MetroLutheran

What if a faith community approached ministry by going out into the community, finding excited and passionate people, and asking them, “How can we, the church, become relevant to you?”
Two distinct Lutheran-based, faith communities are exploring just that. Spirit of Truth, in St. Paul, and Project F-M, in Fargo-Moorhead, both have gone into their communities, read on ..

In Tanzania, less than 13 percent of graduates from the primary school system pass the national exam allowing entrance into secondary school, said Diane Jacoby, interim director of Operation Bootstrap Africa. “Many of the people who pass the exam do not go on to secondary school because they have nowhere to go,” Jacoby said.
Fewer of read on ..

Cantor Paul Manz is recognized as having re-ignited the interest in church hymn festivals. He initiated a Palm Sunday Hymn Festival when he was organist at Mount Olive Lutheran Church (ELCA), in Minneapolis.
Metro Lutheran will once again honor Manz’ tradition at Mount Olive with a hymn festival. This year’s gathering, however, will occur on May read on ..

Almost $700,000 that was denoted for the ELCA Domestic Hunger Grants has been redistributed through synodical hunger grant committees to organizations working on relief, development, and root causes of poverty in their communities, according to the ELCA website.
According to Ed Payne, chair of the Minneapolis Area Synod (MAS) hunger grant committee, the following groups within MAS read on ..

Anyone who reads the names printed under hymns in the Evangelical Lutheran Worship hymnal will find the name Gracia Grindal familiar. She is recognized as a translator of hymns originating in other languages. Now, Grindal has compiled an anthology of hymns and spiritual songs from the Nordic countries.
She introduced her new book, Hymns and read on ..

With the theme “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,” the 15th Annual West Metro National Day of Prayer Breakfast will be held May 3, 6:00 to 8:00 a.m., at the Grand Ballroom of the Medina Entertainment Center, 500 Highway 55, Medina, Minnesota.
The Rev. Carol Skjegstad of Calvary Lutheran Church (independent), Golden Valley, read on ..

Ethiopians for Ethiopians bases its mission on helping families who adopt Ethiopian children help their children connect with their native culture. Through their work, they connect these families to Ethiopian Americans, helping to give adopted children a rich understanding of their culture. One way the organization connects American Ethiopians to their heritage is by celebrating read on ..

In 1993 the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize winners caused quite a stir. No one was surprised to see that Nelson Mandela, who had recently emerged from 26 years of imprisonment at Robben Island in South Africa, was named. The surprise regarded the man selected to share the award — F.W. de Klerk, the read on ..

A century ago towns like Columbia Heights, Minnesota, were experiencing dramatic population increases. For this now-northern-suburb of Minneapolis, much of the growth was due to the extension of Thomas Lowry’s streetcar service up Central Avenue. The town was becoming more accessible to city dwellers.
In the fall of 1909, three sisters sensed the call of God read on ..

When Concordia University, St. Paul, holds its 11th annual Poehler Lecture on Faith and Learning Tuesday, April 24, there will be two lecturers rather than one. However, they do share the same last name. The Trapp brothers were selected for this honor based on excellence in academic disciplines as well as their maturity in the read on ..

Voting members of the Minneapolis Area Synod (MAS) of the ELCA did a great deal of listening, praying, and voting at their 2012 synod assembly at Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church in Prior Lake on February 17-18. And they came away having elected Minnesota’s first female Lutheran bishop, the Rev. Ann Svennungsen.
Svennungsen was elected read on ..

Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church (LNLC), Minneapolis, will welcome back a daughter of the congregation when Lorna Landvik returns to the congregation to share stories about her life as a best-selling author, actor, playwright, and proud hockey mom. Landvik will offer reflections of her life experiences, and will take questions at the program on April read on ..

The Rev. Canon Peg Chemberlin (standing), executive director, Minnesota Council of Churches, and Pastor Leith Anderson (left), retired pastor of Wooddale Church, Minnetonka, Minnesota, addressed the topic “How Can Our Religious Institutions and Leaders Reduce Partisan Animosity and Arrogance?” at the Fourth Annual Celebration of the John Brandl Forum at the Humphrey School for Public Affairs in read on ..

The Board of Directors of Metro Lutheran announced its selection of noted author, theologian, and historian Dr. Martin Marty as the recipient of the Gold Pen Award. The award recognizes “distinguished service to Christ and the church through significant contribution in public communication” and a commitment to “inter-Lutheran cooperation,” according to the Rev. Michael read on ..

The Lutheran Community Foundation (LCF) announced the availability of scholarship awards from The Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church of North Minneapolis Scholarship Program. These scholarship opportunities are made possible through a permanently endowed, charitable fund held at the LCF, established by the former Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) congregation of Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church.

On April 15, approximately 400 high school choralists will take part in what, for many of them, will be a once in a lifetime experience — the chance to perform at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis as part of Concordia University, St. Paul’s Choral Arts Finale. The choral competition, now in its seventh year, is meant read on ..

Through an international fellowship initiative, Anna Ayvazyan, from Armenia, has joined Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS) to help bridge ideas and understanding in human services across cultures. Ayvazyan is the second fellow to be placed in Minnesota since 2006 by Atlas Corps, an organization facilitating professional fellowships for emerging leaders worldwide.

Drama/musical productions are a means of outreach for some Lutheran congregations, as well as spiritual development for members using their music, drama, and dance skills.
“Those involved in our productions gain confidence in sharing the gospel and find so much joy in seeing lives impacted by the Lord. They sacrifice so much time and energy to read on ..

Ten years ago, Pilgrim Lutheran Church (ELCA) in the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood of St. Paul took a long hard look at itself and started dreaming. What would a new worship service look like, if the congregation could add one? Like so many other neighborhoods in the Twin Cities, Pilgrim has had its share of “de-churched” individuals read on ..

In addition to stops in Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Chicago, the Twin Cities will be included on the spring American lecture tour of the distinguished German Lutheran theologian Dr. Oswald Bayer. Bayer will be delivering a lecture at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, on Friday, March 23, at 1 p.m., in Room 100, Northwestern Hall.

Metro Paint-A-Thon, a program of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, helps low-income seniors and people with disabilities continue to live independently in their own homes, enriching their lives and neighborhoods, by providing maintenance work for individuals who cannot physically do the work or afford to hire a contractor. Each August, thousands of volunteers scrape, read on ..

Applause coaxed a hesitant smile into a shaky grin. Approximately 40 fellow church members, along with family and friends, cheered while a 20-year-old college student — newly-bald — produced a smile. The cheers of encouragement came on a chilly January evening from within the walls of St. Stephanus Lutheran Church (LCMS) in St. Paul. There read on ..