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If we love, we live.

Isaiah 58, one of the most vivid and poetic passages in the Bible, starts with God’s distaste with empty religious ceremony, but then promises if we care for those in need (of clothing, housing, food, etc.), then our “own healing will quickly appear…our own darkness will be like the noon day…we will be like a well-watered garden.” Jesus summarized Isaiah 58 with one phrase: “If you lose your life for my sake, you gain it.” If we love, we live.

The Bible also teaches us that the concept of sowing and reaping will always be a part of God’s economy. “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Genesis 8:22. We can’t always afford the time and finances to directly minister to people around the world that are in need. However, we can come alongside ministries that are doing the work and we can sow into those ministries and thus take part in the harvest of good works and fruit that those ministries present.

Shoreline Vineyard Church is proud to support the following ministries.

Love146 – Love146 is an international human rights organization working to end child trafficking and exploitation through survivor care and prevention.

Someday Soon Ministries – Through housing, meals and foot care Someday Soon has been able to demonstrate and share the love of Jesus Christ and the hope that He brings to a shattered world to the population of New Haven, CT.

Christian Solidarity International – CSI has been working on the ground in Sudan since 1995 to liberate Christians and other non-Muslims forced into slavery by Islamist militiamen armed and directed by the Khartoum regime.

Teen Challenge New Haven – Teen Challenge seeks to free people from life-controlling issues such as substance addiction and abuse through the power of Jesus Christ.

Guilford Interfaith Volunteers – We support those who are in our town through this interfaith organization that serves to promote the well-being of our residents who are homebound, elderly or have special needs by providing them with food, friendship and functional medical equipment.

Compassion International – SVC sponsors and supports a child in Haiti through carefully blended physical, social, economic and spiritual care together in Jesus’ name.

“Preach the gospel constantly. When absolutely necessary, use words.”

– St. Francis of Assisi

Community Activities

Boston Terrace Dinner: Quarterly, we serve a really nice dinner & dessert at Boston Terrace (affordable housing complex for elderly and/or disabled in Guilford) for 15-25 residents. Occasionally, we include live acoustic music, but there’s always a lot of laughter.

Homeless Shelter Meal: Monthly during the cold weather months (October to May), we serve a home-made meal to 90+ men at the overflow homeless shelter affiliated with Columbus House in New Haven. This is spearheaded by Dave & Amy Mueller, but the teams of food preparers and servers varies each month. At the end of the meal, we offer personal prayer for some of the residents – and that’s always a moving experience (for the men and for us).

Foot Care Clinic: Starting the spring of 2015, Dave & Amy Mueller have launched a collaboration with Amistad House in New Haven to offer a home-cooked meal, plus a foot-care clinic. This is a practical way to serve the homeless men and women who are on their feet most of their waking hours.

Other things we have done over the years:

Storage sheds for local low-income housing: We helped purchase and build four wooden storage sheds in Guilford for homes rented to low-income families through a local foundation (the Guilford Interfaith Housing Corp.). We have enlisted the funds and participation of three other local congregations, including St. George’s Catholic Church.

Farmer’s Market: We supplemented the Guilford Food Bank with fresh fruit and vegetables with our own adjoining “Farmer’s Market” two Saturdays of each month from May through September. We often had live music to accompany our two-person team of church members who set up a beautiful table with wicker baskets overflowing with seasonal fruit, fresh vegetables and sometimes quality breads.

Free Oil Changes: We offered free oil changes and car “detailing” through a partnership with our local Monro Muffler franchise. The last Saturday of each month through November we served single moms, elderly and a variety of others who received on of our coupons. It’s one practical way to show the love of God in a community where public transportation is so meager that one’s car has to be well maintained.