St. Anthony Park UCC encourages and equips the congregation to put their faith into action through a range of service opportunities. As Christians, we are called to care for others (whom we may or may not meet) and to shine the Christ light in places that need it most. There are two kinds of service to others:

Justice is about systemic change. Acts of justice are slow, hard to measure, ambiguous, and are never 'done'. Working for racial reckoning, economic justice, affordable housing, environmental stewardship and LGBTQ rights and freedoms are some examples of long-term justice endeavors. For examples of our justice-making work, see these links on our website:

Anti-Racism
Immigration
LGBTQ
Environment
Interfaith Action

Mercy is about direct charity. Acts of mercy are tangible, immediately impactful, time-limited, and gratifying. Below are some of the mercy activities of SAP UCC.

Diapers are so expensive! From time to time, SAPUCC collects children's diapers -- piles of them -- and donates them to the Diaper Bank of Minnesota, located on University Avenue in St. Paul. The Diaper Bank works with agencies throughout the Twin Cities to provide diapers to families in need.

Kids (age 5 and up) and adults get the chance to hand-pack nutritious meals specifically designed to assist in reversing and preventing malnutrition around the world. Volunteers measure, weigh and pack servings of rice, soy protein, dried vegetables, and vitamin-packed flavoring. It's a fun, high-energy, big-impact kind of hands-on service to others. FMSC has locations in Coon Rapids and Eagan.

Bandaids, toothbrushes, toothpaste, socks, combs, bar soap, nail clippers, washcloths ... and more. Following the specifications of Church World Service, we collected donations of items and packed them up for global distribution.

SAP UCC has a decades-long ministry (since 1983 and counting!) of cooking and serving supper through the Loaves & Fishes program of the Dorothy Day Center in downtown St. Paul. Our signature meal of taco hotdish, fruit, bread and dessert has been served to thousands of guests who are homeless or food insecure.

Two United Church of Christ congregations -- St. Anthony Park UCC and Falcon Heights Church UCC -- decided to love our neighbors in a big way in 2021. We partnered up, pooled resources, launched a campaign, and received over $28,000! We sent all of the money to RIP Medical Debt, an organization that purchases old, long-standing medical debt for pennies on the dollar. The result?

SAP UCC and Falcon Heights UCC eliminated $2.8 MILLION DOLLARS of medical debt, for over 2,000 households in five states-- Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas and Georgia.

Why did we do this?
+ to counteract some of the economic and racial inequities in our country
+ to engage in a big-impact endeavor
+ to prioritize the common good during the pandemic
+ to relieve the burden, shame and anxiety of people who have long-standing debt

Alleluia! New Life! Thanks be to God!

Back Bay Mission, Biloxi, Mississippi, 2017 - This mission site is a jewel of the UCC. SAPUCCers spent one week rehabbing a house; serving meals at a local shelter; staffing the Back Bay food shelf; and hosting people at the drop-in center where they are able to take a shower, do their laundry, search for jobs and socialize. We learned about local history and culture, including the devastation effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Duluth, Minnesota - We've been to Duluth a few times in recent years. In 2012, working with Habitat for Humanity, a group of SAPUCC adults and youth assisted with home repairs after Duluth experienced significant flooding and landslides. In 2018, our high school youth volunteered at The Seafarers Center. They organized clothes, cleaned, delivered donations of hats, gloves, and toiletries, and they even mowed the lawn! The Seafarers Center offers free support to the crew members of the ships when they port there.

Women's Advocates is the oldest shelter in Minnesota for women and their children escaping domestic violence. Women’s Advocates provides shelter and services to an average of 50 women and children daily, conducts crisis interventions and safety referrals via the crisis line daily, and educates students and professionals about domestic abuse awareness, prevention and services. During the holiday season, SAPUCC has collected gifts for the women and their children. We've also donated Target gift cards for the women to be able to purchase gifts for their children on their own.

Unless otherwise noted, all contents of this page Copyright © 2023 St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ. All rights reserved. Used By Permission.
St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ • 2129 Commonwealth Avenue • St. Paul, MN 55108 • (651) 646-7173 • Rev. Victoria Wilgocki, Pastor