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The Block Club at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Zion’s mission partner congregation, is holding their 2nd Annual Bold Women Quilt Auction (at Redeemer, 1800 Glenwood Avenue Minneapolis) on July 25, 2009 at 10am.

A brunch will be served the morning of the auction, everyone attending is asked to bring school supplies. There will be a live auction of handmade quilts, silent auction baskets and handmade items for sale. Proceeds from the auction will be going to a Women’s sewing project in Mexico, a school in Togo and to Redeemer Lutheran’s Capital Campaign.

The Block Club at Redeemer is an outreach ministry to women, teens and kids in the Harrison neighborhood. The age range of the quilters is 8 to 93. This outreach ministry was formed 4 years ago and has been a blessing to many.

By Pastor Kelly Chatman of Redeemer Lutheran Church

This month as we celebrate the 100th anniversary at Redeemer, we give thanks that for one hundred years Redeemer has been blessed to lead people to faith. A congregation is a faith community where people witness to the story of God’s love and inspire others to have lives of faith.

On July 23, 2002, nine miners in Western Pennsylvania became trapped in a flooded mine. The injured and desperate miners tied themselves together so that the stronger ones could sustain the weaker ones as they waited to be rescued. Journalists from across the nation reported the rescue effort, which took five long days. No one could believe it when all nine miners emerged safely from the mine.

On July 30, the people of the small mining community gathered for a worship service to thank God for saving the miners’ lives. At the ceremony, there were ten miners’ lamps set up on the altar, even though there were only nine miners. At that worship celebration, the tenth lamp was to represent the presence of God, which the miners claimed they could feel as they waited to be rescued. It was this “10th Person” they honored as they read Psalm 103: “Praise the Lord . . Who redeems your life from the pit.”

This month we celebrate the 100 year anniversary of Redeemer Congregation in thanksgiving that God has been present in our midst as that “tenth person,” for without God this surely would not have been possible. Read the rest of this entry »

Next Sunday, June 7, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Zion’s mission partner congregation in North Minneapolis, will begin their Centenniel year of celebration.  They will be remembering their history and imagining their future as a Beacon of Hope in Harrison Neighborhood and North Minneapolis. Worship is at 10:30, preceeded by a time of prayer and praise and special music, and followed by a reception displaying memorabilia of the past as well as architectural ideas for Redeemer’s future.

From Redeemer Lutheran Church’s April 2009 Newsletter

In a seminary mission class, Tom Mason told how, as a new missionary, he was assigned a care that would not start without a push. After pondering his problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off. As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave the engine running. He used thi ingenious procedure for two years. Poor health forced the Mason family to leave, and a new missionary came to that station. When Brown proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started, the new missionary began looking under the hood. Before the explanation was complete, the new missionary interrupted, “Why, Dr. Mason, I believe the only trouble is this loose cable.” He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch, and to Mason’s astonishment, the engine roared to life.

For nearly two years needless trouble had become routine. The power was there all the time. Only a loose connection kept Mason from putting that power to work.

At Redeemer we are celebrating our hundred year anniversary with an exciting shared capital campaign, along with our non-profit Redeemer Center for Life (RCFL). God has blessed us with a wonderful vision that will impact not only the church building but the entire city block. God has brought to Redeemer the resource of Kairos Development Consultants, Plymouth church Neighborhood Foundation, Urban Works Architects, Faith in the City, Augsburg College and the commitment of mission partners.

God has put into our hands the opportunity to build a new future, a future that will transform our congregation, neighborhood and the lies of many people with disconnected cables. This is an exciting opportunity for the church to connect our cable with people seeking affordable and supportive housing, an accessible church building, kitchen that facilitates community and creative stimulating space where children and families are mentored to learn and grow.

These are just a few of the possibilities that are within Redeemer’s reach. The question each of us will need to answer is, “is our cable connected to God?”

