City Mission

The City Mission of Findlay, Ohio was founded in 1934 in response to the Great Depression when many local families and individuals suffered from a lack of the basic necessities of life. During its 75 year history the City Mission has had an ordained minister on staff and maintained its emphasis on the power of the Gospel to touch and heal broken lives. The new facility, constructed in 1998, provides for private quarters for families, a 4 bed women area and 3 dormitories for men, in addition to a new kitchen and dining/chapel area which enables the City Mission to expand its Food Service Ministry to include local walk-in guests in need of food.

All City Mission residents take part in a Christ-centered program. They attend chapel services on Sunday evenings and experience daily devotions at the supper hour. The City Mission's Life Directions Program is reserved for men and families who are serious about changing their situation. It requires a commitment to work more then part-time hours, and a willingness to save a portion of their income toward housing. These individuals are housed for a period of up to 120 days. During this time they attend life skills classes.

Trinity's youth and other members, along with other churches in Hancock County, provide volunteer services to the City Mission. They regularly serve suppers at the City Mission. Annually, the City Mission serves almost 17,000 meals and provides almost 3,700 nights of lodging.

Food Pantry

Trinity hosts a food pantry where anyone who is in need can come for some groceries. Items are gathered on an as-needed basis, but donations are always welcome.

Habitat for Humanity

Trinity has a tradition of aiding in the many construction projects that Habitat has organized in the Findlay area. In 2009, members went to work on homes on the South side of Findlay. In Spring 2010 Trinity members offered their time to help prepare for the opening of the the Habitat ReStore.

Home Communion

Believing that Holy Communion is at the very heart of who we are as God's people, we want to make sure that this sacrament is carried from the altar at the front of our worship space to the homes of the people who for whatever reason are unable to make it to the table. Once a month, volunteers take the bread and wine to homes all over the area proclaiming the truth of Jesus come to be with us and offer us forgiveness.

Quilting Circle

Wednesday mornings at 9:00 am, quilts are made for LWR, Linus Blanket mission, area nursing homes, hospitals, etc. Quilts are also provided for baptisms & High School graduates.

Redskin Cafe

Meals are provided for the Arcadia School teams and also their opponents on occasion.

The Sharing Kitchen

This feeding ministry called The Sharing Kitchen is located at 321 N. Main St., in Fostoria, The Sharing Kitchen offers a breakfast/lunch meal to the needy every Monday, Wednesday and Friday throughout the year. This ministry, begun in 1983, feeds an average of 150-200 people who come to the Sharing Kitchen. That number increases in the summer when children are out of school. Many of the people who come to the Sharing Kitchen get additional “take home” food to use for those days when the Sharing Kitchen is not open.

Volunteers assist founder Phyllis Hulderman in preparation, serving and cleanup. Volunteers from about 20 churches and the Seneca County Retired Teachers Association take turns providing assistance throughout the year.

Trinity members volunteer to assist at this ministry 4 or 5 times a year. Volunteers go to the Sharing Kitchen about 8:00am and work at different tasks as assigned by Phyllis such as helping with the preparation of the food to be served on that day, working on the serving line dishing up food as instructed by Phyllis, cleaning and sanitizing the tables and counters following the serving, and sweeping and mopping the floors following the serving. The feeding schedule is completed by 11:30am.

Tanzania

The synod of Northwestern Ohio began a partnership with the Diocese of Dodoma Tanzania shortly after the forming of the ELCA. This partnership began as a Synod to Diocese partnership with the Bishop of NW Ohio Synod traveling with a group to Tanzania to visit the Bishop of Dodoma Diocese.

The two Bishops agreed to form partnerships between congregations of NW Ohio and congregations in the Dodoma Region. From this Trinity asked to form a partnership with a congregation in Lufu Tanzania. For several years the Pastor of the Lufu Congregation, Rev. Festo Ngowo who spoke English rather well, corresponded with Trinity's congregation. Rev. Ngowo always ended his letters with the statement “You will not know or understand us until you come and visit us.”

On one occasion Pastor David Bliss was reading this letter to a member of Trinity and they began discussing how this statement which Rev. Ngowo always had at the close of his letters is probably true, and perhaps they should go and visit their partners in Tanzania. With that they asked members of Trinity if there would be anyone who would like to travel to Tanzania East Africa and visit with their partner congregations.

Seven people agreed to travel there for two weeks, they were Pastor David Bliss, Betty Myers, Karl Gingrich, Sheryl Bumgartner, Duane Beamer, Kay Beamer, and Chase Beamer. While they were there they visited many congregations in the Lufu area, worshiped with the congregations, visited Aya School, and came back tired but energized. Following this initial trip others made the trip there and the partnership became more secure and close.

Trinity invited Rev. Ngowo to come and visit Trinity during a Lenten season, he worked with Trinity during that time. He also visited Winebrenner Seminary and became interested in attending this seminary in Findlay Ohio. Later, he returned to Trinity and Winebrenner and attended the seminary for two years, living at the City Mission in Findlay, attending seminary, and serving as Trinity's assistant pastor for that two year period. Trinity sponsored Rev. Ngowo for his seminary training.

Other Dodoma Diocese ministry efforts supported by Trinity in Tanzania have been to ship farm equipment to Dodoma, provide scholarships to Aya School, a secondary school supported by the Dodoma Diocese, provide blankets, provide school kits. In addition, Trinity raised funds and provided assistance to the congregation at Lufu to build a mountain road to this village and provided for the rafters and roofing for the Lufu Congregation's church.

In 2009 Rev. Festo Ngowo was selected by the Dodoma Diocese to be their Bishop and he was consecrated Bishop of Dodoma Diocese on November 8, 2009.

Teacher Appreciation Dinner

The Teacher Appreciation Dinner is our way of thanking the Arcadia teaching staff for their time and commitment to the students that are entrusted to their care. It is held each year on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. This is the day they hold parent-teacher conferences. For some, this meal is the first break they have in their busy day. It has become a welcome relief to get away from the school for one hour, relax and enjoy a delicious hot meal, compliments of many excellent cooks and bakers in the congregation, and then head back to school to finish up the evening.

WELCA

The Arcadia Lutheran Women of the ELCA (WELCA) is a ministry of bible studies and missions to promote healing and wholeness in the church, the community and the world. All women who attend Arcadia Lutheran church are considered members of WELCA. The board meets the 1st Monday of each month at 7:30. They coordinate many of the missions listed above. If you are interested in serving on the board or helping with fund raising events, please contact Carolyn Hummel.

Other missions include serving at Findlay Salvation Army, providing Layettes, Health and school kits to LWR, and funeral dinners.