Boarding our first freighter: You can help too!
Mariners’ Church has served seafarers for over 184 years, and this week we hit a new milestone. Since the ports for freighters have been moved away from the downtown area decades ago, it’s harder to know how to gain access and serve these hardworking and often isolated men and women. Last Friday was the start of something new and exciting: a renewed ministry where we can go to the sailors, board the vessels, and show the love of God to them. Please take a look at this short video where some of our steering committee met with the Captain and the crew of the Federal Mosel, then I’ll explain how you too can help.
For almost a year we have been praying, investigating, and gaining knowledge about how to run port ministry in Detroit. Others with experience in this field have graciously provided training on how to serve seafarers. Thanks to partner ministries such as NAMMA (North American Maritime Ministry Association), and Stella Maris (the Catholic Church arm of seafarer ministry), we have gained some traction and are looking forward to many more years of interacting with sailers from around the world, while their ship is docked in Detroit.
This past year we have learned it is often the most simple acts of kindness that make a seafarer’s life better. This includes services like taking a sailor to a store or giving the opportunity to just “walk outside and get some fresh air”, as one sailor put it on Friday. Also giving small gifts like baked goods, notes, or toiletries make them know they are not forgotten.
There are challenges with this type of ministry. Not only are the ports in Detroit a bit isolated, but it requires special credentialing to gain access onto the ships. Additionally, we never know when or how long the ships will be in port. Sometimes the ships are in port only for a day, which makes it difficult to plan a visit ahead of time. But, none of these obstacles are insurmountable, and the joy of serving a community largely forgotten is worth the trouble.
So how can you get involved? There are at least 3 ways:
- You can be credentialed and trained to enter the ships and serve these seafarers directly. This will take some patience, training, and flexibility, but the rewards are immense for both you and the sailor.
- Support this ministry through in-kind gifts such as baked goods, Bibles in their language, and (in the future) volunteering at Mariners’ Church as it becomes a refuge, once again, for active sailors to get “fresh air.”
- Pray God would bless these efforts, and the efforts of other similar ministries around the world, for years to come.
Please continue to read these emails as we ask for very specific ‘in-kind’ gifts for Christmas parties this November and December. Also, this winter we will be offering informational meetings and training to be even more involved. If you have any questions about this mission, please reply to this email and I will do my best to answer your questions.
Thanks for praying for this important revitalized ministry. As we get back to the roots of Maritime Ministry, it will take many of us working together to bless those we see sailing down our lakes and rivers from around the world.
Blessings and peace,
Rev. Todd