Outreach & Mission

Church serving Watertown South Dakota Churches in Watertown, SD Worship with us

Outreach & Missions

Missions of the Month

Every month we highlight and lift up a local or global mission. We collect donations through the Noisy Can and Special Offerings at worship that is above and beyond the budgeted dollars that Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer has designated for these missions. Thank you for your support. Stay tuned to the monthly publication of The Latest Word for more information on these ministries.

Watertown Sandwich Ministry

WSM (Watertown Sandwich Ministry) serves our brothers and sisters as we work toward a day when no one in Codington County will go hungry. We are a non- denominational, non-political volunteer group of citizens who love Jesus and serve Him this way. Matthew 26:45 "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." We gather three times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) to make and package a sandwich based meal that is delivered throughout the community by volunteer drivers. The meal consists of a meat and cheese sandwich, homemade cookies, fresh fruit, and a granola type bar. We receive financial support from several churches and many individuals. We receive support from volunteers who make sandwiches, supply cookies, package the sack lunches and help with deliveries.

LCOOR Preschool

The LCOOR Christian Preschool began in September 1986 with an enrollment of 16 students. Today the Preschool has 18 students enrolled in the 4/5 year old Mon.-Thurs. morning program and 9 students enrolled in the afternoon program.The Director/Teacher is Nikki Landmark with Wendy Kruger as the Classroom Paraprofessional. The preschool's key emphasis is on the development of socialization skills along with cognitive, language, gross & fine motor skills. Each week a Bible story is shared with the students along with a variety of music and verses. The students also have Chapel time once a month with the Pastors. The Christian Preschool operates on tuition, special gifts (an example: Thrivent Choice Dollars) and fundraiser profits.

Care Fund

Our Mission of the Month for December is the Care Fund. Dollars donated to the Care Fund are primarily passed along to church members needing help with food, clothing, rent, utility payments, transportation, lodging and other emergencies.

Lutheran Campus Ministry

Campus Ministry is both faithful to a rich theological tradition and driven by the challenges of the contemporary university. Drawing on the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, Campus Ministry bears witness to God’s amazing grace within the context of higher education. Sensitive to the pastoral needs of those on campus and engaged in the intellectual discourse of the university, Campus Ministry strives to communicate the Gospel in fresh ways. Through worship, study, fellowship, and service, members of the academic community taste the fullness of God’s grace. As expansive as Christ’s love, Campus Ministry reaches out to all who teach and learn, inviting them to experience the challenge of following Jesus on the Way.

Lutherans Outdoors of SD

Lutherans Outdoors of South Dakota provides opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to connect with one another. These connections allow each person to explore and play in a nurturing environment, which leads to a stronger faith foundation, discovering personal gifts, developing new skills, as well as building life-long relationships. Lutherans Outdoors in SD is dedicated to quality faith experiences and hospitality for youth and adults and has been for more than 70 years. LO welcomes all to explore and experience Christ’s love in community and creation.

Church on the Street

A ministry with the unhoused of Sioux Falls. Church on the Streets mission is to take the gifts of the Church out to the people who, for whatever reason, cannot come inside. Building relationships as God did through listening, asking questions, being present and consistent, and showing compassion to all of God’s people. Every human being, regardless of whether they are housed or unhoused, deserves a community where they feel at home. Worship Once a Month - Laundry with Love – Undercover Closet – Fruits of the Freezer – Health and Healing. Visit churchonthestreetsf.org to learn more about the Mission & Outreach of Church on the Street.

Pueblo de Dios

Pueblo de Dios is a congregation of English speakers and Spanish speakers in Sioux Falls, S.D. Each Sunday they gather to worship together as one people – the people of God. Many of the families speak Spanish at home and English at work and school, or have one parent that prefers English and one parent that prefers Spanish. Each Sunday they read, pray, and declare their beliefs together – no matter what language is spoken.

Community Care Month

A newly established Mission of the Month here at LCOOR. Stay tuned for more information regarding this important ministry.

Pine Ridge Reservation

The ministry at the Pine Ridge Reconciliation Center seeks to foster mutual trust, respect and understanding while addressing the deep poverty that exists on the reservation. There are six main ministries that operate out of their building:Threshold/Common Basket Ministries, Cultural Immersions, Homeless Shelter – Day Shelter, Lutheran/Lakota Job Corp, Energy Assistance Matching Fund, and Children & Youth.

