Hood

We were looking for a church that was involved with the local community, and our first Sunday attending, the Next Step announcements were about an annual diaper drive to collect diapers and provide them to families in need. We've stayed ever since - 11 years!

- Mike, Council Vice President

Serving our hyper-local neighborhood.

Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as yourself," and we believe that extends to our entire neighborhood! We love and serve the White Bear Lake community we call home through a variety of events, donation drives, and local partnerships.

Featured Opportunity

Every summer, we pack 350 backpacks full of donated school supplies to bless students in the White Bear Lake school district. We also pack school bags that go to students overseas through Lutheran World Relief. You can download school supply shopping lists below. Filled backpacks or donations of backpacks and school supplies can be dropped off in the shopping carts in the Commons beginning July 5th. This is also our featured donation drive during the week of Vacation Bible School (June 29-July 2nd) this year!

Download Shopping Lists
Donate
Pack Backpacks

Garage Sale

Our annual Garage Sale is a community-wide event that features 100+ local sellers, free inflatables, food trucks, fresh-baked cinnamon rolls, a DJ, and so much more. The sale kicks off White Bear Lake's Manitou Days summer celebration, and we typically see over a thousand of our local friends and neighbors on our campus for this day of fun finds and community building.

This is not a fundraiser for the church. Instead, sellers pay just $15 to reserve a space and then keep whatever profits they make. We love offering this opportunity to community members who may not otherwise have the means to host their own individual sales.

Interested in being a seller? Registration is now open for the 2027 Garage Sale on Saturday, June 19th. The sooner you register, the easier it is to pick the spot you prefer!

Register for 2027 Sale

Food Shelf

We serve our partners at the White Bear Lake Emergency Food Shelf in different ways throughout the year! You can drop off non-perishable food donations in the shopping cart just inside our main entrance. The most highly-requested items include paper bags; cooking oil; protein bars; canned chicken, tuna, or tomatoes; cereal; masa flour; and diapers. Financial support is also greatly appreciated, as the food shelf can often stretch dollars further through local food sourcing connections.

Learn MoreGive Online

Diaper Drive

Our annual Diaper Drive takes place every year starting late October through Thanksgiving Eve. During the drive, donations may be dropped off in the Commons anytime the building is open. Monetary donations are also greatly appreciated! The diapers are given to our local food shelf for distribution to families in our community.

Learn MoreGive Online

School Tools Drive

Help us prepare students for success as they return to school! Serve people the way Jesus serves people by donating school tools to students in need here at home and overseas. 

Last year, our CGLC family provided 325 backpacks filled with school supplies to students in the White Bear Lake Area Schools. They were distributed to students at a back to school event for low income families! We also were able to donate 52 backpacks to the students living at the Project Home facility in St. Paul. When we asked the leader of this drive about the greatest physical, emotional and spiritual needs these students have, she said this: "As far as physical needs, they need school supplies, clothing, food. Emotionally and spiritually, those are: belonging, being seen and recognized as whole, capable, valuable people with families and cultures that are valuable and important also." 

This year, our goal is 400 backpacks and 130 school bags for overseas, to ensure every student is ready to learn on day one! 

How You Can Help 

Donate funds: Donate online or make a check out to CGLC, and we’ll do the shopping for you! Any amount is greatly appreciated, and with just $60, we can provide a filled backpack.  

Donate

Donate supplies: Lists of school supplies can be found below if you wish to donate items directly. New, empty backpacks and filled backpacks are most appreciated by local students.

Shopping Lists

Fill a school bag: You may pick up a bag crafted by one of our dedicated sewers and fill it with the requested items for Lutheran World Relief (LWR). They distribute our overseas donations.

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