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Mission at WCC
Find your place to serve.
At Wayzata Community Church, mission is how we put our faith into action. Inspired by the inclusive love of Jesus and drawn together by God’s grace, we are called to serve our neighbors with compassion, courage, and generosity, near and far.
From hands-on service projects and local partnerships to global outreach, advocacy, and acts of everyday kindness, WCC is committed to sharing our gifts in ways that bring hope, healing, and belonging to the world around us.
We believe mission is not just something the church does. It is who we are as a caring community called to personally live out Christ’s love.
Join us by volunteering, financially supporting our partners, or participating in a local initiative as we put faith into action and inspire the world with the inclusive love of Jesus.
OUR MISSION PARTNERS
The Bridge for Youth
The Bridge for Youth centers youth voice, justice, and equity in all they do, and empowers youth experiencing homelessness through safe shelter, basic needs, and healthy relationships. The Bridge for Youth has a number of youth housing programs and resources for vulnerable teens. WCC frequently supports The Bridge through volunteer events and holiday wish-list sponsorships.
Beacon Interfaith
WCC partnered with Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative to help create Cranberry Ridge, a 45-unit affordable housing community in Plymouth. Since families moved in during Fall 2022, WCC has supported residents through monthly community meals, children’s activities, and special projects such as a book drive to build an on-site library.
Don’t Shoot Guns Shoot Hoops
Founded by a survivor of gun violence, Don’t Shoot Guns Shoot Hoops uses basketball to support healing, mentorship, and community for teens and young adults. Through camps, school programs, and tournaments across the Twin Cities, their mission is to address trauma and help end gun violence. WCC supports DSGSH through volunteering events and donation drives.
Every Meal
Every Meal fills the food gaps that school-age, food-insecure children face, especially on weekends. WCC sponsors two Every Meal schools and packs food weekly with our partners.
Gigi’s Playhouse Twin Cities
Gigi supports individuals with Down Syndrome and their families. Our grant supports their GiGi U and Prep programs, which provide training and skills to young adults after high school, helping them reach their highest potential. WCC also supports Gigi’s through volunteering events throughout the year.
Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners
Interfaith Outreach exists to strengthen our community by meeting basic needs and equipping individuals and families for ongoing stability. On average, IOCP serves about 2,000 households (6,000 individuals) in the west metro each year. WCC members regularly volunteer at IOCP’s Resale Select shop and food shelf, and we host food and clothing donation drives throughout the year.
Pop Up Mission Projects
The goal of these projects is to be responsive to evolving changes in our community and to the needs that arise from those changes. This past year, we hosted a food drive, a baby care supply drive, and a clothing drive in response to community needs.
Refugee Support
Rooted in Christ’s call to love our neighbors, WCC’s Refugee Support ministry walks alongside newly arrived immigrants and refugee families as they begin life in a new country. We help welcome families through airport pickups, apartment setup, furniture and household donations, meals, transportation, and connections to local schools and community resources.
Our goal is to help families move toward independence, belonging, and integration, while building lasting relationships of friendship and care along the way. This ministry is supported through gifts from the congregation and the Mission & Outreach Board.
To learn more or get involved, contact:
Gary Orris – garyorris1@gmail.com
Ann Shaw – ann.c.shaw1@gmail.com
Sunshine Stop
Sunshine Stop is a nonprofit based in Excelsior dedicated to empowering people with disabilities through meaningful employment. They provide their employees with hands-on job training- fostering independence, building self-esteem, and encouraging opportunity. The program enriches the lives of their “Sunshine Squad” as well as our community as a whole. WCC members volunteer with Sunshine Stop throughout the year.
Union Gospel Mission
UGM provides Christ-centered, life-changing pathways for all people experiencing homelessness, hunger, and addiction by providing housing, food, and a wide variety of programs to help those in need. WCC members frequently volunteer serving meals at UGM’s Men’s Campus.
DOUGH 2024 MISSION PARTNERS
INCONTROL
InControl addresses a significant gap in wellness services that emerge as people with disabilities transition into adulthood. The organization provides in-home, one-on-one services to adults with disabilities who are disproportionately affected by chronic health conditions, allowing them to lead healthy, more independent lives.
DON’T SHOOT GUNS SHOOT HOOPS
Founded in 2021 by a survivor of gun violence, Don’t Shoot Guns Shoot Hoops uses basketball to engage teens and young adults. The goal is to heal both individual and community trauma caused by gun violence, with the ultimate goal of ending gun violence. DSGSH provides educational programming at schools throughout the Twin Cities, offers a Boys to Men Camp experience, organizes three-on-three basketball tournaments, and hosts all-night basketball events.
BLACK BUTTERFLY
Black Butterfly serves as a beacon of hope for recently incarcerated women trying to get back on their feet. The organization provides transitional housing and support services, offering the love and stability that individuals need to turn their lives around.
AUNTIE BEC’S BOUTIQUE
Auntie Bec’s Boutique partners with communities to provide new and gently used, on-trend clothing to youth in need for free. Auntie Bec’s partners with schools and social workers to identify teens who need clothes – clothes they can feel good in and are proud to wear.
HIGHLAND POPCORN
Highland Popcorn is a friendly, local business that makes delicious popcorn and employs a uniquely qualified workforce. This organization trains people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to successfully produce, sell, and deliver high-quality retail and wholesale popcorn. Visit the store in Highland Park or buy some at a nearby Lunds & Byerlys.