Welcome to a brief glimpse into the 1990s. 1990 marked the end of the Cold War; East and West Germany were reunited. George H.W. Bush was president of the United States. 1991 saw the collapse of the USSR and also the end of the Gulf War (Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm). Bill Clinton was sworn into the presidency in January 1993, having won the election over Bush Sr., and Ross Perot. NAFTA, a trade pact signed by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico went into effect January 1, 1994, the same year that Nelson Mandela became president of South Africa. Hong Kong sovereignty transferred from the UK to the Republic of China in 1997. Less than two months later, Diana Princess of Wales was killed in an automobile accident. On American soil there were two bombings, the World Trade Center in 1993 followed by the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building in downtown Oklahoma City two years later. President Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives in 1998 and acquitted by the Senate in 1999. The Columbine High School Massacre in 1999 shocked the country.
The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed in to law in 1990, the same year the Hubble Space Telescope was launched by Space Shuttle Discovery. Commercial Internet and the World Wide Web saw rapid growth throughout the decade. The first Women’s Soccer World Cup was held in 1991. IKEA opened its first major US stores in the 1990s. The O.J. Simpson trial captured our attention for eight months in 1995; the high-profile criminal case was televised for 134 days. 1995 was also the year that Amazon launched its website as an online bookseller. The sitcom, Friends, debuted in 1994; Seinfeld came to an end in 1998. Toy Story hit the big screen in 1995. The epic romance and disaster film, Titanic was released in December 1997 and was the first film to gross over $1 billion globally. The first Harry Potter book was published in 1997, which was the same year Tamagotchi (pocket-size digital “pets”) hit North American shores. The following year the Pokémon video game hit the U.S market. And who knew Beanie Babies would reach the level of popularity they enjoyed for years? Google was founded in 1998. Many meetings were held, plans were made, and infrastructure was upgraded to keep the public safe regarding “Y2K.” Due to the fear that was created, there was strong encouragement to be prepared.
Bloomington enjoyed international fame with the opening of the Mall of America in August 1992, becoming a “Bucket-list Destination”; even non-shoppers enjoyed visiting just to see the architecture. (How DO you keep such a large space warm in the winter without actually heating it?) The following year Eddie Webster’s closed; a year later Gregory’s Supper Club closed. Montgomery Wards Department Store closed its Southtown Shopping Center location, replaced by Herberger’s in 1998. The old Cedar Avenue bridge was closed to motor vehicle traffic and became a pedestrian and bike trail. Local phone numbers went from seven digits to ten when the new area code system went into effect on January 1, 1999.
When I think about Emmaus in the early 1990s, I am struck by what an amazing staff we were given. Our church council continued to start each meeting with prayer around the altar,seeking God’s will for the church and in the work of the church. Don Richman was our Senior Pastor, Jim Ritter Associate Pastor, Steve Papillon Director of Christian Education, Bob Halvorson Youth Director, Scot and Debbie Hintermeyer Ministers of Music, Mavis Miller Director of Administration, and Cliff Jacobsen Maintenance Engineer. There were relatively few changes in staffing for a few years, and there is evidence of a kind of rhythm and flow to the ministry. Pastor Don felt God calling him to His work with Eastern Europe pastors, and he resigned as Senior Pastor. He and his wife Mavis were commissioned for East European Missions Network; they remained as members at Emmaus. Pastor Don leaving for full time mission work did lead to a major change in staff composition at Emmaus. In 1991 Pastor Jim became Senior Pastor and the associate pastor duties were changed a bit so the position was part time; but a lay visitation and counselling assistant position was created, and some of the other pastoral duties fell on the shoulders of the other staff members. Pastor Kearney Frantsen was hired as the part-time Associate Pastor, and Toni Borwege as visitation counselor. Reading through the annual reports, it is evident that our staff loved the Lord, enjoyed their work and their co-workers, embraced their roles, and took their work seriously. Four years later Scot and Debbie were given the opportunity to minister at a church in Fridley. In their eleven years at Emmaus, Scot and Debbie had laid the groundwork for a full and active music program and began to build the worship teams, gently leading the church into a different style of worship with the 8:30 traditional service and the 11:00 contemporary service. Gary Haug and Josh Skogerboe were hired to co-lead music and worship; and they were able to build on that and grow both the content and quality of the programs with their own style and passion. Looking back, it is fairly easy to see God’s hand leading and guiding each step of the way, although at the time I am certain there were some rocks on the path that may have been challenging to navigate. After two years, Gary, who was a full-time student at the Association Free Lutheran Seminary, was ready for his year of pastoral internship which he was able to complete at Emmaus. When Gary transitioned to the intern position, Josh transitioned to full-time Celebration Minister, with oversight of the music programs and worship.
