March 2006

From the Interim Pastor... It’s hard to believe it’s already the middle of February as we write articles for the March Communicator.

By the time you receive this newsletter the Planning Team will have met four times. Questionnaires will be sent to the congregation in early March. All are asked to fill these out and return them as soon as possible. The information sought will include some demographic questions to get a better handle on Mindekirken’s current membership. Other questions will seek input on issues and priorities facing Mindekirken now and in the future.

The Planning Team also intends to lead some ‘focus group’ conversations among various groups that already exist within the congregation.

The purpose of the Planning Team’s work is to help Mindekirken prepare and plan for its future. This interim time is an opportunity to take a ‘big picture’ look at a number of things. A new pastor from Norway may not be in a position to do this for quite some time. The new pastor will be immediately immersed in many things and undergo a ‘learning curve’ regarding his or her roles and responsibilities in providing pastoral leadership for your unique ethnic-Norwegian-yet-still-American congregation. Perhaps by the time he or she is ready to focus on your long range future, it will be time to go back to Norway. It sounds like you were quite fortunate to have Pastor Jens Dale with you for three and a half years. A native Norwegian pastor recently shared an opinion with me that Mindekirken perhaps ought not expect more than two years service from Norwegian pastors in the future. In other words, it seems that future planning lies more in the hands of you and your leaders vs. reliance on the guidance of a pastor who may not be with you all that long.

Perhaps one of the biggest questions Mindekirken faces is: Will you be a congregation 20 –25 years from now? Looking at the average age of members of the congregation begs the question. How many younger people will Mindekirken need to draw in as part of its active membership? How will this happen? Mindekirken’s Mission Statement includes the following:

The overall mission is to ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you…’ (Matthew 28:19-20)

What does this mean for you and your future? How will you make disciples? Beyond the cultural events and activities so many enjoy here, what is your mission as a faith community going forward? What does it mean to be a spiritual center for the Scandinavian American community as your Mission Statement says? (Over half of Mindekirken’s current members are ‘Associate Members’ whose primary church home is elsewhere.) I will continue to ask questions about your mission.

For some people, the kind of mission a congregation defines is precisely what draws them to be a part of that congregation. Answers to these questions are not easy, but they are important questions to ask…and to pray about. I hope Mindekirken is alive and well 100 years from now. But for now let’s plan for the next few years and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in and through our efforts.

The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church ·  924 E. 21st St, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2952 ·  (612)874-0716