Guest Blogs Archives - Mpls Area Synod ELCA

Eyes of Compassion – An Invitation to Practice

March 10th, 2026

Nancy Jenkins is a member at Grace Lutheran Church in Andover. One of her pastors, Joanna Mitchell, is the dean of the Rum River Conference and asked her to write this month’s deans blog. She is a part of the mental health team, the strategic dream team, and has participated in Faith Practices and Neighboring Practices.

By Nancy Jenkins
Member at Grace Lutheran, Andover
Rum River Conference Blog

Since most of you don’t know me, I will start by sharing that often I experience something and then later learn that it’s actually “something”. I often stumble my way upon some gem of wisdom – something that works for me or is even seemingly a universal pattern – and then later I read a quote or book by an expert and think, “I have already experienced this!” Looking at people with eyes of compassion is one of these practices in my life.

This practice started during the early days Covid as I sat at a long traffic light. I looked to my right and saw a middle-aged woman eating a banana while she too waited for the light to turn green. Something about that moment – that woman – caught my attention and I breathed a prayer. What was she facing in life? And I felt something gently well up inside of me: compassion. In the four years since that moment, I have thought of this woman many times and breathed a simple prayer for her well-being. Compassion remains.

I thought about the times in Scripture when Jesus practiced compassion.
“When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her.” (Luke 7:13)
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them.” (Matthew 9:36)

Pastor Joanna serving communion

At some point in my journey, I started doing this practice as I sat in my pew during communion. I started to look at each person as they moved across the front of the sanctuary to receive their wine and bread. I would look at them, individually and intentionally, with what I call “eyes of compassion,” allowing my brain to acknowledge whatever story I might know about them and to allow my heart to feel whatever emotions were present.

“There is my friend, Anne who lost her son.” And I would look at her with eyes of compassion and feel the grief, her grief.

“There is Mary, whose husband was recently diagnosed with cancer.” More compassion.

Yes, often I would be moved to tears during this practice. But more so, my whole being felt compassion for the other person.

Of course, not every person at our church is facing hardship and so there were different moments of compassion.

“There is Joan whose daughter lives a long ways away,” and “there is that family with three busy young children; they are so amazing!”

And so I invite you to practice looking at people with eyes of compassion. This practice doesn’t have to be confined to a church. You can practice this while sitting in an airport or at a stoplight or at any moment in your daily life. Look at someone intentionally, allow the thoughts and feelings to arise, and pay attention. What do you notice? What remains?

Blessed are the Young Adults

February 24th, 2026

By Samantha Johnson
Gather Twin Cities

Early in the month of January, young adult participants of Gather Twin Cities, Gather Detroit Lakes, Gather Lakes Area (Alexandria), Gather of the Red River Valley (Moorhead), Gather Twin Ports (Duluth), and Gather Mille Lacs (Onamia) showed up unpolished, frazzled, tired, but hopeful for a weekend celebrating the growth of the Gather Network in Minnesota and desire for community for young adults.

Gather Twin Cities, along with all 52 Gather ministries across the United States and Puerto Rico, is a ministry and point of connection for young adults, led by young adults, who are yearning for community within our area. It’s not designed to replace the kind of community that congregational membership fosters, but rather to be a landing pad for young adults of all different backgrounds and levels of transience. Whether someone is in the search for a new congregation, had meaningful experiences of community in campus ministry or outdoor ministry that has left them wondering how faith plays a role in their life in wake of those experiences, attends a congregation that does not have a young adult-specific ministry, or has even left the church altogether, each young adult who attends Gather Twin Cities brings their whole selves and stories into the mission of being a place of rest and rejuvenation. ELCA Young Adults defines young adulthood as 18 – 35, which is meant to clarify, but never exclude. Gather Twin Cities eagerly welcomes all.

Throughout the retreat, participants spoke openly about the pains and joys of the realities of our communities, and what has sustained them. Leadership cultivated time of listening, reflecting, hiking, worship, music, and fellowship. The retreat closed with zine folding, whistle distribution, conversation about adapting to the realities of what has only continued to unfold around us, and ended with a devotion centering around the Beatitudes from Matthew’s Gospel.

