Jesus, remind me that when I give to others, I am really giving to You. Help me to share all that You have given me – my money, my possessions, my time, my talents, my love- with those who are in need.  Amen.

The First Evangelical Lutheran Church Community Services Board was formed to provide the public with a Christian image that reflects favorably upon the work of Christ and of the congregation as His instrument, the publicizing of the work of the congregation through various channels, and the general integration of the congregation’s work into the community in support of institutions and agencies established by the church and society in response to special human needs.

Through our community outreach efforts, First Evangelical participates in a number of local community efforts.

The Christian Assistance Program

The Christian Assistance Program (CAP) is a cooperative ministry involving 12 Christian churches in our local area. We work together to provide food and clothes for the needy and cooperate in sponsoring Red Cross blood drives. The local churches that make up CAP are:

Read more about CAP in these Capital Gazette and Odenton Patch articles.

When contemplating a holiday or memorial gift for someone, CAP has a program that allows you to donate in someone’s memory or honor. Look for donor cards in the rack in the Narthex.  The gift received by CAP will be acknowledged to both the donor and the recipient (and it’s tax deductible).  This makes a great Christmas gift for your child’s teacher.

CAP also makes up 175 Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for the poor in our area. We need your monetary donations for this effort. Checks can be made payable to our church, marked for CAP, and put in the regular offering or mailed to the church.

The Christian Assistance Program Food Pantry

The CAP Food Pantry is here at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 8397 Piney Orchard Pkwy, Odenton, MD 21113.

Open to qualifying individuals on Tuesdays from 11 AM-1 PM and Thursdays from 3-5 PM.

You can make a donation to the CAP by placing non-perishable food items in the CAP basket inside the front door of the church.  Other churches also donate to the CAP Food Pantry.

 

The Red Cross

CAP member churches work with the American Red Cross to host blood drives at regularly scheduled intervals. Working within the community, the local churches band together to host blood drives at an interval of 56 days or greater to comply with Red Cross regulations.

One donation can save up to 3 lives.

These drives are open to the public, so even if you are unable to donate, please tell your friends and family. There is always a need for blood donations.

Working in conjunction with the CAP churches in the area, the blood drives are scheduled approximately every 56 days to provide donors a consistent schedule that complies with the waiting period eligibility.

General guidelines for donating:

As per the  Red Cross guidelines : donors must be at least 17 years of age, 16 years of age in Maryland with parental consent, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. For further information, please contact the American Red Cross directly at 800.272.2048.

We also provide facilities for various outreach groups including, Alcoholics Anonymous and Adoptions Together through Anne Arundel County. Additionally, we provide facilities for many local scout troops.

Augsburg Lutheran Village

Volunteers are needed at Augsburg Village (located near Liberty Rd and the Beltway) for ongoing programs.

Visitors, meal servers, escorts (to help residents get to church services and activities) and those who can assist with mailings are among the needs to be met by volunteers.  Clerical experienced volunteers are also needed for filing, gathering and assembling information. We have a special need for anyone with musical experience with the piano or keyboard, especially for Sunday Church services. Flexible hours are available for weekdays, early evenings and weekends. For more information contact Rich Parron in the Volunteer Office at (410) 486-4573 x147 or see the volunteering page on the Augsburg Village web site.

Find the joy of volunteering at Augsburg.