LINC is thrilled to welcome Dustin Barnes to the staff beginning in June as the new Outreach and Organization Manager. Dustin brings a vibrant ministry heart to our organization, ready to tackle a combination of responsibilities. He is replacing Sarah Legband who had begun developing the Neighborhood Connection process and Amy Gundermann who had served as the Administration and Communications Coordinator. Please join us in giving thanks to God for this new addition to the growing LINC-TC team! 

LINC-TC has packed up the boxes spread across the metro and landed at our new home in St. Paul at Jehovah Lutheran Church. We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to work more closely as a staff and find the location to be perfect for connecting with our network around the Twin Cities. Stop by Thomas Avenue sometime and say hello! 

LINC-Twin Cities is thrilled to welcome Rev. Dr. Paul Mueller as their new Associate Executive Director. Paul comes with a wealth of experience, most recently as Administrative Pastor at Family of Christ in Ham Lake, Regional Director of Africa for LCMS, and Director of the Oswald Hoffmann School of Christian Outreach.

Paul will be providing leadership for creating a mission hub in the Twin Cities and will oversee the day-to-day operations of LINC. The depth and breadth of Paul’s experiences will be a blessing as LINC looks to achieve, with God’s blessing, its vision to “Be a catalyst among Twin Cities’ congregations to empower Christian missionaries, to reach out in mission and in service, impacting the lives of their diverse urban communities.”

Neighborhood Connection's three phases are up and running! A manual has been developed in order to help act as a guide for churches that would like to grow in their understanding of outreach and expand on opportunities for connecting with their community. LINC is willing to walk beside churches and offer support as they move forward in community ministry. Check out details regarding the Neighborhood Walk and service projects on April 24th to see Neighborhood Connection in motion! 
 

You are welcome to join us on March 28th at 6:30 PM a time of worship and visioning for the Next Gen church plant at Jehovah Lutheran Church in St. Paul!

Volunteers are welcome to a day of training and service in the Nokomis East neighborhood of South Minneapolis on Saturday, April 24th.  Invite a friend to this FREE event, including lunch! We will meet at Faith Lutheran Church for a morning workshop and offer multiple service opportunities in the afternoon.  Please contact Coordinator of Volunteerism, Heidi Breitbarth at volunteer@linctwincities.org or visit the volunteer page of LINC's website to find out more!

Those interested in applying should send resumes by April 22nd to amy@linctwincities.org.  Questions can be directed to Executive Director Sue Hewitt at sue@linctwincities.org.  Thank you!

Position:  Midway Mission Developer/Worship Leader

Accountable To:  LINC-TC’s Associate Executive Director & theAlley Church’s Pastor

Position Overview:

- Take the name and the Lordship of Jesus to the streets of the Twin Cities Midway and beyond.    

-  Work with LINC-TC, theAlley, Concordia St. Paul, and local churches to coordinate missional connection and action within the local community.

-  Work with theAlley church to develop a new worship experience in the Midway area.

-  Develop ways to serve alongside of the community in Jesus’ name and intentionally develop others to lead in this effort.  

Who is LINC:

LINC-Twin Cities purposes itself around 1) community development, 2) developing indigenous and missional leaders, and 3) multiplication of churches.  LINC-TC partners with churches and other organizations to support urban missions and church planting. http://www.linctwincities.org

Who is theAlley:

The Alley is a missional church located in the East metro of the Twin Cities.  Its mission is to “Follow Jesus and Live Love” and this is lived out by equipping people to be everyday missionaries.   www.theAlley.org

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

This position is responsible for...

1)    Providing leadership for a new leading edge, Bible-based, Lutheran worship that honors God and connects with younger adults’ culture (accountable to theAlley).

2)    Leading the community development effort for engaging the congregation in working alongside their neighbors to create a stronger, healthier community in Jesus name (accountable to LINC-Twin Cities).

A.     Ministry –

Ø    Develops and executes a plan to share Christ’s redemptive love while developing people’s potential for improving their lives in the community. Conducts a neighborhood assessment working with LINC-TC’s Neighborhood Connection process, utilizing the LINC-TC’s Volunteer Network.

Ø    Raises up, trains and mentors indigenous/missional leaders.

Ø    Determines the best approach for culturally connecting urban young adults to this new ministry. Documents and shares results. Experiments and refines the approach to continually expand the understanding as effective models for outreach are developed.

Ø    Leads a worshipful experience (working with theAlley) for young adults by selecting/creating music, recruiting quality musicians, teaching/leading the worship service, and deliberately assessing worship in an ongoing way.

