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Local Missions

Alternatives Pregnancy Center‘s

Alternatives Pregnancy Center‘s Mission is to explore Christ-centered alternatives with those who are facing an unplanned pregnancy. They are truly responding to needs all around us

Boys and Girls Club

The mission of the Boys and Girls Club is to inspire & enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens.

Cedar Falls Bible Conference 

The Cedar Falls Bible Conference has been meeting annually for the last 100 years and is recognized as one of the longest-running Bible conferences in America. The speakers during the week come from a variety of evangelical and denominational perspectives and they boldly proclaim from the inerrant Word and matchless Gospel of Jesus Christ. The week also includes inspiring music, seminars, and educational opportunities for the kids along with childcare for the little ones. All are welcome to attend this free week to be Inspired, Challenged and Shaped by God’s Word (inspired, challenged, and shaped by God’s word is our tag line so it would be nice to have this included)

Christian Crusaders

Christian Crusaders’ mission is to proclaim Jesus Christ as Redeemer of the world and personal Savior to all those who receive Him. They proclaim Him through radio, podcasts, personal visitation, written media and the internet, which is truly leading beyond our walls.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes

The Vision of the Northeast Iowa Fellowship of Christian Athletes is to see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes.  Their Mission is to lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church.  They value Relationships.  And, through their relationships, they hope to demonstrate steadfast commitment to Jesus Christ and His Word through Integrity, Serving, Teamwork and Excellence. 

Community Meals

On the first Tuesday of each month, Nazareth helps to prepare and serve a community meal (in partnership throughout the month with several other local churches) at the First United Methodist Church in Cedar Falls.

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House of Hope

Homer Larson was one of the founding members of the local Christian Community Development (CCD). The mission of the CCD is to share the love of Christ by addressing the needs of homeless single mothers through the House of Hope. Today the House of Hope provides support and personalized case management to help homeless single mothers achieve self-sufficiency through a 2-year transitional program.

Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity

Since 1990, Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity builds simple, affordable homes with Habitat families and volunteers. We serve Black Hawk, Bremer and Butler Counties. Habitat for Humanity is responsive to the discontent of knowing we have so many neighbors who do not have a home.

The Job Foundation

The Job Foundation seeks to eradicate present and future financial poverty for disadvantaged children in the Cedar Valley. Financial education, stewardship training, rewarding academic achievement, and good behavior are the main keys used to equip students for a life of financial stability. Children can begin in this program as early as 5 years of age and the hope is that they will consistently stay with the program until graduation. Students who remain steadfast in this program have the opportunity to earn several thousand dollars upon graduation to be used for further education, a car, and other life expenses.

Life 101.9

Life 101.9 radio is a Christian radio station based in Waterloo that offers the Cedar Valley a positive and modern alternative station with programming for all ages.

Love INC.

Love INC (Love In the Name of Christ) networks churches across denominational lines and leverages our collective impact to bless those in need in our community.

When our local churches, united in the purpose of showing Christ’s love in our community come together, we are a powerful force for transformation: not only to individuals and families, but to the entire community.

Nazareth Food and Essentials Pantry

In partnership with the Northeast Iowa Food Bank and Love INC, the Nazareth Food and Essentials Pantry provides essentials (personal hygiene products and household cleaning supplies) and food to those in need in the Cedar Valley throughout the year.

NewAldaya Lifescapes

NewAldaya Lifescapes is the place where you can live better. They are a nursing home in Cedar Falls, IA offering a full range of top-quality elder care services at affordable rates. This building grew out of a holy discontent knowing that there was a lack of great care for those who need it.

Northeast Iowa Foodbank

The Food Bank now distributes millions of pounds of food to over 200 agencies through 16 Northeast Iowa counties.  Programs such as Kids Cafe, BackPack Program, Elderly Nutrition Boxes, Mobile Food Pantries also evolved to meet the growing needs of a growing community. 

Highland Elementary School

NAZ serves as a Partner in Education with Highland Elementary School in Waterloo.  A team of dedicated volunteers works to mentor and encourage the children and staff at the school all year long.  Additionally, we are collecting Hy-Vee Receipts to turn in as part of the Hy-Vee Cash 4 Students program.  Receipts may be turned in at the Welcome Desk any time, and proceed will go to support students at Highland.