How will Redeemer’s campaign reflect God’s campaign of justice and compassion witnessing to the church in the world? Thanks be to God for this amazing opportunity to build an exciting and promising future. Let’s make sure that our cables are connected to God!

by Pastor Kelly Chatman

“On Saturdays and Sundays, America in the year 2009 does not, in some ways, differ significantly from the country that existed some 50 years ago.  This is truly sad.”

Last month Attorney General Eric Holder provided this assessment that the United States is “essentially a nation of cowards” in failing to openly discuss the issue of race and that as a nation we remain “voluntarily socially segregated.”

“Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be Read the rest of this entry »

Redeemer Lutheran Church is Zion’s Mission Partner congregation in North Minneapolis

I was baptized as an infant at Redeemer, and then we went to a friendlier Baptist church closer to our home. Mom and Dad were married at Redeemer and Dad was confirmed here in the early 40’s before he joined the Navy during WWII. Dad left the family when I was five so Mom had to find a closer church. I was happy in the Baptist church and Mom saw that we went every Sunday even after we moved back into the Harrison Neighborhood. As I grew older in the church I came to realize that people were not always nice to other people-even Christians. When the Baptist church moved out to Maple Grove because they didn’t like the people in North Minneapolis , I decided that the church really didn’t have a place for me so I quit going to church.

Even though I had left the church God would not leave me. Read the rest of this entry »

By Harriet Oyera

I come from Northern Uganda that suffered war and violent conflict since 1986. I left Uganda in 2005 without having any idea how and when I would leave my country. I mean it was a hard decision to reach at. I am here to rebuild my life and live in safety and peace.

When I connected with Redeemer Lutheran Church, the people here made coping with my new life possible and easy. Read the rest of this entry »

by Pastor Kelly Chatman

“Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd a flock.’”

In preparation for graduation, a pastor who was to deliver the college graduation message requested a meeting with some of the students.  She explained that it would help her prepare her message to the graduating class if she met with several of them.  “What would you like me to cover?” she asked.

One student raised a hand and said, “What is God saying to us?” That response surprised the pastor.  The student continued, “We will hear much advice over the next couple of weeks from leaders in the field.  We will hear the keys of success but what we really want to know is what God is saying to us.”

It was a humbling moment for the pastor.  Read the rest of this entry »

Redeemer Lutheran Church is a unique contributor to the lives of the people of the Harrison Neighborhood and beyond. Very few churches have Redeemer’s vision to include the wider community in its embrace. And very few congregations become such effective advocates in the civic life of their neighbors.

This would be admirable in any place and time, but here in North Minneapolis, even more so. Here, the fabric of our community is tattered after many years of out-migration as our most progressive residents literally graduate from our community to pursue the American Dream in other, more prosperous communities. In addition, we continue to be a Gateway Community as disparate strangers arrive from faraway lands to learn our culture, customs, with intense needs for service and orientation. But perhaps our greatest broken threads are those of arriving families seeking a better life from troubled communities around the country. They arrive here as single family units, often just mother and kids, without the support of extended family, without church affiliation and isolated by poverty and disorientation. This concentration of disparity creates unsustainable communities and demands infusions of good will and capacity to balance the our predictable deficits. Our families require intense outreach, authentic hospitality and sustained spiritual support. This is the role redeemer plays and that is why, as council member for this community, I appreciate the work of this compassionate pastor, congregation and all the caring supporters that surround them.

Don Samuels,

Minneapolis City Council Fifth Ward

When I became engaged to Eddie Halonen, life long member of Redeemer Lutheran Church, having been confirmed in 1936, I took classes at church to learn about Lutheranism.  I joined Redeemer Lutheran Church on Palm Sunday in 1948.  I had been raised Catholic but had the blessing of my parents and my godmother who was a Nun.  They agreed that a married couple who would have children were better off being of one Christian religion.  We married in May of 1948 and except for going two years to other churches in our neighborhood at that time, we have been members of Redeemer Lutheran Church.  Redeemer is the only Lutheran Church West of downtown Minneapolis until you reach golden Valley.  This gives us the unique opportunity to reach many people.  Redeemer reaches out to seniors, adults, teens and children with its many programs.  We are blessed to have Mission Partner Churches and other organizations that recognize what we do for our neighbors in the Harrison Neighborhood of North Minneapolis and support us with workers, leaders, their prayers and also financial support.  Praise God!!!

