Learn about New Journey’s Social Ministry
Our church has been deployed into neighborhoods and communities.
Multi-Faith Food Drive
New Journey Lutheran participates with other churches, collecting food for the Fountain Hills Extended Hands Food Bank and Cultural Cup Food Bank in Phoenix. The 9/11 Interfaith Food drive. In September 2020, the following partners contributed: Church of the Ascension (Catholic), East Valley Jewish Community Center, Islamic Center of North East Valley, Islamic Center of North Phoenix, Maas World, Inc., New Journey Lutheran Church, Shepherd of the Hills United Church of Christ, Temple Chai, Temple Solei, The Fountains United Methodist Church, and The New Shul.
Food for Kidz
New Journey Lutheran, Church of the Ascension (Catholic), and Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran co-sponsor Food for Kidz, bringing together hundreds of volunteers from across the community. The March 21, 2019, food event packed 91,200 nutritional meals. This was the ninth year that volunteers in Fountain Hills have participated in the project with a total of over half a million meals packed in the past nine years. The March 19, 2020, event has been postponed until health conditions permit.
Meals are distributed by various groups that feed the hungry, including the Extended Hands Food Bank in Fountain Hills; the Navajo Lutheran Mission in Rock Point, Ariz.; Grace in the City outreach in Phoenix; Native American Urban Connection and Native American Connection, Phoenix; and AZ Brainfood.
Native American Urban Ministry (NAUM)
New Journey Lutheran supports NAUM by worshiping together, engaging in youth activities, and providing clothing and furniture for individuals transitioning from homelessness into housing. In addition, meals packed during the annual Food for Kidz event are distributed by NAUM.
Make A Difference Day
New Journey Lutheran participates in the Fountain Hills Make a Difference Day, serving neighbors in need. Volunteers from the faith community and other organizations assist residents by weeding and raking yards, cleaning and organizing garages, and building wheelchair ramps for home-bound residents.
Wow! Together eight New Journey volunteers made a difference in our community. We were part of the volunteers who planted over 200 plants at Town Hall and the Community Center. There was a total of 267 volunteers participating, helping some of Fountain Hills most vulnerable residents.
Heat Respite – Grace Lutheran Church, Phoenix
During the hot summer months, New Journey members and friends make, deliver, and serve sack lunches for homeless individuals who come for heat respite at Grace Lutheran Church in central Phoenix.
Native American Connections (NCA)
New Journey provides quilts and toiletries to Native American Connections. NAC’s mission is improving the lives of individuals and families through Native American culturally appropriate behavioral health, affordable housing, and community development services. NAC owns and operates 18 sites throughout Central Phoenix offering a continuum of affordable housing and behavioral health services which touch the lives of over 6,000 individuals and families each year. NAC receives meals assembled in the annual Food for Kidz food pack.
ELCA Good Gifts
As members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), we believe that God is calling us into the world – together. And with generous, loving hands, we can make a difference. ELCA Good Gifts is our opportunity to provide critical support to the ministries and programs that mean the most to us and the people we love. Throughout the year, New Journey donates to ELCA Good Gifts. This Christmas, we are collecting donations for a Community Vegetable Garden, Gardening Tools, goats, pigs, and honey bees.
School Supplies – East Mesa Imagine School
On April 2, New Journey members and friends contributed school supplies for students at Imagine School. These students are currently learning from home and often do not have the necessary school supplies in their homes. Kristen Skiles, teacher at E. Mesa Imagine School writes: Thank you, your church is such a blessing to us!
Angel Tree
Members and friends of New Journey purchase Christmas gifts for very needy families from Imagine School in East Mesa. Imagine School is a charter school that is a publicly funded non-profit.
Extended Hands Food Bank
New Journey is deepening its relationship with the Fountain Hills’ Extended Hands Food Bank (EHFB) by having a bin for the food bank in the back of the church. Each month the food bank lets us know what they are in need of so that we can target our food collection to fit their needs. We have organized a volunteer team to help stock the shelves at the food bank and distribute food to clients. Packets of oatmeal packed at the annual Food for Kidz food pack were distributed to the food bank.