When we go to church, do we expect anything? Do we expect God to show up in our staid worship services? Do we expect God to show up at church on Christmas Eve? The writer of Isaiah longed for God to come crashing down, interrupting our world and making us pay attention.
Read MoreDuring the fall, many congregations start their annual stewardship campaigns, asking members to pledge for the coming budget year. Many stewardship campaigns ask people to give not just in monetary terms. The phrase one might see is to give of your “time and talent.”
For Dick Patterson, giving of his time and talent is part of what makes a moral life. While some people might be satisfied with writing a check to a cause they love, Dick marries his giving with action.
Read MoreI have a love-hate relationship with the book of Revelation. Actually, it’s more like a love-fear relationship. With a whole lot of fear.
Read MoreIt’s not uncommon these days for a congregation to spend time discerning how to do mission and ministry in the 21st century. What worked in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s often no longer works now. What does it mean to be a congregation at this point in time? How are we witnesses to the gospel right now?
Read More“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.”
Read MoreThe Twin Cities is blessed with a number of faith communities that openly welcome and affirm LGBTQ people, especially in the Minneapolis Area Synod. “Religion Row” at the Twin Cities Pride Festival is filled with booths from various congregations spanning all faiths, an indication of the number of LGBTQ-inclusive faith communities.
Read MoreFor the Steering Committee of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in the Twin Cities, the challenge was agreeing on a date.
While their Minnetonka campus had hosted with Beacon’s shelter program for two decades, the Minneapolis campus was eager to host for the first time. The question was when. “We have a pretty strong program here with a variety of different activities and things going on for children and youth and outside groups that use our space,” said Ben Cieslik, Co-Lead Pastor. “So, allocating the kind of space you need to help families was impractical.”
Then, a lightbulb came on.
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