May 14, 2026
Serving With Joy: MaryAnn’s Story Of Faith In Action
Written by Alisa Ledoux, Thrift Store Manager of Love INC Heartland
What is the backbone of servant leadership? Compassion, character, and competence. These principles emphasize caring for others’ well-being, acting with integrity, and possessing the skills necessary to effectively support and guide a team. If you want to see servant leadership acted out, come to our Love INC Heartland Thrift Store in Delano, Minnesota, and watch MaryAnn shine for Jesus.
MaryAnn Johnson has remained a faithful, fun volunteer at our store for over a dozen years. Her expertise is making all who come into the thrift store feel welcome—first with her beautiful smile and cheerful greeting, and additionally by preparing a delightful shopping experience through the way she arranges each donated item with love and care. When asked, “What is the strangest thing you’ve ever seen donated?” she recalled a gas mask that still has her stumped as to how to elegantly display the piece. She gave us all a grand laugh when she slipped the mask over her head to model it.
MaryAnn, her husband Wally, and their family moved to Delano in 1994. Although she was a busy mother and a very dedicated partner to Wally and his growing business, MaryAnn still wanted to give to her new community. She did her research and, as she put it, “I liked what was going on at Love INC Heartland… I liked that the profits of the store were helping the community… I began by answering phones… I remember a man calling in to ask for blankets for his mother, ‘because she is so cold.’” As MaryAnn recalled the story, her empathy for the man’s request was evident in her demeanor, even now. MaryAnn truly models extending Love In the Name of Christ with everything she does at our thrift store in Delano.
MaryAnn and her husband Wally attend the Catholic Church of Saints Peter & Paul in Loretto, Minnesota. She enjoys volunteering alongside others from various congregations around the Delano area. “We pray together and for each other’s needs… It feels like a family here. I feel like the Lord wants me to continue working here.”
When asked if MaryAnn had a wish for the Delano store, she said she hoped more people would see that the Love INC Heartland Thrift Store is a destination available to all—not just our neighbors in need, but to everyone.
We’re all so blessed to have MaryAnn as part of our family team!
Inspired by MaryAnn? There’s a place for you here. Whether you have a few hours a week or a heart to serve, we’d love to welcome you to our volunteer team.
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Apr 14, 2026
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
– Isaiah 43:19 NIV
These words are spoken in the midst of God’s promise to redeem and protect His people. Throughout Isaiah 43, the Lord reminds Israel that He alone is Savior—there is no other source of rescue, no other power that can redeem. And yet, in the middle of a story already filled with God’s faithfulness, He declares that something new is breaking forth. A way is being made in the wilderness. Streams are appearing in the wasteland. God is at work even where life feels barren and hope feels distant.
This language carries us forward into the Gospels, where John the Baptist appears as a voice crying out in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord. His call to repentance and baptism invited people into a new understanding—not one rooted in striving harder or doing more, but in turning their hearts toward what God Himself was about to accomplish. So we are left to wonder: is this “new thing” truly new? Or has it always been God’s way? From the moment sin entered the world, redemption has never belonged to humanity—it has always belonged to God. Through every law, sacrifice, rule, and command, there has been only one power that saves: grace. Grace is the new thing God asks us to perceive. It is the quiet yet powerful work of God making a way where we cannot, bringing life where we least expect it, and inviting us to allow Him to work in, with, and through us.
There is much said in our current culture about how we aid and assist those in need. Two things seem increasingly clear:
- The need is real
AND
- Much of the assistance provided unintentionally creates dependence rather than restoration. People are helped to survive, but not always empowered to flourish.
In the midst of this reality, we believe God is still “doing a new thing”—or perhaps not a new thing at all, but His way, lived out faithfully and intentionally.
At Love INC Heartland, we call this Redemptive Compassion. It is a way of walking alongside people that preserves dignity and restores hope. Redemptive Compassion recognizes that every person has value, God-given gifts, and a purpose to live into. Rather than defining people by their needs, it invites them to discover their strengths and to participate in what God is doing in their own lives. Just as God allowed Israel to walk through trials—not to abandon them, but to shape them—we believe God has something more for every person than what they can currently see. Something better. Something worth pursuing.
God has always been faithful to redeem and protect His people, and He continues that work today. When you support Love INC Heartland, you are joining in that promise—helping ensure that neighbors in need are not only assisted, but cared for, encouraged, and reminded of their God-given worth. Together, we get to witness God bringing streams of hope and restoration into places that once felt dry and forgotten.
Through your support of Love INC Heartland, you participate in God’s promise to redeem and protect His people by offering not just help, but hope, dignity, and a path toward restoration.
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In Christ,
Jim Holmlund
Executive Director – Love INC Heartland
763-972-6547 | info@loveincheartland.org
P.s. Spring is a reminder that our annual golf event is coming! Sponsorship packages + team tickets are available now! Spread the word and invite others in your community.
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Mar 17, 2026
From Isolation To Community
Written by Lisa Green, Fresh Start Program Director of Love INC Heartland
At Love In the Name of Christ Heartland, we believe everyone has value and we are called to invest relationally in each other.
