People on Bikes offers many benefits to the community:

• Improved safety in the neighborhood through increased activity on the streets with biking
• Increased health for the children in terms of stamina, balance, coordination and heart health
• Increased connection to the outdoors, thereby reducing fear of outdoors
• Increased psychosocial skills through increased confidence and reduction in fear and stress.

Redeemer Center for Life hopes that this fall, People on Bikes can get out of the basement garage and into a low-cost storefront that is at the apex of seven existing or planned bike trails in Minneapolis, the city voted #1 Best Bike Friendly City 2010. People on Bikes is the only bike shop in North Minneapolis at this time.

• WCCO news story about People on Bikes (spring 2010)
• People on Bikes youtube video by Redeemer youth (summer 2009)

You are invited to visit Redeemer and see for yourself. Redeemer is hosting a ‘friendraiser’ this Wednesday, July 21 at 5pm in the Living Room space at 1716 Glenwood Ave. At 6pm there will be a community cookout featuring fresh garden vegetables … no need to RSVP … the people of Redeemer will be glad to see you and anyone you would like to bring!

Since the concert is in Sturges Park you’re invited to bring a picnic, your lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy a night of great music at the bandshell. We may also have vendors at the park selling treats during the concert. Put the date on your calendar and invite your neighbors and friends for a great event.

Gospel music is the core unifying thread and will be presented by a mass choir, various small groups, and accomplished band members. The event will also include a praise and worship element, hip hop ministry presentations and a pastoral message.

Come and join a gospel choir that’s being formed especially in preparation for this event! Led by Lisa Olson, former pianist for the Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir for twelve years, there will be spirited rehearsals held right in Buffalo as well as Minneapolis.

All ages of gospel fans from the community are welcomed to come and be a part of the mass choir. Scored music with parts will be provided, but songs will be taught so that non-readers of all ages can still fully participate.

Rehearsals are at Zion Lutheran, 1200 South Highway 25 in Buffalo

• Wednesday, June 23rd from 7 PM—9 PM
• Wednesday, June 30th from 7 PM—9 PM

Rehearsals will also be held in Minneapolis . Details at ZionBuffalo.org/GospelFestival. Attendance at rehearsals at both Zion and Minneapolis locations is not required.

The new Twins stadium is within walking distance of Redeemer, and they have assembled a team that is exciting to follow. At Redeemer we have several things in common with the Twins. Through our capital campaign commitments we are making improvements to our stadium; I mean building. The improvements to our building make it possible that when people walk through the doors of our church, they will find that Redeemer is accessible and that our building is easy to navigate. When people enter into the bathrooms our future physical construction will make it easy to notice the time and attention our custodian (Maggie) dedicates to keeping the building clean. When they see the improvements to lighting, cabinets and storage in the kitchen, fellowship hall and hallways, it will add to the excitement of our gatherings.

When you visit the new Twins stadium you will notice that in reality the excitement is about more than just the baseball game. The real deal is that the stadium invites people into the excitement of a gathering where people experience community and share a social transaction.

My friend, Pastor Jason VanHunnik from Westwood, invited me to be his guest at the second home game at the new Twins stadium. I enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with a good friend, on a gorgeous day, in the beautiful new stadium we are all paying a lot of money for, and shared the excitement of the new season. I also appreciated that instead of parking at the stadium we were able to walk back to Redeemer after the game.

I observed another team experience when Redeemer generously granted to our worship leader a one month sabbatical. During the time of Yolanda‟s sabbatical we experienced the deep reservoir of talent, gifts and spirit God has blessed us with at Redeemer. During the month we were blessed to experience how our congregation is a team with many talented members. We experienced people playing keyboard, guitar, singing, playing tambourine and other hand instruments. Each Sunday at Redeemer adults freely distribute hand instruments to a field of people strategically located throughout the worship space. Worship is like a baseball game where everyone is on the team. Worship is where everyone is a participant and everybody has a place and a role to play.

I pray that during my sabbatical Redeemer will share the kind of discovery and excitement we have discovered during our worship leader‟s sabbatical. I hope the congregation will discover that Redeemer is a team with a deep bench. My prayer is that you will experience a depth and excitement that grows when new people enter and are welcomed, not only into the church, but invited to be on the team. I hope that people will venture out into the community to share with people the promise of a church that cares about them and is relevant to their lives. I pray that people will continue to experience how Redeemer is a courageous and hope-filled place where people believe that it really only matters when everyone matters.