I pray that when I am no longer here, Redeemer will still be “A Beacon of Hope in the Harrison Neighborhood”.  Isn’t that a great Mission Statement?

In God’s Love,
Jeanne Halonen

Redeemer Lutheran Church’s Christmas Store event will take place on December 13, from 8:30 – Noon at Redeemer Lutheran Church. Zion is invited to participate by volunteering at the event or by donating gifts. There are many ways to contribute to the success of this event and they hope to match your passion for giving with our needs in providing a child the opportunity to give Christmas gifts to their loved ones.

This event gives them the opportunity to reach out to kids that are otherwise untouched by the ministry of Redeemer. The Christmas Store gives children a chance to buy four gifts for their family members and get them gift-wrapped for the price of twenty-five cents per gift!

The Christmas Store depends on the generosity of others willing to donate gifts, time and resources, so please consider participating in this event. There is a collection box in the narthex until Wednesday, December 10, and they especially need gifts for men and teens. Contact Babette Chapman of Redeemer Lutheran at 612.374.4139×16 or bchatman@redeemermpls.org if you have any questions.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”  This is what people of vision do.  They believe in something bigger than themselves and they begin to act as if it is so.

Members from Redeemer and Redeemer Center for Life participated in a process at City Council that resulted in the approval for housing and employment goals for neighborhood residents in the development that will extend from downtown and into the Harrison Neighborhood.  Read the rest of this entry »

Dear friends at Zion,

My name is Bill Dexheimer Pharris. I’ve been asked to say a little about myself and my involvement at your partner congregation, Redeemer Lutheran Church, so I’ll give it a try…

Read the rest of this entry »

By Pastor Kelly Chatman of Redeemer Lutheran Church

Faith in God, in ourselves, in others and in the mission God has put down before us is essential for us if we are to fulfill our promise as a people of God.  Jesus said, All things are possible for those who believe:”  Faith inspired a community of believers to establish Redeemer  Congregation nearly one hundred years ago.  Hearing that the needs within the Harrision Neighborhood were that there might be more jobs, youth programs and affordable housing,  faith inspired our congregation to Read the rest of this entry »

by Bill Dexheimer-Pharis, Chair of Redeemer’s Stewardship Committee

When I was a child I went to see a production of the ballet, The Nutcracker.  What I most remember was the incredible magic Christmas tree which grew before our very eyes during little Clara’s dream, transformed from a tiny specimen into a spectacular size.  This last Sunday we heard about the mustard plant, which from a tiny seed grows into a large bush, big enough for birds to inhabit.  Jesus used the example of the mustard seed as a parable for the Kingdom of God, which starts out as small as the mustard seed, but through faith and perseverance is transformed into a vibrant, spirit-filled community.

Imagine a mustard seed, or a magical Christmas tree, being planted in the middle of our sanctuary.  Read the rest of this entry »

The happy, optimistic farmer would see the sun coming up and shout over the roar of the tractor, “Look at that beautiful sun and the clear sky!” And with a frown, the negative neighbor would reply, “Yeah – it’ll probably scorch the crops!”

When clouds would gather and much-needed rain would start to fall, our positive friend would smile across the fence, “Ain’t this great – God is giving our corn a drink today!” Again, the same negative response, “Uh huh. . . but if it doesn’t stop ‘fore long it’ll flood and wash everything away.”

One day the optimist decided to put his pessimistic neighbor to the maximum test. Read the rest of this entry »