Make an Impact
Messiah Church is a church of compassion and community outreach. Members and friends of Messiah devote their time and talents to support local, national, and global missions. From serving at the local food shelf to traveling to developing countries, we serve through mission – and there is a place for you to get involved! For more information, contact Linda Seaton, Missions Committee Chair.
Messiah Church is committed to supporting several organizations consistently and long-term. Each month, we collect a “Second Mile Offering” to support a specific organization, and when you visit for the first time, you can elect to have Messiah make a donation to one of several community partners on your behalf.
Current Needs & Volunteer Opportunities
Second Mile Offering: Iglesia Piedra Viva
Our June & July Second Mile Offering supports Iglesia Piedra Viva. Iglesia Piedra Viva (IPV), Living Stone Church (in English), is a Spanish-speaking United Methodist Church serving more than 50 low-income families in South Minneapolis. Every month they host a distribution event, helping to care for those in their community by providing much-needed food, personal care items, and household supplies. Your Second Mile Offering will help us purchase supplies for these monthly distribution events. For more info on IPV, visit www.ipvmn.org.
You can support Iglesia Piedra Viva through the end of July with a monetary donation, by donating items for their monthly distribution events, and/or by volunteering:
- Give! Give online by selecting “Second Mile Offering,” or by mailing a check (indicate “IPV” in the memo) to: Messiah Church, 17805 County Road 6, Plymouth, MN 55447.
- Donate! We are collecting only deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, and dish soap (items that are in high demand at IPV’s distribution events). Our goal is to collect 100 of each item! Donations will be collected through Sunday, July 28 and can be dropped off in the marked bin in the atrium at Messiah on Sundays or during church office hours (Monday-Thursday 9 am-5 pm). Please no food donations at this time — they have a resource for this.
- Volunteer! Each month IPV hosts a distribution event at Park Avenue United Methodist Church (3400 Park Ave, Minneapolis). Volunteers are needed on Friday, July 19 starting at 1:45 pm to pack and distribute bags of groceries. This event will be outside (weather permitting), so dress accordingly and bring a water bottle. Click here to sign up.
Emergency Flood Response in Waterville
Minnesota UMC Disaster Response (a partner of UMCOR – United Methodist Committee on Relief) has been asked to provide a team in Waterville, MN for a one day flood response on Saturday, July 20. The mission in Waterville is to provide a grace-filled Christian presence and a listening ear, as we haul damaged goods out of homes and to the curb for pickup and disposal (involves some heavy lifting). Completion of the ERT (Emergency Response Team) training is not necessary to participate in this event. If you feel called to this mission, please email disasterresponse@minnesotaumc.org for more information.
Help Support the Amini Family
Messiah Church has been supporting the Amini family (immigrants from Afghanistan) as they adjust to life in Minnesota. This family of four lives in an apartment in Hopkins near the Knollwood shopping area. Volunteers are needed to help them with transportation to the grocery store every Saturday from 2-3:30 pm. Can you help? Click here to sign up. For more information on assisting this family, please contact Mickey E.
BYOCT (Bring Your Own Coffee Tumbler)
Every Sunday morning, we generate A LOT of trash with coffee cups during coffee hour after worship. In an effort to reduce our trash and spend less money on disposable cups, we invite you to bring your own coffee tumbler on Sunday mornings. Please be sure your tumbler is labeled with your name, and we’d prefer if it has a lid to prevent spills. Then wash out your tumbler at home & bring it back again next week! Don’t worry, we still have paper cups for guests and regulars who forget. What a difference we could all make in caring for our creation with this small act!
Support Our Local Food Shelves
The summer season typically means donations are down for our local food shelves. Next time you go shopping, pick up something extra to donate to Interfaith Outreach and ICA. Most needed items:
- Pull-Ups (size 3-4 & 4-5)
- Baby wipes
- Baby diapers (size 3)
- Adult diapers (size XL & 2XL)
- Boxed cereals
- Canned chicken
- Vegetable oil (24 oz. bottles)
- Paper towels
- Can openers
- Reusable grocery bags (new)
- Paper grocery bags
We are always collecting food shelf donations in the round marked bins just inside the front doors at Messiah – drop off on Sundays or during church office hours (Monday-Thursday 9 am-5 pm). OR drop off your donation directly at Interfaith Outreach (1605 County Road 101 N, Plymouth) during their donation hours: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 10 am-5 pm; or ICA Food Shelf (11588 K-Tel Dr, Minnetonka) during their donation hours: Mondays 10 am-6:30 pm, Tuesdays 10 am-3:30 pm, Wednesdays 9 am-3:30 pm, Thursdays 10 am-3:30 pm, Fridays 10 am-12 pm, and Saturdays 10 am-12 pm (1st & 3rd Saturdays only). For more information on the Interfaith Outreach food shelf, visit www.iocp.org/outreach-services/food-shelf. For more information on the ICA food shelf, visit www.icafoodshelf.org.
