Our aim is to love God and others!
We want to directly impact Bloomington and Bedford and our surrounding region by connecting with and serving those all around us. We offer many opportunities to do just that!
Locally
Gratitude Offering
Join us this year in giving to our Gratitude Offering! Each year, we choose some special projects or opportunities through our ministry partners to express our gratitude with above and beyond giving! This year, 50% of the Gratitude Offering will go to Hoosier Hills Food Bank and Wheeler Mission, as they stand in the SNAP benefits gap and provide necessary food to our communities around the holidays. The other 50% of the offering will be split between Global Partners IDES, for their Caribbean hurricane relief, Haitian Christian Outreach, in providing much needed medications for their regional hospital, and Asian Christian Mission in Myanmar, for transportation of emergency food supplies to IDP camps. You can give to Gratitude Offering anytime between now and November 30 by clicking the link below.
Gratitude Offering Donations 2025
Time. Talent. Treasure.
Each of us has these three gifts to share.
As the holiday season approaches, we invite you to invest a little of your time, talent, and treasure in caring for others.
Click the link below to explore local and global opportunities where you can make a difference through acts of care. Choose one or two that speak to your heart—and take a step to invest in others this season.
Community Engagement Partners
Executive Director: Ryan Croft
Region: United States, Columbus, IN
Mission: Hilltop Christian Camp is a Christ-centered summer youth program for our member churches and their communities. The camp also serves as a retreat facility for our member churches and other Christian groups. Sherwood Oaks has sent children to Hilltop for summer camp for many years.
Executive Director: April Haskett
Region: United States, Bloomington, IN
Purpose/Mission: Hope Resource Center is a pregnancy care center and medical clinic meeting needs, giving hope, and impacting lives. At Hope we seek to help men and women in Lawrence County and surrounding areas facing some of life's toughest situations through our pregnancy services, STI testing, and educational programs. All services provided are free and confidential.
Director: Ben Geiger
Region: Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Purpose/Mission: Indiana University Christian Student Fellowship develops students to pursue authentic faith and build intentional communities. They empower students to grow their gifts and leadership in midweek worship and small groups; through local community service, in campus clubs, and on the track at Little 500. Their ministry has a Campus House on 1968 N. Jordan Ave. that welcomes students to both live "in" and have a ministry home "on" campus. CSF builds faith and community in collaboration with Sherwood Oaks Young Adult Ministry, collaborating over the years to connect even more purposefully in discipleship because these students are the future leaders of the church. Each May, Sherwood Oaks and CSF co-sponsor a mission project.
Missionary: Elan Rajamani
Region: United States, Bloomington, IN
Purpose/Mission: International Friendship Ministries is a Christian ministry with a vision of “reaching the world for Christ through international students.” It seeks to educate, encourage, train, help, and involve local churches in ministering to and discipling internationals. Their goal is to bring the gospel to international students, scholars and their families. As some of them come to faith in Christ, IFM brings them into the fellowship of local churches, helping them mature in their relationship with Christ. IFM seeks to train and equip them to be effective disciple-makers when they return home or wherever they go. Elan & Rani Rajamani serve more than 7000 international students, scholars and families as campus ministers of IFM at Indiana University. IU is one of the top 10 U.S. universities for international student enrollment. Elan and Rani Rajamani are the directors of IFM.
Director: Dana Jones
Region: United States, Bloomington, IN
Purpose/Mission: Wheeler Mission Ministries, Inc. (formerly Backstreet Missions, Inc.) is a not for-profit organization dedicated to providing Christ-centered services to homeless men, women, and children of our community. Their vision is to see every man, woman, and child they serve equipped to become productive citizens who enjoy lasting success in Christ. Outreaches include: Men and women's Homeless Services, Year-round Emergency Shelter and Interfaith Emergency Winter Shelter, Men and women's Residential Programing, Case Management, Kids programs, Addiction Recovery Programs, Meal Service. Sherwood Oaks has partnered with Backstreet since it began.
Executive Director: David Schunk
Region: United States, Bloomington, IN
Purpose/Mission: Youth for Christ Southern Hills exists to reach young people (teenagers 12-19 yrs. old) in southern Indiana. YFC works together with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus. YFC has been going strong in the area since 1989, reaching out to youth through ever-changing methods with a never changing message of the hope of Jesus. Campus Life, Campus Life Middle School, Parent Life, Project Serve and YFC Camp are the ministries currently offered through YFC Southern Hills to over 500 young people each year.
