Unbound and Set Free is our theme for Lent. One way we unbind is by thinking beyond ourselves and beyond the walls of our church – by giving to partner organizations locally and globally. Prince of Peace has a tradition of designating Lent Wednesday offerings each week for a particular purpose. Offerings can be made by cash or check marked with a designation.
This year’s Lent offerings will support:
Ash Wednesday, March 2 – Habitat for Humanity and Holy Hammers
Prince of Peace has a long history of supporting Habitat for Humanity, which assists families who are first-time home buyers. PoP is part of a consortium of churches called Holy Hammers that works on a house project each summer. Watch for more info on how you can sign up to help!
March 6 & 9 – Huruma Center Orphanage in Tanzania
Prince of Peace is marking its 20th anniversary of partnering with Tanzania. The Huruma Center is an orphanage located in Iringa that we support along with other congregations in the St. Paul Area Synod. The Huruma Center is still recovering from a fire they experienced last year as they continue their mission of housing and educating youth.
March 13 & 16 – Lutheran Disaster Response designated for Afghanistan and Ukraine
Prince of Peace is partnering with the broader church to support refugees who fled Afghanistan earlier this year and the current crisis affecting Ukrainians. Learn more:
March 20 & 23 – Slovakia Missionary Support
Naomi Sveholm and her family serve as ELCA missionaries in Bratislava. They were at Prince of Peace last summer sharing stories about their experiences teaching English in Slovakia. Naomi is the daughter of Toni and Steve Sveom. You can read Naomi’s latest update here.
March 27 & 30 – Soup for You
Soup for You is a feeding program in south Minneapolis. Prior to the pandemic they provided daily sit down meals. This transitioned to distributing bag lunches five days a week. Prince of Peace member Janet Brahier volunteers with Soup for You and the congregation has supported this ministry with donations and financial gifts for the past several years. Learn more here:
April 3 & 6 – Keystone Community Services Angel Fund
Keystone is the food shelf that serves Roseville and surrounding areas. Keystone also acts as the clearinghouse for the Angel Fund. This fund is supported by the churches in Roseville and acts as a safety net for families experiencing economic hardship who are unable to get assistance elsewhere. Social workers assisting these families are able to grant funds for rent or utilities or medical bills or other unexpected expenses, helping people to get or retain their housing. A generous donor in the congregation has offered a one-to-one match for donations to the Angel Fund. An overview of Keystone’s work can be found here:
Palm Sunday, April 10 – Youth Service Learning Trip
After the cancellation of the ELCA National Youth Gathering, Julene, Pastor Betsy and the high school youth pivoted to planning a service learning trip to Chicago the last week of July. The trip will include service projects, learning about racial justice and urban life, and experiencing Chicago.
Holy Week & Easter – Pastor Discretionary Fund
A portion of offerings from Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday will go into the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund. This fund is utilized to assist members of the congregation and people in the community who find themselves in challenging circumstances. The funds have supported gas and grocery gift cards, paying utility bills and help with transportation or medical expenses.
Minnesota Food Share Month
In addition, March is Minnesota Food Share Month. You can participate in a number of ways: donating food (soup is especially needed) or financially.