11 different items were included in each bag for the homeless.
Our children in grades K-9 meet monthly to enjoy supper, games and a mission project. We recently gathered together at the church and wrapped gifts for Valley Senior Living residents in pillow cases made by Family of God Crafters. We also filled 24 bags of personal care items to be given through Homeless Helpers to those who are provided shelter in area hotels.
Wednesday Kids are proud of the great job they did decorating for the lunch to thank area social workers!
Family of God hosted an appreciation luncheon to say thanks to all the social workers in the community who support folks in crisis and help us share our Community Fund. We served homemade soups and breads for a buffet lunch on Thursday, November 14 to 45 area social workers.
Ready to welcome social workers to lunch. We served 45 people and they said they felt appreciated.
As we came to the end of our meal ministry at LaGrave, the folks planned great meals for a strong finish. A closing celebration to thank all the volunteers who have made this project possible was held November 3, at LaGrave on First for all who have helped cook and serve meals over the 5+ years of this ministry.
2:00 to 4:30 pm
East Grand Forks Senior Center
538 Rhinehart Dr. S.E.
Tickwood String Band
Caller : Jeanne O'Neil
Leatherwood String Band
Caller : Jeanne O'Neil
Live Music! All Join Hands! All ages; families, couples, singles; Reels, squares, circle mixers and more... all dances are taught and easy to learn.
Concert with The O'Neil Family Band
Christmas and Mid-Winter Carols and Songs- 2:00 to 3:00 pm
Donations
at the door
Welcome to the Overcoming Racism Conference!
Date: Friday, November 8, 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. CST. Doors at 8 a.m.
Location: Northland Community College, 2022 Central Avenue Northwest, East Grand Forks, MN 56721
Registration: Open to the public. Tickets: $5 - Morning session; $5 - Afternoon session. Lunch included. Click link below or email communityconnectionsmn@gmail.com
Join us for a day of insightful discussions and meaningful connections as we work together towards a more inclusive society. This event is a great opportunity to be part of the change we want to see in the world. Let's come together to create a brighter future for all!
Pamela Ngunjiri is co-director of racial justice at the Minnesota Council of Churches and the current pastor if St, James AME Church in St. Paul, MN
James Bear Jacobs is the creator of Healing Minnesota Storiess, Minnesota Council of Churches, which is dedicated to sharing Native American voices.
Linsey McMurrin, executive director of Peacemaker Resources, will discuss historical trauma and how it impacts our lives, our bodies and our relationships.
Scholarships and CEUs available.
You're invited to our Rise Up For Women's Rights event on Saturday, October 12 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Archives Coffee House, 3012 University Avenue, Grand Forks, ND.
We're excited to energize and mobilize women for the upcoming election, especially around women's rights! Our hope is that the event creates community. as well as serves as an entry point to help out D18 & D42 in the last few weeks.
We'll have complimentary breakfast snacks & coffee, Planned Parenthood merch, postcards to encourage voting, build your own trucker hat, a legislative update, feminist art for purchase, and a few speeches from community leaders to get folks energized. We're looking forward to a great event!
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 | 6:30PM
Empire Art Center, Downtown Grand Forks, ND
From director Dan Partland and producer Rob Reiner, GOD & COUNTRY looks at the implications of Christian Nationalism and how it distorts not only our constitutional republic, but Christianity itself. Featuring prominent Christian thought leaders, GOD & COUNTRY asks this question: What happens when a faith built on love, sacrifice, and forgiveness grows political tentacles, conflating power, money, and belief into hyper-nationalism?
Following the film, stay for DocuTalk: The Politicization of Christianity - a moderated thoughtful discussion by local faith leaders.
SPONSORED BY: ERA NOW + FAMILY OF GOD CHURCH + CHRISTUS REX
Saturday, September 7 and Saturday, October 5 from 6-8 p.m.
Northland Community and Technical College
2022 Central Ave. NE, East Grand Forks, MN.
Park in the south lot by Door .
Dine and Dialogue brings together neighbors to learn from each other and share ideas on making East Grand Forks a more welcoming community to all!
RSVP OPTIONAL. MORE INFO AT INFO@NEWHOPEFORIMMIGRANTS.ORG
Family of God, Lotus Meditation Center, Unitarian Universalists and Quakers (our Spiritual Mall folk) have been named Volunteer(s) of the Year for Global Friends. We were recognized on Saturday, June 15 during the World Refugee Day program at Town Square. A reception was held in their honor Thursday, June 20. Thank you to all who have worked hard to welcome refugees!
Victoria, Neil and Nell proudly display the Volunteer of the Year for Global Friends sign. They are a huge part of our mission of supporting refugee families resettling in the Greater Grand Forks community through Global Friends Coalition.
Global Friends welcomed these New American high school students to our community with the help of volunteers through education, mentorship, leadership, and community involvement opportunities.
Brad Gibbens
Brad Gibbens, Family of God president, has been awarded the 2024 Rural and Public Health Outstanding Rural Health Career at the Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health in June. This award is presented to a healthcare professional who has devoted his/her career to making significant contributions to improving healthcare in rural North Dakota.
Brad is the acting director of the Center for Rural Health (CRH) at the University of North Dakota (UND) School of Medicine & Health Sciences and an assistant professor at the School of Medicine & Health Sciences.
Brad is also active in the state and nationally:
UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences, By-Laws Committee
National Rural Health Association, member (Statewide Health Constituency Group, Policy Congress)
National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, former board member
North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp's Health Advisory Committee
Planning Committee of North Dakota Interim Health Reform Review Legislative Committee
I think I was looking for some way to be hopeful.