Home-Grown Produce
Interfaith Outreach and ICA food shelves are valuable resources to local families. These organizations are committed to providing a wide variety of healthy, nutritious food to our neighbors. Are you planning a home garden or participating in a community garden? Please consider sharing your home-grown harvest and supporting local families this summer! All sorts of vegetables, herbs, and fruits are welcome in any size donation – bring a handful or a bushel! As your garden’s bounty arrives, please drop off your donation directly at Interfaith Outreach or ICA Food Shelf.
Volunteer at Interfaith Outreach
Interfaith Outreach is a valuable resource to our community, addressing critical needs of our neighbors. Volunteers are always needed at the food shelf and Resale Select store. Can you help? Current needs include:
- Food Shelf Shopping Assistant
- Resale Select Store Support: Shifts are open Monday-Saturday mornings, afternoons, and evenings
- Resale Select Treasure Hunter: Shifts are open Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday mornings and afternoons
- Donation Door Greeter: Shifts are open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning and afternoons
If you are interested in any of these opportunities at Interfaith Outreach, visit iocp.volunteerhub.com to sign up online. Sign up for a New Volunteer Meeting to learn about all open volunteer opportunities. Interfaith Outreach is located at 1605 County Road 101 N, Plymouth. For more information on Interfaith Outreach, visit iocp.org.
Ways to Help Simpson Shelter
Can you help with some much-needed items for Simpson Shelter? Current needs include:
- Men’s boxers and t-shirts
- Women’s bras and briefs
- Hair ties
- Personal care items (especially hair care products for natural, textured, or curly hair and baby oil; please no full-size items – travel sized only)
- Ketchup
- Pickles
- Salad dressing (especially Ranch)
- Drink mixes (canister size)
- Sugar/sweetener packets
Simpson is currently only accepting these specific items. Donations can be dropped off in the marked bin in the atrium at Messiah on Sundays or during church office hours (Monday-Thursday 9 am-5 pm), or email Lavinia P to schedule a contactless pick-up. Lavinia can also answer questions about appropriate items to donate.
Simpson is also looking for groups to make sandwiches in their kitchen. (Food items must be made/assembled at their site and cannot be prepared off site.) Gather a group, or serve individually. To schedule, contact Lavinia.
For more information on Simpson Shelter, visit simpsonhousing.org. Instructions for monetary donations, links for shopping their Amazon Wish List or Target Wish List, and a complete list of current urgent needs can all be found here.
Calling all Knitters & Crocheters
Messiah’s Prayer Shawl Ministry is seeking knitters and crocheters to make handmade shawls that the Congregational Care Team will distribute to those they serve through prayer, care, visits, and compassionate support. Through a grant from Messiah’s Living Ministry Endowment, yarn has been purchased for these shawls. Patterns are available for both knitting and crocheting. If you are interested in learning more or getting started, please contact Heather Felt at hfelt@messiahchurch.org or Margaret D.
Decluttering? Donate to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Looking to donate large items (or a large quantity of items) but don’t have a vehicle big enough to transport them? Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity ReStore can come to you! All you have to do is request a pickup. Here’s how:
- Review the list of items they accept for donation at restore.tchabitat.org/donate
- Let them know what you’re donating
- Select your preferred pickup date
- Enter pickup address and item location
- On the day of pickup, place your items outside of your home. They’ll take care of the rest! (And you’ll receive a 20% off coupon to use at the ReStore!)
For questions about this service, please contact Habitat for Humanity directly at (612) 588-3820. Do not drop off donations at Messiah. For more information about Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, visit www.tchabitat.org.
Little Free Libraries
Got books? Did you know there are Little Free Libraries in the parking lots at Messiah and Interfaith Outreach (1605 County Road 101 N, Plymouth)? The library at Interfaith Outreach is maintained by Messiah members Phil & Sue Zietlow, and they are especially in need of children’s books to add to that library! Children’s book donations (in good condition) can be dropped off in the marked bin in the atrium at Messiah on Sundays or during church office hours (Monday-Thursday 9 am-5 pm), or email Sue Z to schedule a porch pick-up. We’ll be sure to get these books to the Little Free Libraries for local families to enjoy!
Habitat for Humanity Work Days
Among the many ways to serve our local communities, Messiah Church supports Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCH4H). Opportunities exist in several ways but primarily in the construction of housing for eligible applicants. No special skills are required to participate on a build, just a willingness to serve! Messiah volunteers have been participating in a multiple structure project on Niskanen Circle in Chaska. If you would like to help with this build project, visit tchabitat.volunteerhub.com/lp/chaska. At this link, you can register as a new volunteer and sign up for upcoming serve dates that fit your schedule. (Volunteers must be 16 and up to serve on a build team.) If you have questions regarding TCH4H volunteering, contact Marv K. For more information about Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, visit www.tchabitat.org.
Serving Opportunities
Looking for other opportunities to serve our neighbors this summer? Check out the following organizations:
- Interfaith Outreach food shelf and Resale Select store: www.iocp.org
- Second Harvest Heartland: www.2harvest.org
- Feed My Starving Children: www.fmsc.org
- Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity work sites and ReStore locations: www.tchabitat.org
- Bundles of Love: Meets at Messiah at 6 pm on the first Thursday of each month
Local Missions
Bloom Early Learning & Child Care
Bloom is an accredited, award-winning, nonprofit early learning center housed in Messiah Church. Because poverty early in life is a proven barrier to success later on, Bloom passionately strives to break the cycle at the start through nurturing care and exceptional early learning programs.
