Blog Posts

Annual Christmas Store

12/12/2017

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The Redeemer Christmas Store has become such a staple in the community that we hardly have to advertise it. In fact, it's been around longer that Pastor Kelly (who has been here 17 years!) Everyone just seems to know the second Saturday in December is a day of truly beautiful generosity. This year's Christmas Store featured 163 individual child shoppers (ages 5-12), over 85 volunteers, and more than 1,000 presents! Beyond some particularly abundant donations from our partner congregations, this year's event featured a special bonus for the parents and guardians – free massages and refreshments at Health Commons in the Living Room! Numerous adults took part in this treat while their children shopped.
Each child was able to "buy" presents for for different family members or friends. Present only cost a quarter, though in reality they were worth much more than that. A volunteer "elf" took the child shopping through the store which was laid out amongst the top floor of the church. They then took the child to the wrapping station where volunteers helped them wrap and label each present. Afterwards, the child got to bundle all their presents up into a bag, and enjoy cookie decorating and a hotdog lunch with their families. All in all, it's amazing to watch the hundreds of people come together to give so much to this event. It's a wonder that the church doesn't literally burst open with generosity! At a time when folks can feel pressured materially and socially by the season, what a beautiful way to honor true Christmas spirit.

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Redeemer Chosen for ArtPlace Grant

12/5/2017

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Exciting news! RedeemerCenter for Life has been selected from nearly one thousand applicants to receive funding through ArtPlace America’s 2017 National Creative PlacemakingFund – one of only 23 projects that will receive funding this year. A highly-competitive nationwide program, ArtPlace’s National Creative Placemaking Fund invests money in community development projects where artists, arts organizations and arts and culture activity work to strengthen communities across 10 sectors of community planning and development. “This year’s investments highlight critical dimensions of creative placemaking strategy that can provide great inspiration to communities across the country.” said F. Javier Torres, Director of National Grantmaking at ArtPlace. “We are deeply excited to announce these 23 new investments as our seventh cohort of funded projects through the National Creative Placemaking Fund.” Redeemer Center for Life, founded by Redeemer Lutheran Church in 1999, will leverage its ArtPlace award to set up a housing security pipeline to support Harrison neighborhood residents interested in transitioning to home ownership or a more secure lease in North Minneapolis. In collaboration with local artist organizers and neighbors, Redeemer will deploy theatre arts interventions to erode neighborhood stratification and establish new relationships. We look forward to partnering with the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, City of Lakes Community Land Trust, Harrison Neighborhood Association, Urban Homeworks and artist organizer Denetrick Powers, and hope this work over the next 2.5 years will translate into – 1. Retention of long-term Northside residents. Interested Northside residents will transition to a lease for a next stage of life (e.g., a 2-bedroom instead of a studio) or homeownership to maintain their tenures in North Minneapolis – possibly through a City of Lakes Community Land Trust program to maintain perpetual affordability.
2. Recycled affordable rental opportunities. Tenants exiting Redeemer housing to secure a next lease or homeownership will leave vacancies on Redeemer’s campus for renters seeking highly-affordable and -accessible leases.
3. Resilient social networks. Cohorts – 2 over 2 years – will illuminate neighborhood histories & resident stories, introduce neighbors to each other via serial, non-superficial encounters, inspire investment in Harrison’s social fabric & invite residents to imagine living in a neighborhood known nationally as a model for other communities aspiring to both diversity & cohesion. -Check out a 3-minute video introducing Redeemer Center for Life’s ArtPlace project. -Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Redeemer Women's Retreat: JustUs Women

11/9/2017

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The Women of Redeemer embarked on their annual retreat at Bay Lake Camp in beautiful Bay Lake, Minnesota last weekend (Nov. 3rd-5th). I think it is safe to say that everyone who attended the retreat was immensely grateful for the opportunity to spend the weekend with the wonderful and wise women of Redeemer. The theme of this year’s retreat was “JustUs Women: Being Women of Justice.” Each woman had a different story and insight to share with the group which resulted in very fruitful conversations throughout the entire weekend. We shared and listened and became closer to one another in ways that can’t happen all the time in our busy day-to-day routines. Pastor Babette stressed the importance of taking time away to just be and refocus, and at the end of the weekend, it was evident, that doing just that can make a world of a difference. The women of Redeemer who couldn’t attend were greatly missed and plans were put into motion to find ways to meet more often and more intentionally throughout the course of the upcoming year. It was a beautiful and inspiring weekend.