Around this time Toni Borwege felt God calling her to full-time ministry elsewhere, and Donna Bogott joined the Emmaus staff as an Elder and Visitation Counselor. Steve Papillon, in his role as Director of Christian Education, was able to focus more on evangelism and discipleship. After almost ten years on staff at Emmaus, Steve was called to serve as pastor of the Free Lutheran Church in Wadena, MN; and we said goodbye to him and his family in November 1997. That same year, Pastor Frantsen resigned his position to work with Good News for Israel; he and his wife Emilie remained active members in the Emmaus congregation. After his year of internship, Gary stayed on part time as coordinator of Adult Education and training. Keith Quanbeck was hired as interim part-time assistant pastor. Jack Aamot was hired as part-time Pastoral Assistant, working with life groups, hospitality and the Prayer Lighthouse ministry. Interns Randy Nelson and Marshall Nessa played significant roles in the work of the church, particularly in the areas of men’s ministry and visitation. Christine Steendahl joined Emmaus staff in August 1998 with the title Director of Children’s Ministry.
Bob Halvorson resigned in the summer of 1997, having served as Youth Director at Emmaus for 10 ½ years. Phil Chapman was hired as Youth Director but was not able to come until January 1998; so, in the interim, Jeremy Erickson a student at AFLBS who had been helping with the youth programs, filled in for three months; then Pastor Kevin Olson, who at the time was Youth Director for the Association of Free Lutheran Churches, filled in for another three months. Phil resigned in July after only six months at Emmaus, having accepted an unexpected job offer in his desired field closer to his and his wife’s families. Bob returned 1 ½ years after leaving.
With excellent staff working in the office, Mavis was able to concentrate on the many duties she had as Director of Administration. Office Assistants Pat Brestrup, Cindi Johnson, and JoAnn Ruth are mentioned by name as being invaluable, as well as several consistent volunteers who are acknowledged in the annual reports every year.
Cliff Jacobson led a team of custodians, (Randy Nelson, Joel Jacobson, Mike Lambert, and later Marshall Nessa) keeping the grounds and building clean as well as providing evening security for the building. Cliff’s servant heart continues as a shining example to those who knew him. Dave Hover was hired after Cliff; and from the reports, it appears that he may have saved the church more money than he earned by using his talent for repair work.
Emmaus enjoyed another decade without a major building project, but the 30–40-year-oldbuilding needed some care and updating. A commercial freezer and a walk-in refrigerator were purchased for the kitchen. When the education wing was built, the half-wall on the upper level surrounding the gym area was open to the ceiling. Volunteers (thank you Lyell, Dave, et al.) installed the frames and clear fiberglass panels to keep errant basketballs contained to the gym, and objects or people from going over the top and landing in the gym. (I’m pretty sure we weren’t the only ones who let our kids walk on the top of that wall…)
Council received approval in 1993 to proceed with building renovations including installing our Justin Torgrimson Memorial Elevator. Funding was approved to borrow money starting with borrowing from the congregation, then pursuing a loan. Other projects included in the request for funding included straightening out the stairs and filling in the floor on the upper level of the atrium (yes, that space also was open to the lower level). I can’t adequately describe the angle of the stairs when the building was built, but even young people found them difficult to navigate. The renovations started after programs ended for the summer, and several activities such as quilters and pioneer clubs were “on hold” until construction was complete. There was a LOT of construction dust during these projects, which were all kind of right in the center of everything; but we still enjoy the benefit of those very practical projects. Replacing various sections of the roof began in 1996.
Sadly, due to vandalism, it was decided that all doors to the church would be locked during the day except for the South entrance. Members were encouraged to “lock your doors and don’t leave valuables in your car.” The Sonitrol security system was installed. The congregation was instructed to access the building during the week via use of the south entrance. Key-holderswere given instructions regarding the security system which would be turned off Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings.
