One of the questions we often receive here at Redeemer is, "What is Redeemer Center for Life, and what do you do?" In short, RCFL is a place-based organizations celebrating and reinforcing the diversity of Minneapolis' Northside through social action and investment in its people, ideas, and enterprises. Community engagement is at the core of its organizational culture and the primary source of RCFL's vision, strategy, and evolution. Over the years, RCFL has grown and matured from its 1998 beginnings in the Peace Palace into a multi-faceted organization serving Harrison and the Northside through housing equity, youth development and empowerment, and employment opportunities. We're excited to share that in this, our 20th year, through the leadership of a growing body of staff artists and creators, we're deepening our roots in healing and empowerment through art.  You may have noticed our redesigned courtyard, the freshly weeded and mulched Redeemer Garden, and our cleaned and painted garages and houses! You may not have noticed how sparkling clean and ready for new LVC interns the Glenwood House is, or a number of youth helping Nestor Garcia move from the Glenwood House into a Milda's apartment. All of this work and so much more was completed by the Kansas City Lutheran Youth Coalition (KCLYC) Missions Trips, a collaborative of 40+ senior high youth and their adult leaders who travel across the United States each summer to help congregations and communities like ours complete dream projects. They came to us on Monday, July 9th, and gave Redeemer and Harrison Neighborhood four full days of hard manual labor to realize some long-needed restoration projects. The fruit of their labor is visible everywhere you look on the Redeemer Campus, and we are blessed to say these future leaders came to us will full and generous hearts ready to pour into our congregation and community! Check out the photos and video below to learn more about what they did, and be sure to visit their Facebook Page to see more of the photos they took over the course of the week, and to THANK THEM for the tremendous gift of their presence and work here at Redeemer! For the second year in a row, Redeemer was delighted to partner with the All in the Circle Creative Arts & Nature Camp to bring the arts & outdoors to North Minneapolis community kids. Over the course of two weeks of rain and sun, 46 campers adventured through Theo Wirth Park exploring, canoeing, and having a blast learning about beavers, bugs, and being responsible stewards of the earth. They enjoyed art classes with Redeemer's Artists in Residence Katherine Parent and Robert The Gentleman Artist, and music classes at The Living Room. The week culminated with a concert in which campers dressed up in beautiful camp-made costumes and staging and taught parents and supporters all about beavers through song and narrative. We can't wait for next year!
We are thrilled to welcome to Redeemer as Artist-in-Residence Robert, The Gentleman Artist. Robert only began painting over the last year but demonstrates profound giftedness in his ability to express deep beauty and emotion through music and on canvas. Be sure to stop in, say hello, and tour his mini-gallery in Redeemer's lower-level art studio! We look forward to the many ways in which Robert will continue to bless our congregation and the Northside community through creation! On Saturday, March 24th, Redeemer gathered a group of nearly 50 congregants and community members of all ages who piled onto a bus and rode to the State Capitol to join nearly 18,000 Minnesotans and millions more across the nation in the March for Our Lives.
Despite the blistering cold, we were encouraged and inspired by the young speakers from the Twin Cities and from Parkland, FL, who shared their own harrowing stories of how gun violence has impacted their lives in myriad scenarios from street violence to school shootings. As a church living out the mission of God in an urban area wracked with gun violence, Redeemer uniquely understands that the scourge of gun violence goes deeper and farther than mass shootings. It is the daily lived reality of so many of our neighbors and school children, a reality we are committed to changing. The March for Our Lives is one piece in a movement for whole, healthy, equitable living. Are you interested in learning about or becoming involved with Redeemer's non-profit community development organization, Redeemer Center for Life? Now is a GREAT opportunity to invest financially and be part of RCFL's ongoing evolution within Harrison, North Minneapolis, and the greater Twin Cities area! Below is an invitation to more from Sara Huelle, our Director of Donor Development.
Thrivent Financial provides a myriad of accessible avenues for Living Generously and making contributions with the intent of strengthening communities and congregations. If you are an eligible member of Thrivent Financial you get to direct just where Thrivent donates some of their charitable outreach dollars, and we appreciate every recommendation! THIS is an opportunity to direct your Thrivent Choice Dollars to Redeemer Center for Life and/or Redeemer Lutheran Church today! Thrivent Choice Dollars not directed by March 31 will expire. For additional information and/or direction visit Thrivent.com/thriventchoice, or call 800-847-4836 and say “Thrivent Choice” after the prompt. Thank you for taking the time and investing in RCFL!   During Lent 2018, in addition to engaging in a season of holy listening through a series of one-on-one meetings between congregants, Redeemer is hosting weekly Wednesday night Soup Suppers and Holden worship. On Wednesdays February 21 and 28, and March 7, 14, 21, and 28, join us for food and fellowship at 6pm, and stay for Holden worship and table conversations beginning at 7pm. If you'd like to volunteer to bring a pot of soup to share for Lenten worship, please contact Amy Koopman at the church or Minister of Fellowship Steve Patnode.
It can be easy at times to feel disheartened in today's world. But at Sunday's MLK Celebration, community members took heart in great food, community and conversation. After enjoying a delicious potluck, members took part in a service that combined music with round table conversation. Members talked about feeling angry and often times hopeless in the face of today's politics and racial issues. But they also talked about how anger can turn into power and love. Several people talked about the importance of not demonizing others, in fact seeing us all as God's creation. Others talks about finding more profound ways to take care of each other within the notion that, "When all do better, we all do better." A couple people spoke on how the church has the potential to be a major force in the community. We have the potential to be brave, they said, to call things out that are not ok, and set the tone for how we can honor everyone's humanity. Last night, the Redeemer and Westwood young adults gathered in the Living Room for chili and Christmas desserts followed by some games and a brief worship service with music lead by Paul Koopman. It was a great time to come together with other congregation members and share in some delicious food and company. Redeemer hopes to continue to have more young adult nights like this one, so stay tuned for those dates!  |
1800 Glenwood Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55405
admin@redeemermpls.org Phone: (612) 886-1468
Offices Hours: Monday-Friday 9 am-1 pm
admin@redeemermpls.org Phone: (612) 886-1468
Offices Hours: Monday-Friday 9 am-1 pm