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Soul Food DInner

10/29/2017

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Celebrating the Reformation, Redeemer Lutheran Church hosted a community meal after service on October 29. The room was packed, conversations abundant, and the aroma of various foods prepared for the hundreds of people in attendance.

Halfway through, mayoral candidate Nekima Levy-Pounds spoke to the congregation. Levy-Pounds explained her vocation for working against institutions of oppression and why she felt she needed to do something more impactful – running for mayor. As she came to a close, the room murmured with excitement, some people shaking their head in agreement.

Soul Dinner was truly fulfilling physically, spiritually, and politically.

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H-Cubed: Facing Fears

10/27/2017

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The Living Room opened its doors again to H-Cubed’s intentional healing space and open mic on October 27th. The event featured performing artist Ej Easley "Grey Matter" and visual artist Emilie Bouvier.

Near the beginning of the night, the attendees were broken into small groups to discuss what we feared the most. In the group I was in, we reached the conclusion that, to some extent, we feared what the future holds for the generations to come.

After the group session and a short debriefing, Grey Matter began his set with an amazing freestyle focusing on the fear of losing loved ones, a topic which was chosen by the crowd. Meanwhile Emilie Bouvier, sitting right of the stage at a pottery wheel, placed a bowl formed just moments ago next to several other pieces created earlier in the night. Next to her was a projection of one of her photographic works, an eggshell with an obscured photograph of a distant yet intimate landscape of trees. The image was negative; the trees were white and abstractly warped around the inside of the shell.

Listening to the improvised music Grey Matter was making, I felt myself drawn to the photo, staring at it so intensely I felt I was looking through the wall. What is fear? Fear is standing at the beginning of this inversed forest - familiar yet distant and strange – but the best way to overcome this fear is to walk right in and face it.

Suddenly, someone passed in front of the projector and the forest was gone.

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H-Cubed Equinox: Fall Back to School celebration

9/22/2017

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This weekend, the Living Room hosted H-Cubed's Equinox celebration. Featured performing artist McKenna Selissen stunned the crowd with her powerful voice, while featured visual artist Imani Waters shared her original paintings throughout the night. A big thank you to everyone who came to support the artists and those who shared their gifts during the open mic!

Reflection by Erica Seltzer-Schultz

After a full week, a beautiful space, hanging in between week and weekend. People different ages, different races gather in the Living Room. Couches, chairs, free food, welcome.
Music, poetry, that touches deep, responds to the moment, carries us to the next. Words, notes that stir memories, something fierce, something that aches.
Conversation with strangers. But are they really strangers? Intimacy, realness, reflection in their eyes. Something so familiar.
What am I growing out of? What am I growing into?
A pause between push, pull and control – a rest, a hope, could I create like that too? Does what sleeps in my heart matter?
We are coming out of denial.
Fed, spiritually and physically.

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STEP-UP Intern Graduation

8/27/2017

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On Thursday, August 17th, Redeemer said goodbye to its 19 high school STEP-UP interns, though Redeemer’s impact on them and their impact on our community will reverberate long after the summer.

For NouChee and Namesha, a summer internship in the coffee bar gave them an enjoyable and employable skill. NouChee will be continuing on at Venture North and Namesha will be starting to work at Starbucks. It was both of their first time working as baristas and they found it challenging to learn how to make all the different drinks. But they soon got the hang of it and particularly enjoyed meeting all the different people who came through Venture North.