Jessa, Hanna, Emma, & Frannie with Pastor Kelly Chatman at Redeemer Lutheran Church.

Over 40 Zion members made the drive down to Redeemer Lutheran church on Sunday, April 18, for the second annual Zion day at Redeemer. Zion youth and Myron Crawford provided special music during the Prayer and Praise time as well as during the service. Pastor Kelly Chatman took time during the service to formally thank Dave and Doug Schmidt for their work on rebuilding the front steps last year.

Afterwards, Russ Peterson commented that he “felt so welcome to be part of the service at Redeemer on Sunday, the sharing of peace, holding hands during the blessing at the end of the service. Dave Schmidt added that “Redeemer Lutheran Church is an exiting place to worship. The service is full of high-spirited worshiping fellow Christians that adore their Lord and Savior,” and Daveencourages all Zion members to attend worship there if they get a chance.

Housing and Community Spaces

Redeemer Center for Life, in mission with Zion Lutheran Church, is poised for community development! From its inception in 1998, RCFL has invested in the Harrison neighborhood of North Minneapolis through stable housing and community spaces. This year, Redeemer Lutheran Church and RCFL are exploring parallel pathways with Faith in the City, a group of five Lutheran institutions (Augsburg College, Fairview Health Systems, Lutheran Social Services, Luther Seminary and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans). We are finally hoping to build on the one and a half city blocks that are part of the Redeemer campus, which will include some combination of housing, food, financial and physical wellness and education. This fits into the long-term vision of RCFL to have a positive impact on the health and stability of our neighbors in the Harrison neighborhood by being a good neighbor.

Community Garden

In the short term, RCFL is working on piloting some of the ideas that are floating around in the community for the future campus. For instance, in response to the „food desert‟ lack of fresh food, a community garden has been established that feeds neighbors all summer long with community cookouts. Members of Zion are invited to join us any Wednesday evening in the summer (June 23 until the Block Party on August 18) for veggies and Jazz.

People on Bikes

RCFL is also piloting a Bike Shop, called People on Bikes which is operating out of the garage of the 16 Plex. With a small grant for tools, a group of youth have started repairing bikes and selling them as well as teaching other youth bike mechanics and bike safety this summer. Be sure to check out the YouTube video!

The Board of Redeemer Center for Life is comprised of members of the Redeemer Lutheran congregation, members of partner congregations like Zion, which has been represented by Dr. David Nerothin since the beginning, members of the Harrison community as well as community members with special interest or expertise in our work such as developers, health professionals and social workers. If you feel that God is calling you to become involved personally with the work of RCFL, your gifts and talents would be very appreciated and welcome. Please contact Rick Johnson at Zion or Marilu Thomas at 612.377.4476.

In Christ,

Sharon M. Peterson

Last year, many of Zion‟s members attended the service along with a group of youth who spent the weekend at Redeemer and sang during worship. The youth and members of the Senior Choir have been invited to sing again this year. Your presence is also greatly needed to truly celebrate the partnership we share with them!

Redeemer and Zion have been partners in ministry for many years. A number of musicians and others have traveled back and forth to share their gifts with the partner congregation, and pastors from both congregations have participated in pulpit exchanges, allowing them each to go to their partner church to preach their messages.

Zion has been able to share its gifts with Redeemer through the years in a variety of ways through both volunteer time and financial contributions. The Peace Palace, a Redeemer owned community center next to the church, has received a new wood floor; the front stairway of the church, which was extremely unsafe, was torn down and rebuilt; and Zion members have actively participated in the annual Christmas store at Redeemer. Through an annual contribution of $4000 from the Global Missions committee and the periodic contributions from the Zion Foundation, the members of Zion have helped make improvements to Redeemer‟s facilities and aided them in launching their own capital campaign.

Over the years, the many members of Zion who have visited Redeemer have commented on how meaningful it was for them to attend and that “when Redeemer passes the peace, they really pass the peace!” So come and experience it for yourself and lend your support for our partnership by accepting Redeemer‟s invitation to worship with them on Sunday, April 18.

There will be a group leaving from Zion‟s parking lot at 9am, if you would like to car pool. If you plan on driving yourself, directions to Redeemer are very easy.

