A sacred ripple effect

By Sharon Steinhoff Smith, council president at Holy Trinity, New Prague

When Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in New Prague, Minnesota, completed a fundraising drive to renovate their building, they vowed to fund the construction without debt. That meant making hard choices about what was and was not included. An expanded sanctuary, an upgraded kitchen, and an improved youth space were in scope. Replacements for the 46-year-old sanctuary chairs were not part of the plan.

Construction was underway when church members George and Joan Winn decided the old seating didn’t honor the new look, and they generously offered to fund new seats. On October 16, Co-pastor Ben Hilding made a call to Sauder Manufacturing Company, which specializes in sanctuary seating, to place an order for new seats. The contract stated a 28-week lead time, which meant the chairs would arrive in late April. While Pastor Ben hoped they’d be delivered in time for Easter services, the Winns challenged him further. “Tell them you want them by Christmas,” George said. Sauder replied to the request with a good-natured laugh.

Fast forward to December 5 when Laura Magnuson, Holy Trinity’s lead planner and owner’s representative, contacted Pastor Ben with surprising news. Sauder met Holy Trinity’s delivery request – and more. The complete order of chairs would be delivered not just in time for Easter. Not just in time for Christmas. The delivery would be made in time for Holy Trinity’s ribbon-cutting ceremony the following week, a full 20 weeks ahead of schedule!

This unexpected gift provided an unexpected challenge: what to do with the current 300 sanctuary chairs?  They needed to be removed in just days to make room for the new ones, which would be professionally installed. Holy Trinity didn’t have room to store them, so they needed other options. The pastors (including Co-Pastor Alicia Hilding) and the Leadership Team decided the chairs, still with a lot of life in them, should go on to bless other churches. “These aren’t our chairs. They’re God’s chairs,” said Pastor Ben.

The Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA suggested a Facebook group for local church leaders. So, Pastor Ben posted: free, well-loved chairs, for immediate pick up.

The response was swift.

• Scott Richards, Pastor at St. Paul’s and Trinity Lutheran in Gaylord saw the post and called a late-night church leadership meeting at his house. Trinity Lutheran was built in the 1860s and the balcony pews are original. They needed to be replaced. The team measured their space and requested 40 chairs.
• Dr. Kelly Sherman-Conroy is a pastor at All Nations Indian Church in Minneapolis. She has been there about a year and said she’s been trying to “heal” the building after they had to troubleshoot numerous facility challenges. She said, “If you happen to have any left, it would be a beautiful surprise to our community this Advent!” They needed 50 chairs.
• Pastor Elizabeth Bier serves at Emmanuel Lutheran, Longwood, WI. Emmanuel’s original 115-year-old church burned down this past summer due to lightning. As they worship full time in their adjacent Parish Hall, they’ve been seeking ways to make that space feel more comfortable and inviting, but hadn’t even dreamed about alternatives for the (cold) metal folding chairs until Pastor Bier saw Pastor Ben’s Facebook post. They requested 30 chairs.
• Brenda Olson Bingea reached out from First Lutheran Church. They are an urban ministry involved in intense outreach to their neighborhood in Dayton’s Bluff, on St. Paul’s Eastside, partnering with others serving folks who are experiencing homelessness, as well as youth and recovery programs. Currently, they are rebuilding their sanctuary to house both mission and worship experiences. They have completed a master plan to renew and rebuild their sanctuary space including a switch from pews to chairs. “There are many aspects of the project that have been challenging for us, and being able to consider these chairs as part of our overall plan would be an absolute gift,” said Brenda. “It’s exactly what we’ve been hoping we could do.” They asked for 180 chairs.

Is God a sacred mathematician? Maybe. There were 300 chairs available and within hours requests were made for 40 + 50 + 30 + 180. It’s not advanced math, but it all adds up.

Dr. Sherman-Conroy offered these thoughts as part of a sending prayer before the chairs moved on to their new locations:

Creator God, we come before you with hearts full of gratitude for this sacred gift of chairs, each one holding the prayers, stories, and moments of those who have gathered in faith. These chairs have witnessed life, carried burdens, and supported joy. . . May these chairs find new purpose in their communities, becoming places of rest, healing, and connection for all who gather. May those who sit upon them feel your presence and be reminded of the love and hope that unites us as one body in Christ. Amen.