Together we Serve
But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you:
to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to SERVE
God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Joshua 22:5
Serving with and beyond the congregation
Living out our faith by SERVING as God's hands and feet wherever we go.
Mission is not static, many of our community needs fluctuate over time. We focus our mission work on hunger and homelessness. We believe that it is important for all to be able to serve God through mission opportunities, so we have service opportunities for our youngest to our oldest members of our community and for every skill level. This includes annual mission trips for our youth and adults. Below are some of the partners that we work with in these areas including our housing initiative: Casa del Sol Affordable Housing.
Serving the Hungry
Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
John 6:35
In 2020, Arizona was ranked the third highest state with food insecurities. Today about two million Arizonans are food insecure including 1 in 4 children. The three conditions that would result in a household being classified as food insecure are: They are worried whether their food would run out before they got money to buy more. The food they bought didn't last, and they didn't have money to get more. They could afford to eat balanced meals. At Mission del Sol, we work to help individuals get the food they need through the mission partners listed below. Join us to help keep our neighbors fed!
Meals on wheels
Meals on Wheels is a federally funded program designed to meet the nutritional and social needs of seniors. Our volunteers deliver meals and friendly greetings to homebound seniors every six weeks year round.
St. Mary's Food Bank
St. Mary's Food Bank serves to alleviate hunger through the gathering and distribution of food while encouraging self-sufficiency, collaboration, advocacy and education. Mission del Sol volunteers on the 4th Thursday each month at their main distribution site distributing a grocery cart full of donated and bulk purchased food to families in need.
kyrene family resource center
The Kyrene Family Resource Center provides Kyrene families in need access to resources to assist with their basic needs: food, school clothing for children, school supplies, enrichment scholarships and referral for emergency resources. We help support them with drives to provide back to school backpacks, hygiene products, snacks, bus passes, and other needs.
east valley mens center
East Valley Men’s Center provides shelter and support services to single homeless men. They assist them as they re-integrate into the community with safe and stable housing, and provide the tools to maintain self-sufficiency. We prepare sack lunches once a month in Mission Hall following worship to take to the center.
Serving the HOmeless
In 2022, the number of people experiencing homelessness in Arizona was over 13,000, an increase of nearly 25% since 2020. Housing insecurities and homelessness have been exacerbated by the lack of affordable housing, mental illness, addiction, domestic violence, poverty and other factors. There are hundreds of unsheltered individuals living in Tempe and we want to help. We support the below organizations in an effort to help those in need of housing in our community.
Family Promise
Family Promise gives homeless families the tools & training to care for their children, find employment and housing, and become independent and successful. Mission del Sol provides overnight shelter, food and loving support to these families about 4 times a year.
I - Help
The Interfaith Housing Emergency Lodging Program provides emergency shelter for 40 men and women in Tempe 365 days a year. Participants receive a warm dinner and shelter at a variety of churches and community centers in Tempe. Mission del Sol hosts on the 5th Saturdays throughout the year.
Habtiat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity helps families build and improve places to call home by providing affordable housing for them. We partner with the Presbyterian Coalition to participate in a build every spring.
Casa del Sol Affordable Housing
In an effort to end homelessness, we will provide affordable housing to individuals and families in the surrounding community of Mission del Sol. Learn more about this ministry and how you can participate here.
Serving through immersive Mission Experiences
Each year we have opportunities for our youth and adults to participate in mission by immersing themselves in service. Our youth participate in annual mission experiences each summer, rotating between a weekly Urban Mission Trip focusing on the hungry and homeless in Arizona and an out of state mission trip. Our adults also travel on disaster assistance mission trips connected with the PC(USA) Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program. If you are interested in joining an immersive mission experience, contact the church office.
Serving Within the Congregation
Serve in Worship
Calling Participants of ALL ages!
Serve on A COMMISSION
Calling Participants of ALL ages!
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Serve in leadership
Calling Participants of ALL ages!
Leadership at MdS includes:
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