St. Stephen Lutheran Church shares the following resources with you, as we work together to build a beloved community. 
(Please see the bottom of this email for a brief explanation of our guiding vision.) 
Act - Advocate - Educate
*UPDATE* Venezuelan families are closer to finding home with Tapestry in Minnesota

St. Stephen and Tapestry have partnered under a new U.S. legal process to bring Tapestry's Venezuelan family members to Minnesota. We believe that families will be reunited soon! Because many of those arriving have had to leave almost all of their belongings behind, we are collecting donations of clothing (all sizes and seasons) and Target gift cards (any amount).

Please drop off items in the designated bin by the Welcome Desk, thank you! Contact Julie Magnus for more information.
Mirrors & Windows Book Fair

The Mirror and Windows Book Fair is an event for all ages, sponsored by Family of Christ Lutheran Church (connected to St. Stephen via former youth director Leann Thompson and our own Lindsey Ruhland). The Book Fair will feature three local authors of color reading and signing their books, minority-owned bookstores, presentations for children and youth, and kids' arts and crafts. Click on the flier below for a detailed schedule!
Faith & Life Lecture Series presents
Presiding Bishop Curry

The Faith & Life Lecture Series -- a free public forum where nationally-known speakers reflect on how Christian faith relates to dimensions of everyday life -- presents the Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, the Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church.
Presiding Bishop Curry will present on "Faith & Love: Holding onto Hope" -- free for all and no registration necessary!
*LEGISLATIVE UPDATE* Beacon Interfaith Collaborative & Bring it Home, MN report success this legislative session

Beacon is proud to announce that Minnesota's Housing Omnibus Bill will become law (pending the Governor's signature) that establishes the FIRST EVER general rent support program in the state. The program will create nearly 5,500 rent support vouchers that will transform the lives of recipients, and it is a crucial first step in Beacon's ongoing Bring it Home, MN campaign. Beacon thanks the over 30 organizations and congregations that supported this effort through advocacy of any and all kinds!
VEAP launches new social services pilot program: TO-GO PACKS

In response to the growing number of people in our community experiencing homelessness, VEAP’s Social Services team has launched a special to-go pack program. These kits include toiletries, socks, first aid items, and protein-heavy snacks. We’d love to grow this initiative with your support! You may purchase needed items on Amazon and have them ship directly to VEAP.
ELCA participation in the Truth & Healing Movement for Indigenous People

The ELCA’s Truth & Healing Movement, under Indigenous Ministries and Tribal Relations, is an opportunity for this church to increase our understanding of our colonizing impacts on Indigenous people in the past and present. Over the next several months, there will be opportunities to learn, raise awareness and engage in other ways to impact hearts and lives across this church. We believe that the truth, and our knowing and embracing it, is the first step toward healing for all of us.
Pray
Through us,
God speaks words of peace, love, justice and faithfulness
that challenge violence, hatred and self-interest in the world.
We pray
that we find courage and strength in the risen Christ
to be faithful witnesses in the face of all challenges and risks.
In God we pray.
Amen.
Through the resources shared in this email, St. Stephen Lutheran Church is helping build Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s global vision of a beloved community, “in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth.” St. Stephen’s Peace With Justice Committee is named for and inspired by Dr. King’s vision. We work actively with “an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood” toward a beloved community where “love and trust will triumph over fear and hatred.”
St. Stephen Lutheran Church
8400 France Ave S
Bloomington, MN 55431