Janet* came to Love INC Heartland looking for resources and support as her work hours had been cut. We called her periodically for prayer. She valued prayer and she knew we valued prayer as well.
The Fresh Start Program was empowering her to build community and combat the isolation she was experiencing by living alone. One very cold day, she called in desperation as she had been without water for several days. The pipes in her trailer home had frozen. Once again, she knew to call Love INC Heartland for prayer. We connected with her and prayed and helped her find solutions to the situation.
A Church Partner with a Prayer Ministry was involved in praying as well. This Church Partner was mobilized to transform lives through prayer. And then, after nine days without water, she called to let us know that God had thawed the pipes and the water was running. We rejoiced with her that God had seen her dilemma and in His Goodness had miraculously intervened and taken care of the pipes. Nothing was cracked or broken and there were no leaks. Her faith was strengthened and her relationship with us deepened.
Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. -Isaiah 65:24 NIV
Love INC Heartland’s Fresh Start Program is an intentional community of support. Relationships form within our life skills classes where you can be encouraged, set goals, and reduce stress in your home.
We believe this is the beginning of opportunities for transformation.
*Names have been changed to maintain confidentiality.
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Feb 18, 2026
Uniting Churches Through Gap Ministries
Written by Sabrina Gustafson, Family Advocate of the Connection Center
At Love In the Name of Christ Heartland, it is our mission to mobilize the churches to transform lives and communities In the Name of Christ. The Christmas Store is an example of this mission in action.
The Christmas Store is a Gap Ministry led by WestPointe Church in partnership with Love INC Heartland to serve neighbors in need. A team of dedicated and innovative volunteers create a store for Love INC Heartland families. The store is stocked through donations from area churches and the community. Parents of children ages 0-18 shop at no cost for toys and gifts to give their children for Christmas.
The volunteers of the Christmas Store reflect the same love Christ brought to us by setting aside His riches in heaven and coming to us as a child.
Christmas is a time of celebration for all of us. We exchange gifts that represent the most amazing gift of all, Jesus! Born in a stable, the embodiment of our state.
You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know that Christ was rich, but for you he became poor. Christ did this so that by his being poor you might become rich. – 2 Corinthians 8:9 ICB
Parents are appreciative of this extra help during the season of Christmas when finances can be even more stressed than usual. Those who donate time, product, ideas, and inspiration are an intentional example of Christ at Christmas. All are drawn closer to Christ through the event.
The festive nature of this Gap Ministry, filling bags with gifts, hearts with love, and minds with gratefulness, carries on throughout the year. Case Managers and Family Advocates in our communities have shared stories of how helpful and unique the Christmas Store has been for the families they are working with.
The Christmas Store fulfills the vision of Love INC, which is, to see the Christian churches united in purpose and fully engaged in actively living out their faith by lovingly serving people in need in their communities.
All In the Name of Christ!
Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord. – Luke 2:11 NET
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Jan 13, 2026
Director’s Note: As For Me And My House
Written by Jim Holmlund, Executive Director of Love INC Heartland
Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
“Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” – Joshua 5:13–14 (NIV)
One of my favorite people in the Old Testament is Joshua. One of the things I respect most about him is how he stood before the nation of Israel after God had given them the Promised Land and their years of wandering had come to an end. They finally had a home. The land had been divided among the tribes, and God had been faithful in every way.
Yet even after all the Lord had done, some of the people still clung to idols from the lands they had left behind—and even from the new lands they now possessed. In Joshua’s final address to the people, he makes this clear: “If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Another favorite moment in Joshua’s story takes place on the plains near Jericho. Joshua stands before a well-defended city with massive walls, knowing the task ahead has been given to him by the Lord. I imagine his very human side looking out at the city and thinking, How are we going to do this, God? Not out of doubt, but out of human understanding.
Then a mighty figure appears—a warrior with a drawn sword. I imagine there must have been a moment of fear. Joshua asks a very natural question: “Are you for us or against us?” It’s a normal question—but was it the right one? The answer Joshua receives is not what he expects: “Neither. I am the commander of the army of the Lord, and I have now come.”
It is then that Joshua asks the right question: “What will the Lord have me do?”
I have been in that place. Have you? Standing in the middle of a trial or a task you know God has given you. In our hearts, we know the God of the universe is for us—but He is also the God of the universe, even for those we see as our enemies. That can be hard to wrap our minds around.
Often our prayers center on what we want, need, desire, or hope God will do for us. Our human nature, fear, and uncertainty about the future can drive those prayers. That isn’t wrong. Even Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me,” and then followed it with, “Yet not my will, but yours be done.”
I am compelled to be more like Joshua—to ask the Lord, “What will You have me do?”
The year 2025 was a season of growth and transition for Love INC Heartland. As an organization, we welcomed three new people into key leadership roles. I saw growth across every area of our ministry, and I believe our neighbors in need and our volunteers are being cared for in new and exciting ways. I truly believe God has big plans for Love INC Heartland in 2026.
