“God’s Work. Our Hands”
Each year, St. John’s participates in “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday, an opportunity to celebrate who we are as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) — one church, freed in Christ to love and serve our neighbor. Across the country, thousands of members will engage in service work to make a positive change in our communities, build and deepen relationships and share God’s love.
2024 Project
This year we collected items for Lutheran Social Services / National Capital Area (LSS/NCA) Home Arrival Kits. We collected new kitchen and cleaning supplies, personal hygiene products, and items for babies and children.
What We’ve Done in the Past
In 2023, we collected and purchased furniture and household items, and then set up an apartment for a refugee family identified by LSS/NCA.
In 2022, St. John’s collected and boxed 140 items, including pots and pans, first aid kits, linens, diapers, hygiene and cleaning supplies, for delivery to LSS/NCA to distribute to individuals and families as they are resettled by LSS/NCA in the metro area. As a part of our advocacy on behalf of Afghan Allies, Ukrainian Refugees and Immigrants from many countries we wrote letters to elected officials to express our support for the work they are doing and to highlight priorities identified by Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS).
In 2021, St.John’s project for “God’s Work. Our Hands.” was to prepare for our first food distribution as part of our new Nurture our Neighbor food ministry. Through this new ministry St. John’s directly serves our neighbors by providing bags of food staples one Sunday a month.
St. John’s has filled hundreds of bags of food to support our neighbors at the Millian United Methodist Food Bank, as well as provided back packs and schools supplies for refugees that were distributed through Lutheran Social Services (LSS). We have also collected diapers for the Greater DC Diaper Bank (GDCDB).
The donations we receive always exceed our expectations as the generosity overflows to assist people in need