By John Mai
Just a few blocks away from Lake Nokomis sits a newly renovated church on 31st Avenue in South Minneapolis. Previously home only to Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church (ELCA), the building now additionally houses Living Table UCC (United Church of Christ) and Spirit of Saint Stephen’s Catholic Community. The three worshiping bodies have joined in an ecumenical partnership which is aptly named New Branches.
Kathryn Selin, president of Lake Nokomis Lutheran, sings at New Branches’ dedication service.
When Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church called Pastor Sara Spohr as its senior pastor in the fall of 2020, New Branches was already blooming. Murmurings of joining multiple churches under one roof were already circulating when Pastor Sara first arrived, she recalls. She has since helped guide the congregation through its new partnership, in addition to her guidance through the pandemic.
“This feels like a new way of doing church,” Pastor Sara explains. “We’re focusing on the branches.”
“When Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church called Pastor Sara Spohr as its senior pastor in the fall of 2020, New Branches was already blooming.”
The roots of any church cannot be understated. Shared traditions, values, and faith are just a few things that ground a church. Together, these three congregations are additionally focused on the branches – on sending people out. Simply sharing space with other denominations helps these branches grow naturally.
“I think this will shape how we interact with our neighbors, and how our neighbors see us,” Pastor Sara continues. Choosing to exist in ecumenical partnership is an act of branching out. Sharing time, staff, resources, and passion for faithful community are all acts of branching out. Living Table, Spirit Catholic Community, and Lake Nokomis are setting themselves up to be connected by strong and beautifully tangled branches.
PASTOR RACHAEL KEEFE shares this sentiment. “I hope that our uniqueness can strengthen our partnership,” she says. Pastor Rachael proudly describes Living Table UCC as gay. She explains, “That’s often how people recognize us: ‘Oh, that’s the gay church.’” This has been true of Living Table’s congregants for decades, and it’s also true of the younger generations they attract. Their stoles and altars are frequently ornamented with the colors of a pride flag. Pastor Rachael describes Living Table as a place for people of all gender and sexuality expressions.
Representatives from all three church councils gather around the newly planted tree.
She elaborates that this commitment to inclusivity goes hand in hand with Living Table’s commitment to social justice. Creating an environment that is welcoming to all and that practices antiracism are two strong pieces of the church’s mission. “It’s how we want to function in our community,” Pastor Rachael states.
“I believe that the next Reformation is going to put that puzzle back together again.”
Spirit Catholic Community describes itself on paper as an “independent Catholic community rooted in social justice.” In practice, this blows open the doors for community members to become lay leaders. During their worship services, all readings, homilies, and sacraments are all facilitated by lay leadership.
Allison Connelly-Vetter, Communications Coordinator and Children, Youth, and Families Coordinator, is one of two paid staff members at Spirit Catholic Community. “Even as we are all unique, … we share a lot of the same values,” she says of New Branches. She believes that all three congregations bring their own strengths to the partnership, and these strengths multiply when they collaborate.
Facilitating youth events, for instance, can often be a numbers game. Fortunately, gathering youth from New Branches’ three congregations can help events reach a critical mass. These youth events have not been limited to the liturgical calendar; other events Connelly-Vetter has helped plan include comprehensive sex education and even trunk-or-treat.
NEW BRANCHES CELEBRATED its partnership with a dedication service in the fall of 2022. It embodied New Branches’ ecumenical nature, both in ritual and fellowship.
The service was the first time all three congregations gathered together, and it was deliberately planned to give members from all worshiping bodies the opportunity to learn and grow together. They sang songs that were familiar to everyone, as well as ones that were unique to each denomination. Parishioners and lay leaders from all three congregations led the service, forming a liturgy built with pieces from all three traditions.
Congregants from all three congregations gather for food and fellowship after the dedication service.
The dedication service embellished the theme of trees, branches, and growing. Visible through the windows in the building’s largest sanctuary sits a young tree that was planted to symbolize New Branches’ union, and the dedication service concluded with a ceremonial watering of that tree. Leaders from each congregation blessed a pitcher of water, then took the pitcher from the sanctuary to water the tree during the closing hymn – in view of all who were gathered.
“The dedication service was the first time all three congregations gathered together, and it was deliberately planned to give members from all worshiping bodies the opportunity to learn and grow together.”
After the service, congregants stayed for food and fellowship. Connelly-Vetter anticipated that they would need encouragement to meet new people and to branch outside of their own communities, but she noted that “[everyone] seemed excited to meet new people and sit with someone they didn’t know.”
Pastor Sara had a clear understanding of how New Branches fits in the history of the Christian church. For centuries, Christianity has separated into denominations like individual puzzle pieces to allow Christians to worship with others who shared their beliefs. The Lutheran church itself is famously known for its origin through the Reformation. Pastor Sara states, “I believe that the next Reformation is going to put that puzzle back together again. This will happen, one group at a time, or in our case three!”
New Branches looks forward to continuing to connect with their community surrounding Lake Nokomis and in South Minneapolis. Visit their website for more information about what their newly renovated facilities have to offer.