The power of social ministry is first the power of the Gospel--of gifts of
love outpoured for gifts of love received, of passion for justice in the
ways of a God who turns the world upside down. We draw from the deepest
wellspring of God's grace in our call to pour out service and justice.
--ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson.
Located in the heart of downtown San Diego, First Lutheran Church has an active, vital outreach to the San Diego community through the Local Organizing Committee and TACO, (Third Avenue Charitable Organization). Through TACO, it sponsors a free meals every Monday and Friday, along with medical, dental, law and acupuncture clinics and a variety of other social services. For more information, see the TACO web site at tacosd.org.
For over thirty years, the church has sponsored a weekly Bread Day (Fridays at 9 am). It also hosts two Alcoholics Annonymous groups (on Monday at noon and another, for women only, Friday at noon), an Al-Anon group (Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon), and a Narcotics Anonnymous group (Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:30 p.m.).
Beyond this, First Lutheran and its members
participate in many ways in the building of the Body of Christ through
participation in partnerships with other faith-based organizations, such as: