FAITH MATTERS. FROM THE PASTOR Kelly Chatman. In This Issue. A monthly publication of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota

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FAITH MATTERS January 2017 A monthly publication of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota In This Issue Christmas Pageant 3 Steinbruck Award 5 Calendar of Events 6 FROM THE PASTOR Kelly

1 FAITH MATTERS January 2017 A monthly publication of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota In This Issue Christmas Pageant 3 Steinbruck Award 5 Calendar of Events 6 FROM THE PASTOR Kelly Chatman How do You See It Now? Haggai 2:3-9 3 Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord, and work. For I am with you, declares the Lord Almighty. 5 This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear. 6 This is what the Lord Almighty says: In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea, and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty. 8 The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the Lord Almighty. 9 The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house, says the Lord Almighty. And in this place I will grant peace, declares the Lord Almighty. When I was growing up the comedian Flip Wilson was famous for saying, WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET! In so many ways he was right What we see is what we will get. There is a danger in allowing the narrative that was dominant during the past year to set the course for our lives and for our church. During the past year, the dominant narrative promoted division, racism, sexism, and scarcity. This narrative was promoted in our political elections, criminal justice system, broken treaties. At risk is our ability to relate to others, our future success and witness to the God in whom we put our trust. Faith in God is the narrative to which we are called to witness. Despite the dominant narrative, if we see good, then good is what we will get. The little book of Haggai was written to encourage the people of Israel to rebuild the temple which had been destroyed during the time of the Babylonian captivity. The temple lay in ruins. Haggai confronted the governor, the son of the high priest, and the remnant of Israel that was left and he asked them the question: "Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory?" Then he followed this question with another: "How do you see it now? Redeemer Children presented their annual Christmas pageant on Sunday, December 11th The nation of Israel had been scattered. The holy temple had been reduced to rubble. That was the past. The question Haggai posed was not about the past, but about the future. How do you see it now? Continued Page 2 1

COMMUNITY UPDATES FROM THE INTERN Alissa Kretzmann For those of you who have given birth, you know better than I do that childbirth doesn t happen on our own timing.

2 COMMUNITY UPDATES FROM THE INTERN Alissa Kretzmann For those of you who have given birth, you know better than I do that childbirth doesn t happen on our own timing. This was certainly true for Mary and Joseph as they prepared for the birth of Jesus. Despite the fact that Mary was close to giving birth, the couple had to travel to Bethlehem for a census. What a bad time for a road trip, right? To make it worse, Mary and Joseph had a hard time finding somewhere to stay since so many others were also traveling to Bethlehem. Most people s homes were already full of guests. But someone made space for them: Mary and Joseph were offered a humble spot near the animals to spend the night. As individuals, this time of the year invites us to wonder what we will make space for in our lives. For whom will we carve out time and what places will we clear out so that others can come in? I think, we as a congregation, are also invited to wonder about these questions. Who have we been making space for? In the last few months, Redeemer has made space in our backyard for a huge pile of wood. The wood is being cut by volunteers and sent to Standing Rock to provide warmth to the water-protectors who are opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline. So far, a semi-truck, trailers and vans have delivered an amazing amount of wood to Standing Rock. Using our property to support this project, is one way that we have been making space. In this new year, what and who will we make space for? You may have noticed that our Fellowship Hall is getting updated and has gotten a fresh coat of paint. I wonder how the updated space might inspire us to keep thinking about how we can use this humble dwelling that we ve been given! -Alissa If you are interested in volunteering to cut or load wood to send to Standing Rock, please contact staff member, Erica (erica@redeemercenter.org) about how to get involved! We are also in need of used or new tarps to protect the woodpile from rain and snow. Please bring tarp donations to the church office! Pastor Kelly Continued: People of God, this is the narrative we will hold onto in the days and months ahead. I pray that this will be the narrative that will shape our lives, congregation, church, and world. As we begin the new year let us redouble the resolve as witnessed to God s alternate narrative. God help us to see God s beloved community, where Black lives and every life matters. May we work and demand justice and opportunity for everyone. Haggai asked of Israel, How do you see it now? and then makes the declaration of faith Yet now take courage says the Lord for I am with you. In the words of words of Flip Wilson, What we see is what we get! Action Teams Receive $250 Seed Money A Thrivent Action Team provides $250 seed money for Thrivent members to use in a service, fundraising, or education project. For more information about Action Teams, go to and click on Making a Difference. Applications must be made 21 days before the event. For further information and/or to notify staff of your application, please contact Mary Simonson Clark at development@redeemercenter.org or Upcoming Events at Redeemer Race and Forum," at Redeemer: Tuesday January. 10th 7:00pm Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration: Sunday, January 15th during/after worship service Redeemer Lutheran Annual Meeting: Sunday, January 29th after worship service

3 ARTICLES & NEWS Redeemer Christmas Pageant Joy to the World for the beautiful children in our community! What a treat is was to hear the Christmas story re-enacted by the Redeemer Youth. Thanks to all the parents and volunteers who helped the pageant come to life! Redeemer Christmas Store Members of the Glenwood Avenue Fire Department donated and dropped oﬀ gifts for the Christmas Store. This year, we had over 160 kids go shopping for Christmas presents for family & friends.

4 ARTICLES & NEWS Wonderful musicians were able to show oﬀ their skills during the Christmas store. Thank you to all of our partners and volunteers that helped make the Christmas Store a huge success! The day was full of music, fun, and the Christmas spirit! We could not have done it without all of your support! The Redeemer Lutheran Church and Redeemer Center for Life Staff wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Redeemer Staﬀ had a holiday get together, which included a gingerbread making contest that represented North Side and Housing 4

ARTICLES & NEWS Venture North 5th Anniversary Celebration

The Redeemer Community had a joyful time to celebrate the

December 11 as he was presented the Rev.

