Through the Storm
On May 22nd, a tornado ripped through North Minneapolis killing two people and causing damage to homes in the area. First Christian was among many congregations in the Metro Twin Cities that came together to help our sisters and brothers in the affected area. First donated funds to Kwanzaa Community Presbyterian Church, an African American congregation in North Minneapolis. The church is actively involved in its community and has been busy since the tornado providing aid and comfort to people, many of whom are on the margins of society.
We’ve linked to a story by Tara Parrish, the Director Communications at Kwanzaa, as she shares her experience of the tornado. You can read other “tornado testimonials” by going to Kwanzaa’s website, www.kwanzaachurch.org.
On June 19, we blessed the Prayer Shawl Ministry at First Christian Church. The ministry is made up of members of the Handcrafters group which meets on Thursdays as well as others in the congregation who love to knit. A number of the shawls made by the Handcrafters have gone to folks both within and outside of the First Christian faith community. Spiritual Formation Director Deb Murphy worked with long-time member Dorothy Stegner, who is the de facto coordinator of the ministry to display the shawls in the chancel area. Deb creatively displayed the shawls as liturgical paraments, thereby showing how these shawls not only provided comfort to the recipients, but also were an expression of people of God doing God’s work of inclusion and healing in the world.