Going into the summer, Willie thought working in the bike shop would be “boring,” “hard,” and “annoying.” But he ended up feeling like the summer went smoothly and that it wasn’t as boring as he thought it would be. He found fixing brakes to be especially challenging, but he kept working on it and felt proud when it started to get easier. He and the six other bike shop interns worked to refurbish over 150 bikes this summer and Willie particularly enjoyed getting to help deliver them. A few bike shop interns may be hired on at Venture North as mechanics.

In the Health Commons, Jennifer didn’t know what to expect going into the summer as she had never worked in a health-related field. But she says that she learned a lot including how to take people’s blood pressure, how to give hand massages, and generally what’s healthy for the community. She also worked in the garden and did outreach. Jennifer feels inspired by the way that Health Commons helps people and is even considering working as a doctor or in another health-related profession as a career.

The Community Leadership interns spent the summer learning about different topics that impact North Minneapolis and felt that their work mentoring younger children was especially important. “We all connected with the kids, each one of the kids. We love the kids and the kids love us,” said Qali. They took the children on several field trips through the summer “Kids in Action” program and particularly enjoyed canoeing at Theodore Wirth Park Lake.

De’Leon felt like the summer made him more verbal than he normally is at school and both he and Marrell thought they learned more leadership skills as they found themselves in the role of teacher and not just student. “Now I know how it feels to wait for everyone to get on task.”

Each of the Community Leadership interns remarked on the close connection they had developed with their coworkers and said that, overall, the summer was much better than they thought.

As part of their last week at Redeemer, all of the interns met with a financial planner who helped give them skills around how to use their paycheck. They each expressed a sense of pride in the money they earned this summer hope to stay connected to Redeemer through the school year.

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H-Cubed, August 25th

8/25/2017

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On August 25th, Freedom Square hosted the last outside event for H-Cubed. Throughout the night, local visual and musical artists shared their gifts on the stage and on canvas. It was a beautiful evening with talented people!

Come out to the Living Room September 22nd for H-Cubed's Equinox: Fall Back to School celebration, featuring vocal powerhouse McKenna Selissen and the multi-talented Imani Waters, who will be sharing her original paintings throughout the night!

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Congressman Keith Ellison Forum: Environmental Protection Agency

8/15/2017

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Congressman Ellison held a forum in the Redeemer sanctuary on Wednesday night, August 16th. Congressman Ellison invited multiple people to speak at the forum and share their stories and thoughts about an issue that has seriously affected the North Minneapolis area for years. However, taking into consideration the recent changes the U.S. is now facing, Congressman Ellison stated, “This is not the time to cut back, this is the time to move forward,” in response to the budget cuts the Environmental Protection Agency is currently experiencing among other issues. The forum addressed some important concerns like how North Minneapolis has the highest hospitalization rate in all of Minnesota and has had more cases of lead poisoning reported than Flint, Michigan. Among the various speakers was a mother from the North Minneapolis community whose son suffered lead poisoning when her and her family moved into an apartment that had issues with lead and the landlord failed to notify her of this. Her tragic experience led her to begin her fight with Congress that she is still fighting today. At the end of the forum a speaker closed with a few encouraging words about the positive movements that are being put into place for better air and water and for a better environment as a whole.

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Redeemer celebrates its 108th anniversary and two high school graduations!

6/21/2017

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On Sunday June 11th, Redeemer celebrated its 108th anniversary as a church. Members of the community shared a delicious meal, stories and spoken-word. We also celebrated the high school graduation of Beatrice and Aaron!

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Redeemer Blog

Annual Christmas Store

Redeemer Chosen for ArtPlace Grant

Redeemer Women's Retreat: JustUs Women

Soul Food DInner

H-Cubed: Facing Fears

H-Cubed Equinox: Fall Back to School celebration

STEP-UP Intern Graduation

H-Cubed, August 25th

Congressman Keith Ellison Forum: Environmental Protection Agency

Redeemer celebrates its 108th anniversary and two high school graduations!

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