SOCIAL OUTREACH MINISTRY

John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, 
and anyone who has food should do the same.” Luke 3:11

The work of the Social Outreach Ministry is led by members who serve as liaisons for the organizations we support, coordinators for activities sponsored by Redeemer, and those “general” members who help decide the overall focus for the ministry’s actions. Many people from within the Redeemer community participate and support Redeemer’s Social Outreach Ministry. 

The Social Outreach Ministry is threefold:

Redeemer Ministries: Members and other volunteers provide hands on service in a variety of ways to serve our community and those in need. 

Organizations outside of Redeemer: We provide financial, volunteer, and gifts in kind support for many organizations in our area, nationwide, and around the world. 

Education: We sponsor and provide educational opportunities related to various topics related to Social Justice

Redeemer's Ministries

Organization or Activity Mission Details
Ham Runners Redeemer’s ham runner team picks up and delivers hams donated by Honey Baked Ham stores to Martha’s Table, N Street Village, Rising Hope Church, So Others Might Eat, La Iglesia De Santa Maria, Bread for the City, Thrive DC and Arlington Assembly of God.
Homebound Ministry The team puts together and delivers gift bags for homebound members of the Redeemer community.
Quilt Ministry The Quilting Ministry designs, cuts, assembles, and sews: Quilts, flannel baby blankets, fleece blankets and teddy bears in a bag. The group meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month from 9 am to 11:30 am. No experience is necessary as we will instruct you on any phase of our process. 
(Prayer) Shawl Ministry Redeemer’s Prayer Shawl Ministry creates Prayer Shawls to provide warmth and support and blankets for baptized babies, toddlers, and other knitted items for baptized teens, blankets for Project Linus. Scarves are knitted and crocheted all year to give to the women of N Street Village in the Fall. The Prayer Shawl Ministry provided bags of yarn for Redeemer members to make scarves and Project Linus blankets. The meetings are both in person and via Zoom. 
Little Food Pantry Redeemer’s Little Food Pantry provides food to our neighbors in need. Redeemer’s Little Food Pantry gives people access to food 24/7 without questions, qualifications or judgements. It was built by Redeemer’s Boy Scouts with a grant from Thrivent. The Little Food Pantry is located between the parking lot and the sidewalk on Westmoreland Street. It serves numerous people every day. Everyone is invited to place canned food items in the pantry and/or donate items in the bin in the Crossroads.
ELCA- God's Work, Our Hands Annual Event to go out and serve in the local community.

Organizations outside of Redeemer that we support and partner with:

  • Britepaths
  • McLean Falls Church Children’s Center
  • Homestretch
  • Partner for Surgery
  • Rise Against Hunger 
  • Second Story
  • SHARE of McLean
  • Lutheran Disaster Response
  • Global Refuge (formerly Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service)
  • Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area
  • Lutheran World Relief
  • N Street Village
  • Shepherd’s Center

Education

Social Justice and Equity Book Club

We are a ministry trying to educate ourselves and others about social justice and equity by having open and honest discussions about the books we read together. Our group consists of about a dozen members. We read about 50 -70 pages/ week and meet Monday nights 7:30 to 8:30 pm via Zoom.

The books that we read are put on our lending cart, in the church, making them available to the congregation to help others learn about justice and equity. If you would like to read summaries of the books we have read or learn more, please click here.

Anyone is welcome to join us! Contact Teresa Schellenger, Group Chair, via the Church Office email.

Sacred Ground

Redeemer is fortunate to host the 10-month Sacred Ground study. In this learning experience group members gain life-affirming information. As author Debby Irving states in the book, Waking Up White and Finding Myself in the Story of Race, it is an opportunity for the "opening of heart and mind" and realizing "the possibility that you--even well-intentioned you--have room to change and grow so that you can work with people of all colors, ethnicities and differing ways of being, to co-create communities that can unite, strengthen and prosper."

 For more information, please contact Mary Eckberg via the Church Office email

Please Join!

If you are interested in learning more about the Social Outreach Ministry or have a recommendation for a group or activity not listed in this report, please contact the Social Outreach Ministry Chairs: Stephanie Hunter and Kim Wenk.

Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
1545 Chain Bridge Rd.
McLean, VA 22101
703-356-3346 | church@redeemermclean.org

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