Global Ministries

The Global Ministries Team is focused on global outreach to alleviate world hunger and poverty. There are many ways to get involved, and some of our key activities are listed below. 

Common Hope - Mission to Guatemala

Common Hope is an organization working in Guatemala to end generational poverty through a model that utilizes education as a solution. They work to end the cycle of poverty for children in Guatemala through a holistic, relationship-based model. While education is at the heart of their work, they believe a comprehensive approach is critical for children and families to reach their full potential. Holy Spirit sent a group of volunteers to Guatemala in February 2020 and February 2023. These volunteers were completely immersed in these activities, including building a home for a family, filling food bags, visiting families with social workers, and interacting with students and Common Hope staff. In addition to the country’s beautiful landscapes, we encountered a people who find joy in life’s simple pleasures. More than half of Guatemalans live below the poverty line and 25% live in extreme poverty earning less than $2/day. There is limited access to health care and major causes of death still include treatable illnesses and diseases. Holy Spirit's travellers observed inadequate housing conditions, homes without roofs or sufficient living space, crafted from scrap metal and dirt floors, and without potable water or sanitation systems. Check out the video below for a recording of the February 2023 group’s presentation in March 2022. For more information, contact Doug Jacobson through the church office.

Now in 2025, we are sending two teams to Guatemala, one in February and another in March. We'd like to send this second group with donations of much-needed supplies they cannot easily acquire in Guatemala (now you know why we were collecting suitcases!). Check out our wishlist below. If you can donate any of these items, please bring them to church between Sunday and March 9 and place them in the wooden bin in the Fellowship Hall. Thank you!

Common Hope Wishlist

  • Playdough (variety of colors)

  • Washable Crayola markers (12 count)

  • Colored pencils (12 count)

  • Elmer’s glue sticks

  • Kinetic sand (variety of colors)

  • Astrobrights colored neon paper, 8 ½” x 11”

  • Colored cardstock

  • Pencil sharpeners

  • Big pink erasers

  • Pencil boxes

  • Journals

  • Notebooks

  • Work gloves

  • Sunscreen

  • Stationery

Questions? Contact Pastor Gina at pastorgina@hslckirkland.org.

Journey with a Village

The Global Ministries Team completed a partnership with Agros International to sponsor the village Luz del Mañana ("Light of Tomorrow") in Nicaragua. Agros International is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty for rural families in Central America and Mexico by enabling landless communities to achieve land ownership and economic stability. Although our contributions to this village are now complete, we continue to support the great work of Agros International.

 

Microloans through Kiva

HSLC and some of its members are active in supporting microloans to the poor through Kiva. If you want to learn more about microfinance and microloans, please see the Kiva website. We have given out over 100 Kiva loans!

 

ELCA Global Mission Activities

Want to learn more about the many global mission activities underway in the ELCA? Check out the ELCA global mission page. There are great summaries of all the current activities.

 

Suggested Reading on Global Ministry

  • When Helping Hurts - Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert

  • Creating a World Without Poverty - Muhammad Yunus

  • The End of Poverty - Jeffrey D. Sachs

  • A Long Way Gone - Ishmael Beah

  • Leaving Microsoft to Change the World - John Woods

  • Walking With the Poor - Bryant Myers

  • Foreign to Familiar - Sarah Lanier

  • The Hole in Our Gospel - Richard Stearns