Jesus calls his followers to love God without reserve. In the same way, he calls us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Showing that love for our neighbors is an important part of the life of this congregation, and is done in a variety of ways.

We get our hands dirty. In other words, we give of our time and effort to show others the love of God and our love for them. These are just a few of our current projects:

• Cherry Street Mission: about four times a year we provide the evening meat at this Toledo outreach ministry. We also regularly provide financial support and gifts in kind, such as blankets, clothing and other needed items.
• The "Piecemakers" are what we call the group of women in the congregation who create warm blankets from scrap material...over a hundred such items every winter. These are shared through Lutheran World Relief and several helping agencies.
• Operation Oreo began in 2002 as a means of extending support and encouragement to U.S. troops in Afghanistan. It has grown to include deployed personnel around the globe, primarily in combat areas. They receive monthly mailings including letters, cards, and boxes with the goodies they miss from home.

You could add to this list our work at Toledo's Lutheran Home, the missionaries we've sent to our sister parish in Dodoma, Tanzania, the local food pantry which we house, manage and help staff, and the many ministries we support by collecting and distributing items for their support.

We open our wallets. Being in service also means providing financial support through the ELCA, the Northwestern Ohio Synod, and directly to a number of local and regional ministries. 11.5% of all undesignated offerings are set aside for this purpose, as well as thousands of dollars each year in special gifts.

We stay attentive to the need. Mission learning is an important part of the church's educational ministry at every level. Adult classes routinely include opportunities to explore and discuss not just what the church is doing, but what we as individuals are called to do. 7th and 8th grade students are assigned mentors who, among other duties, help them develop and complete service projects in the community. Even the younger children have an opportunity to serve their elders in the community through programs like Heart Harvest and the annual Sunday School mission project...this year benefiting the people of Chevak, Alaska...a native village with many needs.

Service is an important part of understanding the purpose of our lives as followers of Jesus. If you're looking for that kind of purpose and meaning, we invite you to join us in caring for our neighbors and the world.