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Ministry

Wood Bank

wood bank@NLC

Nativity Lutheran serves our broader Bend community by providing supplemental firewood for those who need help meeting their home heating needs. We ask for a donation of $35 for 1/3 cord of wood to help with our costs of providing this service.

Our goal is simple. We want to provide a "helping hand" so that local bend familes can stay in a warm home and still pay their other essential bills. We only serve those who are truly facing economic hardship. If you are economically stable and just looking to save a little money, please look elsewhere for wood. However, if you are really in need, contact us on our dedicated line at 541-678-4867 and we will be sure to get you on our list. Distribution is open on Saturdays at 9:00 AM from October through March.

We are located on the corner of Brosterhous and Knott Road. We meet each Saturday through the year to cut and split wood from 8:30-11:30 AM at Nativity Lutheran Church.

We operate entirely through the volunteer commitment of people just like you. If you like helping others, you will find a welcoming place where you can put your talents to work! Wood is only distributed October thru March, but volunteers work all year to make this happen. Come by any Saturday or contact us for more information at 541-678-4867.

Click on the links below to learn more about Nativity wood bank:

Food Pantry

Nativity Food Pantry is open every Tuesday from 12:30 - 3:00 p.m with  a grocery store shopping style of distribution.

The Nativity Food Pantry is a vital source of food for people in our community. Bryan Senner coordinates our dedicated team of volunteers who put in a combined 150 hours a month supporting the operation of this ministry.

Over the past year, our pantry has served an average of 180 households each month, offering essential groceries, fresh produce, and other staples to those in need. Over 162,675 pounds of food was distributed last year, providing critical relief to those facing economic hardship.

If you'd like to volunteer, donate or just learn more, contact the Nativity office at 541-388-0765.

Prayer Garden & Labyrinth

The Nativity Prayer Garden and Labyrinth are open to the public from dawn to dusk. Tucked in amongst tall pine and juniper trees on the NE corner of the church property, the Prayer Garden and Labyrinth provides a place of serenity, beauty and meditation.

The Garden also serves the Congregation as a place to hold celebrations of life and worship as well as a living way to remember loved ones.

Food Forest

Nativity has an amazing and rare high desert, cold climate food forest on 3/4 of an acre. It is a model of food production that transcends conventional agriculture while using methods as old as Nature. We use a multi layered planting system that incorporates tree crops, bush and shrub crops, herbaceous crops, vine crops, root and bulb crops and everything in between all in a space that would otherwise serve to provide just one yield. We practice permaculture techniques that enrich the land while providing more food over a longer time frame than what a conventional farm would.

We like to partner with many groups in the greater community such as Boy Scouts, Restorative Justice of Deschutes County and several schools. The food forest is always open to the entire community. Everyone is welcome to visit and harvest from our huge variety of edibles. We hold work parties every Saturday from 9:00 am to noon. All are welcome!

 

REACH logo

Safe Parking

Safe Parking has welcomed more than 50 guests at Nativity Lutheran Church since November 2020.

Nativity Lutheran and REACH have provided safe parking and case management to adults, children, and their pets since its inception. We are pleased to announce that the majority of our guests have moved to permanent stable housing during this time.

REACH welcomed a newborn to their program and continue to be home to a  diverse community of ages. The average age of our guests is 40-65 years old.  REACH’s hope had been that the average stay would be 4-6 months but with  the housing crisis in our region we are finding that people are staying longer as  they await housing.

REACH co-creates long and short-term action plans and steps to assist our safe  car parking guests in achieving greater self-sufficiency and independence. All  guests are invited to work with our team to sign up for housing vouchers,  assistance with housing applications, obtaining documents such as ID’s. driver’s  licenses, services include working on connecting people to medical and mental  health support, employment opportunities and a place to build community.  REACH meets each guest where they are and works to build a strong  relationship based on trust, open communication and treating one another with  compassion and dignity.