Neighboring Opportunities
SERVE Team plans ministry with our neighbors. Their focus involves shaping the narrative the community has of the congregation as well as facilitating regular service projects and collection drives to help our neighbors.
ANNUAL EVENTS:
September: God’s Work Our Hands is the annual ELCA-wide day of service where we put our faith into action in the community. This day reminds us who we are — a people freed by Christ to serve and love our neighbor. Plan to stay after worship for this all-church service project to connect with others while serving our neighbors in four different ways.
October: Trunk or Treat is the last Wednesday of October from (5:30 set-up) 6:00p to 7:00p. This is open to the neighborhood and held in the parsonage parking lot. We need at least a dozen vehicles to help us connect with the community during this all ages event. Please sign up to decorate a vehicle at the Welcome Desk. You can sign-up as group, household, or individual to decorate your vehicle and give out candy or treats as children in costumes walk from car to car.
November: Turkey Bingo & Bowling happens after worship. We’ll serve sandwiches, play Bingo games with great prizes (including Thanksgiving turkeys) and frozen turkey bowling. It’s all for a good cause, raising funds for the ICA Food Shelf.
February - March: While there are small service projects SERVE Team helps lead every 3-4 times a year for Dinner Church, during Lent they help coordinate and facilitate a larger project spread out and done over six weeks.
April - May: Near Earth Day, we clean up Cottageville Park (415 Blake Rd N), just a mile from church. All ages are welcome to enjoy fresh air, community, and caring for our environment. We also return to clean the park in September during God’s Work Our Hands.
Summer: Participate in Hopkins Pride and Hopkins Raspberry Days.
COLLECTION DRIVES:
August - September: For God’s Work Our Hands, we collect donations for Birthday Bag Project for ICA Food Shelf. We need 40 cake mix boxes, frosting cans, candle packs, set of 8 plates, and set of 8 napkins. You can contribute by placing items in the baskets outside the sanctuary and marking off your donation items on the dry erase countdown board.
September - October: Winter Wear Drive collects for Resource West new or gently used coats, along with new waterproof gloves, boots and warm hats, for infants through 18-year-olds in the Hopkins and Minnetonka communities. Donations may be placed in the barrel outside the sanctuary.
February - March: Lenten collection drive connects to the service project(s) being done during Dinner Church for one of our community partners this has recently included Reach & Restore, Resource West and ICA Food Shelf during the Food Share Drive.
June - July: Quilters collect fabrics that must be washable - 100 percent cotton, flannel, or a blend with polyester or acrylic. The top of the quilt is 5 yards of fabric, but people may donate pieces they have leftover from projects or any size of bedding sheets. Financial donations for fabric, thread and batting can be marked for "Quilters Ministry" and put in the offering.