Jesus preaches a radical message, flipping expectations upside down: Blessed are the poor. Blessed are the hungry. Blessed are those who weep. Jesus isn’t just offering comfort; he is disrupting systems that bless the corrupted and crush the vulnerable. He holds to account those who are comfortable and secure, telling the truth about Power. Jesus calls us all to engage in walking alongside our communities so all of God’s creation can flourish.

Young adults today resonate with this call. To equip young adults with tools to follow Christ’s example — which is to dismantle structures that oppress God’s creation and engage in loving our neighbors — means investing in, mentoring, listening to, and sharing decision-making power with young adults. This is why, after years of growing the Gather Network, we were ecstatic to hold this retreat by and for us.

The Beatitudes written by young adults attending the first ever all-Minnesota Gathers retreat last month echo that same upside-down, theology of the cross vision of kingdom come, though through the lens of lived experience: uncertainty, frazzlement, unsureness, unpolished, tired, hungry for justice.

Blessed are those who yearn for authentic connections, for they will be fully seen, fully known, and fully loved.
Blessed are those thirsting for change, longing for peace and security, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are those whose smile radiates God’s love for all creation, for they will help others see light in the darkness.
Blessed are the empathetic, for their kindness heals broken relationships, hearts, and spirits.
Blessed are the artists whose creativity documents reality, for their honesty memorializes our lament and preserves our joy.
Blessed are the youth of the world, for they have power and agency to make meaningful and loving change.
Blessed are the organizers, for you are bringing the Kingdom of God to life. Protestors, dispatchers, community and advocacy, medics, and artists be blessed.

These Beatitudes remind us that the Spirit of God continues to speak through our voices. They name blessings in places culture may consider soft, ordinary, average, or even too much.

Blessed are the young adults who stir up holy disruption, challenging injustice, for they will help bring God’s kingdom to earth.

If you’d like to learn more about Gather Twin Cities, check out our instagram @gathertwincities or head to our website, www.gathertwincities.org.

Making a Joyful Noise, Together

February 10th, 2026

This post is one of the monthly posts blog posts written by the deans of the conferences of the Minneapolis Area Synod.

By Pastor Joseph Schattauer Paillé
Community of the Cross Lutheran, Bloomington
Dean of the Bloomington Conference

Imagine your doctor told you about a daily vitamin that would expand your breathing capacity, improve your posture, and relax muscle tension. In addition, it can alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression in many people, and make it easier for them to form social relationships. Best of all, the vitamin had no negative side effects. “Sign me up!” you’d say.

That vitamin doesn’t exist. However, researchers tell us you can achieve all those physical, emotional, and social health benefits simply by singing in a choir.

Around the time of the Lutheran Reformation, choirs were mainly found in cathedrals or churches in urban centers. Today, most of the churches we serve have some kind of choral ensemble. (On snowy Sundays, the choir may even make up most of the assembly.) Choral and music programs can be a natural way of building interfaith, ecumenical, and even interdenominational relationships.

Last year, Jamie Manzi-Moore, who serves as the Director of Music and Worship Ministries at Community of the Cross (CCLC), partnered with St. Luke’s Lutheran Church and Oak Grove Presbyterian Church to offer a spring concert of choral and handbell music. Since they are across the street, St. Luke’s and Oak Grove had offered joint concerts before, but they looked outside their neighborhood for this most recent iteration.

Jamie says, “I jumped at the chance as I saw it as a wonderful community building event. It is a great way to bring our churches together to experience new music, sing, and ring with a larger group. We also collected donations for VEAP, which all of our churches partner with and support.”

In addition to pieces by each church’s ensembles, the program also included combined handbell and choir pieces. “My favorite part of the program was the large group number ‘An Irish Melody’ by Margaret R. Tucker,” Jamie says, “which included all bell choirs and adult vocal choirs.”

The largest issue organizers ran into when planning wasn’t aligning rehearsal schedules or arranging music licensing or even getting enough bass singers—it was managing the overflow parking for attendees. A good problem to have!

Moments like these remind us that singing is more than music—it’s one of the ways we embody being Church Together, strengthening our shared life in Christ. May our collective song keep building bridges and blessing our communities.

—–

This year’s Spring Ring and Sing will be hosted at CCLC on Saturday, April 25, at 3:00 p.m. If you are interested in learning more about the planning process for this service and what ideas might work for planning a joint or ecumenical program in your own context, Jamie can be reached at music@cclcmn.org.

