By John Mai How can Minnesota Lutherans better connect with their Latino siblings? Several leaders in the Minneapolis Area Synod, including Pastor Jorge Espinoza, think this is an important question for congregants to ask. Over the past several years, Pastor Jorge and his wife Pastor Stephanie Espinoza have been a part of Lutheran congregations in […]
Realizing that God called the Mount Olivet Lutheran community to be open, they noticed that the church sat at a pedestrian entrance to French Regional Park. Church members could see people walking past the congregation and into the park. The congregation entered into a conversation with the Three Rivers Park District and other organizations to create a “healing walk” for the community. “If you got a park as a neighbor, how can we not just be a fence line but actually shared space with the public?” Pastor Beth Horsch said. “How do we deepen that relationship and look at something that we can share?”
Ministry Imagination Grants: Imagine. Innovate. Initiate. By Nick Tangen On Sunday mornings at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Pastor Ingrid Rasmussen often shakes the hands of congregants as they leave the sanctuary and takes a moment to talk with individual members. Regularly these conversations include discussion of the worship service itself, and it was in these […]
Ministry Imagination Grants: Imagine. Innovate. Initiate. By Nick Tangen In 1908 a delegation of 25 young Lutherans at Augustana Lutheran Church in South Minneapolis founded Messiah Lutheran Church, with the goal of providing English-language services for newly arrived Swedish immigrants. With the help of financial support from a synodical Ministry Imagination Grant, these two small […]
By John Mai Hurricane Harvey struck parts of Texas and Louisiana in 2017, and over the past two years, St. Philip’s Disaster Relief has made five trips to Conrow, Texas, to assist in long-term recovery. Mike Anderson and Renee Johnson, the relief program’s two coordinators, and 12 other volunteers embarked on the team’s 76th overall […]
Ministry Imagination Grants: Imagine. Innovate. Initiate. By Nick Tangen Every Wednesday at Zion Lutheran Church in South Minneapolis a group of congregants and neighbors gather to serve and share a meal and build community around the table. These Lyndale Community Dinners have been a staple of this neighborhood’s life for nearly 20 years, and the […]
By John Mai On October 11, 2019, Minneapolis Area Synod Bishop Ann Svennungsen was honored with Concordia College’s Alumni Achievement Award. She received the award during the college’s Homecoming Banquet in front of hundreds of alumni who returned to their alma mater. Three other alumni – Dr. Paul Brandvik (59), Dr. Kristi Ferguson (71), and […]
Ministry Imagination Grants: Imagine. Innovate. Initiate. By Dennis Sanders “We say we’re bondage to sin and can’t free ourselves,” says Ed Treat, the pastor of Transfiguration Lutheran Church in Bloomington. “Addiction is anything that you do that is hurtful, you know, and you keep doing it.” Treat understands what it means to be in bondage. […]
By John Mai Caleb Rollins has been working for Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVC) for just a short month, but you would not suspect this by looking at him. The truth is, Caleb carries himself like a seasoned professional. His confidence in himself and enthusiasm about his work make him apt to be the program manager […]
By Courtney Olsen In an age in which rhetoric around the “dying church” is prevalent and laden with emotion, less attention is focused on the ways in which churches are adapting to give new life to their congregations. Against such a backdrop and faced with low membership and subsequently lower financial contributions, First Lutheran Church […]