Service Opportunities in the Community
35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:35-40 (ESV)
Disciples of Jesus have always been called to serve and love their neighbors. St. Michael’s delights in all the service of its members and seeks to provide helpful structures to encourage and make that service possible. We hope and pray that you will serve God and neighbor and we invite you to join us in that service. Here are a few ways we serve.
Oregon Food Bank
St. Michael’s is just down the street from the Oregon Food Banks processing center on NE 33rd. When pandemic restrictions allow, multiple members volunteer and work together to process food for distribution to the many foodbanks scattered around the state. If you would like to join us and work beside folks you know, please contact the church office. Sometimes it is much easier to volunteer and serve when you do it with people.
Blessing Box
In the spring of 2021, St. Michaels erected a blessing box on the corner of the property (29th and Dekum). A blessing box is an unlocked box where people may pick up food and donate. The idea is that you take what you need and give what you can. Members can donate food (non-perishables) or volunteer to keep the box stocked and clean.
Quilters
Every other Thursday, a group of women get together at St. Michael’s to produce quilted blankets for Lutheran World Relief. These are boxed and shipped around the world to refugee camps, ministries, and other places of need. We are always looking for another set of hands. This is not highly skilled work. If you have some very basic sewing capabilities, you can do this.
Faubion School
St Michael’s has a special relationship with Faubion. We are blessed to have children running through our property and to host the PTA Plant Sale in the spring. We encourage our members to volunteer to within the wonderful work which happens next door.
Christmas Giving
Faubion school serves a population of students from a wide variety of ethnicities and socio-economic strata. Every year St. Michael’s teams with the counselling office at Faubion to help needy families navigate the Christmas season with joy.
Where Your Heart Is
in 2019 the estate of Helen Pape made a generous gift to St. Michael’s and the people of St. Michael’s elected to make a generous offering with those funds to many worthy entities in the Portland area and even throughout the world. We supported foodbanks, the Community Transitional School, These Numbers Have Faces, and more.
Pastor’s Fund
Sometimes people just run into a time and a place where a little help goes a long way. The people of St. Michael’s budget for a Pastor’s fund, but you can support this with a special offering. We have helped families who have lost income due to sickness, folks who have lost a home due to fire, a man who needed help as he moved into assisted living, and more. The fund administered by the Pastor is anonymous. Funds are distributed without strings attached for people within and outside the St. Michael’s membership. If you know someone in need, contact Pastor.