Reaching out to Share Christ's Light
We are very active in our mission to serve as Christ served. We partner with several local, national, and world organizations to serve those in need. If you don't find a project that interests you, share your ideas with the Outreach Committee.
" I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. "
Matthew 25:35
Current short-term Projects
New Visions Homeless Services
Morning Star is partnering with New Visions Homeless Services this month. Thank you for helping this amazing program!
July Service Project
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We are partnering with the Boys & Girls Westside Club in providing school supplies for children in need. Bring any below by August 1:
- # 2 Pencils & Pencil Boxes
- Crayola Crayons, Markers or Watercolor Paints
- Glue Sticks
- Folders
- Notebooks
- Water bottles
- Sharpies and/or Highlighters
- Fiskars Student Scissors
- Pens (Blue and Black)
- Colored Pencils
- Book bags for all ages
- Trapper Keepers & Binders
August Service Project
Our August Outreach project will be on Saturday, August 17, 1-4 pm at Table Grace Cafe (1611 1/2 Farnam St.). We will help with food prep, cleaning, and visiting with patrons. Volunteers can come for as long as they would like! A sign up sheet will be in the Welcome Center.
Annual Projects coming up
2019 Habitat for Humanity Build
Morning Star is part of a 15-church coalition working together on a house build. The Faith Coalition Build has started.. Our Coalition will help with a build at 3019 Pratt St.
Remember...you can volunteer for our build at any time. You don't need to wait for God's Work, Our Hands Sunday!
God's Work, Our Hands
“God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday is Sunday, September 8, 2019. This day is an opportunity to celebrate who we are as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor.
Service activities offer an opportunity for us to explore one of our most basic convictions as Lutherans: that all of life in Jesus Christ – every act of service, in every daily calling, in every corner of life – flows freely from a living, daring confidence in God’s grace.
Opportunities at Morning Star will include:
- Landscaping Clean Up
- Storage Room Clean Up
- Waxing Pews & Altar Cleaning
- Preschool Playground Clean Up
- Stuff-a-Sock for Homeless
- Scatter Joy Acre Help
- Help at Habitat for Humanity Build
On-Going Programs
Green envelope
The Green Envelope is our monthly donation project. Each month we designate a specific partner-in-service to receive funds. Donation envelopes are in the pews.
JULY - New Visions Homeless Services
Refugee Family
Jesus tells us to welcome the stranger. As a major outreach initiative, we are partnering with Lutheran Family Services to host a refugee family. Our first family is here and settled-in. Join us as we provide continuing support and encouragement.
Prayer Shawls
Join the prayer shawls knitters and crocheters on Sundays. Please take a prayer shawl if you know someone in need of comfort and prayer.
Little Free Library
The LFL is stocked with a variety of good, quality books that we hope will interest you and our neighbors. Stop by and take whatever interests you. You can return the book when you’re finished or contribute a book you no longer need. The LFL books are always free!
Past projects and results
Green envelope program
- June 2019 Scatter Joy Acres
- May 2019 - ELCA Disaster Relief: Local Flooding
- April 2019 - Project Harmony
- March & February 2019 - Habitat for Humanity
- January 2019 - MSLC Youth Ministry
- December 2018 - Refugee Program
- November 2018 - ELCA World Hunger
- October 2018 - Food for Friends
- September 2018 - Food for Friends
- August 2018 - New Visions Homeless services
Habitat for Humanity 2018 Effort
Morning Star has been a supporter of Habitat for over 20 years. We are a member of the Faith House Coalition. As of November 30, the Faith House churches have raised $43,000 in cash to support the building efforts. Incredible! This year, the Faith House Coalition completed a new build on Emmet Street, and Lino, Grace and family were all moved in before Christmas
More Results
Cereal Bowl - January Outreach Project
A friendly competition ran through the month of January between Team Flakes (last name begins with A-L) and Team Puffs (last name beings with M-Z). Participants brought in ANY cereal prior to Feb. 4 when the ounces were totaled. A total of 2,249.9 oz. of cereal collected from this fun competition was donated to the Kountze Commons Food Pantry. The Puff team was victorious this year with a total of 1,201.4 oz over the Flakes donation of 1,048.5 oz. of cereal. Thanks everyone for participating!