Technology made its way into the church office and staff offices. Computers were installed, volunteers again were able to put their skills to use, utilizing the system to improve communication in the building and with the congregation. It was easier to produce and print the bulletins and newsletters with photo and graphics quality greatly improved. There were upgrades to the phone system. A paging system was installed in the nursey. At this time the nursery was located off the gym on the lower level. The pagers gave parents a better sense of security knowing they could be contacted directly and immediately if there was an issue with their child, and the nursery didn’t have to send someone out to locate a parent “somewhere” in the building! A benefit of the new sound system in the sanctuary was the ability to record the sermons which became a popular service. Members could put their name on a list, note the sermon they wanted a copy of, and pick it up the next week. It was not long before they could pick up the morning’s sermon to bring home the same day. And the process became even faster when the church received a multiple tape duplicator. Another ministry made possible by advancements in technology was a Telecare ministry. Under the associate pastor and the lay visitation counselor there was a request for volunteers to work with Telecare with a goal of reaching out to all members of the congregation via phone to offer counseling and prayer. Another advancement technology made possible was the ability to offer video classes for Bible Studies, Sunday School and seminars.
The church was debt free in October, ’97 (except for Contract for Deed on the 8511 2nd Ave property). A survey was done to determine the ability for Emmaus to grow which identified a need for more space to carry on present ministry, and a need for more space if there was a desire to grow further.
Along with the years of “stability” in staffing, and then years of changing staff and changing roles, there was a great deal of growing and maturing in the congregation. Quoting Pastor Jim (Emmaus Annual Report 1995-1996): “Looking back on our last year together as a ‘family of God, the word I believe best describes our last year is ‘transition.’ Whenever there is transition and change in a family, it becomes a disruptive time, at least temporarily. These times are not to be thought of as unproductive, or ‘downers,’ but should be seen from God’s point of view as working together for the good or ‘divine disruptions.’
“Let me reflect back on some transitions. The Emmaus family, I believe, has had a very difficult year in general. We have lost some very wonderful and dear people in death. Many Emmaus families have dealt, and continue to deal, with grief over loss of a family member or friend.
“There has been an unusual amount of disruption over the loss related to marriages and relationships. For a variety of reasons, there have been families and marriages suffering divorce, separation and painful problems to work through.
“We lost several staff over the last year and that, too, proved to be a ‘divine disruption.’ But friends, with transition comes change, challenges, and new chances for God to work. And God is definitely at work.”
There was a strong emphasis on accepting serving, teaching, and leadership roles, the church’s responsibility for evangelism and discipleship, a deepening of personal and corporate spiritual growth, and serving in one’s area of giftedness.
With regards to the “business” of the church, the Emmaus Annual Reports dutifully record the budget (proposed and actual), numbers of baptisms, confirmations, weddings and funerals. The annual budget in 1990 was $348,342.00 with steady growth to $459,832 in 1999 (for 2000). With a high of 39 and a low of 18 there was an average of 26 baptisms/year for the decade. The highest number of weddings in a year was 18, the lowest 10, the average number of weddings was 12. (They were not spread evenly throughout the year, sometimes there were two on one day!) Funerals ranged from 17 to 7, with an average of 10.5/year. There were between 24 and 11 confirmations each year, with an average of 14/year. All of these services were provided for both members and non-members.
With regards to the “busy-ness” of the church, I’ve tried to divide this into groups served and serving. It can often feel like “the men” are present but taken for granted, so I will start with them. A great deal of work happens at church, much of it accomplished by volunteer work, much of that done by our men. They may not be quiet WHILE they are working, but they are kind of quiet about WHAT they have done or are doing. They see what needs to be done and they do it. They don’t necessarily talk about what they have done. So, the men’s reports and announcements in the bulletins, newsletters, and annual reports don’t use a lot of words. In other words, I will mention here what seems to be implied. The annual men’s retreat and the Father-Son Banquet are times of refreshing, learning, fellowship, and camaraderie. They happened. And not just once. They happened annually. That means they were worth the time and effort to plan and attend. There was basketball weekly in the gym. In the summer there was softball and Emmaus had a team that competed against other church teams. And, per their notes in the newsletters, some of the games were even good! The congregation was invited to come and watch and cheer them on. I am pretty sure there were more than just a few father-son, brother-uncle combos and maybe a grandpa or two on the teams. I do believe that a good time was had by all. There were also a few golf tournaments, some of them charity events, others just opportunities to spend time together. (Golf events were not limited to men only.) Other opportunities for men to fellowship happened every Friday morning with the pastor prayer support group, and Saturday morning Bible study, where you could have “breakfast” (a roll or donut) and coffee with your fellowship and still be home before the rest of the family got out of bed. The Saturday morning group is still led by Mike Anenson today. The Promise Keepers conferences and workshops started in 1993 and continued for several years. Emmaus men encouraged active participation in the movement which included attending “Arise With the Guys” events.
