Missio Dei "Mission of God"
There are so many ways to reach out to the community! Find out here how you can get involved and make a difference!
ELCA Disaster Relief
A relief agency within the ELCA that engages emergency needs immediately, both on an individual and a collaborative way with other Lutheran Christian groups and Christian ministries from other church organizations. Every dollar donated goes to the needs they are intended to reach (this is possible because the infrastructure is supported through the Mission Support dollars mentioned above). ELCA Disaster Response is accompanying our companions in Ukraine, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, as well as such ecumenical partners as Lutheran World Federation and Church World Service, in their humanitarian responses to the crisis. These partners provide refugees with immediate support and supplies such as food, blankets, water and hygiene kits.
Monthly Outreach Challenge
MARCH FOOD & TOY DONATIONS
Bring in your canned pasta, pasta sauce, rice or beans
for Pathways collection. And small toys for OCC.
ELCA
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a Christian denomination committed to service and justice throughout the world. 10,000+ congregations throughout the United States support local, national and global ministry through Mission Support benevolent dollars. These dollars support people and programs with an ongoing presence committed to service and justice in the name of a loving God.
ELCA World Hunger
ELCA World Hunger is a comprehensive and sustainable program that uses multiple strategies—relief, development, education, and advocacy—to address the root causes of hunger and poverty. ELCA World Hunger responds to neighbors around the corner and around the world. Between 70-75 percent of ELCA World Hunger funds are spent internationally, and 20-25 percent are spent domestically. The 2010 anticipated dollars in the program from gifts and offerings is just over $20 million.
Pathways of Hope
Pathways of Hope is a special organization to the people of St. Paul, and works closely with local governmental agencies, congregations and community volunteers to identify and meet the needs of the homeless and economically disadvantaged in the Southern California area. Although Pathways of Hope is located in Fullerton, California, it touches a much larger community as we work together to combat homelessness. Pathways of Hope’s programs and services include transitional housing for families and individuals, rapid re-housing services, food assistance, homelessness prevention, and community outreach. For our latest events please see our calendar.
Crop Hunger Walk
St. Paul is key participant in the annual Crop Hunger Walk that happens every spring in Fullerton. A program of Church World Service, area faith communities walk and raise funds for hunger. The 2010 walk raised a state of California record of just over $88,000 for hunger. 25% of these funds stay locally, with the balance working nationally and globally to meet hunger needs.
Operation Christmas Child
Each year in October and early November the children and youth of St. Paul decorate shoe boxes and fill them with gifts. These boxes are then collected and celebrated in worship with a blessing before being sent to an area collection point where they are then sent and distributed to children around the world. Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse and St. Paul is excited about participating every year.
Angel Tree
A Christmas Tree appears every year in the Narthex and on the tree are tags with the brief description of a child (age, gender, etc). people pull the tags and then shop for an appropriate gift for the child, wrap it and then place it under the tree. About one week before Christmas the gifts are collected and then later distributed to area children in need.
