Dear Friends,

Throughout these last weeks, when our hearts have been heavy, weary and wondering where to turn or what to do, I received this email from the Dakotas/Minnesota Methodist Foundation which spoke into some of those spaces. The Foundation was established many years ago to serve individuals, local churches, and boards and agencies within the Dakotas and Minnesota Annual Conferences through investments and asset management, legacy giving programs and resources, permanent endowments, generosity programming resources, and consulting for capital and annual budget fundraising, to give members an opportunity to demonstrate their faith and commitment through generous giving to support local church, conference, and global ministries.

As your pastor, I want to share their words (and invitation) with you as a sense of direction in these days if you are looking for ways to show justice and mercy. Hear these words from the president and CEO of the foundation, Sheri Meister:

“There are moments when faith comforts us, and moments when it calls us to act. This is one of those moments when God’s invitation is clear, steady, and insistent all in one. The prophet Micah names that call with timeless clarity:

What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.”   ~ Micah 6:8

The wisdom of Micah 6:8 calls to us again, reminding us that faith is not passive—it moves us toward others with compassion and courage. 

John Wesley echoed this same faithful way of living when he urged us to do no harm, to do good, and to stay in love with God. Together, these words remind us that faith is not only something we believe, but something we live out through our decisions, our compassion, and our care for one another.

Rooted in that sacred calling, the Micah 6:8 Justice and Mercy Fund invites us to respond to the immediate needs of today.

To do justice and love mercy is not an abstract idea. It is lived out in real places—through real people—facing real needs. Across our communities, fear is real. The weight of the unknown is heavy. Crisis arrives without warning.

• Families work tirelessly to keep their children safe and their home lives stable.
• First responders carry the daily burden of trauma and exhaustion.
• Ministries labor faithfully to care for both bodies and spirits.

These are not distant concerns. They are happening next door—sometimes only a few blocks away, in the very places we live, work, and worship. They are the lived realities of our neighbors; people God loves deeply. They call us to respond now—with compassion and courage.

How your gift will be used:

Gifts to the Micah 6:8 Justice and Mercy Fund will be directed to ministries and partners who are putting faith into action every day. 

Your gifts will provide immediate grants to local churches and ministry partners offering practical care, compassionate presence, and support during times of community need. This may include assistance for first responders, meal preparation and food ministries, training that builds resilience, and other justice and mercy‑driven outreach efforts.

As the Micah 6:8 Fund grows, it will ensure that our churches across the conferences are ready to respond quickly and faithfully whenever our neighbors face hardship or crisis.

Through your generosity, we seek to do no harm by responding thoughtfully and compassionately. We do good by meeting real needs with care that protects and restores. And we stay in love with God by allowing that love to flow outward, freely and without judgment.

This is the work of the Church at its best—rooted in compassionate love, faithfully standing for justice, embracing mercy, and walking humbly with God.

Your gift brings justice and mercy to life.

Your gift today is an invitation to participate in God’s work of justice and mercy unfolding right where we live—in the Dakotas and in Minnesota. Together, our shared generosity becomes hope, dignity, and tangible care for those who need it today.

I invite you to prayerfully consider a gift to the Micah 6:8 Justice and Mercy Fund. May we respond to what God asks of us and what Christ has modeled—with open hearts, steady faith, and love made visible.

Your gift today is an invitation to participate in God’s work of justice and mercy unfolding right where we live—in the Dakotas and in Minnesota. Together, our shared generosity becomes hope, dignity, and tangible care for those who need it today.

I invite you to prayerfully consider a gift to the Micah 6:8 Justice and Mercy Fund. May we respond to what God asks of us and what Christ has modeled—with open hearts, steady faith, and love made visible.

Thank you for walking this path of justice and mercy with us. Your generosity matters more than you realize!

Sheri Meister, President/CEO

P.S. As we seek to love kindness and walk humbly with God, may your gift be one more expression of God’s love made visible in our communities.

For gifts to be used within the state of Minnesota use the LINK or mail gifts to Dakotas | Minnesota Methodist Foundation, PO Box 26423, Minneapolis, MN 55426

As one on the journey with you,

Rev. Dianne Ciesluk