St. John's has a proud tradition of a variety of Service & Social Concerns, providing enrichment on many levels.  Meals on Wheels, the Food Shelf, and Habitat for Humanity are all organizations serving people in need.  People acting in response to human need is truly a way to manifest God's love. 

If you would like to learn how you can participate in St. John's Service & Social Concerns, please email Pastor DJ Lura , or call him at St. John's office at 320-274-8827.

Service & Social Concerns events are listed on St. John's Main Web Site Events Calendar .

Links to web sites of interest are located at St. John's Main Web Site Links & Resources .

The history of Meals on Wheels can be traced back to 1939 Great Britain, during World War II.  Thousands of people lost their homes due to the war, and had no way to provide meals for their families.  The Women’s Volunteer Service for Civil Defense of Great Britain began preparing and delivering meals to their less-fortunate neighbors.  This same organization also delivered refreshments to soldiers using carts or “canteens”, which soon became known as “meals on wheels”.

In 1954, the United States tried its own version of “Meals on Wheels”, with the first American home-delivered meal program beginning in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  This program was to meet the dietary needs of homebound seniors and other shut-ins who needed a helping hand.  Many of the early volunteers consisted of high school students, dubbed “platter angels”, who would prepare and deliver food to the community.

What began as an idea by a handful of people now serves millions of disabled and at-risk people, as well as seniors, all over the country. There are over 20,000 federally funded and privately sponsored Meals on Wheels programs, with over 250 million meals served each year in communities across the country.
 
In our local Annandale area organization, Meals on Wheels provides hot meals that are delivered by volunteers from area churches to those in need.  It takes dozens of volunteers to carry out this vital ministry.  The members and friends of St. John's combine their efforts a couple times a year to provide this service.

While this service can be invaluable to those receiving these meals, it is a fun and very rewarding activity for those who participate in this ministry.  If you would like more information on participating in Meals on Wheels, please email Pastor DJ Lura , or call him at St. John's office at 320-274-8827.  Or for a list of specific individual contact people for Adult Faith & Life ministries, visit the Contact Us & Directions Web Site.

Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian organization dedicated to eliminating substandard housing and homelessness worldwide and to making adequate, affordable shelter a matter of conscience and action.  Habitat is founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have a simple, decent, affordable place to live in dignity and safety.

The work of Habitat for Humanity is driven by the desire to give tangible expression to the love of God through the work of eliminating poverty housing. Habitat's mission and methods are predominantly derived from a few key theological concepts: the necessity of putting faith into action, the "economics of Jesus" and the "theology of the hammer."

Churches are essential in grounding the work of Habitat in the gospel message and undergirding the ministry of Habitat in prayer. The most successful Habitat for Humanity affiliates are the ones with the strongest church support, and churches have proven to be Habitat’s most reliable and long-term partners.

Habitat for Humanity affiliates benefit from all the contributions that churches make to this ministry. The prayer, financial and volunteer support that churches provide is the backbone of Habitat’s work.  Every church can pray for the work of Habitat for Humanity around the world. Churches support the ministry of Habitat in a number of other ways and at a variety of levels.

Find out more about these opportunities, including volunteering, fund raising and serving on committees:
-Visit the Habitat for Humanity Web Site
-Email Pastor DJ Lura , or call him at St. John's office at 320-274-8827
-For a list of specific individual contact people for Adult Faith & Life ministries, visit the Contact Us & Directions Web Site .

If you want to learn more about Service & Social Concerns and Adult Faith & Life at St. John's, please email Pastor DJ Lura, or call him at St. John's office at 320-274-8827.  Or for a list of specific individual contact people for Adult Faith & Life ministries, visit the Contact Us & Directions Web Site.

You can also learn more about these ministries at the Ministries & Council Web Site.