Hamline Church is a United Methodist community. In the words of our founder, John Wesley, we are called to “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” As a community, we are drawn to service—to living out our commission to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Recognizing the importance of both giving and receiving, we pour back into our community the gifts we have received from God. And through this intermingling of disparate gifts, we see a beautiful portrait of the body of Christ.
Your participation as a volunteer makes this place possible. Thank you for your interest and desire to serve in your community. In order to organize our work together we create Ministry Teams, or Committees. If you are interested in serving contact the chair of the committee you are interested in. Contact info for each group is listed within the section.
Loaves and Fishes – On the 3rd Sunday every other month a crew from Hamline Church prepares food and serves it to 250+ homeless and hungry folks at the Dorothy Day center in downtown St. Paul. This out reach to the hungry has been a tradition at Hamline Church for over 20 years. To participate, contact Gary Reineccius .
God’s Closet – is an open door, free resource for people with limited incomes located at Epworth United Methodist Church. Hamline Church regularly collects gently used clothing, new packages of underwear, unexpired infant formula and disposable diapers for their shelves. To donate, you may place the clothing in the labeled bin in the Commons area.
Keystone Congregations – Hamline Church is a member of Keystone Congregations, a ministry to those in need in the Hamline Midway area. On the 1st Sunday of the month, food is brought to the worship service to be gathered by the children during the children’s sermon. Food can be brought at any time to the church office. In addition, Hamline Church contributes financial resources to provide housing and transportation assistance. To make a food donation, place it in the bin in the Commons area. To make a financial donation, write’ Keystone Congregation’ on your check. Contact: Robert or Jacquie Sellers.
Hancock School – Hamline Church partners with Hamline University to help resource the neighborhood elementary school. Hancock has the greatest number of children from homes at the poverty level in the city of St. Paul. Opportunities to participate include shoe, hat and mitten collections, volunteering for special Hamline University visitation days, and other special projects and occasions. Watch the web-site, newsletter and bulletin for upcoming opportunities to volunteer. Contact: Hamline Univ.-Hancock School .
Fare For All – Food share program is held at Hamline Church usually on the 3rd Saturday of each month from 10am to 11am . Fare For All makes available an assortment of fresh produce and meats available at cost to persons regardless of income levels. For more information, or to volunteer contact Jim Schlaeppi .
St. Paul Council of Churches – Hamline Church is a member of the St. Paul Council of Churches and participates in many of their projects including ‘Project Home’ and ‘Project School Tools’. Watch the bulletin for announcements. For information: Wayne Wolsey .
Hamline Midway Elders – This neighborhood “living at home block nurse program” has its offices in our church. They offer a variety of programs such as their “Second Tuesday” Luncheons Including Free “The Nurse Is In” Clinic. Lunch begins at 11:30, Speaker 12:15-1:00.
Emma Norton Services – ENS provides a safe and mutually respectful environment where residents discover their innate power and problem solving abilities and learn to use them to become self-sufficient. Contact Marguerite Pramann .
McVay Youth Project – is a partnership with Hamline University that reaches at- risk youth in our neighborhood. Students from Hamline University work with the at-risk youth on projects, homework, trips and games throughout the school year. Hamline Church provides support and snacks. To make a monetary donation to this ministry, contact Barb Edgar .
Hamline Church Dining Hall – has been a State Fair tradition for over 11 decades. We are the oldest food stand on the grounds. The dining hall is also an integral part of our life together at Hamline Church. It is an opportunity to offer a meal and cool drink to fairgoers, a means of raising funds for our Hamline Church ministries, and a great way to get to know others in your church family. There are opportunities to volunteer in June for the Car Show and in August for the State Fair. Watch the newsletter, web-site, and bulletins for opportunities to volunteer. Watch our Dining Hall YouTube Clip . Contact Ray Faust or Eric Molter .
Family Place – is a place for families with children who are in shelters to go during the day. Meals are provided to the families. Hamline Church plans a menu, does the cooking and serving and eating with the families. This is a great ministry for families with school age children to do, as they can participate. Contact: Pat Alexander .
CROP Walk – is an annual fund-raising event for Church World Service (coordinated locally by the St. Paul Area Council of Churches), which provides on-the-ground emergency relief as well as long-term sustainable development. CWS is already at work in response to the catastrophes throughout the world. Walkers solicit pledges for each mile they walk. Church member, Roger Force, is a champion pledge recipient. Walkers and donor/givers are always needed. To participate contact Diane Krueger.
S.P.R.O.U.T – Students Proposing Real Options for Underutilized Territory (SPROUT), We are a group of community-minded students promoting environmental justice by growing local food and practicing sustainable land stewardship. We have two gardens growing in the Hamline Midway neighborhood, the produce from which is distributed among the Hamline Midway Elders. Gardens are planted in spring semester, and we continue to harvest from them in the fall semester, until it’s too cold in Minnesota to grow any more. [NB: One of their gardens is located just south of the the south entrance to our church, on church property.] Church contact: Amy Schultz.
Minnesota Every Church A Peace Church – Twin Cities ECAPC seeks to assist and empower church members as they engage their congregations and the church as a whole in the important theological and political tasks of nonviolent peacemaking. Contact Rod Olsen.
Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light – is a group which deals with the intersection of spirituality and social justice issues like environmental concerns. UMC Minnesota Bishop the Rev. Sally Dyck and her niece Sara Ehrman co-authors of the book, A Hopeful Earth: Faith, Science, and the Message of Jesus, discussed it at a January 29, 2012 event co-sponsored with Hamline University’s Wesley Center.