• From Highway 55: Drive East towards Minneapolis and turn right on Penn Avenue; go a few blocks and then turn left on Glenwood Avenue. Redeemer will be down about 3 blocks on your left.
• From Highway 12: drive East towards Minneapolis and get off on Penn Avenue and turn left. Go to Glenwood Avenue and turn right. Redeemer will be down about 3 blocks on your left.
• Or check this map

As a pastor, one of the things I have to work at a lot is communication. In my daily work what I have to do to be effective is communicate well, so I really like it when I come across a saying or a word that communicates well. The concept of a ‘sweet spot’ communicates well. If you have ever played in band or orchestra and you can remember what it felt like the first time you hit just the right note at just the right time, you know what it is like to hit a sweet spot. If you have sung in a choir, hit a ball, or dove off a high diving board for the first time you have a basic recollection of what it means to have a ‘sweet spot’ experience.

I recall when I first began playing tennis. It was a frustrating experience. Then it seemed that one day out of the blue I hit the ball in just the right spot and the ball flew effortlessly off the racket. For the first time I knew what it meant to hit the sweet spot. I can also recall the moment when I broke up a fight and in doing so I was facing someone I was very much afraid of and all time seemed to stand still in that moment.

The ‘sweet spot’ is not a term that just communicates, it connects us with moments in time that say to us, I can do this! It is an experience that says to us, if I did it once I can do this again. It connects us with experiences that build the confidence, hope and joy that if we did it once then we can do it again.

What is the church, if not God’s ‘sweet spot’? God’s church is the invitation God gives us to invite others to experience the ‘sweet spot’ of God. The church is where people do more than talk about God. The church communicates and connects people with the reality that we can do this. We can love people, even when they are un-lovable. We can educate children even when the systems and institutions that are in place have failed them.

As the people of God, we are challenged to do more than argue, fight, and hold onto a belief system that keeps us apart from the world. As the church, we are obligated, I mean called, to take this precious gift of God’s good news and invite people to experience the connection we are blessed to share in God.

I am so thankful that the person who taught me how to play tennis did nog give up on me. I am thankful that his confidence did not begin with my ability but with the trust and hope that I would eventually get it; I would eventually experience the ‘sweet spot’.

My prayer for our entire church is that we will faithfully and joyfully connect people with their sweet spot in God.

Pastor Kelly Chatman

Marilu Thomas, Executive Director, Redeemer Center for Life

Hello Zion Lutheran! I have a very warm place in my heart for Zion (especially important in a Minnesota winter!). I have witnessed Zion’s love of Christ lives in the world through generous and faithful people like David Nerothin who serves on our Redeemer Center For Life board, Rick and Deb Johnson who have hosted us at Zion, Pastor Judy who preached at Redeemer, the new stair construction through Dave and Doug Schmidt, and the many Zion members who have volunteered and given to the Christmas Store and Block Party.

So, shouldn’t we get to know each other? I’ll tell you a little bit about myself and when we meet you can tell me about yourself. Deal?

Although my Dad was from ‘the range’ in Minnesota, Atlanta, Georgia was my home for the first 24 years, until I met and married my husband, Stuart. We both worked for the Coca-Cola Company then and he was posted to Ecuador. After that, we lived in five Latin American countries where both of our daughters were born. Our daughter Kristin, 25, was married to fellow Valparaiso graduate Caleb Sancken at Redeemer and they have a four-month old daughter, Lucy. Callie, our younger daughter, graduated from St. Olaf last year and works in Washington D.C. with the Lutheran Volunteer Corp. Sprinkled through my work history are gigs in advertising, magazine editing, middle-school teaching, management, health and wellness ministries, and peer ministry training. Last year, I graduated from the dual degree program at Luther Seminary/Augsburg College with a Masters in Social Work and a Masters in Divinity.

I started at Redeemer Center for Life the day of the big Block Party in 2008—no better way to get into the swing of things. Redeemer Center for Life is the 501 C (3) non-profit started by Redeemer Lutheran Church a decade ago and we exist to respond to the Harrison Neighborhood in terms of youth development, housing and jobs. An eclectic mix of cultures and people, the Harrison area has historically been the domain of the newly arrived and disenfranchised of the city. Located in lower North Minneapolis, it is comprised of 75% people of color and 25% who speak a language other than English at home. It is also one of the most underserved areas in Minneapolis, where 63% of the children live in poverty.