By providing scholarship assistance to half the children in our center, Bloom enables low-income single mothers and families to work or pursue education to improve their futures while giving their children the best possible start in their lives.
- Serving children 6 weeks through Pre-K
- Providing a nurturing, safe and intimate environment
- Using values-based programs and excellent curriculum with stellar outcomes
- Dedicating 50% of enrollment spots to children from families living under the poverty level in the Plymouth/Wayzata area
Our Shirley Robinson Scholarship Fund is a memorial to the wife of former Messiah Church pastor, Rollie Robinson, who originally challenged his congregation to help break the cycle of poverty through the provision of high quality, affordable early learning and child care. Gifts from individual donors, grants and fundraising events, as well as those from corporations, public organizations and faith communities, help Bloom assist children of low-income families. Contact Mary Olsen at (763) 449-0600 or visit www.bloomearlylearning.org.
Interfaith Outreach
Messiah Church has been an important partner in Interfaith Outreach’s efforts on behalf of the community to serve at-risk families in Hamel, Long Lake, Medicine Lake, Minnetonka Beach, Orono, Plymouth and Wayzata. For opportunities to get involved, contact Linda Seaton.
Interfaith Outreach was launched in 1979 by a small group of believers who envisioned a way for our community to respond to the unmet needs of struggling families and individuals in our midst, and to help them move toward self-sufficiency. From its modest beginnings in a church basement with no budget and a volunteer staff, Interfaith Outreach has grown to a sophisticated direct service provider and respected community catalyst. To learn more about Interfaith Outreach, visit www.IOCP.org.
Habitat for Humanity
A Christian nonprofit organization, supported in the Twin Cities by Messiah UMC for more than 20 years. Habitat provides guidance, materials and volunteers to help owners restore their houses, protecting their investment in the home and restoring pride of ownership. Additionally, Messiah supports, “Brush with Kindness,” a ministry of Habitat to help 125 families each year to rehab their homes. Habitat is supported at Messiah through volunteer workdays periodically throughout the year.
For more information, please call the church office at (763) 473-6968. To learn more about Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, visit www.tchabitat.org.
Simpson Housing Services
Messiah partners with Simpson Housing Services by providing many service opportunities including serving meals at the Emergency Shelter, working as an overnight volunteer at the Emergency Shelter and tutoring children. They are also in continuous need of donations such as socks, T-shirts, underwear, toothpaste, toothbrushes and deodorant.
For more information on Simpson housing services contact our office at (763) 473-6968, or visit www.simpsonhousing.org.
The mission of Simpson Housing Services is to provide free shelter and affordable housing with support services to homeless men, women and children. They assist individuals and families in their effort to improve their life situations and advocate for their human and civil rights.
The Simpson Center for Servant Ministries (Simpson CSM)
Simpson CSM is a ministry that seeks to cultivate holistic vitality in the urban community by building relationships with neighbors and partnerships across urban/suburban/rural communities. Messiah Church partners with Simpson CSM by volunteering their time and talents through community meals, food pantry, clothing store donations and produce fairs.
The CSM carries out its work through Health and Wellness activities, service opportunities and through the Poverty and Justice Institute. For more information on Simpson CSM, call the church office at (763) 473-6968 or visit www.simpsoncsm.org.
Imara International
Messiah Church is proud to be in partnership with Imara International and to support its Executive Director, and Messiah member, Carol Erickson, through its prayers, and donations of time, talent, gifts and service. To find out about the next mission trip opportunity, and ways you can help, contact the church office at (763) 473-6968 or visit www.imarainternational.org.
Imara International is a U.S. based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization working in Kenya. Imara’s purpose is to provide an opportunity for teenage mothers to earn a high school degree and learn marketable skills to support themselves and their children. Imara fosters a safe, healthy environment where respect, faith, and teamwork are a central focus. Infants and children who are part of the Imara family are provided healthcare and early childhood education. Imara’s program is structured to teach life-sustaining skills that build strong families and communities while breaking the cycle of poverty. To learn more about Imara International, visit www.imarainternational.org.
Feed My Starving Children
Feed My Starving Children is a nonprofit Christian organization committed to feeding God’s children hungry in body and spirit. Messiah Church partners with FMSC by providing financial resources and countless volunteer hours packaging healthy meal-packs. To learn more about Feed My Starving Children, visit www.FMSC.org.
The approach is simple: children and adults hand-pack meals specifically formulated for malnourished children, and we ship these meals to nearly 70 countries around the world.
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)
UMCOR is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to alleviating human suffering around the globe. UMCOR’s work includes programs and projects in disaster response, health, sustainable agriculture, food security, relief supplies, and more. UMCOR is a ministry of The United Methodist Church through the General Board of Global Ministries.
Messiah Church supports UMCOR through various project (health kits, flood buckets) as needed by the organization. To learn more about UMCOR, visit www.umcor.org.