Global Ministry

The Global Ministries Team is focused on global outreach to alleviate world hunger and poverty. There are many ways to get involved, and some of our key activities are listed below.

Journey with a Village – The Global Ministries Team is partnering with Agros International to sponsor the village Luz del Mañana ("Light of Tomorrow") in Nicaragua. Agros Internationalis committed to breaking the cycle of poverty for rural families in Central America and Mexico by enabling landless communities to achieve land ownership and economic stability. We contribute financially to the growth of this village.

Eleven people from HSLC have committed to traveling there on May 19-26. They will participate in the first cultural exchange on behalf of HSLC. Follow the preparations on the home page.

ONE Campaign –HSLC is a ONE Lutheran Congregation which advocates measures to cut global poverty in half by 2015. Please see the ONE website to learn more.

Fair Trade Sales – We offer Fair Trade coffee, tea and chocolate for purchase during coffee hour on the last Sunday of each month, with 10% of the proceeds benefiting Lutheran World Relief (LWR).

ELCA World Hunger – We work with the youth to collect money for ELCA World Hunger through the Souper Bowl Day of Caring on Super Bowl Sunday.

CROP Walk – We help organize and participate in the annual CROP walk fundraiser in Kirkland that raises hunger awareness and money to support our local food bank and Church World Service. Volunteers are needed to walk, publicize, and recruit more walkers

Microloans through Kiva - HSLC and some of its members are active in supporting microloans to the poor through Kiva. If you want to learn more about microfinance and microloans, please see the Kiva website.

ELCA Global Mission Activities - Want to learn more about the many global mission activities underway in the ELCA? Check out the ELCA Global Mission Page and ELCA Global Links Monthly Newsletter. There are great summaries of all the current activities. For example April's newsletter contains stories on the continued rebuilding in Japan, efforts in South Sudan, World Malaria Day (April 29), and many other global topics. Contact Mike for more information or if you'd like to be on a mailing list for the Monthly Mission Memo newsletter.

Suggested Reading on Global Ministry:

Creating a World Without Poverty	Muhammad Yunus
Race Against Time	Stephen Lewis
The End of Poverty	Jeffrey D. Sachs
Giving	Bill Clinton
A Long Way Gone	Ishmael Beah
Three Cups of Tea	Greg Mortenson
Mountains Beyond Mountains	Tracy Kidder
Kabul Beauty School	Deborah Rodriguez
Leaving Microsoft to Change the World	John Woods
When a Crocodile Eats the Sun	Peter Goodwin
There is No Me Without You	Melissa Faye Greene
Christianity Rediscovered	Vincent Donovan
Don’t Be Afraid, Gringo	Elvia Alvarado
Foreign to Familiar	Sarah Lanier
Walking With the Poor	Bryant Myers
Slave	Mende Nazer
God’s Mission in the World	Study Guide to MDG’s ELCA