Welcome to Incarnation!
If you are new to Incarnation or you want to learn more about Incarnation ministries, please complete this online form we’ll use to connect you to a ministry leader according to your interests.
September 25 – 9:00 and 10:30 a.m
All livestreamed worship will be on Vimeo but you don’t need a Vimeo account to view the livestream. The livestream will begin about ten minutes prior to the start of the service so you can make sure you’re able to connect.
The links:
Traditional Service at 9:00 a.m.: Traditional at 9am
Contemporary Service at 10:30 a.m.: Contemporary at 10:30am
If you have trouble viewing the livestream, please contact Mike Sell for assistance. If you’re unable to watch live, a recording of the service will be available around an hour after the livestream ends, on Vimeo and Youtube.
Subscribe to the Youtube or Vimeo channel to get notifications of new videos!
Watch later on Facebook
Watch later on Vimeo
Watch later on Youtube
Download a PDF of a guide for families worshiping together
Sunday Morning Kairos
Sept. 25: Songs of the Assembly
Amy Maakestad, Director of Traditional Worhsip
10:15 A.M., Fireside Room
The congregation gathers to sing their faith each week as distinct voices unite in song. Having recently added “The Cranberry Hymnal” to our sanctuary worship space, Amy Maakestad will lead these opportunities to thoroughly examine and sing some of the church’s richly diverse hymnody. We will also discuss historical background, hymnal layout, and the hundreds of pages of Evangelical Lutheran Worship that are not hymns.
Director of Traditional Worship at Incarnation Lutheran Church Amy Maakestad finds deep joy in leading the church in song. During 28 years of music ministry in churches of various denominations, she has experienced a wide variety of singing traditions. Her love of hymns, and especially how best to play them, was further nurtured throughout graduate studies at Luther Seminary.
October 2: How Biblical Wisdom Influenced Our Beliefs about Christ and the Trinity
Lois Malcolm, Olin and Amanda Fjelstad Reigstad Chair of Systematic Theology, Luther Seminary
Did you know that the biblical figure of Wisdom (called Sophia in Greek or Hokmah in Hebrew) played a crucial role in forming our core Christian beliefs about Christ and the Trinity? Luther Seminary Professor Lois Malcolm will guide looking at the core biblical wisdom texts (from both Old and New Testament) that played a crucial role in the formation of the creeds and discuss why they continue to be relevant for the contemporary confession, experience, and practice of our faith.
***SMALL GROUP OPPORTUNITIES ***
Questions God Asks Us
Take a closer look at the theme, Questions God Asks Us, using Trevor Hudson’s book and small group conversations. The chapters are a quick read, while raising thought-provoking questions.Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning groups on Zoom are available. Find out more about small groups here. Register by emailing Denise Floe, Director for Small Group Ministry at dfloe@incarnationmn.org.
Writing for the Soul
Whether you consider yourself a writer or not, explore writing as a spiritual practice. A variety of approaches to writing will be introduced, accessible to writers of all levels. This group meets once/week on Zoom with time for writing in the group. Find out more about small groups here. Register by emailing Denise Floe, Director for Small Group Ministry at dfloe@incarnationmn.org.
When: Once/week on Thursday evenings, 6:30-8:15 p.m. on Zoom
Faith Formation: Renovare Book Club
Are you interested in reading deeply soul-shaping, Christ-centered books? Take part in the 2022-2023 Renovare Book Club. Over the course of a year, the book club reads four books with on-line discussions, exclusive podcasts and essays, weekly e-mails and study questions. Books for this year are: Seeking God by Trevor Hudson, Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton, Learning Humility by Richard Foster and The Narrative of Sojourner Truth. For more information: www.renovare.org/bookclub. To find out more about Renovare contact Pastor Kai who has served as a speaker, writer and teacher with Renovare.
Solid Ground Coat Drive
September 4 – October 9
We can help the families at Solid Ground stay warm this winter by donating new or gently-used coats, boots, hats, gloves, snow pants and scarves. Families will appreciate the warm gear as they walk in the cold weather to bus stops and children play in the snow. Solid Ground is currently providing housing and holistic support services for over 560 adults and children. Families are working hard to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty with the help of their advocates and the innovative programs Solid Ground offers. You can help families stay warm by dropping off winter wear donations of all sizes. A box will be available inside Incarnation from September 4 to October 9.
