Programs:
Mobile Feet
For over a decade, Lanternites have set aside the first Sunday of every month to suspend the traditional worship service for the purpose of serving at a variety of sites within the community. Currently this program is on hold; but we are hoping to resume it in the future.
THE GROUND BENEATH "OUR FEET"
The vision for Mobile Feet follows the incarnational model of theology in which people serve God through their daily activities and places of work, worship, recreation and in the home. Mobile Feet provides Lantern members the opportunity to corporately practice Jesus’ call to serve others by setting aside time to provide assistance to those in need through meeting physical needs and building relationships.
HOW IT WORKS
Show up to the church at 10:00am on the first Sunday of the month for a devotional and announcement briefing before launching to a site with one of our captains. Following two hours of service, meet back at the church for lunch at 12:15.
THE LANTERN SERVES
The Mustard Seed | www.theseed.ca
Calgary’s home for the working poor, Lantern members make hundreds of bagged lunches and serve breakfast and/or lunch to Mustard Seed guests.
Sheriff King Home | www.ywcalgary.ca
The YWCA’s temporary home for abused women and children, Lantern members engage in activities with residents and their children. These often include craft-making for adults and colouring and sing-along’s for children.
The Salvation Army | www.salvationarmy.ca
A short-term home for the working poor, Lantern members make bagged lunches and serve Sunday afternoon’s menu to residents.
Calgary Drop-In Centre | www.calgarydropin.ca
To compassionately be ‘the voice’ for the marginalized, disenfranchised and homeless population of our city.
Reset Calgary | www.resetcalgary.ca
Lantern members set-up apartments and perform a variety of tasks for residents of this third-stage transitional housing site.
Inglewood Community Garden | www.inglewoodcommunitygarden.ca
We visit the community garden to get our hands dirty and to help with the donated harvest.
Kidz Zone
Kids ages 4-10 have special serving and learning projects at the church and within the community. Kids aged 0-3 are looked after at the church.
"Church Ambassadors" - Visiting local Churches within the Community
Members visit a variety of churches in Lantern Communities to build ties with leadership and congregation.
INGLEWOOD NEWSLETTER
“Lantern Church has Heart”
Letters to the Editor – Sept 2011
Universal Rehabilitation Service Agency (URSA) would like to extend our sincerest thank you to the members of The Lantern Church and their Mobile Feet program. For the past six years, on the first Sunday of each month, members of the church have been volunteering their time with residents of our Inglewood personal care home. URSA is a Calgary based, nonprofit charitable organization, and our objective is to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities in community settings. Our partnership with The Lantern Church builds on the foundation of this principle, and shows that by taking time to give back; meaningful lasting relationships become the “mortar” which holds the bricks of our community together. This couldn’t have been more apparent to us when tragedy struck our Inglewood group home in November 2010. A massive flood damaged the entire house, forcing residents out of their home. As the damage was evaluated, it quickly became our reality that the home would need to be completely gutted and rebuilt. It was a stressful time for all involved. Our clients personal belongings were damaged and favorite items were temporarily misplaced in the chaos, but one thing remained the same, the commitment to our clients from the members of the Mobile Feet program. Even though our temporary housing was not located in Inglewood, The Lantern Church made sure they still had their visits with our clients, going above and beyond. Volunteers went out of their way to ensure our temporary housing felt like home, by bringing handmade blankets, baked goods and even rallying up enough donations to decorate for the holidays. Thanks to The Lantern Church, Christmas did not pass without a proper tree with all the holiday fixings. Four months after the flood, our clients were able to return to their newly renovated home in Inglewood, back to their community, and the familiarities of their lives. Clients are enjoying their regular visits with Mobile Feet volunteers, baking, going for walks, reading together and taking the time to enjoy each other’s company. The Lantern Church is known for being “in the heart of the community”. URSA would like to propose that The Lantern Church IS the heart of the community. Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do, your program really does touch the lives of so many, helping to make this community our home.
Teisha Kaiser
Letter to the Editor, Inglewood Newsletter