Learning to Rest, Learning to Rise: What Young Adults Are Teaching Me Right Now

January 27th, 2026

By Pastor Kate Reuer Welton
Campus Pastor, Lutheran Campus Ministry Twin Cities, University of Minnesota

It is, perhaps, no secret that it is a hard time to be a young adult right now. Chaos, cruelty, and dehumanization have taken hold. Faithfully-discerned callings that were their north star through all night study sessions – in research, public health, clean energy, etc. have evaporated due to funding cuts. They want to make a difference, but it is hard to know how. Loneliness remains an ever-present force, that I believe undergirds many of the problems we’re collectively facing. And that is to say nothing of the challenges they bring with them as ordinary students, and people experiencing identity shifts, health issues, grief, and loss – just like we all do.

It is no wonder, then, that our community this year has been marked by a kind of introspection and thoughtfulness, and by a felt need to take rest with one another and especially with God. They come to worship because they need it. They need the community Christ gathers. They need to hear the stories of their faith ancestors weathering the storms, to hear the Gospel proclaimed, and to receive the sacraments. They need to hear that God loves them before and beyond whatever they do or don’t do. There is a hunger within them to receive, to just melt into the love of God.

But there is also a hunger to share that love of God. To extend, to mend, and to build. I am writing this note to you, people of the Minneapolis Area Synod, as our state is in remarkable turmoil and students have not yet fully returned to campus. ICE is everywhere and people are terrified. I cannot say yet, in what ways they, and we, will share that call to love our neighbors. That is theirs to decide. But I can report that in this hostile world, these students are some of the kindest and most inclusive people I’ve encountered in my years on this earth. They are marked by mercy. And however they choose to respond will be creative, loving, and hope-filled – it’s just who they are.

We will continue to gather for worship and to feed people at our weekly free meal, Be Fed. We are leaning into small groups and expanding that ministry as the need for close community becomes needed more each day. We will continue to offer blessings on campus, and host important conversations, and show up alongside other Gophers doing important work. And we will also lean into joy — whether tubing at Theo Wirth or hosting a lock in at a nearby church.

Some need to rest, and others to rise, and thanks be to God we have a community, a tradition, and a God that makes all this possible. The young adults I work with have been my teachers from the start, and I am so grateful to them for that. They teach me flexibility and encourage playfulness. Their deep hunger, earnestness, curiosity, honesty, and creativity has deepened my own faith and expanded my understanding of all that God is capable of in the world.

Thank you, people of the Minneapolis Area Synod, for all of the ways you support and lift up this ministry, in the midst of the over 60,000 young adults at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. We are so grateful!

On Mending A Tear

January 13th, 2026

This post is one of the monthly posts blog posts written by the deans of the conferences of the Minneapolis Area Synod.

By Rev. Chris Beckman
Corporate Director for Spiritual Care for the Ebenezer Society
Dean of Chaplains and Specialized Ministers

I’m a mender. Not a whole cloth seamstress or fine tailor, but a basic mender. I repair things when they tear. A button falls off. A seam opens. A shoe starts to come apart at the sole. My leather hockey glove develops a hole in the palm. Needle and thread. Seam ripper and thimble. Upholstery cording, a leather awl, and even a pair of pliers. Simple. Basic. Functional. Nothing terribly fancy, elegant, or noteworthy.

I often bring something to mend during meetings. I, like you, sit in a lot of long meetings. And even though we are addressing the most Gospel of topics – racial justice, food distribution in a world with barns overflowing, the safety of children – my mind tends to wander. So, I mend. It might seem like I am not paying attention or even being disruptive to the proceedings, but I can assure you that my mending actually helps me to maintain a focus and find my center. Having my hands engaged in simple and basic stitches somehow enables me to follow along closely and participate in a deeply engaged way.

I first noticed this when I spent a year in Stockholm, studying among the Swedish Covenanters. Many of my classmates, women and men, would knit during class. I was offended and thought them disrespectful to the professor. They assured me that having hand work to do during class helped them to stay focused. How right they were. Articles abound about the benefits of knitting, crocheting, stitching, or any other simple and rhythmic motion done with our hands. It can allow our minds to settle and concentrate and find a center. Studies in psychology suggest the profound benefits of stress reduction and increases in wellness.

