SALISBURY — Salem Lutheran Church will be hosting its next Mission Saturday on Feb. 8, and the community is invited to join them in providing donations to benefit two community organizations.

Ernie Sheldon, pastor of the local congregation, said they started having these mission events last year, and their goal is to have a monthly Mission Saturday with a different recipient. However, he said, they may repeat one of the recipients depending on need.

Donations will be accepted at the church, 5080 Sherrills Ford Road, Salisbury on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. During these specified hours they will be collecting items, which will then be donated to the nonprofit organization Rowan Helping Ministries and the Rowan Public Library Warmth Tree, which is located behind the Rowan Public Library’s main branch where cold weather clothing is placed on the tree for those in need.

Ernie Sheldon, pastor of the local congregation, said their goal is to have a monthly Mission Saturday with a different recipient.

However, he said they may repeat one of the recipients depending on need.

Suggested items that the church is hoping to collect this Saturday include coats, hats, gloves, scarves and rain ponchos, along with food items including canned items such as meat, beans and soup, Poptarts, rice, mashed potatoes, pasta, salt, pepper, sugar, coffee creamer, hot sauce, milk, eggs and breakfast meats.

These projects “take on a regional and national emphasis with our work in support of the North American Lutheran Church disaster response, such as clean-up buckets, health kits and schools kits,” said Sheldon. 

He added that they also attempt to help internationally, which is done primarily through fundraising for Water Mission International and helping Pastor Heidi.

“The ministry is growing,” he said, “as we discover all the needs that exist and the gifts, we have to contribute to support them.”

As for what brought about their decision to begin this ministry, Sheldon directed to the passage in Matthew 25 which speaks about feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming a stranger, clothing one needing clothes and visiting one in prison.

The passage continues by saying, “Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

“We seek no reward,” said Sheldon. “We are only responding to the love we ourselves have received through Christ our Lord by being his hands and feet in this world in which we live in today.”