B.     Job Requirements

Spiritual:

•       Mature faith with dependence on the Holy Spirit’s leadership

•       Models a life of repentance, prayer and faith in action 

•       Surrenders to the Lordship of our Savior Jesus, with a passionate desire to follow Him 

Education/Experience:

•    BA or higher in Christian Outreach or Education, music or related field (or equivalent experience)

•    Leadership experience

Other Skills/Requirements:

•    Knowledge of computer operations, including Microsoft Office products, email and worship software

•    Ability to build a team and utilize each participants’ giftedness

•    Ability to disciple others by faithful prayer, diligent use of God’s Word and intentional mentoring

•    Ability to communicate effectively and maintain good staff & worship team relations

•    Self-directed - Ability to work independently, prioritize and complete work assignments in a timely manner 

LINC-TC teamed up with ELCA counterpart, Faith in the City, for a metro area conference addressing race.  With powerful testimonies and a broad representation of Lutheran leaders in the Twin Cities, this event was a positive step in collaborative thinking.  Watch for future events to follow this model for addressing local issues as Lutheran Christians in the Twin Cities.

Thirty indivduals gathered in January to brainstorm about the launch of a Next Gen church in the Midway area of St. Paul.  Topics included worship offerings, community development components, and location options.  Excitement continues to build as the vision is taking shape.  Pray for this collaborate ministry effort to be one that honors God and responsibly uses the many gifts that have come together!

Rev. Dick Goebel passed away this weekend and will be rejoicing with angels this Christmas.  LINC-TC is grateful for the generous manner in which Rev. Goebel has served our Lord Jesus, especially for his contributions as President of LINC's Board of Directors.  Visitation and Funeral arrangements are listed below.  Our prayers are with the Goebel family during this time of mourning and celebrating the life of Rev. Dick Goebel.

Tuesday, December 22nd : Visitation at Bethel Lutheran Church from 4:00 – 7:00 PM

Wednesday, December 23rd

·         Visitation at Zion Lutheran Church (Sycamore & Jackson, St. Paul) beginning at 10:00 AM

·         Funeral at 11:00 AM

·         Processional to Oakland Cemetery

·         Lunch at Bethel Lutheran Church

LINC-Twin Cities, the MNS District, and the Oswald Hoffmann School of Christian Outreach are teaming together to sponsor the annual Mission Summit. This year Rev. Dr. Jim Gimbel will lead participants through strategies for innovative and creative thinking that will lead to steps for new ministry strengthening and development.  Ministry Innovations open opportunities for new outreach and vibrant congregational life. 

Topics include: Innovation: How small changes can reap big rewards… Evaluation and Implementation processes…Creativity…and much more.  Cost is $15/person, which includes lunch, breaks and materials.  Cross View Lutheran Church, Edina, Saturday, Jan 30, 2010, 8:30 am to 1:00 pm.  All congregation leaders are invited!  For more information, contact Sue Hewitt at sue@linctwincities.org, or download the information poster from the district website, www.mnsdistrict.org (go to “Mission News & Resources").

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 10 AM – 2 PM

Might we, in the church today, dare to dream how God will use us to make a real and lasting difference?

Conversations around racism abound. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. expressed his dream almost 50 years ago that we not allow skin color to be a barrier to opportunity, safety, fairness, friendship and respect. But we, in the church, have often been absent from the discussion, and in some cases have assisted in keeping structures in place that encourage racism.

Goals for the conference include:

• Provide tools and partnership ideas

• Prepare an action plan for use in your congregation, workplace or community

• Encourage collaboration

Location:      

Earle Brown Heritage Center

6155 Earle Brown Drive

Brooklyn Center, MN

Registration:

Registration is $20 per person. Submit registration and payment by January 12, 2010.

Online registration (credit card payment only):   www.augsburg.edu/faithinthecity

For check payment, submit attendees’ names and payment to:

Faith in the City-Dare to Dream, CB 164

Augsburg College

2211 Riverside Avenue

Minneapolis MN 55454

For more information or if questions email info@linctwincities.org

LINC-TC enthusiastically welcomes two new board members to the Board of Directors.  Mr. Daniel Thao of Bethlehem Lutheran Church (St. Paul) and Rev. Dr. Paul Mueller of Family of Christ Lutheran Church (Ham Lake) will begin serving  in 2010.  Ms. Sarah Fuhr has also been included as an Advisor to the Board in the Next Gen church plant.  We thank Rev. Francis Stephanos and Rev. Richard Goebel, whose terms have been completed, for their service on the Board of Directors.  Praise God for those He continues to bring together to shape and guide the ministry of LINC-TC.