Pastor Chris can be seen sewing during a training (far right side of the picture)

It’s tempting to make connections to our theological and spiritual lives. Using our hands with prayer beads or a Rosary. The ancient tradition of centering prayer. The tactile beauty of holding candles and putting on vestments. It’s possible that Luther remembered his Baptism through the daily activity of washing his face. Brother Lawrence found his remembrance of Baptism as a washer of dishes and Theresa of Avila among the pots and pans. What is it that you do daily with your hands that could help you to find your center?

It seems easy to make a case for hand work to be a spiritual discipline. In Acts 9, we learn that Dorcas, the beloved disciple in Joppa famous for her good works, sewed clothes for the poor and widows. Modern Christians created the Dorcas Societies to follow in her footsteps. The Biblical narrative suggests Paul was a tent maker who would have used needle and thread to both create and repair – the exact tools I use in my mending. And if we really want to make the cosmic connection we can look to the beauty of the Psalmist: “For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13) Lest I get too grand in my quest for spiritual centering, I remind myself that what I most appreciate about the act of mending – is that I am getting something practical done.

When I realized that this blog was to come out immediately following the shooting in Minneapolis, I thought my topic a poor choice. What does mending have to do with this tragedy? We are praying for peace on earth, for the Kingdom of God to come near, for justice to be served – and you want to talk about mending a tear in your hockey glove?! It might be the realization that profound words now escape me. That my actions seem so small and woefully unlikely to bring about peace on earth. But at least I know a way for me to find a center in the midst of this storm – through my simple act of mending a tear.

And then my colleague offered me the poetry that would bind this together. She shared a blessing for healing from the poetry of Jan Richardson in her book, “How the Stars Get in Your Bones.”

If it breaks
our heart,
no matter,
the tenderness
that undoes us
knows also
how to mend,

like the needle
that stiches up
the willing cloth,
piercing as it
repairs.

Blessings on the journey,
Chris

Real Presence at Christmastime

December 16th, 2025

This post is one of the monthly posts blog posts written by the deans of the conferences of the Minneapolis Area Synod.

By Pastor Sheryl Bousu
Lyndale Lutheran Church, Maple Plain
394 Corridor North Conference

*“It’s the weekend before Christmas, and Bobby, in Boston, gets a call from his elderly father in Pittsburgh. The father says, ‘Bobby, your mother’s making me crazy. I’ve had six decades of picking up after her. We’re getting a divorce. Don’t try to talk us out of it.’ Dad hangs up. Bobby immediately calls Geraldine, his older sister in Hong Kong, waking her from a dead sleep. Within minutes, Geraldine—ever the older sister!—telephones their parents in Pittsburgh. In a shrill, rushed voice she says, ‘Dad, you and mom have been together for sixty years! How much time do you think you have left? I will not let you waste your golden years in bitter legal battles. I don’t care what the issue is, we will work it out. Am I understood? Don’t do a thing. Bobby and I will both be there on the first flights we can catch.’ Geraldine hangs up. The old man smiles at his wife and gently kisses her hand. ‘Well, my love, looks like they’ll both be home for Christmas this year.’”*

At Christmastime, presence is so much more important than presents!

The pandemic taught us that presence is more important than presents. We had to try harder, be more intentional, be more imaginative, be more open to new ways, and be more patient in order to enjoy the gift of presence. And isn’t the Christmas story simply a (not-so-simple) tale of divine presence? A disgraced and pregnant teenage girl, a dreaming carpenter, a barnyard birth, and the earthy, simple claim that God is with us. God is not far off or beyond our reach. God is around and within. The message of Christmas is that God does not dwell in remote majesty and splendor, but becomes present in all our human struggle, sharing our indignities, outrage, and shame. God is equally present in our laughter and love. Emmanuel, God with us!

Always the first candle lit in Advent is the candle for Hope. All is never lost.

