KinMN
Bridging Minnesota’s Congregations
KinMN logo: Giulia Grace Calland, age 14, Duluth, MN
CONTEXT
A few months ago, a few congregations started receiving letters from churches across the country who wanted us to know we weren’t alone during a crisis. Like Paul’s letters to the early church, we read them aloud in worship as our Epistle Reading. They inspired us!
That experience sparked the idea for KinMIN:
*What if this kind of connection happened regularly?*
So many congregations do amazing work, feeling like they’re acting alone. Imagine what’s possible when two communities learn about each other and share their strengths.
KinMN is built on mutuality, inviting congregations to encourage, imagine, and build one another up.
VISION
KinMN pairs urban and rural congregations with a desire to connect across Minnesota.
It starts with letters written from one congregation to another, read aloud in worship and shared in print for people to pick up and read.
From there, relationships can flourish as churches decide: joint gatherings, pulpit swaps, and more.
The hope is to build thriving new connections starting with letters, going as far as participants want to go.
VALUES & GOALS
Key Value: MUTUALITY: we learn from and wonder with one another as we stand in solidarity, encouraging contextual awareness-building and community-building and exhorting deeper and fuller expressions of Divine Love and Grace.
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Key Goal: AFFIRMATION in RELATIONSHIP: building one another up in sharing Christ’s Gospel of radical neighbor love, deep belonging, and expansive inclusion in all our diverse settings.
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Key Goal: EMBODIED GOSPEL: countering empire, othering, hatred, fear, and the extractive economy as we lift up the Way of Jesus, broaden the circle of belonging, express compassion and love, and live into God’s preferred future of sustainability and equitably-shared abundance.
INVITATION
Congregations from rural and urban settings are invited to write letters to one another with the intention of developing individual and congregational relationships. Over time, these relationships may develop into shared ministries or ‘swaps’: Youth Gatherings; pulpit swaps; VBS or Mission Trip hosting, etc.
WHO’S INVITED?
KinMN is an ecumenical community across geographic boundaries.
KinMN is currently supported by The Ministry Lab, in collaboration with:
- the MN Conference UCC,
- the Minneapolis Area Synod, ELCA,
- the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area.
Other church bodies are being invited – and can invite themselves! We’ll update this list as new relationships are built!
Congregations from any and no denominational affiliation and faith communities from beyond Christianity are heartily invited and encouraged to participate.
WHAT DO WE DO?
KinMN pairs urban and rural congregations with a desire to connect across Minnesota.
It starts with letters written from one congregation to another.
Read your letters aloud in worship and other regular gatherings and share them in print for people to pick up and read.
From there, relationships can flourish as churches decide: joint gatherings, pulpit swaps, and more.
JOIN IN!!
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If interested, click the link to RSVP.
We’ll make a match.
You write the letters.
Follow the Spirit’s lead into new relationships!
RSVP – that is, join in – here!
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