Sep 9, 2025
Thank you for your faithful support and ongoing partnership with our ministry!
Because of you, Love INC Heartland is able to unite local churches to meet real needs and share Christ’s love with our neighbors. As the warmth of summer gives way to the cooler, cozier days of autumn, we’re reminded of the natural rhythm of change and new beginnings. Just as the seasons shift, we have opportunities to step into fresh ways of serving and growing together. This fall, we invite you to fall into action with Love INC Heartland by joining us in practical and meaningful ways—whether through prayer, volunteering, financial giving, or simply spreading the word about our mission in your community.
Pray For Love In the Name of Christ National Gathering
At this year’s Gathering, we’ll explore how God’s grace shows up at these intersections of life—through the cross, our calling, everyday encounters, and in life’s challenges. Together, we’ll turn to Scripture, reflection, and testimony to see how Christ meets us where we are, invites us into deeper relationship, and calls us to be present in the lives of others right where our paths meet. Because these moments are where the Church shines brightest: leaning in, walking alongside, and reflecting the love of Christ in tangible ways.
Love INC affiliates will unite together on September 23-25, 2025, to worship, be inspired by insightful keynote speakers, explore dozens of in-depth workshops, and experience meaningful connections with others in the Movement. Please pray for the Love INC Heartland team as we get ready to attend.
Gratitude For Back To School Bash Gap Ministry
Through partnership with WestPointe Church, over 50 students are beginning their school year with new backpacks and supplies—special thanks to everyone who donated financially to support this community effort.
Would you like to partner with us as a church, individual, or local business? Let us know at info@loveincheartland.org or call our main office 763-972-6547
Meaningful Meals At Fresh Start Program
Over 35 adults and 15 children are part of our Fresh Start Program! Mealtime offers a meaningful way to connect and grow together as a community. Will you support this growing community? You can serve a meal or pray for the Fresh Start Program today: bit.ly/fsmealtrain
Shop Weekly Sales In Our Love INC Heartland Thrift Stores
We have two Love INC Heartland Thrift Stores! One is located in Delano, Minnesota, and one is located in Howard Lake, Minnesota. Sales from our thrift stores support our mission and ministry and allow us to provide services, programs, and resources (like clothing or furniture vouchers) to those in need.
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Aug 11, 2025
Swing Into Action—be part of something truly meaningful at the Golf For Love fundraising tournament!
Golfers of all skill levels are welcome to enjoy a scenic round, contests, prize drawings, and a delicious boxed lunch. All proceeds benefit Love In the Name of Christ Heartland (Love INC) supporting its mission to offer a hand up—not a handout—to those in need. We have FORE different opportunities that you can get involved in this event– you can be an event sponsor, register a team, spread the word about this event, and pray.
🏌️ Fore Ways You Can Support Golf For Love
Event Sponsor
Sponsors are a key component to making our Golf For Love fundraising tournament a success. A variety of sponsor packages are available! View All Sponsor Packages Here P.S. Some of our sponsor packages include a team registration!
Sponsor Packages
Register A Team
Golfers of all skill levels are welcome to enjoy a scenic round, contests, and prize drawings. Registered teams receive boxed lunch, bucket of balls, and one swag bag per person.
Team Registration $450.00 | Individual Registration $112.50
Team Registration
Share With Friends
Do you have friends, family, or coworkers that enjoy golfing and are passionate about giving back to the community? Please share this event with them.
Like Our Facebook Page
Pray For The Event
Prayer is one of our core values and is so, so powerful. Please add this event to your prayers.
Golf For Love 2025 – Event Details
- Date: Monday, September 15, 2025
- Time: 10am Check In | 11am Tee Off
- Location: Albion Ridges Golf Course, 7771 20th St NW, Annandale, MN 55302
- Format: Four-Person Scramble with a Shotgun Start
Sponsor or Register A Team Today!
Jul 15, 2025
By Jim Holmlund, Executive Director | Love INC Heartland
Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas (Tabitha) had made while she was still with them. Acts 9:39 NIV
There’s a woman in the Bible named Tabitha. Her story is found at the end of Acts 9—just a few short verses among many miracles God performed through Peter. But what happened in those verses is remarkable: Tabitha died, and Peter, through the power of our risen Lord, raised her back to life.
Recently, at our local Love INC Converge event we listened to a message by Pastor Jeff Manion about this very passage. He introduced something he called The Tabitha Factor—the idea of doing something seemingly ordinary, with amazing consistency, to accomplish extraordinary things.
The Bible tells us that Tabitha spent her days making clothes for widows in her community.
These weren’t store-bought garments. They were hand-stitched—carefully, lovingly crafted.
When she died, the widows were devastated. They stood beside her body, holding the garments she had made for them, weeping.
