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 organizations on your behalf.
Current Needs & Volunteer Opportunities
March Second Mile Offering: Minnesota FoodShare
March is Minnesota FoodShare month, and our Second Mile Offering supports this drive with funds and food essentials. The Minnesota FoodShare campaign envisions a future where all Minnesotans have access to healthy food and no one struggles with food insecurity. It brings the community together to help stock nearly 300 food shelves statewide. Our offering this month specifically supports the local food shelves at Interfaith Outreach and ICA.
You can offer your support throughout the month of March with monetary donations. Give online by selecting “Minnesota FoodShare,” by texting a dollar amount to (763) 333-2673 and following the prompts, or by mailing a check (indicate “Minnesota FoodShare” in the memo) to: Messiah Church, 17805 County Road 6, Plymouth, MN 55447. For every $1 donated, food shelves can source $9 worth of food through partnerships in the community.
Throughout March, Messiah is also collecting food and other essential items for Interfaith Outreach and ICA food shelves. Each week we will highlight a specific item to bring:
Week 1 (March 5): CerealWeek 2 (March 12): Cooking Oil- Week 3 (March 19): Canned Meat
- Week 4 (March 26): Pasta Sauce
As part of Minnesota FoodShare month, the KID Street Kids are collecting boxes of cereal all month. Can you help them reach their goal of 150 donated boxes of cereal?
There are other items that are in high-demand at Interfaith Outreach and ICA too. Click here to download a list of most-needed items at Interfaith Outreach. Click here to download a list of the most-needed items at ICA.
All donations will be collected through Friday, March 31 and can be dropped off in the atrium at Messiah on Sundays or during church office hours (Monday-Thursday 9 am-5 pm and Friday 9 am-12 pm).
Volunteering at one of the food shelves is also a great way to contribute! 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. Thank you for helping to fight hunger in our community!
Habitat for Humanity Work Day
Messiah is assembling a build team for a Habitat for Humanity work day on Saturday, March 25, 8:30 am-3:30 pm. Volunteer to work on a new construction build on Niskanen Circle in Chaska. No special skills needed – just a willingness to work and learn. All tools provided at the worksite. Volunteers must be 16 and up (under 21 accompanied by adult) to join this team. Click here to sign up. If you are interested in carpooling, contact Linda S. For more information about Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, visit www.tchabitat.org.
Cocoa Cafe
You are invited to a morning filled with toasty beverages, gooey s’mores and great friendship – all in support of the Minnesota FoodShare campaign. Ashley and Emily, two of Messiah’s kids, invite you to their front yard on Saturday, March 25, 9 am-12 pm for their 6th annual Cocoa Cafe. Each year the sisters offer hot cocoa and sweet treats, then donate 100% of the freewill donations they receive to the ICA and Interfaith Outreach food shelves. Last year they raised over $6,900! Can’t make it to this event, but still want to give? Send donations via Venmo to @Miranda-Spence-2. Your gift is helping our community!
Midwest Mission
As part of Midwest Mission’s distribution of health care resources, they send medical supplies and equipment to developing countries. There is a great need for items we take for granted. Do you have a wheelchair, crutches, or cane you no longer need? Midwest Mission would love to distribute these to those who do! Donations will be collected through Sunday, April 16 and can be dropped off in the marked location in the atrium at Messiah on Sundays or during church office hours (Monday-Thursday 9 am-5 pm and Friday 9 am-12 pm).
Midwest Mission sends tangible resources to those in need to make a difference in their lives through hope and empowerment – locally & around the world. They are one of eight cooperating depots in the UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) Supply Network. For more information on Midwest Mission, visit www.midwestmission.org.
Mission Trip to Re-Member
This spring, April 22-28, Messiah is planning a mission trip to Re-Member – our 5th trip! Re-Member is a nonprofit organization that works with the Oglala Lakota Nation on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Volunteers complete home improvement projects, work in the community gardens, and immerse themselves in Lakota culture. Cost for the trip is $749/person (scholarships are available). If you are interested in this mission trip opportunity, please contact Kay S. For more information on Re-Member, visit www.re-member.org.
American Red Cross Blood Drive
Make a difference in the lives of others by giving blood. Please consider donating blood at the American Red Cross blood drive on Monday, May 22, 12-6 pm in Heritage Hall. Visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter “MessiahPlym” to schedule an appointment or click here.
Did you know that you can give one super-powered blood donation that may have the same impact as two regular donations? This is called a Power Red donation. Click here for more information on being a Power Red donor.
If you have recently received a COVID-19 vaccine, knowing the name of the manufacturer is critical in determining your blood donation eligibility. Click here to read about the American Red Cross’s COVID-19 procedures.
Help Support the Amini Family
For the past year, 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. More volunteers are needed to help them with some simple activities. Can you help?
- Childcare is needed for their two children (ages 4 months & 18 months) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 6-8 pm while Sadiga (mom & wife) attends ESL classes.
- Transportation is needed for grocery shopping each Saturday from 2:30-4 pm. Click here to sign up.
For more information on assisting this family, please contact Mickey E.
Ways to Help Simpson Shelter
Thank you, Messiah, for your generous donations to support Simpson Shelter! Although we may be hoping the winter weather will subside, individuals dealing with homelessness still face cold weather on a daily basis. Can you help with some much-needed items? Current urgent needs include:
- WATERPROOF gloves (men’s and women’s)
- Thermal tops and bottoms (all sizes; men’s and women’s)
- Hair care products for natural, textured, or curly hair
To see a current list of all the ways to help Simpson Shelter, visit www.simpsonhousing.org/ways-to-help/give-supplies. Instructions for monetary donations, links for shopping their Amazon Wish List or Target Wish List, and a complete list of current needs can all be found here. Please note: Simpson cannot accept clothing (except for items on their list), cleaning supplies beyond their expiration date, and any knit outdoor items (hats, gloves, or mittens).
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 and Friday 9 am-12 pm), or email Lavinia P to schedule a contactless pick-up. Lavinia can also answer questions about appropriate items to donate.
Visit www.simpsonhousing.org to see the construction progress on their new facility – it’s exciting!
Volunteer at Interfaith Outreach
Interfaith Outreach is a valuable resource to our community, addressing critical needs of our neighbors. Volunteers are needed to help staff the Resale Select store, and home delivery order takers and delivery drivers are needed at the food shelf. Can you help? If you are interested in volunteering at Interfaith Outreach, visit iocp.volunteerhub.com to sign up online. Interfaith Outreach is located at 1605 County Road 101 N, Plymouth. For more information on Interfaith Outreach, visit iocp.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 and Friday 9 am-12 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 winter? Check out the following organizations that are accepting volunteers:
- 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
All organizations have their own COVID safety protocols in place. Please contact each organization directly for details.
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.