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U.S/World Missions

Dr. Neil Williams from Nazareth brought Nazareth’s first medical team to Jamaica in 1990.  He wanted to start a tradition of Nazareth members and others personally participating in overseas mission projects.  2017 marks our 28th year of ministering to people in the interior portions of this island nation and our medical mission is called “Hope and Health to Jamaica” or H2Jamaica. We had 52 participants from Alaska to Massachusetts and everywhere in between with 29 from the Cedar Valley and 13 from Nazareth.  Our mission typically occurs the first two weeks in February, this year from February 4 to 16.  Over 8 clinic days our three medical teams and two dental teams saw 1,583 individuals.  Our construction team installed 17 one-quarter acre irrigation systems for subsistence farmers and built safety rails around a gazebo we constructed last year at “Gift of Hope”, a Roman Catholic residential facility for severely challenged children. The various teams have many stories to share from our 2017 trip, but one that stands out occurred after our group installed an irrigation system for a lady named Rachel.  After each installation, one of our group asks the recipient if we can pray over their field.  Hank Wellnitz from Nazareth asked Rachel if she could start out and he would finish the prayer.  Rachel started praying the most beautiful prayer, thanking God for the wonder of his creation, the glory of his salvation and various other items of praise.  We were all captivated by the Spirit’s presence in her prayer and when she finished after 2 or 3 minutes, Hank simply said, “What can you say after that but “Amen!”  We all joined in with a heartfelt “Amen!”

This trip is due, in part, to a large effort by Barb and Bob Ericson. If you're interested in participating in this outreach, contact Barb at (319)493-5039 or at h2jamaica@gmail.com.

2017 H2Jamicia

Medical Missions

$48,593 was raised in 2013 for a special Medical Mission Project to Tanzania.  Praise God for the generosity of so many people! A 40-foot container with an x-ray machine and medical supplies was shipped to Dr. Steve and Bethany Freiberg for use in their clinic. Project include shipping and installing an x-ray machine, providing medical supplies, helping complete construction of a Tanzania church, renovating nurses’ housing, and providing training for evangelists. In June 2014, members of Nazareth traveled to Tanzania to assist with the completion of these projects.

Fair Trade: Coffee/Tea

When you purchase a bag of Lutheran World Relief fair-trade coffee, you're doing much more than just buying a delicious beverage. You're contributing to world justice. The Lutheran World Relief Coffee Project ensures that coffee farmers receive a fair price that covers their cost of production and guarantees them a living wage for their labor. To purchase fair-trade coffee, stop by the Coffee Shop in the Family Life Center or the Information Desk in Fellowship Hall on Sunday mornings or visit the church office during the week. Coffee is $7 per bag and tea is $3 per bag.

Kits and Quilts

The Kits & Quilts team gladly accepts your fabric donations throughout the year. Thread is also welcomed!  Throughout the year, the team works together to create a multitude of quilts which will be of comfort to people in need all around the world. In addition to making quilts, this team also puts together personal care kits, baby care kits and school kits on a regular basis.

All of the Kits and Quilts are distributed worldwide via Lutheran World Relief.

Through donations totaling $75,000.00, Nazareth is blessed to be partnering with the St. Andrews Refugee Service (StARS) in Cairo, Egypt, to provide assistance to refugees in the region.

Here are some exciting updates about how God has been at work through this ministry:

  • In 2018, StARS helped over 30,000 people and their families access healthy food, education, mental health services and professional development tools.

  •  650-750 children a day receive breakfast and lunch through The Children’s Feeding program.

  • In 2019, StARS education program supports over 4,000 teachers and learners through its Children’s Education program, Preschools, Adult Education program, Education Access and Capacity Building program and Early Childhood Wellbeing program.

  •  90% of students in the Children’s Education program passed their internal exams.

  • StARS employs over 280 professionals and experts who provide support ranging from individual medical consultations to language classes to organizational capacity building to cross-sectoral emergency interventions.

  • 208 volunteers also work part-time and full-time to support the activities of the program, most notably making up the bulk of StARS’ legal teams and providing a range of individual and group support to adult learners in the Adult Education and Education Access and Capacity Building programs.

  •  Given restrictions to services for refugees and ongoing inflation, an increasing number of people approach StARS each day with emergencies.

  • Throughout the year, an emergency fund supports 428 people, 62 percent of whom were women, in accessing their basic needs through life changing interventions, impacting 631 of their family members.

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St. Andrews Refugee Service

Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf

We serve at two deaf schools in Jamaica over spring break in Kingston and Knockpatrick in partnership with CCCD (Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf) and DeafCan Coffee.  This trip focuses on Relationships: Relationship with God, Relationships with each other and Relationships with the community.

Naapok Bead Project

In an effort to preserve the dignity of the Maasai women of Tanzania; and to open their lives for emotional, physical and spiritual redemption, Nazareth facilitates the sale of their beautifully hand-crafted, beaded jewelry.

As a result of a partnership with Ketumbeine Lutheran Church in Tanzania, the Naapok Bead Project has given these women the opportunity to make and sell their amazing beadwork, an art form their people have long valued, in order to empower them to alleviate their struggles with extreme poverty and neglect.

Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project

In June 2016 and June 2017, Nazareth was blessed to receive a visit from Jackson Kaguri, the Founder and Executive Director of the Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project.  The mission of the project is to work on behalf of HIV/AIDS orphans in rural Uganda to end systemic deprivation, poverty, and hunger through a holistic approach to community development, education, and healthcare.  Mr. Kaguri shared his powerful story with congregation members and with all of the children in attendance at VBS. 

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