Outreach & Missions

“Outreach is a movement toward the world—outreach to unbelievers, missions to various human needs (2 Corinthians 5:17-20, Luke 10:27-37, Matthew 28: 18-20).”

– Emmaus Constitution

The Outreach Board:

 
Provides a shared vision for our congregation of the work God is doing outside our church body including the city of Northfield, state of Minnesota, the nation of the United States, and the peoples of the world.
Assists, supports, enables, and equips people who are attempting to do the work of God by sharing the Good News of Christ’s atonement and attempting to meet the physical, social, and emotional needs around them.
Assists, supports, enables, and equips members of this congregation in developing a vision for outreach by commissioning and sending them as short-term missionaries to domestic and foreign fields.

ENCOURAGEMENT FUND

This Emmaus Encouragement Fund is made up of donations that are collected separately from our regular offering on the first Sunday of each month. Offerings are typically placed in a basket at the back of the Sanctuary, but a donation to this fund can be given to the church at any time. Moneys from this fund are used to help folks who are regular attenders of Emmaus when they find themselves in a difficult financial situation. Some examples of how these funds have been spent: medical bills and prescriptions, fees for children’s classes, mortgage and rental payments, food, gasoline, utility bills and clothing costs.

If you have a need, or know of a need in our congregation, please contact a member of the staff and they will get you connected with the folks who manage these funds.

COMMUNITY BENEVOLENCE FUND

Each year the Outreach Board designates funds to be shared with folks who are our brothers and sisters in the Northfield Community, but not necessarily attenders of Emmaus. This fund is meant to serve as a one-time bridge when people find themselves in a difficult financial situation. In the past we have helped with things such as prescription costs, gasoline, food, rent, school supplies and car repairs. Requests for assistance from this fund should be made to Office Manager, April Schweickert.

SHORT TERM MISSIONS

We believe that the entire church body is enriched whenever members of our congregation become involved in ministry. Therefore, we wish to provide every woman, man, adult, and youth of this congregation with an opportunity to have a missions experience. In order to assist members of our congregation in experiencing short term missions the Outreach Board is dedicated to the following forms of support: (click below to find out more)

Independent Mission Trips

The Emmaus Outreach Board and congregation believe that both the individual and the entire body and enriched whenever someone has the opportunity to experience missions. Therefore, we wish to provide every person in our congregation with the opportunity to have this experience. The Outreach Board offers financial assistance, prayer support and opportunities to “get the word out” about plans and experiences that people have in the mission field. If you are interested in applying for assistance for a mission trip, please contact April Schweickert.

Youth Mission Fund

Because Emmaus believes in the value of a Short Term Mission Trip experience for everyone, we support our Pastor of Student and Family Ministries Tim Drake each Summer as he leads our students on Short Term Mission Trips both inside and outside the United States.

College Missions

Emmaus has a large number of students who join us for worship each Sunday during the school year as we are fortunate to be located so closely to both the St. Olaf and Carleton College campuses.  Because we value these members of our congregation the Outreach Board helps fund the weekly bus transportation that is provided to and from Emmaus church on Sunday mornings and supports the annual College Mission Trip to Costa Rica that is lead by David Olson who is both a member of our congregation and a supported missionary of Emmaus.

CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS

The Outreach Board supports summer campers with scholarships to offset camp fees. Most scholarships are for Trout Lake Camps, but the board will also supply scholarships, upon request, to other camps, as long as the camps mission is not in conflict with the beliefs and constitution of Emmaus Church. The Outreach Board also supports the Youth District Blitz and Fall Fling Retreats.

 

Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

Help us pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. You can pack your own and bring it to Emmaus by November 24, or you can build a box online. For $25, Samaritan’s Purse will build a shoebox for a boy or girl. Help us reach our goal of building 25 online boxes.

Emmaus Shoebox Goal Page

Requesting Support

 
If you are in need of assistance, we have several programs available to church members and community members. We are also able to refer you to other resources for support. Please contact April Schweickert at the church office at 507-645-9480 for more information.