November 10th from 7 PM - 8:30 PM at Bethel Lutheran Church in St. Paul

LINC-TC's Annual Meeting is open to all!  Please come and celebrate our shared ministry in the Twin Cities, look ahead at future projects, and enjoy an evening focused on the belief that we are "better together!"  All congregations represented will recieve a free copy of The Externally Focused Church.  RSVP to Amy Gundermann at amy@linctwincities.org by November 5th.

LINC-TC has created a great model for congregations to get to know their community better and find ways to connect with neighbors.  The process includes meeting community leaders, looking at demographics, and using volunteers to ask for input door-to-door.  Golden Valley Lutheran Church held their Neighborhood Listening event on July 11th.  Volunteers, though hesitant at first, were thrilled by the opportunity to generate new ideas for ministry based on what their neighbors had to say. 

Two area churches and a one local school teamed up create a unique summer experience for children in St. Paul.  Through the efforts of the Volunteer Network (created by LINC-TC and the Minnesota South District of the LCMS), many people came together for an invigorating week of fun!  The children enjoyed the programming of Camp Omega's staff and became more familiar with three Lutheran ministries in their neighborhood.  Follow up events are being planned for the Fall.  Watch for how you can get involved!  

After Pastor Jeff Cloeter declined the Call as the Next Generation Church Planter, LINC-TC has begun to look again at the possibilities for leadership in this unique role.  We are gathering names and praying for God's guidance as we anticipate the start of this exciting ministry.

LINC-TC has joyfully extended a Call to a church planter for the new Next Generation ministry in St. Paul's Midway.  Pulling together the resources of many area congregations and the Oswald Hoffmann School of Christian Outreach, this unique outreach effort is focused on drawing young adults to worship, grow in faith, and share their gifts.  Pray as this pastor considers the Call and for the collective effort in reaching the next generation. 

With support from the Volunteer Network Task Force, 60 volunteers were trained and sent to gather information from the St. Paul community surrounding Jehovah Lutheran Church.  On May 9th, neighbors were asked about the needs of their community and invited to a local Christian Day Camp.  Using the ideas shared, new events and programming will be offered at Jehovah Lutheran Church, St. Stephanus Lutheran Church, and Central Lutheran School.   Please pray for the endless opportunities ahead.

The former Zion Lutheran Church building is now being leased by Hmong Lutheran Church.  Hmong Lutheran is excited to have this space in which to center their congregational life.  LINC-TC is grateful for their presence in the surrounding community and looking forward to discovering more ways to reach out through this unique facility in the name of Jesus.

Volunteers from Messiah Lutheran, Jehovah Lutheran, and St. Stephanus Lutheran Churches offered much needed tender loving care once again on April 18th.  Almost 50 people came to help paint, plant, and prepare for the new chapter in ministry that is taking shape within the walls of this historic building.  Praise God for the servants He gathered!  LINC-TC is looking ahead to a community outreach event in the Fall that will require more volunteers.  Email us at info@linctwincities.org to express interest. 

The first Zion Work Day on March 21st was a huge success!  More than 60 volunteers from Messiah Lutheran and Jehovah Lutheran brought their hammers and mops to prepare this mother church for her next phase in ministry, yet to be determined.  The next work day will be April 18th. 

The ministry at Bethlehem Lutheran Church is expanding to include a Hmong outreach position.  Vue Lee is a student at Concordia University, St. Paul and will be serving alongside Rev. Nathan Raddatz as they continue reaching out to their neighbors.  A $5,000 grant has been awarded to Bethlehem to help support the salary of this emerging leader.

Congratulations to Heidi Breitbarth, Volunteer Coordinator, and husband Jonathan with the birth of their first child, Reese Jonathan!

We are excited to announce some strategic changes to our LINC-TC staff!  While LINC relies heavily upon the efforts of caring volunteers to carry out our vision in the Twin Cities, we are grateful for the dedicated staff of professional church workers that coordinate our efforts.  

DCO Sue Hewitt serves as our Executive Director with an entrepreneurial leadership gift and a passion to engage people in ministry.  DCO Heidi Breitbarth will transition into a new Volunteer Coordinator position after returning from maternity leave.  She has been serving as Resources & Development Coordinator, bringing strong people and organization skills to LINC’s efforts.  Our newest staff member is DCO Amy Gundermann who is our Administration & Communications Coordinator.  Welcome to the team, Amy!  Praise God for these ministers and the gifts He has brought together.

LINC is honored to be working with several experienced volunteer leaders from several metro area LCMS churches to establish the structure and training components for a LINC-TC Volunteer Network.  This groundwork will allow us to easily connect volunteers with opportunities to accomplish God’s mission in our communities.