The group that may have been most affected by changing times were the women. The circles were well-established service and fellowship groups with most, if not all, of the members having joined in the 1950s and 60s. It was difficult for new members and younger women to join, not because they were not welcoming, but because more women were working full-time jobs outside the home. The quilters got together Monday mornings with an average of more than 20 women to put together quilts, donating up to 80 quilts in a year to various organizations and occasionally selling one or two to generate funds to purchase some of their supplies. Ladies Clipping Labels gathered on Thursdays, bringing their own scissors to trim donated stamps to send to missionaries and Campbell’s soup labels to support school groups (Labels for Education).
To better coordinate the many opportunities for women, the Women’s Ministry underwent transformation: and starting in 1991, they spent significant time restructuring to a team format. The leadership continues to meet monthly (taking summers off, but meeting when necessary) to plan events, select Bible studies, as well as discuss how to meet some of the general needs of the congregation and use of the kitchen. Events included the annual women’s retreat, the Christmas Brunch, and the Ladies’ Tea. These events were, and still are, programs that many members feel comfortable inviting friends and family to attend, knowing the program will honor God, have a gospel message, will be lovely, and the food will be delicious. An added bonus: the men get to help serve (and cook for some events)! The Women’s Christmas Brunch was a big event that many looked forward to in early December to give a Christ-centered focus to their holiday season. In 1997 a Craft and Bake Sale was added, with proceeds given as a Christmas bonus to our missionaries, a tradition that continues.
In 1990-91 Spice of Life was a very active ministry; there were 38 volunteers dedicated to staffing the outreach ministry, including five volunteers and six paid staff in the nursery. There were 110 women and 51 children signed up for the program. By the late 90s there were fewer women attending, and there was some difficulty recruiting leaders. The group transitioned to Tuesday morning women’s fellowship with a Bible study led by Steve Papillon. Some of the programs offered for a season were a Wednesday evening fellowship group called Mom-to-Mom which was helpful for the women whose children were in the kids’ programs. “Homebuilders” was an outreach for women of all ages, meeting weekly for Bible study on Wednesday evenings, with practical home skills demonstrations/applications monthly on Saturday mornings. The announcements for these meetings included the statement “babies welcome.” Similar to Homebuilders, Kindred Spirits was also offered for moms of young children but was more focused on Bible Study. One summer there was a “Moms and kids weekly meet-up” at local parks for fun and fellowship: “Pack your own lunch, hang out for the day…” The dates and locations of different parks were printed in the bulletin several weeks ahead.
It seems that Children and Youth programs at church are always the same, yet always different. There is always something new, some new method, some new style, a new way to “do” theministry. I am, have been, and because of the education and training I received growing up at Emmaus, will always be (literally eternally) grateful that Emmaus has never compromised teaching the gospel, very clearly and directly to even its youngest members. Through careful scrutiny, the curriculum, programs, and events must meet standards set by the church staff and council.
With an average of 26 baptisms annually through the decade, the nursery was quite busy in the 90s, but often in danger of not being offered due to difficulty recruiting enough volunteers and a coordinator to keep it safely staffed while also maintaining a schedule to keep toys and equipment clean and in good working order. Starting in 1999, background checks were required for anyone at church working with minors.
“Busy Bags” were new for Emmaus in 1990. Parents were encouraged to pick up a “busy bag” in the narthex for children for the Sunday services when children’s church was not offered. Children’s church was offered year-round for most of the decade; parents were asked to help lead. Kids were introduced to Bible Quizzing on Sunday mornings, alternating children’s church and Bible quizzing with 4-6th gr and 1-3 gr kids!
