Christus Victor Lutheran Church

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!

Now available – the May 2008 Newsletter – read about: the March food drive with Community Action Council, the Spirit Bound June schedule, listening to the voice of God leading and guiding us, and the calendar. Read all the details conveniently on line or print your own copy. Click Here.