Mission Service Activity of the Month

June 2023: Donate Used Blankets to an Animal Shelter

According to bestfriends.org, approximately 6.3 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.1 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats. Let’s try to make their stay there a little more comfortable. These animals need our love and care too!

Collect and donate used blankets to an animal shelter, or make and donate fleece-tied blankets for the shelter.

DIRECTIONS FOR A FLEECE-TIED BLANKET

You Will Need:                                                

• 1 yd of fleece for the top
• 1 yd of fleece for the bottom
• 1 ruler and pencil
• 1 pair of scissors
• 1 popsicle stick
• straight pins (optional)

Instructions:

• Lay the fabric out on a flat surface with the wrong sides together. Match up the sides and pin.
• Measure and cut out a 4 ½ inch square at each corner; cut through both pieces of fleece.
• Using the popsicle stick as a guide cut popsicle length fringe on all four sides of the blanket, cutting through both pieces of fleece.
• Tie each of the fringe pieces sets together with an overhand knot, tying the two pieces of fleece material together making one blanket.

Gospel Focus: LOVE IS

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4–7).

Devotion as You Plan

As your group meets to collect blankets, open the meeting with the single-session Bible study “Blessed to Be a Blessing”.

Prayer as You Plan and Prepare

Heavenly Father, please bless all the hands that will be collecting or making these blankets for the sheltered animals. We pray that these animals find their loving forever homes. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Download the printable PDF of this Mission Service Activity

Donate Used Blankets to an Animal Shelter
 

The Gospel Outreach Committee would love to hear about, and share, your mission service activities! Please contact the Vice President of Gospel Outreach here. Thank you!

View past Mission Service Activities

Mission Service Activity of the Month

May 2023: Making Blessing Baskets for Healthcare Workers

If you have ever spent time in a hospital or visited a loved one in a nursing home or assisted living centers, then you have seen the incredible mercy and service provided by those in the medical field. Let’s support and encourage medical workers in their workplace.  Share with them that they are loved by God and are being lifted in prayer. During your group meeting, put together Break Room Blessing Baskets for Healthcare Workers. Baskets can contain individual items such as chocolate bars, peanut butter crackers, chips, cookies, protein bars, water bottles, or other food and drinks. Create a printable copy of The Beatitudes, Matthew 5:3–12, to be included in the baskets.

Arrange your individual comfort food items in the baskets. Write personal notes on the back of The Beatitudes printouts and highlight verse 7. Pray for the healthcare workers who will receive the baskets. What a blessing it will be for healthcare workers when you deliver these baskets to remind them of their Savior’s love. 

Take pictures of this service activity and submit them to share on your district website or in your district newsletter!

Gospel Focus: BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy (Matthew 5:7 NIV).

Devotion as You Plan:

As you plan this service activity, you may want to share this devotion: Serve the Lord with Gladness

Prayer as You Plan and Prepare:

Heavenly Father, help us to keep in mind the love and mercy You have given us through Your Son, Jesus. Bless our healthcare workers as they use their gifts and talents to care for others. Be with each of us as we live each day in the knowledge of Your gift of eternal life. Help us share with others the joy of having a Savior. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Download the printable PDF of this Mission Service Activity

Making Blessing Baskets for Healthcare Workers
 

The Gospel Outreach Committee would love to hear about, and share, your mission service activities! Please contact the Vice President of Gospel Outreach here. Thank you!

View past Mission Service Activities

Mission Service Activity of the Month

April 2023: Showers of Blessings

April showers bring May flowers! How often have you heard that phrase or even said that phrase?  As we consider all the blessings that are “showered” down on us from God, let us think about the blessings of birth. Making connections at this special time is a unique opportunity for us to share God’s love. 

Preparations for this activity:

• Contact your church for names of members expecting a baby.
• Contact the local hospital /pregnancy center to determine if it is okay to give a gift to the parents/child.
• Purchase a small diaper bag or backpack in a neutral color.
• Choose from the following items to fill the bag…diapers, wipes, portable changing pad, diaper cream, onesie, burp cloth, soft swaddling blanket, pacifier, socks, or cap.
• Mustard Seed Devotions (Link: Love, Laughter, and Lullabies, cph.org/LWML40219).
• Include a special card/note of encouragement.
• Add contact and worship service information for your church/pastor to include with backpacks given to hospitals or pregnancy centers (if approved).

Take pictures of this activity in progress if doing this as a group project. Obtain permission to take pictures of the recipients with their bags. Submit the pictures to share on your district website or in your district newsletter.

