Love Our Neighbor │ Justice, Advocacy, Campus Ministry
Social Justice is how we proclaim the good news of Christ for all of creation. At UniLu, it includes volunteering, stewardship, in-gathering, knitting, cooking, serving, prayer, and service on boards of directors - ways we encounter God in the world around us as we seek to bring about the promised Reign of God.
Social Justice Themes
Our Social Justice themes change as the congregation and the needs around us change -- here are a few of the missions we are supporting and mission partners we are engaged with currently:
- Crop Hunger Walk -- challenge your neighbors and friends, walk in solidarity with others, and raise money to help those who hunger become self-sustaining.
- Heart and Home Collaborative -- by serving as a host for a rotating women's shelter in 2014, University Lutheran committed our volunteer efforts and our space to some of those in our county who have no shelter.
- ELCA Malaria Campaign -- Our denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, conducted a multi-year campaign which wrapped up in January 2016 to raise money and awareness around the prevention of malaria. Working with the United Nations and thirteen partner countries in Africa The ELCA Malaria Campaign funds programs of companion churches and Lutheran partners in education, prevention and treatment of malaria.
- Other topics of interest to our congregation include: Human rights in Palestine, racial justice in America, foster parent support, the South Bay Sanctuary Covenant group, the (now lifted) ban on vehicle habitation in Palo Alto, alternative gift-giving through Lutheran World Relief, environmental stewardship and sustainable/ethical production of food.
- Housing is important to us at UniLu, and one year we made birdhouses in support of Habitat for Humanity.
God's Work, Our Hands Day of Service
University Lutheran Church celebrates our denomination-wide day of service, both in the community and on our church campus.
Service projects have included:
At UniLu:
Service projects have included:
- Ecumenical Hunger Project (10-15 volunteers)
- Acterra Land Stewardship Program (15-20 volunteers)
- Gleaning @ Cupertino Farmers’ Market (3 volunteers)
- Habitat for Humanity ReStore (6 volunteers)
At UniLu:
- Car Kits for the Homeless--Need a coordinator at UniLu!
- Diaper Drive for Baby Basics
- University Lutheran Signage Project
- Habitat for Humanity Bird House Raffle
Temporary Women's Shelter
Since 2014, University Lutheran Church has hosted Heart and Home Collaborative's temporary cold weather shelter for women for six weeks each winter. The shelter is housed at Uni Lu for about a month and then moves to another church from. UniLu would like to invite all local students, congregants, College Terrace neighbors, and community members to engage with the shelter through volunteer opportunities to provide a meal, volunteered your time and resources, support shelter staff, and help our guests feel at home!
Social Justice Reports
| annual_report_of_social_and_environmental_justice_team_-11-30-21.pdf |
| abstact_of_fy20-21_annual_report_of_social_and_environemental_justice_team-2021-10-22.pdf |