As a nation and a world we continue to struggle with division. The reports of detention, deportation, violence, inhumanity, and heartbreak are ever more numerous. The doctor’s news is bad. The telephone rings in the middle of the night. Someone you love is angry, bored, or frightened, and you don’t know why. There are no easy answers at such times. But we can do what God does in Jesus; we can show up in the flesh. We can remember we are called to show up and share hope. We can be the hope we talk about that first Sunday of Advent; the hope that gets its hands dirty. The hope that looks like showing up on a doorstep with a casserole (or a hotdish – my Montana roots are showing), making a phone call, marching in a protest, sending a text, or taking time to mail a card. All of this is a part of what we mean when we say that God comes to us in the flesh. It’s called “incarnation” — this idea that God’s presence somehow flooded Jesus’ humanity, giving us a glimpse of a human life filled with the holy. Christmas comes down to our belief that our amazing God willingly enters into all the shame, blame, and messiness of a beautiful and broken world. God is not far. God is nearby. God is the hope we are called to share. Incarnation means reaching out in love to the disadvantaged, sick, aged, young, helpless, anxious, sad, and the hopeless. We can show love for the animals, forests, plants, and oceans. Stand with them, for this is how God stands with humanity in Christ. Light one candle for hope. Peace and joy and love will follow.

Advent Blessings,
Pastor Sheryl

* ^{story shared with permission from Pastor Joel Martyn, Kihei Lutheran Church in Hawaii}

The Odds and Ends of Being Church Together

November 24th, 2025

This post is one of the monthly posts blog posts written by the deans of the conferences of the Minneapolis Area Synod.

By Pastor Trevor Skorburg
Zion Lutheran, Buffalo
Dean of the Western Waters Conference

What does an old gas can, handmade cards, and sweet treats all have in common?

Well, for over 40 years, Zion Lutheran in Buffalo has hosted an annual Christmas Market led by the Harvest of Hands team. All the funds raised go to local and global hunger relief. It’s a place where you’d find some great white elephant gifts (an old gas can), lovingly crafted presents to share (handmade cards), and something to munch on during all the shopping (those sweet treats). It’s an eclectic image that ultimately points to serving those in need.

In many ways, it’s a fitting picture of the Church. The wide and diverse body of Christ gathers together the many odds and ends. In one of the more well-known passages from Paul, he writes how the assembly of Jesus-followers is like our very bodies: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ…Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Cor. 12:12, 27, NRSVUE). The church, at its best and truest self, is a diverse body with many odds and ends, people who wouldn’t have met otherwise if not for this unique gathering that is church. Where the powers and principalities of this planet may offer only isolation, individualism, and separation, God speaks of the communal, the collective, and the reconciliation.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the church becomes an array of gifts gathered together. And while we may look at the church and wonder how all these people fit together, indeed we do by the grace of God. This is what our synod certainly reflects. As we stretch across metropolitan Minneapolis into suburbs, exurbs, and rural towns and cities, we reflect God’s vision of church that sees beyond what we could imagine.

Pastor Trevor from Zion, Buffalo, and Kelly Mielke from Redeemer, Minneapolis, delivering meals to the community around Redeemer

Where we would exclaim ‘A gas can, handmade cards, and sweet treats don’t go together!’, God finds a way to bring us together in spite of the differences, for the sake of the neighbor. Like any good potluck, being church together brings more than we can on our own – a potluck with lefse & krumkake, as well as tamales & mole, sambuusas & bariis – ultimately feeds the world. As part of this synod, we know and celebrate the differences among us. And as part of this synod, we embrace the ELCA values of “Inclusion and diversity” which state, “As Christ’s church, we value the richness of God’s creation and offer a radical welcome to all people, appreciating our common humanity and our differences. We are a church that does not view diversity as a barrier to unity.”[1] Our unity in Christ leads us, the odds and ends, to be brought together in ways we couldn’t imagine: shared meals from Wright County to Glenwood Avenue {+pic 2 of Pastor Trevor from Zion, Buffalo and Kelly Mielke from Redeemer, Minneapolis delivering meals to the community around Redeemer}; worshipping together across neighborhoods and languages; and friendships formed in faith at a Tool Kit tens of miles from home. Each of these little moments from synod gatherings is a gas can, greeting cards, and sweet treats meeting and learning what things they share.

All of this, of course, is evident in the communion table which draws all of us together at The Meal. With the simplicity of bread and wine/juice, we join Jesus’ dinner table which welcomes, invites, and insists on hosting those who would be turned away elsewhere, deemed to not ‘fit in’ to the overall pallet of a place. As we turn to the holiday season and these closing weeks of 2025, and gather with family and friends, may we always make room for our fellow odds and ends that our tables may extend from that Table of Grace into the whole world. Thanks be to God that we are Church Together, odd as it may seem.

