Redeemer’s Cheryl Chatman

by Cheryl Chatman

I was fortunate to be raised in a family that believed in, depended on and served God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. My grandmother often reminded us to “put God first, and all things will be added unto you.” My family attended church weekly, and was active in the work of the church and the community. The adage, “train a child in the way she should go and she will not depart from it,” resonates with me.

What Time Do You Have?

by Pastor Kelly Chatman of our partner congregation, Redeemer Lutheran Church

Last month our congregation had a special evening that included a meal, Holden Vespers worship and a presentation by Kairos consultant, Kurt Meyer.  During Kurt’s presentation he asked of the solid and inter-generational gathering of  participants what they value most about Redeemer.  Kurt could hardly get through the question before a nine year old child raised his hand with a question.  He wanted to know

Redeemer Trip Report and Photos

The trip to Redeemer was a great experience for all involved! More than 80 Zion members traveled to Redeemer Lutheran, on April 20, to enjoy worship with our sister congregation. The children enjoyed a half hour Sunday school session with Redeemers youth. The topic discussed was the Heroes of the Bible, and the kids had a great time remembering the many important stories of the Bible that they had learned in each seperate Sunday school environment.

The worship time began at 10:30, and all members of the congregation, including the children, joined together in the sanctuary for worship and prayer. Pastor Kelly was an amazingly gracious host, and made all those visiting, from Zion and other places feel right at home. After the meaningful worship service, with glorious music ended, everyone gathered in the fellowship hall for a light lunch and great conversation. Redeemer was a gracious host. We look forward to continue building the community between the two congregations! To God be the glory!

Photos from the day are posted on Photobucket

Redeemer’s Julie Bringman

Julie Bringman, Youth and Community Organizer at Redeemer Center for Life

Hello sisters and brothers in Christ.

I came to be a part of the staff and worshiping community at Redeemer in 2005 through a one-year service program called Lutheran Volunteer Corps. I was quickly welcomed into both the neighborhood and congregation, and now 2 ½ years after my initial introduction to this place, I warmly call it home.

Redeemer’s Jeff Goodrich

My name is Jeff Goodrich, and I am currently serving my internship, or vicarage, year at Redeemer Lutheran Church. Although I have only been here for a few months, Redeemer’s energy, spirit, and passion have already worked their way into my life and education as a future pastor.

Pastor Kelly Chatman of Redeemer Lutheran Church

My name is Kelly Chatman and I am the senior pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church, actually I am the only pastor serving on the staff at Redeemer. We are a congregation filled with ministers but I am the only ordained pastor on staff. Redeemer has ministers who are as young as five. I can tell he is a minister in the way he opens his hands to receive Holy Communion.

Lenten Self Denial Folders

Can you save .25 per day? Can your Sunday School child save .25 per day? That is what the Lenten Self Denial Folders are all about—saving for God’s work. The money saved by members and turned in during Holy Week goes to 2 causes:

Babette Chatman’s Story

My name is Babette Chatman and I work with Housing and Outreach at Redeemer Center for Life. I took a risk and came from Detroit, MI to the Twin Cities October of 2001, shortly after 9/11, at the request of Pastor Kelly, my brother. In Detroit I was under utilizing my gifts and Pastor Kelly had a vision that included my training in Business Administration. Being a part of Redeemer’s community has blessed me to walk with many people young and old.

More Memories from Redeemer

This is a continuation of a contribution from a 80+ year member of Redeemer . . .

Redeemer Lutheran has been a big part of my life from the time I was born, but my roots go deeper than that. My maternal grandparents were ‘charter members’ signing on June 6, 1909. My mother started at Redeemer as a thirteen-year-old and became a member of the first confirmation class in 1910. About two years later my paternal grandparents and their family joined Redeemer. My mom and dad soon met at Redeemer as teenagers, and my father became the church organist (reed organ) before and after World War I.

Redeemer Lutheran Christmas Store

Redeemer Lutheran Church’s Christmas Store event will take place on December 8, 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, 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.

