Colleagues- We have a few quick updates related to the ongoing struggles for justice and life that are taking over our nation. We know that many of you are in responding to difficult realities as you serve your congregations and communities – be encouraged, take good care of your own health, check in on each other, and keep praying and sharing, resourcing and building one another up throughout this season. Share your ideas, needs, and advocacy efforts throughout the pastoral networks in your region, with conference staff, or with ministerium leadership. We see you and we need your biblically grounded, prophet, healthy, courageous leadership. We have been collecting ideas and needs specifically from Minneapolis right now, in response to the murder of George Floyd and the ongoing high cost of racial injustice that has and is impacting so many. A few ways that as a Body we can be tangibly with them in this season are listed below – as well as a note from one of our Officers. Crisis Response Supporting Minneapolis Clergy & Churches From the Northwest Conference Office: Please pray for God to superintend, bring order and peace, and to support our pastors and churches. From two northside Minneapolis Churches: Many churches are on the ground and ministering throughout the community in very heavy realities. Most grocery stores and pharmacies are now closed throughout the city. Especially for those without access to networks of resources, transportation, or other back up, there is a critical need for food, diapers, and other daily necessities. On the north side of the city, Community Covenant Church and Sanctuary Covenant Church are both doing ongoing work to care for spiritual, emotional, physical needs throughout the community. They are focused on partnering with non-profits and their congregations to get food to the local community and resource those who are most vulnerable. Local donations: If you are in the Mpls area, you can drop off non-perishables items needed, such as hygiene products, canned goods/staples, and diapers to Community Covenant or Sanctuary Covenant at on site – please email their staff to arrange a time for drop off (and recognize that they are juggling a lot right now, so work around their time and what most helps.) Give Financially: All donations to either church go toward crisis and rebuilding efforts that the churches and community partners are committed to for the long haul. Donations are needed asap, and will continue to be needed for some time. Options for how to give are below:
Give to Community Covenant Church through their online giving platform (requires some sign in), click and select “Benevolence”: https://www.covchurchgiving.com/c-198-community-covenant-church-minneapolis-mn.aspx#ways-donate. Or use PayPal to securely and directly give using their church tag: church@cccminneapolis.org
Give to Sanctuary Covenant Church through their online giving, an app, or text to give: click here and select “Care and Support Fund.” https://sanctuarycov.org/give/ Or text funds quickly and directly to Sanctuary Covenant by texting a message with the $dollar amount you want to give to 84321.
Give your Prayer and Advocacy Continue to also pray for these and other area churches, and for the whole community. Pray for safety, wisdom, and strength. And pray against the spiritual forces that are very active and at work. Know that pastors and leaders in Mpls deeply appreciate our support and prayers already offered as well. The wider church is also being asked by these leaders in the trenches to start or continue justice conversations and advocacy efforts in our own churches and communities, to get at the root issues, and to be part of the wider Body living into the work that racial justice requires. Check out our Dept of LMDJ online resources for a long list of excellent ways to start/further this work. Update from Vice-Secretary Mark Tao
Dear Friends- On Saturday, I wrote you [access the original letter @the Ministerium Blog] with my heart moved to consider what Solidarity might look like in this present moment. In my message to you, I included this line: “…this country has never been and will never be for or safe for Black Americans.” However, as several of you have rightfully named in your responses, this is was neither helpful nor hopeful and caused harm for which I must apologize for making. While I do believe that the safety of Black Americans will always be threatened in this country, wherever and whenever the power and principality of white supremacy reigns/ remains, the remembrance of Pentecost on Sunday is a resounding reminder that even in the midst of oppressive empire, a new community may be formed; one infused by the power of the Holy Spirit, marked by radical hospitality and mutual love. In recapitulating Pentecost, may we carry on filled with hope, living out the Beloved community in our world, and doing what is necessary to becoming a people in whom anti-blackness has no place or power. May the Holy Spirit be near to you this week! in peace, -Mark Tao, on behalf of the Executive Board of the Covenant Ministerium (President Liz Verhage, VP Dieula Previlon, Sec. Beth Ernest, Tres. Eric Hedberg)