A great deal of time and energy goes into the prep for VBS, recruiting volunteers, as well as obtaining supplies for snacks, curriculum, activities, and crafts. In 1990, the curriculum was “home grown” written by a council member. I believe the comment was “it was a LOT of work, I did not feel like I wanted to do that again.” That year 230 children attended and there were 100 volunteers. The next couple of years Emmaus hosted a “family style” evening VBS, which created a circus one year and a carnival the next year for the whole family to come, enjoy, participate, and learn together. I can only imagine what a sense of team and community was created by working on this together with Steve Papillon heading up the team. Volunteers were enlisted to canvass the neighborhood to advertise the event, set up and staff games, entertainment, and activities. The evening ended with Steve giving a gospel message. In 1994 VBS went back to daytime, 9a-3:30p offered to children who completed K-6th grade.
Pioneer Clubs were offered as programming for 3-year-olds -3rd grade from ’92-96. A different format was introduced starting in ’97. Two years later a group of parents together with church leadership decided to stop using the Trinity program; and an extensive search was made for curriculum to replace it. A program from Desiring God Ministries was selected and training to use it was given to staff and volunteers. Wednesday evening programs included: the OK club for 0 to kindergarten and the 1-2-3 Club for 1-3 grade with 20 kids attending. Trinity was for 4-6 graders, with an average attendance of 20-30 kids. Kingdom Seekers for 5-8 graders recorded 10 kids; Youth Group for 9-12 grade attendance varied depending on each week’s focus, averaging 25-30 students. For adults, there was often an option for Wednesday Evening Bible Study, a mom’s group, or Homebuilders while the kids were in clubs. The Wed evening Bible studies were sometimes led by missionaries home on furlough.
Emmaus had a very active youth group including R.I.O.T. nights: Reaching In and Out Together. Impact was a drama group formed at the request of some of the students. With adult support and supervision, they contributed to Sunday morning services and gave performances at other AFLC churches. One year a group of very dedicated students and adults prepared and performed a two-act play, “Change in the Wind” by Sara Pasiciel, a drama about culture clashes and relationships. Even though there were several sets of siblings working on this play, everyone involved worked really well together, but not everything was always perfect. A few weeks shy of the first performance, one of the students, tired of ALL the rehearsals, felt a strong desire to withdraw from the project and stopped coming to rehearsals. Discussions between director, parent, and student made it clear that quitting would be ill-advised, not to mention inconvenient and unfair to “everyone else” involved in the play; the student did not quit. Years later the student recalled “I was NOT happy at the time, but it was a lesson I needed to learn, and I am grateful for it.” The team worked hard, from the tech crew to the set crew, the actors, and the adults. I expect the bond that developed is remembered very fondly by all involved. That said, I am quite sure that most of the students and adults will vividly recall hearing “It’ll be fine. It’ll be great!” as they were transporting the set, assembling it, and seriously questioning WHY they brought an actual cast iron wood burning stove on the road.
The first One Incredible Night was held in April ’93. 180 youth turned out between Emmaus and Faith Free Lutheran of Shakopee; Bob Halvorson and Kevin Olson were co-coordinators of the event. The 4th annual One Incredible Night was held in March ’96. Per the annual report, 500 youth participated with 200 volunteers enlisted to help. These events sound amazing, packed with activities, food, worship music, special speakers, and went all night. Not a lock-in, not a retreat, not a sleep over event. High energy, focus on fun, and then get serious. Decisions
were made, and lives were given to the Lord during these events. Sold Out met on Wed nights and was used as a time for evangelism with up to 80 kids attending. Youth were encouraged to invite friends to come weekly. To support the youth who were serious about their faith, an additional youth group meeting was added on Sunday nights with an average attendance of 20-30 youth.
The Valentine’s Banquet was held annually starting in the 1950s. Initially it was sponsored by the women. Starting in the mid-90s, it was sponsored by the youth to help with fundraising for retreats and attending the Luther League Convention in Colorado. The youth began selling plants in the spring of ’93, which was another fund raiser to help pay for convention costs. This proved to be a popular event and is still an annual thing.
Music is a very important part of ministry at most churches, and Emmaus is no exception. As noted previously, Scot and Debbie worked very hard to grow the music programs at Emmaus. And with many volunteers, they achieved some pretty remarkable things. The groundwork was in place when they started; they grew the programs and left them ready for Gary and Josh to continue building on with leadership of the children’s choirs by Vergene (Kruse) Downs. Generally, each choir performed during the Sunday service one Sunday per month.
