Mission Partners

The role of the Social Justice and Missions Team at Hamline Church is to identify areas where we can make a difference, raise awareness of social justice issues, and follow through with our gifts of energy, service and money. This committee is an umbrella group that helps members of our congregation serve in ways that matter to them. We work with local organizations by providing helping hands and coordinating gift-giving. On the national and international level, we help the church raise money for special projects and support wider UMC mission efforts. The following are just a few of the ways we are working to make a difference:

Feeding Families & Making a Difference

MEAL PREP AT DOROTHY DAY

For over 20 years, Hamline Church has helped prepare and serve nutritious meals to homeless individuals and families. We serve a Sunday evening meal 6 times per year (on the 3rd Sunday of even numbered months.

KEYSTONE - MINNESOTA FOOD SHARE

Hamline Church is one of several area faith communities that partners with Keystone Community Services to meet basic needs in our local community. We collect non-perishable food items and cash donations for the Keystone food bank the first Sunday of the month. In addition to our ongoing support of area food shelves, every year we participate in a state wide month-long drive to help restock the food shelves in Minnesota. Each Sunday in March, we ask church members and attendees to bring food items or cash donations to help meet our target of 2000 dollars or pounds of food. Keystone - Info Sheet for Faith Community Partners (PDF)

EMMA NORTON

Hamline Church hosts a Holiday Gift & Giftcard drive every December to purchase gifts for the individuals at Emma Norton's housing. Also, part of the proceeds from the Hamline Church Dining Hall helps support residents at Restoring Waters, Emma’s Place & Scattered-Site housing.

RECONCILING MINISTRIES NETWORK

Hamline Church is a Reconciling Congregation. This committee is the primary link to the Reconciling Ministries network with its connection to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities. Each June we participate in the Pride Festival.

INTERFAITH ACTION - SCHOOL TOOLS

The School Tools drive is an effort of Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul, and helps provide children with valuable (and expensive) school supplies. We gather supplies during July and bless them in mid-August. We also partner with them throughout the year for volunteers needs and shelter for those needing homes in the spring time.

CCEC: Community Conversations Ecumenical Consortium

Hamline Church has partnered with Holy Trinity, Luther Seminary and St. Mattew's in St.Paul to bring informative presentations to our community to educate us and bring new perspectives. Catch the first event of fall 2025, as Ana Negrete, Interim Director of office of Murdered & Missing Indigenous Relatives, discusses the scope of the community's problem and the efforts to find and raise community awareness about these issues.

SPECIAL AND SHORT TERM PROJECTS

Many opportunities exist for participating in local, national, and international short-term mission and disaster relief projects. We've participated in the Crop Walk, gathered kitchen supplies and school supplies for the Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul and assisted with Project home, which provides temporary stays for homeless families. We have gathered donations for relief projects through the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and provided volunteers at UMCOR Sager Brown, a relief supply depot in Louisiana.