Watching too much news on television can be bad for your health, and I was on my way to an unhealthy cynical side of life when I volunteered to Global Friends for whatever. I reasoned, I’m from the south. I know how to be welcoming and I can drive a car, so it seemed like a good match.
“My respect and admiration for Nell, Global Friends and their volunteers. They are an example to follow. I am sure that God already has a place in heaven for each of you, and I ask that here on earth He fills your lives with blessings and guides your path always.
- Claudia
Whatever is not what I found at Global Friends. Whoever is what I found: Claudia and Gabriel, a mom and little boy from El Salvador, who became my source of hope in spite of how messy the world continues to be.
They are my joy, showing heroic courage, as life changes drastically, and determination to make this change for the good of their futures. They are my joy, as they jump through hoops, scale mountains of paperwork, struggle with the English language, and find work. They are my joy, as they live in faith strong enough to hold them upright when loneliness is oppressive. They are my joy, when Gabriel plays soccer and Claudia learns to crochet. They are my joy, when I get to experience with them the first night of snowfall, the first birthdays away from the family who misses them terribly. And that joy translates into hope.
The network news is not the last word on the condition of the world. People are brave and strong and determined to live free and to be kind, honest and good. Claudia and Gabriel are called refugees by our government. New Americans by our culture, but I call them hope bearers. I get to hang around with them and they give me hope for our world. It is cliche to say we receive more than we give when we work as volunteers - but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true.
Because of the opportunity I have with Global Friends, my heart has grown, my calendar is full, and I have a new daughter and grandson. For that I am very thankful.
- Nell, a dedicated Global Friends volunteer
Ernie’s Place is now open offering housing and support for youth and young adults trying to get a start in life.
Ernie’s Place, a transitional home for youth ages 18 to 24 who have aged out of foster care and who are homeless, aims to provide support for transitioning into independent living and permanent housing.
Ernie’s Place seeks to fill a gap in social services provided to the community by providing a place for people who are coming out of the foster care system and may need help getting on their feet. Multiple churches in the community have donated move-out kits, where it’s blankets, pots and pans, dishes and those kinds of things in preparation for when a person moves on from Ernie’s Place.
The house, located on the north side of Grand Forks, has six single-occupancy dormitory-style rooms and two one-bedroom apartments. The dorm-style rooms are for those with faster transitions and the apartments are for those who may need a longer stay, up to two years. Once a person leaves the facility, they’ll be able to have up to six months of case management services and be invited back to attend on-site skills classes.
Ernie’s Place is actively seeking donations. Click the link below for more information.
Join the High Plains Fair Housing Center at the Empire Arts Center to explore the explore the rich history of fair housing in North Dakota. Learn about the organization's impact on the community and its efforts to promote fair housing practices. This event is a great opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and gain valuable insights into the importance of fair housing for all. This event is free to the public, but registration is required.
“The Planet vs. Plastics campaign is a call to arms, a demand that we act now to end the scourge of plastics and safeguard the health of every living being upon our planet.
The word environment means what surrounds you. In the case of plastics we have become the product itself – it flows through our blood stream, adheres to our internal organs, and carries with it heavy metals known to cause cancer and disease. Now this once-thought amazing and useful product has become something else, and our health and that of all other living creatures hangs in the balance,” said Kathleen Rogers, President of EARTHDAY.ORG. “The Planet vs. Plastics campaign is a call to arms, a demand that we act now to end the scourge of plastics and safeguard the health of every living being upon our planet.”
Kathleen Rogers, President of EARTHDAY.ORG.
A panel to meet our LGBTQ+ neighbors
Join us on Thursday, April 4 for an evening of stories from our LGBTQIA+ neighbors and leaders within the Greater Grand Forks community! Enjoy refreshments and a time to connect at 6:30 p.m., followed by the panel beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of United Lutheran Church. This event is hosted in collaboration with United, Calvary, and Sharon Lutheran Churches of the ELCA of Grand Forks. The purpose of Community Connections is to uplift voices and hear how our local LGBTQ+ neighbors experience welcome, inclusion, and obstacles within our community. Guests will have a chance to ask questions to our panelists. Please note there will be no debate of scripture or room for any kind of discrimination. We invite you to enter United Lutheran through Door #1 or Door #2. There is access to an elevator at Door #2. Follow the signs downstairs to the Fellowship Hall. We hope to see you there!
The fourteenth annual ND Human Rights Summit kicks off at 9 a.m., Saturday, April 13, at the Indigenous Association, 720 First Avenue North. The theme of this year's summit is: "Community and Human Rights: Uniting Voices". Your registration includes break beverages and snacks as well as a noon luncheon featuring Indian tacos and dessert. The Arc of Justice Awards are scheduled at the close of the summit: 4 p.m., April 13, at the same location.
An added feature this year: Taylor Brorby, a ND native and author of "Boys and Oil: Growing up Gay in a Fractured Land" will be on the campus of NDSU on Friday April 12! We are excited to be able to collaborate with NDSU on this great event. There will be a public presentation free and open to the public at 7 p.m. in the Union theater, followed by a meet the author reception. Taylor's books will be available for sale and available for autograph.
The Widow/Widowers Support Group assists people who have lost a spouse through death deal with the changes in their lives. It is a spiritually centered, interdenominational group with presentations by area clergy and a time for small group discussion. Sessions are free and registration is not required. The next session begins Monday, March 25 and meets Mondays, 7-9 p.m., for six weeks at Calvary Lutheran Church. For more information call Phyllis at 701-775-7444 or Diane at 701-739-3310.