St. Dysmas- Hope Beyond Bars

Two congregations of the ELCA (Evangelical Church in America) are located behind the walls of the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls and Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield. They also support Sunday evening worship at the Yankton Minimum Unit in Yankton. Jesus said, “for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick, and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” - Matthew 25:35-36 St. Dysmas Lutheran Church’s ministry reaches outside of the walls by inviting people in congregations to support the ministry happening inside the walls by showing the men concretely that they are not forgotten by worshipping with them in the prison. We hope to have a group attend worship with the men at St. Dysmas this fall. Date is yet to be determined. The ministry of St. Dysmas extends outside of the walls through our St. Dysmas Reentry program. Congregations have been invited to form Reentry Teams that walk with a man for the first year after their release, mentoring them, being a listening ear, and helping them to reestablish themselves in their community. This truly is living out what Jesus said in Matthew 25. Most jobs in the prison pay 25¢ an hour, and there are not enough jobs for all who seek them. This means these congregations are not self-supporting. St. Dysmas depends on individual donations for two-thirds of their budgets and gifts from congregations for one-third of their budget.

Cameroon Partner Ministry

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon (ELCC), a member of the Lutheran World Federation, is a fast-growing church with 215,000 members in 1,350 congregations. The ELCC is served by 168 pastors, 375 evangelists, and 288 catechists among 27 ethnic groups. Led by a national bishop and ten regional bishops, one for each of the 10 Episcopal regions, the ELCC has its headquarters in Ngaoundere. Besides the LWF, the ELCC is a member of the Eglise evangéliques luthérienne au Cameroun (Church and Evangelical Lutherans of Cameroon), the Lutheran Communion in Western Africa (LUCWA), and the Joint Christian Ministry in West Africa (JCMWA). The ELCC’s program ministries include seminary education, Bible schools, primary and secondary education, health care, rural development, women’s and youth ministries, Bible translation and literacy, and a communication studio.

Nicaragua Partner Ministry & Nicaragua Youth Retreat

Pastor Soliette is our South Dakota Synod missionary to the Faith and Hope Lutheran Church of Nicaragua (Iglesia Luterana Fe y Esperanza – ILFE). She hosts travelers from South Dakota and assists them while they meet church members and look at various projects. She helps with the youth and health ministry of the church. The South Dakota Synod’s costs for her salary and her travel within Nicaragua and visits to South Dakota are about $9500 US per year. Annual Lutheran Youth Camp- Early In January during the school vacation each year from 40 to 80 youth from the city of Managua and many other small cities and villages travel to Managua to take part in the Lutheran Youth Camp. The cost of transport, housing, and food averages about $80 per participant. This camp is an excellent outreach to the young people. It is a chance to renew friendships, to learn about sports, health, furthering their career formation, and Bible study. Our synod budgets a goal of $10,000 US each year to support the Iglesia Luterana Fe e Esperanza at this Camp. Please consider supporting us in this important work of Missionary Soliette and Youth Camp.

ELCA World Hunger

More than 820 million people - that's about 11% of people in our world today - are hungry. As members of the ELCA, we are called to respond. We are a church that rolls up our sleeves and gets to work. ELCA World Hunger is uniquely positioned to reach communities in need. From health clinics to microloans, water wells to animal husbandry, community meals to advocacy, your gifts to ELCA World Hunger make it possible for the ELCA to respond, supporting sustainable solutions that get at the root causes of hunger and poverty.

Additional Ministries

God's Work. Our Hands.

Each month we highlight and collect a different kit. Check out our monthly newsletter for more information on these kits.

Global Health Ministries & Lutheran World Relief

Salvation Army Pantry

Each month, we reach out to our locate Salvation Army Food Pantry to find out what non-perishable and household they are in need of. These items are collected here at Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer and dropped off at the Salvation Army by our volunteers and staff members.

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Meals-on-Wheels

Volunteers deliver meals to the home-bound in Watertown.

2023 Dates: 3/13-3/17, 5/22-5/26, 7/31-8/4, 10/9-10/13, 12/18-12/22