What Redeemer Lutheran Church Means to Me

Redeemer Lutheran was chartered as a “mission church” in June of 1909, reaching out to the surrounding neighborhoods of Harrision and Bryn Mawr. The congregation was soon able to support itself enough to purchase an older church building, but after 20 years of fast growth was able to build the beautiful church now standing at the corner of Glenwood and Logan in north Minneapolis. The community was primarily Scandinavian working people eager to find a church home. The congregation grew steadily, probably reaching its peak attendance in the mid– to late-60’s.

Dear Zion Members,

Recently I attended our sister church, Redeemer Lutheran Church. WOW, what a wonderful experience I had! As my friend and I entered the door we were immediately greeted by a member and welcomed into the sanctuary where other members were taking turns sharing concerns about loved ones and offering prayers. This takes place each Sunday a half hour before the 10:30am service starts. I found this openness and genuine concern about and for one another very moving.

Redeemer Block Party

As summer is drawing to an end and school has started, I have been asked to glance back on a highlight of our summer.   For years I have known that Redeemer Lutheran is our sister church and every time there is something going on and some of the members of Zion are going to be making the trip, We are never able to make it.  Sometimes it’s a basketball game or a baseball game, at our house it almost always is sports.  Anyway, as August approached we were in Texas visiting my parents and when we came home we brought my 18 year old nephew with us and we all decided that we would go to the block party with the Nerothins. 
 

Greetings!

My name is Karis Thompson, and I work with development + communication for Redeemer Center for Life and am a part of the community at Redeemer Lutheran Church. Through Redeemer’s partnership with Zion, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with Rick Johnson, David Nerothin, and others, and very much appreciate Rick’s invitation to write this introduction for your newsletter.

Sancturary Movement

Some months ago a young couple joined Redeemer congregation after doing extensive research. They decided to become members at Redeemer because they liked the congregation’s commitment and support to the neighborhood. They are both recent graduates of Valparaiso University in Indiana. It was like music to my ears when they stated that they wanted to get married at Redeemer this summer. That’s when they asked me the big question “What would it take to have the church painted and the mildew stains on the wall removed?”

Harrison Neighborhood Block Party

August 15th, 2007
5:00 to 8:00 PM

On Wednesday, August 15, our partner church Redeemer Lutheran church will host the 5th Annual Harrison Neighborhood Block Party, an emerging tradition for the members our community. At the Block Party individuals are given the opportunity to build relationships with one another. This is one way Redeemer works together to create a healthier community within their neighborhood. Zion encourages members to participate in this event.

Thoughts from Redeemer

Lonna Field, Redeemer Youth Ministry

For the past three years I have been blessed to be a part of youth ministry at Redeemer Lutheran Church and Redeemer Center for Life (RCFL) in north Minneapolis. After graduating from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, with a degree in Elementary Education, I joined Lutheran Volunteer Corps. Through LVC, I was selected to spend a year working at Redeemer. As I now completing my third year of employment at Redeemer, I wanted to share some thoughts.

RCFL Update

Redeemer Center for Life (RCFL) and Redeemer Lutheran Church (RLC) share the same mission: to be a beacon of hope to the Harrison Neighborhood. Both organizations are making continuous progress toward achieving that mission. Recently, four of us from RLC and RCFL, (Pastor Kelly and I from RLC and Caroline Nelson and Jeff Huggett from RFCL) visited the ELCA church headquarters in Chicago to discuss the work of both organizations in the community.

Redeemer News

If someone were to ask me how things are looking around Redeemer these days, I would respond by telling them the story about a woman who was having an interesting hair day. The woman’s hair looked like she might have accidentally inserted her finger in a light socket. It was a very awkward moment. There was nothing ahe could do but try to make light of the situation, so she asked good naturedly, “How do you like my hair?”. Her friend stood there for a moment and then replied, “it looks as if it’s about to become something wonderful.”