Agora Mission Awareness Training Inspires Congregations with Fresh Vision for Mission

By Terrianne Jones, St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Columbia heights

Like many urban and first ring suburban churches, Mount Carmel Lutheran Church in northeast Minneapolis and St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church in Columbia Heights find themselves asking “What now, Lord?” in an era of declining church membership and increasingly tight budgets. Commitment to traditional Lutheran values of evangelism and mission work  remain, but questions of where and to whom we evangelize have been emerging as both churches see their neighborhoods and community become increasingly diverse and less connected to the church. Appreciating this new reality, both churches have begun exploring possibilities for a new type of evangelism and mission work, one not focused on far away places, but on the needs of the local community. Still the question remained—how do we reach them? 

Each church is exploring this question differently. The answer came to Mount Carmel Lutheran Church in an unexpected way when on a quiet Friday in late May, the church door bell rang. The visitor was a middle-aged woman, Pastor Yolanda Perez, who had stopped to inquire about the possibility of using space in Mount Carmel for her growing congregation of 20 Hispanic worshippers. Currently meeting in a small home in Columbia Heights, her church, House of Prayer for All Nations, was looking for a sanctuary and place to grow. 

Considering Pastor Yolanda’s request, Mount Carmel convened a small group task force to learn more about this fledgling church. The task force, sensing Gods hand at work, realized that the world Jesus died to save had literally come knocking on our door. Embracing this new potential relationship would be the first step in reimagining evangelism and mission work in our church. The church council, on recommendation of the task force, agreed to go forward with the exploration of establishing a relationship with Pastor Yolanda and House of Prayer for All Nations. Mount Carmel then contacted Pastor Cherian Puthiyotil of AGORA Ministries to facilitate this potential new relationship. AGORA’s mission is to bring together growing immigrant churches seeking space in existing Anglo churches who have space and a heart for opening it to reach people from another culture. 

In preparation for this possible new relationship at Mount Carmel, of which St. Timothy was very interested and hoped to learn from as well, Pastor Cherian of AGORA lead more than 40 people from both congregations through a three part  mission awareness training. In these three sessions, the group was called to explore the themes of “Worship and Mission: a Fresh Vision”; "Being Disciples, Making Disciples”; and “Most Welcoming Church”. Study of scripture along with small and large group discussions encouraged members of both congregations to explore both positive aspects of these new relationships, as well as potential concerns. St. Timothy’s members especially had many questions for Mount Carmel members about the potential relationship with House of Prayer for All Nations. Along with the mission awareness training, Pastor Cherian has visited each congregation  to present the AGORA vision, field questions, and encourage members to trust God, while opening both our heats and our buildings to a ministry partnership with an immigrant congregations.

Now, St. Timothy’s leaders are laying out a six month community awareness and welcoming  process, to be lead by Pastor Susan Tjornehoj, the Director for Evangelical Mission in the Minneapolis Area Synod.

More information about Agora can be found at www.agoraministry.org.