We at First Lutheran recognize the importance of diversity. We have partnered, therefore, with two nearby diverse ministries:
Church Beyond the Walls
Saturday, 2 p.m., Burnside Park, Providence, RI
The Church Beyond the Walls is an outside street church that ministers to people from all walks of life, many who are experiencing poverty and homelessness. CBW meets every Saturday for worship outside in Burnside Park, downtown Providence, at 2 p.m. After worship, our eucharistic table becomes a table which feeds the members of our community. Food prep begins every Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at the Episcopal Diocese of RI, 275 North Main Street, Providence. CBW also has Days of Service and Reflection, Saturdays 12:30 p.m. – 4 p.m., for small groups of up to twelve people. Arrange these ahead of time with CBW’s Missioner, Pastor Linda Forsberg. This is an excellent community service opportunity for youth groups, adult groups, confirmation classes, Mission teams, etc.
There is also a Church Beyond the Walls Partnership Team at First Lutheran Church for people who want to be involved in the ministry of CBW on an ongoing basis.
Gloria Dei Multi Cultural Ministry/Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
15 Hayes Street, Providence
We recognize the importance of racial and ethnic diversity, especially in the polarized world in which we live. As followers of Jesus, we seek to do the hard work of dismantling racism by developing intentional, long-term relationships with persons from other cultures, races, languages, and ethnicities. We do this with various events and activities with Gloria Dei Multi Cultural Ministry. One way we do this in an ongoing way is through Spanish Cafe, a bi-lingual gathering for English and Spanish speaking persons. Spanish Cafe meets twice a month, once at First Lutheran, and once at Gloria Dei, for coffee, food, and bi-lingual conversation. It is an opportunity for our English speaking persons to learn to speak Spanish, and for our Spanish speaking persons to learn to speak English.
At First Lutheran we also have a Gloria Dei Partnership Team, which is for people who want to be involved in Multi Cultural Ministry on an ongoing basis.