Angel Tree Results
The first 20 gifts were delivered Dec. 18 with more delivered Dec. 19. Thanks Cindy for coordinating this project. Gifts for 40 children, ages 22 months to 17 years, were shared through our partners at Lutheran Family Services and Boys & Girls Westside Club. You also donated gift cards totaling $190 to help support families through Restored Hope. Thank you all for making Christmas merrier for those children and families.
Food for Friends
Food For Friends started about 20 years ago by a member of Morning Star, Bob Donovan, who saw a need to feed his "working poor" brothers and sisters a Thanksgiving meal. These were individuals, some he knew and some he didn't know, who worked hard every day but never seemed to earn enough around the Holidays to have those special meals. A Green Envelope offering started with the first few years seeing approximately 50 families with Thanksgiving meals delivered by Morning Star volunteers.
In 2018, 158 families received Thanksgiving meals from donations by our Green Envelope offering. After Bob relocated to another church, different individuals assumed leadership over the years. Currently the Dan and Laurel Mooney family lead this volunteer project.
Welcome the stranger project updates
Family is settled
The apartment is set up and the kids are in school. See video walk-though below.
Transportation support for our Refugee Family
Volunteers are serving with transportation support four days a week to help the mother of our family to get to English class. She is doing great as her English skills are improving. Please contact the Outreach team if you are available to support this need.
Progress Update April 15th
Morning Star welcomed our Afghan refugee family in mid- October.
Try to imagine traveling thousands of miles with four young children? The generosity of our Morning Star family provided the contents of their 2 bedroom apartment. A childhood friend from Afghanistan, living in Omaha, helped the family purchase a van.
Mohammad, the father, quickly secured a $11/hour job. It seems necessary to begin at this level to create a work history. The three girls are enrolled in elementary school and love school. Muzghan, the mother, is enrolled in ESL classes and 2 year old Ahmad attends also. Muzghan is determined to learn English and eventually get a driver’s license. Morning Star members drive her to her classes M-F.
Several members took the family on a zoo outing which they loved. Morning Star gifted the family a zoo membership. Prior to Valentines’s Day the girls came to Morning Star and made valentine cards and boxes for their valentines. The family invited those who have been assisting them to help celebrate Ahmad’s second birthday. The food and friendship were amazing. During Spring break, Morning Star members took the girls to the Joslyn Art Museum to experience the special children’s interactive exhibit. We are looking forward to having mom and the children participate in our Easter egg hunt.
Support from Lutheran Family Services is winding down. An internal MS grant will help assist with their rent for an additional six months. The family is so very grateful for all of Morning Star’s help help and caring.
Family group
Keep up the momentum
Outreach Goals for 2019
Serving our community within: We will continue with our defined programs as previously mentioned in serving our community within and for future working toward more volunteer opportunities for us (our whole congregation) to play a more active role in the day to day lives of our Preschool children and staff.
Serving our community within the city: Again, we will continue programs previously mentioned with a goal in 2019 for supporting a new organization, Scatter Joy Acres, a volunteer organization that rescues, feeds, and cares for neglected animals training them to be therapy animals, who in turn support vulnerable individuals.
Serving our community within the world: We will continue our established programs. Our refugee program was new for this congregation in 2018. We started with the will to carry out this goal, and with major congregational support, we were successful in supporting a family of six from Afghanistan who arrived in Omaha mid-October 2018 with a fully furnished apartment and other necessities to start their new lives in this country. Our goal is to grow this program with continued support for our first family until they are fully self sufficient, and growing the program to support future refugees for years to come.
Stained-glass from our Welcome Center with the words "Welcome the Stranger"