The Cherub Choir, for the really little kids learned some simple music and were able to perform on Sunday mornings; and for Christmas concerts they often were included in a song or two for the children’s musicals. They learned the discipline of watching the director, and learning music. The music selected usually helped them memorize some scripture.
Joyful Sound for 1-3 graders introduced slightly more complex music and sometimes added simple instruments. Children were given an opportunity for a solo line or two in their performances on Sunday mornings and for concerts and programs. Simple choreography was added to their roles in the children’s musicals.
Sanctified Singers for 4-8 graders introduced more complex music with some harmony and singing parts. Children were offered longer solos and speaking parts in the children’s musicals. In addition to what they learned at earlier levels and singing for the congregation on Sunday mornings, they also learned the discipline of learning lines, and working together to put together a performance, attending rehearsals, and having fun while doing it. They learned scripture and biblical principles through the music and the dramas. I often felt that my kids learned more about music by being involved in the kids’ choirs and programs at church than they ever did in the public-school music program, including at the senior high level.
Members of the senior choir were dedicated, committed and willing to tackle interesting and challenging music. For Christmas, 1990, Grace Church and Emmaus choirs combined for their Christmas Concert. That year they held two performances, one at Emmaus on Saturday, the other at Grace on Sunday. The following years, Grace, Emmaus and St. Michael’s churches combined choirs and performed “Christmas at The Inn,” a Christmas play utilizing actors, the choirs, and orchestra. Performed at The Radisson South in Bloomington, it was an event where people could invite family and friends to enjoy themselves with them.
The choir was invited to participate in a festival in Austria in 1994. Members worked together on the music, gave extra performances to help them prepare for the festival, and worked together on fund raisers. Many people, in addition to choir members, volunteered for shifts at Kohl’s Department Store to help the choir financially. Viewed as a mission trip, the experience was very impactful for the choir. They enjoyed the extra rehearsals and learning challenging music. Their travel to Vienna at Christmas time to sing in churches there while staying in host homes was memory-making.
Bells were purchased and given to the church in 1993, and the bell choir (or Hand Chimes) were introduced and used on occasion.
1997 saw the debut of The Singing Seniors performing at the 8:30 service one Sunday per month. Rehearsals were at 8:00 the morning of the performance. For members who enjoy singing but no longer drive at night (to get to rehearsal), it was an option to be part of a choir and sing for others with the goal of bringing honor and glory to God. An added benefit was having Leola Johnson as the director.
Scot was very good at encouraging people to use their learned talents and pulled together a small orchestra that performed for special services, events, and concerts. Not only did these performances add a special dimension to the program and worship, but it provided an outlet for creative expression that would otherwise be untapped. He also solicited for instruments with announcements in the bulletins: “If you used to play an instrument and you no longer want to, maybe you’d consider finding it, and lending or donating it so that someone else might use it…?”
There are plenty of people around who still recall the Emmaus Family Talent shows, or “Music Emmaus”. Mostly they were put on for fun, but it was also an opportunity to showcase some real talent. In addition to the Christmas concerts, special music for Easter, the talent shows, we had concerts performed by well-known Christian recording artists: Bobby Michaels, Glad, Marty Goetz, and Karl Hinkle.
As Choir Director, Gary worked primarily with the choirs, and Josh served as Contemporary Worship Leader. When Gary transitioned to pastoral intern, Josh transitioned to full-time Celebration Ministries Director. Under his leadership, Emmaus grew in the understanding and practice of worship. By the end of 1999 there were 30 members involved on praise teams. Rehearsal was at 8:30p on Wednesday, after Wednesday night activities. It still is.
The Ministry Fair became an annual event on Rally Day. It was an effective way to let people know about all the ministry opportunities available at Emmaus. In the Fall of 1993, the event was held in the gym. There was orientation time for the kids during the Sunday School hour, while the adults could check out the information tables that were set up. In addition to the fair in the gym, they still had a picnic off campus.
