GLOBAL NEEDS

We believe that the work God calls us to do in the world is never done alone or in isolation. At St. Mark’s, we are committed to working with global agencies that are in the best position to bring help and relief, both immediately and as it is needed for the long-term.


If you are interested in any of these ministry areas, please check their websites for current projects. St. Mark's supports each of these ministries throughout the year. We invite you to visit our GIVE page to see the projects we are currently supporting. 

  • ELCA WORLD HUNGER

    ELCA World Hunger meets basic needs by providing immediate relief to those who are hungry. But they also recognize that ending hunger is about more than food. ELCA World Hunger supports sustainable solutions—from health clinics to microloans, water wells to animal husbandry, community meals to advocacy—that get at the root causes of hunger and poverty. By connecting people with the resources they need to produce food and gain access to clean water, education, health care, and sources of income, long-term sustainable change can be accomplished.


    Through a comprehensive approach, ELCA World Hunger addresses hunger from all angles — both domestically and globally. Working through ELCA congregations, global companion churches, The Lutheran World Federation and other partners, ELCA World Hunger reaches more places more effectively than could be accomplished alone.


    The people of St. Mark’s passionately believe that each person has a universal human right to food, and we support ELCA World Hunger on an ongoing basis to help change the systems that perpetuate food poverty.


  • ELCA GOOD GIFTS

    The ELCA Good Gifts program provides more than 50 different gift-giving options that fight hunger and transform lives. The Good Gifts catalog has a wide array of gift options that can make a difference in the world, such as God’s Global Barnyard (pigs, chicks, fish farm, bees); Water programs (irrigation canal, water filters, wells); Agriculture programs (community vegetable gardens, farming tools); Women & Children (start a small business, send a girl to school, school supplies); Health Care (stock a clinic, vaccinations, mosquito nets); Grow the Church (bricks to build, seminary education, Bibles); Help at Home (stock a backpack with food, warm meals from a soup kitchen, supplies for disaster survivors). 


    Each year, St. Mark’s participates in several ELCA Good Gifts projects. This year, for example, our Faith in Daily Life students used “Barn Banks,” to raise money to purchase baby chicks through Good Gifts. Leading up to Mother’s Day, our Outreach Team raised donations for Good Gifts vaccinations for children in some of the world’s poorest countries. These Good Gift initiatives are embraced by the whole St. Mark’s congregation, and young and old come together to take action that impacts lives around the world.


  • LUTHERAN DISASTER RESPONSE (LDR)

    Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) works in cooperation with other disaster response organizations around the world to provide critical relief when disaster strikes. Recognizing that every disaster is local, LDR works with the local community from immediate relief through long-term recovery. When the dust settles and the headlines change, LDR stays to provide ongoing assistance to those in need. 


    In recent years, LDR has provided hurricane relief in Puerto Rico, Texas, and Florida; wildfire relief in California; flooding relief in the Gulf Coast region; famine relief in South Sudan; earthquake relief in Nepal; and medical relief in Gaza.


    St. Mark’s believes wholeheartedly in the mission of LDR to help the church be the church in the midst of disaster—to bring hope and healing to our neighbors in need. We support LDR, knowing that they will provide the greatest stewardship of resources and maximum impact of response.


  • LUTHERAN IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE SERVICES (LIRS)

    Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) is a nearly 80-year-old service agency that has helped over 500,000 migrants and refugees since its founding in 1939. Rooted in faith, LIRS believes that we are called to welcome those fleeing persecution and seeking refuge in the United States. As part of the United States refugee resettlement program, LIRS works to reunite families that have been separated at the border. They provide initial, essential services to vulnerable refugees, as well as short-term and long-term foster care with trauma-informed partners who are uniquely equipped to support these children. LIRS is the only organization in the country that walks alongside unaccompanied children throughout their entire journey, from foster care to family reunification.  


    St. Mark’s is a financial supporter of LIRS, designating a portion of our giving to the agency, as well as raising congregational awareness.