What do I love about working at Redeemer? The pulse of the neighborhood and the connection of the people. When I first arrived at RCFL, one of the staff members had me make my first (and I would suspect only…) Rap CD about my identity and call in the world. That’s how we are counter cultural at RCFL—we challenge the current culture by recreating it with a Christian bent. There may be ‘poverty of the pocket book’ in Harrison, but there is a wealth of Spirit. Genuine and authentic sharing of life and material things abounds in Harrison. The Breakfast Club on Saturday mornings is a good example—people coming together to share what they think over coffee and muffins. We also have an after-school program, RAP, where youth are finding their voices and identities at the Peace Palace. They express themselves through dance, songwriting and recording, movie making, acting, artwork, and thoughtful discussions.

I know North Minneapolis may loom large in your mind as a scary place. But I want to assure you that you have friends in those neighborhoods who are a part of your life at Zion. Come and visit. We’ll be there to welcome you and help you get to know our part of the ‘hood. It might just change your mind about race and culture and being a community. As they say, I’ll leave the light on.

Marilu J. Thomas

Executive Director, Redeemer Center for Life

PS – if you missed the “Refreshments with Redeemer” evening at Zion last August, you can see video of Marilu talking about the Redeemer Center for Life on our YouTube channel.

There is a legend that Knute Rockne was scheduled to face the football team of USC, the University of Southern California, knowing that USC was a far superior team, wondering if he could defeat them, came up with an idea.

He scoured the city of South Bend, Indiana for the biggest men he could find. He assembled about one hundred men, each about six foot five and weighing around three hundred pounds or more, he put them all in Notre Dame uniforms. With shoulder pads and helmets they looked even bigger.

Then, when it was time for the game to begin, he sent the men out of the locker room first. As the USC team watched, they just kept coming, and coming until these hundred men was all the USC men saw. The USC coach kept telling his team, “They can only field eleven men at a time.”

None of the men ever played one minute of the game. But USC had become so intimidated at the sight of them that they were unable to function, and Notre Dame won the game.

When I think about the challenges facing our neighborhood and community, I sometimes feel like Knute Rockne must have felt when he looked at the USC team. It is easy to look as issues such as poverty, crime, unaccompanied children and closing schools and simply feel intimidated. God has blessed our congregation and neighborhood with a team that includes Redeemer Center for Life, neighborhood residents, mission partners, college, seminary, neighborhood association and others. With all the support God is blessing our congregation to have, it is not we, but crime, poverty and indifference that should be intimidated.

People of God, it is time for us to achieve victory. It is time for us to celebrate the good news and celebration of our diverse community, lively worship and praise, soul food dinner, Block Club, Busy Fingers, after-school program, Living Room, free flu shots, hip-hop outreach , hundred year anniversary, housing, and many others.

It is time for us to claim the identity God has blessed us with and share God’s church. Scripture states that it is not right to light a lamp and hide it under a bushel, but to set it on the hill for the whole world to see. This is not to say that Redeemer is better than any other congregation, but it is our responsibility that we share with others the witness of God’s faithfulness in and around Redeemer.

Please consider contributing a gift for a man or boy of any age by December 11.

Volunteers are also invited to volunteer at the event on December 12 from 8:30-noon at Redeemer Lutheran Church.

Members of Redeemer, young and old enjoy the beauty and safety of the new front stairway. The work was done by Zion members Dave and Doug Schmidt.

As well as partnering in worship with Redeemer Lutheran Church, Zion has also been an active partner in helping Redeemer begin a capital campaign with the emphasis being on replacing the roof of their building. As Redeemer began their campaign, they realized that the front stairs were no longer safe for entrance into the building. Something had to be done to make the front entrance safe. This is where Zion members Dave and Doug Schmidt came in. They went to Redeemer and met with Pastor Kelly and discussed what needed to be done. Pastor Kelly gave them the OK to proceed with tearing down the old steps and building new ones. In Dave’s words…

“Rick Johnson asked if we would look at Redeemer’s front entrance because they had major problems. For years, I had heard about Redeemer being our sister church.  I thought it was a very large newer church, so I never paid much attention, but I agreed to look at the problem. Wow, was I surprised to see a smaller, older church with some problems, but a great Pastor Kelly and I was introduced to the staff who were very nice people.