Bulletins, newsletters, and annual reports are not printed with the intention of being read back to back, and I can’t say that I actually recommend doing it—it becomes quite difficult to keep things straight—but in doing so I gained a sense of the heart of Emmaus: the genuine care, concern, and desire to serve anyone who walked through the doors of the church, and a desire to go to the neighborhood and invite the neighbors to walk through those doors. Each decade
has a kind of “flavor.” For example, the 50s were young families building their lives, and their community. They had a lot of energy and a sense of newness. The “flavor” of the 90s seems to be prayer and care for each other. I did not review any bulletins or newsletters for 1994-1996, but the quote by Pastor Jim at the beginning of this “Decade Snapshot” mentions the difficult time experienced by the congregation due to loss, either from death or difficulties in marriage/divorce. There were a few groups tailored to address some of these needs. The Telecare ministry seems to have been started to help identify and address these concerns and offer prayer. There was a grief support group that met weekly. There was a single parent fellowship; information about this group made it clear the group was for fellowship and support (as opposed to match-making). The Singles Caring and Sharing group planned activities and social outings to do as a group, sometimes sharing a meal at a restaurant, sometimes attending a movie, or even just having a potluck. They met for about four years but had difficulty recruiting someone to take the reins of leadership to continue organizing activities.
BOTHERS, (Barely Over The Hill Emmaus Renewed Saints) and YAHS, Young at HeartS planned regular activities. YAHS in particular invited missionaries on furlough to give a talk at their coffee meeting or brought in speakers to talk about topics of concern to seniors. A special project of the YAHS was to help raise funds for the elevator. One year they held a hymn sing benefit for the elevator fund. I enjoyed the BOTHERS bulletin announcement/warning for their potlucks: “If you bring it, we WILL eat it.”
Opportunities for Adult Education on Sunday mornings, week-day evening, or weekend seminars offered many different options such as an in-depth Bible study focusing on a book of the Bible, a class on depression, or another class titled “How To Teach.” Taking advantage of the available technology, they were able to offer video classes from organizations such as Focus on The Family or Gary Smalley addressing family relationships or issues, Finances (Larry Burkett, Ron Blue). The video class “7 Laws of the Learner” seems to have been a popular and useful class, offered numerous times for several years. There was talk about trialing Wednesday evening services for the summer in 1993 to accommodate people spending summer weekends out of town until it was noted this would require a change in the church constitution. The talk did seem to spark some thoughts, and in January 1994 a third Sunday morning service was added during the Sunday School time slot.
There was hope that it would attract people who were dropping kids off for Sunday school and returning to pick them up later. It did not continue during the summer months but did resume in the fall. The service was shorter and had a less formal feel with the hope that it would appeal to people who were unaccustomed to a church setting.
Recognizing the value of small groups and home group-type fellowship, participation in 20/20 or Shepherding groups was encouraged, with new groups starting often. They were much the same concept as the 4S groups that started in the 1980s.
Weekly prayer was held in the Sanctuary Wednesday mornings, specifically to pray for the nation and for the world. I believe this started after the Gulf War sparked national concern for the safety of our military, the country, and possible escalation to global war. Ruth Aamot was instrumental in getting “Sweet Hour of Prayer” up and running. After a relatively short time, about 100 people were involved with the prayer teams typically meeting in groups of four, praying for the church, praying for people. The prayer chain was also still active with one person calling the next person on the list, each person writing the prayer request in their own notebook, each request having its own number. The Easter Prayer Vigil was an established tradition by the 90s.
Network Seminar was an exciting class offered numerous times. Its purpose was to help individuals identify their spiritual gifts, passion and personal style to find where God wants them to serve in His body. Mavis Miller was trained in presenting the class and coordinating thefollow-up consultations. Pre-registration was required so that materials were available. After the class, the participants scheduled one-on-one time with leadership to discuss how one’s gifts fit with the needs of the Body. Many people found these to be extremely useful seminars to determine where they could be most effective in using their gifts without burning out because of being “mis-fit” in a position.
Notably, Emmaus Family Camp at Patmos came to an end after 1993. The annual potluck was held in 1994 with their tradition to “remember last year at camp and start making plans for next summer” was the last one. There was no one willing/able to help plan future camps.
