Christians from Around the World Gather
For the 8th year in a row, Agora Ministries brought together Christians from around the world to celebrate the birth of Christ with its Christmas of Nations service. Hosted this year by Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, the service was an inspiring display of cultures and praise.
The music began with the simple melody of a single guitar, strummed by a woman in white cotton dress decorated with red embroidery. A small group of men and women joined her in song. On each chorus, the men of the group kneeled briefly and began to clap, then jumped up and down while the women sang out in bright ululations. The Christmas message of joy was unmistakable.
The service featured local singers and musicians including the Ghanaian Choir from Atonement Church, Bloomington; the Kerala Christian Congregation from Christ the King, Bloomington; a Liberian soloist, from First Lutheran, Crystal; two Sudanese choirs; and a Norwegian soloist from Central Lutheran, Elk River. Each of the choirs gave a Bible reading and a prayer spoken in their native tongue. Many of the performers also wore traditional clothing representative of their culture. The various languages, costumes and music truly represented a God whose love extends to every tribe and nation.
The Christmas Message for the event was provided by, Reverend Dr. Gemechis D. Buba, who is Director of the ELCA African National Ministry. Dr. Buba, who is known for his efforts at reaching out to African immigrants and starting new congregations, stated that Christmas is a time when we are "elevated and connected to God."
Agora Ministries is a coalition of Christian congregations dedicated to multiracial ministry, resources, and training. Agora began in 1999 as a ministry of the Minneapolis Area Synod ELCA. It is now a 501c-3 non-profit organization, led by Pastor Cherian Puthiyottil, whose mission is to equip congregations to grow and flourish by increasing the diversity of their membership. To learn more about Agora Ministries, visit their website at www.agoraministry.org.
Central Lutheran is proud to partner with Agora Ministries in their work to connect, celebrate and serve all cultures.
Amazing Story Behind Agora's Paintings
Elaine and Gerry Ostroot retired to peaceful Holiday Island, Arkansas in 1995 from the hubbub of Houston, Texas. Like many others, they felt the leading of the Lord in their move. But artists don't retire. Elaine continued her painting in these beautiful surroundings while Gerry changed careers from Sales Engineer to Artist Assistant.
In November of 2003, Elaine started a new series of paintings on Africa when their pastor offered several trays of slides taken on his missionary journey to Africa some 25 years earlier. As pictures from African experiences came from many sources, it became obvious that the Lord was leading but they didn't know where. Through a series of "remarkable coincidences" in the fall of 2004, Dr. Cherian showed up at the studio door, and the connection was made! The Africa Series was to go to Agora to help further its ministry. The words were added to project Elaine's vision of each painting. They brought the entire series of 24 paintings to Agora in Minneapolis in the spring of 2005. There they witnessed firsthand the accomplishments of Agora Ministry. At the Agora Pentecost celebration in Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church in St. Paul they "experienced on of the most moving church services of our lives." They expressed the hope that Christians all across our nation and our world would someday embrace that unity.
A New and Direct Way to Get Involved in Global Companionship
Some congregations in our synods have formed global companionships with churches in other countries, such as in Nigeria. This gives congregations here a chance to assist congregations overseas and in this way to participate in global missions.
This is good. Agora would like to suggest, however, another way for congregations to get involved in global missions - one that does not call on them to form relationships with worshiping communities thousands of files away. We refer to partnering with worshiping communities from faraway places who are now resigning here in our community and are looking for congregations with whom they can partner.
Right now Agora has groups of Hispanics from various Latin American countries and from the African countries of Ivory Coast, Sudan, and Liberia who are looking for such a partnership. In the past half dozen years Agora has helped several dozen of our congregations form a partnership with worshiping communities from Sudan, Liberia, Mexico, Central America, and other places.
Through its Discipleship Academy, taught by Lutheran professors and pastors, Agora provides leadership training in Lutheran theology for leaders from these immigrant refugee groups.
At the moment, we do not have enough churches expressing a willingness to explore such partnerships. For example, we have a woman from Somalia, a former Muslim, no a Christian, who has studied at a seminary in Kentucky and is currently active in learning at our Discipleship Academy. She is interested in leading one ore more of our congregations in outreach to Muslim neighbors. So far, no congregation has expressed interest.
The Lutheran churches in our area and indeed throughout the United States are shrinking in membership. Here is a way for our congregations to reach out to new people in their communities. Ad because many of these immigrant refugees plan to return to their homeland one day, the faith relationships we form with them here they will carry back overseas with them. Thus, your congregation has a great opportunity to get personally involved in global missions.
To learn more about Agora's work, and to explore the possibilities it may offer your congregation, please check out our website at www.agoraministry.org or phone Agora at 952-888-5197. We want to help you carry out Christ's command to disciple all nations.