Our Missions
You don't have to join our church to be part of our mission work. Some of our very best volunteers have been atheists. Everyone who wants to help out is welcome!
All of us want to do something about racism, homophobia, climate change and other evils. But what can one person do…? Well, they can join up with others, that’s what!
And our Shepherd of the Hill mission teams do just that: they connect people so that — working together — we can have a real impact on our community and our world. And, by the way, you don't have to join our church to volunteer with a mission team. We are interfaith in how we work in the community. Some of our best volunteers have been atheists.
Here’s a list of our current missions. In some cases, we’ve linked up with existing organizations; in others, we’ve started a mission all our own. But each is an example of people joining together to encourage each other and multiply their effectiveness.
Find a mission that fits you, and then put those good intentions to work!
Helping Families without homes
Our signature mission is assisting families who are experiencing homelessness. One way we do that is through a network of churches called Families Moving Forward, established by Beacon Interfaith Housing.
Four times a year we feed, house and befriend FMF families at the church for a week at a time. Volunteers make hot meals, lead activities and set up comfortable spaces for families to sleep.
On the lower level of our building we host FMF’s Southwest Programming Center, where parents can do laundry and work with professional staff to search for permanent housing or practice for job interviews while their children play or go to school.
Advocating for Affordable Housing
Alongside the direct help we offer families experiencing homelessness, we also work to promote public policies that can head off homelessness and expand housing opportunities.
We work with local organizations and agencies to build public support for housing initiatives in Scott and Carver Counties. And we lobby our state legislators to promote housing subsidies, bond issues and zoning reforms.
Currently we’re supporting Beacon Interfaith Housing’s efforts to build a 46-unit housing facility in Shakopee, called Prairie Pointe. We’re also working to establish a local domestic violence shelter. (Scott and Carver are the only counties in the Metro area without one.)
THe Sower Gallery
Shepherd of the Hill is home to a remarkable art space called The Sower Gallery, whose mission is to build community through art.
The gallery, on the main floor of our church building, hosts art shows for local artists, one-person shows and themed shows on subjects like the environment or women’s voices.
An annual highlight is the Interfaith Art Show (in December and January), which brings together art and artists with Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Native American and Christian roots.
The Sower Gallery is currently showing “The Art of Dan Petrov.” Dan Petrov is a classically trained artist, know for his realism paintings. All are welcome to the gallery during office hours or by appointment.
Anti-Racism Efforts
Pastor Dean serves on the Anti-Racism Task Force of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area (composed of about 70 congregations). The Task Force was created in 2016 to help promote healing and dialog following the shooting death of Philandro Castile. It organizes events such as community forums, vigils and retreats to combat racism and address its effects.
Racism is especially dangerous when allowed to take root in our schools. Recent incidents of racist harassment in the Eastern Carver County schools have shown that danger is real and present, and must be forcefully addressed.
ROAR (Residents Organizing Against Racism) is a grassroots group of parents and community members who are uniting to combat racism. We support them in their demands for action and accountability from the Eastern Carver County School District.
education and Dialogue
Our adult education opportunities have moved online during the health crisis. Each Sunday morning, from 9:15 to 10:15, we offer Table Talk, with topical studies, book discussions and guest speakers. Online Bible Studies are held on two weekday mornings; these are college-level classes on how to read the Bible. To learn how to join any of these groups online, contact Jessica at the church office or click here.
One of our hallmark programs is the Tuesday Dialogue, a periodic public forum on social and ethical issues facing our community. We’ve hosted expert speakers on such topics as climate change, affordable housing and racism in our schools, and the discussion is always lively and enriching.
Every third Sunday of the month, Pastor Dean preaches about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose prophetic voice inspires everything we do at Shepherd of the Hill.
Citizen’s Climate Lobby
The Arctic is burning. Global warming is not taking a break during the pandemic.
CCL is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to generate political will for the changes necessary to save our planet from the destructive effects of climate change and global warming.
CCL is currently focused on the passage of Carbon Fee and Dividend legislation, a climate change solution supported by economists and climate scientists alike. Through education and advocacy, CCL is bringing people together from across the political spectrum to take bold action — now.
The Chaska chapter of CCL is led by one of our members and meets online during the COVID-19 crisis.
The Garden Team and the Food Shelf
The Garden Team, also known as the “Lay Weeders,” is a group of dedicated gardeners who like to get their hands dirty, but whose real mission is helping to feed the hungry in our community. All the produce raised in our gardens is shared with various agencies, including our own Food Shelf (a food pantry at church used by our neighbors and congregants), Families Moving Forward and seniors in our community.
In addition, we tend the Peace Garden, a place for meditation and quiet reflection. And we offer a green space with a fireplace that’s open to the community for bonfires and interfaith gatherings, as well as a playground area for Families Moving Forward.
Gardening with us is a wonderful way to make friends, connect with God’s creation, and help serve our community.
More Light Presbyterians
We are a More Light Church, part of a coalition known as More Light Presbyterians, committed to the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and in society. As More Light Presbyterians, we believe that God is still speaking and has more light to shed on current issues.
For most of Christian history, for example, churches refused to value LGBTQIA+ members or to accept them into leadership. But, through the courageous efforts of many individuals, God has shone the way to much-needed reforms, such as the approval of same-sex marriages and the ordination of LGBTQIA+ clergy. We continue to advocate for LGBTQIA+ justice in church and society and we welcome LGBTQIA+ persons into the full life of our congregation.
The Deacons
Our Deacons serve the people of our church in many ways. During normal times, they visit home-bound members, bringing them communion and arranging for help when needed. Deacons also lead the prayers for healing at Sunday worship.
The Deacons sponsor an annual fall fundraiser for local causes such as Launch Ministry (for homeless teens), Meals on Wheels, Beacon and Families Moving Forward. A recent fundraiser was called Empty Bowls. Guests purchased a simple soup meal and took home a pottery bowl donated by a local artist as a reminder that someone in our community has an Empty Bowl.
Restoring Hope in Uganda
Women refugees and their children arrive in Uganda from poor and war-torn neighboring countries with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They — as well as young Ugandan girls, many orphaned by the AIDS/HIV epidemic — are defenseless and vulnerable, and often end up trapped in prostitution and human trafficking.
Our member, Tabitha Kyambaade, has founded Pathways to Hope Africa as an international effort to restore women’s dignity and hope for the future. PTHA supports small-scale enterprises like poultry farms and sewing centers, to empower women to achieve economic security and stability.
Community Meeting Space
We open our building to many community groups for their own activities.
For example, two Hispanic congregations — El Siloed New Creation Church and a Seventh Day Adventist church — use our sanctuary and classroom space. A Narcotics Anonymous group meets here weekly.
Individual Action
Many of our members are also busy volunteering with other groups in our community, and would love to have you join them.
Several deliver food to the homebound through Meals on Wheels. Others serve as MNSure navigators, helping people through the enrollment process for health care coverage.
Through Conversations With Friends, other members provide emotional support for people being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in our local jails. They visit them twice a month, write to them and support them from the gallery when they have to appear in Federal court.
Whatever cause you feel called to, there’s a good chance you’ll find someone at Shepherd of the Hill ready to join you in taking action.