[1] https://www.elca.org/about/vision-and-purpose

Abundant Life

November 18th, 2025

This post continues the Mission Table’s “Year of Partnership” highlighting the new and strategic ministries of the Minneapolis Area Synod. Our Redeemer Oromo Evangelical Church is one of the strategic ministries and worships in Minneapolis.

By Pastor Asefa Wakjira
Our Redeemer Oromo Evangelical Church, Minneapolis

There is a 28-second video on YouTube where a journalist asked famous reggae singer Bob Marley about his incredibly successful music career. Here is an exact transcript from the video:

Journalist: Are you a rich man?
Bob Marley: What do you mean rich? 
Journalist: You have a lot of possessions? A lot of money in the bank?
Bob Marley: Possessions make you rich?  I don’t have that type of richness. My richness is life. 

Reflecting on my journey through the candidacy process to become a rostered leader in Minneapolis Area Synod, I feel like Bob Marley.  I believe I’m rich in life. What has made me feel rich in life is the gift of friendship.   I found pastors, chaplains, and spiritual directors who were genuinely eager to show me the way and cheer me on in my candidacy journey.  They were generous with their time and attention.  I believe this comes from God.  After my candidacy was approved, the Synod worked with me to make my ordination day special.  The ordination day was beautiful. Many pastors and ministry friends in our synod showed up. There were also friends from the chaplaincy world who participated in amazing ways. My parents even came from Ethiopia, despite the challenging visa process these days. Many people from different Oromo Churches in the Twin Cities gathered, and a few friends and family members travelled great distances to Minnesota.  

Pastor Asefa with the Our Redeemer Oromo Council Members: Obbo Aaron Abdissa, Adde Wubitu Sima, Obbo Deresu Taressa, and Adde Lydia Ashana (L to R)

The Apostle Paul said, “God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).  God uses people who show up in a meaningful way to meet our needs. For me and my Church, Our Redeemer Oromo Evangelical Church, God blesses us richly with the accompaniment of our synod and other local partners.  Life and ministry flourish when we walk together.  

I’m grateful for the journey and accompaniment I have been provided with. It may not be easy to step out of the circles that we know and are comfortable with. But we are called to reach out to help individuals and communities who are in need.  That is how we become rich in life. Jesus said, ‘I came that they may have life and have it abundantly’ (John 10:10). Irrespective of the environment that tears community and country apart, we are called to be together. Abundance and rich life is found in community. 

BOLD Community

October 28th, 2025

This post continues the Mission Table’s “Year of Partnership” highlighting the new and strategic ministries of the Minneapolis Area Synod. Bread of Life Deaf Lutheran Church is one of the strategic ministries and worships in Minneapolis.

By Janie Barlow
Communications and Office Manager at Bread of Life Deaf Lutheran Church

Bread of Life Deaf Lutheran Church may surprise some people. Some of you may be trying to picture in your minds how Deaf people can worship and how they honor God in their fellowship. For most of you, perhaps we are something new for you to learn about. For some of you, we are partners in ministry or have become acquainted with each other. Perhaps you have seen some of our leaders and members at different Synod events with American Sign Language interpreters. Here’s the scoop!

We are Bread of Life Deaf, also known as BOLD, and our number one focus is Deaf Ministry. We serve the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf Blind community in the Twin Cities area as well as the farther parts of Minnesota. In recent years, our livestreams have also reached Deaf individuals and Deaf ministries across the United States. We even connect with some Deaf and Deaf ministries in Africa! Our church has been Deaf-run, Deaf-owned for 70 years now! Psst, that means we are older than the ELCA and MAS. We had a building that we owned for 68 years. Recently, we moved to live under Minnehaha Communion Lutheran Church to live without the added stress and financial responsibility of maintaining a building with an aging congregation, as we decided to instead shift our focus and our ministry back to the Deaf community.