Some practical items were offered that come under the umbrella of caring for each other. These include the “Chicken Soup Brigade” providing meals for families on certain occasions, such as illness, surgery, a new baby, etc. During the Christmas season the youth offered free babysitting at church for a four-hour time block for those who needed some time to go “Christmas shopping…” Also during the Christmas season in the early 90s was a family pot-luck, with crafts, and caroling. Open to everyone, I imagine this was kind of a nice opportunity to enjoy a holiday event and feel a little less alone for people who didn’t have family close by. (We still have a wall-hanging decoration our family made together at one of these events. Some years, I even still hang it up!) There were events in the community and evangelistic meetings to which the church was encouraged to invite family, friends, and neighbors. Lighthouse Prayer training was offered, a program that started with praying for your neighborhood to be followed up with speaking to your neighbors and possibly starting Bible study with/for them.
A special event to highlight individuals, groups, or activities was The Emmaus O.S.C.A.R.S., Outstanding Service for the Cause of Advancing Redemption. Attendees were encouraged to treat this event like it was a semi-formal affair. It was a fun and creative way for ministry leaders to recognize the volunteer service of people on their teams. Members of the congregation were also encouraged to nominate individuals or suggest categories for recognition. My recollection of this event was that it was heartfelt and moving.
There was collaboration with other churches. One year several “sister” churches combined choirs for Thanksgiving evening service which was followed with fellowship and pie. Pastor Jim met Pastors Floyd and Mae Beecham of Faith Gospel Tabernacle, an inner-city church. We had several events where the two congregations were able to fellowship together. Around this time, Heart of the City (Dan and Sandy Adler) held monthly events to bring together believers from different churches to worship together, to break down racial and denominational division. These events were promoted in our bulletins. (Heart of the City is still an active ministry.) There was a “food-sharing Sunday” every month with donations picked up the following week by Manna Lifeline, a local foodshelf ministry. GMAE flyers were included in the Emmaus newsletters that were mailed, helping churches stay connected with services. There were monthly invites for events at New Hope Center, and Emmaus women helped serve a lunch monthly at the Marie Sandvik Center. There were reminders to join the monthly prayer walk to stand up for life.
No history of Emmaus would be complete without mentioning missions. The Missions Committee met monthly and was actively involved in keeping the congregation informed of what our missionaries were doing, keeping the congregation informed of current prayer requests, providing financial and prayer support. “The Emmaus Missions News and Notes” was included with the Emmaus Light monthly and still is today. Highlighting a mission of the month, this page also included pertinent updates, as well as missionary birthdays that month and their addresses. The committee planned and hosted an annual missions conference. They also kept our missionaries “in the loop” by sending letters and bulletins to them. In the mid-90s, Emmaus supported 17 missionaries—several of them having grown up at Emmaus. There were also several students involved in short-term missions. There was a pop-up opportunity for a Mission trip to Hermosillo, Mexico in March, 1990. There was a group that consisted of a couple of young families and a few retired couples who were ready, willing, and able to go. It was a learning experience for all involved! Fortunately, everyone made it back safely and had/have some good stories to tell. The youth mission trips in December/January to Mexico changed a bit in the 90s. The trip was for post-high/college instead of high school, and they went to Foundation for His Ministry in Baja, Mexico in the summer. I am uncertain what year this transition occurred, have no idea how many people went, and I am unsure if it was an annual trip. I expect someone has pictures…
In 1991 Emmaus was able to help the Sumin family from Russia by helping them secure an apartment, provide furnishings, and find jobs. Initially,they stayed with the Frolund family for two months. The refugee committee was helpful in this process.
Pathway Learning Community (a home school co-op) used the building on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for many years. Minnesota Believers Assembly used Emmaus for their own worship services on Sunday evenings. Evergreen Church used Emmaus for Monday evening meeting space for some of their ministries since they held Sunday services in a school and meeting space was not available during the week.
Emmaus adults and leaders were very concerned about the youth in the 70s and 80s and spent a great deal of time praying for them, planning events for them, and seeking God’s will in addressing social concerns. Looking back, I believe that I see some of the results of those prayers in the lives of those kids who had grown up and become leaders in the church: youth group leaders, pastors, Sunday School teachers, missionaries, parents who disciple their own children. And now I see those who were kids in the 90s who were involved in those Sunday school classes, VBS programs, kids choirs and musicals, youth group attendees, and they are pastors, missionaries, parents who are teaching their children. It is a rich heritage that God has given us. I am looking forward to picking up the thread in the next Decade Snapshot!