Vocation Project

Central Lutheran Church is placed in the center of Minneapolis, Minn., and is called to reach a diverse neighborhood and city in a language that reflects the real world as well as its faithful heritage. It's one of nine congregations participating in the Faith and Daily Life Project within Luther Seminary's Vibrant Congregations Project grant.

According to the congregation's profile, Central has "a rich heritage of powerful preaching, inspiring music and a marvelous sanctuary. We are also a church that advocates for the marginalized, the poor, the powerless, the weak, the homeless, the lonely and we are called to advocate for justice and against injustice."

Here's an excerpt from their profile:

E. Opportunities for Growth

Challenges, preferably adaptive, that you would like to engage during the exploration year

Challenge #1: Biblical input

Our people hunger for something best described as living daily life shaped by the Biblical narrative. What is the real need? Discerning that for which there is hunger, and what we may provide.

Challenge #2: Engaging the biblical narrative

Members need personal engagement with the biblical narrative -- locating their story within God’s story. Our ongoing vision is to do so “in the language of our children.”

How? By making use of accessible language that is relational language, and is an articulation of the biblical narrative, combined with personal narrative done in the context of our present day and culture.

Challenge #3: Share the narrative

Create a community that fosters relational and communal sharing of both the biblical and personal narratives of our people, thereby strengthening the culture of God in the places we live and work.

Download the full profile.