Our prayer as we move into the new year is not a question of whether God is for us or against us. Our prayer is simply th is:
“Lord, what will You have us do?”
Celebrating 2025
Join us in celebrating all that God has done through Love INC Heartland in 2025!
Overall Love INC Heartland Stats
As of January 2025-December 31, 2025
- 2,143 Requests
- 3,850 Needs Met
- 8,367 Volunteer Hours
- $89,335 Gifts Given
Love INC Heartland is now serving 153 families and just 3 years ago we were serving less than 100.
Requests: Asks for help made to the Connection Center or Fresh Start Program.
Needs Met: The number of people helped from requests made to the Connection Center or Fresh Start Program. For example, one request could meet the needs of four people in a family.
Gifts Given: The value of gifts given to families and individuals active with Love INC Heartland. Gifts are given through Gap Ministries or Fresh Start Program. A few examples of Gifts are gas cards, diapers, and clothing/furniture vouchers.
Volunteer Hours: Logged time of volunteers from all areas of the Love INC Heartland ministry– Connection Center, Fresh Start Program, Board of Directors, Gap Ministries, Thrift Store, fundraising events, bookkeeping, and more.
Fresh Start Program: January-December
As of December 31, 2025
- 18 Fresh Start Program Mentor Meetings
- 1,973 Fresh Start Program Volunteer Hours
- 126 Fresh Start Program Class Sessions
53 people took classes in 2025!
Fresh Start Mentor Meetings: One-on-one meetings with a volunteer.
Fresh Start Volunteer Hours: Amount of time a volunteer has donated to Fresh Start Program.
Fresh Start Class Sessions: Each individual class.
Lord, What Will You Have Us Do?
Join us in praying this question as we look ahead to 2026.
If God is calling you to be part of this ministry, there are three simple ways to get involved:
Pray
Please pray for our staff, volunteers, and neighbors in need as we continue to follow God’s leading.
Donate
Consider becoming a monthly giving partner! Give online www.loveincheartland.org/donate/
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Volunteer
Volunteer with us loveincheartland.org/volunteer/
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Together, may we seek His will and follow where He leads.
With gratitude,
Jim Holmlund
Executive Director, Love INC Heartland
Dec 17, 2025
As we approach the close of another year, I often find myself wrestling with how to share our message in fresh and meaningful ways. Each year I pray for new words, new stories, and new clarity to communicate the work God is doing through Love In the Name of Christ Heartland. It is a humbling responsibility to invite others into that work—and to ask them to give.
While preparing this final letter of the year, I spent time in prayer and Scripture, searching for a verse that captures both the heart of our ministry and the hope we witness through Christ’s love. Surprisingly, the verse that kept returning to me wasn’t from recent reading, but from childhood—a simple camp song that tucked Scripture deep into my heart.
I share it with you now, in the King James Version, just as I learned it: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” – Titus 3:5
Throughout Scripture, we are called to holy living. Paul often writes about taking off the old self and putting on the new—the transformation that comes through Christ. Yet how easily we twist even grace into a kind of law, imagining that our good deeds somehow make us more deserving of God’s love.
Just a couple verses earlier, Paul reminds us who we are apart from Christ: “For we ourselves also were once foolish, disobedient, deceived…” (Titus 3:3)
Sin and brokenness are universal. Whether through worldly pursuits or self-righteous striving, we all know what it is to try to fix ourselves.
That is what makes the next verse so powerful: “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared…”
Transformation does not begin with us.
It begins with Jesus.
It is His mercy that regenerates and renews us.
It is His love that makes us new.
It is His Spirit who reshapes hearts and restores lives.
This truth is at the core of Love INC’s ministry.
It isn’t the meals we serve, the Christmas gifts we give, the diapers we distribute, oil changes, car repairs, birthday gifts, classes, mentoring, or letters we write. It isn’t the budgeting tools, the parenting classes, or even the prayers and volunteer hours.
All of these things are good—Paul would call them “works of righteousness”—but none of them can transform a life.
Only Jesus can do that.
As I write to you now, I know that no words of mine can compel generosity. Only the work of Christ in your heart can do that. My desire is simply to participate in the process as He stirs compassion, gratitude, and transformation. 
Yet through your partnership—your time, talents, and treasures—we are able to walk alongside people in practical, relational, and deeply meaningful ways that open the door for His transforming work.
As we end this year and look ahead, I invite you to continue being part of what God is doing through Love INC. Your support makes it possible for us to enter into people’s lives and share the only thing that truly changes anything—the love God has shown us through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Will you prayerfully consider making a year-end gift and
continuing to walk with us in this ministry?
Together, we can reflect Christ’s kindness, meet practical needs, and witness the transformation that only He can bring. May the Lord of the Universe renew you, strengthen you, and draw you closer to Him in the coming year.
With Gratitude,
Jim Holmlund
Executive Director – Love INC Heartland
763-972-6547 | info@loveincheartland.org
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Pray For Love INC
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Will you join our prayer team? info@loveincheartland.org
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Give Online or Mail: Love INC Heartland PO Box 143, Delano, MN 55328
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