Monetary donations are especially helpful to purchase coats or boots when sizes are not available to meet the needs of families. Donations may be made online under the Solid Ground Coat Drive designation or by check to Incarnation with “Solid Ground Coat Drive” in the memo.
Volunteers will also be needed to work in a group setting at Incarnation to help sort and mark donations in September. Additional volunteer opportunities will be available October 10-12 to set up the Coat Shop at Solid Ground and assist families in the selection of winter wear. Times to be announced. If you can help with one or more of these opportunities please contact Claire Gilbert or Mary Hoyme to sign-up.
Ukraine Update
Thank you for your generosity! A check for $15,000 has been sent to the ELCA Lutheran Disaster Reponse for the Eastern European Crisssis. The ELCA Lutheran Disaster Response is accompanying our companions in Ukraine, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Moldova, Lithuania and the Czech Republic, as well as such ecumenical partners as this Lutheran World Federation and Church World Service, in their humanitarian responses to the crisis created by Russia’s war against Ukraine. These partners provide refugees with immediate support and supplies such as food, blankets, water and hygiene kits. Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has joined other religious leaders from Europe and around the globe in issuing an interfaith call for peace in the region.
ILC Kids has many opportunities for you to connect with kids and/or support the ministry here at Incarnation.
If you are interested, contact Rebecca Christiansen, Director for Children’s Ministry, at rchristiansen@incarnationmn.org for more information.
Let’s talk about what’s happening as we launch our ministries for middle and high school & families…
Guides Needed
- 6th grade (2 more); 7th grade (3 more); 8th grade (2 more) in order to have our ideal leadership ratio
- For MSM on Wednesday, contact Nate Bergengren or Adam Boldenow for more info
- For HSM on Sunday night, contact Nate Bergengren or Mike Sell for more info
Registrations are live (there’s still time to sign up!)
- 6th Grade
- 7th Grade
- 8th Grade
- 9th Grade Fast-Track (confirmed Oct 2023
- 9th Grade Year-Long (confirmed May 2023)
Sunday, September 25, 6:45-8:00pm
- NO 9th Grade Fast-Track Intensive (because of lock-in)
- HSM Youth Group (all high school students invited, including 9th graders)
Wednesday, September 28, 6:00-7:00pm
- 6th & 7th Grade
- Begin in Incarnation Hall, then transition to Grace Hall East, and finally into classrooms for small group
- Our topic: Adam & Eve: the loveable screw-ups
- 8th Grade
- Grace Hall West w/ parents (or other caring/trusted adults) for Family Faith Formation core course
- Grow together and meet your child’s small group leader
Update on 2022 Building Projects
UPDATE: The windows are almost installed!
PHOTO: Rick Gravley, Facilities Manager, and Window #1
COST: $350,000
Raised to Date: $309,784
89% to DATE
ISSUE: Improper runoff of drain water and no handicapped parking near building.
HISTORY: The parking lot has served well for many years, but needs proper drainage installed to avoid water pooling (see photo below.). The handicapped parking is not next to the building which makes members and guests cross moving traffic to get to the building.
PLAN: Redesign parking lot with handicapped slots next to the building. A sidewalk will be installed along the south side of the building to connect Door One and Door Two. In this first phase, the south parking lot will be resurfaced and restriped. Future phases will include other parking areas.
UPDATE: Transportation costs have risen since the original bid. Total costs are expected to be $350,000.
Worship Arts Banner
Green is the liturgical color for the Season After Pentecost. It is the season of growth, both in the natural world of plants and in our spiritual growth in knowledge and love of Jesus. The sanctuary banner symbolizes this season of growth. Light green represents an immature faith, medium green represents a growing faith, and dark green represents a more mature faith.
Sanctuary Altar Flowers
If you would like to have altar flowers given in honor or memory of someone, please contact the Incarnation Office at 651-484-7213 to sign up (cost: $25). Donations help offset the cost of the beautiful flowers that the Worship Arts team provides. Altar flowers express our love for God, enhance our gathering around the Word and Sacrament, and represent changing seasons both in the church year and nature.