contact: Karen Johnson or Barbara Rockow
All Saints is a covenant church of Bread for the World, a bipartisan, ecumenical movement to end world hunger. We believe that Christian people have a moral obligation to see how our tax money is spent. Join us in advocating for poor and hungry people everywhere.
Learn more about the issues from the web site below. Then contact your two Senators and your Congressional Representative as to how you would like them to vote on these issues that affect poor and hungry people here and abroad.
Contact: Barbara Rockow or visit: www.bread.org
Robert Sanders, a social worker with Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, comes on campus every Thursday to assist members and community folks with rental and utility help, resume training and other ways to help with job lay offs and other difficulties.
Mr. Sanders is available by appointment only. Call him at 602-957-2153.
On the first weekend of each month, All Saints receives an offering of non-perishable food items. A portion of the offering is packaged for distribution to those who seek assistance at All Saints, while the remainder is distributed through Desert Mission Food Bank, which provides hundreds of emergency food boxes to people each month. 
In high demand are: single-serving, easy open, disposable containers of fruit, juice, cereal, tuna, cheese and crackers; family size containers of pasta, rice, beans, sauces and peanut butter. Baby food, formula and disposable diapers are always needed. You can support this ministry by:
- Donating food and other needed items
- Helping to sort, package, distribute donations
Contact: Ann Scott
Missionaries
Roger and Cherie Hanggi are working in the United States for Wycliffe Bible Translators. Roger has taken on another reaserch project: The Seed Company which is one of the Wycliffe organizations that specializes in supporting lanuage programs that are led by national workers (those living in a local culture). Roger is to produce a list of 200 languages that have unmet translation needs, greatest populations and where other mission organizations are not involved.
It has been an exiting couple of months for Roger as he has been preparing for a four week trip to three countries in Asia as well as Papua New Guinea and Australia. He will be leading training courses in three countres, focusing on tools for language program management and partnership. In the last year he was assinged to serve as the technical services liaison to Asia and so will be listening to the needs around Asia and discussing how Wycliffe can offer international support.
Cherie is still working as an RN with patients who have chronic pain. Son Bryan is at University of Texas at Dallas and daughter, Michelle, is at Rice in Houston.
Roger was at one time Associate Pastor at ASLC. He met Cheri here, where they were married 24 years ago!
Right here on the All Saints campus every Saturday!!
This ministry distributes mainly PERISHABLE food including dairy, meats, bread and vegetables to folks who have been prescreened and referred by a doctor, Department of Economic Security or a pastor. Recipients are referred to as “needy,” not poor and may remain on David and Goliath’s list for 90 days in order to give them “a hands up.”
All staff at All Saints Lutheran Church are extremely supportive of this ministry. This group is respectful of our property, gracious to those in need and efficient in operation!
Typically, sets up at 9am in Fellowship Hall, but sometimes get shuttled to other areas of the campus, depending on what is going on. Food is distributed from 1 to 2pm.
On a beautiful Palm Sunday afternoon, in 2011, over 200 beautiful people walked three miles in beautiful Carefree and also donated 336 pounds of beautiful peanut butter and jelly to the Foothills Food Bank in Cave Creek.
The Social Ministry Team and Walk organizer, Karen Pelatt, thanks the beautiful folks of All Saints who walked, helped the food bank and raised funds for Church World Service, WHEAT and the Food Bank.
Over $7,000 was raised on this 20th Anniversary of the Foothills Walk for the Hungry.
This year's walk will be April 1 - No foolin'!!
To help recruit walkers at ASLC and/or join the Walk,
Contact: Karen Pelatt.
The Navajo Mission is located at Rock Point, AZ on the Navajo Indian Reservation. It celebrates the Navajo culture, educates the children who attend the school about the stories of Jesus and provides a sacred woship space for church groups that come to volunteer at the mission.
Put your Campbell soup labels and your General Mills box tops in an envelope wth Carol Collins' name on it and turn in to the church office. Box tops have expiration dates!
The Rev. Deborah Haffner Hubbard serves as pastor for the House of Prayer at the mission.
Interested in a trip to the mission? Tell Pastor Shari.
An affiliated agency of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Lutheran Social Servies of the Southwest provides comprehensive social services to God's people across the State of Arizona. All Saints includes a line-item in the budget for LSS/SW each year.
All Saints has adopted four refugee families last year, providing them with furnishings and support as they established new lives in the U.S. Some families have been in refugee camps as long as 14 years!! They come from The Congo, Myanmar (Burma), Iraq, etc. Tutors, mentors and donations are always welcome. Call Carol Bodwell if you have interest in tutoring or mentoring.
Tim Gaffney is coordinating volunteers who can pick up any furniture and household items you might be ready to "recycyle." If you have furniture or household goods to donate, or you can volunteer your time by moving furniture and setting up apartments please contact Tim. You can call the church office or email TimGaffney@cox.net
Contact: Tim Gaffney or Carol Bodwell
On the last weekend of each month, a financial offering is received which is used to alleviate hunger and other forms of suffering. Gifts are regularly channeled through many proven ministries , including:
Evangelical Lutheran Navajo Mission, Rock Point, AZ
Vida Nueva Latino Phoenix Congregation
ELCA Malaria Campaign
Arizona Campus Ministry
These organizations extend the love of God far and wide, providing emergency and long-term services for those suffering the effects of natural disasters in the US and abroad. Occasionally, offerings are designated to assist local congregations and families experiencing crises.
LEARN AND DO MORE FOR THE POOR AND HUNGRY
WHEAT - You've heard the name of this organization. ASLC contributes to it in various ways over the course of a year. What is it? The World Hunger Education, Advocacy and Training organization equips individuals with the tools for increased awareness, policy change and positive results. To end the tragedy of hunger, we must not only provide food, but we must also work with and empower those living in poverty. In trying to break the cycle of poverty, WHEAT supports self-help projects and other activities and policies that help eliminate the root causes of hunger.
The Hand to Hand Project makes the fairly traded handicrafts of artisans from around the world available for purchase. These quality, handmade items are from 42 different countries and include kid's items. It isn't too early to start thinking about Easter baskets!
The Clothes Silo has been an empowerment project since 1985. It is a resale boutique providing professional clothing at no cost to women entering or reentering the work force through client assistance programs, job training and mentoring. All of the clothes are available to the public at VERY attractive prices. Only VERY nice items are accepted both for wear in the office and for play. Ladies, if you are ready to recycle some of your wardrobe, please contact Barbara Rockow
WHEAT also has many volunteer opportunities.
Missionaries
A little about us...
COUNTRY OF SERVICE:
Andrea:
Luke: St Mark’s Presbyterian Church,
SYNOD: 3H/
For more infomation and the latest news from Luke & Andrea click here.