These clothes were more than just fabric. In that time and place, they represented warmth, dignity, and hope—especially for widows, who were often left with nothing. Tabitha didn’t make headlines, but her daily acts of love left a legacy that impacted lives.
That message deeply encouraged me—and it reminded me so much of what we do here at Love INC Heartland.
We don’t always have flashy statistics to share. We’re not distributing thousands of meals or paying off mountains of bills.
But what we are doing, day in and day out, is investing in people the way Tabitha did.
We offer spiritual warmth through relationships rooted in Christ. We help restore dignity by walking alongside people with compassion and respect. Most of all, we help renew hope—the eternal hope found in Jesus.
The work we do may seem ordinary at times. But in the hands of our extraordinary God, it becomes transformational. Thank you for partnering with us in this quiet but powerful ministry.
Let’s keep doing the ordinary, with amazing regularity. Who knows how many lives it might raise back to hope?
Here are some ways you be a part of the ordinary actions that us make an extraordinary difference in the lives of the people we serve:
Pray — We need your continued prayers for this ministry and the people we serve.
Volunteer — Sign up to serve in our Connection Center, Fresh Start Program, Thrift Stores, or as office support.
Donate — You can be a part of this vital ministry by donating a financial gift to our General Fund
Jun 16, 2025
Bethany* had just left an abusive marriage—for the third and final time. She had prayed earnestly for God to save their relationship, holding onto the promises they once made to each other. But after five long years marked by pain and instability, she knew it was time to walk away for good.
A stay-at-home mom of four, and now pregnant with her fifth child, Bethany left the only life she had known. She moved in with her parents and began a new chapter. With no income to support her family, she reached out to the County for help. That’s when she was connected with community resources—including Love INC Heartland.
When Bethany called us, we began a relationship by helping her meet basic needs for her family. We also invited her to join our Fresh Start Program. She started attending classes while our team lovingly cared for her children in childcare. Week after week, Bethany cried as she grieved the loss of the life she once dreamed of. While the program provided essentials like clothing, diapers, and food, she told us the greatest gift was being surrounded by people who reminded her that God has a plan—and she didn’t have to walk through this alone.
Through Fresh Start, Bethany began to realize that she wasn’t the only one. In her marriage, she had lived in secrecy, believing it wasn’t okay to reach out for help. The Fresh Start Program broke through that lie. What she truly needed was community—intentional community—where her family could begin to heal and thrive.
Bethany has started reading her Bible again. She’s praying more. She’s working hard to stop believing the lies about herself. Now, she’s sharing her story, hoping it gives other women the courage to step away from unsafe situations and know they are not alone. She understands now that unless someone has lived it, it’s hard to grasp the weight of such experiences. Today, she’s choosing to focus on what God is doing in her life and how she might help others walking a similar road.
Fresh Start is the opportunity Love INC Heartland provides for people to grow in practical skills while experiencing the power of a loving, Christ-centered community. Many who join the program have lived in what feels like a desert land. As they take classes and we build a relationship with them, their desert land begins to be tilled and a fertile soil is laid for the seed of the Gospel of Jesus to be planted. Our prayer at Love INC Heartland is for this seed of Jesus to germinate and bloom by the power of the Holy Spirit. 
“Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When He said this, He called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” —Luke 8:8 (NIV)
Will you support this program? A gift of $1,500 supports one participant for one year.
*Name has been changed to maintain confidentiality.
May 12, 2025
Love In the Name of Christ Heartland and The Highlands Church hosted a Spring Oil Change Event back in April. This event created a meaningful opportunity to offer something for free, encourage accountability, and extend compassionate grace.
The Oil Change Event is a Gap Ministry of The Highlands Church, in partnership with Love INC Heartland. In short, a Gap Ministry is a service that “fills a gap” within our communities—providing support for neighbors experiencing hardship. Participants in the Oil Change Gap Ministry are individuals or families actively receiving assistance from Love INC Heartland.
Something for Free
Who says, “You never get anything for free,” or “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”? Maybe—just maybe—if you do your part, there’s a chance to receive both a service and lunch at no cost.
Absolute Automotive Services in Delano, owned and operated by Chad Skartvedt, along with a team of volunteers from The Highlands Church, provided free oil changes, fresh coffee, and delicious bakery items. Together, they completed 22 oil changes!
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done. — Proverbs 19:17 NIV
Something to Be Accountable For
To participate in this Gap Ministry event and receive a free oil change, participants were asked to:
- Sign up
- Drop off a deposit to hold their spot
- Arrive five minutes before their scheduled time. (Their deposit was returned at check-in.)
We expect people to be active participants in receiving services and support from Love INC Heartland and our church partners’ Gap Ministries.
We believe in offering a hand-up rather than a hand-out—a step toward independence and away from dependence. Our goal is to empower individuals to problem-solve and make thoughtful decisions about their unique situations.
