The works of our hands flows from our faith in Jesus Christ. As the Body of Christ we work to find ways to serve our neighbor because of Christ who first gave his life for us. At Christ Lutheran we have several partner agencies in order to serve those who are in need in our community, we support these organizations financially as well as through being a place for distribution.
Check out the opportunities below which have varying levels of commitment and time constraints to fit your needs.
Blanket Ministry
Blanket Ministry, a Christ Lutheran Church service, commenced in 2011 due to the inspiration of church member, Carol Secor. Carol, a retired registered nurse, was familiar with Public Health nurses in the Alaska villages. These Public Health nurses indicated a need for blankets for village babies. Carol, a seamstress and quilter, asked friends, who were quilters, to meet at Christ Lutheran Church on Thursday mornings to establish Blanket Ministry.
Through the years, the number of ladies attending the Thursday sessions has expanded as has the space for sewing, donated sewing machines, the fabric closet, and sewing notions. Some of the ladies are church members, others are friends, who sew, desire to aid the service, and enjoy the camaraderie during the 9:00-12:00 weekly sessions.
Since 2011 to the present, the following projects have been accomplished by Blanket Ministry:
- 908 baby and adult quilts
- 147 baby bibs to accompany the baby quilts
- 119 fidget quilts for dementia and Alzheimer’s patients
- 187 pillow cases for “Give Kids the World”
- 12 Ipod/earphone totes for Denali Center
- 227 cold weather clothing for the homeless (headbands, hats, hoods, scarves)
- 14 tote bags for children’s items at Christ Lutheran
- 10 table cloths for Christ Lutheran
- 22 organizers/carriers for senior walkers
- 36 blankets for veterans and the homeless
- 187 coin purses for two years of Vacation Bible School attendees
- 4 aprons for church bakers
- 6 aprons for Senior Center workers
- 2 fidget aprons for Senior Center workers
- 10 bibs for stroke victims
- 60 garment protectors for seniors
- 11 receiving blankets
- 72 little stuffed toys
- 39 baby hats
- 13 lovies
- 1 piano cover for Christ Lutheran
Baby quilts are presented to newborns of church members to welcome them to our church. Baby quilts, children’s quilts, and adult quilts are given to Stevie’s Place (children suffering traumatic experiences), Red Cross, Nursing Homes, NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness), Alaska Children’s Services and Alaskan villages: Barrow, Wainwright, Point Lay, Atqasuk, Nuiqsut, Kaktovik, Kobuk, and Shishmaref. Winter gear was given to Stone Soup Café.
Blanket Ministry welcomes anyone, who desires to help the service by sewing, cutting, hand sewing, hand tying quilts, and eating snacks while visiting with the Blanket Ministry ladies on Thursday mornings, 9:00-12:00, at the church.
Here are some pictures of things we have done:
Food Box Ministry
The Food Box Ministry at Christ Lutheran Church began in the spring of 2015.
Six months of the year, every Tuesday, we partner with the Fairbanks Community Food Bank. CLC volunteers process clients’ phone requests for food for their households, and e-mail the information to the Food Bank. Food Bank volunteers fill boxes with 3 days’ food for the number of people in each request, and truck the boxes to Christ Lutheran. Volunteers at the church unload and sort the boxes, then distribute the food when the clients arrive.
Through April 2023, Christ Lutheran has received and distributed food for 1951 requests. We are pleased to serve as one of the links in the Food Bank’s mission to feed those in need.
Garden
The garden is a small way we can support the local needs of a program in a very tangible and nutritious way with a steady quantity of organic produce. Good quality food is a fundamental need. Partnerships like this strengthen the fabric of our community and help us to extend our focus beyond our own walls and people.
A special thing about gardens, is they create a space of beauty and tranquility that nourish our own souls. So, take a minute and reflect on the beautiful world that God has created of which we are stewards.
How we got started:
CLC’s garden was established in 2018 to meet the need of Meals on Wheels and the Senior’s Center primarily to grow lettuce. Since the closure of Sam’s Club who previously had donated all the lettuce they needed, they had to purchase lettuce for the first time in their history.
One of our members attended a seminar at the 2018 Synod Assembly about the large garden of one of the Anchorage churches that grows food for the food bank and soup kitchen. When a small supply of raised beds became available locally, we knew that CLC could do something similar but on a much smaller scale. Summer 2018 was cool, had lots of rain and produced a wonderful crop of leaf lettuce the entire growing season. The summers since have produced a variety of vegetables through both dry summers and wet summers. Often the August and September produce is donated to those who come to CLC for Emergency Food Boxes.
The first garden
Since 2018 we have expanded and expect to expand more in fall 2023!
What we are doing now:
During August and until our final harvest, we offer our freshly picked vegetables to Food Bank clients that come to pick up emergency food boxes. At the Final harvest, all vegetables are taken to the Food Bank.
How you can help:
If you would like to help with the garden these are the things we can use your help with. Watch the weekly announcements for dates each year.
- Preparing the peds for planting
- Planting Day (early June)
- Watering and weeding (every week through the summer, sometimes they need water every day depending on the weather)
- Harvesting (weekly as veggies ripen usually starting mid to late July through the end of the season)
Woodlot
Christ Lutheran members donate, cut, split, stack & store firewood for use by Love INC clients. Intergenerational work parties are scheduled in early fall to process donated wood. Birch & spruce are accepted. Helping Alaska refers clients to CLC'S woodlot who have been approved for one load of firewood. Clients are encouraged to arrange for pick up, but our volunteers also deliver firewood if needed. In case of emergency, our CLC members & friends may access firewood with prior approval by Pastor Dustin.
If you have a need for wood, or other needs contact Helping Alaska:
These volunteers are a hard group to catch on camera but we have caught a few:
Fairbanks Community
There are many ways our members serve the Fairbanks Community. When a service project is coming up there will be posts about it in our news and more information right here on this page.
Here are some of the organizations we volunteer with individually and help support as a congregation: