Film Screening & DocuTalk

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

Dine and Dialogue

Y O U  A R E  I N V I T E D  T O  A 
N E I G H B O R H O O D  D I N N E R!

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

Global Friends Volunteers of the Year

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.

Outstanding Rural Health Career

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

Congratulations, Brad!

Whatever to Whoever

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



Your gift helps families build new lives in Grand Forks.
Click the link below to learn how!


Ernie's Place

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.

OWNED: A Tale of Two Americans

Thursday, April 18 | 6 - 9 p.m. | Empire Arts Center

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.

Planet vs. Plastic

April 22 is Earth Day

“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.

Community Connections

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!

ND Human Rights Summit

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.

Widow/Widowers Support Group

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.

Grief Care Support Group

Grief Care is a support group offered by Ethos Hospice that provides the opportunity to meet in a caring and safe environment to learn about your grief and connect with others who share a common bond. Grief Care is for anyone 18 years and older who has experienced the loss of a loved one through death. They meet the first Thursday of each month, 1-2:30 p.m. at Ethos Home Care and Hospice, 4491 South Washington, Suite A, Grand Forks.

Spud-Tacular!

The annual East Grand Forks Music Booster fundraiser Spud-Tacular will be held on Monday, March 3, 4:30-7:30 p.m. at the East Grand Forks Senior High School gym and cafeteria. Enjoy student performances throughout the evening. Free will donation for potato bar. Pies sold by the slice and themed raffle baskets and baked goods are also available. (Food served from 4:30 - 7 p.m.) Proceeds benefit the East Grand Forks music program.

Religion and Science Sunday 2024

On February 18, Family of God will be celebrating Religion and Science Sunday 2024. This annual event is recognized by people of many faiths and honors the ways religion and science complement each other.

This year's theme is "Religion, Science, and the Common Good." Tyler Bublitz, Youth Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Bemidji, will be our guest preacher that day. Tyler has a regular podcast about Religion and Science. He's also a member of A Community Called Grace, the experimental ministry for youngish adults in Bemidji which we have supported with a small gift.

Please join us at 10 a.m. during our worship service.

Annual Fill The Tote

Each fall Family of God Church joins in the Fill the Tote project which provides back-up clothing to area Minnesota school children. Cindy picked up a full tote for area children who need something dry in winter weather. We’re happy to support area schools in this way each fall.

Sole Hope Fundraiser

Every child deserves the freedom to run, dance, slide and swing without any hinderance. Foot parasites should never rob them of their joy and playfulness. Treating infections shouldn’t prevent children from simply being children.

Sole Hope was founded in 2010 with a mission to address the devastating issue of jigger infestations. More than 1 billion individuals worldwide are affected by these painful parasites, and since our establishment, we have been dedicated to eradicating this problem. Through the invaluable support of generous individuals like yourself, we are making remarkable progress in our journey each day.

Mendenhall Presbyterian Church in East Grand Forks is hosting a Sole Hope Fundraiser. Enjoy an evening of musical performances by area musicians, raffle baskets, and a delicious meal sponsored by Chino Latino & Steers.

Tickets may be purchased in person at Mendenhall, via Facebook event or by texting 701-248-0227. Advance tickets: Adults $15, Children (age 3-10) $5; Tickets at door: Adults $17, Children (age 3-10) $7

Saturday, September 30, 2023
5:30 - 6:30 Supper
6:15 - 7:45 p.m. Musical Performances
Mendenhall Presbyterian Church
528 10th St NW, East Grand Forks, MN

Fill the Totes

It’s time to collect winter wear for area Minnesota schools.  Bring any of the listed items during September and October to “fill the tote” in the entryway of Family of God.  If you prefer to make a financial gift, please mark it “fill the totes” and it will be used to purchase waterproof mittens.

Here’s what’s needed:

  • waterproof mittens (size medium & large)

  • warm hats

  • unisex black sweat pants or stretch pants (sizes 3-10)

  • black socks (sizes 0-10)

  • boys & girls underwear (sizes 3-10)

The schools that are impacted are New Heights and South Point Elementary in East Grand Forks, Riverside Christian School, Fisher & Climax Elementary, and Warren Elementary.

Thank you for helping keep our kids warm and dry!