A Moment of Compassion
Chad received a call from one of our Love INC families. The woman explained she would be late due to a domestic issue involving her children. Chad told her he would work her in and thanked her for calling. He extended grace and compassion.
One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend. — Proverbs 22:11 NIV
She remained responsible despite the circumstances, and by sharing her situation, she was met with prayer and support during a difficult time. Her communication showed character and resilience, embodying the expectation we have: to stay in touch and reach out if problems arise.
Tears still on her cheeks, she arrived about an hour late. The volunteers welcomed her and got her car into the service stall shortly after. Praise the Lord for His timing, as there was an opening available just when she arrived, sparing her from further delay.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. — Matthew 5:16 NIV
“You never get anything for free” and “There’s no such thing as a free lunch” might seem true—but the gift is free because someone (Chad and his volunteers) invested their time and resources: the oil change, the coffee, and the donuts.
This oil change came at no cost to the recipient, thanks to the generosity and hard work of others. In return, the participants were asked to be accountable—by signing up and showing up. Each one left with a grateful heart, a cared-for car, and a full stomach.
At the Oil Change Event, Chad and his volunteers invested in others—demonstrating their faith through action and serving with love, In the Name of Christ.
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Apr 14, 2025
Jim Holmlund, Executive Director of Love INC Heartland
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
— Psalm 139:13–14 (NIV)
As a follower of Christ, I speak with certainty that I am a child of God. I can say it with confidence, just like the Psalmist did: “I know that full well.” There’s no doubt in my heart that God has a purpose for me. And it’s not some mysterious, one-of-a-kind mission. It’s actually simple and beautiful: take the gifts He gave me and use them to share the love of Jesus.
Right now, that purpose has brought me to Love In the Name of Christ Heartland. That’s where I’ve chosen to use my gifts. And honestly, if you’re reading this, I want to remind you that your purpose looks a lot like mine. You’ve been handcrafted by God—the One who knit you together before you took your first breath—and He’s calling you to do the same. Use what you’ve been given to spread the love of Jesus, right where you are.
This beautiful image of God knitting us together makes me think of a song:
“There is a thread,
Running between,
The first and the last,
Breath that we breathe.
And in this strand
Of flesh and bone,
Resides the hopes
And dreams we call our own.
There’s a hand
That sews the threads together,
Around one strand
Of saving scarlet thread.”
— “Threads” by Geoff Moore & The Distance
In “Threads,” Geoff Moore sings about how we’re all woven together by the Father. We each carry our own hopes and dreams, and yet, we’re stitched together by the same scarlet thread—Jesus. That’s the heart of Easter, isn’t it? Jesus, God in flesh, lived among us and gave His life so that we could walk in forgiveness and unshakable hope. Hope that one day, we’ll live in a world without sin that entangles us to brokenness and separation from God—a world we were actually made for.
But what happens when we lose those hopes and dreams?
Life has a way of stealing them sometimes. Maybe you’ve felt that. I know I have. When I’m feeling worn down or like I’ve lost my way, this song brings me back. And more than anything, the love of Jesus and the promises He made keep me going.
A lot of the Neighbors we meet at Love INC Heartland come to us feeling like they’ve lost all hope. They’re fighting to make ends meet and lost in isolation with no support. They aren’t dreaming big—they’re just trying to get through the day. And that’s exactly where our mission starts: helping restore hope.
Because real transformation begins with Jesus. He is the hope we all need.
“Come as you are, weary, worn, and tattered.
Come and take your place among the threads.”
— “Threads” by Geoff Moore & The Distance
That’s the message of Jesus. In Luke 5:32 (NIV), He says, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” He didn’t show up for the people who believe they are right with God. He came for the broken ones, the lost, the ones who know they need help. That’s you. That’s me. That’s every single person who walks through our doors.
At Love INC Heartland, we carry that message into every conversation—with neighbors in need, volunteers, church partners, and supporters. Everything we do is grounded in the love of Christ. And we want you to be a part of it.
God is on the move here. He’s bringing families to us who are desperate for hope.
And we believe He’s calling people—maybe even you—to join in what He’s doing. Bring your time, your gifts, your energy. Come be part of something that’s changing lives through Jesus.
The song ends with this:
“There is a thread,
Sometimes unseen,
Moving through life’s tapestry.
And when this strand
Enters a soul,
It’s woven to the One that makes
Us whole.”
— “Threads” by Geoff Moore & The Distance
Only Jesus can truly make us whole. Without Him, our dreams are often hollow and fleeting. But when we’re connected to that scarlet thread, everything changes.
So come—if you’re feeling weary, worn, or unsure.
Take your place among the threads. Join us in this beautiful work of bringing hope and healing In the Name of Christ.
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