Gospel Focus:

I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing (Ezekiel 34:26b).

Devotion as you plan:

As you plan this activity, you may want to share this devotion “Love, Laughter, and Lullabies – A Sweet Tooth Craving”. 

Prayer as you plan and prepare:

Lord Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd who delights in little ones and gently leads those who are with child, we thank You for your marvelous mercy. We praise You for the gift of children. Keep these expectant mothers and also those who have given birth, in Your care. Give them the strength for the coming days and help them be the kind of mothers who will please You. Send Your guardian angels to watch over and shield babies from all danger of body or soul. We pray that these little ones may be brought to the font to receive the life-giving waters of Holy Baptism. In Your most holy name. Amen. 

Download the printable PDF of this Mission Service Activity

Showers of Blessings
 

The Gospel Outreach Committee would love to hear about, and share, your mission service activities! Please contact the Vice President of Gospel Outreach here. Thank you!

View past Mission Service Activities

Mission Service Activity of the Month

March 2023: Thank you First Responder Kits

During emergencies or accidents, our local police, fire, and rescue teams are the first ones to respond. Many of these workers are volunteers. They bless our communities every day. We can show our love and care by lifting them up in our prayers and gifting them with Thank You Kits. Call your local precinct or firehouse and connect with their chaplain to ask about the specific needs of their officers, firefighters, or paramedics. Include your congregation in gathering items for donation. Have the children in the congregation color thank you pages to include with your kits. 

First Responder Kit

1. Drawstring bag to contain items
2. Hand sanitizer
3. Pocket tissues
4. Band-Aids
5. Beef jerky / Slim Jim
6. Energy bars/granola bars
7. Trail mix packets
8. Powdered electrolyte replacement drink mix
9. Chewing gum/hard candy/mints
10. Cough drops
11. A gift card to a local coffee shop
12. Lip balm
13. Bottled water
14. Small spiral memo pad and pen
15. Mustard Seeds Simple Trust or Living in Faith from Concordia Publishing House
16. Note of thanks with an indication that you are praying for them

Gospel Focus

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Devotion as you plan

Share this LWML devotion Caring for the Caregiver. 

Prayer as you Plan

Dear Heavenly Father, each first responders’ workday requires them to be prepared and ready for whatever may come. Give them the ability to stand strong. Fill them with courage. Help them be aware of Your presence and see You in every challenging situation. In Jesus name, we pray, Amen. 

Download the printable PDF of this Mission Service Activity

Thank you First Responder Kits
 

The Gospel Outreach Committee would love to hear about, and share, your mission service activities! Please contact the Vice President of Gospel Outreach here. Thank you!

View past Mission Service Activities

Mission Service Activity of the Month

February 2023: Sew eyeglass cases to support MOST Ministries eyeglass ministry.

Make MOST Ministries eye glass cases. Plan a sewing day or days to make eyeglass cases.
(Note: MOST Ministries does not collect hard cases.) 

To make eyeglass cases you will need:

• Fabric (i.e., felt - soft yet sturdy, upholstery, or denim)
• Thread to match your fabric
• Sewing Machine

Instructions (Option 1):                                                

• Cut fabric piece 7 1/2” square
• Hem one top edge (1/2” edge)
• Fold in half
• Sew side and bottom seam (1/2” seams)
• Turn inside out unless felt is used or you zigzag or serge the side seam

Instructions (Option 2):

• Cut fabric pieces 14 ½ x 4 ½ “
• Hem top edges
• Fold in half
• Sew both long side seams (1/2” seams)
• Turn inside out unless felt is used or you zigzag or serge the side seams

MOST Ministries is one of the Gifts from the Heart (GFTH) recipients for the LWML Convention in Milwaukee in June. Bring eyeglasses and eyeglass cases to Milwaukee. 

Gospel Focus: THEY SHALL SEE GOD

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8).

Devotion as You Plan

Before your group starts making the eyeglass cases for Most Ministries, open the meeting with the “I Love to Tell the Story” entitled Love Like That. Or you can listen to the podcast from here.

Prayer as You Plan and Prepare

Heavenly Father, please bless all the hands that will be creating eyeglass cases for MOST Ministries. We pray for all the people in need of glasses where MOST Ministries serves. We pray that each one may have the opportunity to learn your Gospel message and see You as their savior. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Download the printable PDF of this Mission Service Activity

Sew eyeglass cases to support MOST Ministries eyeglass ministry.
 