Through the years, we have had a number of hearing Pastors lead or take over our congregation (“hearing” is what we call the population that have full use of their ears). We have supported all the hearing Pastors in taking their time to learn our language, American Sign Language (ASL). We also teach and support them as they learn our culture and our needs. We have had two deaf or hard of hearing Pastors in our 70 years of ministry. We have had a Deaf Deacon, Dorothy Sparks, for well over 30 years. We have grown in numbers and we have declined in numbers. We are currently in the same situation that many small churches are in – we are working to figure out what and how our ministry works and what that looks like in this day and age while trying to do it all with a small group of regular people. We know that we want to serve our Deaf community and its members, and we can also serve our local community. Combining the two or serving the two are easier said than done. We also are in great need of supporting and lifting up potential future Deaf leaders to serve in Deaf Ministry. With all of this discerning and planning, it is easy to get overwhelmed.

One thing that has not changed in the 70 years of BOLD would be the way that we have worship. Worship is ALWAYS expressed in American Sign Language (ASL). ASL is our core, is our safety, is our culture, and is our connection to one another. Fellowship comes easy when it comes to the Deaf community. We all have different backgrounds, different degrees of hearing loss, different devices (or none) used to hear, and different skill levels of signing but that doesn’t stop us from being welcoming and connecting with one another. Our music is not your music. When we have music in our worship service, our music is loud and deep with bass and drums beating. We FEEL the music, and worship through this music. We also SHOW our worship as we sign to the heavens and praise our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. As we pray each week, our hands move in prayer as if we tell a story. Sometimes, a gospel story turns into a small performance – ASL can sometimes look like that! We cherish and fiercely protect our culture and Deaf ministry.

That’s not to say that we exclude others – quite the opposite. If we have visitors who are learning or want to learn ASL on any level, they’re welcome! If we find others that want to learn about us and truly want to understand how to be an ally for our church and our community, welcome! If you’re simply curious about how a Deaf church worships or you’re visiting by an invitation of one of our community members, we welcome you! Each one of us is a child of God, and through God, we are the family and body of Christ. We have been here for 70 years, and with God’s Blessings, we hope to be around for many more!

Sixty-four Different Competencies

September 23rd, 2025

This post is one of the monthly posts blog posts written by the deans of the conferences of the Minneapolis Area Synod.

By Pastor Katie Jorgenson
Faith Lutheran Church, Waconia
Dean of the Southwest Conference

What American corporate culture labels as weakness is actually at the very heart of true church community: relying on one another’s gifts and being honest about our needs.

A friend of mine was sharing his work culture and how challenging it was to have a culture of self-improvement or a personal growth mindset. He shared how his friend, the company CEO, felt like he was ‘supposed to know everything,’ when, in fact, he knew he did not know everything. It left me wondering, how often do churches expect pastors to know everything?

For over a decade, the University of Notre Dame has been studying what it means for pastors to flourish in ministry. Researchers, led by Dr. Matt Bloom, have conducted interviews and surveys with over 20,000 pastors. Years ago, I was selected for the interview portion of the Flourishing in Ministry research project and sat for multiple interviews.

Pastor Katie using one of her many competencies

One finding from the research contends that “performing all of the tasks required of most local church pastors would require sixty-four different personal competencies.” The researchers note that it is inconceivable and impossible for one person to excel in all 64 distinct knowledge, skills, abilities, and personal characteristics.[i] This particular study focused on pastors, but surely similar statistics could be true about lay leaders and people in all different kinds of jobs as well.

Recently, a pastoral colleague shared that during a performance evaluation, they were criticized for asking for help with a new responsibility. Is the church, in practice, overlooking our calling to be the Body of Christ—collaborative and interconnected—when we expect individuals to excel across so many areas? Are we forgetting what it truly means to be church together?

In the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he writes, “Now there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit… To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:4, 7) Congregations need the gifts of all those who show up during the week, whether people come for worship or faith formation, or to share in meals or the gifts of music.

At a worship service a few years ago, we were short one sound tech. I had a proficient knowledge of the system, so I stepped in. The senior pastor began leading worship and noted that I was running the sound booth. About five minutes later, one of my volunteers came rushing in, “I was watching the livestream and heard you were running the soundboard, so it’s good I live close,” he said. This volunteer said to me, “Get up there and lead worship. I can’t do your job, so let me do mine.”

Being church together is about sharing our Spirit-given gifts with one another for the common good of all. What gifts and skills do you have that you can share with the Body of Christ, so that we can all flourish in our shared life together?

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[i] Dr. Matt Bloom, Flourishing in Ministry: How to Cultivate Clergy Wellbeing, 9

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