Community Outreach

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.'”
Matthew 25: 35-40, RSV

The constitutional mandate of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is to "...serve in response to God’s love to meet human needs, caring for the sick and the aged, advocating dignity and justice for all people, working for peace and reconciliation among the nations and standing with the poor and powerless, committing it to their needs."

This mandate is based on Scripture, this one passage among many:

How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. (1 John 3:17)

In addition, an admonition from Martin Luther still resonates today:

If you send a person away naked when you could clothe him, you have let him freeze to death. If you see anyone suffer hunger and do not feed him, you have let him starve.

Emmanuel has historically provided outreach to the community, in recognition of the fact that all of our blessings come from God.

Click on the links at the left for more information on our outreach programs. Please check each listing for when services are provided (in case you need help), or what is needed in terms of time, talent and materials to make these programs successful (in case you want to help).