The Gospel Outreach Committee would love to hear about, and share, your mission service activities! Please contact the Vice President of Gospel Outreach here. Thank you!

View past Mission Service Activities

Mission Service Activity of the Month

January 2023: My Cup Overflows

Let’s support and encourage shut-ins or those who feel alone this month. Let them know that they are loved by God, by their church family, and are being lifted in prayer. 

Project idea:
Construct a mug rug and put together a gift bag that includes a coffee cup, mug rug, tea bag, hot chocolate packet, or individual coffee packet, with sugar or honey, and a copy of Psalm 23.

Before the servant event meeting: 

• Collect names of shut-ins that you would like to bless, so you know how many items you will need.
• Collect cotton material, batting, sewing pins, and scissors. Mug rug instructions are readily available online. Ask a member or two to bring their sewing machines.
• Ask for donations of gift bags, coffee cups, tea bags, hot chocolate packets, individual coffee packets, and sugar or honey. You might want to include a cookie or other treat.
• Print out of a copy of Psalm 23 or a card to include in a gift bag for all the items.  Someone will need to bring a sewing machine to sew the mug rugs together. 

During the servant event, some can cut and pin together the materials for the mug rugs and others can sew the mug rugs. While others assemble the items into a gift bag. Take time to write personal notes on the back of the Psalm 23 printouts, highlight verse five. What a blessing it will be for shut-ins when you deliver the cups and mug rugs to remind them of their Savior’s love. 

Take pictures of this service activity and submit them to share on your district website or in your district newsletter!

Gospel Focus

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows (Psalm 23:5).

Devotion as You Plan

As you plan this service activity, share this devotion: We Are Full! 

Prayer as You Plan and Prepare

Lord God, You are our holy, almighty, loving Father. We know that, on our own, we are unholy. We are empty. Sometimes we hurt others. We are sorry, Lord. Thank You for not leaving us empty. Thank You for sending Jesus as the fulfillment in our place. Thank You for forgiveness; for Your means of grace through which You give us forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Thank You for loving us beyond our emptiness. Thank You for filling our lives with Your love, hope, joy, and peace. Please be with all those who feel empty. Help us to show them Your love. Help us, who are now made holy in Your sight through the death and resurrection of Your holy, most precious Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, to continue to serve You with gladness. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. 

Download the printable PDF of this Mission Service Activity

My Cup Overflows

The Gospel Outreach Committee would love to hear about, and share, your mission service activities! Please contact the Vice President of Gospel Outreach here. Thank you!

View past Mission Service Activities

Mission Service Activity of the Month

December 2022: Make Advent Twinkling Lights Wreath

Many times during the Advent and Christmas seasons, we hear about the “great joy” of the angels and shepherds and how a very bright star led the wise men to Jesus.  Jesus is our great joy and everlasting light, not only at Christmas time but every day. The December activity is to wrap a wreath with a string of twinkling lights to remind us of the great joy and light that Jesus brings into our dark world. Make two wreaths, one to share and one to keep. As you share the wreath with another, plan to read Advent devotions together with the new twinkling lights wreath shining. Perhaps you could suggest using the wreath year-round at devotion time as a reminder that Christ is the light of the world. 

What you need to prepare:

• A purchased grapevine, rattan, or artificial greenery wreath from a craft store.
• A purchased set of small (15-25) mini white (clear) LED plug-in or battery-powered lights.
• Optional: add embellishments (small red berries, ribbon, etc.).

Extra credit: Take pictures of this service activity and submit them to share on your district website, in your district newsletter, or submit an article to the Lutheran Woman’s Quarterly.

Gospel Focus 

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy (Matthew 2:10).

Devotion as You Plan

As you plan this service activity, share The Joy of Christmas: Life Light devotion.

Prayer as You Plan and Prepare 

Dear Almighty God, we give You all thanks and praise for Your greatest gift in the birth of Your Son. His birth was announced by the angels with exceeding joy. A bright star led the magi to the Christ Child so they could worship and present their gifts to Him. Christ is the light of the world and our everlasting joy. May we always proclaim His light to others with great joy in our hearts. In Jesus’ most holy name. Amen.

Download the printable PDF of this Mission Service Activity

Make Advent Twinkling Lights Wreath

The Gospel Outreach Committee would love to hear about, and share, your mission service activities! Please contact the Vice President of Gospel Outreach here. Thank you!

View past Mission Service Activities