We agreed on a price and started to rip out the steps and ramps leading up to a gathering area in front of the church. As we got into the project, everything started crumbling and shaking, even the stuff we thought we could leave. I talked to Pastor Kelly and he said, “Well, let’s fix it right.” I was extremely nervous about the situation, thinking there’s not even a foundation under all this mess.

Suddenly we found a foundation, under everything, solid as a rock with not a crack in it anywhere. We started to rebuild the entrance, starting on a solid foundation. Well now we’re finished, with all new steps and ramps as well as a gathering area at the front door. The railings are all new with Redeemer Lutheran Church inscribed right in the metal – very cool!

Everyone is happy, and I guess God had his hand in the project so that everything would work out, starting with that solid foundation buried under tons of rotting rubble. In today’s troubled world, I have been reminded by God that there is a solid foundation buried underneath all that’s happening in our lives. God is our foundation, so don’t worry!”

As you can see by the picture, the members of Redeemer are happy and grateful for the efforts of the Schmidt’s to make the entrance once again safe and also beautiful. The following comments from Pastor Kelly express his feelings about the capital campaign and the repair of the front steps. It is written to the members of Redeemer, but also has a message for all of us.

“Your capital campaign contributions and pledges made it possible for Redeemer to respond when the front stairway to the church deteriorated to the point of danger. We were blessed to have the contributions and pledges that made it possible to secure a contractor to build a new wall and entrance to Redeemer. Thanks to the capital campaign, people are safe to enter the church.

As I think about the unstable entrance to a church that is under construction, I think about how congregations like Redeemer are the entrance way to a Lutheran Church that has also become unstable and at risk. The church is unstable and at risk when people look at the church and wonder will there be a place for them leadership? If they dare to walk through the doors, will the church embrace them or try to change them? Will they find a church structure where people argue, criticize and judge or will they feel unsafe? When people dare to put their feet down on the structure of the church, is the intention to fully include them? Will they feel unsafe?

When we made our contribution to the capital campaign, it was a no brainer for us because in Redeemer we have found a dedicated congregation where people can feel safe to enter church. The entrance to Redeemer is built and cemented in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Bible study, choir, Sunday School, quilting, Busy fingers, cookouts, Narcotics Anonymous, Living Room, or affordable housing are all to support our understanding of God’sove and message that everyone is safe to belong and ennter God’s beloved community.”

Pastor Kelly Chatman of Redeemer Lutheran Church with Myron Crawford and Jim Onstad of Zion at the Soul Food Dinner last weekend.

Redeemer Lutheran Church and Zion have been partner churches for a number of years. During that time many of Zion’s members have attended and participated in worship services at Redeemer, members of Zion have attended Redeemer’s annual block parties and soul food dinners, Pastor Becky preached at Redeemer, Redeemer’s choir sang at Zion, Zion’s youth have been involved with projects at Redeemer, and Pastor Kelly Chatman has preached at Zion.

Pastor Kelly Chatman will be preaching at Zion again this Sunday, November 1, at the 8:30 and 10:30 services. Pastor Kelly will be joined by two musicians from Redeemer who will provide special music at the 8:30 and 10:30 services and help Myron lead the 9:45 service. Pastor Judy will be preaching at Redeemer.

Many years ago, criminologists James Q. Wilson and George Kelling formulated this theory about how a neighborhood or community slowly gives in to increasing crime rates. They called it the Broken Window Theory. Wilson and Kelling said that crimes are more likely to be committed in areas where it appears that the residents have lowered their standards and no longer care about their community.

If a window is broken and left unrepaired, people start to assume that no one cares about maintaining that building. More windows will get broken. As the building becomes more dilapidated, there is a growing assumption of lawlessness by the residents. People assume that they can lower their standards of behavior, because no one will notice or care.

In contrast to Gladwell’s theory, Redeemer is a congregation where change occurs by building on the assets of people. Where others see people with problems, Redeemer sees children of God.

In September, Redeemer displayed a new banner along Glenwood Avenue proclaiming that their congregation is “In the City for Good.” They also have a newly constructed entrance.

Today, Redeemer remains both a place of hope (assets) and a tipping point (transformation) where people experience the restoration of life and community, and for this we say, “thanks be to God!”