Messiah Lutheran Church, ELCA

Messiah Lutheran Church, is a new mission faith community embedded in the midst of the newly developing Center For Changing Lives (CFCL), an initiative of Faith in the City (which includes: Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Fairview Health Services, Augsburg College, Central Lutheran Church, Lutheran Services of Minnesota, Luther Seminary and Augsburg Fortress Publishers). CFCL, both a place and a concept, involves a 7-day - per week seamless mix of spiritual, social, financial, health, housing, and other responses to the many challenges of inner city people and the presence of a working and worshiping faith community.

Messiah has over 100 years of worship and neighborhood ministry in collaboration with other congregations and agencies. In 2008, Messiah moved its worship and office space to become a partner with the Lutheran Social Services at the new Center For Changing Lives (CFCL) at 2400 Park, entering into a new paradigm shift to meet the needs of the worshiping community and the Phillips neighborhood of which it is a part.  Phillips is a diverse area in many ways including a population of people from many nationalities; a mix of residential, commercial and industrial uses; home to Abbott Northwestern & Children Hospitals, Wells Fargo Mortgage and Allina Health Care Services and several other small neighborhood businesses. It also is home of the famous Global Market, a 2005 2M development located at Chicago Avenue and Lake Street-- with offices, hotel, retail and housing.

Messiah has deep roots in the Augustana Lutheran tradition. It spawned such churches as Mt. Olivet of Minneapolis and St. Stephen of Bloomington. The marvelous Lutheran understanding of how God works in our lives is pervasive and central to the mission. This means growing and leaning forward together with people of many backgrounds and cultures ranging from "bapticostals" to Roman Catholics to un-churched by emphasizing core Lutheran themes i.e. Lutheran confessions, yes - - - "Lutheran culture," not so much.  A pastor/developer, several member pastors, community based CPE and pastoral interns as well as other contextual education students, along with a diverse community, create a richly varied set of worldviews, perspectives and images for Christ’s church today. There are also several inner city and partner suburban churches as well as other organizations and agencies collaborating and interacting with us as we come together in Jesus name to worship, love and serve. We seek to build beloved community and create a gospel presence in it.

Messiah is intentionally developing a beloved community in the midst of a highly diverse, multicultural, 21st century challenged inner city setting. There is no racial, ethnic or demographic majority in the worshiping community.  Messiah seeks to provide a safe and accepting, loving and serving, inclusive and missional setting for a great diversity of backgrounds, values and beliefs. Many new people call or walk into the center with various needs and opportunities so the possibilities to create connections and to serve are unlimited. There is great need for intentional "walk with-ers" for both young people and adults. We strive to model and encourage mentoring relationships between new and indigenous people in the faith community.

Messiah’s vision, along with the CFCL partners, and other churches that have joined in the effort, is to bring diverse peoples together  to worship, fellowship, support and serve. All who become part of the faith community are encouraged to own the vision through participation in the many service and ministry opportunities. Community is at the core of Messiah’s vision. We offer many opportunities to gather as a community and be fed, both physically and spiritually. There are community meals during our in our Food Pantry on the second Friday and fourth Saturday of each month and on Saturdays before special holidays; every Thursday at noon. We also get fed with free community meals after our spiritual nourishment through our Bible Studies on Tuesdays at 10:30 and Koinonia Fellowship on Wednesday evenings as well as every Sunday after Word and Sacrament Worship. Our worship opportunities currently include a traditional service first three Sundays of each month (9:00am) and a contextual, jazz style worship (known as the Bridge service) every Sunday beginning at 11:00 am. There are also specific efforts and strategic and detailed work being done with youth and ethnic groups and neighborhood through the various programs and ministries at Messiah and the CFCL.

At the heart of Messiah’s mission to make disciples and to foster the spiritual growth of children and adults is a commitment to “walking with.” We believe what matters most is not the program, but the relationship, as is shown in the incarnation of Christ. In light of this, we focus on relationship, we do offer Sunday school, confirmation and Vacation Bible School (though not always in traditional formats) for children, as well as Alpha, Community Bible Study and other bible study opportunities for adults. There are also many other diverse opportunities for developing these relationships.

Messiah Lutheran Church is a great venue for contextual learning.  It is a teaching congregation in coordination with Luther Seminary contextual and field experiences with which seminary and other students engage. There is opportunity for three students per year to engage in Community based CPE (a student each semester and one for summer). We also have opportunities for the required yearlong Lutheran pastoral internship, without needing to relocate. Messiah is only about 10 minutes driving distance fro Luther Seminary. It is possible to negotiate for a two-year half-time internship if one wants to continue taking classes at the seminary.

We strongly believe that contextual education should provide involvement in both suburban and urban setting. Through Pr. Lee Cunningham’s role and background, Messiah has been able to forge intentional and significant partnerships between  the suburban partners and the 7-day a week mission at the Center for Changing Lives. The envisioned Messiah Bridge refers to a two-way-traffic that is so essential for the integrity of Christ’s church today.