Christus Victor Lutheran Church

Lily of the Valley, Casa de Oracion, and Christus Victor are coming together to have a “Rally in the Valley!” Bring your family and friends, as well as your lawn chairs, for some great music, food, fellowship, and praise. This is a great event for the whole community to get together and make connections and new friends.

What: Music, Food, Arts and Crafts Vendors, and Praise!
When: Saturday, August 16 3:00pm-7:00pm
Where: CV parking lot! (Directions)

Interested in helping? Please contact Pastor Kent at 952-454-6927 or youthrev@pro-ns.net.

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Sitting in a Christian coffee shop by the U of M, drinking my coffee, a disheveled woman shuffled in with her cane, carrying a colorful array of bags filled with a variety of her belongings and treasures. It was 95 degrees outside, and she came in to cool off. “I hope they don’t kick me out,” she said to no one in particular. “Why would they kick you out,” I asked? Looking at me with sadness in her eyes she replied, “Most people don’t want people like me hanging around, you know.” She paused, “I understand. I wouldn’t want to hang around me either.” Then she smiled and laughed. “But I heard these people were real Christians,” she went on, “so maybe they’ll let me stay for a while to cool off.”

What is a “real Christian”?

I was about halfway finished bottling my “Pastor’s Pride” for the beer tasting when three college age guys came bursting in to bottle their first ever batch of beer. We started up a conversation about the characteristics and qualities of various beer styles and their preferences for certain styles for different seasons. I listened to them talk about the music festivals they were going to attend, and the troubles with their girlfriends. Then something made me ask them a question from an evangelism book I am reading, “Hey guys, can I ask you a question?” “Sure, dude,” they replied. I asked, “What do you think about Jesus?” After staring at me like I had tentacles coming out of my head, they slowly started telling me what they thought. “Jesus was a really cool guy. He taught about love.” “He was a wise spiritual teacher and healer.” “He was all about loving and accepting people.” Pretty interesting answers, I thought.

Then I asked the follow up question, “What do you think about Christians?” This time they let loose with a barrage of complaints and sarcastic comments. “They’re all a bunch of hypocrites!” “All they care about is judging others.” “They are all right-wing conservatives.” “They don’t act like Jesus,” was the comment that really hurt. How did Jesus act? What does it mean to be a “real” Christian? What does it mean to “act like Jesus”?

As individuals and as a community, we are still learning and striving to follow Jesus, and by following Jesus to learn from Him and to become like Him, so that others would hear the call to following Jesus too.

A Follower of Jesus,
Pastor Kent Claussen Gubrud

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The August 2008 Newsletter is now available for download (PDF). Read to find out more about the WAPO experience; Redeemed Treasures, the 2008 Annual Garage Sale; the Rally in the Valley; and thoughts on an informal survey regarding Jesus (”a really cool guy”) and Christians. Click here to read more.

As we move here and there throughout the summer, you are always welcome back home at Christus Victor. Read about the exciting fellowship and outreach opportunities this summer. No matter your age or background, there is something for you. Click here to read more.

Now available – the June 2008 Newsletter – read about: Vacation Bible School plans, Spirit Bound performances, Tanzanian Midwife kits, and all sorts of summer events for kids, young adults, and young (at-heart) adults. Click Here.

In April and May, faith trekkers are experiencing an hour that transports them to Mlowa, Tanzania and connects them to their Lutheran cousins. The goal of this five-week Faith Trek Rotation is: “In response to Christ’s love, we offer our talents in faithful stewardship to accomplish God’s mission in the world.” In the other four classrooms, faith trekkers are learning to “Use It or Lose It: The Parable of the Talents.” The Tanzanian Partnership Committee felt that this was a great opportunity to introduce all faith trekkers to rich culture of Tanzania through their five senses. Faith trekkers are seeing pictures of the people and places of Tanzania, smelling spices, tasting chappati (flat bread)), hearing music sung in Swahili and touching items that were brought back from Africa.

In addition to learning about the similarities and differences in the lives of children from Apple Valley and Mlowa, faith trekkers are learning that the offering they give each week pays for a child from Mlowa to attend secondary school. There is a Mlowa primary school which educates kids through grade five. There is no secondary school in Mlowa so if you want education beyond grade five you need to attend boarding school. The cost of a year of boarding school for a secondary education (6th grade through 12th grade) costs $300 per year. The average income of a Tanzanian is $350.

To celebrate their connection to their Lutheran cousins, faith trekkers are creating a drawing introducing themselves and we are capturing both the picture and the artist on film. The Tanzanian Partnership Committee will be sending these one-of-a-kind photos to Mlowa so that the kids there can see who their Lutheran cousins are.

In 2002, Christus Victor (CV) began a partnership with a rural Lutheran congregation in the village of Mlowa located in the Iringa diocese in the south central region of Tanzania. The partnership is called Bega kwa Bega (meaning shoulder to shoulder) and we are one of sixty-six congregations of the St. Paul Area Synod which have made this cross cultural connection. Ambassadors from CV have traveled to Mlowa to connect with our Tanzanian cousins four times and the next journey is tentatively planned for the summer of 2010 and currently, the CV Tanzania Committee is researching the possibility of bringing Pastor Lunagelo Mbwilo here to connect with us!

If you have any questions about Tanzania or our connection with Mlowa, please contact Diana Buffie, Barb Damlo, KC Claussen Gubrud or Dawn Youngner. Asante Sana. Thank you.

Praise the Lord! With your wildly enthusiastic participation, Christus Victor has just completed its most successful March Food Share drive ever! Not only did we meet our challenge from Pastor Kent to collect 3000 food items between the general congregation and the Confirmation and Youth groups in March, we surpassed the challenge by over 1000 items and nearly quadrupled our previous record for a total of 4217 food items! Combined with matched donations by corporate sponsors during Food Share month, your efforts have raised a truly impressive amount of food and will make a direct impact in assisting many neighbors who are struggling to put food on the table.

Hats off to Pastor Kent for putting his hair on the line to give us all a little extra incentive to give big and give often! On a typical non-Food Share week, we deliver anywhere between two to maybe five bags of food to the Rosemount Family Resource Center. During Food Share this year, truck-loads, multiple truck-loads of food were donated and taken to the food shelf every single week. What an awesome sight to see the grocery cart in the Narthex continually spilling over with food!

The food shelf greatly appreciates and relies on the continued support of members of Christus Victor to meet the most basic needs of local families as they struggle to meet the many challenges facing them. The Social Ministries Committee has been overwhelmed by your generosity and gives our heartfelt thanks to you and praise to God for making this year’s food drive such an amazing success!