Community Engagement

Come join our active church in serving God by helping those in need among our own congregation, the local area, regionally and even internationally. You can help in ways as simple as providing food to the local food bank, donating furniture you no longer need, or volunteering your time and talent. Here are just a few of our meaningful recent and ongoing projects. If you have ideas for helping others , or if you have specific skills you would like to apply, please let us know at admin@ctl.org.

Helping Refugees and Immigrants

Working closely with both the Northeast Valley Consortium of Lutheran Churches and the Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, we have been able to furnish apartments for Afghan refugees and immigrants from other countries. In all cases, these grateful families fled dire circumstances in their native countries, braved incredible hardships to enter the United States legally, and are now getting a safe and secure start.

Supporting the Homeless, Displaced and Poor

Homelessness is a grave issue facing the Phoenix area. While we appreciate the need is overwhelming, we cannot sit idly by. Working with other local organizations, we have furnished apartments. We encourage attendees of Sunday services to bring extra food and supplies for the local food bank – the “wish list” appears in our weekly announcements. The “Hunger Jar” sits in the Narthex for anyone who wishes to donate funds instead. Through Grace Lutheran Church in downtown Phoenix, we volunteer to cook and serve breakfasts several times a year. We donate clothing, books, bedding and hygiene supplies through that church as well. Additionally, in 2023 we organized a successful “Purse Drive” so that children in shelters could provide gifts to their moms on Mother’s Day.

Helping Children

As part of our September of 2023 “God’s Work, Our Hands” project we assembled birthday party gift bags for children in foster homes. The festive bags included age-appropriate toys and books, cake mix, frosting and decorations. These children might not otherwise have had a birthday celebration. We also had a successful children’s book drive that brightened the lives of children in shelters. Our Christmas gift tree invites our church-goers to provide helpful gifts for poor children in the area.

Comforting the Lonely

This year, we are making a special effort to address the needs of lonely and homebound people in our congregation and the local community. A consortium focused on the issue of loneliness will be held on Saturday, April 13, 2024, from 1:00 – 4:00PM at Living Water Lutheran Church, 9201 E Happy Valley Rd in Scottsdale, AZ.