SOCIAL JUSTICE INITIATIVES
Bethel responds to Christ's call for wholeness of Creation, society and all of God's children. We are strongly committed to justice in our community and in the world. Bethel lives out our response to the Gospel through action in the following Mission Initiatives.
CREATION JUSTICE
As members of God’s Creation we are committed to our stewardship of Earth and the celebration of all that God has made! We are living into our calling to Creation Care by involving our whole community in tending to God’s living world. Bethel has a robust Creation Care Program. Please join us in our initiative!
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RACIAL JUSTICE
Our objectives are to help educate ourselves & each other to recognize and understand the complexity and implications of racism and racial justice; build relationships that cross race, ethnicity, class, age and LGBTQ+ identity to break through barriers of racism and oppression; work to advance public witness, programs and policies that advance racial justice — locally and globally.
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MENTAL HEALTH
We lend support and encouragement to each other regarding mental illness and wellness. We promote understanding and reduce stigma of mental health issues. We explore topics such as grief, caregiver support, adolescent drug use, senior depression, support to veterans and more. We encourage wellness practices including mindfulness, gratitude, yoga, and art and music therapy.
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INTERCULTURAL CAPACITY BUILDING
Intercultural Capacity Building refers to a deepened and expanded awareness of cultural differences and to engaging with and responding to cultural differences with sensitivity, appropriateness, purpose and thoughtful intention. This capacity to value and respond to diversity involves navigating a myriad of cultures embedded in the many contextual dimensions of our lives — in our neighborhoods, homes, schools, local businesses and our faith communities.
Every Meal focuses on the food gaps when children aren’t able to receive free and reduced meal programs. Volunteers from Bethel help deliver food to students at neighboring El Colegio to help supplement weekend meals.
During the summer members of Bethel collect school supplies for Lutheran World Relief. These supplies are then shipped across the world to schools without basic supplies for children and adults to help continue learning.
TC Habitat for Humanity works to bring affordable housing to the Twin Cities. We build, repair, and sell homes to families affordably. Bethel has worked with Habitat building houses. We look forward to our next project.
MISSION PROJECTS
& PARTNERS
Take something or leave something... Bethel's Little Free Pantry is always open, providing access to food in South Minneapolis' growing food desert. Located at the church doors on 17th Ave. S.
Our society/our forebears enslaved many generations of Black families and created a system of race, which continues to divide and harm us. Our society/our forebears colonized and attempted to eliminate Indigenous people and cultures, which continues to divide and harm us. Churches within our society have put and encouraged people, especially women and children, to remain in abusive situations. They have cast out queer people, who are equally created in God's image. They have silenced the voices of many people, especially women, who are equally created in God's image. They have failed to care for God's creation and to speak up to stop foreseeable climate change. This all continues to divide and harm us. This is not what God wants or calls us to do.
Every moment, we get a new chance to reject this evil, seek forgiveness from God and one another, and work to reconcile and repair.
May you all feel love and the peace that passes understanding today, and then go out and share it."
- Sarah B., Bethel Member
"God is love. Our call from God is to love our neighbors without exception.
The church and the Word have been misused all too often by humans to justify and enact unbearable sin and violence. Our society/our forebears enslaved many generations of Black families and created a system of race, which continues to divide and harm us.
A ministry of Minnehaha United Methodist Church, the Minnehaha Food Shelf serves food for the hungry on Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. We help distribute up to 30,000 pounds of food each month.
Refugee Services resettles persons and families fleeing persecution from around the world to new homes in MN. During Advent, Bethel's "Mitten Tree" is filled with mittens, hats, scarves and coats. This year they were donated to Refugee Services
