“Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours; yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion looks out on the world, yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good, and yours are the hands with which he is to bless us now.” — St. Teresa
The many local and global ministries reached through the Outreach and Social Ministries of Saint Andrew’s are representative of our response to God’s instruction in Micah 6:8 to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” With compassion we reach out to our community and world in ways that seek to meet basic material and spiritual needs of God’s people, especially those struggling to make it in a world where material value takes precedence over human value. We embrace the opportunity to share the abundant blessings of our congregation in ways that touch the lives of those in need and show Christ’s love through us for his people.
Global/Local Outreach
GLOBAL OUTREACH — Global Outreach: This task force seeks to expand interaction between the members of Saint Andrew’s and the global community in order to meet the needs of our global neighbors. We support missionaries in Tanzania including Marv Kananen and Jean Wahlstrom in their ministry to the MaaSae Girl’s Lutheran Secondary School as well as the work of Kari Roberg there. Lutheran World Relief is supported by quilts made and distributed by our Dorcas Circle, with school supply packets collected by our Sunday school children, and through the sale and use of Equal Exchange Fairly Traded Coffee. We support Global Health Ministries in their efforts to provide support to Lutheran medical missionaries by providing medical supplies and health education in the third world.
LOCAL OUTREACH — This task force seeks to extend God’s love and ministry to organizations in our community through funding and/or in-kind support while providing opportunities for our church members to participate in outreach activities. Some of the numerous groups we support include Columbia Lutheran Ministries; Eastside Domestic Violence; Holden Village; Lutheran Alliance to Create Housing (LATCH); HopeLink; Lutheran Community Services NW; Church Council of Greater Seattle programs including The Sharehouse, Youth Chaplaincy/JOY! Initiative and Emergency Feeding; Campus Ministries at University of Washington, Washington State, and Western Washington University; St. Andrews Housing Group; Bridge Ministries; The Compass Center; Congregations for the Homeless; Saint Andrew’s hot meal program for homeless and needy; and Youth Eastside Services.
Additionally, the following two programs are provided office space on site at Saint Andrew’s for the work of their ministries:
- St. Andrew’s Housing Group whose mission is to provide quality housing for people in financial need on the Eastside of Greater Seattle as well as support and encourage residents’ efforts to develop greater choice and independence.
- Eastside Feeding Program is a distribution center for the Emergency Feeding Program of the Church Council of Greater Seattle.
Intentional Outreach/Inreach
INTENTIONAL OUTREACH — This task force seeks to welcome, minister, and witness to youth, visitors, new members and inactive members to provide them with encouragement and opportunities to actively participate in the life of the congregation.
INREACH — This task force provides fellowship opportunities at Saint Andrew’s through such activities as sock hops, picnics, pie socials, receptions after events, and Saint Andrew’s day at a Mariners game.
