Flooding and Tornadoes in the Midwest - The ELCA Disaster Relief Team is there helping. Read more about their work and how you can help by clicking here.
LABELS FOR NAVAJO LUTHERAN MISSION IN ROCK POINT AZ - Campbell Soup Labels help the Navajo Lutheran Mission in Rock Point, Az. The program accepts the bar code portion from the Campell Soup labels. Instead of saving the full labels from Campbell's, Swanson's V8, Prego, and Franco American products, the new requirement is to provide only the UPC bar code insignia. Continue to save General Mills Boxtops for Education proof of purchase which the Mission School converts to cash. In 2007 the Mission received over $40,000 from this program. Click on the heading link to see the mission web site.
FAIR TRADE COFFEE - DHLC is proud of its role in working with Lutheran World Relief to help expand the market for fairly traded coffee and cocoa beans so farm families who grow the crops can be fairly compensated for their work and support their families. At times demand outstrips supply. This increasing demand worldwide, coupled with speculators moving their money from stocks and banking to commodities, is currently causing higher prices.
KATRINA WORKFORCE MAKES A DIFFERENCE
14 members of DHLC traveled to Mississippi in March to help with Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts. Their home base was Camp Victor, a converted sewing machine factory. Located in Ocean Springs, just east of Biloxi MS, the camp is a join ministry of Lutheran Episcopal Services in Mississippi, Lutheran Disaster Relief, and Christus Victor Lutheran Church. The group worked on a variety of assignments in various parts of Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, and Gautier. They cleaned yards - raked, weeded, trimmed palm trees, and even cut down and removed trees. They also did a lot of painting - walls, woodwork, and cabinets. Some of the group ripped up tile flooring, cut tile for counter tops, and hung doors. Others in the group worked at a free clinic at Bethel Lutheran Church in Biloxi. Members of the DHLC Katrina Mission 2008 were Micki Adams, Barb and John Bently, Charlie Bowker, Don Chillstrom and Jean Koski, Kathy and Glen Gauger, Mary Jensen, Elaine Larson, Dale and Jan Logan, Kay Otto, and Janet Peterson.
GLOBAL MISSIONS
The Global Missions Committee extends the ministry of Desert Hills Lutheran beyond our local community, including our sponsorship of Sarah and Peter Grow-Hanson, ELCA missionaries in Senegal. The ELCA Grand Canyon Synod has two companion synods - Senegal and Lithuania. Committee members correspond with our missionaries in Senegal as well as workers in Lithuania. This committee represents our congregation at and brings information about Borderlinks which strives to advocate for the plight of people in danger crossing the desert. Through the ELCA Hunger/Disaster Relief program the congregation is able to help alleviate hunger and respond to basic human needs in areas of the world that experience disasters. Click on these links to learn about the work of Desert Hills Lutheran and other ELCA congregations in the area of Hunger or Disaster Relief.
Global Missions Mission Statement
In keeping with the DHLC goals of "celebrating grace, making disciples, and making a difference", our Global Missions is focused on the way our congregation and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America responds to God's call to serve and to send beyond the United States. "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Matthew 28:19-20.
We pledge to educate the congregation on programs available through the ELCA Global Missions. We will accomplish this by: monthly article in Quail notes; weekly bulletin blurbs of "Did you know?"; maintain a bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall with timely photos and articles; promote an annual in-house event to raise awareness; have monthly sales of Fair Trade coffee, tea, and chocolate; advertise the ELCA Global Mission web site; keep the DHLC Global Mission web site current; promote Rally in the Valley (Phoenix area) and National Global gatherings; encourage congregational members with a passion for global missions to join the Global Missions Team; organize and promote "immersion trips" to areas we support for hands on field experience; Make a Difference!
We pledge to be a liaison for ELCA World Hunger Appeals by our prayers and giving; being advocates for all peoples in disaster and need; supporting Fair Trade Coffee and other grass roots groups; supporting Lutheran World Relief projects and Alternate Giving; Making a Difference!
We pledge to a sister Lutheran congregation south of our border where we can pray for, encourage and provide a financial stipend for pastor or lay minister; pray for and encourage the congregation; provide financial support for specific needs; act as liaison between church-wide and Mexican congregation; organize trips to help offer assistance for immediate needs; consider offering a VBS program, involving the youth of DHLC, for Mexican children; offer classes on hygiene and provide supplies; Make a Difference!
We pledge to be financially responsible with our annual budget and funds raised with special projects by continuing to support our companion synods in Senegal and Lithuania; supporting the Grow-Hanson family (Simon, Elijah, Sarah and Peter) serving as missionaries in Senegal and providing them with encouragement in the form of prayers, letters, cards, etc.; listening to, evaluating and activing accordingly to special requests in the Global Mission field presented by DHLC congregational members; fully dispersing all our funds prior to the end of the fiscal year; Making a Difference!
You can learn more about our ministry partnerships by clicking on the highlighted ministry name to visit their web sites.