First and foremost, Mindekirken is a congregation where members and visitors worship and serve. We meet the Lord through word and sacrament, and the Sunday morning services are the heartbeat of the congregation. Average attendance has increased, now 21 at the English service, 110 at the Norwegian service and 116 at the family service. This year’s visit by Prof. Inge Lønning on 17. mai and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jan Petersen on Oct. 26 helped us increase the total number of people attending the services from 6619 in 2002 to 7150 in 2003. Sixteen new full members, 13 associate members were received . There were 10 baptisms,

6 funerals, 4 weddings and 2 confirmations.

At the spring retreat, the Church Council judged that education was an important area of improvement. The Tuesday Bible Study group and Adult Education hour account for some improvement, but we might consider Bible study groups in the homes or Bible courses or an Alpha course at the church. We have to do more to include the families who have had their children baptized!

The fact that we still use the Norwegian language and have a Norwegian pastor is a reason d’être for the church. But it also limits us. Some people participate enthusiastically for a period, but drop out because of lacking language skills. It might be difficult to change this, but the language program (160 students this fall) is important to help people learn and practice the Norwegian language.

The Tuesday Open House presentations have featured Norwegian history (Norwegian art, Iron cookware, Easter traditions etc.), American Norwegian history (Vesterheim Museum, Mindekirken’s history, Altar paintings, Lutheran churches etc), current Norwegian stuff (accessible homes, changes in Norwegian society). The Grieg program by Halvorsen and Reilly was attended by 150. Normal turnout for OH is 50 – 70.

We had a Lina Sandell program and a couple of concerts including the Christmas party with the Lucia pageant.

It’s wonderful to see so many people in bunad on for instance 17.mai and jul-aften. Nordic themes were presented during The Leiv Eriksson Int’l Festival.

The Communicator has improved its quality. Printing is now done on our own new digital copy machine. The mailing list has increased to 1550. Mindekirken had the program at the Vesterheim Nordic brunch (Easter traditions). We had a display table promotion at a Sons of Norway Day in Mankato and at Norway Day in Minnehaha Park. Trude Dale’s article about Mindekirken in the Norwegian magazine "Vi over 60" was read by 300 000 in Norway. Jens A. Dale, Pastor