The Steinbruck Center provides transformative education,

opportunities for youth, students, and adults to engage in social

they build community that acts for the sake of the world;

leadership marked by a willingness to take risks to achieve

We are so grateful to have a pastor who declares it as his

5 ARTICLES & NEWS Venture North 5th Anniversary Celebration Saturday, December 17, 2016 Steinbruck Award By Sarah Kretzman The Redeemer Community had a joyful time to celebrate the ministry of our selfless leader, Pastor Kelly Chapman Sunday, December 11 as he was presented the Rev. John Steinbruck Leadership Award. The Steinbruck Center provides transformative education, experiential learning, community living, and service opportunities for youth, students, and adults to engage in social justice through the context of poverty and homelessness in the Washington D.C. area. Each year, individuals who demonstrate visionary leadership as they build community that acts for the sake of the world; effective leadership that leads to impact; and courageous leadership marked by a willingness to take risks to achieve results are awarded with the John Steinbruck Leadership. We are so grateful to have a pastor who declares it as his calling to be pastor, not only to Redeemer as a church but to the whole Harrison neighborhood. Bianca Vazquez, the Steinbruck Center Program Director put it best in a quote from an former colleague of Pastor Kelly s who said, [Pastor Kelly] just has this soft way of making you a better person simply by being who he is around you. What a blessing he is to our community and beyond! 5

6 REDEEMER JANUARY CALENDAR SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY New Year s Day Office Closed Zumba, Fellowship Hall Yoga, Living 6:00p.m. Open 12 10:00a.m.-12:00p.m. Men s Group :00p.m. Race Forum, Sanctuary 7:00p.m. Teen Cafe Zumba, Fellowship Hall Yoga, Living 6:00p.m. Open 12 10:00a.m.-12:00p.m. Men s Group :00p.m. Fellowship 2:00p.m. MarIn Luther King Jr. CelebraIon MarIn Luther King Jr. Day Zumba, Fellowship Hall Yoga, Living 6:00p.m. Open 12 10:00a.m.-12:00p.m. Men s Group Zumba, Fellowship Hall Yoga, Living 6:00p.m. Open 12 10:00a.m.-12:00p.m. Men s Group AQer Service: Annual MeeIng 6

7 JANUARY WORSHIP ASSISTANTS January 1 January 8 January 15 January 22 January 29 Greeter Reader Elisabeth Coates Rachel Birkdal Jane Friendshuh Murray Family Alyssa Hanson Usher Michael Simmons Tyrik Thompson Michael Simmons Mike Terras Tyrik Thompson Chuck Larson Michael Simmons Michael Simmons Communion Michael Murray Kristi Murray Michael Murray Kristi Murray LEADERSHIP & CONTACT REDEEMER STAFF Kelly Chatman Senior Pastor x 13/ (h)/ pastor@redeemermpls.org Sarah Stadie Office Administrator/Communications / admin@redeemermpls.org Helen Collins Program Staff/ Communications x24/ helen@redeemercenter.org Laurie Beckman Yetzer Bookkeeper x21/ bookkeeper@redeemermpls.org Angela Bonfiglio Youth Organizer and Project Coordinator x23/ angela@redeemermpls.org Kent Goodroad, Alyssa Schwitzer Music Ministry Team/ x 23/musicteam@redeemermpls.org REDEEMER COUNCIL President Jeff Felton Vice President Phillip Hussong Secretary Yordanos Martin Treasurer Alyssa Hanson Education Christine Belfry Johnson Evangelism/Outreach Kristen Gilbert Fellowship Kendrick Dwight Service/Advocacy Heather Nissen Property Mike Simmons Stewardship Amy Brandt Worship, Arts & Music Mike Murray Youth Mario Locust REDEEMER CENTER FOR LIFE STAFF Kelly Chatman Executive Director/ x13 Babette Chatman Director of Properties and Housing/ x16 Laurie Beckman Yetzer Financial Director/ Helen Collins Communications Program Staff/ Katherine Parent Arts and Community Outreach/ Venture North Bike Shop/ Casey Pavek, Shop Manager Derek Otte, Service Manager Kendrick Hall, Assistant Manager 7

Non-Profit Org US Postage PAID 1800 Glenwood Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55405 Twin Ci^es, MN PERMIT #3170 Return Service Requested Phone: 612-374-4139 Fax: 612-374-4312 E-mail: admin@redeemermpls.

8 Non-Profit Org US Postage PAID 1800 Glenwood Avenue Minneapolis, MN Twin Ci^es, MN PERMIT #3170 Return Service Requested Phone: Fax: Mailing Address IN THIS ISSUE: CHRISTMAS STORE HIGHLIGHTS STEINBRUCK AWARD CEREMONY & MORE! JOIN US! SUNDAYS: Adult Bible Study: 9:00 A.M. Prayers & : 10:00 A.M. Worship: 10:30 A.M. * Sunday School * Nursery Church Office Hours: Monday-Thursday: 9:00-4:00 P.M. Friday: 9:00 A.M.- 12:00 P.M. Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from the Redeemer Staff! 8

1800 glenwood ave, minneapolis mn from Pastor Kelly Chatman //

FaithMatters A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH - June 2018-1800 glenwood ave, minneapolis mn 55405 612.374.4139 admin@redeemermpls.org www.redeemermpls.org from Pastor Kelly Chatman //